Juvenile Hormone Studies in Drosophila melanogaster

Zhang, Xiaoshuai; Li, Sheng; Liu, Suning

doi:10.3389/fphys.2021.785320

Cited by 41 publications

(36 citation statements)

References 135 publications

(223 reference statements)

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“…A defining feature of PI-CA neurons is their expression of presynaptic markers at the CA (Fig 3B), the conserved sites of JH synthesis and release within insects. JH has been implicated in a variety of physiological and behavioral phenomena within insects broadly (Riddiford, 2020; Tsang et al, 2020) and within fruit flies specifically (Zhang et al, 2022). Importantly, JH is known to have sexually dimorphic effects (Belgacem and Martin, 2007; Wu et al, 2018).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neural mechanisms of parasite-induced summiting behavior in “zombie”Drosophila

Elya

Lavrentovich

Lee

et al. 2022

Preprint

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For at least two centuries, scientists have been enthralled by the zombie behaviors induced by mind-controlling parasites. Despite this interest, the mechanistic bases of these uncanny processes have remained mostly a mystery. Here, we leverage the recently established Entomophthora muscae-Drosophila melanogaster zombie fly system to reveal the molecular and cellular underpinnings of summit disease, a manipulated behavior evoked by many fungal parasites. Using a new, high-throughput behavior assay to measure summiting, we discovered that summiting behavior is characterized by a burst of locomotion and requires the host circadian and neurosecretory systems, specifically DN1p circadian neurons, pars intercerebralis to corpora allata projecting (PI-CA) neurons and corpora allata (CA), who are solely responsible for juvenile hormone (JH) synthesis and release. Summiting is a fleeting phenomenon, posing a challenge for physiological and biochemical experiments requiring tissue from summiting flies. We addressed this with a machine learning classifier to identify summiting animals in real time. PI-CA neurons and CA appear to be intact in summiting animals, despite E. muscae cells invading the host brain, particularly in the superior medial protocerebrum (SMP), the neuropil that contains DN1p axons and PI-CA dendrites. The blood-brain barrier of flies late in their infection was significantly permeabilized, suggesting that factors in the hemolymph may have greater access to the central nervous system during summiting. Metabolomic analysis of hemolymph from summiting flies revealed differential abundance of several compounds compared to non-summiting flies. Transfusing the hemolymph of summiting flies into non-summiting recipients induced a burst of locomotion, demonstrating that factor(s) in the hemolymph likely cause summiting behavior. Altogether, our work reveals a neuro-mechanistic model for summiting wherein fungal cells perturb fly hemolymph, activating the neurohormonal pathway linking clock neurons to juvenile hormone production in the CA, ultimately inducing locomotor activity in their host.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neural mechanisms of parasite-induced summiting behavior in “zombie”Drosophila

Elya

Lavrentovich

Lee

et al. 2022

Preprint

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“…Octopamine (Octp) modulates many peripheral and sensory organs and, in the nervous system, exerts an inhibition effect on juvenile hormone biosynthesis in a sinusoidal dosedependent reversible manner [18]. This phenomenon is well documented in cricket and cockroaches, and this biochemical mechanism seems to work on ies [52].…”

Section: Case Study: Eo Applied On Myiasis-producing Blow Ymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…From the hormonal point of view, the Juvenile Hormone (JH) produced in insect CA plays an essential role in many aspects of insect physiology. In larvae life, the JH action acts throughout the receptor PAS Methoprene-tolerant (MET) that heterodimerizes with another bHLH-PAS protein Taiman (Tai) and activates the transcriptional factors Krüppel-homolog 1 (Kr-h1), maintaining the larval form [52]. Aliphatic sesquiterpenes present in EO compounds are JH-mimetic which can bind in Methoprene-Tolerant receptor (MET), as denoted in computational prediction Fig.…”

Section: Case Study: Eo Applied On Myiasis-producing Blow Ymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Allowing the larvae to molt to pupal form and JH still absent in most pupal life allows the formation of an adult at the next molting [53]. De ciency in JH promotes precocious metamorphosis and pupal lethality by suppressing the zinc-nger TF Krüppelhomolog 1 (Kr-h1), which acts as the anti-metamorphosis factor [52]. The incorrect JH levels and timing will deregulate the larval-pupal-adult formation.…”

Section: Case Study: Eo Applied On Myiasis-producing Blow Ymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Virtual screening and cheminformatics descriptors uncover insecticidal molecular mechanisms besides plant essential oils' action.

