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Royal Society Open Science Sep 2021A reduction in floral resource abundance and diversity is generally observed in agro-ecosystems, along with widespread exposure to pesticides. Therefore, a better...
A reduction in floral resource abundance and diversity is generally observed in agro-ecosystems, along with widespread exposure to pesticides. Therefore, a better understanding on how the availability and quality of pollen diets can modulate honeybee sensitivity to pesticides is required. For that purpose, we evaluated the toxicity of acute exposure and chronic exposures to field realistic and higher concentrations of azoxystrobin (fungicide) and sulfoxaflor (insecticide) in honeybees provided with pollen diets of differing qualities (named and pollens). We found that pollen intake reduced the toxicity of the acute doses of pesticides. Contrary to azoxystrobin, chronic exposures to sulfoxaflor increased by 1.5- to 12-fold bee mortality, which was reduced by pollen intake. Most importantly, the risk of death upon exposure to a high concentration of sulfoxaflor was significantly lower for the pollen diet when compared with the pollen diet. This reduced pesticide toxicity was associated with a higher gene expression of vitellogenin, a glycoprotein that promotes bee longevity, a faster sulfoxaflor metabolization and a lower concentration of the phytochemical -coumaric acid, known to upregulate detoxification enzymes. Thus, our study revealed that pollen quality can influence the ability of bees to metabolize pesticides and withstand their detrimental effects, providing another strong argument for the restoration of suitable foraging habitat.
PubMed: 34540259
DOI: 10.1098/rsos.210818 -
PLoS Biology May 2022Polyploid cells contain more than 2 copies of the genome and are found in many plant and animal tissues. Different types of polyploidy exist, in which the genome is...
Polyploid cells contain more than 2 copies of the genome and are found in many plant and animal tissues. Different types of polyploidy exist, in which the genome is confined to either 1 nucleus (mononucleation) or 2 or more nuclei (multinucleation). Despite the widespread occurrence of polyploidy, the functional significance of different types of polyploidy is largely unknown. Here, we assess the function of multinucleation in Caenorhabditis elegans intestinal cells through specific inhibition of binucleation without altering genome ploidy. Through single-worm RNA sequencing, we find that binucleation is important for tissue-specific gene expression, most prominently for genes that show a rapid up-regulation at the transition from larval development to adulthood. Regulated genes include vitellogenins, which encode yolk proteins that facilitate nutrient transport to the germline. We find that reduced expression of vitellogenins in mononucleated intestinal cells leads to progeny with developmental delays and reduced fitness. Together, our results show that binucleation facilitates rapid up-regulation of intestine-specific gene expression during development, independently of genome ploidy, underscoring the importance of spatial genome organization for polyploid cell function.
Topics: Animals; Caenorhabditis elegans; Cell Division; Cell Nucleus; Gene Expression; Polyploidy; Vitellogenins
PubMed: 35609035
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001597 -
Proceedings. Biological Sciences Jun 2015Complex social behaviour in Hymenoptera has been hypothesized to evolve by co-opting reproductive pathways (the ovarian ground plan hypothesis, OGPH) and gene networks...
Complex social behaviour in Hymenoptera has been hypothesized to evolve by co-opting reproductive pathways (the ovarian ground plan hypothesis, OGPH) and gene networks (the reproductive ground plan hypothesis, RGPH). In support of these hypotheses, in eusocial Hymenoptera where there is reproductive division of labour, the yolk precursor protein vitellogenin (Vg) influences the expression of worker social behaviour. We suggest that co-opting genes involved in reproduction may occur more generally than just in the evolution of eusociality; i.e. underlie earlier stages of social evolution such as the evolution of parental care, given that reproduction and parental care rarely overlap. We therefore examined vitellogenin (vg) gene expression associated with parental care in the subsocial beetle Nicrophorus vespilloides. We found a significant reduction in the expression of vg and its receptor, vgr, in head tissue during active parental care, and confirmed that the receptor is expressed in the brains of both sexes. Ours is the first study to show that vgr is expressed in the brain of a non-eusocial insect. Given the association between behaviour and gene expression in both sexes, and the presence of vitellogenin receptors in the brain, we suggest that Vg was co-opted early in the evolution of sociality to have a regulatory function. This extends the association of Vg in parenting to subsocial species and outside of the Hymenoptera, and supports the hypothesis that the OGPH is general and that heterochrony in gene expression is important in the evolution of social behaviour and precedes subsequent evolutionary specialization of social roles.
