1
|
Fulgione D, Maselli V, Rivieccio E, Aceto S, Salvemini M, Buglione M. Evolutionary Plasticity in Insular Lizard, Adapting over Reproduction, Metabolism, and Color Variation. Biology (Basel) 2023; 12:1478. [PMID: 38132304 PMCID: PMC10740616 DOI: 10.3390/biology12121478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
The Italian wall lizard (Podarcis siculus) living on islets exhibits a melanic skin coloration and a suite of adaptive traits lacking in nearby mainland populations. On islets, the unpredictable environmental conditions and highly fluctuating population densities are believed to have produced reversed island syndrome (RIS). Several physiological, behavioral, and life-history changes based on the RIS could result from positive selection on increased activity of melanocortins. We hypothesize that phenotypes on islets are the product of a plastic variation depending on the regulation of specific genes. Focusing on control systems that determine the insular-adapted phenotype, we demonstrated that reproductive markers, involved in the hypothalamus-hypophysis-gonadal axis, and metabolism markers, flags for hypophysis-melanocortin receptors, are all up-regulated in island lizards under the RIS. This behavior, combined with the observed limited variation in the mitochondrial genome, agrees with the hypothesis that plasticity enables populations to persist in novel environmental conditions and that over time, natural selection will "fine-tune" the population to the environment by modifying the phenotype under selection. We believe that analysis of the transcriptome and the single gene expression, such that all the variations observed in the island populations, can be useful to shed light on evolutionary plasticity as a process affecting animals' populations in general.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Domenico Fulgione
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy; (D.F.); (S.A.); (M.S.); (M.B.)
| | - Valeria Maselli
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy; (D.F.); (S.A.); (M.S.); (M.B.)
| | - Eleonora Rivieccio
- Department of Humanities Studies, University of Naples Federico II, 80138 Naples, Italy;
| | - Serena Aceto
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy; (D.F.); (S.A.); (M.S.); (M.B.)
| | - Marco Salvemini
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy; (D.F.); (S.A.); (M.S.); (M.B.)
| | - Maria Buglione
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy; (D.F.); (S.A.); (M.S.); (M.B.)
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Perrotta MM, Lucibelli F, Mazzucchiello SM, Fucci N, Hay Mele B, Giordano E, Salvemini M, Ruggiero A, Vitagliano L, Aceto S, Saccone G. Female Sex Determination Factors in Ceratitis capitata: Molecular and Structural Basis of TRA and TRA2 Recognition. Insects 2023; 14:605. [PMID: 37504611 PMCID: PMC10380613 DOI: 10.3390/insects14070605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
In the model system for genetics, Drosophila melanogaster, sexual differentiation and male courtship behavior are controlled by sex-specific splicing of doublesex (dsx) and fruitless (fru). In vitro and in vivo studies showed that female-specific Transformer (TRA) and the non-sex-specific Transformer 2 (TRA2) splicing factors interact, forming a complex promoting dsx and fru female-specific splicing. TRA/TRA2 complex binds to 13 nt long sequence repeats in their pre-mRNAs. In the Mediterranean fruitfly Ceratitis capitata (Medfly), a major agricultural pest, which shares with Drosophila a ~120 million years old ancestor, Cctra and Cctra2 genes seem to promote female-specific splicing of Ccdsx and Ccfru, which contain conserved TRA/TRA2 binding repeats. Unlike Drosophila tra, Cctra autoregulates its female-specific splicing through these putative regulatory repeats. Here, a yeast two-hybrid assay shows that CcTRA interacts with CcTRA2, despite its high amino acid divergence compared to Drosophila TRA. Interestingly, CcTRA2 interacts with itself, as also observed for Drosophila TRA2. We also generated a three-dimensional model of the complex formed by CcTRA and CcTRA2 using predictive approaches based on Artificial Intelligence. This structure also identified an evolutionary and highly conserved putative TRA2 recognition motif in the TRA sequence. The Y2H approach, combined with powerful predictive tools of three-dimensional protein structures, could use helpful also in this and other insect species to understand the potential links between different upstream proteins acting as primary sex-determining signals and the conserved TRA and TRA2 transducers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Francesca Lucibelli
- Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II", 80126 Napoli, Italy
| | | | - Nicole Fucci
- Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II", 80126 Napoli, Italy
| | - Bruno Hay Mele
- Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II", 80126 Napoli, Italy
| | - Ennio Giordano
- Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II", 80126 Napoli, Italy
| | - Marco Salvemini
- Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II", 80126 Napoli, Italy
| | - Alessia Ruggiero
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging (IBB), CNR, 80131 Napoli, Italy
| | - Luigi Vitagliano
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging (IBB), CNR, 80131 Napoli, Italy
| | - Serena Aceto
- Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II", 80126 Napoli, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Saccone
- Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II", 80126 Napoli, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Morita S, Shibata TF, Nishiyama T, Kobayashi Y, Yamaguchi K, Toga K, Ohde T, Gotoh H, Kojima T, Weber JN, Salvemini M, Bino T, Mase M, Nakata M, Mori T, Mori S, Cornette R, Sakura K, Lavine LC, Emlen DJ, Niimi T, Shigenobu S. The draft genome sequence of the Japanese rhinoceros beetle Trypoxylus dichotomus septentrionalis towards an understanding of horn formation. Sci Rep 2023; 13:8735. [PMID: 37253792 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-35246-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The Japanese rhinoceros beetle Trypoxylus dichotomus is a giant beetle with distinctive exaggerated horns present on the head and prothoracic regions of the male. T. dichotomus has been used as a research model in various fields such as evolutionary developmental biology, ecology, ethology, biomimetics, and drug discovery. In this study, de novo assembly of 615 Mb, representing 80% of the genome estimated by flow cytometry, was obtained using the 10 × Chromium platform. The scaffold N50 length of the genome assembly was 8.02 Mb, with repetitive elements predicted to comprise 49.5% of the assembly. In total, 23,987 protein-coding genes were predicted in the genome. In addition, de novo assembly of the mitochondrial genome yielded a contig of 20,217 bp. We also analyzed the transcriptome by generating 16 RNA-seq libraries from a variety of tissues of both sexes and developmental stages, which allowed us to identify 13 co-expressed gene modules. We focused on the genes related to horn formation and obtained new insights into the evolution of the gene repertoire and sexual dimorphism as exemplified by the sex-specific splicing pattern of the doublesex gene. This genomic information will be an excellent resource for further functional and evolutionary analyses, including the evolutionary origin and genetic regulation of beetle horns and the molecular mechanisms underlying sexual dimorphism.
Collapse
Grants
- 23128505, 25128706, 16H01452, 18H04766, 20H04933, 20H05944, 17H06384, 22128008, 19K16181, 21K15135 Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
- 23128505, 25128706, 16H01452, 18H04766, 20H04933, 20H05944, 17H06384, 22128008, 19K16181, 21K15135 Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
- 23128505, 25128706, 16H01452, 18H04766, 20H04933, 20H05944, 17H06384, 22128008, 19K16181, 21K15135 Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
- 23128505, 25128706, 16H01452, 18H04766, 20H04933, 20H05944, 17H06384, 22128008, 19K16181, 21K15135 Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
- IOS-1456133 National Science Foundation
- IOS-1456133 National Science Foundation
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shinichi Morita
- Division of Evolutionary Developmental Biology, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan
- Department of Basic Biology, School of Life Science, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI, Okazaki, Japan
| | - Tomoko F Shibata
- Division of Evolutionary Biology, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan
| | - Tomoaki Nishiyama
- Division of Integrated Omics Research, Research Center for Experimental Modeling of Human Disease, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Yuuki Kobayashi
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genomics, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan
| | - Katsushi Yamaguchi
- Trans-Omics Facility, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan
| | - Kouhei Toga
- Laboratory of Sericulture and Entomoresources, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
- URA Division, Office of Research and Academia-Government-Community Collaboration, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Takahiro Ohde
- Division of Evolutionary Developmental Biology, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan
- Laboratory of Sericulture and Entomoresources, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
- Department of Applied Biosciences, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Hiroki Gotoh
- Laboratory of Sericulture and Entomoresources, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
- Department of Biological Science, Faculty of Science, Shizuoka University, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Takaaki Kojima
- Laboratory of Molecular Biotechnology, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
- Department of Agrobiological Resources, Faculty of Agriculture, Meijo University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Jesse N Weber
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Marco Salvemini
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Takahiro Bino
- Trans-Omics Facility, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan
| | - Mutsuki Mase
- Division of Evolutionary Developmental Biology, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan
- Laboratory of Sericulture and Entomoresources, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Moe Nakata
- Laboratory of Sericulture and Entomoresources, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Tomoko Mori
- Trans-Omics Facility, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan
| | - Shogo Mori
- Trans-Omics Facility, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan
| | - Richard Cornette
- Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Kazuki Sakura
- Division of Evolutionary Developmental Biology, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan
| | - Laura C Lavine
- Department of Entomology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Douglas J Emlen
- Division of Biological Sciences, The University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
| | - Teruyuki Niimi
- Division of Evolutionary Developmental Biology, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan.
- Department of Basic Biology, School of Life Science, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI, Okazaki, Japan.
- Laboratory of Sericulture and Entomoresources, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan.
| | - Shuji Shigenobu
- Department of Basic Biology, School of Life Science, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI, Okazaki, Japan.
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genomics, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan.
