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Yamashita T, Ohde T, Nakamura T, Ishimaru Y, Watanabe T, Tomonari S, Nakamura Y, Noji S, Mito T. Involvement of the scalloped gene in morphogenesis of the wing margin via regulating cell growth in a hemimetabolous insect Gryllus bimaculatus. Dev Growth Differ 2023; 65:348-359. [PMID: 37310211 DOI: 10.1111/dgd.12869] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The acquisition of wings was a key event in insect evolution. As hemimetabolous insects were the first group to acquire functional wings, establishing the mechanisms of wing formation in this group could provide useful insights into their evolution. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the expression and function of the gene scalloped (sd), which is involved in wing formation in Drosophila melanogaster, and in Gryllus bimaculatus mainly during postembryonic development. Expression analysis showed that sd is expressed in the tergal edge, legs, antennae, labrum, and cerci during embryogenesis and in the distal margin of the wing pads from at least the sixth instar in the mid to late stages. Because sd knockout caused early lethality, nymphal RNA interference experiments were performed. Malformations were observed in the wings, ovipositor, and antennae. By analyzing the effects on wing morphology, it was revealed that sd is mainly involved in the formation of the margin, possibly through the regulation of cell proliferation. In conclusion, sd might regulate the local growth of wing pads and influence wing margin morphology in Gryllus.
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Grants
- 17H03945 Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
- 19H02970 Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
- 19K06691 Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
- 20K21436 Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
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Affiliation(s)
- Takahisa Yamashita
- Graduate School of Advanced Technology and Science, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Takahiro Ohde
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Taro Nakamura
- Division of Evolutionary Developmental Biology, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan
| | - Yoshiyasu Ishimaru
- Graduate School of Sciences and Technology for Innovation, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Takahito Watanabe
- Bio-Innovation Research Center, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Sayuri Tomonari
- Technical Support Department, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Yuki Nakamura
- Graduate School of Advanced Technology and Science, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Sumihare Noji
- Bio-Innovation Research Center, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Taro Mito
- Bio-Innovation Research Center, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
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Lanng SK, Oxfeldt M, Pedersen SS, Johansen FT, Risikesan J, Lejel T, Bertram HC, Hansen M. Influence of protein source (cricket, pea, whey) on amino acid bioavailability and activation of the mTORC1 signaling pathway after resistance exercise in healthy young males. Eur J Nutr 2023; 62:1295-1308. [PMID: 36536114 DOI: 10.1007/s00394-022-03071-y] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE New dietary proteins are currently introduced to replace traditional animal protein sources. However, not much is known about their bioaccessibility and ability to stimulate muscle protein synthesis compared to the traditional protein sources. We aimed to compare effects of ingesting a protein bolus (0.25 g/kg fat free mass) of either cricket (insect), pea, or whey protein on circulating amino acid levels and activation of the mTORC1 signaling pathway in the skeletal muscle at rest and after exercise. METHODS In a randomized parallel controlled trial, young males (n = 50) performed a one-legged resistance exercise followed by ingestion of one of the three protein sources. Blood samples were collected before and in the following 4 h after exercise. Muscle biopsies were obtained at baseline and after 3 h from the non-exercised and exercised leg. RESULTS Analysis of blood serum showed a significantly higher concentration of amino acids after ingestion of whey protein compared to cricket and pea protein. No difference between protein sources in activation of the mTORC1 signaling pathway was observed either at rest or after exercise. CONCLUSION Amino acid blood concentration after protein ingestion was higher for whey than pea and cricket protein, whereas activation of mTORC1 signaling pathway at rest and after exercise did not differ between protein sources. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER Clinicaltrials.org ID NCT04633694.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofie Kaas Lanng
- Department of Food Science, Aarhus University, 8200, Aarhus N, Denmark
- CiFOOD, Centre for Innovative Food Research, Aarhus University, 8200, Aarhus N, Denmark
| | - Mikkel Oxfeldt
- Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | | | | | - Jeyanthini Risikesan
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Diabetes and Hormones Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, 8200, Aarhus N, Denmark
| | - Trine Lejel
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Regional Hospital Horsens, 8700, Horsens, Denmark
| | - Hanne Christine Bertram
- Department of Food Science, Aarhus University, 8200, Aarhus N, Denmark.
- CiFOOD, Centre for Innovative Food Research, Aarhus University, 8200, Aarhus N, Denmark.
| | - Mette Hansen
- Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
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McDermett K, Anderson T, Jackson WA, Guelfo J. Assessing Potential Perfluoroalkyl Substances Trophic Transfer to Crickets (Acheta domesticus). Environ Toxicol Chem 2022; 41:2981-2992. [PMID: 36102845 DOI: 10.1002/etc.5478] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Although many studies have assessed the bioaccumulation of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in plant tissues, to date there has been minimal research on the bioaccumulation of PFAS in soil invertebrates that results from consuming PFAS-contaminated media. The present study focused on two different consumption pathways in a population of crickets: individuals consuming PFAS-contaminated alfalfa and individuals consuming PFAS-spiked drinking water. Alfalfa was grown in a greenhouse and irrigated with PFAS-spiked water (∼1 ppm) containing seven unique PFAS. The alfalfa was then harvested and fed to crickets. Another population of crickets was supplied with PFAS-spiked drinking water at similar concentrations to irrigation water for direct consumption. Alfalfa accumulation of PFAS and subsequent consumption by the crickets resulted in overall similar tissue concentrations in the crickets who consumed PFAS-spiked water directly. This indicates that source concentration (water) may be an important factor in assessing the bioaccumulation of PFAS in organisms. To our knowledge, ours is the first study not only to assess the direct trophic transfer of PFAS from contaminated vegetation to invertebrates, but also to highlight the similarities in bioaccumulation regardless of ingestion pathway. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:2981-2992. © 2022 SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaylin McDermett
- Department of Civil, Environmental, and Construction Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, USA
- Geosyntec Consultants, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Todd Anderson
- Department of Environmental Toxicology, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, USA
| | - W Andrew Jackson
- Department of Civil, Environmental, and Construction Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, USA
| | - Jennifer Guelfo
- Department of Civil, Environmental, and Construction Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, USA
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Psarianos M, Ojha S, Schneider R, Schlüter OK. Chitin Isolation and Chitosan Production from House Crickets ( Acheta domesticus) by Environmentally Friendly Methods. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27155005. [PMID: 35956955 PMCID: PMC9370203 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27155005] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Alternative methods were evaluated for chitin isolation from Acheta domesticus. Chemical demineralization was compared to fermentation with Lactococcus lactis, citric acid treatment, and microwave treatment, leading to a degree of demineralization of 91.1 ± 0.3, 97.3 ± 0.8, 70.5 ± 3.5, and 85.8 ± 1.3%, respectively. Fermentation with Bacillus subtilis, a deep eutectic solvent, and enzymatic digestion were tested for chitin isolation, generating materials with less than half the chitin content when compared to alkaline deproteinization. Chitosan was produced on a large scale by deacetylation of the chitinous material obtained from two selected processes: the chemical treatment and an alternative process combining L. lactis fermentation with bromelain deproteinization. The chemical and alternative processes resulted in similar chitosan content (81.9 and 88.0%), antioxidant activity (59 and 49%), and degree of deacetylation (66.6 and 62.9%), respectively. The chitosan products had comparable physical properties. Therefore, the alternative process is appropriate to replace the chemical process of chitin isolation for industrial applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marios Psarianos
- Quality and Safety of Food and Feed, Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy (ATB), Max-Eyth-Allee 100, 14469 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Shikha Ojha
- Quality and Safety of Food and Feed, Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy (ATB), Max-Eyth-Allee 100, 14469 Potsdam, Germany
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-(0)-331-5699-616
| | - Roland Schneider
- Department of Bioengineering, Leibniz-Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy (ATB), 14469 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Oliver K. Schlüter
- Quality and Safety of Food and Feed, Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy (ATB), Max-Eyth-Allee 100, 14469 Potsdam, Germany
- Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Bologna, Piazza Goidanich 60, 47521 Cesena, Italy
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Smarzyński K, Sarbak P, Kowalczewski PŁ, Różańska MB, Rybicka I, Polanowska K, Fedko M, Kmiecik D, Masewicz Ł, Nowicki M, Lewandowicz J, Jeżowski P, Kačániová M, Ślachciński M, Piechota T, Baranowska HM. Low-Field NMR Study of Shortcake Biscuits with Cricket Powder, and Their Nutritional and Physical Characteristics. Molecules 2021; 26:5417. [PMID: 34500847 PMCID: PMC8434015 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26175417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [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] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Revised: 08/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The growing human population renders challenges for the future supply of food products with high nutritional value. Here, we enhanced the functional and nutritional value of biscuits, a popular sweet snack, by replacing the wheat flour with 2%, 6%, or 10% (w/w) cricket powder. Consumer acceptance ratings for reference and 2% augmented cookies were comparable, whereas the higher levels of enhancement received inferior consumer scores. This relatively small change in biscuit recipe provided significant and nutritionally desirable enhancements in the biscuits, observed in a series of analyses. An increase in the protein content was observed, including essential amino acids, as well as minerals and fat. This conversion also affected the physical properties of the biscuits, including hardness, and water molecular dynamics measured by 1H NMR. Cricket powder-augmented biscuits join the line of enhanced, functionally superior food products. This and similar food augmentation provide a viable scenario to meet the human food demands in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krzysztof Smarzyński
- Students’ Scientific Club of Food Technologists, Poznań University of Life Sciences, 31 Wojska Polskiego St., 60-624 Poznań, Poland; (K.S.); (P.S.)
| | - Paulina Sarbak
- Students’ Scientific Club of Food Technologists, Poznań University of Life Sciences, 31 Wojska Polskiego St., 60-624 Poznań, Poland; (K.S.); (P.S.)
| | - Przemysław Łukasz Kowalczewski
- Department of Food Technology of Plant Origin, Poznań University of Life Sciences, 31 Wojska Polskiego St., 60-624 Poznań, Poland; (P.Ł.K.); (M.B.R.); (K.P.); (D.K.)
| | - Maria Barbara Różańska
- Department of Food Technology of Plant Origin, Poznań University of Life Sciences, 31 Wojska Polskiego St., 60-624 Poznań, Poland; (P.Ł.K.); (M.B.R.); (K.P.); (D.K.)
| | - Iga Rybicka
- Department of Technology and Instrumental Analysis, Poznań University of Economics and Business, Al. Niepodległości 10, 61-875 Poznań, Poland;
| | - Katarzyna Polanowska
- Department of Food Technology of Plant Origin, Poznań University of Life Sciences, 31 Wojska Polskiego St., 60-624 Poznań, Poland; (P.Ł.K.); (M.B.R.); (K.P.); (D.K.)
| | - Monika Fedko
- Department of Gastronomy Science and Functional Food, Poznań University of Life Sciences, 31 Wojska Polskiego St., 60-634 Poznań, Poland;
| | - Dominik Kmiecik
- Department of Food Technology of Plant Origin, Poznań University of Life Sciences, 31 Wojska Polskiego St., 60-624 Poznań, Poland; (P.Ł.K.); (M.B.R.); (K.P.); (D.K.)
