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Issigonis M, Browder KL, Chen R, Collins JJ, Newmark PA. A niche-derived nonribosomal peptide triggers planarian sexual development. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2321349121. [PMID: 38889152 PMCID: PMC11214079 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2321349121] [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: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Germ cells are regulated by local microenvironments (niches), which secrete instructive cues. Conserved developmental signaling molecules act as niche-derived regulatory factors, yet other types of niche signals remain to be identified. Single-cell RNA-sequencing of sexual planarians revealed niche cells expressing a nonribosomal peptide synthetase (nrps). Inhibiting nrps led to loss of female reproductive organs and testis hyperplasia. Mass spectrometry detected the dipeptide β-alanyl-tryptamine (BATT), which is associated with reproductive system development and requires nrps and a monoamine-transmitter-synthetic enzyme Aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC) for its production. Exogenous BATT rescued the reproductive defects after nrps or aadc inhibition, restoring fertility. Thus, a nonribosomal, monoamine-derived peptide provided by niche cells acts as a critical signal to trigger planarian reproductive development. These findings reveal an unexpected function for monoamines in niche-germ cell signaling. Furthermore, given the recently reported role for BATT as a male-derived factor required for reproductive maturation of female schistosomes, these results have important implications for the evolution of parasitic flatworms and suggest a potential role for nonribosomal peptides as signaling molecules in other organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie Issigonis
- Morgridge Institute for Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI53715
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI53715
| | - Katherine L. Browder
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI53715
- HMI, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI53715
| | - Rui Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX75390
| | - James J. Collins
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX75390
| | - Phillip A. Newmark
- Morgridge Institute for Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI53715
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI53715
- HMI, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI53715
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2
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Issigonis M, Browder KL, Chen R, Collins JJ, Newmark PA. A niche-derived non-ribosomal peptide triggers planarian sexual development. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.06.570471. [PMID: 38106172 PMCID: PMC10723454 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.06.570471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Germ cells are regulated by local microenvironments (niches), which secrete instructive cues. Conserved developmental signaling molecules act as niche-derived regulatory factors, yet other types of niche signals remain to be identified. Single-cell RNA-sequencing of sexual planarians revealed niche cells expressing a non-ribosomal peptide synthetase (nrps). Inhibiting nrps led to loss of female reproductive organs and testis hyperplasia. Mass spectrometry detected the dipeptide β-alanyl-tryptamine (BATT), which is associated with reproductive system development and requires nrps and a monoamine-transmitter-synthetic enzyme (AADC) for its production. Exogenous BATT rescued the reproductive defects after nrps or aadc inhibition, restoring fertility. Thus, a non-ribosomal, monoamine-derived peptide provided by niche cells acts as a critical signal to trigger planarian reproductive development. These findings reveal an unexpected function for monoamines in niche-germ cell signaling. Furthermore, given the recently reported role for BATT as a male-derived factor required for reproductive maturation of female schistosomes, these results have important implications for the evolution of parasitic flatworms and suggest a potential role for non-ribosomal peptides as signaling molecules in other organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie Issigonis
- Morgridge Institute for Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Madison, WI 53715
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Madison, WI 53715
| | - Katherine L. Browder
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Madison, WI 53715
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Madison, WI 53715
| | - Rui Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, UT Southwestern Medical Center; Dallas, TX 75390
| | - James J. Collins
- Department of Pharmacology, UT Southwestern Medical Center; Dallas, TX 75390
| | - Phillip A. Newmark
- Morgridge Institute for Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Madison, WI 53715
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Madison, WI 53715
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Madison, WI 53715
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3
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Cabirol A, Moriano-Gutierrez S, Engel P. Neuroactive metabolites modulated by the gut microbiota in honey bees. Mol Microbiol 2023. [PMID: 37718573 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.15167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023]
Abstract
Honey bees have emerged as a new model to study the gut-brain axis, as they exhibit complex social behaviors and cognitive abilities, while experiments with gnotobiotic bees have revealed that their gut microbiota alters both brain and behavioral phenotypes. Furthermore, while honey bee brain functions supporting a broad range of behaviors have been intensively studied for over 50 years, the gut microbiota of bees has been experimentally characterized only recently. Here, we combined six published datasets from metabolomic analyses to provide an overview of the neuroactive metabolites whose abundance in the gut, hemolymph and brain varies in presence of the gut microbiota. Such metabolites may either be produced by gut bacteria, released from the pollen grains during their decomposition by bacteria, or produced by other organs in response to different bacterial products. We describe the current state of knowledge regarding the impact of such metabolites on brain function and behavior and provide further hypotheses to explore in this emerging field of research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amélie Cabirol
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | - Philipp Engel
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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4
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Pantalia M, Lin Z, Tener SJ, Qiao B, Tang G, Ulgherait M, O'Connor R, Delventhal R, Volpi J, Syed S, Itzhak N, Canman JC, Fernández MP, Shirasu-Hiza M. Drosophila mutants lacking the glial neurotransmitter-modifying enzyme Ebony exhibit low neurotransmitter levels and altered behavior. Sci Rep 2023; 13:10411. [PMID: 37369755 PMCID: PMC10300103 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-36558-7] [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: 12/04/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Inhibitors of enzymes that inactivate amine neurotransmitters (dopamine, serotonin), such as catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) and monoamine oxidase (MAO), are thought to increase neurotransmitter levels and are widely used to treat Parkinson's disease and psychiatric disorders, yet the role of these enzymes in regulating behavior remains unclear. Here, we investigated the genetic loss of a similar enzyme in the model organism Drosophila melanogaster. Because the enzyme Ebony modifies and inactivates amine neurotransmitters, its loss is assumed to increase neurotransmitter levels, increasing behaviors such as aggression and courtship and decreasing sleep. Indeed, ebony mutants have been described since 1960 as "aggressive mutants," though this behavior has not been quantified. Using automated machine learning-based analyses, we quantitatively confirmed that ebony mutants exhibited increased aggressive behaviors such as boxing but also decreased courtship behaviors and increased sleep. Through tissue-specific knockdown, we found that ebony's role in these behaviors was specific to glia. Unexpectedly, direct measurement of amine neurotransmitters in ebony brains revealed that their levels were not increased but reduced. Thus, increased aggression is the anomalous behavior for this neurotransmitter profile. We further found that ebony mutants exhibited increased aggression only when fighting each other, not when fighting wild-type controls. Moreover, fights between ebony mutants were less likely to end with a clear winner than fights between controls or fights between ebony mutants and controls. In ebony vs. control fights, ebony mutants were more likely to win. Together, these results suggest that ebony mutants exhibit prolonged aggressive behavior only in a specific context, with an equally dominant opponent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghan Pantalia
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Zhi Lin
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Samantha J Tener
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Bing Qiao
- Department of Physics, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, USA
| | - Grace Tang
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, Barnard College, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Matthew Ulgherait
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Reed O'Connor
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | | | - Julia Volpi
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Sheyum Syed
- Department of Physics, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, USA
| | - Nissim Itzhak
- Division of Human Genetics and Metabolic Disease, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Julie C Canman
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - María Paz Fernández
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, Barnard College, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Mimi Shirasu-Hiza
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
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5