- Trans-Omics Facility, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Alexander AJT, Salvemini M, Sreenu VB, Hughes J, Telleria EL, Ratinier M, Arnaud F, Volf P, Brennan B, Varjak M, Kohl A. Characterisation of the antiviral RNA interference response to Toscana virus in sand fly cells. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011283. [PMID: 36996243 PMCID: PMC10112792 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Revised: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 04/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Toscana virus (TOSV) (Bunyavirales, Phenuiviridae, Phlebovirus, Toscana phlebovirus) and other related human pathogenic arboviruses are transmitted by phlebotomine sand flies. TOSV has been reported in nations bordering the Mediterranean Sea among other regions. Infection can result in febrile illness as well as meningitis and encephalitis. Understanding vector-arbovirus interactions is crucial to improving our knowledge of how arboviruses spread, and in this context, immune responses that control viral replication play a significant role. Extensive research has been conducted on mosquito vector immunity against arboviruses, with RNA interference (RNAi) and specifically the exogenous siRNA (exo-siRNA) pathway playing a critical role. However, the antiviral immunity of phlebotomine sand flies is less well understood. Here we were able to show that the exo-siRNA pathway is active in a Phlebotomus papatasi-derived cell line. Following TOSV infection, distinctive 21 nucleotide virus-derived small interfering RNAs (vsiRNAs) were detected. We also identified the exo-siRNA effector Ago2 in this cell line, and silencing its expression rendered the exo-siRNA pathway largely inactive. Thus, our data show that this pathway is active as an antiviral response against a sand fly transmitted bunyavirus, TOSV.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Akira J T Alexander
- MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Marco Salvemini
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Italy
| | - Vattipally B Sreenu
- MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Joseph Hughes
- MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Erich L Telleria
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague,Czech Republic
| | - Maxime Ratinier
- IVPC UMR754, INRAE, Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon1, EPHE, PSL Research University, Lyon, France
| | - Frédérick Arnaud
- IVPC UMR754, INRAE, Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon1, EPHE, PSL Research University, Lyon, France
| | - Petr Volf
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague,Czech Republic
| | - Benjamin Brennan
- MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Margus Varjak
- Institute of Technology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Alain Kohl
- MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Hrabar J, Petrić M, Cavallero S, Salvemini M, D’Amelio S, Mladineo I. Rat and fish peripheral blood leukocytes respond distinctively to Anisakis pegreffii (Nematoda, Anisakidae) crude extract. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:1042679. [PMID: 36590595 PMCID: PMC9797851 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.1042679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Infective third-stage larvae (L3) of the marine nematode Anisakis pegreffii cause inflammation and clinical symptoms in humans, their accidental host, that subside and self-resolve in a couple of weeks after L3 die. To characterise the differences in an early immune response of a marine vs. terrestrial host, we stimulated peripheral blood leukocytes (PBLs) of fish (paratenic host) and rat (accidental, human-model host) with A. pegreffii crude extract and analysed PBL transcriptomes 1 and 12 h post-stimulation. Fish and rat PBLs differentially expressed 712 and 493 transcripts, respectively, between 1 and 12 h post-stimulation (false discovery rate, FDR <0.001, logFC >2). While there was a difference in the highest upregulated transcripts between two time-points, the same Gene Ontologies, biological processes (intracellular signal transduction, DNA-dependent transcription, and DNA-regulated regulation of transcription), and molecular functions (ATP and metal ion binding) were enriched in the two hosts, showing an incrementing dynamic between 1 and 12 h. This suggests that the two distinct hosts employ qualitatively different transcript cascades only to achieve the same effect, at least during an early innate immunity response. Activation of later immunity elements and/or a combination of other host's intrinsic conditions may contribute to the death of L3 in the terrestrial host.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jerko Hrabar
- Laboratory of Aquaculture, Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Split, Croatia
| | - Mirela Petrić
- University Department of Marine Studies, University of Split, Split, Croatia
| | - Serena Cavallero
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, University of Rome, Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Salvemini
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Stefano D’Amelio
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, University of Rome, Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | - Ivona Mladineo
- Laboratory of Functional Helminthology, Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia,*Correspondence: Ivona Mladineo,
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Fratini E, Salvemini M, Lombardo F, Muzzi M, Molfini M, Gisondi S, Roma E, D'Ezio V, Persichini T, Gasperi T, Mariottini P, Di Giulio A, Bologna MA, Cervelli M, Mancini E. Unraveling the role of male reproductive tract and haemolymph in cantharidin-exuding Lydus trimaculatus and Mylabris variabilis (Coleoptera: Meloidae): a comparative transcriptomics approach. BMC Genomics 2021; 22:808. [PMID: 34749651 PMCID: PMC8576976 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-021-08118-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Meloidae (blister beetles) are known to synthetize cantharidin (CA), a toxic and defensive terpene mainly stored in male accessory glands (MAG) and emitted outward through reflex-bleeding. Recent progresses in understanding CA biosynthesis and production organ(s) in Meloidae have been made, but the way in which self-protection is achieved from the hazardous accumulation and release of CA in blister beetles has been experimentally neglected. To provide hints on this pending question, a comparative de novo assembly transcriptomic approach was performed by targeting two tissues where CA is largely accumulated and regularly circulates in Meloidae: the male reproductive tract (MRT) and the haemolymph. Differential gene expression profiles in these tissues were examined in two blister beetle species, Lydus trimaculatus (Fabricius, 1775) (tribe Lyttini) and Mylabris variabilis (Pallas, 1781) (tribe Mylabrini). Upregulated transcripts were compared between the two species to identify conserved genes possibly involved in CA detoxification and transport. Results Based on our results, we hypothesize that, to avoid auto-intoxication, ABC, MFS or other solute transporters might sequester purported glycosylated CA precursors into MAG, and lipocalins could bind CA and mitigate its reactivity when released into the haemolymph during the autohaemorrhaging response. We also found an over-representation in haemolymph of protein-domains related to coagulation and integument repairing mechanisms that likely reflects the need to limit fluid loss during reflex-bleeding. Conclusions The de novo assembled transcriptomes of L. trimaculatus and M. variabilis here provided represent valuable genetic resources to further explore the mechanisms employed to cope with toxicity of CA in blister beetle tissues. These, if revealed, might help conceiving safe and effective drug-delivery approaches to enhance the use of CA in medicine. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12864-021-08118-8.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Marco Salvemini
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Lombardo
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Maurizio Muzzi
- Department of Sciences, University of Roma Tre, Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Molfini
- Department of Sciences, University of Roma Tre, Rome, Italy
| | - Silvia Gisondi
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.,Natural History Museum of Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Elia Roma
- Department of Sciences, University of Roma Tre, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | - Tecla Gasperi
- Department of Sciences, University of Roma Tre, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | - Emiliano Mancini
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Caputo B, Langella G, Petrella V, Virgillito C, Manica M, Filipponi F, Varone M, Primo P, Puggioli A, Bellini R, D’Antonio C, Iesu L, Tullo L, Rizzo C, Longobardi A, Sollazzo G, Perrotta MM, Fabozzi M, Palmieri F, Saccone G, Rosà R, della Torre A, Salvemini M. Aedes albopictus bionomics data collection by citizen participation on Procida Island, a promising Mediterranean site for the assessment of innovative and community-based integrated pest management methods. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2021; 15:e0009698. [PMID: 34529653 PMCID: PMC8445450 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
In the last decades, the colonization of Mediterranean Europe and of other temperate regions by Aedes albopictus created an unprecedented nuisance problem in highly infested areas and new public health threats due to the vector competence of the species. The Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) and the Incompatible Insect Technique (IIT) are insecticide-free mosquito-control methods, relying on mass release of irradiated/manipulated males, able to complement existing and only partially effective control tools. The validation of these approaches in the field requires appropriate experimental settings, possibly isolated to avoid mosquito immigration from other infested areas, and preliminary ecological and entomological data. We carried out a 4-year study in the island of Procida (Gulf of Naples, Italy) in strict collaboration with local administrators and citizens to estimate the temporal dynamics, spatial distribution, and population size of Ae. albopictus and the dispersal and survival of irradiated males. We applied ovitrap monitoring, geo-spatial analyses, mark-release-recapture technique, and a citizen-science approach. Results allow to predict the seasonal (from April to October, with peaks of 928-9,757 males/ha) and spatial distribution of the species, highlighting the capacity of Ae. albopictus population of Procida to colonize and maintain high frequencies in urban as well as in sylvatic inhabited environments. Irradiated males shown limited ability to disperse (mean daily distance travelled <60m) and daily survival estimates ranging between 0.80 and 0.95. Overall, the ecological characteristics of the island, the acquired knowledge on Ae. albopictus spatial and temporal distribution, the high human and Ae. albopictus densities and the positive attitude of the resident population in being active parts in innovative mosquito control projects provide the ground for evidence-based planning of the interventions and for the assessment of their effectiveness. In addition, the results highlight the value of creating synergies between research groups, local administrators, and citizens for affordable monitoring (and, in the future, control) of mosquito populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Beniamino Caputo
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | - Giuliano Langella
- Department of Agriculture, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Valeria Petrella
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Chiara Virgillito
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome, Italy
- Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Edmund Mach Foundation, San Michele all’Adige, Italy
| | - Mattia Manica
- Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Edmund Mach Foundation, San Michele all’Adige, Italy
- Center for Health Emergencies, Bruno Kessler Foundation, Trento, Italy
| | - Federico Filipponi
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome, Italy
- Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale, Rome, Italy
| | - Marianna Varone
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Pasquale Primo
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Romeo Bellini
- Centro Agricoltura Ambiente “Giorgio Nicoli”, Crevalcore, Italy
| | | | - Luca Iesu
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Liliana Tullo
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Ciro Rizzo
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Germano Sollazzo
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Miriana Fabozzi
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Fabiana Palmieri
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Saccone
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Roberto Rosà
- Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Edmund Mach Foundation, San Michele all’Adige, Italy
- Centre Agriculture Food Environment, University of Trento, San Michele all’Adige (TN), Italy
| | - Alessandra della Torre
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Salvemini
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Buglione M, Petrelli S, Maselli V, Trapanese M, Salvemini M, Aceto S, Di Cosmo A, Fulgione D. Correction: Fixation of genetic variation and optimization of gene expression: The speed of evolution in isolated lizard populations undergoing Reverse Island Syndrome. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0256943. [PMID: 34437632 PMCID: PMC8389493 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0256943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
|
9
|
Primo P, Meccariello A, Inghilterra MG, Gravina A, Del Corsano G, Volpe G, Sollazzo G, Aceto S, Robinson MD, Salvemini M, Saccone G. Targeting the autosomal Ceratitis capitata transformer gene using Cas9 or dCas9 to masculinize XX individuals without inducing mutations. BMC Genet 2020; 21:150. [PMID: 33339496 PMCID: PMC7747381 DOI: 10.1186/s12863-020-00941-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Females of the Mediterranean fruit fly Ceratitis capitata (Medfly) are major agricultural pests, as they lay eggs into the fruit crops of hundreds of plant species. In Medfly, female sex determination is based on the activation of Cctransformer (Cctra). A maternal contribution of Cctra is required to activate Cctra itself in the XX embryos and to start and epigenetically maintain a Cctra positive feedback loop, by female-specific alternative splicing, leading to female development. In XY embryos, the male determining Maleness-on-the-Y gene (MoY) blocks this activation and Cctra produces male-specific transcripts encoding truncated CcTRA isoforms and male differentiation occurs. RESULTS With the aim of inducing frameshift mutations in the first coding exon to disrupt both female-specific and shorter male-specific CcTRA open reading frames (ORF), we injected Cas9 ribonucleoproteins (Cas9 and single guide RNA, sgRNA) in embryos. As this approach leads to mostly monoallelic mutations, masculinization was expected only in G1 XX individuals carrying biallelic mutations, following crosses of G0 injected individuals. Surprisingly, these injections into XX-only embryos led to G0 adults that included not only XX females but also 50% of reverted fertile XX males. The G0 XX males expressed male-specific Cctra transcripts, suggesting full masculinization. Interestingly, out of six G0 XX males, four displayed the Cctra wild type sequence. This finding suggests that masculinization by Cas9-sgRNA injections was independent from its mutagenic activity. In line with this observation, embryonic targeting of Cctra in XX embryos by a dead Cas9 (enzymatically inactive, dCas9) also favoured a male-specific splicing of Cctra, in both embryos and adults. CONCLUSIONS Our data suggest that the establishment of Cctra female-specific autoregulation during the early embryogenesis has been repressed in XX embryos by the transient binding of the Cas9-sgRNA on the first exon of the Cctra gene. This hypothesis is supported by the observation that the shift of Cctra splicing from female to male mode is induced also by dCas9. Collectively, the present findings corroborate the idea that a transient embryonic inactivation of Cctra is sufficient for male sex determination.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pasquale Primo
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - Angela Meccariello
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Andrea Gravina
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Gennaro Volpe
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - Germano Sollazzo
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - Serena Aceto
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - Mark D Robinson
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences and SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Marco Salvemini
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Saccone
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126, Naples, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Cavallero S, Lombardo F, Salvemini M, Pizzarelli A, Cantacessi C, D’Amelio S. Comparative Transcriptomics Reveals Clues for Differences in Pathogenicity between Hysterothylacium aduncum, Anisakis simplex sensu stricto and Anisakis pegreffii. Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:genes11030321. [PMID: 32197414 PMCID: PMC7140869 DOI: 10.3390/genes11030321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2020] [Accepted: 03/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Ascaridoid nematodes are widespread in marine fishes. Despite their major socioeconomic importance, mechanisms associated to the fish-borne zoonotic disease anisakiasis are still obscure. RNA-Seq and de-novo assembly were herein applied to RNA extracted from larvae and dissected pharynx of Hysterothylacium aduncum (HA), a non-pathogenic nematode. Assembled transcripts in HA were annotated and compared to the transcriptomes of the zoonotic species Anisakis simplex sensu stricto (AS) and Anisakis pegreffii (AP). Approximately 60,000,000 single-end reads were generated for HA, AS and AP. Transcripts in HA encoded for 30,254 putative peptides while AS and AP encoded for 20,574 and 20,840 putative peptides, respectively. Differential gene expression analyses yielded 471, 612 and 526 transcripts up regulated in the pharynx of HA, AS and AP. The transcriptomes of larvae and pharynx of HA were enriched in transcripts encoding collagen, peptidases, ribosomal proteins and in heat-shock motifs. Transcripts encoding proteolytic enzymes, anesthetics, inhibitors of primary hemostasis and virulence factors, anticoagulants and immunomodulatory peptides were up-regulated in AS and AP pharynx. This study represents the first transcriptomic characterization of a marine parasitic nematode commonly recovered in fish and probably of negligible concern for public health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Serena Cavallero
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; (S.C.); (F.L.); (A.P.)