Topics: Animals; Coleoptera; Egg Proteins; Gene Expression Regulation; Receptors, Cell Surface; Reproduction; Vitellogenins
PubMed: 26041345
DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2015.0787 -
Journal of Insect Science (Online) Mar 2018Vitellogenin (Vg) and vitellogenin receptor (VgR) play important roles in the vitellogenesis of insects. In this study, we cloned and characterized the two corresponding...
Vitellogenin (Vg) and vitellogenin receptor (VgR) play important roles in the vitellogenesis of insects. In this study, we cloned and characterized the two corresponding genes (TpVg and TpVgR) in an economically important insect, Thitarodes pui (Lepidoptera: Hepialidae), from the Tibetan plateau. The full length of TpVg is 5566 bp with a 5373 bp open reading frame (ORF) encoding 1,790 amino acids. Sequence alignment revealed that TpVg has three conserved domains: a Vitellogenin_N domain, a DUF1943 domain, and a von Willebrand factor type D domain (VWD). The full length of TpVgR is 5732 bp, with a 5397 bp ORF encoding 1798 amino acids. BLASTP showed that TpVgR belongs to the low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) gene superfamily. Structural analysis revealed that TpVgR has a group of four structural domains: a ligand-binding domain (LBD), an epidermal growth factor (EGF)-precursor homology domain, a transmembrane (TM) domain, and a cytoplasmic domain. In addition, TpVgR has four cysteine-rich LDL repeats in the first ligand-binding site and seven in the second. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed that the expression levels of TpVg and TpVgR are much higher in later pupa than in either the larval or adult stage, implying that the synthesis and uptake of Vg in T. pui occurs in the later pupal stage. These results will help us to understand the molecular mechanism of the reproductive capacity and will provide new insight into the mass rearing and utilization of T. pui.
Topics: Animals; Egg Proteins; Female; Moths; Phylogeny; Receptors, Cell Surface; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Vitellogenins
PubMed: 29718485
DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/iey010 -
Insects May 2022() genes encode the major egg yolk protein precursor in arthropods. In this study, four were identified in (Coquillett). Sequence analysis showed that four had the...
() genes encode the major egg yolk protein precursor in arthropods. In this study, four were identified in (Coquillett). Sequence analysis showed that four had the conserved Vg domain. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that four were homologous to the Vgs of Tephritidae insects. The temporal and spatial expression patterns of were analyzed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), and the four showed high expression levels in female adults, especially in the fat body. The expression of and was down-regulated by a low dosage (0.5 μg) of 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E), and , , and were up-regulated by a high dosage (1.0 and 2.0 μg) of 20E. The expression of and was up-regulated by 5 μg of juvenile hormone (JH), while all of the were down-regulated by a low and high dosage of JH. Expression of was down-regulated after 24 h of starvation and recovered to normal after nutritional supplementation. After micro-injection of the gene-specific double-stranded RNA, the ' expression was significantly suppressed, and ovarian development was delayed in females. The results indicate that RNA interference of reproduction-related genes is a potential pest control method that works by manipulating female fertility.
