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Zeng F, Jiang H, Xu H, Shen R, Wang D. Comparative Transcriptomics Analysis Reveals Rusty Grain Beetle's Aggregation Pheromone Biosynthesis Mechanism in Response to Starvation. Insects 2024; 15:137. [PMID: 38392556 PMCID: PMC10888681 DOI: 10.3390/insects15020137] [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: 01/14/2024] [Revised: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 02/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Pheromones are the basis of insect aggregation, mating, and other behaviors. Cucujoid grain beetles produce macrocyclic lactones as aggregation pheromones, yet research on their biosynthesis at the molecular level remains limited. The rusty grain beetle, C. ferrugineus, is an important economic species in China. Although two aggregation pheromone components have been identified, their suspected biosynthesis via the MVA pathway and the FAS pathway lacks molecular elucidation. Previous evidence supports that starvation affects the production of aggregation pheromones. Therefore, we constructed comparative transcriptome libraries of pheromone production sites in C. ferrugineus under starvation stress and identified genes related to pheromone biosynthesis and hormone regulation. A total of 2665 genes were significantly differentially expressed, of which 2029 genes were down-regulated in starved beetles. Putative C. ferrugineus genes directly involved in pheromone biosynthesis were identified, as well as some genes related to the juvenile hormone (JH) pathway and the insulin pathway, both of which were depressed in the starved beetles, suggesting possible functions in pheromone biosynthesis and regulation. The identification of genes involved in macrolide lactone biosynthesis in vivo holds great significance, aiding in the elucidation of the synthesis and regulatory mechanisms of cucujoid grain beetle pheromones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangfang Zeng
- National Grain Industry (Storage Insect Pest Control) Technology Innovation Center, School of Food and Strategic Reserves, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou 450001, China
- Grain Storage and Logistics National Engineering Research Center, School of Food and Strategic Reserves, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Haixin Jiang
- National Grain Industry (Storage Insect Pest Control) Technology Innovation Center, School of Food and Strategic Reserves, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou 450001, China
- Grain Storage and Logistics National Engineering Research Center, School of Food and Strategic Reserves, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Haoqi Xu
- National Grain Industry (Storage Insect Pest Control) Technology Innovation Center, School of Food and Strategic Reserves, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou 450001, China
- Grain Storage and Logistics National Engineering Research Center, School of Food and Strategic Reserves, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Ruotong Shen
- National Grain Industry (Storage Insect Pest Control) Technology Innovation Center, School of Food and Strategic Reserves, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou 450001, China
- Grain Storage and Logistics National Engineering Research Center, School of Food and Strategic Reserves, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Dianxuan Wang
- National Grain Industry (Storage Insect Pest Control) Technology Innovation Center, School of Food and Strategic Reserves, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou 450001, China
- Grain Storage and Logistics National Engineering Research Center, School of Food and Strategic Reserves, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou 450001, China
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Centonze G, Natalini D, Piccolantonio A, Salemme V, Morellato A, Arina P, Riganti C, Defilippi P. Cholesterol and Its Derivatives: Multifaceted Players in Breast Cancer Progression. Front Oncol 2022; 12:906670. [PMID: 35719918 PMCID: PMC9204587 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.906670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [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: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cholesterol is an essential lipid primarily synthesized in the liver through the mevalonate pathway. Besides being a precursor of steroid hormones, bile acid, and vitamin D, it is an essential structural component of cell membranes, is enriched in membrane lipid rafts, and plays a key role in intracellular signal transduction. The lipid homeostasis is finely regulated end appears to be impaired in several types of tumors, including breast cancer. In this review, we will analyse the multifaceted roles of cholesterol and its derivatives in breast cancer progression. As an example of the bivalent role of cholesterol in the cell membrane of cancer cells, on the one hand, it reduces membrane fluidity, which has been associated with a more aggressive tumor phenotype in terms of cell motility and migration, leading to metastasis formation. On the other hand, it makes the membrane less permeable to small water-soluble molecules that would otherwise freely cross, resulting in a loss of chemotherapeutics permeability. Regarding cholesterol derivatives, a lower vitamin D is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, while steroid hormones, coupled with the overexpression of their receptors, play a crucial role in breast cancer progression. Despite the role of cholesterol and derivatives molecules in breast cancer development is still controversial, the use of cholesterol targeting drugs like statins and zoledronic acid appears as a challenging promising tool for breast cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giorgia Centonze
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Torino, Italy.,Interdepartmental Center of Research in Molecular Biotechnology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Dora Natalini
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Torino, Italy.,Interdepartmental Center of Research in Molecular Biotechnology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Alessio Piccolantonio
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Torino, Italy.,Interdepartmental Center of Research in Molecular Biotechnology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Salemme
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Torino, Italy.,Interdepartmental Center of Research in Molecular Biotechnology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Alessandro Morellato
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Torino, Italy.,Interdepartmental Center of Research in Molecular Biotechnology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Pietro Arina
- University College London (UCL), Bloomsbury Institute of Intensive Care Medicine, Division of Medicine, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Chiara Riganti
- Interdepartmental Center of Research in Molecular Biotechnology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy.,Department of Oncology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Paola Defilippi
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Torino, Italy.,Interdepartmental Center of Research in Molecular Biotechnology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
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