| | - Fabrizio Lombardo
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; (S.C.); (F.L.); (A.P.)
| | - Marco Salvemini
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Corso Umberto I, 40, 80138 Naples, Italy;
| | - Antonella Pizzarelli
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; (S.C.); (F.L.); (A.P.)
| | - Cinzia Cantacessi
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ES, UK;
| | - Stefano D’Amelio
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; (S.C.); (F.L.); (A.P.)
- Correspondence:
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Notarnicola A, Maccagnano G, Moretti L, Salvemini M, Bianchi FP, Covelli I, Tafuri S, Moretti B. Conservative treatment of sacroiliac joint pain with extracorporeal shockwave therapy. J BIOL REG HOMEOS AG 2020; 34:697-703. [PMID: 32456410 DOI: 10.23812/19-378-l-68] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- A Notarnicola
- Orthopedic Unit, Aldo Moro University of Bari, Department of Basic Medical Science, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, General Hospital, Bari, Italy
- Course of Motor and Sports Sciences, Aldo Moro University of Bari, Department of Basic Medical Science, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, Bari, Italy
| | - G Maccagnano
- Orthopedic Unit, Aldo Moro University of Bari, Department of Basic Medical Science, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, General Hospital, Bari, Italy
- Course of Motor and Sports Sciences, Aldo Moro University of Bari, Department of Basic Medical Science, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, Bari, Italy
| | - L Moretti
- Orthopedic Unit, Aldo Moro University of Bari, Department of Basic Medical Science, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, General Hospital, Bari, Italy
| | - M Salvemini
- Department of Orthopaedics, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - F P Bianchi
- Hygiene Unit, Aldo Moro University of Bari, Department of Biomedical Science and Human Oncology, General Hospital, Bari, Italy
| | - I Covelli
- Orthopedic Unit, Aldo Moro University of Bari, Department of Basic Medical Science, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, General Hospital, Bari, Italy
- Course of Motor and Sports Sciences, Aldo Moro University of Bari, Department of Basic Medical Science, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, Bari, Italy
| | - S Tafuri
- Course of Motor and Sports Sciences, Aldo Moro University of Bari, Department of Basic Medical Science, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, Bari, Italy
- Hygiene Unit, Aldo Moro University of Bari, Department of Biomedical Science and Human Oncology, General Hospital, Bari, Italy
| | - B Moretti
- Orthopedic Unit, Aldo Moro University of Bari, Department of Basic Medical Science, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, General Hospital, Bari, Italy
- Course of Motor and Sports Sciences, Aldo Moro University of Bari, Department of Basic Medical Science, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, Bari, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Buglione M, Petrelli S, Maselli V, Trapanese M, Salvemini M, Aceto S, Di Cosmo A, Fulgione D. Fixation of genetic variation and optimization of gene expression: The speed of evolution in isolated lizard populations undergoing Reverse Island Syndrome. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0224607. [PMID: 31711071 PMCID: PMC6846358 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0224607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2019] [Accepted: 10/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The ecological theory of island biogeography suggests that mainland populations should be more genetically divergent from those on large and distant islands rather than from those on small and close islets. Some island populations do not evolve in a linear way, but the process of divergence occurs more rapidly because they undergo a series of phenotypic changes, jointly known as the Island Syndrome. A special case is Reversed Island Syndrome (RIS), in which populations show drastic phenotypic changes both in body shape, skin colouration, age of sexual maturity, aggressiveness, and food intake rates. The populations showing the RIS were observed on islets nearby mainland and recently raised, and for this they are useful models to study the occurrence of rapid evolutionary change. We investigated the timing and mode of evolution of lizard populations adapted through selection on small islets. For our analyses, we used an ad hoc model system of three populations: wild-type lizards from the mainland and insular lizards from a big island (Capri, Italy), both Podarcis siculus siculus not affected by the syndrome, and a lizard population from islet (Scopolo) undergoing the RIS (called P. s. coerulea because of their melanism). The split time of the big (Capri) and small (Scopolo) islands was determined using geological events, like sea-level rises. To infer molecular evolution, we compared five complete mitochondrial genomes for each population to reconstruct the phylogeography and estimate the divergence time between island and mainland lizards. We found a lower mitochondrial mutation rate in Scopolo lizards despite the phenotypic changes achieved in approximately 8,000 years. Furthermore, transcriptome analyses showed significant differential gene expression between islet and mainland lizard populations, suggesting the key role of plasticity in these unpredictable environments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Buglione
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II Naples, Naples, Italy
| | - Simona Petrelli
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II Naples, Naples, Italy
| | - Valeria Maselli
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II Naples, Naples, Italy
| | - Martina Trapanese
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II Naples, Naples, Italy
| | - Marco Salvemini
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II Naples, Naples, Italy
| | - Serena Aceto
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II Naples, Naples, Italy
| | - Anna Di Cosmo
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II Naples, Naples, Italy
| | - Domenico Fulgione
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II Naples, Naples, Italy
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Meccariello A, Salvemini M, Primo P, Hall B, Koskinioti P, Dalíková M, Gravina A, Gucciardino MA, Forlenza F, Gregoriou ME, Ippolito D, Monti SM, Petrella V, Perrotta MM, Schmeing S, Ruggiero A, Scolari F, Giordano E, Tsoumani KT, Marec F, Windbichler N, Arunkumar KP, Bourtzis K, Mathiopoulos KD, Ragoussis J, Vitagliano L, Tu Z, Papathanos PA, Robinson MD, Saccone G. Maleness-on-the-Y ( MoY) orchestrates male sex determination in major agricultural fruit fly pests. Science 2019; 365:1457-1460. [PMID: 31467189 DOI: 10.1126/science.aax1318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2019] [Accepted: 08/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
In insects, rapidly evolving primary sex-determining signals are transduced by a conserved regulatory module controlling sexual differentiation. In the agricultural pest Ceratitis capitata (Mediterranean fruit fly, or Medfly), we identified a Y-linked gene, Maleness-on-the-Y (MoY), encoding a small protein that is necessary and sufficient for male development. Silencing or disruption of MoY in XY embryos causes feminization, whereas overexpression of MoY in XX embryos induces masculinization. Crosses between transformed XY females and XX males give rise to males and females, indicating that a Y chromosome can be transmitted by XY females. MoY is Y-linked and functionally conserved in other species of the Tephritidae family, highlighting its potential to serve as a tool for developing more effective control strategies against these major agricultural insect pests.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Angela Meccariello
- Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II," 80126 Napoli, Italy
| | - Marco Salvemini
- Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II," 80126 Napoli, Italy
| | - Pasquale Primo
- Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II," 80126 Napoli, Italy
| | - Brantley Hall
- Department of Biochemistry, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Panagiota Koskinioti
- Insect Pest Control Laboratory, Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, A-1400 Vienna, Austria.,Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of Thessaly, 41500 Larissa, Greece
| | - Martina Dalíková
- Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Andrea Gravina
- Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II," 80126 Napoli, Italy
| | | | - Federica Forlenza
- Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II," 80126 Napoli, Italy
| | - Maria-Eleni Gregoriou
- Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of Thessaly, 41500 Larissa, Greece
| | - Domenica Ippolito
- Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II," 80126 Napoli, Italy
| | - Simona Maria Monti
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging (IBB), CNR, 80134 Naples, Italy
| | - Valeria Petrella
- Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II," 80126 Napoli, Italy
| | | | - Stephan Schmeing
- Institute of Molecular Life Sciences and SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Alessia Ruggiero
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging (IBB), CNR, 80134 Naples, Italy
| | - Francesca Scolari
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Ennio Giordano
- Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II," 80126 Napoli, Italy
| | - Konstantina T Tsoumani
- Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of Thessaly, 41500 Larissa, Greece
| | - František Marec
- Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Nikolai Windbichler
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Kallare P Arunkumar
- Centre of Excellence for Genetics and Genomics of Silkmoths, Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics, Hyderabad 500 039, India
| | - Kostas Bourtzis
- Insect Pest Control Laboratory, Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, A-1400 Vienna, Austria
| | - Kostas D Mathiopoulos
- Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of Thessaly, 41500 Larissa, Greece
| | - Jiannis Ragoussis
- Department of Human Genetics and Bioengineering, McGill University and Genome Quebec Innovation Centre, Montreal, QC H3A 0G1, Canada
| | - Luigi Vitagliano
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging (IBB), CNR, 80134 Naples, Italy
| | - Zhijian Tu
- Department of Biochemistry, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Philippos Aris Papathanos
- Section of Genomics and Genetics, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Perugia, 06132 Perugia, Italy. .,Department of Entomology, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Mark D Robinson
- Institute of Molecular Life Sciences and SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Giuseppe Saccone
- Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II," 80126 Napoli, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Petrella V, Aceto S, Colonna V, Saccone G, Sanges R, Polanska N, Volf P, Gradoni L, Bongiorno G, Salvemini M. Identification of sex determination genes and their evolution in Phlebotominae sand flies (Diptera, Nematocera). BMC Genomics 2019; 20:522. [PMID: 31238870 PMCID: PMC6593557 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-019-5898-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2019] [Accepted: 06/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera, Nematocera) are important vectors of several pathogens, including Leishmania parasites, causing serious diseases of humans and dogs. Despite their importance as disease vectors, most aspects of sand fly biology remain unknown including the molecular basis of their reproduction and sex determination, aspects also relevant for the development of novel vector control strategies. Results Using comparative genomics/transcriptomics data mining and transcriptional profiling, we identified the sex determining genes in phlebotomine sand flies and proposed the first model for the sex determination cascade of these insects. For all the genes identified, we produced manually curated gene models, developmental gene expression profile and performed evolutionary molecular analysis. We identified and characterized, for the first time in a Nematocera species, the transformer (tra) homolog which exhibits both conserved and novel features. The analysis of the tra locus in sand flies and its expression pattern suggest that this gene is able to autoregulate its own splicing, as observed in the fruit fly Ceratitis capitata and several other insect species. Conclusions Our results permit to fill the gap about sex determination in sand flies, contribute to a better understanding of this developmental pathway in Nematocera and open the way for the identification of sex determining orthologs in other species of this important Diptera sub-order. Furthermore, the sex determination genes identified in our work also provide the opportunity of future biotechnological applications to control natural population of sand flies, reducing their impact on public health. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12864-019-5898-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Petrella
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Serena Aceto
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Vincenza Colonna
- National Research Council, Institute of Genetics and Biophysics, Naples, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Saccone
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Remo Sanges
- Stazione Zoologica "Anton Dohrn", Naples, Italy.,Department of Neuroscience, Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Trieste, Italy
| | - Nikola Polanska
- Department of Parasitology, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Volf
- Department of Parasitology, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Luigi Gradoni
- Unit of Vector-borne Diseases, Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Gioia Bongiorno
- Unit of Vector-borne Diseases, Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Salvemini