PubMed: 35621787
DOI: 10.3390/insects13050452 -
Comptes Rendus Biologies Mar 2017In the last years, the hormonal balance is threatened by the interferences of substances with hormone-like action (endocrine disruptor chemicals, EDCs) that may harm... (Review)
Review
In the last years, the hormonal balance is threatened by the interferences of substances with hormone-like action (endocrine disruptor chemicals, EDCs) that may harm animal reproduction. Most EDCs are resistant to environmental degradation and are considered ubiquitous contaminants. EDCs may have synthetic or natural origins. Pesticides used in intensive agriculture contain large amounts of chemicals with estrogenic properties, such as the alkylphenol nonylphenol (NP). Besides, animal feeding operations are important sources of natural estrogen metabolites introduced into the environment through manure application in organic farming. In both cases, EDCs can reach animals, including humans particularly at risk due to their position in the food chain. This is the reason for which it is important to use terrestrial vertebrates as sentinels in soil biomonitoring programmes. Today, the most validated biomarker of estrogenic exposure is the expression in male liver of the vitellogenin (VTG), an estrogen-dependent glycolipophosphoprotein naturally expressed only in the liver of oviparous females during the reproductive season. This report summarizes the data available on the EDC-dependent expression and the synthesis of VTG in male vertebrates, highlighting our latest studies that demonstrate the ability of testis and epididymis of the lacertid Podarcis sicula to synthesize VTG following estrogenic exposure. These findings provide, for the first time, evidence on an extrahepatic expression and synthesis of VTG in a terrestrial vertebrate and lay the groundwork for a new value of the VTG as a biomarker of environmental contamination. In addition, the results open a new scenario on the role of VTG in cells other than oocytes.
Topics: Animals; Estrogens; Humans; Male; Vertebrates; Vitellogenins
PubMed: 28242272
DOI: 10.1016/j.crvi.2017.01.005 -
Frontiers in Physiology 2023The pink salmon () is a commercial anadromous fish species of the family Salmonidae. This species has a 2-year life cycle that distinguishes it from other salmonids. It...
The pink salmon () is a commercial anadromous fish species of the family Salmonidae. This species has a 2-year life cycle that distinguishes it from other salmonids. It includes the spawning migration from marine to freshwater environments, accompanied by significant physiological and biochemical adaptive changes in the body. This study reveals and describes variability in the blood plasma proteomes of female and male pink salmon collected from three biotopes-marine, estuarine and riverine-that the fish pass through in spawning migration. Identification and comparative analysis of blood plasma protein profiles were performed using proteomics and bioinformatic approaches. The blood proteomes of female and male spawners collected from different biotopes were qualitatively and quantitatively distinguished. Females differed primarily in proteins associated with reproductive system development (certain vitellogenin and choriogenin), lipid transport (fatty acid binding protein) and energy production (fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase), and males in proteins involved in blood coagulation (fibrinogen), immune response (lectins) and reproductive processes (vitellogenin). Differentially expressed sex-specific proteins were implicated in proteolysis (aminopeptidases), platelet activation (β- and γ-chain fibrinogen), cell growth and differentiation (a protein containing the TGF_BETA_2 domain) and lipid transport processes (vitellogenin and apolipoprotein). The results are of both fundamental and practical importance, adding to existing knowledge of the biochemical adaptations to spawning of pink salmon, a representative of economically important migratory fish species.
PubMed: 37383149
DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1216119 -
International Journal of Biological... 2019Hyperproteinemia is a severe metabolic disease characterized by abnormally elevated plasma protein concentrations (PPC). However, there is currently no reliable animal...
Hyperproteinemia is a severe metabolic disease characterized by abnormally elevated plasma protein concentrations (PPC). However, there is currently no reliable animal model for PPC, and the pathological mechanism of hyperproteinemia thus remains unclear. In this study, we evaluated the effects of hyperproteinemia on reproductive development in an invertebrate silkworm model with a controllable PPC and no primary disease effects. High PPC inhibited the synthesis of vitellogenin and 30K protein essential for female ovarian development in the fat body of metabolic tissues, and inhibited their transport through the hemolymph to the ovary. High PPC also induced programmed cell death in testis and ovary cells, slowed the development of germ cells, and significantly reduced the reproductive coefficient. Furthermore, the intensities and mechanisms of high-PPC-induced reproductive toxicity differed between sexes in this silkworm model.