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Calvin-Cejudo L, Martin F, Mendez LR, Coya R, Castañeda-Sampedro A, Gomez-Diaz C, Alcorta E. Neuron-glia interaction at the receptor level affects olfactory perception in adult Drosophila. iScience 2022; 26:105837. [PMID: 36624835 PMCID: PMC9823236 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Revised: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Some types of glia play an active role in neuronal signaling by modifying their activity although little is known about their role in sensory information signaling at the receptor level. In this research, we report a functional role for the glia that surround the soma of the olfactory receptor neurons (OSNs) in adult Drosophila. Specific genetic modifications have been targeted to this cell type to obtain live individuals who are tested for olfactory preference and display changes both increasing and reducing sensitivity. A closer look at the antenna by Ca2+ imaging shows that odor activates the OSNs, which subsequently produce an opposite and smaller effect in the glia that partially counterbalances neuronal activation. Therefore, these glia may play a dual role in preventing excessive activation of the OSNs at high odorant concentrations and tuning the chemosensory window for the individual according to the network structure in the receptor organ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Calvin-Cejudo
- Group of Neurobiology of the Sensory Systems (NEUROSEN), Department of Functional Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oviedo, 33006 Oviedo, Spain
| | - Fernando Martin
- Group of Neurobiology of the Sensory Systems (NEUROSEN), Department of Functional Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oviedo, 33006 Oviedo, Spain
| | - Luis R. Mendez
- Group of Neurobiology of the Sensory Systems (NEUROSEN), Department of Functional Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oviedo, 33006 Oviedo, Spain
| | - Ruth Coya
- Group of Neurobiology of the Sensory Systems (NEUROSEN), Department of Functional Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oviedo, 33006 Oviedo, Spain
| | - Ana Castañeda-Sampedro
- Group of Neurobiology of the Sensory Systems (NEUROSEN), Department of Functional Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oviedo, 33006 Oviedo, Spain
| | - Carolina Gomez-Diaz
- Group of Neurobiology of the Sensory Systems (NEUROSEN), Department of Functional Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oviedo, 33006 Oviedo, Spain
| | - Esther Alcorta
- Group of Neurobiology of the Sensory Systems (NEUROSEN), Department of Functional Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oviedo, 33006 Oviedo, Spain
- Corresponding author
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6
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Damulewicz M, Doktór B, Baster Z, Pyza E. The Role of Glia Clocks in the Regulation of Sleep in Drosophila melanogaster. J Neurosci 2022; 42:6848-6860. [PMID: 35906073 PMCID: PMC9463985 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2340-21.2022] [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: 11/26/2021] [Revised: 05/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In Drosophila melanogaster, the pacemaker located in the brain plays the main role in maintaining circadian rhythms; however, peripheral oscillators including glial cells, are also crucial components of the circadian network. In the present study, we investigated an impact of oscillators located in astrocyte-like glia, the chiasm giant glia of the optic lobe, epithelial and subperineurial glia on sleep of Drosophila males. We described that oscillators located in astrocyte-like glia and chiasm giant glia are necessary to maintain daily changes in clock neurons arborizations, while those located in epithelial glia regulate amplitude of these changes. Finally, we showed that communication between glia and neurons through tripartite synapses formed by epithelial glia and, in effect, neurotransmission regulation plays important role in wake-promoting during the day.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Circadian clock or pacemaker regulates many aspects of animals' physiology and behavior. The pacemaker is located in the brain and is composed of neurons. However, there are also additional oscillators, called peripheral clocks, which synchronize the main clock. Despite the critical role of glia in the clock machinery, little is known which type of glia houses peripheral oscillators and how they affect neuronal clocks. This study using Drosophila shows that oscillators in specific glia types maintain awakeness during the day by regulating the daily plasticity of clock neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milena Damulewicz
- Department of Cell Biology and Imaging, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Jagiellonian University, Krakow 30-387, Poland
| | - Bartosz Doktór
- Department of Cell Biology and Imaging, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Jagiellonian University, Krakow 30-387, Poland
| | - Zbigniew Baster
- Department of Molecular and Interfacial Biophysics, Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Applied Computer Science, Jagiellonian University, Krakow 30-387, Poland
| | - Elzbieta Pyza
- Department of Cell Biology and Imaging, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Jagiellonian University, Krakow 30-387, Poland
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7
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Yang J, Song Y, Law AD, Rogan CJ, Shimoda K, Djukovic D, Anderson JC, Kretzschmar D, Hendrix DA, Giebultowicz JM. Chronic blue light leads to accelerated aging in Drosophila by impairing energy metabolism and neurotransmitter levels. FRONTIERS IN AGING 2022; 3:983373. [PMID: 36118990 PMCID: PMC9479496 DOI: 10.3389/fragi.2022.983373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Blue light (BL) is becoming increasingly prevalent in artificial illumination, raising concerns about its potential health hazard to humans. In fact, there is evidence suggesting that acute BL exposure may lead to oxidative stress and death of retinal cells specialized for photoreception. On the other hand, recent studies in Drosophila melanogaster demonstrated that chronic BL exposure across lifespan leads to accelerated aging manifested in reduced lifespan and brain neurodegeneration even in flies with genetically ablated eyes, suggesting that BL can damage cells and tissues not specialized for light perception. At the physiological level, BL exposure impairs mitochondria function in flies, but the metabolic underpinnings of these effects have not been studied. Here, we investigated effects of chronic BL on metabolic pathways in heads of eyes absent (eya2) mutant flies in order to focus on extra-retinal tissues. We compared metabolomic profiles in flies kept for 10 or 14 days in constant BL or constant darkness, using LC-MS and GC-MS. Data analysis revealed significant alterations in the levels of several metabolites suggesting that critical cellular pathways are impacted in BL-exposed flies. In particular, dramatic metabolic rearrangements are observed in heads of flies kept in BL for 14 days, including highly elevated levels of succinate but reduced levels of pyruvate and citrate, suggesting impairments in energy production. These flies also show onset of neurodegeneration and our analysis detected significantly reduced levels of several neurotransmitters including glutamate and Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), suggesting that BL disrupts brain homeostasis. Taken together, these data provide novel insights into the mechanisms by which BL interferes with vital metabolic pathways that are conserved between fly and human cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Yang
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States
- *Correspondence: Jun Yang, ; Jadwiga M. Giebultowicz,
| | - Yujuan Song
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States
| | - Alexander D. Law
- Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Conner J. Rogan
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States
| | - Kelsey Shimoda
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States
| | - Danijel Djukovic
- The Northwest Metabolomics Research Center, University of Washington Medicine, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Jeffrey C. Anderson
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States
| | - Doris Kretzschmar
- Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, United States
| | - David A. Hendrix
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States
- School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States
| | - Jadwiga M. Giebultowicz
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States
- *Correspondence: Jun Yang, ; Jadwiga M. Giebultowicz,
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8
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Bouchebti S, Bodner L, Bergman M, Magory Cohen T, Levin E. The effects of dietary proline, β-alanine, and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) on the nest construction behavior in the Oriental hornet (Vespa orientalis). Sci Rep 2022; 12:7449. [PMID: 35523992 PMCID: PMC9076666 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-11579-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Adult wasps primary food resource is larval saliva. This liquid secretion consists mainly of amino acids and carbohydrates processed from the prey brought to the colony by the foragers. However, adults also regularly consume floral nectar. The nectar's most abundant proteinogenic amino acid is proline, and the two most abundant non-proteinogenic amino acids are β-alanine and GABA. These three amino acids are also common in larval saliva. Here, we study the effect of these dietary amino acids on the physiology and nest construction behavior of the Oriental hornet. Our results reveal their deleterious effects, especially at high concentrations: β-alanine and GABA consumption reduced the hornets' lifespan and completely inhibited their construction behavior; while proline induced a similar but more moderate effect. At low concentrations, these amino acids had no effect on hornet survival but did slow down the nest construction process. Using carbon isotopically labeled amino acids, we show that, unlike proline, β-alanine is stored in most body tissues (brain, muscles, and fat body), suggesting that it is rapidly metabolized after consumption. Our findings demonstrate how a single amino acid can impact the fitness of a nectarivore insect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Bouchebti
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, 6997801, Tel Aviv, Israel.
