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Tosto NM, Beasley ER, Wong BBM, Mank JE, Flanagan SP. The roles of sexual selection and sexual conflict in shaping patterns of genome and transcriptome variation. Nat Ecol Evol 2023; 7:981-993. [PMID: 36959239 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-02019-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/25/2023]
Abstract
Sexual dimorphism is one of the most prevalent, and often the most extreme, examples of phenotypic variation within species, and arises primarily from genomic variation that is shared between females and males. Many sexual dimorphisms arise through sex differences in gene expression, and sex-biased expression is one way that a single, shared genome can generate multiple, distinct phenotypes. Although many sexual dimorphisms are expected to result from sexual selection, and many studies have invoked the possible role of sexual selection to explain sex-specific traits, the role of sexual selection in the evolution of sexually dimorphic gene expression remains difficult to differentiate from other forms of sex-specific selection. In this Review, we propose a holistic framework for the study of sex-specific selection and transcriptome evolution. We advocate for a comparative approach, across tissues, developmental stages and species, which incorporates an understanding of the molecular mechanisms, including genomic variation and structure, governing gene expression. Such an approach is expected to yield substantial insights into the evolution of genetic variation and have important applications in a variety of fields, including ecology, evolution and behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole M Tosto
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Emily R Beasley
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Bob B M Wong
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Judith E Mank
- Department of Zoology and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Sarah P Flanagan
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.
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Zhang C, Wan B, Jin MR, Wang J, Xin TR, Zou ZW, Xia B. The loss of Halloween gene function seriously affects the development and reproduction of Diaphorina citri (Hemiptera: Liviidae) and increases its susceptibility to pesticides. PESTICIDE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 191:105361. [PMID: 36963933 DOI: 10.1016/j.pestbp.2023.105361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Revised: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The citrus industry has suffered severe losses as a result of Huanglongbing spread by Diaphorina citri. Controlling the population of D. citri is the key to preventing and controlling the spread of Huanglongbing. Ecdysteroids are key hormones that regulate insect development and reproduction. Therefore, the Halloween gene family involved in the ecdysone synthesis of D. citri is an ideal target for controlling the population growth of this insect. In this study, we successfully cloned four Halloween genes expressed during D. citri development. Silencing of one of the four genes resulted in a significant decrease in 20E titers in nymphs and significant decreases in the developmental, survival and emergence rates. Inhibiting Halloween gene expression in adults impeded the growth of the female ovary, diminished yolk formation, lowered vitellogenin transcription levels, and hence impaired female fecundity. This showed that Halloween genes were required for D. citri development and reproduction. DcCYP315A1 and DcCYP314A1 were highly expressed when D. citri was exposed to thiamethoxam and cypermethrin, and silencing these two genes made D. citri more sensitive to these two pesticides. Inhibition of DcCYP315A1 and DcCYP314A1 expression not only significantly delayed the development and reproduction of D. citri but also increased its susceptibility to pesticides. Therefore, these two genes are more suitable as potential target genes for controlling D. citri.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cong Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China
| | - Bin Wan
- School of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China
| | - Meng-Ru Jin
- School of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China
| | - Jing Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China
| | - Tian-Rong Xin
- School of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China
| | - Zhi-Wen Zou
- School of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China
| | - Bin Xia
- School of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China.
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Qi H, Cao H, Zhao Y, Cao Y, Jin Q, Wang Y, Zhang K, Deng D. Cloning and functional analysis of the molting gene CYP302A1 of Daphnia sinensis. Front Zool 2023; 20:2. [PMID: 36635746 PMCID: PMC9835317 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-023-00483-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Molting is an important physiological process in the growth and development of arthropoda, which is mainly regulated by juvenile hormone and ecdysone. CYP302A1 is a key enzyme which plays a critical role in the synthesis of ecdysone in insects, but it has not been identified in cladocera. RESULTS The CYP302Al gene of Daphnia sinensis was cloned and its function was analyzed in this paper. The CYP302Al gene of D. sinensis was 5926 bp in full-length, with an open reading frame (ORF) of 1596 bp that encoded 531 amino acids (aa), a molecular weight of 60.82 kDa and an isoelectric point of 9.29. The amino acid sequence analysis revealed that there were five characteristic conserved regions of cytochrome P450 family (namely helix-C, helix-K, helix-I, PERF and heme-binding). In dsRNA mediated experiment, the