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Valoroso MC, Sobral R, Saccone G, Salvemini M, Costa MMR, Aceto S. Evolutionary Conservation of the Orchid MYB Transcription Factors DIV, RAD, and DRIF. Front Plant Sci 2019; 10:1359. [PMID: 31736999 PMCID: PMC6838138 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2019.01359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2019] [Accepted: 10/02/2019] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
The MYB transcription factors DIVARICATA (DIV), DIV-and-RAD-Interacting-Factor (DRIF), and the small interfering peptide RADIALIS (RAD) can interact, forming a regulatory module that controls different plant developmental processes. In the snapdragon Antirrhinum majus, this module, together with the TCP transcription factor CYCLOIDEA (CYC), is responsible for the establishment of floral dorsoventral asymmetry. The spatial gene expression pattern of the OitDIV, OitDRIF, and OitRAD homologs of Orchis italica, an orchid with zygomorphic flowers, has suggested a possible conserved role of these genes in bilateral symmetry of the orchid flower. Here, we have identified four DRIF genes of orchids and have reconstructed their genomic organization and evolution. In addition, we found snapdragon transcriptional cis-regulatory elements of DIV and RAD loci generally conserved within the corresponding orchid orthologues. We have tested the biochemical interactions among OitDIV, OitDRIF1, and OitRAD of O. italica, showing that OitDRIF1 can interact both with OitDIV and OitRAD, whereas OitDIV and OitRAD do not directly interact, as in A. majus. The analysis of the quantitative expression profile of these MYB genes revealed that in zygomorphic orchid flowers, the DIV, DRIF1, and RAD transcripts are present at higher levels in the lip than in lateral inner tepals, whereas in peloric orchid flowers they show similar expression levels. These results indicate that MYB transcription factors could have a role in shaping zygomorphy of the orchid flower, potentially enriching the underlying orchid developmental code.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Rómulo Sobral
- BioSystems & Integrative Sciences Institute (BioISI), Plant Functional Biology Centre, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, Braga, Portugal
| | - Giuseppe Saccone
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Marco Salvemini
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Maria Manuela Ribeiro Costa
- BioSystems & Integrative Sciences Institute (BioISI), Plant Functional Biology Centre, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, Braga, Portugal
| | - Serena Aceto
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
- *Correspondence: Serena Aceto,
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Pichler V, Bellini R, Veronesi R, Arnoldi D, Rizzoli A, Lia RP, Otranto D, Montarsi F, Carlin S, Ballardini M, Antognini E, Salvemini M, Brianti E, Gaglio G, Manica M, Cobre P, Serini P, Velo E, Vontas J, Kioulos I, Pinto J, Della Torre A, Caputo B. First evidence of resistance to pyrethroid insecticides in Italian Aedes albopictus populations 26 years after invasion. Pest Manag Sci 2018; 74:1319-1327. [PMID: 29278457 DOI: 10.1002/ps.4840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2017] [Revised: 12/18/2017] [Accepted: 12/20/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Aedes albopictus has spread during the last few decades all over the world. This has increased significantly the risk of exotic arbovirus transmission (e.g. chikungunya, dengue, and Zika) also in temperate areas, as demonstrated by the Chikungunya 2007 and 2017 outbreaks in northeastern and central Italy. Insecticides are an important tool for limiting the circulation of these mosquito-borne viruses. The aim of the present study was to address the gap in current knowledge of pyrethroid insecticide resistance of European Ae. albopictus populations, focusing on populations from Italy, Albania and Greece. RESULTS Bioassays for resistance to permethrin (0.75%), α-cypermethrin (0.05%) or deltamethrin (0.05%) were performed according to World Health Organization (WHO) protocols and showed reduced susceptibility (<90% mortality) of some Italian populations to permethrin and α-cypermethrin, but not to deltamethrin. CONCLUSION This study reports the first evidence of resistance to pyrethroids in adult Italian Ae. albopictus populations. Results refer to the season preceding the Chikungunya 2017 outbreak in central Italy and highlight the need to increase efforts to monitor the spread of insecticide resistance and the need to develop strategies to limit the spread of insecticide resistance, particularly in areas where extensive treatments have been carried out to contain disease outbreaks. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Verena Pichler
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Romeo Bellini
- Department of Medical and Veterinary Entomology, Centro Agricoltura Ambiente "G. Nicoli", Crevalcore, Italy
| | - Rodolfo Veronesi
- Department of Medical and Veterinary Entomology, Centro Agricoltura Ambiente "G. Nicoli", Crevalcore, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Domenico Otranto
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Valenzano, Italy
| | | | - Sara Carlin
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Italy
| | - Marco Ballardini
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, Torino, Italy
| | - Elisa Antognini
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Umbria e Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Marco Salvemini
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Emanuele Brianti
- Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie, Polo Universitario dell'Annunziata, Messina, Italy
| | - Gabriella Gaglio
- Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie, Polo Universitario dell'Annunziata, Messina, Italy
| | - Mattia Manica
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all'Adige, Italy
| | - Pietro Cobre
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Serini
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | | | - John Vontas
- Agricultural University of Athens, Athens, Greece
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Heraklion, Greece
| | | | - Joao Pinto
- Global Health and Tropical Medicine, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Alessandra Della Torre
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Beniamino Caputo
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Cavallero S, Lombardo F, Su X, Salvemini M, Cantacessi C, D'Amelio S. Tissue-specific transcriptomes of Anisakis simplex (sensu stricto) and Anisakis pegreffii reveal potential molecular mechanisms involved in pathogenicity. Parasit Vectors 2018; 11:31. [PMID: 29321072 PMCID: PMC5763927 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-017-2585-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2017] [Accepted: 12/11/2017] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Larval stages of the sibling species of parasitic nematodes Anisakis simplex (sensu stricto) (s.s.) (AS) and Anisakis pegreffii (AP) are responsible for a fish-borne zoonosis, known as anisakiasis, that humans aquire via the ingestion of raw or undercooked infected fish or fish-based products. These two species differ in geographical distribution, genetic background and peculiar traits involved in pathogenicity. However, thus far little is known of key molecules potentially involved in host-parasite interactions. Here, high-throughput RNA-Seq and bioinformatics analyses of sequence data were applied to the characterization of the whole sets of transcripts expressed by infective larvae of AS and AP, as well as of their pharyngeal tissues, in a bid to identify transcripts potentially involved in tissue invasion and host-pathogen interplay. Results Approximately 34,000,000 single-end reads were generated from cDNA libraries for each species. Transcripts identified in AS and AP encoded 19,403 and 10,424 putative peptides, respectively, and were classified based on homology searches, protein motifs, gene ontology and biological pathway mapping. Differential gene expression analysis yielded 226 and 339 transcripts upregulated in the pharyngeal regions of AS and AP, respectively, compared with their corresponding whole-larvae datasets. These included proteolytic enzymes, molecules encoding anesthetics, inhibitors of primary hemostasis and virulence factors, anticoagulants and immunomodulatory peptides. Conclusions This work provides the scientific community with a list of key transcripts expressed by AS and AP pharyngeal tissues and corresponding annotation information which represents a ready-to-use resource for future functional studies of biological pathways specifically involved in host-parasite interplay. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13071-017-2585-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Serena Cavallero
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
| | - Fabrizio Lombardo
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Xiaopei Su
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Marco Salvemini
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Cinzia Cantacessi
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Stefano D'Amelio
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Lombardo F, Salvemini M, Fiorillo C, Nolan T, Zwiebel LJ, Ribeiro JM, Arcà B. Deciphering the olfactory repertoire of the tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus. BMC Genomics 2017; 18:770. [PMID: 29020917 PMCID: PMC5637092 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-017-4144-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2017] [Accepted: 10/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus is a highly invasive species and competent vector of several arboviruses (e.g. dengue, chikungunya, Zika) and parasites (e.g. dirofilaria) of public health importance. Compared to other mosquito species, Ae. albopictus females exhibit a generalist host seeking as well as a very aggressive biting behaviour that are responsible for its high degree of nuisance. Several complex mosquito behaviours such as host seeking, feeding, mating or oviposition rely on olfactory stimuli that target a range of sensory neurons localized mainly on specialized head appendages such as antennae, maxillary palps and the mouthparts. RESULTS With the aim to describe the Ae. albopictus olfactory repertoire we have used RNA-seq to reveal the transcriptome profiles of female antennae and maxillary palps. Male heads and whole female bodies were employed as reference for differential expression analysis. The relative transcript abundance within each tissue (TPM, transcripts per kilobase per million) and the pairwise differential abundance in the different tissues (fold change values and false discovery rates) were evaluated. Contigs upregulated in the antennae (620) and maxillary palps (268) were identified and relative GO and PFAM enrichment profiles analysed. Chemosensory genes were described: overall, 77 odorant binding proteins (OBP), 82 odorant receptors (OR), 60 ionotropic receptors (IR) and 30 gustatory receptors (GR) were identified by comparative genomics and transcriptomics. In addition, orthologs of genes expressed in the female/male maxillary palps and/or antennae and involved in thermosensation (e.g. pyrexia and arrestin1), mechanosensation (e.g. piezo and painless) and neuromodulation were classified. CONCLUSIONS We provide here the first detailed transcriptome of the main Ae. albopictus sensory appendages, i.e. antennae and maxillary palps. A deeper knowledge of the olfactory repertoire of the tiger mosquito will help to better understand its biology and may pave the way to design new attractants/repellents.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fabrizio Lombardo
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Division of Parasitology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Salvemini
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Carmine Fiorillo
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Division of Parasitology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Tony Nolan
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | | | - José M. Ribeiro
- NIAID, Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, NIH, Rockville, 20852 MD USA
| | - Bruno Arcà
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Division of Parasitology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Meccariello A, Monti SM, Romanelli A, Colonna R, Primo P, Inghilterra MG, Del Corsano G, Ramaglia A, Iazzetti G, Chiarore A, Patti F, Heinze SD, Salvemini M, Lindsay H, Chiavacci E, Burger A, Robinson MD, Mosimann C, Bopp D, Saccone G. Highly efficient DNA-free gene disruption in the agricultural pest Ceratitis capitata by CRISPR-Cas9 ribonucleoprotein complexes. Sci Rep 2017; 7:10061. [PMID: 28855635 PMCID: PMC5577161 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-10347-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2017] [Accepted: 08/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The Mediterranean fruitfly Ceratitis capitata (medfly) is an invasive agricultural pest of high economic impact and has become an emerging model for developing new genetic control strategies as an alternative to insecticides. Here, we report the successful adaptation of CRISPR-Cas9-based gene disruption in the medfly by injecting in vitro pre-assembled, solubilized Cas9 ribonucleoprotein complexes (RNPs) loaded with gene-specific single guide RNAs (sgRNA) into early embryos. When targeting the eye pigmentation gene white eye (we), a high rate of somatic mosaicism in surviving G0 adults was observed. Germline transmission rate of mutated we alleles by G0 animals was on average above 52%, with individual cases achieving nearly 100%. We further recovered large deletions in the we gene when two sites were simultaneously targeted by two sgRNAs. CRISPR-Cas9 targeting of the Ceratitis ortholog of the Drosophila segmentation paired gene (Ccprd) caused segmental malformations in late embryos and in hatched larvae. Mutant phenotypes correlate with repair by non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) lesions in the two targeted genes. This simple and highly effective Cas9 RNP-based gene editing to introduce mutations in C. capitata will significantly advance the design and development of new effective strategies for pest control management.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Angela Meccariello
- Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II", 80126, Napoli, Italy
| | - Simona Maria Monti
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging (IBB), CNR, 80134, Naples, Italy
| | - Alessandra Romanelli
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples "Federico II", 80134, Napoli, Italy
| | - Rita Colonna
- Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II", 80126, Napoli, Italy
| | - Pasquale Primo
- Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II", 80126, Napoli, Italy
| | | | | | - Antonio Ramaglia
- Department of Physics "E. Pancini", University of Naples "Federico II", 80126, Napoli, Italy
| | - Giovanni Iazzetti
- Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II", 80126, Napoli, Italy
| | - Antonia Chiarore
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Center Villa Dohrn for Benthic Ecology, Punta San Pietro, 80077, Ischia, Italy
| | - Francesco Patti
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Center Villa Dohrn for Benthic Ecology, Punta San Pietro, 80077, Ischia, Italy
| | - Svenia D Heinze
- Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zürich, Zürich, 8057, Switzerland
| | - Marco Salvemini
- Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II", 80126, Napoli, Italy
| | - Helen Lindsay
- Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zürich, Zürich, 8057, Switzerland
- SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Zürich, Zürich, 8057, Switzerland
| | - Elena Chiavacci
- Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zürich, Zürich, 8057, Switzerland
| | - Alexa Burger
- Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zürich, Zürich, 8057, Switzerland
| | - Mark D Robinson
- Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zürich, Zürich, 8057, Switzerland
- SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Zürich, Zürich, 8057, Switzerland
| | - Christian Mosimann
- Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zürich, Zürich, 8057, Switzerland
| | - Daniel Bopp
- Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zürich, Zürich, 8057, Switzerland
| | - Giuseppe Saccone
- Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II", 80126, Napoli, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Papanicolaou A, Schetelig MF, Arensburger P, Atkinson PW, Benoit JB, Bourtzis K, Castañera P, Cavanaugh JP, Chao H, Childers C, Curril I, Dinh H, Doddapaneni H, Dolan A, Dugan S, Friedrich M, Gasperi G, Geib S, Georgakilas G, Gibbs RA, Giers SD, Gomulski LM, González-Guzmán M, Guillem-Amat A, Han Y, Hatzigeorgiou AG, Hernández-Crespo P, Hughes DST, Jones JW, Karagkouni D, Koskinioti P, Lee SL, Malacrida AR, Manni M, Mathiopoulos K, Meccariello A, Munoz-Torres M, Murali SC, Murphy TD, Muzny DM, Oberhofer G, Ortego F, Paraskevopoulou MD, Poelchau M, Qu J, Reczko M, Robertson HM, Rosendale AJ, Rosselot AE, Saccone G, Salvemini M, Savini G, Schreiner P, Scolari F, Siciliano P, Sim SB, Tsiamis G, Ureña E, S Vlachos I, Werren JH, Wimmer EA, Worley KC, Zacharopoulou A, Richards S, Handler AM. Erratum to: The whole genome sequence of the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), reveals insights into the biology and adaptive evolution of a highly invasive pest species. Genome Biol 2017; 18:11. [PMID: 28100280 PMCID: PMC5241912 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-017-1155-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2017] [Accepted: 01/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Alexie Papanicolaou
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Marc F Schetelig
- Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Institute for Insect Biotechnology, 35394, Giessen, Germany
| | - Peter Arensburger
- Department of Biological Sciences, Cal Poly Pomona, Pomona, CA, 91768, USA
| | - Peter W Atkinson
- Department of Entomology and Center for Disease Vector Research, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA.,Interdepartmental Graduate Program in Genetics, Genomics & Bioinformatics, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
| | - Joshua B Benoit
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA
| | - Kostas Bourtzis
- Insect Pest Control Laboratory, Joint FAO/IAEA Programme of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, Seibersdorf, Vienna, Austria.,Department of Environmental and Natural Resources Management, University of Patras, Agrinio, Greece
| | - Pedro Castañera
- Department of Environmental Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, CSIC, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - John P Cavanaugh
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA
| | - Hsu Chao
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, 77030, Houston, TX, USA
| | | | - Ingrid Curril
- Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institut für Zoologie und Anthropologie, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Huyen Dinh
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, 77030, Houston, TX, USA
| | - HarshaVardhan Doddapaneni
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, 77030, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Amanda Dolan
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, 14627, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Shannon Dugan
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, 77030, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Markus Friedrich
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wayne State University, 48202, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Giuliano Gasperi
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Scott Geib
- USDA-ARS, Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center, 96720, Hilo, HI, USA
| | - Georgios Georgakilas
- DIANA-Lab, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Thessaly, 382 21 Volos, Greece and Hellenic Pasteur Institute, 11521, Athens, Greece
| | - Richard A Gibbs
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, 77030, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Sarah D Giers
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 61801, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Ludvik M Gomulski
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Miguel González-Guzmán
- Department of Environmental Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, CSIC, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Guillem-Amat
- Department of Environmental Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, CSIC, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Yi Han
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, 77030, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Artemis G Hatzigeorgiou
- DIANA-Lab, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Thessaly, 382 21 Volos, Greece and Hellenic Pasteur Institute, 11521, Athens, Greece
| | - Pedro Hernández-Crespo
- Department of Environmental Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, CSIC, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Daniel S T Hughes
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, 77030, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jeffery W Jones
- Department of Biological Sciences, Oakland University, 48309, Rochester, MI, USA
| | - Dimitra Karagkouni
- DIANA-Lab, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Thessaly, 382 21 Volos, Greece and Hellenic Pasteur Institute, 11521, Athens, Greece
| | - Panagiota Koskinioti
- Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece
| | - Sandra L Lee
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, 77030, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Anna R Malacrida
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Mosè Manni
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Kostas Mathiopoulos
- Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece
| | - Angela Meccariello
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - Monica Munoz-Torres
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 94720, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Shwetha C Murali
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, 77030, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Terence D Murphy
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, 20892, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Donna M Muzny
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, 77030, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Georg Oberhofer
- Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institut für Zoologie und Anthropologie, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Félix Ortego
- Department of Environmental Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, CSIC, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Maria D Paraskevopoulou
- DIANA-Lab, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Thessaly, 382 21 Volos, Greece and Hellenic Pasteur Institute, 11521, Athens, Greece
| | - Monica Poelchau
- National Agricultural Library, USDA, 20705, Beltsville, MD, USA
| | - Jiaxin Qu
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, 77030, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Martin Reczko
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Biomedical Sciences Research Centre "Alexander Fleming", Athens, Greece
| | - Hugh M Robertson
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 61801, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Andrew J Rosendale
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA
| | - Andrew E Rosselot
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA
| | - Giuseppe Saccone
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - Marco Salvemini
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - Grazia Savini
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Patrick Schreiner
- Interdepartmental Graduate Program in Genetics, Genomics & Bioinformatics, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
| | - Francesca Scolari
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Paolo Siciliano
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Sheina B Sim
- USDA-ARS, Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center, 96720, Hilo, HI, USA
| | - George Tsiamis
- Department of Environmental and Natural Resources Management, University of Patras, Agrinio, Greece
| | - Enric Ureña
- Department of Environmental Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, CSIC, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ioannis S Vlachos
- DIANA-Lab, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Thessaly, 382 21 Volos, Greece and Hellenic Pasteur Institute, 11521, Athens, Greece
| | - John H Werren
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, 14627, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Ernst A Wimmer
- Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institut für Zoologie und Anthropologie, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Kim C Worley
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, 77030, Houston, TX, USA
| | | | - Stephen Richards
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, 77030, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Alfred M Handler
- USDA-ARS, Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology, 1700 S.W. 23rd Drive, Gainesville, FL, 32608, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Papanicolaou A, Schetelig MF, Arensburger P, Atkinson PW, Benoit JB, Bourtzis K, Castañera P, Cavanaugh JP, Chao H, Childers C, Curril I, Dinh H, Doddapaneni H, Dolan A, Dugan S, Friedrich M, Gasperi G, Geib S, Georgakilas G, Gibbs RA, Giers SD, Gomulski LM, González-Guzmán M, Guillem-Amat A, Han Y, Hatzigeorgiou AG, Hernández-Crespo P, Hughes DST, Jones JW, Karagkouni D, Koskinioti P, Lee SL, Malacrida AR, Manni M, Mathiopoulos K, Meccariello A, Munoz-Torres M, Murali SC, Murphy TD, Muzny DM, Oberhofer G, Ortego F, Paraskevopoulou MD, Poelchau M, Qu J, Reczko M, Robertson HM, Rosendale AJ, Rosselot AE, Saccone G, Salvemini M, Savini G, Schreiner P, Scolari F, Siciliano P, Sim SB, Tsiamis G, Ureña E, Vlachos IS, Werren JH, Wimmer EA, Worley KC, Zacharopoulou A, Richards S, Handler AM. The whole genome sequence of the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), reveals insights into the biology and adaptive evolution of a highly invasive pest species. Genome Biol 2016; 17:192. [PMID: 27659211 PMCID: PMC5034548 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-016-1049-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2016] [Accepted: 08/26/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The Mediterranean fruit fly (medfly), Ceratitis capitata, is a major destructive insect pest due to its broad host range, which includes hundreds of fruits and vegetables. It exhibits a unique ability to invade and adapt to ecological niches throughout tropical and subtropical regions of the world, though medfly infestations have been prevented and controlled by the sterile insect technique (SIT) as part of integrated pest management programs (IPMs). The genetic analysis and manipulation of medfly has been subject to intensive study in an effort to improve SIT efficacy and other aspects of IPM control. Results The 479 Mb medfly genome is sequenced from adult flies from lines inbred for 20 generations. A high-quality assembly is achieved having a contig N50 of 45.7 kb and scaffold N50 of 4.06 Mb. In-depth curation of more than 1800 messenger RNAs shows specific gene expansions that can be related to invasiveness and host adaptation, including gene families for chemoreception, toxin and insecticide metabolism, cuticle proteins, opsins, and aquaporins. We identify genes relevant to IPM control, including those required to improve SIT. Conclusions The medfly genome sequence provides critical insights into the biology of one of the most serious and widespread agricultural pests. This knowledge should significantly advance the means of controlling the size and invasive potential of medfly populations. Its close relationship to Drosophila, and other insect species important to agriculture and human health, will further comparative functional and structural studies of insect genomes that should broaden our understanding of gene family evolution. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13059-016-1049-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexie Papanicolaou
