The molecular mechanisms of cuticular melanization: The ecdysone cascade leading to dopa decarboxylase expression in Manduca sexta

Hiruma, Kiyoshi; Riddiford, Lynn M.

doi:10.1016/j.ibmb.2009.01.008

Cited by 116 publications

(93 citation statements)

References 120 publications

(156 reference statements)

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“…3d), after more than 9 h of incubation. The results suggest that the 20E response of Wnt1 expression is not dependent on the direct and rapid induction by the ecdysone receptor (EcR)/USP binding to ecdysone response element but rather on the 20E-inducible expression of some transcription factors involved in ecdysone signalling cascade 16,28,33 . It is noteworthy that Wnt1 expression not only driven by the ecdysone-responsive promoter for EcR-B1 but also by the constitutive promoters ActinA3 and HSP70 caused ectopic pigmentation in the larval cuticle ( Supplementary Fig.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In contrast to the adult bodies and wings, lepidopteran larvae repeat the pigmentation processes while generating a new cuticle at each ecdysis because they 'take off' their old cuticles. Several reports on larval colour patterns in lepidoptera have revealed that the marking patterns are closely associated with the expression of many genes involved in the synthesis of melanin and other pigments, which are mainly regulated by 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) and juvenile hormone 12,16,17 . However, little is known about the spatiotemporal control of larval marking pattern maintenance at each moult or about how the pigmentation processes are integrated into the larval ecdysis.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Periodic Wnt1 expression in response to ecdysteroid generates twin-spot markings on caterpillars

et al. 2013

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Among various pigmentation patterns on caterpillars, sequential spot markings are often observed and used for aposematic colouration. In contrast to adult wings, caterpillar cuticle markings are repeatedly generated at each moult, but little is known about how the patterns are formed and maintained periodically. Here we focus on a silkworm mutant, multi lunar (L), with twin-spot markings on sequential segments. Positional cloning of L and expression analyses reveal that cis-regulatory change in Wnt1 is responsible for the spot patterning. The periodical upregulation of Wnt1 in response to ecdysteroid is detected only in epidermis within spot marking area. We verify by transgenic expression that the ectopic Wnt1 induces the additional pigmentation. Furthermore, the association of Wnt1 expression with spot markings is observed in the wild Bombyx species and swallowtail butterfly Papilio machaon. Taken together, we anticipate that periodic Wnt1 expression may contribute to natural variations of spot patterning on caterpillar cuticle.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

Periodic Wnt1 expression in response to ecdysteroid generates twin-spot markings on caterpillars

et al. 2013

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“…The hardening of the cuticle involves the cross‐linking of cuticle proteins (sclerotization), and this requires dopamine derivatives produced by the enzymes tyrosine hydroxylase and DOPA decarboxylase (Hiruma and Riddiford 2009). Accordingly, genes encoding both enzymes were preferentially expressed by the SD prepupae, and the differential expression of tyrosine hydroxylase mRNA was confirmed by quantitative real‐time RT‐PCR (Fig.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seasonal phenotype‐specific transcriptional reprogramming during metamorphosis in the European map butterfly Araschnia levana

Vilcinskas

Vogel

2016

Ecology and Evolution

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The European map butterfly (Araschnia levana) is a classic example of seasonal polyphenism because the spring and summer imagoes display two distinct morphological phenotypes. The light regime and temperature during larval and prepupal development determine whether or not the pupae commit to diapause and overwintering and thus whether spring or summer imagoes emerge. We used suppression subtractive hybridization to experimentally screen for genes that are differentially expressed in prepupae committed either to accelerated metamorphosis and egg production or diapause and overwintering. The range and ontology of the differentially expressed genes in prepupae developing from larvae exposed either to long‐day (LD) or short‐day (SD) conditions revealed fundamental differences. The SD prepupae preferentially expressed genes related to cuticle formation and immunity, reflecting the formation of a robust pupal exoskeleton and the upregulation of antimicrobial peptides as preparations for overwintering. One protein preferentially expressed in SD prepupae has a counterpart in Bombyx mori that functions as a diapause duration clock. The differentially expressed genes in LD prepupae included several members of the dusky and osiris families. We also observed the strong induction of different yellow‐like genes under SD and LD conditions which suggest a role in the developmental choice between seasonal phenotypes. Our transcriptomic data will facilitate the more detailed analysis of molecular mechanisms underlying seasonal polyphenism.

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“…To avoid growth deficiencies during sclerotization, insect larvae thus need to obtain phenylalanine through their diet, to ensure they can produce tyrosine, dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) and dopamine that are crucial for melanization immune responses and cuticular sclerotization 46 . It is interesting, therefore, that one of the structurally modified and significantly upregulated transcripts in gongylidia was homologous to chorismate mutase (Supplementary Table 8), which belongs to the phenylalanine/ tyrosine branch of the aromatic amino acid biosynthesis pathway (Fig.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Symbiotic adaptations in the fungal cultivar of leaf-cutting ants

2014

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Centuries of artificial selection have dramatically improved the yield of human agriculture; however, strong directional selection also occurs in natural symbiotic interactions. Fungusgrowing attine ants cultivate basidiomycete fungi for food. One cultivar lineage has evolved inflated hyphal tips (gongylidia) that grow in bundles called staphylae, to specifically feed the ants. Here we show extensive regulation and molecular signals of adaptive evolution in gene trancripts associated with gongylidia biosynthesis, morphogenesis and enzymatic plant cell wall degradation in the leaf-cutting ant cultivar Leucoagaricus gongylophorus. Comparative analysis of staphylae growth morphology and transcriptome-wide expressional and nucleotide divergence indicate that gongylidia provide leaf-cutting ants with essential amino acids and plant-degrading enzymes, and that they may have done so for 20-25 million years without much evolutionary change. These molecular traits and signatures of selection imply that staphylae are highly advanced coevolutionary organs that play pivotal roles in the mutualism between leaf-cutting ants and their fungal cultivars.

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The molecular mechanisms of cuticular melanization: The ecdysone cascade leading to dopa decarboxylase expression in Manduca sexta

Cited by 116 publications

References 120 publications

Periodic Wnt1 expression in response to ecdysteroid generates twin-spot markings on caterpillars

Periodic Wnt1 expression in response to ecdysteroid generates twin-spot markings on caterpillars

Seasonal phenotype‐specific transcriptional reprogramming during metamorphosis in the European map butterfly Araschnia levana

Symbiotic adaptations in the fungal cultivar of leaf-cutting ants

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