Sexual Dimorphism in Juvenile Hormone Synthesis by Corpora Allata and in Juvenile Hormone Acid Methyltransferase Activity in Corpora Allata and Accessory Sex Glands of Some Lepidoptera

Summary

The kinetic profiles of vitellin accumulation in the oyster ovary during oocyte growth and the effects in vivo and in vitro of estradiol-17β (E₂) on vitellin formation were examined in this study. The relative vitellin content measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) shows an apparent increase as the oocyte develops. Immunoblotting of the vitellin using anti-vitellin indicated that two main bands (179 and 110 kD), which begin to accumulate at an early stage of maturation, become pronounced during oocyte growth. Meanwhile, the major peak of the intact form of vitellin (530 kD) in gel filtration also enlarges with oocyte growth, supporting the results of immunoblot analysis and vitellin determination. E₂ treatment in vivo causes significant increases in oocyte diameter and vitellin content in the female oyster. A similar trend was observed in ovarian tissues cultured in the presence of E₂. It is concluded that E₂ is one of the major factors which control the vitellogenesis in the oyster and that the ovary is undoubtedly the site of synthesis of vitellin.     

Major vault protein (MVP) gene polymorphisms and drug resistance in mesial temporal lobe epilepsy with hippocampal sclerosis

The human major vault protein (MVP) has been implicated in the development of drug resistance in cancer cells. Over expression of MVP has also been reported in brain tissue samples from antiepileptic drug (AED)-resistant human focal epilepsies. To investigate the relationship between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) involving the MVP gene and AED-resistance, we compared the distribution of three SNPs in the MVP gene, rs4788187, rs3815824 and rs3815823, among 220 patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy with hippocampal sclerosis (MTLE-HS) (prototype of AED-resistant epilepsy syndrome), 201 patients with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) (prototype of AED-responsive epilepsy syndrome) and 213 ethnically matched non-epilepsy controls. All the patients and controls were residents of the South Indian state of Kerala for more than three generations. We did not find any significant difference in allele and genotypic frequencies of the studied SNPs between AED-resistant and AED-responsive cohorts, and between AED-resistant and AED-responsive cohorts independently and pooled together when compared with the controls. We conclude that rs4788187, rs3815824, rs3815823 variants of the MVP gene are associated neither with predisposition for epilepsy nor with AED-resistance in the population that we have studied. Our results suggest the need for further research into the link between MVP and AED-resistance.     

Early manipulation of juvenile hormone has sexually dimorphic effects on mature adult behavior in Drosophila melanogaster

Hormones are critical for the development, maturation, and maintenance of physiological systems; therefore, understanding their involvement during maturation of the brain is important for the elucidation of mechanisms by which adults become behaviorally competent. Changes in exogenous and endogenous factors encountered during sexual maturation can have long lasting effects in mature adults. In this study, we investigated the role of the gonadotropic hormone, juvenile hormone (JH), in the modulation of adult behaviors in Drosophila. Here we utilized methoprene (a synthetic JH analog) and precocene (a JH synthesis inhibitor) to manipulate levels of JH in sexually immature male and female Drosophila with or without decreased synthesis of neuronal dopamine (DA). Locomotion and courtship behavior were assayed once the animals had grown to sexual maturity. The results demonstrate a sexually dimorphic role for JH in the modulation of these centrally controlled behaviors in mature animals that is dependent on the age of the animals assayed, and present DA as a candidate neuronal factor that differentially interacts with JH depending on the sex of the animal. The data also suggest that JH modulates these behaviors through an indirect mechanism. Since gonadotropic hormones and DA interact in mammals to affect brain development and later function, our results suggest that this mechanism for the development of adult behavioral competence may be evolutionarily conserved.     

Non-target effects of the insecticide methoprene on molting in the estuarine crustacean Neomysis integer (Crustacea: Mysidacea)

Ecdysteroids, the molting hormones in crustaceans and other arthropods, play a crucial role in the control of growth, reproduction and embryogenesis of these organisms. Insecticides are often designed to target specific endocrine-regulated functions such as molting and larval development such as methoprene, a juvenile hormone analogue.The aim of this study was to examine the effects of methoprene on molting in a non-target species, the estuarine mysid Neomysis integer (Crustacea: Mysidacea). Mysids have been proposed as standard test organisms for evaluating the endocrine disruptive effect of chemicals. Juveniles (< 24 h) were exposed for 3 weeks to the nominal concentrations 0.01, 1 and 100 μg methoprene/l. Daily, present molts were checked and stored in 4% formaldehyde for subsequent growth measurements. Methoprene significantly delayed molting at 100 μg/l by decreasing the growth rate and increasing the intermolt period. This resulted in a decreased wet weight of the organism. The anti-ecdysteroidal properties of methoprene on mysid molting were also evaluated by determining the ability of exogenously administered 20-hydroxyecdysone, the active ecdysteroid in crustaceans, to protect against the observed methoprene effects. Co-exposure to 20-hydroxyecdysone did not mitigate methoprene effects on mysid molting. This study demonstrates the need for incorporating invertebrate-specific hormone-regulated endpoints in regulatory screening and testing programs for the detection of endocrine disruption caused by man-made chemicals.     