expression level of CYP302A1 gene decreased significantly (knock-down of 56.22%) in the 5% Escherichia coli concentration treatment. In addition, the expression levels of EcR and USP and HR3 genes in the downstream were also significantly decreased, whereas that of FTZ-f1 gene increased significantly. In the 5% E. coli treatment, the molting time at maturity of D. sinensis prolonged, and the development of embryos in the incubation capsule appeared abnormal or disintegrated. The whole-mount in situ hybridization showed that the CYP302A1 gene of D. sinensis had six expression sites before RNA interference (RNAi), which located in the first antennal ganglion, ovary, cecae, olfactory hair, thoracic limb and tail spine. However, the expression signal of the CYP302A1 gene of D. sinensis disappeared in the first antennal ganglion and obviously attenuated in the ovary after RNAi. CONCLUSION The CYP302A1 gene played an important role in the ecdysone synthesis pathway of D. sinensis, and the knock-down of the gene affected the molting and reproduction of D. sinensis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huiying Qi
- grid.440755.70000 0004 1793 4061School of Life Science, Huaibei Normal University, Huaibei, 235000 People’s Republic of China
| | - Huijuan Cao
- grid.440755.70000 0004 1793 4061School of Life Science, Huaibei Normal University, Huaibei, 235000 People’s Republic of China
| | - Yajie Zhao
- grid.440755.70000 0004 1793 4061School of Life Science, Huaibei Normal University, Huaibei, 235000 People’s Republic of China
| | - Yaqin Cao
- grid.440755.70000 0004 1793 4061School of Life Science, Huaibei Normal University, Huaibei, 235000 People’s Republic of China
| | - Qide Jin
- grid.440755.70000 0004 1793 4061School of Life Science, Huaibei Normal University, Huaibei, 235000 People’s Republic of China
| | - Yeping Wang
- grid.440755.70000 0004 1793 4061School of Life Science, Huaibei Normal University, Huaibei, 235000 People’s Republic of China
| | - Kun Zhang
- grid.440755.70000 0004 1793 4061School of Life Science, Huaibei Normal University, Huaibei, 235000 People’s Republic of China
| | - Daogui Deng
- grid.440755.70000 0004 1793 4061School of Life Science, Huaibei Normal University, Huaibei, 235000 People’s Republic of China
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Van Lommel J, Lenaerts C, Delgouffe C, Vanden Broeck J. Knockdown of ecdysone receptor in male desert locusts affects relative weight of accessory glands and mating behavior. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 138:104368. [PMID: 35134451 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2022.104368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Revised: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Locusts have been known as pests of agricultural crops for thousands of years. Recently (2018-2021) the world has faced the largest swarms of desert locusts, Schistocerca gregaria, in decades and food security in large parts of Africa and Asia was under extreme pressure. There is an urgent need for the development of highly specific bio-rational pesticides to combat these pests. However, to do so, fundamental research is needed to better understand the molecular mechanisms behind key physiological processes underpinning swarm formation, such as development and reproduction. The scope of this study is to investigate the possible role(s) of the ecdysteroid receptor in the reproductive physiology of male S. gregaria. Ecdysteroids and juvenile hormones are two important classes of insect hormones and are key regulators of post-embryonic development. Ecdysteroids are best known for their role in moulting and exert their function via a heterodimer consisting of the nuclear receptors ecdysone receptor (EcR) and retinoid-X receptor (RXR). To gain insight into the role of SgEcR and/or SgRXR in the male reproductive physiology of S. gregaria we performed RNAi-induced knockdown experiments. A knockdown of SgEcR, but not SgRXR, resulted in an increased relative weight of the male accessory glands (MAG). Furthermore, the knockdown of these genes, either in combination or separately, caused a significant delay in the onset of mating behavior. Nevertheless, the MAG appeared to mature normally and the fertility of mated males was not affected. The high transcript levels of SgEcR in the fat body, especially towards the end of sexual maturation in both males and females, represent a remarkable finding since as of yet the exact role of SgEcR in this tissue in S. gregaria is unknown. Finally, our data suggest that in some cases SgEcR and SgRXR might act independently of each other. This is supported by the fact that the spatiotemporal expression profiles of SgEcR and SgRXR do not always coincide and that knockdown of SgEcR, but not SgRXR, significantly affected the relative weight of the MAG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joachim Van Lommel
- Department of Biology, Molecular Developmental Physiology and Signal Transduction Lab., Division of Animal Physiology and Neurobiology, Naamsestraat 59 - Box 2465, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Cynthia Lenaerts
- Department of Biology, Molecular Developmental Physiology and Signal Transduction Lab., Division of Animal Physiology and Neurobiology, Naamsestraat 59 - Box 2465, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Charlotte Delgouffe
- Department of Biology, Molecular Developmental Physiology and Signal Transduction Lab., Division of Animal Physiology and Neurobiology, Naamsestraat 59 - Box 2465, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jozef Vanden Broeck
- Department of Biology, Molecular Developmental Physiology and Signal Transduction Lab., Division of Animal Physiology and Neurobiology, Naamsestraat 59 - Box 2465, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium.
