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Li JX, Tian Z, Liu XF, Li B, An HM, Brent CS, Wang JL, Wang XP, Liu W. Juvenile hormone regulates the photoperiodic plasticity of elytra coloration in the ladybird Harmonia axyridis. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:2884-2897. [PMID: 36811404 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 02/12/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023]
Abstract
Many animals, including insects, exhibit plasticity of body colour in response to environmental changes. Varied expression of carotenoids, major cuticle pigments, significantly contributes to body colour flexibility. However, the molecular mechanisms by which environmental cues regulate carotenoid expression remain largely unknown. In this study, we used the ladybird Harmonia axyridis as a model to investigate the photoperiodic-responsive plasticity of elytra coloration and its endocrine regulation. It was found that H. axyridis females under long-day conditions develop elytra that are much redder than those under short-day conditions, resulting from the differential accumulation of carotenoids. Exogenous hormone application and RNAi-mediated gene knockdown indicate that carotenoid deposition was directed through the juvenile hormone (JH) receptor-mediated canonical pathway. Moreover, we characterized an SR-BI/CD36 (SCRB) gene SCRB10 as the carotenoid transporter responding to JH signalling and regulating the elytra coloration plasticity. Taken together, we propose that JH signalling transcriptionally regulates the carotenoid transporter gene for the photoperiodic coloration plasticity of elytra in the beetles, which reveals a novel role of the endocrine system in the regulation of carotenoid-associated animal body coloration under environmental stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia-Xu Li
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhong Tian
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xing-Feng Liu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Bei Li
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Hao-Min An
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Colin S Brent
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Arid Land Agricultural Centre, Maricopa, Arizona, USA
| | - Jia-Lu Wang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiao-Ping Wang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Wen Liu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
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Abdelmawla A, Yang C, Li X, Li M, Li CL, Liu YB, He XJ, Zeng ZJ. Feeding Asian honeybee queens with European honeybee royal jelly alters body color and expression of related coding and non-coding RNAs. Front Physiol 2023; 14:1073625. [PMID: 36776963 PMCID: PMC9908965 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1073625] [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: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Background and aims: The Asian honeybee (Apis cerana) and the European honeybee (Apis mellifera) are reproductively isolated. Previous studies reported that exchanging the larval food between the two species, known as nutritional crossbreeding, resulted in obvious changes in morphology, physiology and behavior. This study explored the molecular mechanisms underlying the honeybee nutritional crossbreeding. Methods: This study used full nutritional crossbreeding technology to rear A. cerana queens by feeding them with an A. mellifera royal jelly-based diet in an incubator. The body color and the expression of certain genes, microRNA, lncRNA, and circRNA among nutritional crossbred A. cerana queens (NQ), and control A. cerana queens (CQ) were compared. The biological functions of two target genes, TPH1 and KMO, were verified using RNA interference. Results: Our results showed that the NQ's body color turned yellow compared to the black control queens. Whole transcriptome sequencing results showed that a total of 1484, 311, 92, and 169 DEGs, DElncRNAs, DEmiRNAs, and DEcircRNAs, respectively, were identified in NQ and CQ, in which seven DEGs were enriched for three key pathways (tryptophan, tyrosine, and dopamine) involved in melanin synthesis. Interestingly, eight DElncRNAs and three DEmiRNAs were enriched into the key pathways regulating the above key DEGs. No circRNAs were enriched into these key pathways. Knocking down two key genes (KMO and TPH1) resulted in altered body color, suggesting that feeding NQ's an RNAi-based diet significantly downregulated the expression of TPH1 and KMO in 4-day-old larvae, which confirmed the function of key DEGs in the regulation of honeybee body color. Conclusion: These findings reveal that the larval diets from A. mellifera could change the body color of A. cerana, perhaps by altering the expression of non-coding RNAs and related key genes. This study serves as a model of epigenetic regulation in insect body color induced by environmental factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amal Abdelmawla
- Honeybee Research Institute, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, China,Faculty of Agriculture, Fayoum University, Fayoum, Egypt
| | - Chen Yang
- Honeybee Research Institute, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, China
| | - Xin Li
- Honeybee Research Institute, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, China