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Marc F Schetelig
- Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Institute for Insect Biotechnology, 35394, Giessen, Germany
| | - Peter Arensburger
- Department of Biological Sciences, Cal Poly Pomona, Pomona, CA, 91768, USA
| | - Peter W Atkinson
- Department of Entomology and Center for Disease Vector Research, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA.,Interdepartmental Graduate Program in Genetics, Genomics & Bioinformatics, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
| | - Joshua B Benoit
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA
| | - Kostas Bourtzis
- Insect Pest Control Laboratory, Joint FAO/IAEA Programme of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, Seibersdorf, Vienna, Austria.,Department of Environmental and Natural Resources Management, University of Patras, Agrinio, Greece
| | - Pedro Castañera
- Department of Environmental Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, CSIC, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - John P Cavanaugh
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA
| | - Hsu Chao
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | | | - Ingrid Curril
- Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institut für Zoologie und Anthropologie, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Huyen Dinh
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - HarshaVardhan Doddapaneni
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Amanda Dolan
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA
| | - Shannon Dugan
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Markus Friedrich
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, 48202, USA
| | - Giuliano Gasperi
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Scott Geib
- USDA-ARS, Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center, Hilo, HI, 96720, USA
| | - Georgios Georgakilas
- DIANA-Lab, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Thessaly, 382 21 Volos, Greece and Hellenic Pasteur Institute, 11521, Athens, Greece
| | - Richard A Gibbs
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Sarah D Giers
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Ludvik M Gomulski
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Miguel González-Guzmán
- Department of Environmental Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, CSIC, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Guillem-Amat
- Department of Environmental Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, CSIC, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Yi Han
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Artemis G Hatzigeorgiou
- DIANA-Lab, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Thessaly, 382 21 Volos, Greece and Hellenic Pasteur Institute, 11521, Athens, Greece
| | - Pedro Hernández-Crespo
- Department of Environmental Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, CSIC, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Daniel S T Hughes
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Jeffery W Jones
- Department of Biological Sciences, Oakland University, Rochester, MI, 48309, USA
| | - Dimitra Karagkouni
- DIANA-Lab, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Thessaly, 382 21 Volos, Greece and Hellenic Pasteur Institute, 11521, Athens, Greece
| | - Panagiota Koskinioti
- Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece
| | - Sandra L Lee
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Anna R Malacrida
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Mosè Manni
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Kostas Mathiopoulos
- Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece
| | - Angela Meccariello
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Shwetha C Murali
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Terence D Murphy
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Donna M Muzny
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Georg Oberhofer
- Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institut für Zoologie und Anthropologie, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Félix Ortego
- Department of Environmental Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, CSIC, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Maria D Paraskevopoulou
- DIANA-Lab, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Thessaly, 382 21 Volos, Greece and Hellenic Pasteur Institute, 11521, Athens, Greece
| | - Monica Poelchau
- National Agricultural Library, USDA, Beltsville, MD, 20705, USA
| | - Jiaxin Qu
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Martin Reczko
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Biomedical Sciences Research Centre "Alexander Fleming", Vari, Greece
| | - Hugh M Robertson
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Andrew J Rosendale
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA
| | - Andrew E Rosselot
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA
| | - Giuseppe Saccone
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - Marco Salvemini
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - Grazia Savini
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Patrick Schreiner
- Interdepartmental Graduate Program in Genetics, Genomics & Bioinformatics, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
| | - Francesca Scolari
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Paolo Siciliano
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Sheina B Sim
- USDA-ARS, Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center, Hilo, HI, 96720, USA
| | - George Tsiamis
- Department of Environmental and Natural Resources Management, University of Patras, Agrinio, Greece
| | - Enric Ureña
- Department of Environmental Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, CSIC, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ioannis S Vlachos
- DIANA-Lab, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Thessaly, 382 21 Volos, Greece and Hellenic Pasteur Institute, 11521, Athens, Greece
| | - John H Werren
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA
| | - Ernst A Wimmer
- Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institut für Zoologie und Anthropologie, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Kim C Worley
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | | | - Stephen Richards
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Alfred M Handler
- USDA-ARS, Center for Medical, Agricultural, and Veterinary Entomology, 1700 S.W. 23rd Drive, Gainesville, FL, 32608, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Petrella V, Aceto S, Musacchia F, Colonna V, Robinson M, Benes V, Cicotti G, Bongiorno G, Gradoni L, Volf P, Salvemini M. De novo assembly and sex-specific transcriptome profiling in the sand fly Phlebotomus perniciosus (Diptera, Phlebotominae), a major Old World vector of Leishmania infantum. BMC Genomics 2015; 16:847. [PMID: 26493315 PMCID: PMC4619268 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-015-2088-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2015] [Accepted: 10/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The phlebotomine sand fly Phlebotomus perniciosus (Diptera: Psychodidae, Phlebotominae) is a major Old World vector of the protozoan Leishmania infantum, the etiological agent of visceral and cutaneous leishmaniases in humans and dogs, a worldwide re-emerging diseases of great public health concern, affecting 101 countries. Despite the growing interest in the study of this sand fly species in the last years, the development of genomic resources has been limited so far. To increase the available sequence data for P. perniciosus and to start studying the molecular basis of the sexual differentiation in sand flies, we performed whole transcriptome Illumina RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) of adult males and females and de novo transcriptome assembly. Results We assembled 55,393 high quality transcripts, of which 29,292 were unique, starting from adult whole body male and female pools. 11,736 transcripts had at least one functional annotation, including full-length low abundance salivary transcripts, 981 transcripts were classified as putative long non-coding RNAs and 244 transcripts encoded for putative novel proteins specific of the Phlebotominae sub-family. Differential expression analysis identified 8590 transcripts significantly biased between sexes. Among them, some show relaxation of selective constraints when compared to their orthologs of the New World sand fly species Lutzomyia longipalpis. Conclusions In this paper, we present a comprehensive transcriptome resource for the sand fly species P. perniciosus built from short-read RNA-seq and we provide insights into sex-specific gene expression at adult stage. Our analysis represents a first step towards the identification of sex-specific genes and pathways and a foundation for forthcoming investigations into this important vector species, including the study of the evolution of sex-biased genes and of the sexual differentiation in phlebotomine sand flies. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-015-2088-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- V Petrella
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - S Aceto
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - F Musacchia
- Stazione Zoologica "Anton Dohrn", Naples, Italy
| | - V Colonna
- National Research Council, Institute of Genetics and Biophysics, Naples, Italy
| | - M Robinson
- Institute of Molecular Life Science, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,SIB-Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - V Benes
- Genomics Core Facility, EMBL, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - G Cicotti
- Institute for High Performance Computing and Networking, ICAR-CNR, Naples, Italy
| | - G Bongiorno
- Department of Infectious, Parasitic and Immunomediated Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - L Gradoni
- Department of Infectious, Parasitic and Immunomediated Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - P Volf
- Department of Parasitology, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - M Salvemini
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Dritsou V, Topalis P, Windbichler N, Simoni A, Hall A, Lawson D, Hinsley M, Hughes D, Napolioni V, Crucianelli F, Deligianni E, Gasperi G, Gomulski LM, Savini G, Manni M, Scolari F, Malacrida AR, Arcà B, Ribeiro JM, Lombardo F, Saccone G, Salvemini M, Moretti R, Aprea G, Calvitti M, Picciolini M, Papathanos PA, Spaccapelo R, Favia G, Crisanti A, Louis C. A draft genome sequence of an invasive mosquito: an Italian Aedes albopictus. Pathog Glob Health 2015; 109:207-20. [PMID: 26369436 PMCID: PMC4727573 DOI: 10.1179/2047773215y.0000000031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The draft genome sequence of Italian specimens of the Asian tiger mosquito Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) was determined using a standard NGS (next generation sequencing) approach. The size of the assembled genome is comparable to that of Aedes aegypti; the two mosquitoes are also similar as far as the high content of repetitive DNA is concerned, most of which is made up of transposable elements. Although, based on BUSCO (Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Orthologues) analysis, the genome assembly reported here contains more than 99% of protein-coding genes, several of those are expected to be represented in the assembly in a fragmented state. We also present here the annotation of several families of genes (tRNA genes, miRNA genes, the sialome, genes involved in chromatin condensation, sex determination genes, odorant binding proteins and odorant receptors). These analyses confirm that the assembly can be used for the study of the biology of this invasive vector of disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vicky Dritsou
- Polo d'Innovazione di Genomica, Genetica e Biologia (Polo GGB), Loc. S. Andrea delle Fratte, Perugia, Italy
| | - Pantelis Topalis
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Nikolai Windbichler
- Imperial College London Department of Life Sciences, South Kensington Campus, UK
| | - Alekos Simoni
- Imperial College London Department of Life Sciences, South Kensington Campus, UK
| | - Ann Hall
- Imperial College London Department of Life Sciences, South Kensington Campus, UK
| | - Daniel Lawson
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), Wellcome Trust Genomes Campus, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, UK
| | - Malcolm Hinsley
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), Wellcome Trust Genomes Campus, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, UK
| | - Daniel Hughes
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), Wellcome Trust Genomes Campus, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, UK
| | - Valerio Napolioni
- Polo d'Innovazione di Genomica, Genetica e Biologia (Polo GGB), Loc. S. Andrea delle Fratte, Perugia, Italy
| | - Francesca Crucianelli
- Polo d'Innovazione di Genomica, Genetica e Biologia (Polo GGB), Loc. S. Andrea delle Fratte, Perugia, Italy
| | - Elena Deligianni
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Giuliano Gasperi
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology University of Pavia, Italy
| | | | - Grazia Savini
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology University of Pavia, Italy
| | - Mosè Manni
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology University of Pavia, Italy
| | | | | | - Bruno Arcà
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases – Division of Parasitology Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
| | - José M. Ribeiro
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Fabrizio Lombardo
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases – Division of Parasitology Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
| | | | - Marco Salvemini
- Department of Biology University of Naples Federico II, Italy
| | - Riccardo Moretti
- ENEA – Italian National Agency for New Technologies Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, CR Casaccia, Rome, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Aprea
- ENEA – Italian National Agency for New Technologies Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, CR Casaccia, Rome, Italy