| | - Levona Bodner
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, 6997801, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Maya Bergman
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, 6997801, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Tali Magory Cohen
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, 6997801, Tel Aviv, Israel.,Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, Tel Aviv University, 69978, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Eran Levin
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, 6997801, Tel Aviv, Israel
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9
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Chen R, Wang J, Gradinaru I, Vu HS, Geboers S, Naidoo J, Ready JM, Williams NS, DeBerardinis RJ, Ross EM, Collins JJ. A male-derived nonribosomal peptide pheromone controls female schistosome development. Cell 2022; 185:1506-1520.e17. [PMID: 35385687 PMCID: PMC9058237 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.03.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Revised: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Schistosomes cause morbidity and death throughout the developing world due to the massive numbers of eggs female worms deposit into the blood of their host. Studies dating back to the 1920s show that female schistosomes rely on constant physical contact with a male worm both to become and remain sexually mature; however, the molecular details governing this process remain elusive. Here, we uncover a nonribosomal peptide synthetase that is induced in male worms upon pairing with a female and find that it is essential for the ability of male worms to stimulate female development. We demonstrate that this enzyme generates β-alanyl-tryptamine that is released by paired male worms. Furthermore, synthetic β-alanyl-tryptamine can replace male worms to stimulate female sexual development and egg laying. These data reveal that peptide-based pheromone signaling controls female schistosome sexual maturation, suggesting avenues for therapeutic intervention and uncovering a role for nonribosomal peptides as metazoan signaling molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Jipeng Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA; State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, People's Republic of China; Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, People's Republic of China
| | - Irina Gradinaru
- Department of Pharmacology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Hieu S Vu
- Children's Medical Center Research Institute, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Sophie Geboers
- Department of Biochemistry, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Jacinth Naidoo
- Department of Biochemistry, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Joseph M Ready
- Department of Biochemistry, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Noelle S Williams
- Department of Biochemistry, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Ralph J DeBerardinis
- Children's Medical Center Research Institute, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Elliott M Ross
- Department of Pharmacology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - James J Collins
- Department of Pharmacology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA.
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10
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Ze LJ, Jin L, Li GQ. Silencing of Adc and Ebony Causes Abnormal Darkening of Cuticle in Henosepilachna vigintioctopunctata. Front Physiol 2022; 13:829675. [PMID: 35283776 PMCID: PMC8907826 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.829675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
N-β-alanyldopamine (NBAD) is a precursor of N-acylquinone sclerotin utilized for cross-linking between cuticular proteins for cuticle during insect molting. The importance of NBAD in cuticle tanning has not been well compared among different developing stages of insects. Henosepilachna vigintioctopunctata, a typical polyphagous pest feeding on a large number of Solanaceae and Cucurbitaceae plants in Asian countries, displays diverse cuticle pigmentation patterns among developing stages and body regions. Here, we found that the expression of three genes (Hvadc, Hvebony, and Hvtan) involved in NBAD biosynthesis peaked in the 4-day-old pupae or 0-day-old adults of H. vigintioctopunctata. At the first, second, third, and fourth larval instar and pupal stage, their transcript levels were high just before and/or right after the molting. Moreover, they were more abundantly transcribed at the larval heads than in the bodies. RNA interference (RNAi) of either Hvadc or Hvebony at the third instar larvae selectively deepened the color of the larval head capsules, antennae, mouthpart, scoli, strumae, and legs; and depletion of the two genes blackened the pupal head capsules, antennae, mouthpart, and legs. However, the knockdown of either Hvadc or Hvebony darkened the whole bodies of the adults. Conversely, RNAi of Hvtan at the third instar stage had little influence on the pigmentation in the larvae, pupae, and adults. These findings demonstrated that Adc and Ebony are important in cuticle pigmentation of H. vigintioctopunctata and suggested that larger quantities of NBAD were present in adults and play more important roles in pigmentation than larvae/pupae.
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11
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Drosophila melanogaster Uncoupling Protein-4A (UCP4A) Catalyzes a Unidirectional Transport of Aspartate. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23031020. [PMID: 35162943 PMCID: PMC8834685 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23031020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2021] [Revised: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Uncoupling proteins (UCPs) form a distinct subfamily of the mitochondrial carrier family (MCF) SLC25. Four UCPs, DmUCP4A-C and DmUCP5, have been identified in Drosophila melanogaster on the basis of their sequence homology with mammalian UCP4 and UCP5. In a Parkinson’s disease model, DmUCP4A showed a protective role against mitochondrial dysfunction, by increasing mitochondrial membrane potential and ATP synthesis. To date, DmUCP4A is still an orphan of a biochemical function, although its possible involvement in mitochondrial uncoupling has been ruled out. Here, we show that DmUCP4A expressed in bacteria and reconstituted in phospholipid vesicles catalyzes a unidirectional transport of aspartate, which is saturable and inhibited by mercurials and other mitochondrial carrier inhibitors to various degrees. Swelling experiments carried out in yeast mitochondria have demonstrated that the unidirectional transport of aspartate catalyzed by DmUCP4 is not proton-coupled. The biochemical function of DmUCP4A has been further confirmed in a yeast cell model, in which growth has required an efflux of aspartate from mitochondria. Notably, DmUCP4A is the first UCP4 homolog from any species to be biochemically characterized. In Drosophila melanogaster, DmUCP4A could be involved in the transport of aspartate from mitochondria to the cytosol, in which it could be used for protein and nucleotide synthesis, as well as in the biosynthesis of ß-alanine and N-acetylaspartate, which play key roles in signal transmission in the central nervous system.
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12
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Charlton-Perkins MA, Friedrich M, Cook TA. Semper's cells in the insect compound eye: Insights into ocular form and function. Dev Biol 2021; 479:126-138. [PMID: 34343526 PMCID: PMC8410683 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2021.07.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2021] [Revised: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The arthropod compound eye represents one of two major eye types in the animal kingdom and has served as an essential experimental paradigm for defining fundamental mechanisms underlying sensory organ formation, function, and maintenance. One of the most distinguishing features of the compound eye is the highly regular array of lens facets that define individual eye (ommatidial) units. These lens facets are produced by a deeply conserved quartet of cuticle-secreting cells, called Semper cells (SCs). Also widely known as cone cells, SCs were originally identified for their secretion of the dioptric system, i.e. the corneal lens and underlying crystalline cones. Additionally, SCs are now known to execute a diversity of patterning and glial functions in compound eye development and maintenance. Here, we present an integrated account of our current knowledge of SC multifunctionality in the Drosophila compound eye, highlighting emerging gene regulatory modules that may drive the diverse roles for these cells. Drawing comparisons with other deeply conserved retinal glia in the vertebrate single lens eye, this discussion speaks to glial cell origins and opens new avenues for understanding sensory system support programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark A Charlton-Perkins
- Department of Paediatrics, Wellcome-MRC Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, University of Cambridge, Puddicombe Way, Cambridge, CB2 0AW, United Kingdom
| | - Markus Friedrich
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wayne State University, 5047 Gullen Mall, Detroit, MI, 48202, USA; Department of Ophthalmological, Visual, and Anatomical Sciences, Wayne State University, School of Medicine, 540 East Canfield Avenue, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA
| | - Tiffany A Cook
- Department of Ophthalmological, Visual, and Anatomical Sciences, Wayne State University, School of Medicine, 540 East Canfield Avenue, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA; Center of Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 540 East Canfield Avenue, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA.
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13
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Vesicular neurotransmitter transporters in Drosophila melanogaster. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2020; 1862:183308. [PMID: 32305263 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2020.183308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2020] [Revised: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Drosophila melanogaster express vesicular transporters for the storage of neurotransmitters acetylcholine, biogenic amines, GABA, and glutamate. The large array of powerful molecular-genetic tools available in Drosophila enhances the use of this model organism for studying transporter function and regulation.