| | - Mang Li
- Honeybee Research Institute, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, China
| | - Chang Long Li
- Honeybee Research Institute, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, China
| | - Yi Bo Liu
- Honeybee Research Institute, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, China
| | - Xu Jiang He
- Honeybee Research Institute, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, China,Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Honeybee Biology and Bee Keeping, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China,*Correspondence: Xu Jiang He, ; Zhi Jiang Zeng,
| | - Zhi Jiang Zeng
- Honeybee Research Institute, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, China,Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Honeybee Biology and Bee Keeping, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China,*Correspondence: Xu Jiang He, ; Zhi Jiang Zeng,
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Tian R, Chen X, Wu M, Xu Q, Wang S, Zang L, Xiao D. The Molecular Properties and Roles of Pannier in Harmonia axyridis's Metamorphosis and Melanin Synthesis. Front Physiol 2022; 13:909258. [PMID: 35592031 PMCID: PMC9110671 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.909258] [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] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The GATA transcription factor Pannier is identified as the major regulatory gene in color pattern formation in the Asian multi-colored ladybird beetle (Harmonia axyridis). however, the mechanisms of Pannier in regulating melanin synthesis and development in H. axyridis remain elusive. In this study, we identified and characterized Pannier in H. axyridis (HaPnr) and showed it to have two alternative spliced variants named HaPnr-α and HaPnr-β. Analyses of developmental stage expression patterns revealed that HaPnr, HaPnr-α and HaPnr-β were constitutively expressed throughout all developmental stages. To examine the role of HaPnr in H. axyridis development, RNA interference was performed in late larvae (the fourth instar) and early pupae (the first day of pupa stage). The transcript levels of HaPnr were effectively suppressed after the injection of double-stranded RNA of HaPnr (dsHaPnr). The fourth instar larvae injected with dsHaPnr reduced the pupation rates to only 61.50%, compared with 88.5% in the dsGFP-injected group. The un-pupated larvae gradually died after 1 week, and visually unaffected pupae emerged into abnormal adults with malformed hind wings and melanin absent from the cuticle. These abnormal adults gradually died 10 days after eclosion. However, when early pupae were injected with dsHaPnr, the normal eclosion rate was achieved at 88.41% on day 6 after the injection. In addition, these successful eclosion adults also showed an absence of melanin in the cuticle, but they could mate normally and have normal fecundity as compared with the control. We further demonstrated that the suppression of HaPnr-α or HaPnr-β individually did not affect the pupation and eclosion process. The suppression of HaPnr-α expression resulted in elytra melanin decreasing in both the conspicua and the succinea subgroup in H. axyridis. Even though the suppression of HaPnr-β expression only affected the melanin synthesis in the succinea subgroup, it significantly prolonged the time taken for melanin synthesis to occur in the conspicua subgroup in H. axyridis. These results indicate that HaPnr plays an essential role in insect development, especially during their metamorphosis, and also support our hypothesis that HaPnr could regulate melanin synthesis in H. axyridis under the combined action with its two splicing variants, HaPnr-α and HaPnr-β.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renbin Tian
- Jilin Engineering Research Center of Resource Insects Industrialization, Institute of Biological Control, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, China
- Institute of Plant Protection, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xu Chen
- Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering of Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
| | - Mengmeng Wu
- Jilin Engineering Research Center of Resource Insects Industrialization, Institute of Biological Control, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, China
- Institute of Plant Protection, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qingxuan Xu
- Institute of Plant Protection, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Su Wang
- Institute of Plant Protection, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Liansheng Zang
- Jilin Engineering Research Center of Resource Insects Industrialization, Institute of Biological Control, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, China
- Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering of Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
| | - Da Xiao
- Institute of Plant Protection, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, China