Topics: Animals; Apoptosis; Blood Proteins; Bombyx; Fat Body; Female; Hemolymph; Invertebrates; Male; Ovary; Reproduction; Testis; Vitellogenins
PubMed: 31592097
DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.33310 -
Journal of Insect Science (Online) May 2023Thrips hawaiiensis (Morgan) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) is a sap-sucking pest that seriously damages several crops and reduces their economic value. Exposure to low...
Sublethal effects of emamectin benzoate on development, reproduction, and vitellogenin and vitellogenin receptor gene expression in Thrips hawaiiensis (Thysanoptera: Thripidae).
Thrips hawaiiensis (Morgan) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) is a sap-sucking pest that seriously damages several crops and reduces their economic value. Exposure to low concentrations of insecticides may have a sublethal effect on surviving insects. In order to provide a reference for the rational application of emamectin benzoate, its sublethal effects on the development and reproduction of T. hawaiiensis were evaluated. Pupal development time was significantly shorter in T. hawaiiensis treated with sublethal concentrations of emamectin benzoate (LC10 and LC20) than in control. Female adult longevity and female total longevity were significantly longer following LC20 treatment than in the control and LC10 treatment groups. Nevertheless, male adult longevity and male total longevity were significantly shorter in the LC10 treatment group than in the control and LC20 treatment groups. The sublethal concentration of emamectin benzoate (LC20) significantly shortened the preadult stages and the mean generation. Meanwhile, it significantly increased the finite rate of increase, intrinsic rate of increase, and net reproductive rate. The fecundity was significantly higher after LC20 treatment than after LC10 and control treatments. Compared with the control group, the LC10 and LC20 groups of T. hawaiiensis adults showed a significantly higher expression of the vitellogenin (Vg) and vitellogenin receptor (VgR) genes, which played a key role in increasing their fecundity. These findings suggest that short-term exposure to sublethal concentrations of emamectin benzoate may lead to a resurgence and secondary outbreak of T. hawaiiensis infestation. The results have practical applications for the management of this important and noxious pest.
Topics: Female; Male; Animals; Thysanoptera; Vitellogenins; Reproduction; Insecticides; Gene Expression
PubMed: 37294686
DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/iead035 -
Tropical Biomedicine Sep 2014Boophilus annulatus is an important one-host tick in the Mediterranean regions and Iran. It can transmit the Babesia bigemina, Babesia bovis and Anaplasma marginale to...
Boophilus annulatus is an important one-host tick in the Mediterranean regions and Iran. It can transmit the Babesia bigemina, Babesia bovis and Anaplasma marginale to cattle. Nowadays, immunization programs by tick proteins is one of the potential methods for the control and prevention of tick infestations. Therefore, the characterization and identification of various tick proteins are necessary. Vitellogenin is a precursor of vitellin that is produced in mid gut cells and fat bodies in ticks. In this study, we characterized vitellogenin protein of B. annulatus unfed larvae using one- and two-dimensional electrophoresis and immunoblotting. In one-dimensional immunoblotting, 48, 70, 100, 130 and >250 kDa protein bands positively reacted with immune sera. In two-dimensional immunoblotting many protein spots positively reacted with immune sera. Six of them were analyzed by MALDI-TOF and MALDI-TOF- TOF mass spectrometry. The results showed that amino acid sequences of four immunogenic proteins with molecular weights of 38, 43, 85 and 97 kDa had identity to tick vitellogenin and its homologues (GP80), based on the Mascot search results. It seems that more knowledge on tick proteins including vitellogenin and their characterization could be useful for the development of anti-tick vaccines.
Topics: Animals; Arthropod Vectors; Electrophoresis; Immunoblotting; Larva; Molecular Weight; Rhipicephalus; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization; Vitellogenins
PubMed: 25382465
DOI: No ID Found