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Kaur R, Meier CJ, McGraw EA, Hillyer JF, Bordenstein SR. The mechanism of cytoplasmic incompatibility is conserved in Wolbachia-infected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes deployed for arbovirus control. PLoS Biol 2024; 22:e3002573. [PMID: 38547237 PMCID: PMC11014437 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
The rising interest and success in deploying inherited microorganisms and cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) for vector control strategies necessitate an explanation of the CI mechanism. Wolbachia-induced CI manifests in the form of embryonic lethality when sperm from Wolbachia-bearing testes fertilize eggs from uninfected females. Embryos from infected females however survive to sustain the maternally inherited symbiont. Previously in Drosophila melanogaster flies, we demonstrated that CI modifies chromatin integrity in developing sperm to bestow the embryonic lethality. Here, we validate these findings using wMel-transinfected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes released to control vector-borne diseases. Once again, the prophage WO CI proteins, CifA and CifB, target male gametic nuclei to modify chromatin integrity via an aberrant histone-to-protamine transition. Cifs are not detected in the embryo, and thus elicit CI via the nucleoprotein modifications established pre-fertilization. The rescue protein CifA in oogenesis localizes to stem cell, nurse cell, and oocyte nuclei, as well as embryonic DNA during embryogenesis. Discovery of the nuclear targeting Cifs and altered histone-to-protamine transition in both Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and D. melanogaster flies affirm the Host Modification Model of CI is conserved across these host species. The study also newly uncovers the cell biology of Cif proteins in the ovaries, CifA localization in the embryos, and an impaired histone-to-protamine transition during spermiogenesis of any mosquito species. Overall, these sperm modification findings may enable future optimization of CI efficacy in vectors or pests that are refractory to Wolbachia transinfections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rupinder Kaur
- Pennsylvania State University, Departments of Biology and Entomology, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Pennsylvania State University, One Health Microbiome Center, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Vanderbilt University, Department of Biological Sciences, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Cole J. Meier
- Vanderbilt University, Department of Biological Sciences, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth A. McGraw
- Pennsylvania State University, Departments of Biology and Entomology, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Pennsylvania State University, One Health Microbiome Center, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Pennsylvania State University, Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Julian F. Hillyer
- Vanderbilt University, Department of Biological Sciences, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Seth R. Bordenstein
- Pennsylvania State University, Departments of Biology and Entomology, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Pennsylvania State University, One Health Microbiome Center, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Vanderbilt University, Department of Biological Sciences, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
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2
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Cullen G, Gilligan JB, Guhlin JG, Dearden PK. Germline progenitors and oocyte production in the honeybee queen ovary. Genetics 2023; 225:iyad138. [PMID: 37487025 PMCID: PMC10471204 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyad138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the reproduction of honeybee queens is crucial to support populations of this economically important insect. Here we examine the structure of the honeybee ovary to determine the nature of the germline progenitors in the ovary. Using a panel of marker genes that mark somatic or germline tissue in other insects we determine which cells in the honeybee ovary are somatic and which germline. We examine patterns of cell division and demonstrate that, unlike Drosophila, there is no evidence of single germline stem cells that provide the germline in honeybees. Germline progenitors are clustered in groups of 8 cells, joined by a polyfusome, and collections of these, in each ovariole, appear to maintain the germline during reproduction. We also show that these 8-cell clusters can divide and that their division occurs such that the numbers of germline progenitors are relatively constant over the reproductive life of queen honeybees. This information helps us to understand the diversity of structures in insect reproduction, and provide information to better support honeybee reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgia Cullen
- Laboratory for Evolution and Development, Biochemistry Department, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9054, Aotearoa-New Zealand
| | - Joshua B Gilligan
- Laboratory for Evolution and Development, Biochemistry Department, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9054, Aotearoa-New Zealand
- Biological Heritage National Science Challenge, Biochemistry Department, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9054, Aotearoa-New Zealand
| | - Joseph G Guhlin
- Laboratory for Evolution and Development, Biochemistry Department, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9054, Aotearoa-New Zealand
- Genomics Aotearoa, Biochemistry Department, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9054, Aotearoa-New Zealand
| | - Peter K Dearden
- Laboratory for Evolution and Development, Biochemistry Department, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9054, Aotearoa-New Zealand
- Biological Heritage National Science Challenge, Biochemistry Department, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9054, Aotearoa-New Zealand
- Genomics Aotearoa, Biochemistry Department, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9054, Aotearoa-New Zealand
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3
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Sengseng T, Okutsu T, Songnui A, Boonchuay J, Sakunrang C, Wonglapsuwan M. Molecular Markers of Ovarian Germ Cells of Banana Prawn ( Fenneropenaeus merguiensis). Curr Issues Mol Biol 2023; 45:5708-5724. [PMID: 37504276 PMCID: PMC10378296 DOI: 10.3390/cimb45070360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2023] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The banana prawn (Fenneropenaeus merguiensis) is a valuable prawn in the worldwide market. However, cultivation of this species is limited owing to the difficulty in culture management and limited knowledge of reproduction. Therefore, we studied the gene expression and molecular mechanisms involved in oogenesis for elucidating ovarian germ cell development in banana prawns. The tissue-specific distribution of certain genes identified from previous transcriptome data showed that FmCyclinB, FmNanos, and nuclear autoantigenic sperm protein (FmNASP) were only expressed in gonads. The in situ hybridization (ISH) of these three genes showed different expression patterns throughout oogenesis. FmCyclinB was highly expressed in pre-vitellogenic oocytes. FmNanos was expressed at almost the same level during oogenesis but showed the most expression in late pre-vitellogenic stages. Based on the highest expression of FmCyclinB and FmNanos in mid pre-vitellogenic and late pre-vitellogenic oocytes, respectively, we suggested that FmNanos may suppress FmCyclinB expression before initiation of vitellogenesis. Meanwhile, FmNASP expression was detected only in pre-vitellogenesis. Moreover, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis of FmNASP expression was supported by FmNASP ISH analysis based on high expression of FmNASP in sub-adult ovaries, which contain most of pre-vitellogenic oocytes. In this study, we found three reliable ovarian markers for banana prawns and also found a dynamic change of molecular mechanism during the sub-stage of pre-vitellogenesis. We determined the expression levels of these genes involved in oogenesis. Our findings provide information for further studies on banana prawn reproduction which may assist in their cultivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiyavadee Sengseng
- Division of Biological Science, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Hatyai, Songkhla 90110, Thailand
| | - Tomoyuki Okutsu
- Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences, Tsukuba 305-8686, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Anida Songnui
- Trang Coastal Fisheries Research and Development Center, Department of Fisheries, Trang 92150, Thailand
| | - Jaruwan Boonchuay
- Division of Biological Science, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Hatyai, Songkhla 90110, Thailand
| | - Chanida Sakunrang
- Division of Biological Science, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Hatyai, Songkhla 90110, Thailand
| | - Monwadee Wonglapsuwan
- Division of Biological Science, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Hatyai, Songkhla 90110, Thailand
- Center for Genomics and Bioinformatics Research, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Hatyai, Songkhla 90110, Thailand
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4
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Ivasyk I, Olivos-Cisneros L, Valdés-Rodríguez S, Droual M, Jang H, Schmitz RJ, Kronauer DJC. DNMT1 mutant ants develop normally but have disrupted oogenesis. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2201. [PMID: 37072475 PMCID: PMC10113331 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37945-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Although DNA methylation is an important gene regulatory mechanism in mammals, its function in arthropods remains poorly understood. Studies in eusocial insects have argued for its role in caste development by regulating gene expression and splicing. However, such findings are not always consistent across studies, and have therefore remained controversial. Here we use CRISPR/Cas9 to mutate the maintenance DNA methyltransferase DNMT1 in the clonal raider ant, Ooceraea biroi. Mutants have greatly reduced DNA methylation, but no obvious developmental phenotypes, demonstrating that, unlike mammals, ants can undergo normal development without DNMT1 or DNA methylation. Additionally, we find no evidence of DNA methylation regulating caste development. However, mutants are sterile, whereas in wild-type ants, DNMT1 is localized to the ovaries and maternally provisioned into nascent oocytes. This supports the idea that DNMT1 plays a crucial but unknown role in the insect germline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iryna Ivasyk
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA.
| | | | - Stephany Valdés-Rodríguez
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Marie Droual
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Hosung Jang
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | | | - Daniel J C Kronauer
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York, NY, USA.
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5
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The Prmt5-Vasa module is essential for spermatogenesis in Bombyx mori. PLoS Genet 2023; 19:e1010600. [PMID: 36634107 PMCID: PMC9876381 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Revised: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
In lepidopteran insects, dichotomous spermatogenesis produces eupyrene spermatozoa, which are nucleated, and apyrene spermatozoa, which are anucleated. Both sperm morphs are essential for fertilization, as eupyrene sperm fertilize the egg, and apyrene sperm is necessary for the migration of eupyrene sperm. In Drosophila, Prmt5 acts as a type II arginine methyltransferase that catalyzes the symmetrical dimethylation of arginine residues in the RNA helicase Vasa. Prmt5 is critical for the regulation of spermatogenesis, but Vasa is not. To date, functional genetic studies of spermatogenesis in the lepidopteran model Bombyx mori has been limited. In this study, we engineered mutations in BmPrmt5 and BmVasa through CRISPR/Cas9-based gene editing. Both BmPrmt5 and BmVasa loss-of-function mutants had similar male and female sterility phenotypes. Through immunofluorescence staining analysis, we found that the morphs of sperm from both BmPrmt5 and BmVasa mutants have severe defects, indicating essential roles for both BmPrmt5 and BmVasa in the regulation of spermatogenesis. Mass spectrometry results identified that R35, R54, and R56 of BmVasa were dimethylated in WT while unmethylated in BmPrmt5 mutants. RNA-seq analyses indicate that the defects in spermatogenesis in mutants resulted from reduced expression of the spermatogenesis-related genes, including BmSxl, implying that BmSxl acts downstream of BmPrmt5 and BmVasa to regulate apyrene sperm development. These findings indicate that BmPrmt5 and BmVasa constitute an integral regulatory module essential for spermatogenesis in B. mori.