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14
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Damulewicz M, Woźnicka O, Jasińska M, Pyza E. CRY-dependent plasticity of tetrad presynaptic sites in the visual system of Drosophila at the morning peak of activity and sleep. Sci Rep 2020; 10:18161. [PMID: 33097794 PMCID: PMC7585400 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-74442-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Tetrad synapses are formed between the retina photoreceptor terminals and postsynaptic cells in the first optic neuropil (lamina) of Drosophila. They are remodelled in the course of the day and show distinct functional changes during activity and sleep. These changes result from fast degradation of the presynaptic scaffolding protein Bruchpilot (BRP) by Cryptochrome (CRY) in the morning and depend on BRP-170, one of two BRP isoforms. This process also affects the number of synaptic vesicles, both clear and dense-core, delivered to the presynaptic elements. In cry01 mutants lacking CRY and in brpΔ170, the number of synaptic vesicles is lower in the morning peak of activity than during night-sleep while in wild-type flies the number of synaptic vesicles is similar at these two time points. CRY may also set phase of the circadian rhythm in plasticity of synapses. The process of synapse remodelling stimulates the formation of clear synaptic vesicles in the morning. They carry histamine, a neurotransmitter in tetrad synapses and seem to be formed from glial capitate projections inside the photoreceptor terminals. In turn dense-core vesicles probably carry synaptic proteins building the tetrad presynaptic element.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milena Damulewicz
- Department of Cell Biology and Imaging, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Olga Woźnicka
- Department of Cell Biology and Imaging, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Małgorzata Jasińska
- Department of Histology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, Poland
| | - Elżbieta Pyza
- Department of Cell Biology and Imaging, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland.
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15
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Role of the Mitochondrial Pyruvate Carrier in the Occurrence of Metabolic Inflexibility in Drosophila melanogaster Exposed to Dietary Sucrose. Metabolites 2020; 10:metabo10100411. [PMID: 33066485 PMCID: PMC7602203 DOI: 10.3390/metabo10100411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2020] [Revised: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Excess dietary carbohydrates are linked to dysregulation of metabolic pathways converging to mitochondria and metabolic inflexibility. Here, we determined the role of the mitochondrial pyruvate carrier (MPC) in the occurrence of this metabolic inflexibility in wild-type (WT) and MPC1-deficient (MPC1def) flies that were exposed to diets with different sucrose concentrations for 15–25 days (Standard Diet: SD, Medium-Sucrose Diet: MSD, and High-Sucrose Diet: HSD). Our results showed that MPC1def flies had lower mitochondrial respiration rates than WT flies on the SD and MSD. However, when exposed to the HSD, WT flies displayed decreased mitochondrial respiration rates compared to MPC1def flies. WT flies exposed to the HSD also displayed increased proline contribution and slightly decreased MPC1 expression. Surprisingly, when fed the MSD and the HSD, few metabolites were altered in WT flies whereas MPC1def flies display significant accumulation of glycogen, glucose, fructose, lactate, and glycerol. Overall, this suggests that metabolic inflexibility starts to occur in WT flies after 15–25 days of exposure to the HSD whereas the MPC1def flies display metabolic inflexibility independently of the diet provided. This study thus highlights the involvement of MPC as an essential protein in Drosophila to maintain proper metabolic homeostasis during changes in dietary resources.
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16
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Intraspecific Variation in Nectar Chemistry and Its Implications for Insect Visitors: The Case of the Medicinal Plant, Polemonium Caeruleum L. PLANTS 2020; 9:plants9101297. [PMID: 33019586 PMCID: PMC7600102 DOI: 10.3390/plants9101297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Revised: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Floral nectar, being a primary reward for insect visitors, is a key factor in shaping plant–pollinator interactions. However, little is known about the variability in nectar traits, which could potentially affect pollinators and the reproduction of the species. We investigated intraspecific variation in nectar traits in 14 populations of a Red-listed plant, Polemonium caeruleum. Populations varied in terms of the proportion of self-compatible and self-incompatible individuals, and insect communities visiting flowers. Using HPLC, we determined the nectar sugar and amino acid (AA) composition and concentration. We also recorded some basic habitat parameters, which could influence nectar chemistry. In seven selected populations, we investigated the taxonomic composition of the insects visiting flowers. Our observations revealed significant intraspecific variability in nectar chemistry in P. caeruleum. Nectar production was male-biased, with male-phase flowers secreting sucrose- and AA-rich nectar. An analysis revealed that variability in P. caeruleum nectar may be slightly shaped by environmental factors. The studied nectar characters, especially sugars, had little effect on insects visiting flowers. We argue that variation in nectar traits in this generalist plant is a matter of random genetic drift or “adaptive wandering” rather than directional specialization and adaptation in the most effective and abundant group of pollinators.
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17
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Tzortzopoulos A, Thomaidou D, Gaitanou M, Matsas R, Skoulakis E. Expression of Mammalian BM88/CEND1 in Drosophila Affects Nervous System Development by Interfering with Precursor Cell Formation. Neurosci Bull 2019; 35:979-995. [PMID: 31079319 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-019-00386-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2018] [Accepted: 12/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
We used Drosophila melanogaster as an experimental model to express mouse and pig BM88/CEND1 (cell cycle exit and neuronal differentiation 1) in order to investigate its potential functional effects on Drosophila neurogenesis. BM88/CEND1 is a neuron-specific protein whose function is implicated in triggering cells to exit from the cell cycle and differentiate towards a neuronal phenotype. Transgenic flies expressing either mouse or pig BM88/CEND1 in the nervous system had severe neuronal phenotypes with variable expressivity at various stages of embryonic development. In early embryonic stage 10, BM88/CEND1 expression led to an increase in the neural-specific antigenicity of neuroectoderm at the expense of precursor cells [neuroblasts (Nbs) and ganglion mother cells (GMCs)] including the defective formation and differentiation of the MP2 precursors, whereas at later stages (12-15), protein accumulation induced gross morphological defects primarily in the CNS accompanied by a reduction of Nb and GMC markers. Furthermore, the neuronal precursor cells of embryos expressing BM88/CEND1 failed to carry out proper cell-cycle progression as revealed by the disorganized expression patterns of specific cell-cycle markers. BM88/CEND1 accumulation in the Drosophila eye affected normal eye disc development by disrupting the ommatidia. Finally, we demonstrated that expression of BM88/CEND1 modified/reduced the levels of activated MAP kinase indicating a functional effect of BM88/CEND1 on the MAPK signaling pathway. Our findings suggest that the expression of mammalian BM88/CEND1 in Drosophila exerts specific functional effects associated with neuronal precursor cell formation during embryonic neurogenesis and proper eye disc development. This study also validates the use of Drosophila as a powerful model system in which to investigate gene function and the underlying molecular mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dimitra Thomaidou
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, 11521, Athens, Greece
| | - Maria Gaitanou
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, 11521, Athens, Greece
| | - Rebecca Matsas
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, 11521, Athens, Greece
| | - Efthimios Skoulakis
- "Alexander Fleming" Biomedical Sciences Research Centre, 16672, Athens, Greece
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18
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Stenesen D, Moehlman AT, Schellinger JN, Rodan AR, Krämer H. The glial sodium-potassium-2-chloride cotransporter is required for synaptic transmission in the Drosophila visual system. Sci Rep 2019; 9:2475. [PMID: 30792494 PMCID: PMC6385505 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-38850-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2018] [Accepted: 01/08/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The Drosophila Ncc69 gene encodes a Na+-K+-2Cl−-cotransporter (NKCC) that is critical for regulating intra- and extracellular ionic conditions in different tissues. Here, we show that the Ncc69 transporter is necessary for fly vision and that its expression is required non-autonomously in glia to maintain visual synaptic transmission. Flies mutant for Ncc69 exhibit normal photoreceptor depolarization in response to a light pulse but lack the ON and OFF-transients characteristic of postsynaptic responses of lamina neurons, indicating a failure in synaptic transmission. We also find that synaptic transmission requires the Ncc69 regulatory kinases WNK and Fray in glia. The ERG phenotype is associated with a defect in the recycling of the histamine neurotransmitter. Ncc69 mutants exhibit higher levels of the transport metabolite carcinine in lamina cartridges, with its accumulation most intense in the extracellular space. Our work reveals a novel role of glial NKCC transporters in synaptic transmission, possibly through regulating extracellular ionic conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Drew Stenesen
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA.,Biology Department, University of Dallas, Irving, TX, 75062, USA
| | - Andrew T Moehlman
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
| | - Jeffrey N Schellinger
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Nephrology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
| | - Aylin R Rodan
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Nephrology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA. .,Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Nephrology and Hypertension and Molecular Medicine Program, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA. .,Medical Service, Veterans Affairs Salt Lake City Health Care System, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
| | - Helmut Krämer
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA. .,Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA.