Hormonal correlates of reproductive status in the queenless ponerine ant, Streblognathus peetersi

In colonies of the queenless ant Streblognathus peetersi, dominance interactions produce a reproductive hierarchy in which one individual, the alpha, is capable of producing offspring while her subordinates remain infertile. Based on differences between behaviour and cuticular hydrocarbon profiles, the subordinates can be further divided into high and low ranking workers. Although it had been shown previously that alphas treated with a juvenile hormone analog lose their reproductive status, little was known of the endocrinological basis of dominance in this species. To elucidate the underlying endocrinology of these three ranks, we measured the individual in vitro rate of juvenile hormone (JH) production of excised corpora allata, and the ecdysteroid titer of pooled hemolymph samples. Production of JH was highest in low-ranking workers, intermediate in high rankers, and almost undetectable in alphas. Ecdysteroid titers were low for low rankers, but were more than twice as high for both high rankers and alphas. The results support the hypothesis that JH suppresses ovarian function in these queenless ants, and suggest that ecdysteroids may be responsible for stimulating vitellogenin production. The possible role of these hormones as behavioural modulators is also discussed.     

Changes in weight of the pharyngeal gland and haemolymph titres of juvenile hormone,protein and vitellogenin in worker honey bees

Four physiological parameters (haemolymph-juvenile hormone titre, protein concentration, vitellogenin concentration, and pharyngeal gland dry weight) were examined in the following categories of queenright adult worker bees: summer bees 1–40 days old, winter bees 80–130 days old, 12–100-day old bees at the beginning of winter, 100–195-day old bees at the end of winter, and 1–100-day old bees experimentally induced to live longer in summer.In contrast to the continuously increasing titre of juvenile hormone in ageing summer bees, winter bees kept a constant low level. In bees at the beginning of winter, the hormone titre never reached high values. However, at the end of winter it rose from a low to a high level, comparable with the high titre of 24–40-day old summer bees. In experimentally induced longlived bees in summer, the juvenile hormone titre did not increase as in normal summer bees but remained low as in bees at the beginning of winter. Among the known natural juvenile hormones, only juvenile hormone III was present in the haemolymph of winter bees.The results support the hypothesis of polyphenism being regulated by the titre of juvenile hormone in the haemolymph.     

Density regulation in toad populations (Epidalea calamita,Bufotes viridis) by differential winter survival of juveniles

The size of amphibian populations varies considerably between years, so that systematic trends in dynamics are difficult to detect. Informed conservation management of presumably declining populations requires the identification of the most sensitive life stage. In temperate-zone anurans there is growing evidence that juveniles hibernating for the first time suffer from substantial winter losses. In two syntopic toads (Epidalea calamita, Bufotes viridis) we monitored survival of such juveniles during four consecutive winters in the natural habitat and in four temperature treatments (3°, 5 °C, 10°/15 °C or 20 °C, natural light-dark cycle) in temperature-controlled chambers during winter. Specifically, we tested the hypotheses that (1) winter mortality of juvenile toads which hibernate for the first time in their life is an important component of population dynamics, and that (2) mortality rates differed between the two species. Parameters quantified were size-dependent winter mortality and body condition of pre- and post-hibernating juveniles. Field data provided evidence for the important role of winter mortality of first-hibernators in population dynamics. Choice of hibernacula differed in E. calamita between small and medium-sized individuals and also between the two species suggesting distinct mortality risks. The inability of small E. calamita to reach frost-proof hibernacula by burrowing, and the exposure of small B. viridis to predators are the most probable causes of size-assortative winter mortality. In conclusion, E. calamita juveniles may benefit from rising average winter temperatures in the future by decreased risk of freezing to death, whereas predator-caused winter mortality of B. viridis juveniles will also depend on the effects of climate warming on predator phenology.     

Involvement of a putative allatostatin in regulation of juvenile hormone titer and the larval development in Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say)

Juvenile hormone III (JH III) plays primary roles in regulation of metamorphosis, reproduction and diapause in Leptinotarsa decemlineata, a notorious defoliator of potato. The neurosecretory cell-borne substance(s) negatively affects the final two steps in JH biosynthesis, catalyzed respectively by an epoxidase CYP15A1 and a juvenile hormone acid methyltransferase (JHAMT). In a few insect species other than L. decemlineata, the inhibitory substance is allatostatin (AS) neuropeptide. In this study, two putative AS genes encoding LdAS-C and LdAS-B precursors were cloned. Both LdAS-C and LdAS-B were expressed in the egg, larvae, pupae and adults, and highly expressed in the brain and the gut. Dietary introduction of double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs) targeting LdAS-C and LdAS-B successfully knocked down respective target genes. Ingestion during 3 and 6 consecutive days of dsLdAS-C significantly increased the LdJHAMT mRNA levels by 3.8 and 9.9 fold respectively. In contrast, ingestion of dsLdAS-B only slightly increased the LdJHAMT expression level by 1.1 and 1.7 fold. Moreover, after one, two and three days' ingestion of dsLdAS-C, the relative JH levels in the hemolymph of treated larvae were 2.5, 4.2 and 1.9 fold higher than those in control beetles. Furthermore, ingestion of dsLdAS-C and dsLdAS-B significantly affected larval growth and delayed larval development. Thus, we provide a line of experimental evidence in L. decemlineata to support the concept that AS-C acts as an allatostatin and inhibit JH biosynthesis.     

飞蝗变型及体色多型的内分泌控制机理

飞蝗具变型现象,散居型和群居型在形态特征、生理机能、行为及体色等方面存在明显差异。保幼激素已被证实能诱导飞蝗散居型绿色的出现。近年,从飞蝗心侧体成功地分离了一种神经肽——黑化诱导激素([His^7]-corazonin),并用白化型进行检测,证实了其对体色黑化作用的活性。不同时间对飞蝗若虫注射不同剂量的[His^7]-corazonin,能诱导出现除绿色以外的散居型体色,如浅褐色、褐色、赤褐色、黑色等;也能诱导出现群居型的体色,即黑色配以橘黄色的底色。而且,对散居型若虫注射[His^7]-corazonin能诱导其形态向群居型转换。这些研究证实[His^7]-corazonin对飞蝗的变型有着重要的控制作用,但又不是唯一的。