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Journal of Chemical Ecology Apr 2024Many plant species, particularly legumes, protect themselves with saponins. Previously, a correlation was observed between levels of oleanolic acid-derived saponins,...
Many plant species, particularly legumes, protect themselves with saponins. Previously, a correlation was observed between levels of oleanolic acid-derived saponins, such as hederagenin-derived compounds, in the legume Medicago truncatula and caterpillar deterrence. Using concentrations that reflect the foliar levels of hederagenin-type saponins, the sapogenin hederagenin was not toxic to 4th instar caterpillars of the cabbage looper Trichoplusia ni nor did it act as a feeding deterrent. Female caterpillars consumed more diet than males, presumably to obtain the additional nutrients required for oogenesis, and are, thus, exposed to higher hederagenin levels. When fed the hederagenin diet, male caterpillars expressed genes encoding trypsin-like proteins (LOC113500509, LOC113501951, LOC113501953, LOC113501966, LOC113501965, LOC113499659, LOC113501950, LOC113501948, LOC113501957, LOC113501962, LOC113497819, LOC113501946, LOC113503910) as well as stress-responsive (LOC113503484, LOC113505107) proteins and cytochrome P 6B2-like (LOC113493761) at higher levels than females. In comparison, female caterpillars expressed higher levels of cytochrome P 6B7-like (LOC113492289). Bioinformatic tools predict that cytochrome Ps could catalyze the oxygenation of hederagenin which would increase the hydrophilicity of the compound. Expression of a Major Facilitator Subfamily (MFS) transporter (LOC113492899) showed a hederagenin dose-dependent increase in gene expression suggesting that this transporter may be involved in sapogenin efflux. These sex-related differences in feeding and detoxification should be taken into consideration in insecticide evaluations to minimize pesticide resistance.
Topics: Animals; Female; Male; Saponins; Oleanolic Acid; Moths; Transcriptome; Larva; Sex Characteristics
PubMed: 38443712
DOI: 10.1007/s10886-024-01482-1 -
ISME Communications Jan 2024Insects typically acquire their beneficial microbes early in development. Endosymbionts housed intracellularly are commonly integrated during oogenesis or embryogenesis,...
Insects typically acquire their beneficial microbes early in development. Endosymbionts housed intracellularly are commonly integrated during oogenesis or embryogenesis, whereas extracellular microbes are only known to be acquired after hatching by immature instars such as larvae or nymphs. Here, however, we report on an extracellular symbiont that colonizes its host during embryo development. Tortoise beetles (: ) host their digestive bacterial symbiont extracellularly within foregut symbiotic organs and in ovary-associated glands to ensure its vertical transmission. We outline the initial stages of symbiont colonization and observe that although the foregut symbiotic organs develop 3 days prior to larval emergence, they remain empty until the final 24 h of embryo development. Infection by occurs during that timeframe and prior to hatching. By experimentally manipulating symbiont availability to embryos in the egg, we describe a 12-h developmental window governing colonization by . Symbiotic organs form normally in aposymbiotic larvae, demonstrating that these -bearing structures develop autonomously. In adults, the foregut symbiotic organs are already colonized following metamorphosis and host a stable population to facilitate folivory. The ovary-associated glands, however, initially lack . Symbiont abundance subsequently increases within these transmission organs, thereby ensuring sufficient titers at the onset of oviposition ~29 days following metamorphosis. Collectively, our findings reveal that colonization precedes larval emergence, where its proliferation is eventually decoupled in adult beetles to match the nutritional and reproductive requirements of its host.
