cDNA cloning of the housefly pigment-dispersing factor (PDF) precursor protein and its peptide comparison among the insect circadian neuropeptides.

Pigment-dispersing factor (PDF), an 18-amino acid neuropeptide, is a principal circadian neurotransmitter for the circadian rhythms of the locomotor activity in flies. Recently, two completely different types of PDF precursor were clarified; that of the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus and that of the last-summer cicada Meimuna opalifera. The G. bimaculatus PDF precursor is extraordinarily short and comprises a nuclear localization signal (NLS), while the M. opalifera PDF precursor is of ordinary length, comparable to that seen for the precursors of crustacean beta-PDH homologues. Although their PDF peptide regions were exactly the same, the regions containing a signal peptide combined with a PDF-associated peptide (PAP) were remarkably different from each other. Such a grouping suggested a fundamental role for the PAP peptide in the circadian clock, perhaps associated with PDF function. In the present study, the cDNA cloning of PDF from the adult brains of the housefly Musca domestica was carried out and it was found that an isolated clone (527 bp) encodes a PDF precursor protein of ordinary length. The PDF peptide shows a high sequence identity (78%-94%) and similarity (89%-100%) to insect PDFs and also to the crustacean beta-PDH peptides. In particular, there is only a single amino acid difference between the PDFs of Musca and Drosophila; at position 14 Ser for Musca PDF and Asn for Drosophila PDF. A characteristic Ser10 in Drosophila was retained in Musca, indicating the presence of a structural profile unique to these PDFs. The results of sequence analyses suggest that Musca and Drosophila PDFs are to be considered members of a single group that has evolved structurally. When the primary structure of the PAP regions was compared, the Musca PDF precursor also belonged to the same group as that to which the Drosophila PDF precursor belongs.     

Functional conservation of clock output signaling between flies and intertidal crabs

Intertidal species have both circadian and circatidal clocks. Although the behavioral evidence for these oscillators is more than 5 decades old, virtually nothing is known about their molecular clockwork. Pigment-dispersing hormones (PDHs) were originally described in crustaceans. Their insect homologs, pigment-dispersing factors (PDFs), have a prominent role as clock output and synchronizing signals released from clock neurons. We show that gene duplication in crabs has led to two PDH genes (β-pdh-I and β-pdh-II). Phylogenetically, β-pdh-I is more closely related to insect pdf than to β-pdh-II, and we hypothesized that β-PDH-I may represent a canonical clock output signal. Accordingly, β-PDH-I expression in the brain of the intertidal crab Cancer productus is similar to that of PDF in Drosophila melanogaster, and neurons that express PDH-I also show CYCLE-like immunoreactivity. Using D. melanogaster pdf-null mutants (pdf(01)) as a heterologous system, we show that β-pdh-I is indistinguishable from pdf in its ability to rescue the mutant arrhythmic phenotype, but β-pdh-II fails to restore the wild-type phenotype. Application of the three peptides to explanted brains shows that PDF and β-PDH-I are equally effective in inducing the signal transduction cascade of the PDF receptor, but β-PDH-II fails to induce a normal cascade. Our results represent the first functional characterization of a putative molecular clock output in an intertidal species and may provide a critical step towards the characterization of molecular components of biological clocks in intertidal organisms.     

Pigment-dispersing factor affects nocturnal activity rhythms, photic entrainment, and the free-running period of the circadian clock in the cricket gryllus bimaculatus

Pigment-dispersing factor (PDF) is a neuropeptide widely distributed in insect brains and plays important roles in the circadian system. In this study, we used RNA interference to study the role of the pigment-dispersing factor (pdf) gene in regulating circadian locomotor rhythms in the cricket, Gryllus bimaculatus. Injections of pdf double-stranded RNA (dspdf) effectively knocked down the pdf mRNA and PDF peptide levels. The treated crickets maintained the rhythm both under light-dark cycles (LD) and constant darkness (DD). However, they showed rhythms with reduced nocturnal activity with prominent peaks at lights-on and lights-off. Entrainability of dspdf-injected crickets was higher than control crickets as they required fewer cycles to resynchronize to the LD cycles shifted by 6 h. The free-running periods of the dspdf-injected crickets were shorter than those of control crickets in DD. These results suggest that PDF is not essential for the rhythm generation but involved in control of the nocturnality, photic entrainment, and fine tuning of the free-running period of the circadian clock.     