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6
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Zavodska R, Sehadova H. The rate of DNA synthesis in ovaries, fat body cells, and pericardial cells of the bumblebee ( Bombus terrestris) depends on the stage of ovarian maturation. Front Physiol 2023; 14:1034584. [PMID: 37113694 PMCID: PMC10126488 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1034584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Bumblebees are important pollinators of plants worldwide and they are kept for commercial pollination. By studying the process of oogenesis, we can understand their ontogenetic developmental strategy and reproduction. We describe the anatomy of the ovary of the bumblebee Bombus terrestris using 3D reconstruction by confocal microscopy. We found that an oocyte is accompanied by 63 endopolyploidy nurse cells. The number of nurse cells nuclei decreased during oogenesis and the cells are finally absorbed by the oocyte. We monitored the rate of DNA synthesis in vivo during 12 h in ovaries, fat body, and pericardial cells in B. terrestris queens and workers of different ages. The DNA replication activity was detected on the basis of visualization of incorporated 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine. DNA synthesis detected in differentiated nurse cells indicated endoreplication of nuclei. The dynamics of mitotic activity varied among different ages and statuses of queens. In 3- to 8-day-old virgin queens, intense mitotic activity was observed in all tissue types investigated. This might be related to the initial phase of oogenesis and the development of the hepato-nephrotic system. In 15- to 20-day-old mated pre-diapause queens, DNA synthesis was exclusively observed in the ovaries, particularly in the germarium and the anterior part of the vitellarium. In 1-year-old queens, replication occurred only in the peritoneal sheath of ovaries and in several cells of the fat body. The similar DNA synthesis patterns in the ovaries of mated pre-diapause queens, ovipositing workers, and non-egg-laying workers show that mitotic activity is related not only to age but also to the stage of ovarian maturation and is relatively independent of caste affiliation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Radka Zavodska
- Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre CAS, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
- Faculty of Education, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
- *Correspondence: Radka Zavodska, ; Hana Sehadova,
| | - Hana Sehadova
- Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre CAS, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
- *Correspondence: Radka Zavodska, ; Hana Sehadova,
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7
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Pacheco ID, Walling LL, Atkinson PW. Gene Editing and Genetic Control of Hemipteran Pests: Progress, Challenges and Perspectives. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:900785. [PMID: 35747496 PMCID: PMC9209771 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.900785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The origin of the order Hemiptera can be traced to the late Permian Period more than 230 MYA, well before the origin of flowering plants 100 MY later in during the Cretaceous period. Hemipteran species consume their liquid diets using a sucking proboscis; for phytophagous hemipterans their mouthparts (stylets) are elegant structures that enable voracious feeding from plant xylem or phloem. This adaptation has resulted in some hemipteran species becoming globally significant pests of agriculture resulting in significant annual crop losses. Due to the reliance on chemical insecticides for the control of insect pests in agricultural settings, many hemipteran pests have evolved resistance to insecticides resulting in an urgent need to develop new, species-specific and environmentally friendly methods of pest control. The rapid advances in CRISPR/Cas9 technologies in model insects such as Drosophila melanogaster, Tribolium castaneum, Bombyx mori, and Aedes aegypti has spurred a new round of innovative genetic control strategies in the Diptera and Lepidoptera and an increased interest in assessing genetic control technologies for the Hemiptera. Genetic control approaches in the Hemiptera have, to date, been largely overlooked due to the problems of introducing genetic material into the germline of these insects. The high frequency of CRISPR-mediated mutagenesis in model insect species suggest that, if the delivery problem for Hemiptera could be solved, then gene editing in the Hemiptera might be quickly achieved. Significant advances in CRISPR/Cas9 editing have been realized in nine species of Hemiptera over the past 4 years. Here we review progress in the Hemiptera and discuss the challenges and opportunities for extending contemporary genetic control strategies into species in this agriculturally important insect orderr.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inaiara D. Pacheco
- Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States
| | - Linda L. Walling
- Department of Botany & Plant Sciences, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States
- Institute for Integrative Genome Biology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States
| | - Peter W. Atkinson
- Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States
- Institute for Integrative Genome Biology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States
- *Correspondence: Peter W. Atkinson,
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8
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Chung CY, Shigenobu S. Reproductive constraint in the social aphid Ceratovacuna japonica: Sterility regulation in the soldier caste of a viviparous insect. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2022; 145:103756. [PMID: 35367587 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2022.103756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Revised: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Differentiation of the non-reproductive caste is a unique feature of eusocial insects. Apoptosis in oocytes plays a major role in constraining the reproductivity of the eusocial insects including bees, ants, and termites. However, the regulation of reproductive constraint in non-reproductives of primitively eusocial insects other than hymenopterans and blattodeans is almost unknown. Here, we investigated the soldier sterility in a hemipteran insect, the social aphid Ceratovacuna japonica. We compared the gonads of soldiers, that are completely sterile, with those of reproductives in their viviparous development. We found that soldiers possess a pair of ovaries and the same number of germaria as reproductives, but soldiers' ovarioles were small and lacking gastrulating embryos. Unlike in most model social insects, the staining of cleaved Caspase-3 showed apoptosis in the maternal nutritive cells, rather in the oocyte, of soldier ovaries. In addition, the ubiquitous C. japonica vasa1 and piwi2a expression indicates the developmental failure of embryos in soldier ovaries. The absence of posterior nos1, an insect posterior determinant, indicates deficient posterior patterning in soldier ovarioles. Our findings suggest a different mode of reproductive constraint, which regulates both oogenesis and embryogenesis in a viviparous insect ovary. This is the first report of the reproductive constraint in a viviparous social insect at the molecular level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen-Yo Chung
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genomics, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, 444-8585, Aichi, Japan
| | - Shuji Shigenobu
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genomics, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, 444-8585, Aichi, Japan; Department of Basic Biology, School of Life Science, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Okazaki, 444-8585, Japan.
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9
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Khan Z, Khan MS, Bawazeer S, Bawazeer N, Suleman, Irfan M, Rauf A, Su XH, Xing LX. A comprehensive review on the documented characteristics of four Reticulitermes termites (Rhinotermitidae, Blattodea) of China. BRAZ J BIOL 2022; 84:e256354. [PMID: 35319619 DOI: 10.1590/1519-6984.256354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Termites are known as social insects worldwide. Presently in China 473 species, 44 genera and 4 families of termites have been reported. Of them, 111 Reticulitermes species are widely spread in different zones of China. The dispersion flight season of these Chinese Reticulitermes species are usually started from February to June, but in some regions different species are distributed, sharing their boundaries and having overlapping flight seasons. These reasons become important sources of hybridization between two different heterospecific populations of termites. It was confirmed that the fertilized eggs and unfertilized eggs of some Reticulitermes termites have the capacity of cleavage. While the unfertilized eggs of R. aculabialis, R. chinensis and R. labralis cleaved normally and the only R. aculabialis unfertilized eggs develop in embryos. While, the R. flaviceps and R. chinensis were observed with their abnormal embryonic development, and not hatching of eggs parthenogenetically. They were reported more threatening to Chinese resources as they propagate with parthenogenesis, hybridization and sexual reproduction. Eggshell and macrophiles of eggs play important roles in species identification and control. Although, they are severe pests and cause a wide range of damages to wooden structures and products in homes, buildings, building materials, trees, crops, and forests in China's Mainland.
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Affiliation(s)
- Z Khan
- Northwest University, College of Life Sciences, Xi'an, China.,University of Swabi, Zoology Department, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - M S Khan
- University of Swabi, Zoology Department, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - S Bawazeer
- Umm Al-Qura University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacognosy, Makkah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - N Bawazeer
- Minister of Interior General Directorate of Prison's Health, Pharmacy Department, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Suleman
- University of Swabi, Zoology Department, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - M Irfan
- Abdul Wali Khan University, Department of Botany, Mardan, Pakistan.,University of Swabi, Department of Botany, Swabi, Pakistan.,Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO, U.S.A
| | - A Rauf
- University of Swabi, Department of Chemistry, Anbar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - X-H Su
- Northwest University, College of Life Sciences, Xi'an, China.,Northwest University, Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, Xi'an, China.,Northwest University, Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology, Xi'an, China
| | - L-X Xing
- Northwest University, College of Life Sciences, Xi'an, China.,Northwest University, Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, Xi'an, China.,Northwest University, Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology, Xi'an, China
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10
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Blondel L, Besse S, Rivard EL, Ylla G, Extavour CG. Evolution of a cytoplasmic determinant: evidence for the biochemical basis of functional evolution of the novel germ line regulator oskar. Mol Biol Evol 2021; 38:5491-5513. [PMID: 34550378 PMCID: PMC8662646 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msab284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Germ line specification is essential in sexually reproducing organisms. Despite their critical role, the evolutionary history of the genes that specify animal germ cells is heterogeneous and dynamic. In many insects, the gene oskar is required for the specification of the germ line. However, the germ line role of oskar is thought to be a derived role resulting from co-option from an ancestral somatic role. To address how evolutionary changes in protein sequence could have led to changes in the function of Oskar protein that enabled it to regulate germ line specification, we searched for oskar orthologs in 1,565 publicly available insect genomic and transcriptomic data sets. The earliest-diverging lineage in which we identified an oskar ortholog was the order Zygentoma (silverfish and firebrats), suggesting that oskar originated before the origin of winged insects. We noted some order-specific trends in oskar sequence evolution, including whole gene duplications, clade-specific losses, and rapid divergence. An alignment of all known 379 Oskar sequences revealed new highly conserved residues as candidates that promote dimerization of the LOTUS domain. Moreover, we identified regions of the OSK domain with conserved predicted RNA binding potential. Furthermore, we show that despite a low overall amino acid conservation, the LOTUS domain shows higher conservation of predicted secondary structure than the OSK domain. Finally, we suggest new key amino acids in the LOTUS domain that may be involved in the previously reported Oskar−Vasa physical interaction that is required for its germ line role.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leo Blondel
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Savandara Besse
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Emily L Rivard
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Guillem Ylla
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Cassandra G Extavour
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
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11
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Nakao H. Early embryonic development of Bombyx. Dev Genes Evol 2021; 231:95-107. [PMID: 34296338 DOI: 10.1007/s00427-021-00679-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Decades have passed since the early molecular embryogenesis of Drosophila melanogaster was outlined. During this period, the molecular mechanisms underlying early embryonic development in other insects, particularly the flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum, have been described in more detail. The information clearly demonstrated that Drosophila embryogenesis is not representative of other insects and has highly distinctive characteristics. At the same time, this new data has been gradually clarifying ancestral operating mechanisms. The silk moth, Bombyx mori, is a lepidopteran insect and, as a representative of the order, has many unique characteristics found in early embryonic development that have not been identified in other insect groups. Herein, some of these characteristics are introduced and discussed in the context of recent information obtained from other insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hajime Nakao
- Insect Genome Research and Engineering Unit, Division of Applied Genetics, Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO), 1-2 Oowashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8634, Japan.