PubMed: 38439943
DOI: 10.1093/ismeco/ycae005 -
General and Comparative Endocrinology May 2024Functions of vitellogenins have been in the limelight of fish reproductive physiology research for decades. The Vtg system of acanthomorph teleosts consists of two... (Review)
Review
Functions of vitellogenins have been in the limelight of fish reproductive physiology research for decades. The Vtg system of acanthomorph teleosts consists of two complete forms of Vtgs (VtgAa and VtgAb) and an incomplete form, VtgC. Insufficient uptake and processing of Vtgs and their yolk proteins lead to inadequate oocyte hydration ensuing failure in acquisition of egg buoyancy and early developmental deficiencies. This review presents a summary of our studies on utilization of multiple Vtgs in species with different egg buoyancy characteristics, as examples. Studies of moronids revealed limited degradation of all three forms of lipovitellin heavy chain derived from their three respective forms of Vtg, by which they contribute to the free amino acid pool driving oocyte hydration during oocyte maturation. In later studies, CRISPR/Cas9 was employed to invalidate zebrafish type I, type II and type III Vtgs, which are orthologs of acanthamorph VtgAa, VtgAb and VtgC, respectively. Results revealed type I Vtg to have essential developmental and nutritional functions in both late embryos and larvae. Genomic disturbance of type II Vtg led to high mortalities during the first 24 h of embryonic development. Despite being a minor form of Vtg in zebrafish and most other species, type III Vtg was also found to contribute essentially to the developmental potential of zebrafish zygotes and early embryos. Apart from severe effects on progeny survival, these studies also disclosed previously unreported regulatory effects of Vtgs on fecundity and fertility, and on embryo hatching. We recently utilized parallel reactions monitoring based liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry to assess the processing and utilization of lipovitellins derived from different forms of Vtg in Atlantic halibut and European plaice. Results showed the Lv heavy chain of VtgAa (LvHAa) to be consumed during oocyte maturation and the Lv light chain of VtgAb (LvLAb) to be utilized specifically during late larval stages, while all remaining YPs (LvLAa, LvHAb, LvHC, and LvLC) were utilized during or after hatching up until first feeding in halibut. In plaice, all YPs except LvHAa, which similarly to halibut supports oocyte maturation, are utilized from late embryo to late larval development up until first feeding. The collective findings from these studies affirm substantial disparity in modes of utilization of different types of Vtgs among fish species with various egg buoyancy characteristics, and they reveal previously unknown regulatory functions of Vtgs in maintenance of reproductive assets such as maternal fecundity and fertility, and in embryonic hatching. Despite the progress that has been made over the past two decades by examining multiple Vtgs and their functions, a higher complexity of these systems with much greater diversity between species in modes of Vtg utilization is now evident. Further research is needed to reveal novel ways each species has evolved to utilize these complex multiple Vtg systems and to discover unifying principles for this evolution in fishes of diverse lineages, habitats and life history characteristics.
Topics: Animals; Vitellogenins; Zebrafish; Fishes; Oocytes; Oogenesis; Perciformes
PubMed: 38431208
DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2024.114479 -
Frontiers in Cell and Developmental... 2024Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) have revolutionized infertility treatment and animal breeding, but their success largely depends on selecting high-quality... (Review)
Review
Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) have revolutionized infertility treatment and animal breeding, but their success largely depends on selecting high-quality oocytes for fertilization and embryos for transfer. During preimplantation development, embryos undergo complex morphogenetic processes, such as compaction and cavitation, driven by cellular forces dependent on cytoskeletal dynamics and cell-cell interactions. These processes are pivotal in dictating an embryo's capacity to implant and progress to full-term development. Hence, a comprehensive grasp of the biomechanical attributes characterizing healthy oocytes and embryos is essential for selecting those with higher developmental potential. Various noninvasive techniques have emerged as valuable tools for assessing biomechanical properties without disturbing the oocyte or embryo physiological state, including morphokinetics, analysis of cytoplasmic movement velocity, or quantification of cortical tension and elasticity using microaspiration. By shedding light on the cytoskeletal processes involved in chromosome segregation, cytokinesis, cellular trafficking, and cell adhesion, underlying oogenesis, and embryonic development, this review explores the significance of embryo biomechanics in ART and its potential implications for improving clinical IVF outcomes, offering valuable insights and research directions to enhance oocyte and embryo selection procedures.
PubMed: 38425501
DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2024.1342905 -
Developmental Biology Jun 2024From insects to humans, oogenesis is tightly linked to nutritional input, yet little is known about how whole organism physiology matches dietary changes with oocyte...
From insects to humans, oogenesis is tightly linked to nutritional input, yet little is known about how whole organism physiology matches dietary changes with oocyte development. Considering that diet-induced adipose tissue dysfunction is associated with an increased risk for fertility problems, and other obesity-associated pathophysiologies, it is critical to decipher the cellular and molecular mechanisms linking adipose nutrient sensing to remote control of the ovary and other tissues. Our previous studies in Drosophila melanogaster have shown that amino acid sensing, via the amino acid response pathway and mTOR-mediated signaling function within adipocytes to control germline stem cell maintenance and ovulation, respectively. Additionally, we demonstrated that insulin/insulin-like growth factor signaling within adipocytes employs distinct effector axes, PI3K/Akt1-dependent and -independent, downstream of insulin receptor activity to mediate fat-to-ovary communication. Here, we report that the Ras/MAPK signaling axis functions in adipocytes to regulate early germline cyst survival and ovulation of mature oocytes but is not important for germline stem cell maintenance or the progression through vitellogenesis. Thus, these studies uncover the complexity of signaling pathway activity that mediates inter-organ communication.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Female; Drosophila melanogaster; Ovary; Signal Transduction; Oogenesis; Ovulation; Adipose Tissue; Germ Cells; Amino Acids; Drosophila Proteins
PubMed: 38423203
DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2024.02.009 -
Biomedicines Feb 2024Oncostatin M, a novel adipokine, plays a role in oogenesis, lipogenesis, and inflammation and may contribute to polycystic ovary syndrome pathogenesis and related...