| | - Łukasz Masewicz
- Department of Physics and Biophysics, Poznań University of Life Sciences, 38/42 Wojska Polskiego St., 60-637 Poznań, Poland;
| | - Marcin Nowicki
- Institute of Agriculture, University of Tennessee, 370 Plant Biotechnology Building, 2505 EJ Chapman Drive, Knoxville, TN 37996-4560, USA;
| | - Jacek Lewandowicz
- Department of Production Management and Logistics, Poznan University of Technology, 2 Jacka Rychlewskiego St., 60-965 Poznań, Poland;
| | - Paweł Jeżowski
- Institute of Chemistry and Technical Electrochemistry, Poznan University of Technology, Berdychowo 4, 60-965 Poznań, Poland; (P.J.); (M.Ś.)
| | - Miroslava Kačániová
- Department of Fruit Sciences, Viticulture and Enology, Faculty of Horticulture and Landscape Engineering, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Tr. A. Hlinku 2, 949 76 Nitra, Slovakia;
- Department of Bioenergy and Food Technology, Institute of Food Technology and Nutrition, University of Rzeszow, Cwiklinskiej 1, 35-601 Rzeszow, Poland
| | - Mariusz Ślachciński
- Institute of Chemistry and Technical Electrochemistry, Poznan University of Technology, Berdychowo 4, 60-965 Poznań, Poland; (P.J.); (M.Ś.)
| | - Tomasz Piechota
- Department of Agronomy, Poznań University of Life Sciences, 11 Dojazd St., 60-631 Poznań, Poland;
| | - Hanna Maria Baranowska
- Department of Physics and Biophysics, Poznań University of Life Sciences, 38/42 Wojska Polskiego St., 60-637 Poznań, Poland;
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Jin W, Tan E, Ghartey-Kwansah G, Jia Y, Xi G. Expression of 20-hydroxyecdysone-related genes during gonadal development of Teleogryllus emma (Orthoptera: Gryllidae). Arch Insect Biochem Physiol 2021; 108:e21824. [PMID: 34272758 DOI: 10.1002/arch.21824] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Revised: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Insect gonads develop under endocrine signals. In this study, we assessed the characters of partial complementary DNAs encoding the Teleogryllus emma orthologs of 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E)-related genes (RXR, E75, HR3, Hsc70, and Hsp90) and analyzed their expression patterns in both nymph and adult crickets. 20E treatment suppressed expression of TeEcR, TeRXR, TeE75, TeHR3, TeHsc70, and TeHsp90. Temporal expression analysis demonstrated that TeERR and 20E-related genes were expressed in four stages of gonadal development from the fourth-instar nymph stage to the adult stage. The expression pattern of these genes differed in testicular and ovarian development. TeRXR, HR3, TeHsc70, and TeHsp90 were irregularly expressed in gonads of the same developmental stages, while mRNAs encoding TeERR, TeEcR, and TeE75 accumulated in higher levels in ovaries than in testes. RNA interference (RNAi) of TeEcR expression led to decrease of the expression levels of TeEcR, TeRXR, TeHR3, and TeHsc70, while it enhanced TeE75 and TeHsp90 expressions. These results demonstrate that the TeERR and 20E-related genes help regulate gonadal development, while TeEcR appears to inhibit TeE75 expression, TeE75 inhibits HR3 expression. Hsc70 indirectly regulated the expression of the primary and secondary response genes E74A, E75B, and HR3. Hsp90 regulated Usp expression with no direct regulatory relationship with EcR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjie Jin
- State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining, China
- College of Eco-Environmental Engineering, Qinghai University, Xining, China
- Laboratory of Animal Reproduction and Development, College of Life Science, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - E Tan
- Laboratory of Animal Reproduction and Development, College of Life Science, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - George Ghartey-Kwansah
- Laboratory of Animal Reproduction and Development, College of Life Science, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yishu Jia
- Laboratory of Animal Reproduction and Development, College of Life Science, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Gengsi Xi
- Laboratory of Animal Reproduction and Development, College of Life Science, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
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Jeong MS, Lee SD, Cho SJ. Effect of Three Defatting Solvents on the Techno-Functional Properties of an Edible Insect ( Gryllus bimaculatus) Protein Concentrate. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26175307. [PMID: 34500739 PMCID: PMC8433639 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26175307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [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: 07/21/2021] [Revised: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Edible insects have received global attention as an alternative protein-rich food. However, their structural characteristics make them difficult to digest. To overcome this obstacle, we assessed the techno-functional properties of three protein concentrates from the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus. Freeze-dried G. bimaculatus powder was defatted using ethanol, hexene, or acetone as solvents, and the techno-functional properties (protein solubility, water and oil holding capacity, foaming properties, emulsion capacity, and gel formation) of the protein concentrates were determined. Freeze-dried G. bimaculatus powder comprised approximately 17.3% crude fat and 51.3% crude protein based on dry weight. Ethanol was the most effective solvent for reducing the fat content (from 17.30% to 0.73%) and increasing the protein content (from 51.3% to 62.5%) of the concentrate. Techno-functionality properties drastically differed according to the defatting solvent used and foaming properties were most affected. Thus, the techno-functional and whole properties must be considered for proper application of edible insects to achieve global food sustainability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min-Soo Jeong
- Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Korea;
| | - Sang-Deok Lee
- Division of Forest Science, College of Forest and Environmental Sciences, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Korea
- Correspondence: (S.-D.L.); (S.-J.C.)
| | - Seong-Jun Cho
- Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Korea;
- Correspondence: (S.-D.L.); (S.-J.C.)
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McMahon S, Matzke M, Tuni C. Food Limitation but Not Enhanced Rates of Ejaculate Production Imposes Reproductive and Survival Costs to Male Crickets. Cells 2021; 10:cells10061498. [PMID: 34203610 PMCID: PMC8232169 DOI: 10.3390/cells10061498] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2021] [Revised: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Estimating costs of ejaculate production is challenging. Metabolic investment in ejaculates may come at the expense of other physiological functions and may negatively affect future reproduction and/or survival. These trade-offs are especially likely to occur under constrained resource pools (e.g., poor nutrition). Here, we investigated costs of ejaculate production via trade-offs in the field cricket Gryllus bimaculatus. We experimentally increased rates of ejaculate production, while keeping an unmanipulated group, in adult males kept at high and low feeding regimes and tested the effects of our treatments on (i) somatic maintenance (i.e., changes in male body mass), (ii) future reproduction (i.e., the likelihood of producing a spermatophore and the viability of its sperm), and (iii) lifetime survival and longevity. We predicted investment in ejaculates to impinge upon all measured responses, especially in low-fed individuals. Instead, we only found negative effects of food limitation, suggesting low or undetectable costs of spermatophore production. High mating rates may select for males to maximize their capacity of ejaculate production, making ejaculate traits less prone to trade-offs with other fitness-related life history traits. Nevertheless, males were impaired due to nutrient deficiency in producing viable ejaculates, suggesting condition-dependent costs for ejaculate production.
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Whittle CA, Kulkarni A, Chung N, Extavour CG. Adaptation of codon and amino acid use for translational functions in highly expressed cricket genes. BMC Genomics 2021; 22:234. [PMID: 33823803 PMCID: PMC8022432 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-021-07411-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [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: 08/31/2020] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND For multicellular organisms, much remains unknown about the dynamics of synonymous codon and amino acid use in highly expressed genes, including whether their use varies with expression in different tissue types and sexes. Moreover, specific codons and amino acids may have translational functions in highly transcribed genes, that largely depend on their relationships to tRNA gene copies in the genome. However, these relationships and putative functions are poorly understood, particularly in multicellular systems. RESULTS Here, we studied codon and amino acid use in highly expressed genes from reproductive and nervous system tissues (male and female gonad, somatic reproductive system, brain and ventral nerve cord, and male accessory glands) in the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus. We report an optimal codon, defined as the codon preferentially used in highly expressed genes, for each of the 18 amino acids with synonymous codons in this organism. The optimal codons were mostly shared among tissue types and both sexes. However, the frequency of optimal codons was highest in gonadal genes. Concordant with translational selection, a majority of the optimal codons had abundant matching tRNA gene copies in the genome, but sometimes obligately required wobble tRNAs. We suggest the latter may comprise a mechanism for slowing translation of abundant transcripts, particularly for cell-cycle genes. Non-optimal codons, defined as those least commonly used in highly transcribed genes, intriguingly often had abundant tRNAs, and had elevated use in a subset of genes with specialized functions (gametic and apoptosis genes), suggesting their use promotes the translational upregulation of particular mRNAs. In terms of amino acids, we found evidence suggesting that amino acid frequency, tRNA gene copy number, and amino acid biosynthetic costs (size/complexity) had all interdependently evolved in this insect model, potentially for translational optimization. CONCLUSIONS Collectively, the results suggest a model whereby codon use in highly expressed genes, including optimal, wobble, and non-optimal codons, and their tRNA abundances, as well as amino acid use, have been influenced by adaptation for various functional roles in translation within this cricket. The effects of expression in different tissue types and the two sexes are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carrie A Whittle
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 16 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Arpita Kulkarni
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 16 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Nina Chung
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 16 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Cassandra G Extavour
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 16 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, 16 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, 02138, MA, USA.