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12
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Whittle CA, Extavour CG. Contrasting patterns of molecular evolution in metazoan germ line genes. BMC Evol Biol 2019; 19:53. [PMID: 30744572 PMCID: PMC6371493 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-019-1363-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2018] [Accepted: 01/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Germ lines are the cell lineages that give rise to the sperm and eggs in animals. The germ lines first arise from primordial germ cells (PGCs) during embryogenesis: these form from either a presumed derived mode of preformed germ plasm (inheritance) or from an ancestral mechanism of inductive cell-cell signalling (induction). Numerous genes involved in germ line specification and development have been identified and functionally studied. However, little is known about the molecular evolutionary dynamics of germ line genes in metazoan model systems. RESULTS Here, we studied the molecular evolution of germ line genes within three metazoan model systems. These include the genus Drosophila (N=34 genes, inheritance), the fellow insect Apis (N=30, induction), and their more distant relative Caenorhabditis (N=23, inheritance). Using multiple species and established phylogenies in each genus, we report that germ line genes exhibited marked variation in the constraint on protein sequence divergence (dN/dS) and codon usage bias (CUB) within each genus. Importantly, we found that de novo lineage-specific inheritance (LSI) genes in Drosophila (osk, pgc) and in Caenorhabditis (pie-1, pgl-1), which are essential to germ plasm functions under the derived inheritance mode, displayed rapid protein sequence divergence relative to the other germ line genes within each respective genus. We show this may reflect the evolution of specialized germ plasm functions and/or low pleiotropy of LSI genes, features not shared with other germ line genes. In addition, we observed that the relative ranking of dN/dS and of CUB between genera were each more strongly correlated between Drosophila and Caenorhabditis, from different phyla, than between Drosophila and its insect relative Apis, suggesting taxonomic differences in how germ line genes have evolved. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, the present results advance our understanding of the evolution of animal germ line genes within three well-known metazoan models. Further, the findings provide insights to the molecular evolution of germ line genes with respect to LSI status, pleiotropy, adaptive evolution as well as PGC-specification mode.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carrie A Whittle
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 16 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Cassandra G Extavour
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 16 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, 16 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
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13
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Otte M, Netschitailo O, Kaftanoglu O, Wang Y, Page RE, Beye M. Improving genetic transformation rates in honeybees. Sci Rep 2018; 8:16534. [PMID: 30409987 PMCID: PMC6224437 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-34724-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2017] [Accepted: 10/22/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Functional genetic studies in honeybees have been limited by transformation tools that lead to a high rate of transposon integration into the germline of the queens. A high transformation rate is required to reduce screening efforts because each treated queen needs to be maintained in a separate honeybee colony. Here, we report on further improvement of the transformation rate in honeybees by using a combination of different procedures. We employed a hyperactive transposase protein (hyPBaseapis), we tripled the amount of injected transposase mRNAs and we injected embryos into the first third (anterior part) of the embryo. These three improvements together doubled the transformation rate from 19% to 44%. We propose that the hyperactive transposase (hyPBaseapis) and the other steps used may also help to improve the transformation rates in other species in which screening and crossing procedures are laborious.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Otte
- Evolutionary Genetics, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | - O Netschitailo
- Evolutionary Genetics, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - O Kaftanoglu
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, United States
| | - Y Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, United States
| | - R E Page
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, United States
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California, Davis, United States
| | - M Beye
- Evolutionary Genetics, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
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14
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Nakao H, Takasu Y. Complexities in Bombyx germ cell formation process revealed by Bm-nosO (a Bombyx homolog of nanos) knockout. Dev Biol 2018; 445:29-36. [PMID: 30367845 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2018.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2018] [Revised: 09/11/2018] [Accepted: 10/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Inheritance (sequestration of a localized determinant: germplasm) and zygotic induction are two modes of metazoan primordial germ cell (PGC) specification. vasa and nanos homologs are evolutionarily conserved germline marker genes that have been used to examine the ontogeny of germ cells in various animals. In the lepidopteran insect Bombyx mori, although the lack of vasa homolog (BmVLG) protein localization as well as microscopic observation suggested the lack of germplasm, classical embryo manipulation studies and the localization pattern of Bm-nosO (one of the four nanos genes in Bombyx) maternal mRNA in the egg raised the possibility that an inheritance mode is operating in Bombyx. Here, we generated Bm-nosO knockouts to examine whether the localized mRNA acts as a localized germ cell determinant. Contrary to our expectations, Bm-nosO knockout lines could be established. However, these lines frequently produced abnormal eggs, which failed to hatch, to various extent depending on the individuals. We also found that Bm-nosO positively regulated BmVLG expression at least during embryonic stage, directly or indirectly, indicating that these genes were on the same developmental pathway for germ cell formation in Bombyx. These results suggest that these conserved genes are concerned with stable germ cell production. On the other hand, from the aspect of BmVLG as a PGC marker, we showed that maternal Bm-nosO product(s) as well as early zygotic Bm-nosO activity were redundantly involved in PGC specification; elimination of both maternal and zygotic gene activities (as in knockout lines) resulted in the apparent lack of PGCs, indicating that an inheritance mechanism indeed operates in Bombyx. This, however, together with the fact that germ cells are produced at all in Bm-nosO knockout lines, also suggests the possibility that, in Bombyx, not only this inheritance mechanism but also an inductive mechanism acts in concert to form germ cells or that loss of early PGCs are compensated for by germline regeneration: mechanisms that could enable the evolution of preformation. Thus, Bombyx could serve as an important organism in understanding the evolution of germ cell formation mechanisms; transition between preformation and inductive modes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hajime Nakao
- Insect Genome Research and Engineering Unit, Division of Applied Genetics, Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO), 1-2 Oowashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8634, Japan.
| | - Yoko Takasu
- Silk Materials Research Unit, Division of Biotechnology, Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO), 1-2 Oowashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8634, Japan
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15
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De Keuckelaere E, Hulpiau P, Saeys Y, Berx G, van Roy F. Nanos genes and their role in development and beyond. Cell Mol Life Sci 2018; 75:1929-1946. [PMID: 29397397 PMCID: PMC11105394 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-018-2766-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2017] [Revised: 01/22/2018] [Accepted: 01/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The hallmark of Nanos proteins is their typical (CCHC)2 zinc finger motif (zf-nanos). Animals have one to four nanos genes. For example, the fruit fly and demosponge have only one nanos gene, zebrafish and humans have three, and Fugu rubripes has four. Nanos genes are mainly known for their evolutionarily preserved role in germ cell survival and pluripotency. Nanos proteins have been reported to bind the C-terminal RNA-binding domain of Pumilio to form a post-transcriptional repressor complex. Several observations point to a link between the miRNA-mediated repression complex and the Nanos/Pumilio complex. Repression of the E2F3 oncogene product is, indeed, mediated by cooperation between the Nanos/Pumilio complex and miRNAs. Another important interaction partner of Nanos is the CCR4-NOT deadenylase complex. Besides the tissue-specific contribution of Nanos proteins to normal development, their ectopic expression has been observed in several cancer cell lines and various human cancers. An inverse correlation between the expression levels of human Nanos1 and Nanos3 and E-cadherin was observed in several cancer cell lines. Loss of E-cadherin, an important cell-cell adhesion protein, contributes to tumor invasion and metastasis. Overexpression of Nanos3 induces epithelial-mesenchymal transition in lung cancer cell lines partly by repressing E-cadherin. Other than some most interesting data from Nanos knockout mice, little is known about mammalian Nanos proteins, and further research is needed. In this review, we summarize the main roles of Nanos proteins and discuss the emerging concept of Nanos proteins as oncofetal antigens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evi De Keuckelaere
- VIB-UGent Center for Inflammation Research, Technologiepark 927, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
- Molecular Cell Biology Unit, Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Technologiepark 927, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
- Molecular and Cellular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Technologiepark 927, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent, Belgium
| | - Paco Hulpiau
- VIB-UGent Center for Inflammation Research, Technologiepark 927, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
- Molecular Cell Biology Unit, Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Technologiepark 927, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Yvan Saeys
- VIB-UGent Center for Inflammation Research, Technologiepark 927, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Applied Mathematics, Computer Science and Statistics, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281, S9, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Geert Berx
- Molecular and Cellular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Technologiepark 927, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent, Belgium
| | - Frans van Roy
- VIB-UGent Center for Inflammation Research, Technologiepark 927, 9052, Ghent, Belgium.