Oncostatin M, a novel adipokine, plays a role in oogenesis, lipogenesis, and inflammation and may contribute to polycystic ovary syndrome pathogenesis and related metabolic problems. Adipokines are believed to contribute to developing polycystic ovary syndrome and its accompanying metabolic parameters, such as dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, and cardiovascular diseases. In this case-control study, the patients were grouped in a 1:1 ratio into either the polycystic ovary syndrome ( 32) or the control group ( 32). Serum levels of fasting glucose, insulin, C-reactive protein, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglyceride, white blood cell count, thyroid-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, total testosterone, prolactin, estradiol, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance, and oncostatin M were analyzed. Oncostatin M levels were significantly lower, but C-reactive protein levels were substantially higher in the polycystic ovary syndrome group than in the control group ( = 0.002, = 0.001, respectively). Oncostatin M was inversely correlated with total cholesterol, non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, fasting glucose, and the luteinizing hormone/follicle-stimulating hormone ratio (ρ = -0.329, =0.017; ρ = -0.386, = 0.005; ρ = -0.440, = 0.001; ρ = -0.316, = 0.023, respectively). Conversely, there was no correlation between oncostatin M and total testosterone level (ρ = 0.220; = 0.118). In the context of inflammation and metabolic parameters, oncostatin M was inversely correlated with C-reactive protein, homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance score, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (ρ = -0.353, = 0.019; ρ = -0.275, = 0.048; ρ = -0.470, < 0.001, respectively). Plasma oncostatin M levels were considerably lower in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome than in the control group, and this was inversely correlated with the hormonal and metabolic parameters of polycystic ovary syndrome. Thus, oncostatin M may be a novel therapeutic target for polycystic ovary syndrome and its metabolic parameters.
PubMed: 38397957
DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines12020355 -
Cell & Bioscience Feb 2024PRAME constitutes one of the largest multi-copy gene families in Eutherians, encoding cancer-testis antigens (CTAs) with leucine-rich repeats (LRR) domains, highly...
BACKGROUND
PRAME constitutes one of the largest multi-copy gene families in Eutherians, encoding cancer-testis antigens (CTAs) with leucine-rich repeats (LRR) domains, highly expressed in cancer cells and gametogenic germ cells. This study aims to elucidate genetic interactions between two members, Pramex1 and Pramel1, in the mouse Prame family during gametogenesis using a gene knockout approach.
RESULT
Single-gene knockout (sKO) of either Pramex1 or Pramel1 resulted in approximately 7% of abnormal seminiferous tubules, characterized by a Sertoli-cell only (SCO) phenotype, impacting sperm count and fecundity significantly. Remarkably, sKO female mice displayed normal reproductive functions. In contrast, Pramex1/Pramel1 double knockout (dKO) mice exhibited reduced fecundity in both sexes. In dKO females, ovarian primary follicle count decreased by 50% compared to sKO and WT mice, correlating with a 50% fecundity decrease. This suggested compensatory roles during oogenesis in Pramex1 or Pramel1 sKO females. Conversely, dKO males showed an 18% frequency of SCO tubules, increased apoptotic germ cells, and decreased undifferentiated spermatogonia compared to sKO and WT testes. Western blot analysis with PRAMEX1- or PRAMEL1-specific antibodies on sKO testes revealed compensatory upregulation of each protein (30-50%) in response to the other gene's deletion. Double KO males exhibited more severe defects in sperm count and litter size, surpassing Pramex1 and Pramel1 sKO accumulative effects, indicating a synergistic enhancement interaction during spermatogenesis. Additional experiments administering trans-retinoic acid (RA) and its inhibitor (WIN18,446) in sKO, dKO, and WT mice suggested that PRAMEX1 and PRAMEL1 synergistically repress the RA signaling pathway during spermatogenesis.