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19
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Borycz J, Ziegler A, Borycz JA, Uhlenbrock G, Tapken D, Caceres L, Hollmann M, Hovemann BT, Meinertzhagen IA. Location and functions of Inebriated in the Drosophila eye. Biol Open 2018; 7:7/7/bio034926. [PMID: 30037884 PMCID: PMC6078345 DOI: 10.1242/bio.034926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Histamine (HA) is a neurotransmitter in arthropod photoreceptors. It is recycled via conjugation to β-alanine to form β-alanylhistamine (carcinine). Conjugation occurs in epithelial glia that surround photoreceptor terminals in the first optic neuropil, and carcinine (CA) is then transported back to photoreceptors and cleaved to liberate HA and β-alanine. The gene Inebriated (Ine) encodes an Na+/Cl--dependent SLC6 family transporter translated as two protein isoforms, long (P1) and short (P2). Photoreceptors specifically express Ine-P2 whereas Ine-P1 is expressed in non-neuronal cells. Both ine1 and ine3 have significantly reduced head HA contents compared with wild type, and a smaller increase in head HA after drinking 1% CA. Similarly, uptake of 0.1% CA was reduced in ine1 and ine3 mutant synaptosomes, but increased by 90% and 84% respectively for fractions incubated in 0.05% β-Ala, compared with wild type. Screening potential substrates in Ine expressing Xenopus oocytes revealed very little response to carcinine and β-Ala but increased conductance with glycine. Both ine1 and ine3 mutant responses in light-dark phototaxis did not differ from wild-type. Collectively our results suggest that Inebriated functions in an adjunct role as a transporter to the previously reported carcinine transporter CarT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janusz Borycz
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Anna Ziegler
- Receptor Biochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ruhr University of Bochum, 44780 Bochum, Germany
| | - Jolanta A Borycz
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Guido Uhlenbrock
- Receptor Biochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ruhr University of Bochum, 44780 Bochum, Germany
| | - Daniel Tapken
- Receptor Biochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ruhr University of Bochum, 44780 Bochum, Germany
| | - Lucia Caceres
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Michael Hollmann
- Molecular Cell Biochemistry, Ruhr University of Bochum, 44780 Bochum, Germany
| | - Bernhard T Hovemann
- Receptor Biochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ruhr University of Bochum, 44780 Bochum, Germany
| | - Ian A Meinertzhagen
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada .,Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
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20
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Han Y, Xiong L, Xu Y, Tian T, Wang T. The β-alanine transporter BalaT is required for visual neurotransmission in Drosophila. eLife 2017; 6. [PMID: 28806173 PMCID: PMC5555718 DOI: 10.7554/elife.29146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2017] [Accepted: 07/17/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The recycling of neurotransmitters is essential for sustained synaptic transmission. In Drosophila, histamine recycling is required for visual synaptic transmission. Synaptic histamine is rapidly taken up by laminar glia, and is converted to carcinine. After delivered back to photoreceptors, carcinine is hydrolyzed to release histamine and β-alanine. This histamine is repackaged into synaptic vesicles, but it is unclear how the β-alanine is returned to the laminar glial cells. Here, we identified a new β-alanine transporter, which we named BalaT (Beta-alanine Transporter). Null balat mutants exhibited lower levels of β-alanine, as well as less β-alanine accumulation in the retina. Moreover, BalaT is expressed and required in retinal pigment cells for maintaining visual synaptic transmission and phototaxis behavior. These results provide the first genetic evidence that retinal pigment cells play a critical role in visual neurotransmission, and suggest that a BalaT-dependent β-alanine trafficking pathway is required for histamine homeostasis and visual neurotransmission. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.29146.001 Neurons transmit information around the body in the form of electrical signals, but these signals cannot cross the gaps between neurons. To send a message to its neighbor, a neuron releases a molecule known as a neurotransmitter into the gap between the cells. The neurotransmitter binds to proteins on the recipient neuron and triggers new electrical signals inside that cell. When the message has been received, the neurotransmitter molecules are returned to the first neuron so that they can be reused. This recycling is particularly important in the visual system, where neurons communicate via rapid-fire signaling. In fruit flies, for example, light-sensitive neurons in the eye known as photoreceptors release a neurotransmitter called histamine when they detect light. Supporting cells called laminar glia take up any leftover histamine and combine it with another molecule known as β-alanine to form a larger molecule. The photoreceptors absorb this larger molecule and break it back down into histamine and β-alanine. However, it is not clear how the β-alanine returns to the glia to allow this cycle to continue. Many molecules rely on so-called “transporter” proteins to help them move into or out of cells. To identify transporters that might help to move β-alanine, Han, Xiong et al. prepared a list of fruit fly genes that encode transporter proteins found inside the insect’s head. Testing the resulting proteins in a cultured cell system revealed that one of them was able to transport β-alanine. This protein, named BalaT, is found in another type of support cell called retinal pigment cells. Mutant flies that cannot produce BalaT are blind because their photoreceptors have problems in transmitting information to other neurons. Han, Xiong et al. propose that BalaT transports β-alanine from photoreceptors to retinal pigment cells, which then pass β-alanine on to the laminar glia. Follow-up studies are required to find out exactly how the laminar glia take up histamine. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.29146.002
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongchao Han
- Graduate School of Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.,National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Liangyao Xiong
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, China.,Peking University-Tsinghua University-National Institute of Biological Sciences Joint Graduate Program, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Ying Xu
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, China.,School of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Tian Tian
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Tao Wang
- Graduate School of Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.,National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, China
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21
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Ng FS, Sengupta S, Huang Y, Yu AM, You S, Roberts MA, Iyer LK, Yang Y, Jackson FR. TRAP-seq Profiling and RNAi-Based Genetic Screens Identify Conserved Glial Genes Required for Adult Drosophila Behavior. Front Mol Neurosci 2016; 9:146. [PMID: 28066175 PMCID: PMC5177635 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2016.00146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2016] [Accepted: 11/30/2016] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Although, glial cells have well characterized functions in the developing and mature brain, it is only in the past decade that roles for these cells in behavior and plasticity have been delineated. Glial astrocytes and glia-neuron signaling, for example, are now known to have important modulatory functions in sleep, circadian behavior, memory and plasticity. To better understand mechanisms of glia-neuron signaling in the context of behavior, we have conducted cell-specific, genome-wide expression profiling of adult Drosophila astrocyte-like brain cells and performed RNA interference (RNAi)-based genetic screens to identify glial factors that regulate behavior. Importantly, our studies demonstrate that adult fly astrocyte-like cells and mouse astrocytes have similar molecular signatures; in contrast, fly astrocytes and surface glia-different classes of glial cells-have distinct expression profiles. Glial-specific expression of 653 RNAi constructs targeting 318 genes identified multiple factors associated with altered locomotor activity, circadian rhythmicity and/or responses to mechanical stress (bang sensitivity). Of interest, 1 of the relevant genes encodes a vesicle recycling factor, 4 encode secreted proteins and 3 encode membrane transporters. These results strongly support the idea that glia-neuron communication is vital for adult behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanny S Ng
- Department of Neuroscience, Sackler Program in Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University School of Medicine Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sukanya Sengupta
- Department of Neuroscience, Sackler Program in Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University School of Medicine Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yanmei Huang
- Department of Neuroscience, Sackler Program in Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University School of Medicine Boston, MA, USA
| | - Amy M Yu
- Department of Neuroscience, Sackler Program in Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University School of Medicine Boston, MA, USA
| | - Samantha You
- Department of Neuroscience, Sackler Program in Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University School of Medicine Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mary A Roberts
- Department of Neuroscience, Sackler Program in Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University School of Medicine Boston, MA, USA
| | - Lakshmanan K Iyer
- Department of Neuroscience, Sackler Program in Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University School of Medicine Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yongjie Yang
- Department of Neuroscience, Sackler Program in Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University School of Medicine Boston, MA, USA
| | - F Rob Jackson
- Department of Neuroscience, Sackler Program in Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University School of Medicine Boston, MA, USA
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22
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Metabolomics with Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy in a Drosophila melanogaster Model of Surviving Sepsis. Metabolites 2016; 6:metabo6040047. [PMID: 28009836 PMCID: PMC5192453 DOI: 10.3390/metabo6040047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2016] [Revised: 12/03/2016] [Accepted: 12/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Patients surviving sepsis demonstrate sustained inflammation, which has been associated with long-term complications. One of the main mechanisms behind sustained inflammation is a metabolic switch in parenchymal and immune cells, thus understanding metabolic alterations after sepsis may provide important insights to the pathophysiology of sepsis recovery. In this study, we explored metabolomics in a novel Drosophila melanogaster model of surviving sepsis using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), to determine metabolite profiles. We used a model of percutaneous infection in Drosophila melanogaster to mimic sepsis. We had three experimental groups: sepsis survivors (infected with Staphylococcus aureus and treated with oral linezolid), sham (pricked with an aseptic needle), and unmanipulated (positive control). We performed metabolic measurements seven days after sepsis. We then implemented metabolites detected in NMR spectra into the MetExplore web server in order to identify the metabolic pathway alterations in sepsis surviving Drosophila. Our NMR metabolomic approach in a Drosophila model of recovery from sepsis clearly distinguished between all three groups and showed two different metabolomic signatures of inflammation. Sham flies had decreased levels of maltose, alanine, and glutamine, while their level of choline was increased. Sepsis survivors had a metabolic signature characterized by decreased glucose, maltose, tyrosine, beta-alanine, acetate, glutamine, and succinate.