- Molecular Cell Biology Unit, Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Technologiepark 927, 9052, Ghent, Belgium.
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16
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Cridge AG, Lovegrove MR, Skelly JG, Taylor SE, Petersen GEL, Cameron RC, Dearden PK. The honeybee as a model insect for developmental genetics. Genesis 2017; 55. [PMID: 28432809 DOI: 10.1002/dvg.23019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2016] [Revised: 01/08/2017] [Accepted: 01/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Honeybees are an important component of modern agricultural systems, and a fascinating and scientifically engrossing insect. Honeybees are not commonly used as model systems for understanding development in insects despite their importance in agriculture. Honeybee embryogenesis, while being superficially similar to Drosophila, is molecularly very different, especially in axis formation and sex determination. In later development, much of honeybee biology is modified by caste development, an as yet poorly understood, but excellent, system to study developmental plasticity. In adult stages, developmental plasticity of the ovaries, related to reproductive constraint exhibits another aspect of plasticity. Here they review the tools, current knowledge and opportunities in honeybee developmental biology, and provide an updated embryonic staging scheme to support future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- A G Cridge
- Laboratory for Evolution and Development, Genetics Otago, Biochemistry Department, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9054, P.O. Box 56, Aotearoa-New Zealand
| | - M R Lovegrove
- Laboratory for Evolution and Development, Genetics Otago, Biochemistry Department, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9054, P.O. Box 56, Aotearoa-New Zealand
| | - J G Skelly
- Laboratory for Evolution and Development, Genetics Otago, Biochemistry Department, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9054, P.O. Box 56, Aotearoa-New Zealand
| | - S E Taylor
- Laboratory for Evolution and Development, Genetics Otago, Biochemistry Department, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9054, P.O. Box 56, Aotearoa-New Zealand
| | - G E L Petersen
- Laboratory for Evolution and Development, Genetics Otago, Biochemistry Department, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9054, P.O. Box 56, Aotearoa-New Zealand.,AbacusBio Ltd, Public Trust Building, 442 Moray Place, Dunedin 9016, Aotearoa-New Zealand
| | - R C Cameron
- Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology and Gottesman Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York
| | - P K Dearden
- Laboratory for Evolution and Development, Genetics Otago, Biochemistry Department, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9054, P.O. Box 56, Aotearoa-New Zealand
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17
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Quan H, Lynch JA. The evolution of insect germline specification strategies. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2016; 13:99-105. [PMID: 27088076 PMCID: PMC4827259 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2016.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
The establishment of the germline is essential for sexually reproducing organisms. In animals, there are two major strategies to specify the germline: maternal provision and zygotic induction. The molecular basis of the maternal provision mode has been well characterized in several model organisms (fly, frog, fish, and nematode), while that of the zygotic induction mode has mainly been studied in mammalian models such as the mouse. Shifts in germline determination modes occur unexpectedly frequently and many such shifts have occurred several times among insects. Given their general tractability and rapidly increasing genomic and genetic tools applicable to many species, the insects present a uniquely powerful model system for understanding major transitions in reproductive strategies, and developmental processes in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Honghu Quan
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, United States
| | - Jeremy A Lynch
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, United States.
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18
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Maceren-Pates M, Kurita Y, Pates G, Yoshikuni M. A model for germ cell development in a fully segmented worm. ZOOLOGICAL LETTERS 2015; 1:34. [PMID: 26649187 PMCID: PMC4672553 DOI: 10.1186/s40851-015-0035-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2014] [Accepted: 11/06/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Polychaetes are segmented marine worms with body segments separated by a complete or incomplete septum. In most polychaetes the whole body cavity is filled with gametes during the breeding season. Platynereis dumerilii (Pl. dumerilii), which has an incomplete septum was shown to develop a single gonadal structure for gamete production located in the neck region. However, in Perinereis nuntia (Pe. nuntia), which has a complete septum separating each segment, the developmental feature of gametes remains unknown. To clarify this, the marker gene vasa was used to trace the development of germ cells throughout the life stages of Pe. nuntia. RESULTS In three-segmented juveniles, Pn-vasa was expressed in the parapodia and in the two cells localized in the pygidium. During the addition of a new segment, Pn-vasa positive cells in the pygidium increased from two to four and two new Pn-vasa positive cells were found in the newly-generated segment. In adults, Pn-vasa was expressed in a large cell cluster at the distal end of the parapodia, in smaller cell clusters (which had an elongated form in the trunk area of the parapodia), and in oocytes in the coelomic cavity. This may suggest that germ cells settle in the parapodia and later translocate into the coelomic cavity to develop into oocytes. CONCLUSION Our observations will help in understanding the mechanism of germ cell development in all body segments of Pe. nuntia. We hypothesize that primordial germ cells are supplied from the pygidium to every newly-generating segment which later settle in the parapodium. This will explain how polychaetes can generate gametes in each body segment, even those that are independently separated with a complete septum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mercedes Maceren-Pates
- />Fishery Research Laboratory, Kyushu University, 4-46-24 Tsuyazaki, Fukutsu, 811-3304 Japan
| | - Yoshihisa Kurita
- />Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, 15 Mukai, Konorihama, Oshika, Miyagi 986-2242 Japan
| | - Gaudioso Pates
- />Fishery Research Laboratory, Kyushu University, 4-46-24 Tsuyazaki, Fukutsu, 811-3304 Japan
| | - Michiyasu Yoshikuni
- />Fishery Research Laboratory, Kyushu University, 4-46-24 Tsuyazaki, Fukutsu, 811-3304 Japan
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19
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Olejarz JW, Allen B, Veller C, Nowak MA. The evolution of non-reproductive workers in insect colonies with haplodiploid genetics. eLife 2015; 4:e08918. [PMID: 26485033 PMCID: PMC4755779 DOI: 10.7554/elife.08918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2015] [Accepted: 10/20/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Eusociality is a distinct form of biological organization. A key characteristic of advanced eusociality is the presence of non-reproductive workers. Why evolution should produce organisms that sacrifice their own reproductive potential in order to aid others is an important question in evolutionary biology. Here, we provide a detailed analysis of the selective forces that determine the emergence and stability of non-reproductive workers. We study the effects, in situations where the queen of the colony has mated once or several times, of recessive and dominant sterility alleles acting in her offspring. Contrary to widespread belief based on heuristic arguments of genetic relatedness, non-reproductive workers can easily evolve in polyandrous species. The crucial quantity is the functional relationship between a colony’s reproductive rate and the fraction of non-reproductive workers present in that colony. We derive precise conditions for natural selection to favor the evolution of non-reproductive workers. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.08918.001 Certain wasps, bees and ants live in highly organized social groups in which one member of a colony (the queen) produces all or almost all of the offspring. This form of social organization – called eusociality – raises an important question for evolutionary biology: why do individuals that forego the chance to reproduce and instead raise the offspring of others evolve? One factor linked to the evolution of eusociality in insects is a system that determines the gender of offspring known as haplodiploidy. In this system, female offspring develop from fertilized eggs, while male offspring develop from unfertilized eggs. The queen mates with male insects and so she can produce both male and female offspring. On the other hand, the workers – which are also female – do not mate and therefore can only produce male offspring. So, should these workers produce their own male eggs, or should all male offspring come from the queen? The answer to this question could depend on whether the queen has mated with a single male (monandry) or with multiple males (polyandry) because this affects how closely related the other insects in the colony are to each other. It is a widespread belief that monandry is important for the evolution of non-reproductive workers. Here, Olejarz et al. develop a mathematical model that explores the conditions under which natural selection favors the evolution of non-reproductive workers. Contrary to the widespread belief, it turns out that non-reproductive workers can easily evolve in polyandrous species. The crucial quantity is the relationship between the overall reproductive rate of the colony and the fraction of non-reproductive workers present in that colony. Olejarz et al. challenge the view that single mating is crucial for the evolution of non-reproductive workers. The study demonstrates the need for precise mathematical models of population dynamics and natural selection instead of informal arguments that are only based on considerations of genetic relatedness. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.08918.002
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason W Olejarz
- Program for Evolutionary Dynamics, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
| | - Benjamin Allen
- Program for Evolutionary Dynamics, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States.,Center for Mathematical Sciences and Applications, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States.,Department of Mathematics, Emmanuel College, Boston, United States
| | - Carl Veller
- Program for Evolutionary Dynamics, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States.,Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
| | - Martin A Nowak
- Program for Evolutionary Dynamics, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States.,Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States.,Department of Mathematics, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
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20
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Diao Y, Hua M, Shao Y, Huang W, Liu M, Ren C, Ji Y, Chen J, Shen J. Preliminary characterization and expression of Vasa-like gene in Schistosoma japonicum. Parasitol Res 2015; 114:2679-87. [PMID: 25899325 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-015-4473-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2014] [Accepted: 04/07/2015] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
The Vasa gene is a vital germline marker to study the origin and development of germ cells and gonads in many organisms. Until now, little information was available about the characteristics of the Vasa gene in Schistosoma japonicum (S. japonicum). In this study, we cloned the open reading frame (ORF) of the S. japonicum Vasa-like gene (Sj-Vasa). The expression pattern and tissue localization of Sj-Vasa were also analyzed. Our results showed that Sj-Vasa shared the general feature of DEAD-box family member proteins. Sj-Vasa was transcribed and expressed throughout the S. japonicum life cycle with transcription exhibiting high levels at day 24 in both male and female worms, and the expression level in the female was always higher than that in the male. Sj-Vasa protein was localized in a variety of tissues of adult schistosomes, including the gonads (ovary, vitellarium, and testes), the subtegument, and some cells of the parenchyma. To our knowledge, this is the first report of preliminary characterization and expression of the Vasa-like gene that may play an important role in the development of the worm, especially in reproductive organs of S. japonicum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yujie Diao
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Anhui Provincial Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology, Anhui Medical University, 81# Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230032, People's Republic of China
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21