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Sex-Biased Gene Expression and Isoform Profile of Brine Shrimp Artemia franciscana by Transcriptome Analysis. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11092630. [PMID: 34573596 PMCID: PMC8465105 DOI: 10.3390/ani11092630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Revised: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The brine shrimp Artemia is a promising model organism for ZW sex determination system, but the genes related to sex determination and differentiation of Artemia have not yet been examined in detail. In this study, the first isoform-level transcriptome sequencing was performed on female and male Artemia franciscana. By using PacBio Iso-Seq and Illumina RNA-Seq technologies, we found 39 candidate sex determination genes that showed sex-biased gene expression. The male-biased expressed genes included DMRT1 and Sad genes, which had three and seven isoforms, respectively. Among these, the Sad gene is an ecdysteroid biosynthetic pathway gene associated with arthropod molting and metamorphosis. We propose the importance and the necessity of further research on genes involved in ecdysteroid biosynthesis. These results will contribute to understand sex determination and differentiation of Artemia and other crustaceans having ZW systems. Abstract The brine shrimp Artemia has a ZW sex determination system with ZW chromosomes in females and ZZ chromosomes in males. Artemia has been considered a promising model organism for ZW sex-determining systems, but the genes involved in sex determination and differentiation of Artemia have not yet been identified. Here, we conducted transcriptome sequencing of female and male A. franciscana using PacBio Iso-Seq and Illumina RNA-Seq techniques to identify candidate sex determination genes. Among the 42,566 transcripts obtained from Iso-Seq, 23,514 were analyzed. Of these, 2065 (8.8%) were female specific, 2513 (10.7%) were male specific, and 18,936 (80.5%) were co-expressed in females and males. Based on GO enrichment analysis and expression values, we found 10 female-biased and 29 male-biased expressed genes, including DMRT1 and Sad genes showing male-biased expression. Our results showed that DMRT1 has three isoforms with five exons, while Sad has seven isoforms with 2–11 exons. The Sad gene is involved in ecdysteroid signaling related to molting and metamorphosis in arthropods. Further studies on ecdysteroid biosynthetic genes are needed to improve our understanding of Artemia sex determination. This study will provide a valuable resource for sex determination and differentiation studies on Artemia and other crustaceans with ZW systems.
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Bain SA, Marshall H, de la Filia AG, Laetsch DR, Husnik F, Ross L. Sex-specific expression and DNA methylation in a species with extreme sexual dimorphism and paternal genome elimination. Mol Ecol 2021; 30:5687-5703. [PMID: 33629415 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Revised: 12/27/2020] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Phenotypic differences between sexes are often mediated by differential expression and alternative splicing of genes. However, the mechanisms that regulate these expression and splicing patterns remain poorly understood. The mealybug, Planococcus citri, displays extreme sexual dimorphism and exhibits an unusual instance of sex-specific genomic imprinting, paternal genome elimination (PGE), in which the paternal chromosomes in males are highly condensed and eliminated from the sperm. Planococcus citri has no sex chromosomes and both sexual dimorphism and PGE are predicted to be under epigenetic control. We recently showed that P. citri females display a highly unusual DNA methylation profile for an insect species, with the presence of promoter methylation associated with lower levels of gene expression. Here, we therefore decided to explore genome-wide differences in DNA methylation between male and female P. citri using whole-genome bisulphite sequencing. We identified extreme differences in genome-wide levels and patterns between the sexes. Males display overall higher levels of DNA methylation which manifest as more uniform low levels across the genome. Whereas females display more targeted high levels of methylation. We suggest these unique sex-specific differences are due to chromosomal differences caused by PGE and may be linked to possible ploidy compensation. Using RNA-Seq, we identify extensive sex-specific gene expression and alternative splicing, but we find no correlation with cis-acting DNA methylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stevie A Bain
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Hollie Marshall
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | - Dominik R Laetsch
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Filip Husnik
- Evolution, Cell Biology, and Symbiosis Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Kunigami-gun, Japan
| | - Laura Ross
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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Vea IM, Minakuchi C. Atypical insects: molecular mechanisms of unusual life history strategies. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2021; 43:46-53. [PMID: 33065338 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2020.09.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Revised: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Metamorphosis undeniably shaped the evolutionary success of winged insects. So far, what we know about the hormonal regulation and molecular mechanisms controlling insect metamorphosis lies on the understanding of complete and incomplete metamorphosis. Rarer types of metamorphosis are overlooked, yet they could provide important insights as they represent deviations in life history strategies that are associated with unique ecological traits. The molecular mechanisms of these atypical metamorphoses are still poorly understood. With the rise of next-generation sequencing, and increasing interest in emerging organismal systems, it is now possible to start exploring the molecular mechanisms underlying atypical metamorphoses in insects. By focusing on neometaboly and paedomorphosis, we discuss how exploring their molecular mechanisms can complete our understanding on the evolution of insects and impact applied research areas. Continued decrease in next-generation sequencing costs and progress in genome editing will help decipher the proximate mechanisms of unusual life history strategies in insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabelle M Vea
- University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Biological Sciences, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Chieka Minakuchi
- Nagoya University, Graduate School of Bio-agricultural Sciences, Nagoya, Japan
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