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23
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Dembeck LM, Huang W, Carbone MA, Mackay TFC. Genetic basis of natural variation in body pigmentation in Drosophila melanogaster. Fly (Austin) 2016; 9:75-81. [PMID: 26554300 DOI: 10.1080/19336934.2015.1102807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Body pigmentation in insects and other organisms is typically variable within and between species and is often associated with fitness. Regulatory variants with large effects at bab1, t and e affect variation in abdominal pigmentation in several populations of Drosophila melanogaster. Recently, we performed a genome wide association (GWA) analysis of variation in abdominal pigmentation using the inbred, sequenced lines of the Drosophila Genetic Reference Panel (DGRP). We confirmed the large effects of regulatory variants in bab1, t and e; identified 81 additional candidate genes; and validated 17 candidate genes (out of 28 tested) using RNAi knockdown of gene expression and mutant alleles. However, these analyses are imperfect proxies for the effects of segregating variants. Here, we describe the results of an extreme quantitative trait locus (xQTL) GWA analysis of female body pigmentation in an outbred population derived from light and dark DGRP lines. We replicated the effects on pigmentation of 28 genes implicated by the DGRP GWA study, including bab1, t and e and 7 genes previously validated by RNAi and/or mutant analyses. We also identified many additional loci. The genetic architecture of Drosophila pigmentation is complex, with a few major genes and many other loci with smaller effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren M Dembeck
- a Department of Biological Sciences ; North Carolina State University ; Raleigh , NC USA.,b Program in Genetics; North Carolina State University ; Raleigh , NC USA.,c W. M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology; North Carolina State University ; Raleigh , NC USA
| | - Wen Huang
- a Department of Biological Sciences ; North Carolina State University ; Raleigh , NC USA.,b Program in Genetics; North Carolina State University ; Raleigh , NC USA.,c W. M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology; North Carolina State University ; Raleigh , NC USA
| | - Mary Anna Carbone
- a Department of Biological Sciences ; North Carolina State University ; Raleigh , NC USA.,b Program in Genetics; North Carolina State University ; Raleigh , NC USA.,c W. M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology; North Carolina State University ; Raleigh , NC USA
| | - Trudy F C Mackay
- a Department of Biological Sciences ; North Carolina State University ; Raleigh , NC USA.,b Program in Genetics; North Carolina State University ; Raleigh , NC USA.,c W. M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology; North Carolina State University ; Raleigh , NC USA
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24
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Chaturvedi R, Luan Z, Guo P, Li HS. Drosophila Vision Depends on Carcinine Uptake by an Organic Cation Transporter. Cell Rep 2016; 14:2076-2083. [PMID: 26923590 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2016.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2015] [Revised: 12/18/2015] [Accepted: 01/26/2016] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Recycling of neurotransmitters is essential for sustained neuronal signaling, yet recycling pathways for various transmitters, including histamine, remain poorly understood. In the first visual ganglion (lamina) of Drosophila, photoreceptor-released histamine is taken up into perisynaptic glia, converted to carcinine, and delivered back to the photoreceptor for histamine regeneration. Here, we identify an organic cation transporter, CarT (carcinine transporter), that transports carcinine into photoreceptors during histamine recycling. CarT mediated in vitro uptake of carcinine. Deletion of the CarT gene caused an accumulation of carcinine in laminar glia accompanied by a reduction in histamine, resulting in abolished photoreceptor signal transmission and blindness in behavioral assays. These defects were rescued by expression of CarT cDNA in photoreceptors, and they were reproduced by photoreceptor-specific CarT knockdown. Our findings suggest a common role for the conserved family of CarT-like transporters in maintaining histamine homeostasis in both mammalian and fly brains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ratna Chaturvedi
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Zhuo Luan
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Peiyi Guo
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Hong-Sheng Li
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA.