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Schwager EE, Meng Y, Extavour CG. vasa and piwi are required for mitotic integrity in early embryogenesis in the spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum. Dev Biol 2014; 402:276-90. [PMID: 25257304 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2014.08.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2013] [Revised: 08/13/2014] [Accepted: 08/29/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Studies in vertebrate and invertebrate model organisms on the molecular basis of primordial germ cell (PGC) specification have revealed that metazoans can specify their germ line either early in development by maternally transmitted cytoplasmic factors (inheritance), or later in development by signaling factors from neighboring tissues (induction). Regardless of the mode of PGC specification, once animal germ cells are specified, they invariably express a number of highly conserved genes. These include vasa and piwi, which can play essential roles in any or all of PGC specification, development, or gametogenesis. Although the arthropods are the most speciose animal phylum, to date there have been no functional studies of conserved germ line genes in species of the most basally branching arthropod clade, the chelicerates (which includes spiders, scorpions, and horseshoe crabs). Here we present the first such study by using molecular and functional tools to examine germ line development and the roles of vasa and piwi orthologues in the common house spider Parasteatoda (formerly Achaearanea) tepidariorum. We use transcript and protein expression patterns of Pt-vasa and Pt-piwi to show that primordial germ cells (PGCs) in the spider arise during late embryogenesis. Neither Pt-vasa nor Pt-piwi gene products are localized asymmetrically to any embryonic region before PGCs emerge as paired segmental clusters in opisthosomal segments 2-6 at late germ band stages. RNA interference studies reveal that both genes are required maternally for egg laying, mitotic progression in early embryos, and embryonic survival. Our results add to the growing body of evidence that vasa and piwi can play important roles in somatic development, and provide evidence for a previously hypothesized conserved role for vasa in cell cycle progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelyn E Schwager
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 16 Divinity Ave, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Yue Meng
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 16 Divinity Ave, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Cassandra G Extavour
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 16 Divinity Ave, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
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22
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Green JE, Akam M. Germ cells of the centipede Strigamia maritima are specified early in embryonic development. Dev Biol 2014; 392:419-30. [PMID: 24930702 PMCID: PMC4111900 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2014.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2014] [Revised: 06/02/2014] [Accepted: 06/04/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
We provide the first systematic description of germ cell development with molecular markers in a myriapod, the centipede Strigamia maritima. By examining the expression of Strigamia vasa and nanos orthologues, we find that the primordial germ cells are specified from at least the blastoderm stage. This is a much earlier embryonic stage than previously described for centipedes, or any other member of the Myriapoda. Using these genes as markers, and taking advantage of the developmental synchrony of Strigamia embryos within single clutches, we are able to track the development of the germ cells throughout embryogenesis. We find that the germ cells accumulate at the blastopore; that the cells do not internalize through the hindgut, but rather through the closing blastopore; and that the cells undergo a long-range migration to the embryonic gonad. This is the first evidence for primordial germ cells displaying these behaviours in any myriapod. The myriapods are a phylogenetically important group in the arthropod radiation for which relatively little developmental data is currently available. Our study provides valuable comparative data that complements the growing number of studies in insects, crustaceans and chelicerates, and is important for the correct reconstruction of ancestral states and a fuller understanding of how germ cell development has evolved in different arthropod lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack E Green
- Laboratory for Development and Evolution, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ, UK.
| | - Michael Akam
- Laboratory for Development and Evolution, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ, UK
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23
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Fang Y, Feng M, Han B, Lu X, Ramadan H, Li J. In-depth proteomics characterization of embryogenesis of the honey bee worker (Apis mellifera ligustica). Mol Cell Proteomics 2014; 13:2306-20. [PMID: 24895377 DOI: 10.1074/mcp.m114.037846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Identifying proteome changes of honey bee embryogenesis is of prime importance for unraveling the molecular mechanisms that they underlie. However, many proteomic changes during the embryonic period are not well characterized. We analyzed the proteomic alterations over the complete time course of honey bee worker embryogenesis at 24, 48, and 72 h of age, using mass spectrometry-based proteomics, label-free quantitation, and bioinformatics. Of the 1460 proteins identified the embryo of all three ages, the core proteome (proteins shared by the embryos of all three ages, accounting for 40%) was mainly involved in protein synthesis, metabolic energy, development, and molecular transporter, which indicates their centrality in driving embryogenesis. However, embryos at different developmental stages have their own specific proteome and pathway signatures to coordinate and modulate developmental events. The young embryos (<24 h) stronger expression of proteins related to nutrition storage and nucleic acid metabolism may correlate with the cell proliferation occurring at this stage. The middle aged embryos (24-48 h) enhanced expression of proteins associated with cell cycle control, transporters, antioxidant activity, and the cytoskeleton suggest their roles to support rudimentary organogenesis. Among these proteins, the biological pathways of aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis, β-alanine metabolism, and protein export are intensively activated in the embryos of middle age. The old embryos (48-72 h) elevated expression of proteins implicated in fatty acid metabolism and morphogenesis indicate their functionality for the formation and development of organs and dorsal closure, in which the biological pathways of fatty acid metabolism and RNA transport are highly activated. These findings add novel understanding to the molecular details of honey bee embryogenesis, in which the programmed activation of the proteome matches with the physiological transition observed during embryogenesis. The identified biological pathways and key node proteins allow for further functional analysis and genetic manipulation for both the honey bee embryos and other eusocial insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Fang
- From the ‡Institute of Apicultural Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Mao Feng
- From the ‡Institute of Apicultural Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Bin Han
- From the ‡Institute of Apicultural Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoshan Lu
- From the ‡Institute of Apicultural Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Haitham Ramadan
- From the ‡Institute of Apicultural Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jianke Li
- From the ‡Institute of Apicultural Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
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Lin GW, Cook CE, Miura T, Chang CC. Posterior localization of ApVas1 positions the preformed germ plasm in the sexual oviparous pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum. EvoDevo 2014; 5:18. [PMID: 24855557 PMCID: PMC4030528 DOI: 10.1186/2041-9139-5-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2014] [Accepted: 04/23/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Germline specification in some animals is driven by the maternally inherited germ plasm during early embryogenesis (inheritance mode), whereas in others it is induced by signals from neighboring cells in mid or late development (induction mode). In the Metazoa, the induction mode appears as a more prevalent and ancestral condition; the inheritance mode is therefore derived. However, regarding germline specification in organisms with asexual and sexual reproduction it has not been clear whether both strategies are used, one for each reproductive phase, or if just one strategy is used for both phases. Previously we have demonstrated that specification of germ cells in the asexual viviparous pea aphid depends on a preformed germ plasm. In this study, we extended this work to investigate how germ cells were specified in the sexual oviparous embryos, aiming to understand whether or not developmental plasticity of germline specification exists in the pea aphid. Results We employed Apvas1, a Drosophila vasa ortholog in the pea aphid, as a germline marker to examine whether germ plasm is preformed during oviparous development, as has already been seen in the viviparous embryos. During oogenesis, Apvas1 mRNA and ApVas1 protein were both evenly distributed. After fertilization, uniform expression of Apvas1 remained in the egg but posterior localization of ApVas1 occurred from the fifth nuclear cycle onward. Posterior co-localization of Apvas1/ApVas1 was first identified in the syncytial blastoderm undergoing cellularization, and later we could detect specific expression of Apvas1/ApVas1 in the morphologically identifiable germ cells of mature embryos. This suggests that Apvas1/ApVas1-positive cells are primordial germ cells and posterior localization of ApVas1 prior to cellularization positions the preformed germ plasm. Conclusions We conclude that both asexual and sexual pea aphids rely on the preformed germ plasm to specify germ cells and that developmental plasticity of germline specification, unlike axis patterning, occurs in neither of the two aphid reproductive phases. Consequently, the maternal inheritance mode implicated by a preformed germ plasm in the oviparous pea aphid becomes a non-canonical case in the Hemimetabola, where so far the zygotic induction mode prevails in most other studied insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gee-Way Lin
- Laboratory for Genetics and Development, Department of Entomology/Institute of Biotechnology, College of Bioresources and Agriculture, National Taiwan University, No. 27, Lane 113, Roosevelt Road, Sec. 4, Taipei 106, Taiwan ; Laboratory of Ecological Genetics, Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University, N10 W5, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0810, Japan
| | - Charles E Cook
- EMBL-European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SD, UK
| | - Toru Miura
- Laboratory of Ecological Genetics, Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University, N10 W5, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0810, Japan
| | - Chun-Che Chang
- Laboratory for Genetics and Development, Department of Entomology/Institute of Biotechnology, College of Bioresources and Agriculture, National Taiwan University, No. 27, Lane 113, Roosevelt Road, Sec. 4, Taipei 106, Taiwan ; Research Center for Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 100, Taiwan ; Genome and Systems Biology Degree Program, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106, Taiwan
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25
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BMP signaling is required for the generation of primordial germ cells in an insect. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2014; 111:4133-8. [PMID: 24591634 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1400525111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Two modes of germ cell formation are known in animals. Specification through maternally inherited germ plasm occurs in many well-characterized model organisms, but most animals lack germ plasm by morphological and functional criteria. The only known alternative mechanism is induction, experimentally described only in mice, which specify germ cells through bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signal-mediated induction of a subpopulation of mesodermal cells. Until this report, no experimental evidence of an inductive germ cell signal for specification has been available outside of vertebrates. Here we provide functional genetic experimental evidence consistent with a role for BMP signaling in germ cell formation in a basally branching insect. We show that primordial germ cells of the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus transduce BMP signals and require BMP pathway activity for their formation. Moreover, increased BMP activity leads to ectopic and supernumerary germ cells. Given the commonality of BMP signaling in mouse and cricket germ cell induction, we suggest that BMP-based germ cell formation may be a shared ancestral mechanism in animals.
