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International Journal of Molecular... Aug 2023is an important plant pest. Comparative feeding experiments showed that the egg production, oviposition duration and survival rate of beetles were significantly higher...
is an important plant pest. Comparative feeding experiments showed that the egg production, oviposition duration and survival rate of beetles were significantly higher when they fed on elm leaves than when they fed on willow or purpus privet leaves. RNA sequencing was used to determine transcriptomic changes associated with oviposition. Comparative transcriptome analysis revealed that the beetles that fed on elm and willow had a total of 171 genes with differential expression. When the beetles fed on elm and purpus privet, 3568 genes had differential expression. The vitellogenesis, ovarian serine protease, odorant-binding proteins, acyl-CoA synthetase and follicle cell proteins were commonly upregulated genes in elm-fed beetles compared with those fed on willow/purpus privet leaves. The involvement of the follicle cell protein 3C gene in the regulation of oviposition was confirmed using RNA interference. The results provide insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying oviposition in feeding on different host plants. This study also describes a method for identifying potentially effective genes for pest control.
Topics: Female; Animals; Transcriptome; Oviposition; Gene Expression Profiling; Coleoptera; Chlorophyceae
PubMed: 37685945
DOI: 10.3390/ijms241713138 -
General and Comparative Endocrinology Aug 2024The follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR) and luteinizing hormone receptor (LHR) in cloudy catshark were cloned, and recombinant FSHR and LHR were expressed for...
The follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR) and luteinizing hormone receptor (LHR) in cloudy catshark were cloned, and recombinant FSHR and LHR were expressed for characterization. Ventral lobe extract (VLE) from the pituitary contains homologous FSH and LH, and it stimulated the cAMP signaling of FSHR and LHR dose-dependently. Two transcript variants of LHR (LHR-L with exon 10 and LHR-S without) were identified, and LHR-S was the dominant form with higher basal cAMP activity without VLE stimulation. Among various developmental stages of follicles, FSHR expression was mainly associated with the pre-vitellogenic and early white follicles. When follicles were recruited into vitellogenesis, the expression of FSHR decreased while of LHR was upregulated reciprocally, suggesting that LHR may also be responsible for the control of vitellogenesis in chondrichthyans. The expression of LHR-L was upregulated among maturing follicles before ovulation, indicating LHR-L could have a specific role in receiving the LH surge signal for final maturation. Plasma LH-like activity was transiently increased prior to the progesterone (P4)-surge and testosterone-drop at the beginning of P4-phase, supporting a pituitary control of follicle-maturation via LH signaling in chondrichthyans. The expression of follicular LHR was downregulated during the P4-phase when LH-like activity was high, indicating that the LH-dependent downregulation of LHR is conserved in chondrichthyans as it is in other vertebrate lineages. (213 words).
Topics: Animals; Receptors, LH; Female; Receptors, FSH; Luteinizing Hormone; Follicle Stimulating Hormone; Fishes; Ovarian Follicle
PubMed: 38685391
DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2024.114542 -
Vavilovskii Zhurnal Genetiki I Selektsii Apr 2024Juvenile hormone plays a "status quo" role in Drosophila melanogaster larvae, preventing the untimely metamorphosis, and performs a gonadotropic function in imagoes,...
Fertility differences between two wild-type Drosophila melanogaster lines correlate with differences in the expression of the Jheh1 gene, which codes for an enzyme degrading juvenile hormone.
Juvenile hormone plays a "status quo" role in Drosophila melanogaster larvae, preventing the untimely metamorphosis, and performs a gonadotropic function in imagoes, ensuring the ovaries' preparedness for vitellogenesis. The decreased level of juvenile hormone results in reproductive disorders in D. melanogaster females including a delay in the oviposition onset and a fertility decrease. Another factor that can affect the insect reproduction is an infection with the maternally inherited symbiotic α-proteobacterium Wolbachia. The present study is devoted to the analysis of the expression of two juvenile hormone metabolism genes encoding enzymes of its synthesis and degradation, juvenile hormone acid O-methyltransferase ( jhamt) and juvenile hormone epoxide hydrase (Jheh1), respectively, in four wild-type D. melanogaster lines, two of them being infected with Wolbachia. Lines w153 and Bi90 were both derived from an individual wild-caught females infected with Wolbachia, while lines w153T and Bi90T were derived from them by tetracycline treatment and are free of infection. Line Bi90 is known to be infected with the Wolbachia strain wMel, and line w153, with the Wolbachia strain wMelPlus belonging to the wMelCS genotype. It was found that infection with either Wolbachia strain does not affect the expression of the studied genes. At the same time, it was shown that the w153 and w153T lines differ from the Bi90 and Bi90T lines by an increased level of the Jheh1 gene expression and do not differ in the jhamt gene expression level. Analysis of the fertility of these four lines showed that it does not depend on Wolbachia infection either, but differs between lines with different nuclear genotypes: in w153 and w153T, it is significantly lower than in lines Bi90 and Bi90T. The data obtained allow us to reasonably propose that the inter-line D. melanogaster polymorphism in the metabolism of the juvenile hormone is determined by its degradation (not by its synthesis) and correlates with the fertility level.