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Xu Y, An F, Borycz JA, Borycz J, Meinertzhagen IA, Wang T. Histamine Recycling Is Mediated by CarT, a Carcinine Transporter in Drosophila Photoreceptors. PLoS Genet 2015; 11:e1005764. [PMID: 26713872 PMCID: PMC4694695 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1005764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2015] [Accepted: 12/02/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Histamine is an important chemical messenger that regulates multiple physiological processes in both vertebrate and invertebrate animals. Even so, how glial cells and neurons recycle histamine remains to be elucidated. Drosophila photoreceptor neurons use histamine as a neurotransmitter, and the released histamine is recycled through neighboring glia, where it is conjugated to β-alanine to form carcinine. However, how carcinine is then returned to the photoreceptor remains unclear. In an mRNA-seq screen for photoreceptor cell-enriched transporters, we identified CG9317, an SLC22 transporter family protein, and named it CarT (Carcinine Transporter). S2 cells that express CarT are able to take up carcinine in vitro. In the compound eye, CarT is exclusively localized to photoreceptor terminals. Null mutations of cart alter the content of histamine and its metabolites. Moreover, null cart mutants are defective in photoreceptor synaptic transmission and lack phototaxis. These findings reveal that CarT is required for histamine recycling at histaminergic photoreceptors and provide evidence for a CarT-dependent neurotransmitter trafficking pathway between glial cells and photoreceptor terminals. Neurotransmitter transporters that remove neurotransmitters and recycle them after their release have particular importance at visual synapses, which must signal at high frequencies and therefore required rapid clearance of neurotransmitters from the synaptic cleft. In this study, we identified a SLC22 family transporter, CarT, in the visual system of Drosophila, which is exclusively located to photoreceptor terminals in the lamina neuropil and is responsible for taking up carcinine, an inactive histamine metabolite, from surrounding glia. Loss of CarT disrupts the regeneration of histamine and blocks neurotransmission at photoreceptor cell synapses. Our work provides direct evidence for a local histamine recycling pathway between glial cells and photoreceptor terminals, and shows that a CarT-dependent histamine/carcinine shuttle pathway is critical for maintaining the normal histamine content of neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Xu
- School of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.,National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Futing An
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, China.,School of Life Sciences, Beijing University, Beijing, China
| | - Jolanta A Borycz
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Life Sciences Centre, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Janusz Borycz
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Life Sciences Centre, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Ian A Meinertzhagen
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Life Sciences Centre, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Tao Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.,National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, China
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Stenesen D, Moehlman AT, Krämer H. The carcinine transporter CarT is required in Drosophila photoreceptor neurons to sustain histamine recycling. eLife 2015; 4:e10972. [PMID: 26653853 PMCID: PMC4739767 DOI: 10.7554/elife.10972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2015] [Accepted: 12/13/2015] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Synaptic transmission from Drosophila photoreceptors to lamina neurons requires recycling of histamine neurotransmitter. Synaptic histamine is cleared by uptake into glia and conversion into carcinine, which functions as transport metabolite. How carcinine is transported from glia to photoreceptor neurons remains unclear. In a targeted RNAi screen for genes involved in this pathway, we identified carT, which encodes a member of the SLC22A transporter family. CarT expression in photoreceptors is necessary and sufficient for fly vision and behavior. Carcinine accumulates in the lamina of carT flies. Wild-type levels are restored by photoreceptor-specific expression of CarT, and endogenous tagging suggests CarT localizes to synaptic endings. Heterologous expression of CarT in S2 cells is sufficient for carcinine uptake, demonstrating the ability of CarT to utilize carcinine as a transport substrate. Together, our results demonstrate that CarT transports the histamine metabolite carcinine into photoreceptor neurons, thus contributing an essential step to the histamine–carcinine cycle. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.10972.001 Photoreceptors are light-sensitive neurons in the eyes of the fruit fly Drosophila that form connections with other neurons in the fly’s brain. At these connections, which are called synapses, the photoreceptors continuously release a chemical called histamine. Photoreceptors will release more or less histamine depending on changes in light intensity, but always tend to release more histamine than they can produce themselves from scratch. This means that the visual system in Drosophila relies on a pathway that recycles histamine. That is to say, glial cells (which support the activity of the neurons) remove the chemical from synapses and return it to the photoreceptor neurons in a slightly modified form called “carcinine”. The photoreceptors then quickly convert the chemical back into histamine, ready to be released. Stenesen et al. set out to identify the proteins that support this recycling pathway, and started by screening around 130 genes that encode transporter proteins for potential roles in histamine recycling. This screen identified a gene encoding a protein that was named CarT. This protein transports carcinine, the modified version of the histamine neurotransmitter. Stenesen et al. show that the photoreceptor neurons make the CarT protein and need this protein to take up the carcinine released by the supporting glial cells. Without CarT, photoreceptor neurons cannot transmit visual information, and so mutant flies in which the gene for CarT is deleted are blind. Follow-up studies related to this work could involve identifying the transporters that move histamine and carcinine in and out of the glia cells, and exploring what other neurons and behaviors in fruit flies rely on CarT’s activity. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.10972.002
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Affiliation(s)
- Drew Stenesen
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, United States
| | - Andrew T Moehlman
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, United States
| | - Helmut Krämer
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, United States
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28
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Huang X, Poelchau MF, Armbruster PA. Global transcriptional dynamics of diapause induction in non-blood-fed and blood-fed Aedes albopictus. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2015; 9:e0003724. [PMID: 25897664 PMCID: PMC4405372 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0003724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2014] [Accepted: 03/26/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Aedes albopictus is a vector of increasing public health concern due to its rapid global range expansion and ability to transmit Dengue virus, Chikungunya virus and a wide range of additional arboviruses. Traditional vector control strategies have been largely ineffective against Ae. albopictus and novel approaches are urgently needed. Photoperiodic diapause is a crucial ecological adaptation in a wide range of temperate insects. Therefore, targeting the molecular regulation of photoperiodic diapause or diapause-associated physiological processes could provide the basis of novel approaches to vector control. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We investigated the global transcriptional profiles of diapause induction in Ae. albopictus by performing paired-end RNA-Seq of biologically replicated libraries. We sequenced RNA from whole bodies of adult females reared under diapause-inducing and non-diapause-inducing photoperiods either with or without a blood meal. We constructed a comprehensive transcriptome assembly that incorporated previous assemblies and represents over 14,000 annotated dipteran gene models. Mapping of sequence reads to the transcriptome identified differential expression of 2,251 genes in response to diapause-inducing short-day photoperiods. In non-blood-fed females, potential regulatory elements of diapause induction were transcriptionally up-regulated, including two of the canonical circadian clock genes, timeless and cryptochrome 1. In blood-fed females, genes in metabolic pathways related to energy production and offspring provisioning were differentially expressed under diapause-inducing conditions, including the oxidative phosphorylation pathway and lipid metabolism genes. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE This study is the first to utilize powerful RNA-Seq technologies to elucidate the transcriptional basis of diapause induction in any insect. We identified candidate genes and pathways regulating diapause induction, including a conserved set of genes that are differentially expressed as part of the diapause program in a diverse group of insects. These genes provide candidates whose diapause-associated function can be further interrogated using functional genomics approaches in Ae. albopictus and other insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Huang
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C., United States of America
| | - Monica F. Poelchau
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C., United States of America
| | - Peter A. Armbruster
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C., United States of America
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Hartwig S, Dovengerds C, Herrmann C, Hovemann BT. Drosophila Ebony: a novel type of nonribosomal peptide synthetase related enzyme with unusually fast peptide bond formation kinetics. FEBS J 2014; 281:5147-58. [PMID: 25229196 DOI: 10.1111/febs.13054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2014] [Revised: 09/11/2014] [Accepted: 09/15/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Drosophila Ebony is a β-alanyl biogenic amine synthetase with proven function in cuticle and in glia of the nervous system. It is closely related to nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs), which typically consist of at least an adenylation, a peptidyl carrier protein and a peptide bond forming condensation domain. Besides its role in cuticle formation, Ebony is in most glia of the brain thought to convert biogenic amines to β-alanyl conjugates. If the metabolization of the neurotransmitter histamine to β-alanyl histamine requires a fast reaction in visual signal transduction, Ebony must be able to fulfill this requirement. Since NRPSs are in general slowly acting multi-modular protein machineries, the enigma of how Ebony quickly facilitates this inactivation remains a key question for understanding its role in vision. To quantitatively analyze the reaction kinetics, we used phosphopantetheinylated holo-Ebony prepared from Baculovirus infected Sf9 cells. Kinetic parameters for the loading reaction, e.g. the formation of β-alanyl-Ebony thioester, complied with those of slow NRPSs. In contrast, single-turnover analysis of the last reaction step, peptide bond formation between pre-activated β-alanyl Ebony thioester and histamine, revealed a very rapid conjugation reaction. This biphasic nature of activity identifies Ebony as a novel type of NRPS related molecule that combines a slow amino acid activation phase with a very fast product formation step.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Hartwig
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ruhr-University Bochum, AG Molecular Cell Biochemistry, Germany
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Liu P, Wu C, Song W, Yu L, Yang X, Xiang R, Wang F, Yang J. Uridine decreases morphine-induced behavioral sensitization by decreasing dorsal striatal dopamine release possibly via agonistic effects at GABAA receptors. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2014; 24:1557-66. [PMID: 25088943 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2014.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2013] [Revised: 06/14/2014] [Accepted: 06/20/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Uridine, a potential endogenous neuromodulator, has been demonstrated to interact with the dopaminergic system and to regulate dopamine-related behaviors. The present study investigated the effects of uridine on morphine-induced hyperactivity and behavioral sensitization and on modulating dopaminergic neurotransmission in mice, which may help to understand how uridine and its metabolites act as modulators of the GABAA receptors. The results showed that either systemic (30 or 100mg/kg) or central (30, 100 or 300nM) uridine administration significantly attenuated the hyperactivity induced by acute morphine treatment in mice. Intracerebroventricular administration of uracil and β-alanine also inhibited morphine-induced hyperactivity. Uridine, a known modulator of the GABA receptors, increased the extracellular levels of GABA in the brain. In addition, the GABAA receptors antagonist bicuculline significantly attenuated the effects of uridine on morphine-induced hyperactivity, suggesting that the GABAA receptors potentially mediate the effects of uridine and its metabolites on morphine-related activity. It was also observed that morphine-induced locomotor sensitization was abolished after chronic uridine treatment. In vivo microdialysis demonstrated that uridine reversed morphine-induced dopamine release in the dorsal striatum of morphine-sensitized mice. In conclusion, these data suggest that the therapeutic effects of uridine and its metabolites on morphine-induced hyperactivity and established behavioral sensitization may be mediated in part by interfering with the dopaminergic system possibly via agonistic effects at GABAA receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Liu
- Department of Pharmacology, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Box 31, 103 Wenhua Road, 110016 Shenyang, PR China
| | - Chunfu Wu
- Department of Pharmacology, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Box 31, 103 Wenhua Road, 110016 Shenyang, PR China
| | - Wu Song
- Department of Pharmacology, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Box 31, 103 Wenhua Road, 110016 Shenyang, PR China
| | - Lisha Yu
- Department of Pharmacology, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Box 31, 103 Wenhua Road, 110016 Shenyang, PR China
| | - Xiaofeng Yang
- Department of Pharmacology, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Box 31, 103 Wenhua Road, 110016 Shenyang, PR China
| | - Rongwu Xiang
- Mathematics Teaching & Research Section, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 110016 Shenyang, PR China
| | - Fang Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Box 31, 103 Wenhua Road, 110016 Shenyang, PR China
| | - Jingyu Yang
- Department of Pharmacology, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Box 31, 103 Wenhua Road, 110016 Shenyang, PR China.