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26
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Ewen-Campen B, Jones TEM, Extavour CG. Evidence against a germ plasm in the milkweed bug Oncopeltus fasciatus, a hemimetabolous insect. Biol Open 2013; 2:556-68. [PMID: 23789106 PMCID: PMC3683158 DOI: 10.1242/bio.20134390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2013] [Accepted: 03/01/2013] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Primordial germ cell (PGC) formation in holometabolous insects like Drosophila melanogaster relies on maternally synthesised germ cell determinants that are asymmetrically localised to the oocyte posterior cortex. Embryonic nuclei that inherit this "germ plasm" acquire PGC fate. In contrast, historical studies of basally branching insects (Hemimetabola) suggest that a maternal requirement for germ line genes in PGC specification may be a derived character confined principally to Holometabola. However, there have been remarkably few investigations of germ line gene expression and function in hemimetabolous insects. Here we characterise PGC formation in the milkweed bug Oncopeltus fasciatus, a member of the sister group to Holometabola, thus providing an important evolutionary comparison to members of this clade. We examine the transcript distribution of orthologues of 19 Drosophila germ cell and/or germ plasm marker genes, and show that none of them localise asymmetrically within Oncopeltus oocytes or early embryos. Using multiple molecular and cytological criteria, we provide evidence that PGCs form after cellularisation at the site of gastrulation. Functional studies of vasa and tudor reveal that these genes are not required for germ cell formation, but that vasa is required in adult males for spermatogenesis. Taken together, our results provide evidence that Oncopeltus germ cells may form in the absence of germ plasm, consistent with the hypothesis that germ plasm is a derived strategy of germ cell specification in insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben Ewen-Campen
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University , 16 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138 , USA
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27
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Ogaugwu CE, Wimmer EA. Molecular cloning and expression of nanos in the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae). Gene Expr Patterns 2013; 13:183-8. [PMID: 23567755 DOI: 10.1016/j.gep.2013.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2013] [Accepted: 03/17/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The gene nanos (nos) is a maternal-effect gene that plays an important role in posterior patterning and germ cell development in early stage embryos. nos is known from several diverse insect species, but has so far not been described for any Tephritid fruit fly. Here, we report the molecular cloning and expression pattern of the nos orthologous gene, Ccnos, in the Mediterranean fruit fly Ceratitis capitata, which is a destructive pest of high agricultural importance. CcNOS contains 398 amino acids and has a C-terminal region with two conserved CCHC zinc-binding motifs known to be essential for NOS function. Transcripts of Ccnos were confirmed by in situ hybridization to be maternally-derived and localized to the posterior pole of early stage embryos. Regulatory regions of nos have been employed in genetic engineering in some dipterans such as Drosophila and mosquitoes. Given the similarity in spatial and temporal expression between Ccnos and nos orthologs from other dipterans, its regulatory regions will be valuable to generate additional genetic tools that can be applied for engineering purposes to improve the fight against this devastating pest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian E Ogaugwu
- Department of Developmental Biology, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, Georg-August-University Göttingen, GZMB, Ernst-Caspari-Haus, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 11, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
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28
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Wilson MJ, Dearden PK. RNA localization in the honeybee (Apis mellifera) oocyte reveals insights about the evolution of RNA localization mechanisms. Dev Biol 2013; 375:193-201. [PMID: 23313731 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2013.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2012] [Revised: 12/21/2012] [Accepted: 01/02/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Subcellular localization of RNAs is a critical biological process for generation of cellular asymmetries for many cell types and a critical step in axis determination during the early development of animals. We have identified transcripts localized to the anterior and posterior of honeybee oocyte using laser capture microscopy and microarray analysis. Analysis of orthologous transcripts in Drosophila indicates that many do not show a conserved pattern of localization. By microinjecting fluorescently labeled honeybee transcripts into Drosophila egg chambers we show that these RNAs become localized in a similar manner to their localization in honeybee oocytes, indicating conservation of the localization machinery. Thus while the mechanisms for localizing RNA are conserved, the complement of localized RNAs are not. We propose that this complement of localized RNAs may change relatively rapidly through the loss or evolution of signal sequences detected by the conserved localization machinery, and show this has occurred in one transcript that is localized in a novel way in the honeybee. Our proposal, that the acquisition of novel RNA localization is relatively easy to evolve, has implications for the evolution of symmetry breaking mechanisms that trigger axis formation and development in animal embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan J Wilson
- Laboratory for Evolution and Development, Genetics Otago and Gravida, The National Centre for Growth and Development, Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand.
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29
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Gala A, Fang Y, Woltedji D, Zhang L, Han B, Feng M, Li J. Changes of proteome and phosphoproteome trigger embryo–larva transition of honeybee worker (Apis mellifera ligustica). J Proteomics 2013; 78:428-46. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2012.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2012] [Revised: 09/20/2012] [Accepted: 10/12/2012] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
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Florecki MM, Hartfelder K. Unconventional Cadherin Localization in Honey Bee Gonads Revealed Through Domain-Specific Apis mellifera E- and N-Cadherin Antibodies Indicates Alternative Functions. INSECTS 2012; 3:1200-19. [PMID: 26466735 PMCID: PMC4553572 DOI: 10.3390/insects3041200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2012] [Revised: 11/02/2012] [Accepted: 11/06/2012] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
As key factors in intercellular adhesion processes, cadherins play important roles in a plethora of developmental processes, including gametogenesis. In a previous study on cadherin localization in the gonads of honey bees, performed with heterologous pan-cadherin antibodies, we detected these proteins as (i) associated with cell membranes, (ii) as homogeneously distributed throughout the cytoplasm, and (iii) as nuclear foci in both somatic and germline cells, raising the possibility of alternative functions. To further investigate such unusual intracellular cadherin localization we produced specific antibodies against the N- and C-terminal domains of honey bee N- and E-cadherin. A 160 kDa protein was recognized by the E-cadherin antibodies as well as one of approximately 300 kDa from those raised against N-cadherin. In gonad preparations, both proteins were detected as dispersed throughout the cytoplasm and as nuclear foci in both germline and somatic cells of queen and worker ovarioles, as well as in the testioles of drones. This leads us to infer that cadherins may indeed be involved in certain signaling pathways and/or transcriptional regulation during gametogenesis. In late oogenesis stages, immunolabeling for both proteins was observed at the cell cortex, in conformity with a role in cell adhesion. In testioles, E-cadherin was seen in co-localization with fusomes, indicating a possible role in cyst organization. Taken together, the distribution of N- and E-cadherins in honey bee gonads is suggestive of alternative roles for cadherins in gametogenesis of both sexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mônica M Florecki
- Departamento de Biologia Celular e Molecular e Bioagentes Patogênicos, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida Bandeirantes 3900, Ribeirão Preto 14049-900, SP, Brazil.
| | - Klaus Hartfelder
- Departamento de Biologia Celular e Molecular e Bioagentes Patogênicos, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida Bandeirantes 3900, Ribeirão Preto 14049-900, SP, Brazil.
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31
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Nakao H. Anterior and posterior centers jointly regulate Bombyx embryo body segmentation. Dev Biol 2012; 371:293-301. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2012.08.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2012] [Accepted: 08/28/2012] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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32
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Lourenço AP, Martins JR, Guidugli-Lazzarini KR, Macedo LMF, Bitondi MMG, Simões ZLP. Potential costs of bacterial infection on storage protein gene expression and reproduction in queenless Apis mellifera worker bees on distinct dietary regimes. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2012; 58:1217-1225. [PMID: 22732231 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2012.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2011] [Revised: 06/12/2012] [Accepted: 06/13/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Insects are able to combat infection by initiating an efficient immune response that involves synthesizing antimicrobial peptides and a range of other defense molecules. These responses may be costly to the organism, resulting in it exploiting endogenous resources to maintain homeostasis or support defense to the detriment of other physiological needs. We used queenless worker bees on distinct dietary regimes that may alter hemolymph protein storage and ovary activation to investigate the physiological costs of infection with Serratia marcescens. The expression of the genes encoding the storage proteins vitellogenin and hexamerin 70a, the vitellogenin receptor, and vasa (which has a putative role in reproduction), was impaired in the infected bees. This impairment was mainly evident in the bees fed beebread, which caused significantly higher expression of these genes than did royal jelly or syrup, and this was confirmed at the vitellogenin and hexamerin 70a protein levels. Beebread was also the only diet that promoted ovary activation in the queenless bees, but this activation was significantly impaired by the infection. The expression of the genes encoding the storage proteins apolipophorins-I and -III and the lipophorin receptor was not altered by infection regardless the diet provided to the bees. Similarly, the storage of apolipophorin-I in the hemolymph was only slightly impaired by the infection, independently of the supplied diet. Taken together these results indicate that, infection demands a physiological cost from the transcription of specific protein storage-related genes and from the reproductive capacity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anete Pedro Lourenço
- Departamento de Genética, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes 3900, 14049-900 Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil.