PubMed: 38680182
DOI: 10.18699/vjgb-24-22 -
International Journal of Molecular... Sep 2023In insects, the ecdysteroid hormone regulates development and reproduction. However, its function in the reproduction process of spider mites is still unclear. In this...
In insects, the ecdysteroid hormone regulates development and reproduction. However, its function in the reproduction process of spider mites is still unclear. In this study, we investigated the effect of the Halloween gene on the oviposition of the reproduction process in a spider mite, . The expression patterns of the ecdysteroid biosynthesis and signaling pathway genes, as analyzed by RT-qPCR, showed that the expression pattern of the Halloween genes was similar to the oviposition pattern of the female mite and the expression patterns of the vitellogenesis-related genes and , suggesting that the Halloween genes are involved in the oviposition of spider mites. To investigate the function of the ecdysteroid hormone on the oviposition of the reproduction process, we carried out an RNAi assay against the Halloween gene by injection in female mites. Effective silencing of led to a significant reduction of oviposition. In summary, these results provide an initial study on the effect of Halloween genes on the reproduction in and may be a foundation for a new strategy to control spider mites.
Topics: Animals; Female; Oviposition; Tetranychidae; Ecdysteroids; Reproduction; RNA Interference
PubMed: 37834248
DOI: 10.3390/ijms241914797 -
Heliyon Dec 2023The purpose of this study is to determine how photo biomodulation therapy utilizing infrared diode laser irradiation (975.2 nm) affects the gonadal maturity level (GML)...
The purpose of this study is to determine how photo biomodulation therapy utilizing infrared diode laser irradiation (975.2 nm) affects the gonadal maturity level (GML) of male Siamese catfish (Pan-gasianodon hypothalamus). The interest in applying laser therapy in medicine and dentistry has remarkably increased in the last decade. Different types of lasers are available, and their usage is well-defined by different parameters, such as wavelength, energy density, power output, duration of radiation, power density and radiation mode. Infrared diode laser irradiation is used at the reproductive point (governor's vessel), situated 2/3 of the way between the anus and the pectoral fin. This study examined the metrics GML, gonads somatic index, and hepatosomatic index. The treatments were Control+ (ovaprim), Control- (without the treatment), P1 (0.2 J/cm), P2 (0.4 J/cm), P3 (0.6 J/cm), and P4 (0.8 J/cm). Therapy with infrared diode laser irradiation can modify gonad maturity (GML), gonadosomal index, and hepatosomatic index in male Siamese catfish. The photobiomodulation effect of an infrared laser stimulated the gonadal maturation of Siamese catfish. This is based on the values of wavelength (nm), power (mW), beam area (cm), time (s), radiation mode (rad) and energy dose (J/cm) in Control- (no treatment), control+ (ovaprim), P1, P2, P3, and P4. The increase in the observed parameter values is due to the vitellogenesis process. The fish gonads at the GML IV had the highest GML at P2 (dose 0.4 J/cm), with a GSI value of 1.02% and an HSI value of 1.46%. According to the study's findings, photo biomodulation therapy with infrared diode laser exposure at a dose of 0.4 J/cm is the best way to increase the gonad maturity of male Siamese catfish.
PubMed: 38149202
DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e23253 -
In vivo direct cell-penetrating peptide mediated protein transduction system in Acyrthosiphon pisum.BMC Research Notes Sep 2023The principal delivery method for CRISPR-based genome editing in insects is now based on microinjection into single cells or embryos. The direct protein transduction...