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Gäde G, Šimek P, Marco HG. Biochemically identified neuropeptides in a caddisfly (Trichoptera) and a pygmy mole cricket (Orthoptera: Caelifera: Tridactyloidea). Arch Insect Biochem Physiol 2021; 106:e21778. [PMID: 33719129 DOI: 10.1002/arch.21778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [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: 12/15/2020] [Revised: 01/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
One representative of the order Trichoptera, namely the caddisfly Chaetopteryx villosa, was investigated along with the pygmy mole cricket Xya capensis which is a representative of the most basal superfamily of the caeliferan Orthoptera, that is, the Tridactyloidea. From both clades neuropeptides have not been biochemically characterized before this study. Here, members of the adipokinetic hormone family (AKHs) are sequenced via liquid chromatography (LC)-ion trap mass spectrometry from methanolic extracts from the corpora cardiaca of respective species. The corpora cardiaca were dissected, methanolic extracts prepared, peptides separated by liquid chromatography (LC), and AKHs detected and sequenced by ion trap mass spectrometry. Both species investigated contain an octapeptide AKH: the trichopteran species has the peptide with the sequence pGlu-Leu-Thr-Phe-Thr-Pro-Ser-Trp amide; the ambiguity of the isobaric amino acids Leu and Ile at position two was solved by comparing retention times on LC and by co-elution with the synthetic Leu2 -form. This peptide is known as Aedae-AKH and found in certain dipteran species and in an alderfly (Megaloptera). The tridactyloid species contains the peptide with the sequence pGlu-Val-Asn-Phe-Ser-Pro-Gly-Trp amide which had first been identified in a member of the order Mantophasmatodea and is called Manto-CC. Comparisons are made between the AKH complements of the sister groups Trichoptera and Lepidoptera and their possible relatedness and, on the other hand, between the AKH of X. capensis with those of closely related caeliferan superfamilies. The biology of the two studied species is used to speculate about a possible function of the elucidated hormones. Lastly, the use of a larval stage as starting material for structural neuropeptide information is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerd Gäde
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Petr Šimek
- Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budĕjovice, Czech Republic
| | - Heather G Marco
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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Pereira MC, Cooper PD. A Novel Head Capsule Labial Gland Lobe in the Black Field Cricket (Orthoptera: Gryllidae). J Insect Sci 2020; 20:5875050. [PMID: 32697826 PMCID: PMC7375494 DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/ieaa068] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2019] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
We describe a pair of labial gland lobes on either side of the retrocerebral complex in the head of the Australian black field cricket, Teleogryllus commodus Walker. As the retrocerebral complex includes the corpora cardiaca and corpora allata, hormones secreted by these glands can be absorbed by these lobes. These lobes of the labial gland are connected to the thoracic lobes via a relatively long duct that enters the main duct draining the thoracic lobes. Measurement of the flow rate of dye from head to thorax in the ducts is rapid, suggesting that these glands may serve as a transport system into the thoracic region. Both serotonin and adipokinetic hormone are shown to be present in the lobes near the retrocerebral complex and the ducts of the thoracic lobes, but whether this connection between the head and thorax acts as a hormone transporter is still unclear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monique Campos Pereira
- Entomology Laboratory, Department of Morphology, Bioscience Institute, UNESP – São, Paulo State University, Botucatu, SP, Brazil
| | - Paul D Cooper
- Ecology & Evolution, Research School of Biology, Bld 46, ANU - The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
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12
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Zhou YJ, Seike H, Nagata S. Function of myosuppressin in regulating digestive function in the two-spotted cricket, Gryllus bimaculatus. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2019; 280:185-191. [PMID: 31054903 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2019.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2018] [Revised: 04/22/2019] [Accepted: 05/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Myosuppressin is one of essential peptides controlling biological processes including feeding behavior. Here we identified and characterized the cDNAs that encode myosuppressin precursor and its receptor in the two-spotted cricket Gryllus bimaculatus. The presence of the mature peptide (Grybi-MS) was confirmed by direct measurement of adult brain. RT-PCR revealed the tissue distribution of these transcripts; myosuppressin is expressed predominantly in the brain and central nervous system, whereas its receptor is ubiquitously expressed in the cricket body. To address the function of Grybi-MS, we performed several bioassays to test concerning feeding behavior and digestive function upon exposure to Grybi-MS. Administration of synthetic Grybi-MS resulted in increased feeding motivation, accompanied by an increase in food intake. Meanwhile, the hemolymph lipid and carbohydrate titers were both elevated after Grybi-MS injection. As the intestinal contraction is significantly inhibited by the exposure to Grybi-MS, the upregulating feeding index might be complicated in the cricket body. The current data indicate that Grybi-MS modulates feeding behavior to control the physiological processes in the cricket.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Jun Zhou
- Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwa no ha, Kashiwa City, Chiba #277-8562, Japan; Research Fellow of Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), Kojimachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0083, Japan
| | - Hitomi Seike
- Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwa no ha, Kashiwa City, Chiba #277-8562, Japan
| | - Shinji Nagata
- Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwa no ha, Kashiwa City, Chiba #277-8562, Japan.
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13
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Chen Q, Wen M, Li J, Zhou H, Jin S, Zhou JJ, Wang Y, Ren B. Involvement of heat shock protein 40 in the wing dimorphism of the house cricket Acheta domesticus. J Insect Physiol 2019; 114:35-44. [PMID: 30776423 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2019.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2018] [Revised: 02/14/2019] [Accepted: 02/14/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Wing dimorphism is a common phenomenon in a wide range of insect taxa. In most insects, the two morphs are macropterous and micropterous, in extreme cases of the latter, wing shedding can occur. Wing dimorphism contributes significantly to the ecological success of many insect species. However, the molecular basis of wing dimorphism is not fully understood, especially for wing-shed. Here, differentially expressed genes over eight developmental stages of the house cricket Acheta domesticus, which undergoes wing-shed dimorphism, were studied. The results revealed a wing-shed peak during adult development in which many DEGs were highly upregulated and it's influenced by cricket population density. A weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA) grouped 21,922 DEGs among 141,456 unigenes into 18 modules of different expression patterns. The module in which the gene expression pattern correlated with the wing-shed phenotypic data was selected for further analyses with STEM and Cytoscape, and three candidate genes (AdomHSP40: Heat shock protein 40, AdomCFDP: Craniofacial development protein, AdomDIS3L: DIS3 Like 3'-5' Exoribonuclease) were identified by gene network analysis as the DEGs most relevant to wing-shed occurrence. The RNA interference of these genes together with an insulin receptor and Nylanderia fulva virus showed that the silencing of AdomHSP40 significantly decreased wing-shed occurrence, whereas the silencing of other candidate genes did not, suggesting that AdomHSP40 plays a crucial role in the wing-shed of Acheta domesticus. These findings provide insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying wing dimorphism in the house crickets, which differ from those found in other insects such as the planthopper.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Chen
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin, China; Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, MOE, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
| | - Ming Wen
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin, China; Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, MOE, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
| | - Jiaxin Li
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin, China; Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, MOE, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
| | - Haifeng Zhou
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin, China; Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, MOE, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
| | - Sha Jin
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin, China; Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, MOE, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
| | - Jing-Jiang Zhou
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin, China; Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Hertfordshire AL5 2JQ, UK
| | - Yinliang Wang
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin, China; Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, MOE, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China.
| | - Bingzhong Ren
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin, China; Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, MOE, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China.
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14
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Oonincx DGAB, van Keulen P, Finke MD, Baines FM, Vermeulen M, Bosch G. Evidence of vitamin D synthesis in insects exposed to UVb light. Sci Rep 2018; 8:10807. [PMID: 30018318 PMCID: PMC6050303 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-29232-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [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: 12/18/2017] [Accepted: 07/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Vertebrates obtain the prohormone vitamin D primarily by endogenous cutaneous synthesis under ultraviolet b (UVb) exposure. To date, endogenous synthesis of vitamin D in insects has never been investigated. In an initial experiment, we exposed four insect species which differ in ecology and morphology (migratory locusts, house crickets, yellow mealworms and black soldier fly larvae (BSFL)) to a low irradiance UVb source. In a second experiment we exposed these species to a higher UV irradiance, and in a third we tested the effect of exposure duration on vitamin D concentrations in yellow mealworms. Low irradiance UVb tended to increase vitamin D3 levels in house crickets, vitamin D2 levels in BSFL and vitamin D2 and D3 in yellow mealworms. Higher UVb irradiance increased vitamin D3 levels in all species but BSFL. Both BSFL and migratory locusts had increased vitamin D2 levels. Longer UVb exposure of yellow mealworms increased vitamin D2 and increased vitamin D3 until a plateau was reached at 6400 IU/kg. This study shows that insects can synthesize vitamin D de novo and that the amounts depend on UVb irradiance and exposure duration.
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Affiliation(s)
- D G A B Oonincx
- Laboratory of Entomology, Department of Plant Sciences, Wageningen University & Research, P.O. Box 16, 6700 AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - P van Keulen
- Animal Nutrition Group, Department of Animal Sciences, Wageningen University & Research, P.O. Box 338, 6700 AH, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - M D Finke
- Mark Finke LLC, 17028 E Wildcat Dr, Rio Verde, AZ, 85263, USA
| | - F M Baines
- UV Guide UK, Greenfield, School Lane, Govilon, Abergavenny, NP7 9NT, Wales, UK
| | - M Vermeulen
- TNO Triskelion, Nutrient Analysis team, Utrechtseweg 48, Zeist, The Netherlands
- CCIC Europe Food Test, Lelystad, The Netherlands
| | - G Bosch
- Animal Nutrition Group, Department of Animal Sciences, Wageningen University & Research, P.O. Box 338, 6700 AH, Wageningen, The Netherlands
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15
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Browne A, O'Donnell MJ. Mechanisms of calcium sequestration by isolated Malpighian tubules of the house cricket Acheta domesticus. Arch Insect Biochem Physiol 2018; 97:e21431. [PMID: 29159836 DOI: 10.1002/arch.21431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Hemolymph calcium homeostasis in insects is achieved by the Malpighian tubules, primarily by sequestering excess Ca2+ within internal calcium stores (Ca-rich granules) most often located within type I (principal) tubule cells. Using both the scanning ion-selective electrode technique and the Ramsay secretion assay this study provides the first measurements of basolateral and transepithelial Ca2+ fluxes across the Malpighian tubules of an Orthopteran insect, the house cricket Acheta domesticus. Ca2+ transport was specific to midtubule segments, where 97% of the Ca2+ entering the tubule is sequestered within intracellular calcium stores and the remaining 3% is secreted into the lumen. Antagonists of voltage-gated (L-type) calcium channels decreased Ca2+ influx ≥fivefold in adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP)-stimulated tubules, suggesting basolateral Ca2+ influx is facilitated by voltage-gated Ca2+ channels. Increasing fluid secretion through manipulation of intracellular levels of cAMP or Ca2+ had opposite effects on tubule Ca2+ transport. The adenylyl cyclase-cAMP-PKA pathway promotes Ca2+ sequestration whereas both 5-hydroxytryptamine and thapsigargin inhibited sequestration. Our results suggest that the midtubules of Acheta domesticus are dynamic calcium stores, which maintain hemolymph calcium concentration by manipulating rates of Ca2+ sequestration through stimulatory (cAMP) and inhibitory (Ca2+ ) regulatory pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Austin Browne
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
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16
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Zielińska E, Baraniak B, Karaś M. Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Hydrolysates and Peptide Fractions Obtained by Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Selected Heat-Treated Edible Insects. Nutrients 2017; 9:E970. [PMID: 28869499 PMCID: PMC5622730 DOI: 10.3390/nu9090970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [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: 07/17/2017] [Revised: 08/11/2017] [Accepted: 08/30/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
This study investigated the effect of heat treatment of edible insects on antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of peptides obtained by in vitro gastrointestinal digestion and absorption process thereof. The antioxidant potential of edible insect hydrolysates was determined as free radical-scavenging activity, ion chelating activity, and reducing power, whereas the anti-inflammatory activity was expressed as lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitory activity. The highest antiradical activity against DPPH• (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical) was noted for a peptide fraction from baked cricket Gryllodes sigillatus hydrolysate (IC50 value 10.9 µg/mL) and that against ABTS•+ (2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical) was the highest for raw mealworm Tenebrio molitor hydrolysate (inhibitory concentration (IC50 value) 5.3 µg/mL). The peptides obtained from boiled locust Schistocerca gregaria hydrolysate showed the highest Fe2+ chelation ability (IC50 value 2.57 µg/mL); furthermore, the highest reducing power was observed for raw G. sigillatus hydrolysate (0.771). The peptide fraction from a protein preparation from the locust S. gregaria exhibited the most significant lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitory activity (IC50 value 3.13 µg/mL and 5.05 µg/mL, respectively).
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewelina Zielińska
- Departament of Biochemistry and Food Chemistry, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Skromna Str. 8, 20-704 Lublin, Poland.
| | - Barbara Baraniak
- Departament of Biochemistry and Food Chemistry, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Skromna Str. 8, 20-704 Lublin, Poland.
| | - Monika Karaś
- Departament of Biochemistry and Food Chemistry, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Skromna Str. 8, 20-704 Lublin, Poland.