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Köhler A, Pirk CWW, Nicolson SW. Simultaneous stressors: interactive effects of an immune challenge and dietary toxin can be detrimental to honeybees. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2012; 58:918-923. [PMID: 22543182 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2012.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2012] [Revised: 04/16/2012] [Accepted: 04/18/2012] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Recent large-scale mortality of honeybee colonies is believed to be caused by multiple interactions between diseases, parasites, pesticide exposure, and other stress factors. To test whether a dual challenge has an additive effect in reducing survival, we experimentally stimulated the immune system of caged Apis mellifera scutellata workers from six colonies by injecting saline or Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharides (LPS), and additionally fed them the alkaloid nicotine (0 μM, 3 μM and 300 μM in 0.63 M sucrose). Workers did not increase their sucrose intake to compensate for the immune system activation, and those injected with E. coli LPS decreased their intake on the highest nicotine concentration. In the single challenges, injection and high nicotine doses negatively affected survival. All injected worker groups showed reduced survival. Without nicotine, survival of the saline and E. coli LPS worker groups was similar, but survival of E. coli LPS-challenged workers dropped below that of the saline groups when additionally challenged by nicotine, with bees dying earlier at higher nicotine concentrations. In the dual challenge of saline injection and dietary nicotine, a reduced effect on survival was observed, with lower mortality than expected from the summed mortalities due to the single challenges. However, additive and synergistic effects on survival were observed in workers simultaneously challenged by E. coli LPS and nicotine, indicating that interactive effects of simultaneous pathogen exposure and dietary toxin are detrimental to honeybee fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Köhler
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa.
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Skinner DE, Rinaldi G, Suttiprapa S, Mann VH, Smircich P, Cogswell AA, Williams DL, Brindley PJ. Vasa-Like DEAD-Box RNA Helicases of Schistosoma mansoni. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2012; 6:e1686. [PMID: 22720105 PMCID: PMC3373655 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0001686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2012] [Accepted: 04/29/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Genome sequences are available for the human blood flukes, Schistosoma japonicum, S. mansoni and S. haematobium. Functional genomic approaches could aid in identifying the role and importance of these newly described schistosome genes. Transgenesis is established for functional genomics in model species, which can lead to gain- or loss-of-functions, facilitate vector-based RNA interference, and represents an effective forward genetics tool for insertional mutagenesis screens. Progress toward routine transgenesis in schistosomes might be expedited if germ cells could be reliably localized in cultured schistosomes. Vasa, a member of the ATP-dependent DEAD-box RNA helicase family, is a prototypic marker of primordial germ cells and the germ line in the Metazoa. Using bioinformatics, 33 putative DEAD-box RNA helicases exhibiting conserved motifs that characterize helicases of this family were identified in the S. mansoni genome. Moreover, three of the helicases exhibited vasa-like sequences; phylogenetic analysis confirmed the three vasa-like genes-termed Smvlg1, Smvlg2, and Smvlg3-were members of the Vasa/PL10 DEAD-box subfamily. Transcripts encoding Smvlg1, Smvlg2, and Smvlg3 were cloned from cDNAs from mixed sex adult worms, and quantitative real time PCR revealed their presence in developmental stages of S. mansoni with elevated expression in sporocysts, adult females, eggs, and miracidia, with strikingly high expression in the undeveloped egg. Whole mount in situ hybridization (WISH) analysis revealed that Smvlg1, Smvlg2 and Smvlg3 were transcribed in the posterior ovary where the oocytes mature. Germ cell specific expression of schistosome vasa-like genes should provide an informative landmark for germ line transgenesis of schistosomes, etiologic agents of major neglected tropical diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle E. Skinner
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Tropical Medicine, and Center for Neglected Diseases of Poverty, School of Medicine & Health Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, D. C., United States of America
| | - Gabriel Rinaldi
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Tropical Medicine, and Center for Neglected Diseases of Poverty, School of Medicine & Health Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, D. C., United States of America
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, (UDELAR), Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Sutas Suttiprapa
- Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Victoria H. Mann
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Tropical Medicine, and Center for Neglected Diseases of Poverty, School of Medicine & Health Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, D. C., United States of America
| | - Pablo Smircich
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, (UDELAR), Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Alexis A. Cogswell
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - David L. Williams
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Paul J. Brindley
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Tropical Medicine, and Center for Neglected Diseases of Poverty, School of Medicine & Health Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, D. C., United States of America
- * E-mail:
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35
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Rananos expression pattern during oogenesis and early embryonic development in Rhynchosciara americana. Dev Genes Evol 2012; 222:153-64. [DOI: 10.1007/s00427-012-0398-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2011] [Accepted: 03/26/2012] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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Maternally localized germ plasm mRNAs and germ cell/stem cell formation in the cnidarian Clytia. Dev Biol 2012; 364:236-48. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2012.01.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2011] [Revised: 01/11/2012] [Accepted: 01/20/2012] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
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Schmitt-Engel C, Cerny AC, Schoppmeier M. A dual role for nanos and pumilio in anterior and posterior blastodermal patterning of the short-germ beetle Tribolium castaneum. Dev Biol 2012; 364:224-35. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2012.01.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2010] [Revised: 01/09/2012] [Accepted: 01/20/2012] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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El-Sherif E, Lynch JA, Brown SJ. Comparisons of the embryonic development of Drosophila, Nasonia, and Tribolium. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2012; 1:16-39. [PMID: 23801665 PMCID: PMC5323069 DOI: 10.1002/wdev.3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Studying the embryogenesis of diverse insect species is crucial to understanding insect evolution. Here, we review current advances in understanding the development of two emerging model organisms: the wasp Nasonia vitripennis and the beetle Tribolium castaneum in comparison with the well-studied fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. Although Nasonia represents the most basally branching order of holometabolous insects, it employs a derived long germband mode of embryogenesis, more like that of Drosophila, whereas Tribolium undergoes an intermediate germband mode of embryogenesis, which is more similar to the ancestral mechanism. Comparing the embryonic development and genetic regulation of early patterning events in these three insects has given invaluable insights into insect evolution. The similar mode of embryogenesis of Drosophila and Nasonia is reflected in their reliance on maternal morphogenetic gradients. However, they employ different genes as maternal factors, reflecting the evolutionary distance separating them. Tribolium, on the other hand, relies heavily on self-regulatory mechanisms other than maternal cues, reflecting its sequential nature of segmentation and the need for reiterated patterning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ezzat El-Sherif
- Program of Genetics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas
| | - Jeremy A Lynch
- Institute for Developmental Biology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Susan J Brown
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas
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Lynch JA, Ozüak O, Khila A, Abouheif E, Desplan C, Roth S. The phylogenetic origin of oskar coincided with the origin of maternally provisioned germ plasm and pole cells at the base of the Holometabola. PLoS Genet 2011; 7:e1002029. [PMID: 21552321 PMCID: PMC3084197 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1002029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2010] [Accepted: 02/02/2011] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The establishment of the germline is a critical, yet surprisingly evolutionarily labile, event in the development of sexually reproducing animals. In the fly Drosophila, germ cells acquire their fate early during development through the inheritance of the germ plasm, a specialized maternal cytoplasm localized at the posterior pole of the oocyte. The gene oskar (osk) is both necessary and sufficient for assembling this substance. Both maternal germ plasm and oskar are evolutionary novelties within the insects, as the germline is specified by zygotic induction in basally branching insects, and osk has until now only been detected in dipterans. In order to understand the origin of these evolutionary novelties, we used comparative genomics, parental RNAi, and gene expression analyses in multiple insect species. We have found that the origin of osk and its role in specifying the germline coincided with the innovation of maternal germ plasm and pole cells at the base of the holometabolous insects and that losses of osk are correlated with changes in germline determination strategies within the Holometabola. Our results indicate that the invention of the novel gene osk was a key innovation that allowed the transition from the ancestral late zygotic mode of germline induction to a maternally controlled establishment of the germline found in many holometabolous insect species. We propose that the ancestral role of osk was to connect an upstream network ancestrally involved in mRNA localization and translational control to a downstream regulatory network ancestrally involved in executing the germ cell program.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy A Lynch
- Institute for Developmental Biology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
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Wilson MJ, Abbott H, Dearden PK. The evolution of oocyte patterning in insects: multiple cell-signaling pathways are active during honeybee oogenesis and are likely to play a role in axis patterning. Evol Dev 2011; 13:127-37. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1525-142x.2011.00463.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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Li J, Fang Y, Zhang L, Begna D. Honeybee (Apis mellifera ligustica) drone embryo proteomes. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2011; 57:372-384. [PMID: 21172355 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2010.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2010] [Revised: 12/09/2010] [Accepted: 12/10/2010] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Little attention has been paid to the drone honeybee (Apis mellifera ligustica) which is a haploid individual carrying only the set of alleles that it inherits from its mother. Molecular mechanisms underlying drone embryogenesis are poorly understood. This study evaluated protein expression profiles of drone embryogenesis at embryonic ages of 24, 48 and 72h. More than 100 reproducible proteins were analyzed by mass spectrometry on 2D electrophoresis gels. Sixty-two proteins were significantly changed at the selected three experimental age points. Expression of the metabolic energy requirement-related protein peaked at the embryonic age of 48h, whereas development and metabolizing amino acid-related proteins expressed optimally at 72h. Cytoskeleton, protein folding and antioxidant-related proteins were highly expressed at 48 and 72h. Protein networks of the identified proteins were constructed and protein expressions were validated at the transcription level. This first proteomic study of drone embryogenesis in the honeybee may provide geneticists an exact timetable and candidate protein outline for further manipulations of drone stem cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianke Li
- Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, 1# Beigou, Xiangshan, Haidian District, Beijing, China.