OBJECTIVE
The principal delivery method for CRISPR-based genome editing in insects is now based on microinjection into single cells or embryos. The direct protein transduction systems cannot be employed in aphids because oogenesis occurs without apparent vitellogenesis. Given the limited timing of injection into the embryonic stage in oviparous aphids, a protein delivery system from the hemolymph to the germline and embryos would be a useful tool for genome editing. This study reports a newly developed direct protein delivery system for aphids using cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs). CPPs are short peptides that translocate across the plasma membrane when bound to cargo proteins.
RESULTS
Penetratin (PEN), a widely conserved CPP among insects, was identified in this study. We used mVenus, a recombinant fluorescent protein, as a visual marker for CPP availability assessments, and fused it with PEN by bacterial protein expression. The mVenus-PEN recombinant proteins were introduced into the hemolymph of adult unwinged Acyrthosiphon pisum females using a nanoinjector. Fluorescence emitted by mVenus-PEN was observed in various tissues, such as the gut, trachea, bacteriocytes, and their progeny. This study shows that PEN can deliver exogenously expressed proteins into tissues in vivo, indicating that CPPs are powerful tools for protein transduction.
Topics: Female; Animals; Cell-Penetrating Peptides; Pisum sativum; Aphids; Bacterial Proteins; Cell Membrane
PubMed: 37749584
DOI: 10.1186/s13104-023-06514-9 -
Biology Sep 2023Coleoptera is the largest taxa of animals by far. The robust reproductive capacity is one of the main reasons for such domination. Successful female reproduction...
Coleoptera is the largest taxa of animals by far. The robust reproductive capacity is one of the main reasons for such domination. Successful female reproduction partially relies on effective vitellogenesis. However, the hormone regulation of vitellogenesis remains to be explored. In the present paper, in vitro culture of 1-day-old adult fat bodies in the 20E-contained median did not activate juvenile hormone production and insulin-like peptide pathways, but significantly stimulated the expression of two genes, in a cycloheximide-dependent pattern. In vivo RNA interference (RNAi) of either ecdysone receptor () or ultraspiracle () by injection of corresponding dsRNA into 1-day-old female adults inhibited oocyte development, dramatically repressed the transcription of genes in fat bodies and of in ovaries; application of JH into the or RNAi females did not restore the oocyte development, partially rescued the decreased mRNA levels but over-compensated expression levels. The same RNAi experiments were performed in another Coleoptera species, . Little yolk substances were seen in the misshapen oocytes in the or RNAi ovaries, in contrast to larger amounts of yolk granules in the normal oocytes. Correspondingly, the transcript levels of in the fat bodies and ovaries decreased significantly in the and RNAi samples. Our results here show that 20E signaling is indispensable in the activation of vitellogenesis in the developing oocytes of the two beetle species.
PubMed: 37886994
DOI: 10.3390/biology12101284 -
Scientific Reports Jan 2024Vitellogenesis is the most important process in animal reproduction, in which yolk proteins play a vital role. Among multiple yolk protein precursors, vitellogenin (Vtg)...
Vitellogenesis is the most important process in animal reproduction, in which yolk proteins play a vital role. Among multiple yolk protein precursors, vitellogenin (Vtg) is a well-known major yolk protein (MYP) in most oviparous animals. However, the nature of MYP in the freshwater gastropod snail Biomphalaria glabrata remains elusive. In the current study, we applied bioinformatics, tissue-specific transcriptomics, ovotestis-targeted proteomics, and phylogenetics to investigate the large lipid transfer protein (LLTP) superfamily and ferritin-like family in B. glabrata. Four members of LLTP superfamily (BgVtg1, BgVtg2, BgApo1, and BgApo2), one yolk ferritin (Bg yolk ferritin), and four soma ferritins (Bg ferritin 1, 2, 3, and 4) were identified in B. glabrata genome. The proteomic analysis demonstrated that, among the putative yolk proteins, BgVtg1 was the yolk protein appearing in the highest amount in the ovotestis, followed by Bg yolk ferritin. RNAseq profile showed that the leading synthesis sites of BgVtg1 and Bg yolk ferritin are in the ovotestis (presumably follicle cells) and digestive gland, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that BgVtg1 is well clustered with Vtgs of other vertebrates and invertebrates. We conclude that, vitellogenin (BgVtg1), not yolk ferritin (Bg yolk ferritin), is the major yolk protein precursor in the schistosomiasis vector snail B. glabrata.