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17
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Servin AD, Pagano L, Castillo-Michel H, De la Torre-Roche R, Hawthorne J, Hernandez-Viezcas JA, Loredo-Portales R, Majumdar S, Gardea-Torresday J, Dhankher OP, White JC. Weathering in soil increases nanoparticle CuO bioaccumulation within a terrestrial food chain. Nanotoxicology 2017; 11:98-111. [PMID: 28024451 DOI: 10.1080/17435390.2016.1277274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2016] [Revised: 12/01/2016] [Accepted: 12/13/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
This study evaluates the bioaccumulation of unweathered (U) and weathered (W) CuO in NP, bulk and ionic form (0-400 mg/kg) by lettuce exposed for 70 d in soil co-contaminated with field incurred chlordane. To evaluate CuO trophic transfer, leaves were fed to crickets (Acheta domestica) for 15 d, followed by insect feeding to lizards (Anolis carolinensis). Upon weathering, the root Cu content of the NP treatment increased 214% (327 ± 59.1 mg/kg) over unaged treatment. Cu root content decreased in bulk and ionic treatments from 70-130 mg/kg to 13-26 mg/kg upon aging in soil. Micro X-ray fluorescence (μ-XRF) analysis of W-NP-exposed roots showed a homogenous distribution of Cu (and Ca) in the tissues. Additionally, micro X-ray absorption near-edge (μ-XANES) analysis of W-NP-exposed roots showed near complete transformation of CuO to Cu (I)-sulfur and oxide complexes in the tissues, whereas in unweathered treatment, most root Cu remained as CuO. The expression level of nine genes involved in Cu transport shows that the mechanisms of CuO NPs (and bulk) response/accumulation are different than ionic Cu. The chlordane accumulation by lettuce upon co-exposure to CuO NPs significantly increased upon weathering. Conversely, bulk and ionic exposures decreased pesticide accumulation by plant upon weathering. The Cu cricket fecal content from U-NP-exposed insects was significantly greater than the bulk or ion treatments, suggesting a higher initial NP accumulation followed by significantly greater elimination during depuration. In the lizard, Cu content in the intestine, body and head did not differ as a function of weathering. This study demonstrates that CuO NPs may undergo transformation processes in soil upon weathering that subsequently impact NPs availability in terrestrial food chains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alia D Servin
- a Department of Analytical Chemistry , Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station , New Haven , CT , USA
| | - Luca Pagano
- a Department of Analytical Chemistry , Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station , New Haven , CT , USA
- b Stockbridge School of Agriculture, University of Massachusetts , Amherst , MA , USA
- c Department of Life Sciences , University of Parma , Parma , Italy
| | | | - Roberto De la Torre-Roche
- a Department of Analytical Chemistry , Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station , New Haven , CT , USA
| | - Joseph Hawthorne
- a Department of Analytical Chemistry , Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station , New Haven , CT , USA
| | | | - René Loredo-Portales
- f Universidad de Guanajuato Noria Alta s/n 36000 , Guanajuato , Mexico
- g Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste , Basovizza , Italy
| | - Sanghamitra Majumdar
- a Department of Analytical Chemistry , Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station , New Haven , CT , USA
| | - Jorge Gardea-Torresday
- e Chemistry Department , University of Texas at El Paso , El Paso , TX , USA
- h University of California Center for Environmental Implications of Nanotechnology (UC CEIN) , El Paso , TX , USA
| | - Om Parkash Dhankher
- b Stockbridge School of Agriculture, University of Massachusetts , Amherst , MA , USA
| | - Jason C White
- a Department of Analytical Chemistry , Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station , New Haven , CT , USA
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18
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Karpeta-Kaczmarek J, Dziewięcka M, Augustyniak M, Rost-Roszkowska M, Pawlyta M. Oxidative stress and genotoxic effects of diamond nanoparticles. Environ Res 2016; 148:264-272. [PMID: 27085498 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2016.03.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [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: 01/14/2016] [Revised: 03/24/2016] [Accepted: 03/24/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Due to the unique and useful properties of nanodiamonds (ND), their production and use is rapidly increasing. Thus, more of these particles will be released into the environment and organisms will inevitably be exposed to them. The current knowledge about the toxicity of ND, especially in vivo toxicity, is fragmentary. In this study, the toxicity of nanodiamonds was assessed in Acheta domesticus following chronic exposure to different nominal concentrations of ND (20 and 200µgg(-1) food) administrated in food for the entire lifespan. The activity of oxidative stress enzymes (catalase, glutathione peroxidase), total antioxidant capacity, as well as the level of heat shock protein were determined. A significant increase in all of the measured parameters was observed after seven weeks of exposure in individuals exposed to higher concentrations of ND (200µgg(-1) food). In animals exposed to lower concentrations of ND (20µgg(-1) food), there were few significant changes to these parameters. Analysis of DNA damage performed after fourteen weeks using the comet assay revealed DNA instabilities in the insects, especially the ones that had been exposed to the higher doses of ND. These findings may suggest that the toxicity of ND is concentration dependent. While high doses interact in a toxic manner, trace amounts, which are more likely in the environment, might be safe for organisms. Extreme caution should be taken when handling nanodiamonds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Karpeta-Kaczmarek
- Department of Animal Physiology and Ecotoxicology, University of Silesia, Bankowa 9, PL 40-007 Katowice, Poland.
| | - Marta Dziewięcka
- Department of Animal Physiology and Ecotoxicology, University of Silesia, Bankowa 9, PL 40-007 Katowice, Poland
| | - Maria Augustyniak
- Department of Animal Physiology and Ecotoxicology, University of Silesia, Bankowa 9, PL 40-007 Katowice, Poland
| | - Magdalena Rost-Roszkowska
- Department of Animal Histology and Embryology, University of Silesia, Bankowa 9, PL 40-007 Katowice, Poland
| | - Mirosława Pawlyta
- Silesian University of Technology, Institute of Engineering Materials and Biomaterials, Konarskiego 18A, 44100 Gliwice, Poland
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Ariki NK, Muñoz LE, Armitage EL, Goodstein FR, George KG, Smith VL, Vetter I, Herzig V, King GF, Loening NM. Characterization of Three Venom Peptides from the Spitting Spider Scytodes thoracica. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0156291. [PMID: 27227898 PMCID: PMC4881942 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0156291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [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: 03/18/2016] [Accepted: 05/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
We present the solution-state NMR structures and preliminary functional characterizations of three venom peptides identified from the spitting spider Scytodes thoracica. Despite little sequence identity to other venom peptides, structural characterization reveals that these peptides contain an inhibitor cystine knot motif common to many venom peptides. These are the first structures for any peptide or protein from spiders of the Scytodidae family. Many venom peptides target neuronal ion channels or receptors. However, we have not been able to determine the target of these Scytodes peptides so we can only state with certainty the channels and receptors that they do not target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathanial K. Ariki
- Chemistry Department, Lewis & Clark College, 0615 SW Palatine Hill Road, Portland, OR, 97219, United States of America
| | - Lisa E. Muñoz
- Chemistry Department, Lewis & Clark College, 0615 SW Palatine Hill Road, Portland, OR, 97219, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth L. Armitage
- Chemistry Department, Lewis & Clark College, 0615 SW Palatine Hill Road, Portland, OR, 97219, United States of America
| | - Francesca R. Goodstein
- Chemistry Department, Lewis & Clark College, 0615 SW Palatine Hill Road, Portland, OR, 97219, United States of America
| | - Kathryn G. George
- Chemistry Department, Lewis & Clark College, 0615 SW Palatine Hill Road, Portland, OR, 97219, United States of America
| | - Vanessa L. Smith
- Chemistry Department, Lewis & Clark College, 0615 SW Palatine Hill Road, Portland, OR, 97219, United States of America
| | - Irina Vetter
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Volker Herzig
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Glenn F. King
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Nikolaus M. Loening
- Chemistry Department, Lewis & Clark College, 0615 SW Palatine Hill Road, Portland, OR, 97219, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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20
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Konuma T, Tsukamoto Y, Nagasawa H, Nagata S. Imbalanced Hemolymph Lipid Levels Affect Feeding Motivation in the Two-Spotted Cricket, Gryllus bimaculatus. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0154841. [PMID: 27144650 PMCID: PMC4856397 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0154841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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: 05/14/2013] [Accepted: 04/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Insect feeding behavior is regulated by many intrinsic factors, including hemolymph nutrient levels. Adipokinetic hormone (AKH) is a peptide factor that modulates hemolymph nutrient levels and regulates the nutritional state of insects by triggering the transfer of lipids into the hemolymph. We recently demonstrated that RNA interference (RNAi)-mediated knockdown of the AKH receptor (AKHR) reduces hemolymph lipid levels, causing an increase in the feeding frequency of the two-spotted cricket, Gryllus bimaculatus. This result indicated that reduced hemolymph lipid levels might motivate crickets to feed. In the present study, to elucidate whether hemolymph lipid levels contribute to insect feeding behavior, we attempted to manipulate hemolymph lipid levels via the lipophorin (Lp)-mediated lipid transferring system in G. bimaculatus. Of the constituent proteins in Lp, we focused on apolipophorin-III (GrybiApoLp-III) because of its possible role in facilitating lipid mobilization. First, we used RNAi to reduce the expression of GrybiApoLp-III. RNAi-mediated knockdown of GrybiApoLp-III had little effect on basal hemolymph lipid levels and the amount of food intake. In addition, hemolymph lipid levels remained static even after injecting AKH into GrybiApoLp-IIIRNAi crickets. These observations indicated that ApoLp-III does not maintain basal hemolymph lipid levels in crickets fed ad libitum, but is necessary for mobilizing lipid transfer into the hemolymph following AKH stimulation. Second, Lp (containing lipids) was injected into the hemolymph to induce a temporary increase in hemolymph lipid levels. Consequently, the initiation of feeding was delayed in a dose-dependent manner, indicating that increased hemolymph lipid levels reduced the motivation to feed. Taken together, these data validate the importance of basal hemolymph lipid levels in the control of energy homeostasis and for regulating feeding behavior in crickets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takahiro Konuma
- Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, the University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yusuke Tsukamoto
- Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, the University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan
| | - Hiromichi Nagasawa
- Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, the University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shinji Nagata
- Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, the University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, the University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan
- * E-mail:
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21
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Bednarska AJ, Opyd M, Żurawicz E, Laskowski R. Regulation of body metal concentrations: Toxicokinetics of cadmium and zinc in crickets. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 2015; 119:9-14. [PMID: 25958030 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2015.04.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [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: 12/15/2014] [Revised: 03/30/2015] [Accepted: 04/30/2015] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies indicated that essential and xenobiotic metals differ substantially in terms of their toxicokinetics. Whether these differences are due to different assimilation rates, different elimination rates, or both, and whether all metals are regulated in a similar manner but with different efficiency remains unclear. To compare the mechanisms responsible for the regulation of different metals, parameters for toxicokinetic models have to be tested under exposures to the identical molar concentration of those metals. In this study, the cricket Gryllus assimilis was exposed to Zn or Cd at 2.5, 10, and 40mMkg(-1) dry food. The body concentrations of the metals were not perfectly regulated by the crickets. For Zn, a clear increase in the body concentration was found only at the highest treatment; whereas at the lowest treatment, the internal concentration remained unchanged throughout the experiment. At the lowest Zn concentration, the assimilation (kA) [day(-1)] and elimination (kE) [day(-1)] rate constants were balanced (kA=0.024, kE=0.024). When increasing the Zn exposure, kA decreased to 0.018 at 10mMkg(-1) and 0.01 at 40mMkg(-1), and kE increased to 0.05 and 0.07, respectively. Therefore, the body concentration of Zn was regulated by simultaneously changing the assimilation and elimination rate. By contrast, even at the lowest treatment, a significant increase in Cd concentration was observed in the crickets. The equilibrium Cd concentration resulted almost exclusively from increasing kE from 0.17, through 0.28 to 0.61 at 2.5, 10 and 40mMkg(-1). The kA for Cd did not reveal any clear trend. Zn was more efficiently regulated by crickets than was Cd: a 16-fold increase in exposure concentration (from 2.5 to 40mM Znkg(-1)) resulted only in a twofold increase of internal concentration, whereas the identical increase in Cd exposure concentration resulted in almost a sevenfold increase in internal concentration of this metal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka J Bednarska
- Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, Al. Mickiewicza 33, 31-120 Kraków, Poland.