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Blázquez M, González A, Mylonas CC, Piferrer F. Cloning and sequence analysis of a vasa homolog in the European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax): tissue distribution and mRNA expression levels during early development and sex differentiation. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2011; 170:322-33. [PMID: 20955711 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2010.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2010] [Revised: 08/27/2010] [Accepted: 10/07/2010] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Vasa is a protein expressed mainly in germ cells and conserved across taxa. However, sex-related differences and environmental influences on vasa expression have not been documented. This study characterized the cDNA of a vasa homolog in the European sea bass, Dicentrarchuslabrax (sb-vasa), a gonochoristic fish with temperature influences on gonadogenesis. The 1911 bp open reading frame predicted a 637-amino acid protein with the eight conserved domains typical of Vasa proteins. Comparisons of the deduced amino acid sequence with those of other vertebrates and invertebrates revealed the highest homology (68-85%) with those of other teleosts. An updated tree with the full-length sequences for Vasa proteins in 66 species belonging to six different phyla was constructed, establishing the evolutionary relationships of Vasa amino acid sequences. European sea bass vasa was highly expressed in gonads with little or no expression in other tissues. Real time RT-PCR quantification of the temporal expression of sb-vasa from early development throughout sex differentiation showed that mRNA levels were high in unfertilized eggs, decreased during larval development and increased again during the period of germ cell proliferation. Rearing of fish at high temperature resulted in further increased sb-vasa levels, most likely reflecting temperature effects on both somatic and gonadal growth. Differences in expression were also found well before sex differentiation and persisted until the end of the first year, with higher levels present in females. These differences in expression demonstrate the implication of vasa during the initial stages of fish sex differentiation and gametogenesis and suggest that, through its helicase activity, it might be implicated in the translational regulation of mRNAs involved in the specification and differentiation of gonadal-specific cell types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mercedes Blázquez
- Institut de Ciències del Mar, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Passeig Marítim 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
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43
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Lynch JA, Desplan C. Novel modes of localization and function of nanos in the wasp Nasonia. Development 2010; 137:3813-21. [PMID: 20929949 DOI: 10.1242/dev.054213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Abdominal patterning in Drosophila requires the function of nanos (nos) to prevent translation of hunchback (hb) mRNA in the posterior of the embryo. nos function is restricted to the posterior by the translational repression of mRNA that is not incorporated into the posteriorly localized germ plasm during oogenesis. The wasp Nasonia vitripennis (Nv) undergoes a long germ mode of development very similar to Drosophila, although the molecular patterning mechanisms employed in these two organisms have diverged significantly, reflecting the independent evolution of this mode of development. Here, we report that although Nv nanos (Nv-nos) has a conserved function in embryonic patterning through translational repression of hb, the timing and mechanisms of this repression are significantly delayed in the wasp compared with the fly. This delay in Nv-nos function appears to be related to the dynamic behavior of the germ plasm in Nasonia, as well as to the maternal provision of Nv-Hb protein during oogenesis. Unlike in flies, there appears to be two functional populations of Nv-nos mRNA: one that is concentrated in the oosome and is taken up into the pole cells before evidence of Nv-hb repression is observed; another that forms a gradient at the posterior and plays a role in Nv-hb translational repression. Altogether, our results show that, although the embryonic patterning function of nos orthologs is broadly conserved, the mechanisms employed to achieve this function are distinct.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy A Lynch
- Center for Developmental Genetics, Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA.
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Khila A, Abouheif E. Evaluating the role of reproductive constraints in ant social evolution. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2010; 365:617-30. [PMID: 20083637 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2009.0257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The reproductive division of labour is a key feature of eusociality in ants, where queen and worker castes show dramatic differences in the development of their reproductive organs. To understand the developmental and genetic basis underlying this division of labour, we performed a molecular analysis of ovary function and germ cell development in queens and workers. We show that the processes of ovarian development in queens have been highly conserved relative to the fruitfly Drosophila melanogaster. We also identify specific steps during oogenesis and embryogenesis in which ovarian and germ cell development have been evolutionarily modified in the workers. These modifications, which we call 'reproductive constraints', are often assumed to represent neutral degenerations that are a consequence of social evolutionary forces. Based on our developmental and functional analysis of these constraints, however, we propose and discuss the alternative hypothesis that reproductive constraints represent adaptive proximate mechanisms or traits for maintaining social harmony in ants. We apply a multi-level selection framework to help understand the role of these constraints in ant social evolution. A complete understanding of how cooperation, conflict and developmental systems evolve in social groups requires a 'socio-evo-devo' approach that integrates social evolutionary and developmental biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abderrahman Khila
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Avenue Dr Penfield, Montreal, Quebec H3A1B1, Canada.
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Wilson MJ, Havler M, Dearden PK. Giant, Krüppel, and caudal act as gap genes with extensive roles in patterning the honeybee embryo. Dev Biol 2010; 339:200-11. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2009.12.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2009] [Revised: 12/08/2009] [Accepted: 12/10/2009] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
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Gordon SD, Strand MR. The polyembryonic wasp Copidosoma floridanum produces two castes by differentially parceling the germ line to daughter embryos during embryo proliferation. Dev Genes Evol 2009; 219:445-54. [PMID: 19904557 DOI: 10.1007/s00427-009-0306-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2009] [Accepted: 10/21/2009] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Eggs of the polyembryonic wasp Copidosoma floridanum undergo a clonal phase of proliferation, which results in the formation of thousands of embryos called secondary morulae and two castes called reproductive and soldier larvae. C. floridanum establishes the germ line early in development, and prior studies indicate that embryos with primordial germ cells (PGCs) develop into reproductive larvae while embryos without PGCs develop into soldiers. However, it is unclear how embryos lacking PGCs form and whether all or only some morulae contribute to the proliferation process. Here, we report that most embryos lacking PGCs form by division of a secondary morula into one daughter embryo that inherits the germ line and another that does not. C. floridanum embryos also incorporate 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU), which allows PGCs and other cell types to be labeled during the S phase of the cell cycle. Continuous BrdU labeling indicated that all secondary morulae cycle during the proliferation phase of embryogenesis. Double labeling with BrdU and the mitosis marker anti-phospho-histone H3 indicated that the median length of the G2 phase of the cell cycle was 18 h with a minimum duration of 4 h. Mitosis of PGCs and presumptive somatic stem cells in secondary morulae was asynchronous, but cells of the inner membrane exhibited synchronous mitosis. Overall, our results suggest that all secondary morulae contribute to the formation of new embryos during the proliferation phase of embryogenesis and that PGCs are involved in regulating both proliferation and caste formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shira D Gordon
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30605, USA
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Tanaka ED, Hartfelder K. Sequence and expression pattern of the germ line marker vasa in honey bees and stingless bees. Genet Mol Biol 2009; 32:582-93. [PMID: 21637523 PMCID: PMC3036037 DOI: 10.1590/s1415-47572009005000043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2009] [Accepted: 04/24/2009] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Queens and workers of social insects differ in the rates of egg laying. Using genomic information we determined the sequence of vasa, a highly conserved gene specific to the germ line of metazoans, for the honey bee and four stingless bees. The vasa sequence of social bees differed from that of other insects in two motifs. By RT-PCR we confirmed the germ line specificity of Amvasa expression in honey bees. In situ hybridization on ovarioles showed that Amvasa is expressed throughout the germarium, except for the transition zone beneath the terminal filament. A diffuse vasa signal was also seen in terminal filaments suggesting the presence of germ line cells. Oocytes showed elevated levels of Amvasa transcripts in the lower germarium and after follicles became segregated. In previtellogenic follicles, Amvasa transcription was detected in the trophocytes, which appear to supply its mRNA to the growing oocyte. A similar picture was obtained for ovarioles of the stingless bee Melipona quadrifasciata, except that Amvasa expression was higher in the oocytes of previtellogenic follicles. The social bees differ in this respect from Drosophila, the model system for insect oogenesis, suggesting that changes in the sequence and expression pattern of vasa may have occurred during social evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica Donato Tanaka
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP Brazil
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Özhan-Kizil G, Havemann J, Gerberding M. Germ cells in the crustacean Parhyale hawaiensis depend on Vasa protein for their maintenance but not for their formation. Dev Biol 2009; 327:230-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2008.10.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2008] [Revised: 10/20/2008] [Accepted: 10/22/2008] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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Li J, Zhang L, Feng M, Zhang Z, Pan Y. Identification of the proteome composition occurring during the course of embryonic development of bees (Apis mellifera). INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2009; 18:1-9. [PMID: 19040427 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2583.2008.00849.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
To investigate the proteome during embryonic development of honeybees, Apis mellifera, proteins were identified by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, mass spectrometry and protein engine identification tools that were applied to MASCOT and Xproteo search engines. 312, 320, 315 proteins were detected in 24, 48 and 72 h embryos. Thirty-eight highly abundant proteins were identified at the three time points by MS fingerprinting. All 21 proteins could be identified as products of annotated genes of the honeybee. Identified proteins included six proteins related to the metabolism of carbohydrates and energy production, six proteins belonging to the heat shock protein family, three cytoskeletal proteins, four proteins related to the antioxidant system of the embryo and two proteins related to growth regulation of the embryo. Quantitative proteomics was applied to analyze differences in amounts of these proteins during the three above mentioned developmental stages. Our data present an initial molecular picture of honeybee embryos, and will hopefully pave the way for future research on this animal.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Li
- Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing 100093, China
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Rosenberg MI, Lynch JA, Desplan C. Heads and tails: evolution of antero-posterior patterning in insects. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-GENE REGULATORY MECHANISMS 2008; 1789:333-42. [PMID: 18976722 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2008.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2008] [Revised: 09/23/2008] [Accepted: 09/30/2008] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
In spite of their varied appearances, insects share a common body plan whose layout is established by patterning genes during embryogenesis. We understand in great molecular detail how the Drosophila embryo patterns its segments. However, Drosophila has a type of embryogenesis that is highly derived and varies extensively as compared to most insects. Therefore, the study of other insects is invaluable for piecing together how the ancestor of all insects established its segmented body plan, and how this process can be plastic during evolution. In this review, we discuss the evolution of Antero-Posterior (A-P) patterning mechanisms in insects. We first describe two distinct modes of insect development - long and short germ development - and how these two modes of patterning are achieved. We then summarize how A-P patterning occurs in the long-germ Drosophila, where most of our knowledge comes from, and in the well-studied short-germ insect, Tribolium. Finally, using examples from other insects, we highlight differences in patterns of expression, which suggest foci of evolutionary change.
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