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31
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Takahashi A. Pigmentation and behavior: potential association through pleiotropic genes in Drosophila. Genes Genet Syst 2014; 88:165-74. [PMID: 24025245 DOI: 10.1266/ggs.88.165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The molecular basis of pigmentation variation within and among Drosophila species is largely attributed to genes in melanin biosynthesis pathway, which involves dopamine metabolism. Most of the genetic changes underlying pigmentation variations reported to date are changes at the expression levels of the structural genes in the pathway. Within D. melanogaster, changes in cis-regulatory regions of a gene, ebony, are responsible for the naturally occurring variation of the body pigmentation intensity. This gene is also known to be expressed in glia, and many visual and behavioral abnormalities of its mutants have been reported. This implies that the gene has pleiotropic functions in the nervous systems. In this review, current knowledge on pigmentation variation and melanin biosynthesis pathway are summarized, with some focus on pleiotropic features of ebony and other genes in the pathway. A potential association between pigmentation and behavior through such pleiotropic genes is discussed in light of cis-regulatory structure and pleiotropic mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aya Takahashi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University
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32
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Long-distance mechanism of neurotransmitter recycling mediated by glial network facilitates visual function in Drosophila. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2014; 111:2812-7. [PMID: 24550312 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1323714111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurons rely on glia to recycle neurotransmitters such as glutamate and histamine for sustained signaling. Both mammalian and insect glia form intercellular gap-junction networks, but their functional significance underlying neurotransmitter recycling is unknown. Using the Drosophila visual system as a genetic model, here we show that a multicellular glial network transports neurotransmitter metabolites between perisynaptic glia and neuronal cell bodies to mediate long-distance recycling of neurotransmitter. In the first visual neuropil (lamina), which contains a multilayer glial network, photoreceptor axons release histamine to hyperpolarize secondary sensory neurons. Subsequently, the released histamine is taken up by perisynaptic epithelial glia and converted into inactive carcinine through conjugation with β-alanine for transport. In contrast to a previous assumption that epithelial glia deliver carcinine directly back to photoreceptor axons for histamine regeneration within the lamina, we detected both carcinine and β-alanine in the fly retina, where they are found in photoreceptor cell bodies and surrounding pigment glial cells. Downregulating Inx2 gap junctions within the laminar glial network causes β-alanine accumulation in retinal pigment cells and impairs carcinine synthesis, leading to reduced histamine levels and photoreceptor synaptic vesicles. Consequently, visual transmission is impaired and the fly is less responsive in a visual alert analysis compared with wild type. Our results suggest that a gap junction-dependent laminar and retinal glial network transports histamine metabolites between perisynaptic glia and photoreceptor cell bodies to mediate a novel, long-distance mechanism of neurotransmitter recycling, highlighting the importance of glial networks in the regulation of neuronal functions.
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Ziegler AB, Brüsselbach F, Hovemann BT. Activity and coexpression of Drosophila black with ebony in fly optic lobes reveals putative cooperative tasks in vision that evade electroretinographic detection. J Comp Neurol 2013; 521:1207-24. [PMID: 23124681 DOI: 10.1002/cne.23247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2012] [Revised: 08/18/2012] [Accepted: 10/23/2012] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Drosophila mutants black and ebony show pigmentation defects in the adult cuticle, which disclose their cooperative activity in β-alanyl-dopamine formation. In visual signal transduction, Ebony conjugates β-alanine to histamine, forming β-alanyl-histamine or carcinine. Mutation of ebony disrupts signal transduction and reveals an electroretinogram (ERG) phenotype. In contrast to the corresponding cuticle phenotype of black and ebony, there is no ERG phenotype observed when black expression is disrupted. This discrepancy calls into question the longstanding assumption of Black and Ebony interaction. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of Black and Ebony in fly optic lobes. We excluded a presynaptic histamine uptake pathway and confirmed histamine recycling via carcinine formation in glia. β-Alanine supply for this pathway is independent of enzymatic synthesis by Black and β-alanine synthase Pyd3. Two versions of Black are expressed in vivo. Black is a specific aspartate decarboxylase with no activity on glutamate. RNA in situ hybridization and anti-Black antisera localized Black expression in the head. Immunolabeling revealed expression in lamina glia, in large medulla glia, in glia of the ocellar ganglion, and in astrocyte-like glia below the ocellar ganglion. In these glia types, Black expression is strictly accompanied by Ebony expression. Activity, localization, and strict coexpression with Ebony strongly indicate a specific mode of functional interaction that, however, evades ERG detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna B Ziegler
- AG Molekulare Zellbiochemie, Fakultät für Chemie und Biochemie, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, 44780 Bochum, Germany
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Müller R, Jenny A, Stanley P. The EGF repeat-specific O-GlcNAc-transferase Eogt interacts with notch signaling and pyrimidine metabolism pathways in Drosophila. PLoS One 2013; 8:e62835. [PMID: 23671640 PMCID: PMC3650022 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0062835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2013] [Accepted: 03/26/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The O-GlcNAc transferase Eogt modifies EGF repeats in proteins that transit the secretory pathway, including Dumpy and Notch. In this paper, we show that the Notch ligands Delta and Serrate are also substrates of Eogt, that mutation of a putative UDP-GlcNAc binding DXD motif greatly reduces enzyme activity, and that Eogt and the cytoplasmic O-GlcNAc transferase Ogt have distinct substrates in Drosophila larvae. Loss of Eogt is larval lethal and disrupts Dumpy functions, but does not obviously perturb Notch signaling. To identify novel genetic interactions with eogt, we investigated dominant modification of wing blister formation caused by knock-down of eogt. Unexpectedly, heterozygosity for several members of the canonical Notch signaling pathway suppressed wing blister formation. And importantly, extensive genetic interactions with mutants in pyrimidine metabolism were identified. Removal of pyrimidine synthesis alleles suppressed wing blister formation, while removal of uracil catabolism alleles was synthetic lethal with eogt knock-down. Therefore, Eogt may regulate protein functions by O-GlcNAc modification of their EGF repeats, and cellular metabolism by affecting pyrimidine synthesis and catabolism. We propose that eogt knock-down in the wing leads to metabolic and signaling perturbations that increase cytosolic uracil levels, thereby causing wing blister formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reto Müller
- Department of Cell Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Andreas Jenny
- Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, New York, United States of America
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail: (AJ); (PS)
| | - Pamela Stanley
- Department of Cell Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail: (AJ); (PS)
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