CONCLUSION
Data from sKO and dKO mice unveil a synergistic interaction via the RA signaling pathway between Pramex1 and Pramel1 genes during gametogenesis. This discovery sets the stage for investigating interactions among other members within the Prame family, advancing our understanding of multi-copy gene families involved in germ cell formation and function.
PubMed: 38395975
DOI: 10.1186/s13578-024-01212-w -
Nature Communications Feb 2024The number of embryonic primordial germ cells in Drosophila is determined by the quantity of germ plasm, whose assembly starts in the posterior region of the oocyte...
The number of embryonic primordial germ cells in Drosophila is determined by the quantity of germ plasm, whose assembly starts in the posterior region of the oocyte during oogenesis. Here, we report that extending JAK-STAT activity in the posterior somatic follicular epithelium leads to an excess of primordial germ cells in the future embryo. We show that JAK-STAT signaling is necessary for the differentiation of approximately 20 specialized follicle cells maintaining tight contact with the oocyte. These cells define, in the underlying posterior oocyte cortex, the anchoring of the germ cell determinant oskar mRNA. We reveal that the apical surface of these posterior anchoring cells extends long filopodia penetrating the oocyte. We identify two JAK-STAT targets in these cells that are each sufficient to extend the zone of contact with the oocyte, thereby leading to production of extra primordial germ cells. JAK-STAT signaling thus determines a fixed number of posterior anchoring cells required for anterior-posterior oocyte polarity and for the development of the future germline.
Topics: Animals; Drosophila; Drosophila Proteins; Oocytes; Oogenesis; Germ Cells; Cell Polarity; Drosophila melanogaster
PubMed: 38388656
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45963-z -
International Journal of Fertility &... Feb 2024Some failures in ovary function, like folliculogenesis and oogenesis, can give rise to various infertility-associated problems, including polycystic ovary syndrome...
Some failures in ovary function, like folliculogenesis and oogenesis, can give rise to various infertility-associated problems, including polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and premature ovarian insufficiency (POI). PCOS influences 8 to 20% of women; while POI occurs in at least 1% of all women. Regrettably, the current therapies for these diseases have not sufficiently been effective, and finding a suitable strategy is still a puzzle. One of the helpful strategies for managing and treating these disorders is understanding the contributing pathogenesis and mechanisms. Recently, it has been declared that abnormal expression of microRNAs (miRNAs), as a subset of non-coding RNAs, is involved in the pathogenesis of reproductive diseases. Among the miRNAs, the roles of miRNA-21 in the pathogenesis of PCOS and POI have been highlighted in some documents; hence, the purpose of this mini-review was to summarize the evidences in conjunction with the functions of this miRNA and other effective microRNAs in the normal or abnormal functions of the ovary (i.e., PCOS and POI) with a mechanistic insight.
PubMed: 38368510
DOI: 10.22074/ijfs.2023.1985792.1415 -
Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety Mar 20242-bromoacetamide (BAcAm) is an emerging class of unregulated disinfection by-products (DBPs), with potent cytogenetic and developmental toxicity in animals. However,...
2-bromoacetamide (BAcAm) is an emerging class of unregulated disinfection by-products (DBPs), with potent cytogenetic and developmental toxicity in animals. However, whether BAcAm exerts toxic effects on mammalian oocyte quality remains to be elucidate. In this research, we investigated the effect of BAcAm on mouse and human oocyte maturation with an in vitro culture system. Our results revealed that BAcAm exposure hindered the extrusion of the first polar body, disrupted the spindle organization and reduced the competence of embryo development after fertilization in the mouse oocytes. Results of single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) showed that 605 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in the BAcAm exposed mouse oocytes, among which 366 were up-regulated and 239 were down-regulated. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis further revealed that DEGs were mainly enriched in mitochondrial functions, oxidative stress, cytoskeleton, endoplasmic reticulum (ER), Golgi and protein synthesis, DNA damage and apoptosis. We then conducted further tests in these aspects and discovered that BAcAm exposure principally perturbed the function of microtubule and actin cytoskeleton. This finding was confirmed in human oocytes. Overall, our data suggest that BAcAm exposure disturbs the cytoskeleton function, thus impairing oocyte maturation. These data, for the first time, provide a comprehensive view for the toxic effects of BAcAm on oocyte maturation.
Topics: Humans; Animals; Mice; Oogenesis; Cytoskeleton; Oocytes; Mitochondria; Microtubules; Mammals
PubMed: 38364760
DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2024.116105