| | - Marta Opyd
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
| | - Ewelina Żurawicz
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
| | - Ryszard Laskowski
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
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Kosakai K, Tsujiuchi Y, Yoshino M. Nitric oxide augments single Ca(2+) channel currents via cGMP-dependent protein kinase in Kenyon cells isolated from the mushroom body of the cricket brain. J Insect Physiol 2015; 78:26-32. [PMID: 25934217 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2015.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [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: 01/23/2015] [Revised: 04/22/2015] [Accepted: 04/27/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Behavioral and pharmacological studies in insects have suggested that the nitric oxide (NO)/cyclic GMP (cGMP) signaling pathway is involved in the formation of long-term memory (LTM) associated with olfactory learning. However, the target molecules of NO and the downstream signaling pathway are still not known. In this study, we investigated the action of NO on single voltage-dependent Ca(2+) channels in the intrinsic neurons known as Kenyon cells within the mushroom body of the cricket brain, using the cell-attached configuration of the patch-clamp technique. Application of the NO donor S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) increased the open probability (NPO) of single Ca(2+) channel currents. This GSNO-induced increase was blocked by ODQ, a soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) inhibitor, suggesting that the NO generated by GSNO acts via sGC to raise cGMP levels. The membrane-permeable cGMP analog 8-Bro-cGMP also increased the NPO of single Ca(2+) channel currents. Pretreatment of cells with KT5823, a protein kinase G blocker, abolished the excitatory effect of GSNO. These results suggest that NO augments the activity of single Ca(2+) channels via the cGMP/PKG signaling pathway. To gain insight into the physiological role of NO, we examined the effect of GSNO on action potentials of Kenyon cells under current-clamp conditions. Application of GSNO increased the frequency of action potentials elicited by depolarizing current injections, indicating that NO acts as a modulator resulting in a stimulatory signal in Kenyon cells. We discuss the increased Ca(2+) influx through these Ca(2+) channels via the NO/cGMP signaling cascade in relation to the formation of olfactory LTM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kumiko Kosakai
- Tokyo Gakugei University Senior High School, Tokyo 154-0002, Japan
| | - Yuuki Tsujiuchi
- Department of Biology, Tokyo Gakugei University, Tokyo 184-8501, Japan
| | - Masami Yoshino
- Department of Biology, Tokyo Gakugei University, Tokyo 184-8501, Japan.
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Bulgarella M, Trewick SA, Godfrey AJR, Sinclair BJ, Morgan-Richards M. Elevational variation in adult body size and growth rate but not in metabolic rate in the tree weta Hemideina crassidens. J Insect Physiol 2015; 75:30-38. [PMID: 25753546 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2015.02.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [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: 02/23/2015] [Accepted: 02/28/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Populations of the same species inhabiting distinct localities experience different ecological and climatic pressures that might result in differentiation in traits, particularly those related to temperature. We compared metabolic rate (and its thermal sensitivity), growth rate, and body size among nine high- and low-elevation populations of the Wellington tree weta, Hemideina crassidens, distributed from 9 to 1171 m a.s.l across New Zealand. Our results did not indicate elevational compensation in metabolic rates (metabolic cold adaptation). Cold acclimation decreased metabolic rate compared to warm-acclimated individuals from both high- and low-elevation populations. However, we did find countergradient variation in growth rates, with individuals from high-elevation populations growing faster and to a larger final size than individuals from low-elevation populations. Females grew faster to a larger size than males, although as adults their metabolic rates did not differ significantly. The combined physiological and morphological data suggest that high-elevation individuals grow quickly and achieve larger size while maintaining metabolic rates at levels not significantly different from low-elevation individuals. Thus, morphological differentiation among tree weta populations, in concert with genetic variation, might provide the material required for adaptation to changing conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Bulgarella
- Ecology Group, Institute of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Private Bag 11-222, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand.
| | - Steven A Trewick
- Ecology Group, Institute of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Private Bag 11-222, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand.
| | - A Jonathan R Godfrey
- Institute of Fundamental Sciences, Massey University, Private Bag 11-222, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand.
| | - Brent J Sinclair
- Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Mary Morgan-Richards
- Ecology Group, Institute of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Private Bag 11-222, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand.
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24
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He H, Xi G, Lu X. Molecular cloning, characterization, and expression analysis of an ecdysone receptor homolog in Teleogryllus emma (Orthoptera: Gryllidae). J Insect Sci 2015; 15:iev010. [PMID: 25797799 PMCID: PMC4535489 DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/iev010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Ecdysteroids are steroid hormones that play important roles in the regulation of Arthropoda animal growth development, larvae ecdysis, and reproduction. The effect of ecdysteroids is mediated by ecdysteroid receptor (EcR). The ecdysone receptor (EcR) belongs to the superfamily of nuclear receptors (NRs) that are ligand-dependent transcription factors. Ecdysone receptor is present only in invertebrates and plays a critical role in regulating the expression of a series of genes during development and reproduction. Here, we isolated and characterized cDNA of the cricket Teleopgryllus emma (Ohmachi & Matsuura) (Orthoptera: Gryllidae) and studied mRNA expression pattern using real time-polymerase chain reaction. The full-length cDNA of T. emma EcR, termed TeEcR, is 2,558 bp and contains a 5'-untranslated region of 555 bp and a 3'-untranslated region of 407 bp. The open reading frame of TeEcR encodes deduced 531-amino acid peptides with a predicted molecular mass of 60.7 kDa. The amino acid sequence of T. emma EcR was similar to that of known EcR especially in the ligand-binding domain of insect EcR. Real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction was performed to compare TeEcR mRNA expression level at the whole body and gonad during T. emma development. The data revealed that TeEcR mRNA is differentially expressed during T. emma development, with the highest expression level in late-instar larvae of the body and lowest in third instar. The levels of TeEcR transcripts also vary among gonads development, and levels in ovaries were higher than in testes at every developmental stage. These results suggest that TeEcR may have potential significance to regulate the morphological structure and gonad development of T. emma, due to its expression in different developmental periods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui He
- Institute of Zoology, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710062, People's Republic of China
| | - Gengsi Xi
- Institute of Zoology, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710062, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiao Lu
- Institute of Zoology, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710062, People's Republic of China
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25
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Hawthorne J, De la Torre Roche R, Xing B, Newman LA, Ma X, Majumdar S, Gardea-Torresdey J, White JC. Particle-size dependent accumulation and trophic transfer of cerium oxide through a terrestrial food chain. Environ Sci Technol 2014; 48:13102-9. [PMID: 25340623 DOI: 10.1021/es503792f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
The accumulation and trophic transfer of nanoparticle (NP) or bulk CeO2 through a terrestrial food chain was evaluated. Zucchini (Cucurbita pepo L.) was planted in soil with 0 or 1228 μg/g bulk or NP CeO2. After 28 d, zucchini tissue Ce content was determined by ICP-MS. Leaf tissue from each treatment was used to feed crickets (Acheta domesticus). After 14 d, crickets were analyzed for Ce content or were fed to wolf spiders (family Lycosidae). NP CeO2 significantly suppressed flower mass relative to control and bulk treatments. The Ce content of zucchini was significantly greater when exposure was in the NP form. The flowers, leaves, stems, and roots of zucchini exposed to bulk CeO2 contained 93.3, 707, 331, and 119,000 ng/g, respectively; NP-exposed plants contained 153, 1510, 479, and 567 000 ng/g, respectively. Crickets fed NP CeO2-exposed zucchini leaves contained significantly more Ce (33.6 ng/g) than did control or bulk-exposed insects (15.0-15.2 ng/g). Feces from control, bulk, and NP-exposed crickets contained Ce at 248, 393, and 1010 ng/g, respectively. Spiders that consumed crickets from control or bulk treatments contained nonquantifiable Ce; NP-exposed spiders contained Ce at 5.49 ng/g. These findings show that NP CeO2 accumulates in zucchini at greater levels than equivalent bulk materials and that this greater NP intake results in trophic transfer and possible food chain contamination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Hawthorne
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station , New Haven, Connecticut 06504, United States
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26
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Watanabe T, Aonuma H. Tissue-specific promoter usage and diverse splicing variants of found in neurons, an ancestral Hu/ELAV-like RNA-binding protein gene of insects, in the direct-developing insect Gryllus bimaculatus. Insect Mol Biol 2014; 23:26-41. [PMID: 24382152 DOI: 10.1111/imb.12057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Hu/ELAV-like RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) are involved in the post-transcriptional regulation of RNA metabolism including splicing, transport, translational control and turnover. The Hu/ELAV-like RBP genes are predominantly expressed in neurons, and are therefore used as common neuronal markers in many animals. Although the expression patterns and functions of the Hu/ELAV-like RBP genes have been extensively studied in the model insect Drosophila melanogaster, little is known in basal direct-developing insects. In the present study, we performed an identification and expression analysis of the found in neurons (fne) gene, an ancestral insect Hu/ELAV-like RBP gene, in the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus. Contrary to expectation that the Gryllus fne transcript would be predominantly expressed in the nervous system, expression analysis revealed that the Gryllus fne gene is expressed broadly. In addition, we discovered that alternative promoter usage directs tissue-specific and embryonic stage-dependent regulation of fne expression, and that alternative splicing contributes to the generation of diverse sets of fne transcripts. Our data provide novel insights into the evolutionary diversification of the Hu/ELAV-like RBP gene family in insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Watanabe
- Research Institute for Electronic Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
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27
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Lake SL, MacMillan HA, Williams CM, Sinclair BJ. Static and dynamic approaches yield similar estimates of the thermal sensitivity of insect metabolism. J Insect Physiol 2013; 59:761-766. [PMID: 23665211 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2013.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [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: 02/15/2013] [Revised: 04/25/2013] [Accepted: 04/27/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Thermal sensitivity of metabolism (estimated by the temperature coefficient, Q10) is important for understanding ectotherm responses to temperature, but can only be measured empirically. Several strategies can be used to estimate thermal sensitivity. Static temperature respirometry uses measurements of metabolic rate taken at a series of temperatures, either by using different individuals at each temperature (independent STR, iSTR), or the same individual at several different temperatures (repeated STR, rSTR). Q10 can also be estimated from measurements of metabolic rate during a monotonic change in temperature (dynamic temperature respirometry, DTR), using either upwards (uDTR) or downwards (dDTR) temperature ramps. We compared estimates of Q10 of metabolic rate in adult females of the fall field cricket, Gryllus pennsylvanicus, derived from measurements made between 8 and 35°C, using iSTR, rSTR, dDTR and uDTR. We also controlled for aging effects during rSTR, and for ramp rate during DTR. We found that all measurement methods yielded statistically comparable measures of Q10. However, DTR provided higher absolute estimates of metabolic rate than STR. Thus, it appears that the different methods provide comparable estimates of Q10, allowing meta-analyses to utilize estimates of Q10 derived from different methods, and for the measurement strategy to be tailored to the characteristics of the organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah L Lake
- Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
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28
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Zeng V, Ewen-Campen B, Horch HW, Roth S, Mito T, Extavour CG. Developmental gene discovery in a hemimetabolous insect: de novo assembly and annotation of a transcriptome for the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus. PLoS One 2013; 8:e61479. [PMID: 23671567 PMCID: PMC3646015 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0061479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [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: 11/26/2012] [Accepted: 03/12/2013] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Most genomic resources available for insects represent the Holometabola, which are insects that undergo complete metamorphosis like beetles and flies. In contrast, the Hemimetabola (direct developing insects), representing the basal branches of the insect tree, have very few genomic resources. We have therefore created a large and publicly available transcriptome for the hemimetabolous insect Gryllus bimaculatus (cricket), a well-developed laboratory model organism whose potential for functional genetic experiments is currently limited by the absence of genomic resources. cDNA was prepared using mRNA obtained from adult ovaries containing all stages of oogenesis, and from embryo samples on each day of embryogenesis. Using 454 Titanium pyrosequencing, we sequenced over four million raw reads, and assembled them into 21,512 isotigs (predicted transcripts) and 120,805 singletons with an average coverage per base pair of 51.3. We annotated the transcriptome manually for over 400 conserved genes involved in embryonic patterning, gametogenesis, and signaling pathways. BLAST comparison of the transcriptome against the NCBI non-redundant protein database (nr) identified significant similarity to nr sequences for 55.5% of transcriptome sequences, and suggested that the transcriptome may contain 19,874 unique transcripts. For predicted transcripts without significant similarity to known sequences, we assessed their similarity to other orthopteran sequences, and determined that these transcripts contain recognizable protein domains, largely of unknown function. We created a searchable, web-based database to allow public access to all raw, assembled and annotated data. This database is to our knowledge the largest de novo assembled and annotated transcriptome resource available for any hemimetabolous insect. We therefore anticipate that these data will contribute significantly to more effective and higher-throughput deployment of molecular analysis tools in Gryllus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor Zeng
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Ben Ewen-Campen
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Hadley W. Horch
- Departments of Biology and Neuroscience, Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Maine, United States of America
| | - Siegfried Roth
- Institute for Developmental Biology, University of Cologne, Cologne Biocenter, Cologne, Germany
| | - Taro Mito
- Department of Life Systems, Institute of Technology and Science, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, Tokushima City, Japan
| | - Cassandra G. Extavour
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
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29
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Lenoir A, Cuvillier-Hot V, Devers S, Christidès JP, Montigny F. Ant cuticles: a trap for atmospheric phthalate contaminants. Sci Total Environ 2012; 441:209-212. [PMID: 23137986 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2012.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2012] [Revised: 09/18/2012] [Accepted: 10/01/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Phthalates are universal contaminants. We show that they are trapped by the ant cuticles and maintained permanently at a low level, generally less than 1% of cuticular components. They are found throughout the interior of the insect, predominately in the fat body, which suggests that they are adsorbed by the cuticle. In open plastic boxes free of phthalates the ants became more contaminated with phthalates over a period of time, whereas in closed glass jars they did not. This finding suggests that the main source of pollutants is the atmosphere. Different ant species collected from multiple places showed similar levels of contamination. It appeared that in some pristine places the contamination was lower, but this needs to be confirmed. Ants can be considered as bio-indicators of phthalate pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alain Lenoir
- IRBI, Institut de recherche sur la Biologie de l'Insecte, UMR CNRS 7261, Université François Rabelais, Tours, France.
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30
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Zheng DM, Li XX, Luo Q. [Mercury pollution in cricket in different biotopes suffering from pollution by zinc smelting]. Huan Jing Ke Xue 2012; 33:3680-3684. [PMID: 23234006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Total mercury contents in cricket bodies were studied in different biotopes in the surrounding of Huludao Zinc Plant to discuss the mercury distribution characteristics in cricket and to reveal the effects of environmental mercury accumulation in the short life-cycle insects through comparing cricket with other insect species. The average mercury content in cricket was 0.081 mg x kg(-1) and much higher than those in the control sites (0.012 mg x kg(-1) in average) in different biotopes. Mercury contents were found in the order of cricket head > wing > thorax approximately abdomen > leg. Mercury contents in cricket bodies varied greatly with sample sites. Significant correlation was found between the mercury contents in cricket and the distance from the pollution source as well as the mercury contents in plant stems. No significant correlation was found between the mercury contents in soil and in cricket bodies. Mercury contents in cricket were lower than those in cicadae, similar to those in other insects with shorter life-cycle periods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong-Mei Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Regional Environment and Eco-Remediation, Ministry of Education, Shenyang University, Shenyang 110044, China.
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31
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Watanabe T, Aonuma H. Identification and expression analyses of a novel serotonin receptor gene, 5-HT2β, in the field cricket, Gryllus bimaculatus. Acta Biol Hung 2012; 63 Suppl 2:58-62. [PMID: 22776473 DOI: 10.1556/abiol.63.2012.suppl.2.5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [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: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Biogenic amine serotonin (5-HT) modulates various aspects of behaviors such as aggressive behavior and circadian behavior in the cricket. In our previous report, in order to elucidate the molecular basis of the cricket 5-HT system, we identified three genes involved in 5-HT biosynthesis, as well as four 5-HT receptor genes (5-HT1A, 5-HT1B, 5-HT2α, and 5-HT7) expressed in the brain of the field cricket Gryllus bimaculatus DeGeer [7]. In the present study, we identified Gryllus 5-HT2β gene, an additional 5-HT receptor gene expressed in the cricket brain, and examined its tissue-specific distribution and embryonic stage-dependent expression. Gryllus 5-HT2β gene was ubiquitously expressed in the all examined adult tissues, and was expressed during early embryonic development, as well as during later stages. This study suggests functional differences between two 5-HT2 receptors in the cricket.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Watanabe
- Research Institute for Electronic Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-0812, Japan
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Abstract
Raspy crickets (Orthoptera: Gryllacrididae) are unique among the orthopterans in producing silk, which is used to build shelters. This work studied the material composition and the fabrication of cricket silk for the first time. We examined silk-webs produced in captivity, which comprised cylindrical fibers and flat films. Spectra obtained from micro-Raman experiments indicated that the silk is composed of protein, primarily in a beta-sheet conformation, and that fibers and films are almost identical in terms of amino acid composition and secondary structure. The primary sequences of four silk proteins were identified through a mass spectrometry/cDNA library approach. The most abundant silk protein was large in size (300 and 220 kDa variants), rich in alanine, glycine and serine, and contained repetitive sequence motifs; these are features which are shared with several known beta-sheet forming silk proteins. Convergent evolution at the molecular level contrasts with development by crickets of a novel mechanism for silk fabrication. After secretion of cricket silk proteins by the labial glands they are fabricated into mature silk by the labium-hypopharynx, which is modified to allow the controlled formation of either fibers or films. Protein folding into beta-sheet structure during silk fabrication is not driven by shear forces, as is reported for other silks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew A. Walker
- Evolution, Ecology and Genetics, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
- Ecosystem Sciences, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Acton, Australia
| | - Sarah Weisman
- Ecosystem Sciences, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Acton, Australia
| | - Jeffrey S. Church
- Materials Science and Engineering, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Belmont, Australia
| | - David J. Merritt
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | | | - Tara D. Sutherland
- Ecosystem Sciences, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Acton, Australia
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33
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Gaylor MO, Harvey E, Hale RC. House crickets can accumulate polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) directly from polyurethane foam common in consumer products. Chemosphere 2012; 86:500-505. [PMID: 22071374 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2011.10.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2011] [Revised: 10/01/2011] [Accepted: 10/09/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants are added at percent levels to many polymers and textiles abundant in human spaces and vehicles, wherein they have been long assumed to be tightly sequestered. However, the mgkg(-1) burdens recently detected in indoor dust testify to substantial releases. The bulk of released PBDEs remain in the terrestrial environment, yet comparatively little research focuses on this compartment. There, insects/arthropods, such as crickets, are the most abundant invertebrate organisms and facilitate the trophic transfer of contaminants by breaking down complex organic matter (including discarded polymers) and serving as food for other organisms. Our experiments revealed that house crickets (Acheta domesticus) provided uncontaminated food and free access to PUF containing Penta-BDE (8.7%drywt) for 28 d accumulated substantial PBDE body burdens. Crickets allowed to depurate gut contents exhibited whole body burdens of up to 13.4 mg kg(-1) lipid ΣPenta-BDE, 1000-fold higher than typically reported in humans. Non-depurated crickets and molted exoskeletons incurred even higher ΣPenta-BDE, up to 80.6 and 63.3 mg kg(-1) lipid, respectively. Congener patterns of whole crickets and molts resembled those of PUF and the commercial Penta-BDE formulation, DE-71, indicative of minimal discrimination or biotransformation. Accumulation factor (AF) calculations were hampered by uncertainties in determining actual PUF ingestion. However, estimated AFs were low, in the range of 10(-4)-10(-3), suggesting that polymer-PBDE interactions limited uptake. Nonetheless, results indicate that substantial PBDE burdens may be incurred by insects in contact with current-use and derelict treated polymers within human spaces and solid waste disposal sites (e.g. landfills, automotive dumps, etc.). Once ingested, even burdens not absorbed across the gut wall may be dispersed within proximate terrestrial food webs via the insect's movements and/or predation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael O Gaylor
- Departments of Chemistry, Biology and Environmental Science, Davis and Elkins College, Elkins, WV 26241, USA.