| | - Maurizio Calvitti
- ENEA – Italian National Agency for New Technologies Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, CR Casaccia, Rome, Italy
| | - Matteo Picciolini
- Polo d'Innovazione di Genomica, Genetica e Biologia (Polo GGB), Loc. S. Andrea delle Fratte, Perugia, Italy
| | | | | | - Guido Favia
- Scuola di Bioscienze e Medicina Veterinaria, University of Camerino, Italy
| | | | - Christos Louis
- Correspondence to: Christos Louis, IMBB-FORTH, N. Plastira 100, Vassilika Vouton, GR-700 13 Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Musacchia F, Basu S, Petrosino G, Salvemini M, Sanges R. Annocript: a flexible pipeline for the annotation of transcriptomes able to identify putative long noncoding RNAs. Bioinformatics 2015; 31:2199-201. [DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btv106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2014] [Accepted: 02/11/2015] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
|
25
|
Salvemini M, Arunkumar KP, Nagaraju J, Sanges R, Petrella V, Tomar A, Zhang H, Zheng W, Saccone G. De novo assembly and transcriptome analysis of the Mediterranean fruit fly Ceratitis capitata early embryos. PLoS One 2014; 9:e114191. [PMID: 25474564 PMCID: PMC4256415 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0114191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2014] [Accepted: 11/05/2014] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The agricultural pest Ceratitis capitata, also known as the Mediterranean fruit fly or Medfly, belongs to the Tephritidae family, which includes a large number of other damaging pest species. The Medfly has been the first non-drosophilid fly species which has been genetically transformed paving the way for designing genetic-based pest control strategies. Furthermore, it is an experimentally tractable model, in which transient and transgene-mediated RNAi have been successfully used. We applied Illumina sequencing to total RNA preparations of 8–10 hours old embryos of C. capitata, This developmental window corresponds to the blastoderm cellularization stage. In summary, we assembled 42,614 transcripts which cluster in 26,319 unique transcripts of which 11,045 correspond to protein coding genes; we identified several hundreds of long ncRNAs; we found an enrichment of transcripts encoding RNA binding proteins among the highly expressed transcripts, such as CcTRA-2, known to be necessary to establish and, most likely, to maintain female sex of C. capitata. Our study is the first de novo assembly performed for Ceratitis capitata based on Illumina NGS technology during embryogenesis and it adds novel data to the previously published C. capitata EST databases. We expect that it will be useful for a variety of applications such as gene cloning and phylogenetic analyses, as well as to advance genetic research and biotechnological applications in the Medfly and other related Tephritidae.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marco Salvemini
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | | | | | - Remo Sanges
- Stazione Zoologica "Anton Dohrn", Naples, Italy
| | - Valeria Petrella
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Archana Tomar
- Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics, Hyderabad, India
| | - Hongyu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology and Institute of Urban and Horticultural Pests, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Weiwei Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology and Institute of Urban and Horticultural Pests, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Giuseppe Saccone
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Salvemini M, D'Amato R, Petrella V, Ippolito D, Ventre G, Zhang Y, Saccone G. Subtractive and differential hybridization molecular analyses of Ceratitis capitata XX/XY versus XX embryos to search for male-specific early transcribed genes. BMC Genet 2014; 15 Suppl 2:S5. [PMID: 25472628 PMCID: PMC4255797 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2156-15-s2-s5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The agricultural pest Ceratitis capitata, also known as the Mediterranean fruit fly or Medfly, is a fruit crop pest of very high economic relevance in different continents. The strategy to separate Ceratitis males from females (sexing) in mass rearing facilities is a useful step before the sterilization and release of male-only flies in Sterile Insect Technique control programs (SIT). The identification of genes having early embryonic male-specific expression, including Y-linked genes, such as the Maleness factor, could help to design novel and improved methods of sexing in combination with transgenesis, aiming to confer conditional female-specific lethality or female-to-male sexual reversal. We used a combination of Suppression Subtractive Hybrydization (SSH), Mirror Orientation Selection (MOS) and differential screening hybridization (DSH) techniques to approach the problem of isolating corresponding mRNAs expressed in XX/XY embryos versus XX-only embryos during a narrow developmental window (8-10 hours after egg laying, AEL ). Here we describe a novel strategy we have conceived to obtain relatively large amounts of XX-only embryos staged at 8-10 h AEL and so to extract few micrograms of polyA+ required to apply the complex technical procedure. The combination of these 3 techniques led to the identification of a Y-linked putative gene, CcGm2, sharing high sequence identity to a paralogous gene, CcGm1, localized either on an autosome or on the X chromosome. We propose that CcGm2 is a first interesting putative Y-linked gene which could play a role in sex determination. The function exterted by this gene should be investigated by novel genetic tools, such as CRISPR-CAS9, which will permit to target only the Y-linked paralogue, avoiding to interfere with the autosomal or X-linked paralogue function.
Collapse
|
27
|
De Paolo S, Salvemini M, Gaudio L, Aceto S. De novo transcriptome assembly from inflorescence of Orchis italica: analysis of coding and non-coding transcripts. PLoS One 2014; 9:e102155. [PMID: 25025767 PMCID: PMC4099010 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0102155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2014] [Accepted: 06/16/2014] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The floral transcriptome of Orchis italica, a wild orchid species, was obtained using Illumina RNA-seq technology and specific de novo assembly and analysis tools. More than 100 million raw reads were processed resulting in 132,565 assembled transcripts and 86,079 unigenes with an average length of 606 bp and N50 of 956 bp. Functional annotation assigned 38,984 of the unigenes to records present in the NCBI non-redundant protein database, 32,161 of them to Gene Ontology terms, 15,775 of them to Eukaryotic Orthologous Groups (KOG) and 7,143 of them to Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways. The in silico expression analysis based on the Fragments Per Kilobase of transcript per Million mapped reads (FPKM) was confirmed by real-time RT-PCR experiments on 10 selected unigenes, which showed high and statistically significant positive correlation with the RNA-seq based expression data. The prediction of putative long non-coding RNAs was assessed using two different software packages, CPC and Portrait, resulting in 7,779 unannotated unigenes that matched the threshold values for both of the analyses. Among the predicted long non-coding RNAs, one is the homologue of TAS3, a long non-coding RNA precursor of trans-acting small interfering RNAs (ta-siRNAs). The differential expression pattern observed for the selected putative long non-coding RNAs suggests their possible functional role in different floral tissues.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sofia De Paolo
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Napoli, Italy
| | - Marco Salvemini
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Napoli, Italy
| | - Luciano Gaudio
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Napoli, Italy
| | - Serena Aceto
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Napoli, Italy
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Salvemini M, D'Amato R, Petrella V, Aceto S, Nimmo D, Neira M, Alphey L, Polito LC, Saccone G. The orthologue of the fruitfly sex behaviour gene fruitless in the mosquito Aedes aegypti: evolution of genomic organisation and alternative splicing. PLoS One 2013; 8:e48554. [PMID: 23418412 PMCID: PMC3572092 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0048554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2012] [Accepted: 09/26/2012] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
In Drosophila melanogaster the doublesex (dsx) and fruitless (fru) regulatory genes act at the bottom of the somatic sex determination pathway. Both are regulated via alternative splicing by an upstream female-specific TRA/TRA-2 complex, recognizing a common cis element. dsx controls somatic sexual differentiation of non-neural as well as of neural tissues. fru, on the other hand, expresses male-specific functions only in neural system where it is required to built the neural circuits underlying proper courtship behaviour. In the mosquito Aedes aegypti sex determination is different from Drosophila. The key male determiner M, which is located on one of a pair of homomorphic sex chromosomes, controls sex-specific splicing of the mosquito dsx orthologue. In this study we report the genomic organization and expression of the fru homologue in Ae. aegypti (Aeafru). We found that it is sex-specifically spliced suggesting that it is also under the control of the sex determination pathway. Comparative analyses between the Aeafru and Anopheles gambiae fru (Angfru) genomic loci revealed partial conservation of exon organization and extensive divergence of intron lengths. We find that Aeadsx and Aeafru share novel cis splicing regulatory elements conserved in the alternatively spliced regions. We propose that in Aedes aegypti sex-specific splicing of dsx and fru is most likely under the control of splicing regulatory factors which are different from TRA and TRA-2 found in other dipteran insects and discuss the potential use of fru and dsx for developing new genetic strategies in vector control.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marco Salvemini
- Department of Biological Sciences - Section of Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
29
|
Abstract
Courtship behaviours are common features of animal species that reproduce sexually. Typically, males are involved in courting females. Insects display an astonishing variety of courtship strategies primarily based on innate stereotyped responses to various external stimuli. In Drosophila melanogaster, male courtship requires proteins encoded by the fruitless (fru) gene that are produced in different sex-specific isoforms via alternative splicing. Drosophila mutant flies with loss-of-function alleles of the fru gene exhibit blocked male courtship behaviour. However, various individual steps in the courtship ritual are disrupted in fly strains carrying different fru alleles. These findings suggest that fru is required for specific steps in courtship. In distantly related insect species, various fru paralogues were isolated, which shows conservation of sex-specific alternative splicing and protein expression in neural tissues and suggests an evolutionary functional conservation of fru in the control of male-specific courtship behaviour. In this review, we report the seminal findings regarding the fru gene, its splicing regulation and evolution in insects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marco Salvemini
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80134, Naples, Italy
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
30
|
Salvemini M, Mauro U, Lombardo F, Milano A, Zazzaro V, Arcà B, Polito LC, Saccone G. Genomic organization and splicing evolution of the doublesex gene, a Drosophila regulator of sexual differentiation, in the dengue and yellow fever mosquito Aedes aegypti. BMC Evol Biol 2011; 11:41. [PMID: 21310052 PMCID: PMC3045327 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2148-11-41] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2010] [Accepted: 02/10/2011] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background In the model system Drosophila melanogaster, doublesex (dsx) is the double-switch gene at the bottom of the somatic sex determination cascade that determines the differentiation of sexually dimorphic traits. Homologues of dsx are functionally conserved in various dipteran species, including the malaria vector Anopheles gambiae. They show a striking conservation of sex-specific regulation, based on alternative splicing, and of the encoded sex-specific proteins, which are transcriptional regulators of downstream terminal genes that influence sexual differentiation of cells, tissues and organs. Results In this work, we report on the molecular characterization of the dsx homologue in the dengue and yellow fever vector Aedes aegypti (Aeadsx). Aeadsx produces sex-specific transcripts by alternative splicing, which encode isoforms with a high degree of identity to Anopheles gambiae and Drosophila melanogaster homologues. Interestingly, Aeadsx produces an additional novel female-specific splicing variant. Genomic comparative analyses between the Aedes and Anopheles dsx genes revealed a partial conservation of the exon organization and extensive divergence in the intron lengths. An expression analysis showed that Aeadsx transcripts were present from early stages of development and that sex-specific regulation starts at least from late larval stages. The analysis of the female-specific untranslated region (UTR) led to the identification of putative regulatory cis-elements potentially involved in the sex-specific splicing regulation. The Aedes dsx sex-specific splicing regulation seems to be more complex with the respect of other dipteran species, suggesting slightly novel evolutionary trajectories for its regulation and hence for the recruitment of upstream splicing regulators. Conclusions This study led to uncover the molecular evolution of Aedes aegypti dsx splicing regulation with the respect of the more closely related Culicidae Anopheles gambiae orthologue. In Aedes aegypti, the dsx gene is sex-specifically regulated and encodes two female-specific and one male-specific isoforms, all sharing a doublesex/mab-3 (DM) domain-containing N-terminus and different C-termini. The sex-specific regulation is based on a combination of exon skipping, 5' alternative splice site choice and, most likely, alternative polyadenylation. Interestingly, when the Aeadsx gene is compared to the Anopheles dsx ortholog, there are differences in the in silico predicted default and regulated sex-specific splicing events, which suggests that the upstream regulators either are different or act in a slightly different manner. Furthermore, this study is a premise for the future development of transgenic sexing strains in mosquitoes useful for sterile insect technique (SIT) programs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marco Salvemini