Topics: Animals; Biomphalaria; Vitellogenins; Multiomics; Phylogeny; Proteomics; Egg Proteins; Schistosomiasis; Ferritins; Schistosoma mansoni
PubMed: 38245605
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-52392-x -
Environmental Pollution (Barking, Essex... Feb 2024In this study, the disrupting effects of glyphosate (GLY), aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA), and three glyphosate-based herbicides (GBHs) on vitellogenesis in a...
In this study, the disrupting effects of glyphosate (GLY), aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA), and three glyphosate-based herbicides (GBHs) on vitellogenesis in a non-concentration-dependent manner are reported for the first time in 120 h of acute exposure of zebrafish at environmentally relevant concentrations. GBHs are commonly used worldwide in weed control management. Due to their extensive application, they frequently occur in aquatic ecosystems and may affect various organisms. The active substance GLY and its major by-product, AMPA, are the most thoroughly studied chemicals; however, the adverse effects of the complex formulas of GBHs with diverse and unknown content of co-formulants are still not sufficiently researched. This study focused on the embryotoxicity, sublethal malformations, and estrogenic potency of GLY, AMPA, and four commonly used GBHs on zebrafish embryos using a wild type and an estrogen-sensitive, transgenic zebrafish line (Tg(vtg1:mCherry)). After 120 h of exposition, AMPA did not cause acute toxicity, while the LC of GLY was 160 mg/L. The GBHs were more toxic with LC values ranging from 31 to 111 GLY active equivalent (a.e.) mg/L. Exposure to 0.35-2.8 mg/L GBHs led to sublethal abnormalities: typical symptoms were structural deformation of the lower jaw and anomalies in the olfactory region. Deformity rates were 10-30% in the treated groups. In vivo, fluorescently expressed vtg1 mCherry protein in embryonic liver was detected by a non-invasive microscopic method indicating estrogenic action through vitellogenin production by GLY, AMPA, and GBHs. To confirm the in vivo findings, RT-qPCR method was performed to determine the levels of the estrogenicity-related vtg1 mRNA. After 120 h of exposure to GLY, AMPA, and three GBHs at a concentration of 0.35 mg/L, the expression of vtg1 gene was significantly up-regulated. Our results highlight the risk that short-term GLY and GBH exposure can cause developmental malformations and disrupt the hormonal balance in zebrafish embryos.
Topics: Animals; Glyphosate; Zebrafish; alpha-Amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic Acid; Glycine; Ecosystem; Herbicides; Animals, Genetically Modified; Estrone; Organophosphonates
PubMed: 38072021
DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.123113 -
Experimental & Applied Acarology Feb 2024Hyalomma dromedarii is the predominant tick species parasitizing camels in Egypt which leads to mortalities in young animals that result in economic losses. It can...
Hyalomma dromedarii is the predominant tick species parasitizing camels in Egypt which leads to mortalities in young animals that result in economic losses. It can transmit a lot of pathogens to animals and humans, such as the Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus, the Dhori virus, Kadam virus, Theileria annulata and spotted fever rickettsia. The continuous use of chemical acaricides has negative impact on the environment and almost led to acaricidal resistance, and hence the plant extracts represent alternative methods for controlling ticks. The present study was carried out to assess the histopathological effects on the ovary of fed female Hyalomma dromedarii following immersion in the ethanolic extract of fruits of Citrullus colocynthis (100 mg/mL). Light, scanning and transmission electron microscopy observations provided evidence that Citrullus colocynthis caused extensive damage to oocytes. Destruction of the internal organelles of oocytes, along with delay and/or inhibition of vitellogenesis were demonstrated. This is the first histological study that points to damage in H. dromedarii ovaries following treatment with the ethanolic extract of fruits of C. colocynthis. The data presented suggest that the plant extract affects the ovary either directly by entering the oocytes and/or indirectly by damaging the gut cells and digestion of blood that interfere with the development of oocytes, so it can be used as a promising agent for tick control.
Topics: Humans; Female; Animals; Ticks; Ovary; Citrullus colocynthis; Fruit; Ixodidae
PubMed: 38347254
DOI: 10.1007/s10493-023-00895-z