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34
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Zhang BC, Jiang CJ, An CJ, Zhang QW, Zhao ZW. Variations in fuel use in the flight muscles of wing-dimorphic Gryllus firmus and implications for morph-specific dispersal. Environ Entomol 2011; 40:1566-1571. [PMID: 22217774 DOI: 10.1603/en11070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [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: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Although a considerable amount of information is available on tradeoffs in wing-polymorphic insects, only limited data are available on the relationship between flight and biochemical variation within species. In the current study, we compared the biochemical basis in the dorsolongitudinal flight muscle of the wing-dimorphic sand cricket, Gryllus firmus Scudder, with respect to tradeoffs in energy resources related to morph-specific flight, including glycogen, trehalose, and triglycerides. Our results show that levels of glycogen and trehalose in long-winged adults (LW[f]) were significantly higher before dispersal, on days 5 and 7. Considering that this is the period during which long-winged adults are flight-capable, these results suggest that both glycogen and trehalose are important to flight. However, levels of triglycerides in short-winged crickets (SW) were higher than in long-winged crickets, suggesting that triglycerides are not directly related to initial flight. In SW adults, triglyceride content on days 5 and 7 was significantly higher just before lights off than at the same time on day 1 or at any other time after lights on all other days. This suggests that triglycerides are probably related to reproductive behaviors, such as mating and oviposition, in the SW morph. In addition, flight muscle water content was significantly lower in the LW(f) morph than in the SW morph.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bao-Chang Zhang
- Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
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Watanabe T, Sadamoto H, Aonuma H. Identification and expression analysis of the genes involved in serotonin biosynthesis and transduction in the field cricket Gryllus bimaculatus. Insect Mol Biol 2011; 20:619-635. [PMID: 21699597 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2583.2011.01093.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Serotonin (5-HT) modulates various aspects of behaviours such as aggressive behaviour and circadian behaviour in the cricket. To elucidate the molecular basis of the cricket 5-HT system, we identified 5-HT-related genes in the field cricket Gryllus bimaculatus DeGeer. Complementary DNA of tryptophan hydroxylase and phenylalanine-tryptophan hydroxylase, which convert tryptophan into 5-hydroxy-L-tryptophan (5-HTP), and that of aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase, which converts 5-HTP into 5-HT, were isolated from a cricket brain cDNA library. In addition, four 5-HT receptor genes (5-HT(1A) , 5-HT(1B) , 5-HT(2α) , and 5-HT(7) ) were identified. Expression analysis of the tryptophan hydroxylase gene TRH and phenylalanine-tryptophan hydroxylase gene TPH, which are selectively involved in neuronal and peripheral 5-HT synthesis in Drosophila, suggested that two 5-HT synthesis pathways co-exist in the cricket neuronal tissues. The four 5-HT receptor genes were expressed in various tissues at differential expression levels, suggesting that the 5-HT system is widely distributed in the cricket.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Watanabe
- Laboratory of Neuro-Cybernetics, Research Institute for Electronic Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
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36
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Coast G. Serotonin has kinin-like activity in stimulating secretion by Malpighian tubules of the house cricket Acheta domesticus. Peptides 2011; 32:500-8. [PMID: 20688119 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2010.07.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2010] [Revised: 07/14/2010] [Accepted: 07/14/2010] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Serotonin stimulates secretion by Malpighian tubules (MT) of a number of insects, and functions as a diuretic hormone in Rhodnius prolixus and in larval Aedes aegypti. Serotonin is here shown to be a potent stimulant of secretion by MT of the house cricket, Acheta domesticus, with an apparent EC(50) of 9.4 nmol L(-1), although its diuretic activity is just 25% of the maximum achievable with either the native CRF-related peptide, Achdo-DH, or a crude extract of the corpora cardiaca. In this respect, the diuretic activity of serotonin is similar to that of the cricket kinin Achdo-KI, and when tested together their actions are not additive, which suggests they target the same transport process. Consistent with this suggestion, the activity of serotonin is chloride-dependent and is associated with a non-selective stimulation of NaCl and KCl transport. In common with Achdo-KI, serotonin has no effect on cAMP production by isolated MT, and both act synergistically with exogenous 8bromo-cAMP in stimulating fluid secretion, most likely by promoting the release of Ca(2+) from intracellular stores. A number of serotonin agonists and antagonists were tested to determine the pharmacological profile of receptors on cricket MT. The results are consistent with the diuretic activity of serotonin being mediated through a 5-HT(2)-like receptor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey Coast
- Birkbeck, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HX, United Kingdom.
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Visanuvimol L, Bertram SM. How dietary phosphorus availability during development influences condition and life history traits of the cricket, Acheta domesticas. J Insect Sci 2011; 11:63. [PMID: 21864157 PMCID: PMC3281447 DOI: 10.1673/031.011.6301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [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: 04/13/2010] [Accepted: 11/29/2010] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Phosphorus is extremely limited in the environment, often being 10-20 times lower in plants than what invertebrate herbivores require. This mismatch between resource availability and resource need can profoundly influence herbivore life history traits and fitness. This study investigated how dietary phosphorus availability influenced invertebrate growth, development time, consumption, condition, and lifespan using juvenile European house crickets, Acheta domesticus L. (Orthoptera: Gryllidae). Crickets reared on high phosphorus diets ate more food, gained more weight, were in better condition at maturity, and contained more phosphorus, nitrogen, and carbon in their bodies at death than crickets reared on low phosphorus diets. There was also a trend for crickets reared on high phosphorus diets to become larger adults (interaction with weight prior to the start of the experiment). These findings can be added to the small but growing number of studies that reveal the importance of phosphorus to insect life history traits. Future research should explore the importance of dietary phosphorus availability relative to protein, lipid, and carbohydrate availability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laksanavadee Visanuvimol
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, I 125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada KIS 5B6
| | - Susan M. Bertram
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, I 125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada KIS 5B6
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Ghosal K, Naples SP, Rabe AR, Killian KA. Agonistic behavior and electrical stimulation of the antennae induces Fos-like protein expression in the male cricket brain. Arch Insect Biochem Physiol 2010; 74:38-51. [PMID: 20422717 DOI: 10.1002/arch.20360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Immediate early genes (IEG) such as c-Fos and Fos-related antigens (FRA) have been used as markers of neuronal activation. In this study, we determined whether the expression of c-Fos/FRAs is increased in the brains of adult male Acheta domesticus crickets following agonistic interactions. We looked for c-Fos/FRA proteins in the brain of un-fought, control male crickets and of dominant and subordinate male crickets sacrificed at different time periods following an agonistic interaction. Using immunoblot analysis, we found four different c-Fos/FRA-like proteins in the adult cricket brain. Continuous agonistic interaction increased c-Fos/FRA protein expression in the brains of subordinate males compared to control and dominant males. In addition, direct electrical stimulation of the male cricket antennae increased c-Fos/FRA-like protein in the brain. We identified the specific brain regions that exhibit c-Fos/FRA-like immunoreactivity in crickets. We detected c-Fos/FRA-like cellular immunoreactivity in different functional regions of the adult brain including the pars intercerebralis, protocerebrum, deutocerebrum, and the cortex of the mushroom bodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaushik Ghosal
- Department of Zoology and Center for Neuroscience, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio 45056, USA
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He H, Xi G, Lu X. Molecular cloning, characterization, and expression analysis of an estrogen receptor-related receptor homologue in the cricket, Teleogryllus emma. J Insect Sci 2010; 10:188. [PMID: 21265615 PMCID: PMC3029112 DOI: 10.1673/031.010.18801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
The estrogen receptor-related receptors (ERRs) are a group of nuclear receptors that were originally identified on the basis of sequence similarity to estrogen receptors. The three mammalian ERR genes have been implicated in diverse physiological processes ranging from placental development to maintenance of bone density, but the function and regulation of ERRs in invertebrates are not well understood. A homologue of human ERR was isolated from the cricket Teleogryllus emma (Ohmachi and Matsumura) (Orthoptera: Gryllidae). The full-length cDNA of T. emma ERR, termed TeERR, has 1618 base pair (bp) and contains a 5'-untranslated region of 140 bp and a 3'-untranslated region of 272 bp. The open reading frame of TeERR encodes a deduced 401 amino acid peptide with a predicted molecular mass of 45.75 kilodaltons. The results of sequence alignments indicate that the TeERR protein shares an overall identity of 65%-82% with other known ERR homologues, and is most closely related to that of Nasonia vitripennis (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) and Apis mellifera (Apidae). Real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction was performed to compare the TeERR mRNA expression level at the whole body and gonad during T. emma development. The data revealed that TeERR mRNA is differentially expressed during T. emma development, with the highest expression level in embryos and the lowest in the body of late-instar larvae. The levels of TeERR transcripts also varied throughout gonad development; interestingly testicles had higher higher expression levels than ovaries at every development stage. These results suggest that TeERR has potential significance in the regulation of development in T. emma, due to its expression during different developmental periods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui He
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710062, People's Republic of China
| | - Gengsi Xi
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710062, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiao Lu
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710062, People's Republic of China
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40
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Horch HW, McCarthy SS, Johansen SL, Harris JM. Differential gene expression during compensatory sprouting of dendrites in the auditory system of the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus. Insect Mol Biol 2009; 18:483-96. [PMID: 19453768 PMCID: PMC3551613 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2583.2009.00891.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Neurones that lose their presynaptic partners because of injury usually retract or die. However, when the auditory interneurones of the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus are denervated, dendrites respond by growing across the midline and forming novel synapses with the opposite auditory afferents. Suppression subtractive hybridization was used to detect transcriptional changes 3 days after denervation. This is a stage at which we demonstrate robust compensatory dendritic sprouting. Whereas 49 unique candidates were down-regulated, no sufficiently up-regulated candidates were identified at this time point. Several candidates identified in this study are known to influence the translation and degradation of proteins in other systems. The potential role of these factors in the compensatory sprouting of cricket auditory interneurones in response to denervation is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- H W Horch
- Bowdoin College, Department of Biology and Neuroscience, Brunswick, ME 04011, USA.