- Department of Biological Sciences, Section of Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
31
|
Salvemini M, Robertson M, Aronson B, Atkinson P, Polito LC, Saccone G. Ceratitis capitata transformer-2 gene is required to establish and maintain the autoregulation of Cctra, the master gene for female sex determination. Int J Dev Biol 2009; 53:109-20. [PMID: 19123132 DOI: 10.1387/ijdb.082681ms] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
In Drosophila melanogaster, transformer-2 (TRA-2) which is a non-sex-specific auxiliary splicing factor, is required to promote female sexual differentiation by interaction with the female-specific TRA. The two proteins positively regulate the splicing of both doublesex (dsx) and fruitless (fru) pre-mRNAs, which in turn regulate phenotypic and behavioural sexual dimorphism. In the Mediterranean fruitfly Ceratitis capitata, the female-specific CcTRA is similarly required not only for Ccdsx splicing, but also to exert a novel autoregulatory function that consists of promoting female-specific splicing of Cctra pre-mRNA. This study reports the isolation and functional analysis of the C. capitata homologue of the Drosophila transformer-2 gene (Cctra-2). Transient RNAi against Cctra-2 during embryonic development causes the full sex reversal of XX flies in adult fertile pseudo-males, as well as changes in the splicing pattern of Cctra, Ccdsx and Ccfruitless (Ccfru). We propose that: 1) Cctra-2, as in Drosophila, is necessary for promoting Ccdsx and putative Ccfru pre-mRNA female-specific splicing and that 2) unlike in Drosophila, Cctra-2 appears to be necessary for establishing female sex determination in early XX embryos and for maintaining the positive feedback regulation of Cctra during development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marco Salvemini
- Department of Biological Sciences, Section of Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
32
|
Saccone G, Salvemini M, Pane A, Polito LC. Masculinization of XX Drosophila transgenic flies expressing the Ceratitis capitata DoublesexM isoform. Int J Dev Biol 2009; 52:1051-7. [PMID: 18956338 DOI: 10.1387/ijdb.082657gs] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The Doublesex (DSX) transcription factor regulates somatic sexual differentiation in Drosophila melanogaster. Female and male isoforms (DSXF and DSXM) are produced due to sex-specific RNA splicing. Here we show that in the distantly related dipteran Ceratitis capitata, the DSXM male-specific isoform is conserved and able to induce masculinization of both somatic and germline tissues when ectopically expressed in XX Drosophila transgenic individuals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Saccone
- Department of Biological Sciences, Genetics and Molecular Biology Section, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
33
|
Salvemini M, Mauro U, Velaeti S, Polito C, Saccone G. A new Minos vector for eye-specific expression of white+ marker in Ceratitis capitata and in distantly related dipteran species. Insect Mol Biol 2006; 15:341-9. [PMID: 16756553 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2583.2006.00651.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
The genetic transformation of insects by transposable elements is based on the use of selectable genetic markers required to identify transgenic individuals. Conserved regulatory sequences can be used to develop single constructs capable of adequate expression of a marker, across a range of different species. We present evidence that the Drosophila GBS regulatory element (Glass-binding site), derived from the Rh1 rhodopsin gene, is able to drive in vivo eye-specific expression of a Ccwhite+ transgene in the Mediterranean fruitfly Ceratitis capitata. The Ceratitis lineage diverged from that of Drosophila approximately 120 Myr ago. As the GBS regulatory sequence seems to be partially conserved in the more distantly related dipteran species Anopheles gambiae (250 Myr), we propose that the GBS may be widely useful for driving eye-specific expression in a wide range of dipteran species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M Salvemini
- Department of Biological Sciences, Section of Genetics and Molecular Biology, University Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
34
|
Pane A, Salvemini M, Delli Bovi P, Polito C, Saccone G. Thetransformergene inCeratitis capitataprovides a genetic basis for selecting and remembering the sexual fate. Development 2002; 129:3715-25. [PMID: 12117820 DOI: 10.1242/dev.129.15.3715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 147] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The medfly Ceratitis capitata contains a gene (Cctra) with structural and functional homology to the Drosophila melanogaster sex-determining gene transformer (tra). Similar to tra in Drosophila, Cctra is regulated by alternative splicing such that only females can encode a full-length protein. In contrast to Drosophila, however, where tra is a subordinate target of Sex-lethal (Sxl), Cctra seems to initiate an autoregulatory mechanism in XX embryos that provides continuous tra female-specific function and act as a cellular memory maintaining the female pathway. Indeed, a transient interference with Cctra expression in XX embryos by RNAi treatment can cause complete sexual transformation of both germline and soma in adult flies, resulting in a fertile male XX phenotype. The male pathway seems to result when Cctra autoregulation is prevented and instead splice variants with truncated open reading frames are produced. We propose that this repression is achieved by the Y-linked male-determining factor (M).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Attilio Pane
- Dipartimento di Genetica, Biologia Generale e Molecolare, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Via Mezzocannone 8, 80134 Napoli, Italy
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
35
|
Franceschini R, Cataldi A, Barreca T, Salvemini M, Rolandi E. Plasma beta-endorphin, ACTH and cortisol secretion in man after nasal spray administration of calcitonin. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 1989; 37:341-3. [PMID: 2557217 DOI: 10.1007/bf00558497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Beta-endorphin, ACTH and cortisol secretion were measured in twelve healthy adult males after nasal spray administration 200 IU salmon calcitonin. A significant increase in plasma beta-endorphin, from 19.2 ng/l under basal conditions to a peak of 27.1 ng/l at 30 min was recorded. Plasma ACTH and cortisol were not affected. In individual subjects the beta-endorphin level was increased in eight of the twelve, ACTH rose in three and cortisol did not change in any of them. The data indicate that calcitonin induced a beta-endorphin increase independent of enhanced corticotrophin-cortisol release.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- R Franceschini
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genoa, Italy
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
36
|
Barreca T, Franceschini R, Messina V, Cataldi A, Salvemini M, Rolandi E. Plasma somatostatin and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide responses to an oral mixed test meal in obese patients. Horm Res 1989; 31:234-7. [PMID: 2575574 DOI: 10.1159/000181123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Ten obese and 10 control subjects were studied in basal conditions and after ingestion of a standard mixed test meal. Blood glucose, insulin, somatostatin (SLI) and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) concentrations were determined before and 30, 60, 90, 120, 180 and 240 min after the start of the meal. Basal SLI levels in the obese (14.4 +/- 0.7 ng/l) were not significantly different from those in the controls (15.5 +/- 0.8 ng/l), whereas after the meal a blunted secretory response was recorded. Baseline plasma VIP levels were higher in the obese (29.7 +/- 1.5 ng/l) than in the control subjects (19.8 +/- 1.3 ng/l) and, similarly to the controls, were unaffected by meal ingestion. Data suggest that in the course of obesity an enhanced VIP secretion in association with a diminished SLI responsiveness to meals occurs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- T Barreca
- Scientific Institute of Internal Medicine, University of Genoa, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
37
|
Rolandi E, Franceschini R, Marabini A, Messina V, Cataldi A, Salvemini M, Barreca T. Twenty-four-hour beta-endorphin secretory pattern in the elderly. Acta Endocrinol (Copenh) 1987; 115:441-6. [PMID: 2820172 DOI: 10.1530/acta.0.1150441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
A chronobiological study was carried out in seven elderly male subjects (78-84 years) to evaluate the 24-h beta-endorphin secretory pattern. Seven young adult males (28-37 years) made up the control group. Blood samples were drawn every four hours from 08.00 to 20.00 h and every two hours from 24.00 to 06.00 h. ACTH and cortisol levels were also determined in the same plasma samples. Mean 24-h beta-endorphin values in the elderly (32.6 +/- 1.1 ng/l) and in the young adult male subjects (29.5 +/- 1.4 ng/l) did not differ statistically, but the circadian rhythm was absent in the elderly subjects. In the elderly, plasma ACTH and cortisol concentrations showed a circadian rhythm similar to that observed in the adult subjects. However, in the elderly patients, in contrast to that in the adult subjects, the multilinear regression analysis did not show any statistically significant correlation between the beta-endorphin, ACTH and cortisol 24-h plasma concentrations.
Collapse
|
38
|
Rolandi E, Franceschini R, Messina V, Cataldi A, Salvemini M, Barreca T. Somatostatin in the elderly: diurnal plasma profile and secretory response to meal stimulation. Gerontology 1987; 33:296-301. [PMID: 2890557 DOI: 10.1159/000212893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Plasma somatostatin levels were determined during a 24-hour period and after a meal test in 7 and 5 elderly subjects (76-90 years), respectively. The data obtained were compared with those recorded in young adult subjects (22-30 years). Increased basal somatostatin values were found in elderly subjects (20.0 +/- 1.5 pg/ml) when compared to young adults (14.1 +/- 0.6 pg/ml; p less than 0.01). Also, the mean 24-hour somatostatin levels were higher in the elderly (21.3 +/- 0.8 pg/ml) than in young adults (16.7 +/- 0.5 pg/ml; p less than 0.01), and minor diurnal variations were found in the former group. The response to the meal test was less evident in the elderly than in the control group. The data obtained indicate an increased basal somatostatin production associated with a diminished variability throughout the 24-hour period and in relation to meals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- E Rolandi
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genoa, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
39
|
Caponnetto S, Allegro A, Bellotti G, Cataldi A, Salvemini M, Portioli I, Prati PL, Gambelli G, Boccanelli A, Zacharo E. Positive inotropic effects of ibopamine in patients with congestive heart failure. A multicenter investigation. Arzneimittelforschung 1986; 36:386-90. [PMID: 3518725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
A multicenter double-blind placebo-controlled investigation was carried out in 42 patients with severe congestive heart failure who were given ibopamine (SB-7505), the 3,4-diisobutyryl ester of N-methyldopamine, for a period of 10 days in addition to previous treatment with digitalis and diuretics. Symptoms were evaluated by using a suitable score; some patients were submitted to an exercise test along with other clinical tests. Compared with placebo, ibopamine induced no significant changes in heart rate and arterial blood pressure. Clinical scores were lower after ibopamine than after placebo (p less than 0.01). Functional capacity, defined as the duration (in s) of a maximum symptom-limited exercise test using the ergometric bicycle with a constant 25-W workload, was significantly higher after ibopamine than after placebo (p less than 0.05). So a clear symptomatic improvement was observed after ibopamine in cardiac patients with prolongation of exercise time and reduced clinical scores. In conclusion, the results obtained, along with the slight improvement in the systolic time intervals, indicate that ibopamine is capable of improving cardiac performance in patients with advanced heart failure who display symptoms despite treatment with digitalis and diuretics.
Collapse
|
40
|
Giuliani L, Barreca T, Giberti C, Franceschini R, Martorana G, Brancadoro MT, Salvemini M, Rolandi E. Treatment of prostatic cancer with a depot form of a luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone analogue. Eur Urol 1986; 12:390-4. [PMID: 2949979 DOI: 10.1159/000472664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Chronic administration of a depot form of D-Trp6 luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LH-RH), an LH-RH analogue (3 mg i.m. every 28 days for a mean period of 9.1 months), to 14 patients with locally extended or metastatic cancer of the prostate provided a good degree of disease control. After a slight and transient increase in gonadotropin secretion, the peptide induced a sharp and long-lasting inhibition of both gonadotropin and testosterone secretion, contemporaneously with clinical improvement and without any important side effects. These results are comparable to those recorded by others after daily administration of LH-RH analogues.
Collapse
|