Correa

Carvalho

Oliveira

et al. 2022

Preprint

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Plant essential oils (EOs) are important for discovering new bioactive substances, such as environmentally safe insecticides. However, the high structural diversity of EOs compounds and their elusive biochemical mechanisms make a gap in knowledge of their major targets and action mechanisms. Here we present a predictive cheminformatics methodology and experimental validation of the ability of EO's typical natural compounds to act as potential insecticides against canonical insect molecular targets. A cheminformatics analysis protocol was created to identify chemical signatures of compounds present in EOs capable of interfering with typical targets of insecticides. Three of our clusters presented strong respective signatures for JH-like, Steroids-like and biogenic-amines-like structures, all of them with reported anti-insecticidal effects. Case studies highlight the participation of juvenile hormone-specific proteins (JHBP and MET) and the octopamine receptor at agonist conformation (OctpR ago) as major targets for EOs of typical Brazilian plants. In vivo application of leave’s EOs from Baccharis dracunculifolia on blowflies led to dose-response symptoms in adults, larvae and hatching consonants with such signatures. Taking it all together, the present study points out the success of a promising methodology to identify insecticidal pharmacophore signatures on plants' EOs, which can be of high value for the bioprospection of new natural products and molecules with agro and health interests.

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“…During the last century, notable advances have been made in the research of JH signal transduction pathway. In the juvenile stages, JH binds to the JH intracellular receptor methoprene tolerant (Met) and induces the expression of Krüppel homolog 1 (Kr-h1) [6,7]. Acting as the antimetamorphic factor, Kr-h1 represses the expression of multiple 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) primary-response genes (i.e., Br-C, E74, E75, and E93), thus preventing 20E-induced premature metamorphosis and maintains the juvenile status [8][9][10][11][12][13].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Egfr signaling promotes juvenile hormone biosynthesis in the German cockroach

Zhou

Chen

et al. 2022

BMC Biol

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Background In insects, an interplay between the activities of distinct hormones, such as juvenile hormone (JH) and 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E), regulates the progression through numerous life history hallmarks. As a crucial endocrine factor, JH is mainly synthesized in the corpora allata (CA) to regulate multiple physiological and developmental processes, including molting, metamorphosis, and reproduction. During the last century, significant progress has been achieved in elucidating the JH signal transduction pathway, while less progress has been made in dissecting the regulatory mechanism of JH biosynthesis. Previous work has shown that receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) signaling regulates hormone biosynthesis in both insects and mammals. Here, we performed a systematic RNA interference (RNAi) screening to identify RTKs involved in regulating JH biosynthesis in the CA of adult Blattella germanica females. Results We found that the epidermal growth factor receptor (Egfr) is required for promoting JH biosynthesis in the CA of adult females. The Egf ligands Vein and Spitz activate Egfr, followed by Ras/Raf/ERK signaling, and finally activation of the downstream transcription factor Pointed (Pnt). Importantly, Pnt induces the transcriptional expression of two key enzyme-encoding genes in the JH biosynthesis pathway: juvenile hormone acid methyltransferase (JHAMT) and methyl farnesoate epoxidase (CYP15A1). Dual-luciferase reporter assay shows that Pnt is able to activate a promoter region of Jhamt. In addition, electrophoretic mobility shift assay confirms that Pnt directly binds to the − 941~ − 886 nt region of the Jhamt promoter. Conclusions This study reveals the detailed molecular mechanism of Egfr signaling in promoting JH biosynthesis in the German cockroach, shedding light on the intricate regulation of JH biosynthesis during insect development.

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Juvenile Hormone Studies in Drosophila melanogaster

Cited by 41 publications

References 135 publications

Neural mechanisms of parasite-induced summiting behavior in “zombie”Drosophila

Neural mechanisms of parasite-induced summiting behavior in “zombie”Drosophila

Virtual screening and cheminformatics descriptors uncover insecticidal molecular mechanisms besides plant essential oils' action.

Egfr signaling promotes juvenile hormone biosynthesis in the German cockroach

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