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41
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Moriyama Y, Sakamoto T, Matsumoto A, Noji S, Tomioka K. Functional analysis of the circadian clock gene period by RNA interference in nymphal crickets Gryllus bimaculatus. J Insect Physiol 2009; 55:183-187. [PMID: 19059262 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2008.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2008] [Revised: 11/11/2008] [Accepted: 11/12/2008] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
The circadian clock gene period (Gryllus bimaculatus period, Gb'per) plays a core role in circadian rhythm generation in adults of the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus. We examined the role of Gb'per in nymphal crickets that show a diurnal rhythm rather than the nocturnal rhythm of the adults. As in the adult optic lobes, Gb'per mRNA levels in the head of the third instar nymphs showed daily cycling in light-dark cycles with a peak at mid night, and the rhythm persisted in constant darkness. Injection of Gb'per double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) into the abdomen of third instar nymphs knocked-down the mRNA levels to 25% of that in control animals. Most Gb'per dsRNA injected nymphs lost their circadian locomotor activity rhythm, while those injected with DsRed2 dsRNA as a negative control clearly maintained the rhythm. These results suggest that nymphs and adults share a common endogenous clock mechanism involving the clock gene Gb'per.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshiyuki Moriyama
- Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Okayama 700-8530, Japan
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42
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Anand AN, Lorenz MW. Age-dependent changes of fat body stores and the regulation of fat body lipid synthesis and mobilisation by adipokinetic hormone in the last larval instar of the cricket, Gryllus bimaculatus. J Insect Physiol 2008; 54:1404-1412. [PMID: 18761344 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2008.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2008] [Revised: 07/30/2008] [Accepted: 08/04/2008] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Data on the hormonal regulation of the formation and mobilisation of fat body stores are presented and discussed in relation to general parameters of last instar larval development such as growth, food intake, and moulting. Crickets feed voraciously during the first half of the last larval stage. With the onset of feeding, fat body lipid synthesis increases, leading to increasing lipid stores in the fat body with a maximum reached on day 5. Lipid (42% of fat body fresh mass) is the main constituent of the fat body stores, followed by protein (6%) and glycogen (2%). During the second half of the last larval stage, feeding activity dramatically decreases, the glycogen reserves are depleted but lipid and protein reserves in the fat body remain at a high level except for the last day of the last larval stage when lipid and protein in the fat body are also largely depleted. The process of moulting consumes almost three quarters of the caloric equivalents that were acquired during the last larval stage. Adipokinetic hormone (AKH) inhibits effectively the synthesis of lipids in the larval fat body. Furthermore, AKH stimulates lipid mobilisation by activating fat body triacylglycerol lipase (TGL) in last larval and adult crickets. Both effects of AKH are weaker in larvae than in adults. This is the first report on the age-dependent basal activity of TGL in larval and adult insects. In addition, for the first time, an activation of TGL by AKH in a larval insect is shown.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anurag N Anand
- Department of Animal Ecology 1, University of Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
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Andrés JA, Maroja LS, Harrison RG. Searching for candidate speciation genes using a proteomic approach: seminal proteins in field crickets. Proc Biol Sci 2008; 275:1975-83. [PMID: 18495616 PMCID: PMC2596363 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2008.0423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2008] [Revised: 04/22/2008] [Accepted: 04/24/2008] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In many animals, male seminal proteins influence gamete interactions and fertilization ability and are probably involved in barriers to gene flow between diverging lineages. Here we use a proteomic approach to identify seminal proteins that are transferred to females during copulation and that may be involved in fertilization barriers between two hybridizing field crickets (Gryllus firmus and Gryllus pennsylvanicus). Analyses of patterns of divergence suggest that much of the field cricket genome has remained undifferentiated following the evolution of reproductive isolation. By contrast, seminal protein genes are highly differentiated. Tests of selection reveal that positive selection is likely to be responsible for patterns of differentiation. Together, our observations suggest that some of the loci encoding seminal proteins may indeed play a role in fertilization barriers in field crickets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose A Andrés
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell UniversityIthaca, NY 14853, USA
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Abstract
Distribution and synaptic connections of GABA fibres in neuropil parts of the mushroom bodies in brains of crickets (Gryllus bimaculatus) and bees (Apis mellifera) were investigated by immuno-light and electron microscopy. In the inner calyx neuropil of cricket mushroom bodies, GABA fibres are pre- and post-synaptically connected with proximal Kenyon cell dendrites, indicating synaptic contacts differing from those of the Kenyon cell dendritic tips in the peripheral microglomeruli of the calyces. A more complex interaction of GABAergic fibres and Kenyon cell dendrites than assumed before is shown. In the mushroom bodies of bees, dendritic like strata of GABA fibre projections contribute to the subcompartmental layers of the vertical lobe. The GABA-immunostained fibre profiles exhibit pre- and postsynaptic sites as well and can therefore not be considered purely postsynaptic dendritic neuron parts. The micromorphology and synaptic contacts of the dendrites and dendritic like arborizations are seen as parts of local circuits within mushroom bodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- F-W Schürmann
- Institut für Zoologie, Anthropologie und Entwicklungsbiologie der Universität Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
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45
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Thomas ML, Simmons LW. Sexual dimorphism in cuticular hydrocarbons of the Australian field cricket Teleogryllus oceanicus (Orthoptera: Gryllidae). J Insect Physiol 2008; 54:1081-1089. [PMID: 18519139 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2008.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2008] [Revised: 04/10/2008] [Accepted: 04/15/2008] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Sexual dimorphism is presumed to reflect adaptive divergence in response to selection favouring different optimal character states in the two sexes. Here, we analyse patterns of sexual dimorphism in the cuticular hydrocarbons of the Australian field cricket Teleogryllus oceanicus using gas chromatography. Ten of the 25 peaks found in our chromatographs, differed in their relative abundance between the sexes. The presence of sexual dimorphism in T. oceanicus is discussed in reference to a review of sexual dimorphism in cuticular hydrocarbons of other insects. We found that this trait has been examined in 103 species across seven different orders. Seventy-six of these species (73%) displayed sex specificity of cuticular hydrocarbons, the presence/absence of which does not appear to be directly linked to phylogeny. The occurrence of sexual dimorphism in cuticular hydrocarbons of some but not other species, and the extent of variation within genera, suggest that this divergence has been driven primarily by sexual selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa L Thomas
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Animal Biology, The University of Western Australia, Australia.
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46
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Shao QM, Bembenek J, Trang LTD, Hiragaki S, Takeda M. Molecular structure, expression patterns, and localization of the circadian transcription modulator CYCLE in the cricket, Dianemobius nigrofasciatus. J Insect Physiol 2008; 54:403-413. [PMID: 18082762 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2007.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2007] [Revised: 10/23/2007] [Accepted: 10/24/2007] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
CYCLE (CYC), also known as BMAL1 in vertebrate nomenclature, is a transcription modulator of the circadian genes period and timeless of Drosophila melanogaster. We cloned a cDNA encoding a CYC homologue from the head of the ground cricket, Dianemobius nigrofasciatus (Dncyc), the first CYC from Hemimetabola. The deduced sequence corresponded to a 601 amino-acid polypeptide, with well-defined bHLH, PAS-A, PAS-B, PAC, and BTCR domains. The amino-acid sequence showed 70.7% identity with the CYC protein of Athalia rosae, 63.8% with D. melanogaster, and 52% identity with the human homologue. A cyc transcript of around 3.6kb occurs in the brain, midgut, testis, fatbody, and muscle. An additional band of around 1.1kb gave a hybridization signal in the head. No temporal oscillation in cyc mRNA abundance was observed in the head of the adult cricket when investigated by Northern blot analysis. CYC-like immunohistochemical reactivity (ir) and its dimerization partner CLOCK (CLK)-ir appeared in the pars intercerebralis (PI), tritocerebrum, dorsolateral protocerebrum, and subesophageal ganglion (SOG), but no CYC-ir was observed in the optic lobe (OL) that showed CLK-ir. The deutocerebrum showed a unique CLK-ir but no CYC-ir pattern. Double-labelling experiments showed that both antigens were co-localized in the mandibular and maxillary neuromeres of the SOG. CYC-ir showed no daily oscillation in intensity and the staining pattern was always cytoplasmic. CLK-ir occurred in the nucleus at ZT 16, but was cytoplasmic at other ZT times. A neuronal network equivalent to adult system occurred in the second nymphal stadium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi-Miao Shao
- Division of Molecular Science, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan
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Zera AJ, Zhao Z, Kaliseck K. Hormones in the Field: Evolutionary Endocrinology of Juvenile Hormone and Ecdysteroids in Field Populations of the Wing‐Dimorphic CricketGryllus firmus. Physiol Biochem Zool 2007; 80:592-606. [PMID: 17909996 DOI: 10.1086/521803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/25/2007] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Virtually no published information exists on insect endocrine traits in natural populations, which limits our understanding of endocrine microevolution. We characterized the hemolymph titers of juvenile hormone (JH) and ecdysteroids (ECDs), two key insect hormones, in field-collected short-winged, flightless (SW) and long-winged, flight-capable (LW(f)) morphs of the cricket Gryllus firmus. The JH titer exhibited a dramatic circadian rhythm in the LW(f) morph but was temporally constant in the flightless SW morph. This pattern was consistent in each of three years; in young, middle-aged, and older G. firmus; and in three other cricket species. The ECD titer was considerably higher in SW than in LW(f) females but did not exhibit temporal variation in any morph and did not differ between male morphs. JH and ECD may control different aspects of the morph-specific trade-off between nocturnal dispersal and reproduction. Results confirm and extend laboratory studies on young female G. firmus; most, but not all, important aspects of morph-specific differences in JH and ECD titers can be extrapolated from field to laboratory environments and vice versa. Hormone titers in Gryllus are more complex than those proposed in evolutionary endocrine models. Directly measuring hormone titer variation remains a fundamentally important task of insect evolutionary endocrinology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony J Zera
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588, USA.
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48
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Booth DT, Kiddell K. Temperature and the energetics of development in the house cricket (Acheta domesticus). J Insect Physiol 2007; 53:950-3. [PMID: 17481649 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2007.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2007] [Revised: 03/20/2007] [Accepted: 03/20/2007] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
The influence of rearing temperature on the energetics of development was investigated in house crickets (Acheta domesticus). Crickets raised at 25 degrees C grew slower (0.51 mg d(-1), dry mass basis) and took longer to develop (119 d) but obtained a greater adult body mass (61 mg, dry mass) than crickets reared at 28 degrees C (0.99 mg d(-1), 49 d, 48 mg). Total metabolic energy consumed during development at 25 degrees C (1351 J) was twice that at 28 degrees C (580 J) primarily because of the longer development period, and as a consequence the specific net cost of growth was much greater for crickets reared at 25 degrees C (22.1 kJ g(-1)) than 28 degrees C (11.9 kJ g(-1)).
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Affiliation(s)
- David T Booth
- Ecological Physiology Group, School of Integrative Biology, The University of Queensland, Qld 4072, Australia.
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49
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Meyering-Vos M, Müller A. RNA interference suggests sulfakinins as satiety effectors in the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus. J Insect Physiol 2007; 53:840-8. [PMID: 17560597 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2007.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2007] [Revised: 04/04/2007] [Accepted: 04/05/2007] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
In the Mediterranean field cricket, Gryllus bimaculatus, the action of sulfakinin (SK) gene expression on food intake, food transport in the gut and carbohydrate digestion (alpha-amylase activity) was investigated by using the RNA interference (RNAi) method. Injection of SK double-stranded (ds) RNA into the abdomen of female adults and last instar larvae led to a systemic silencing of the SK gene, as was shown by RT-PCR studies. In adults, suppression of SK gene expression was effective from the first day after injection up to at least the third day. Treatment of the adult crickets by injection or feeding of dsRNA led to a stimulation of the food intake. Assuming that the gene silencing is followed by a depletion of the SK in tissues and/or haemolymph implies an inhibitiory role of the native SK peptides on food intake. The alpha-amylase activity in vitro in the midgut tissue and in the secretions of adult females was not affected by silencing the SK gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Meyering-Vos
- Department of Animal Ecology I, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstr. 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany.
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50
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Abstract
The sulfakinins are multifunctional insect neuropeptides displaying sequence similarities with the gastrin/ cholecystokinin (CCK) peptide family. In vertebrates, the peptides gastrin and CCK are involved in the regulation of digestion and food-intake. In this study sulfakinin cDNA was cloned and sequenced from the Mediterranean field cricket Gryllus bimaculatus. The cDNA encodes two peptides flanked by endoproteolytic processing sites, designated GrybiSKI (QSDDYGHMRFG) and GrybiSKII (EPFDDYGHMRFG). The peptides include the characteristic amino acid Tyr, which is potentially sulphated, and a Gly, as a recognition site for amidation yeilding the common C-terminal amino acid sequence of the sulfakinin peptide family. RT-PCR studies indicate an expression of the gene restricted to the brain, with a constant level of expression throughout the last larval stage, but showing an age-dependent decrease of expression in adult females.
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