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Zhang Y, Wang XX, Feng ZJ, Tian HG, Feng Y, Liu TX. Aspartate-β-alanine-NBAD pathway regulates pupal melanin pigmentation plasticity of ladybird Harmonia axyridis. INSECT SCIENCE 2021; 28:1651-1663. [PMID: 33063466 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.12877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Revised: 09/05/2020] [Accepted: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity is observed in many animal species and it is effective for them to cope with many types of environmental threats. The multicolored Asian ladybird Harmonia axyridis shows a cuticular pigmentation plasticity that can be rapidly induced by temperature changes, and in the form of changeable melanin spot patterns to adjust heat-absorbing. Here, H. axyridis with thermal stimulation were selected for determining the molecular regulations behind it. First, we confirmed the melanin level changes of H. axyridis pupa could be induced by temperature, and then screened the efficient time window for thermal sensing of H. axyridis pre-pupa; it is suggested that the late stage of pre-pupa (late stage of 4th instar larva) is the critical period to sense thermal signals and adjust its pupal melanin spot area size to adapt to upcoming thermal conditions. The Ha-ADC (aspartate decarboxylase) and Ha-ebony (NBAD synthase) of aspartate-β-alanine-NBAD pathway were then proved in regulation of cuticular melanization for pupa through RNA interference experiments; knockdown of these two genes enlarged the melanin spot size. Finally, we designed a random injection of Ha-ADC at different pre-pupal stages, to further study the regulation window during this process. Combined with all evidence observed, we suggested the spot size determination can be regulated very close to the time point of pupation, and genes of the aspartate-β-alanine-NBAD pathway play an important role at the molecular level. In brief, H. axyridis exhibits a flexible active physiological regulation through transcriptional modification to thermal changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Zhang
- College of Plant Health and Medicine, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, Shandong, 266109, China
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on Crops in Northwestern Loess Plateau, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Xing-Xing Wang
- College of Plant Health and Medicine, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, Shandong, 266109, China
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on Crops in Northwestern Loess Plateau, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Zhu-Jun Feng
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on Crops in Northwestern Loess Plateau, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Hong-Gang Tian
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on Crops in Northwestern Loess Plateau, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Yi Feng
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on Crops in Northwestern Loess Plateau, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Tong-Xian Liu
- College of Plant Health and Medicine, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, Shandong, 266109, China
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on Crops in Northwestern Loess Plateau, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
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Popadić A, Tsitlakidou D. Regional patterning and regulation of melanin pigmentation in insects. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2021; 69:163-170. [PMID: 34087530 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2021.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Insects display an immense diversity in melanin pigmentation, which is generated by the interplay between the regulatory genes (that provide general patterning information) and effector genes (that provide coloration of the pattern). However, recent studies encompassing several different orders (Hemiptera, Blattodea, Coleoptera, and Lepidoptera) have shown that knockdowns of melanin producing genes alone can generate distinct region-specific patterns. This review surveys the most recent studies to further document the regional patterning of effector genes, and highlights the new advances and their implications for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandar Popadić
- Biological Sciences Department, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA.
| | - Despina Tsitlakidou
- Biological Sciences Department, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA
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Evo-devo of wing colour patterns in beetles. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2021; 69:97-102. [PMID: 33744509 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2021.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Revised: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Insects have evolved tremendously diverse wing colour patterns that fulfil ecologically vital functions, including intraspecific sexual signalling, mimesis, mimicry, and detering predators. Beetles, which form the most species-rich order Coleoptera, have amazingly diverse wing colour patterns; however, the molecular mechanisms that give rise to these patterns remain poorly understood. Recently, the gene pannier (pnr), which encodes a transcription factor of the GATA family, was identified as an essential player in the wing patterning of the multi-coloured Asian ladybird beetle Harmonia axyridis. Here we review recent progress in understanding the molecular underpinnings of wing colour pattern formation in H. axyridis.
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