Occurrence of insect kinins in the flesh fly,stable fly and horn fly-mass spectrometric identification from single nerves and diuretic activity

MALDI-TOF mass spectrometric analysis of single lateral abdominal nerves (LANs) demonstrate the presence of the insect kinin Musdo-K in the housefly Musca domestica, and identify heretofore unknown insect kinins in two other Dipteran species as Musdo-K in the stable fly Stomoxys calcitrans and horn fly Haematobia irritans. The insect kinin native to the flesh fly Neobellieria bullata is identified as Drome-K. Musdo-K and Drome-K are identical save for the conservative substitution of Ser for Thr in position 2. The sequences of the insect kinins are, therefore, remarkably conserved throughout Dipterans. The in vitro Malpighian tubule fluid secretion activity of Musdo-K in the stable fly is similar to that in the housefly, whereas that of Drome-K is 30-fold more potent in the flesh fly than in the fruit fly. Given the structural identities of the kinins and CRF-like diuretic hormones of these Dipteran species, the housefly can serve as a model insect for the study of diuretic peptides and their functions in the stable fly and horn fly, both livestock pests.     

Nitromethylene actions on in situ and expressed insect nicotinic acetylcholine receptors

Single channel recordings from dissociated housefly (Musca domestica) neurons show that a novel type of nitromethylene insecticide, 2(nitro-methylene)tetrahydro-1,3-thiazine (NMTHT) gates a channel, the conductance and open time histogram of which resemble those obtained when acetylcholine is the agonist. Injection into Xenopus oocytes of a locust (Schistocerca gregaria) alpha-subunit mRNA results in the expression of functional nicotinic receptors sensitive to NMTHT. Control oocytes injected with distilled water are insensitive to the same concentration of this compound. Thus NMTHT exhibits agonist actions at both in situ and expressed insect nicotinic receptors, and one site of action of this compound is on an insect nicotinic receptor alpha-subunit.     

cDNA cloning and nuclear localization of the circadian neuropeptide designated as pigment-dispersing factor PDF in the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus

Pigment-dispersing factor (PDF) was recently reported to be a principal circadian neuromodulator involved in transmitting circadian rhythms of daily locomotion in insects. In Drosophila, PDF functions in some of the neurons expressing the clock genes period, timeless, Clock, and cycle, and those clock genes in turn regulate pdf gene expression. In the present study, we cloned a cDNA encoding PDF in the brain of a nocturnal insect, the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus, and found that an isolated clone (310 bp) codes for an extraordinarily short precursor protein with no definite signal sequence, but a nuclear localization signal (NLS)-like sequence instead. The cricket PDF exhibits high sequence identity (78-94%) and similarity (89-100%) to insect PDFs and also to crustacean beta-PDH peptides. In the optic lobes of G. bimaculatus there are PDF-immunoreactive neurons in both the medulla and lamina neuropiles. Among the strongly immunoreactive lamina PDF neurons, on electron microscopy we identified cells exhibiting distinct staining that is not only cytoplasmic but also nuclear. When GFP-fused PDF precursor proteins were expressed in COS-7 cells, distinct translocation of the fusion protein into the nucleus was observed. This is the first finding of PDF peptide in the nucleus, which suggests a fundamental role of PDF peptide per se in the circadian clock system.     

Expression of the housefly acetylcholinesterase in a bioreactor and its potential application in the detection of pesticide residues

Acetylcholinesterase is a key enzyme of the animal nerve system. The enzyme is the primary target of organophosphorous (OP) and carbamate (CB) insecticides. The insect AChE is being extensively used in development of new insecticides or in vitro selection of the new designed insecticides, and in pharmacological and toxicological field. Rapid assays using AChE-based methods have been proposed as an efficient and rapid method for the detection of pesticides, especially in many Asian markets. In this study, the acetylcholinesterase gene was cloned from housefly (Musca domestica) susceptible to organophosphate (OP) and carbamate (CB) insecticides, and expressed in baculovirus-insect cells system using a bioreactor with oxygen supplementation. The recombinant housefly AChE was purified using ammonium sulfate precipitation and procainamide affinity chromatography, and approximately 0.42 mg of the purified AChE with high biological activity (118.9 U/mg) was obtained from 100 ml of culture solution. The purified AChE was highly sensitive to OP and CBs insecticides. In conclusion, an efficient expression and purification system has been developed for large-scale production of recombinant housefly AChE. The recombinant enzyme is potential to be used for the detection of pesticide residues.     

家蝇抗菌肽Diptericin基因的克隆与分析

Diptericin是抗菌肽家族中的一员, 在昆虫先天免疫系统中起着重要作用。本研究通过EST序列筛选并结合RACE技术克隆了家蝇Musca domestica的Diptericin基因（Md-Diptericin, MdDpt）cDNA序列, GenBank登录号为FJ794602。其全长410 bp, 包含一个300 bp的完整开放阅读框（ORF）, 推导的氨基酸序列C端富含甘氨酸, N端富含脯氨酸, 同源性分析表明, 它与厩蝇Stomoxys calcitrans的Diptericin A mRNA相似性最高（identity=74%）。以邻接法（Neighbor-Joining, NJ）构建的系统关系表明, 家蝇Diptericin与其他双翅目昆虫的Diptericin起源于共同的祖先, 属于Attain_C超家族（Attacin_C superfamily）。基因定量分析表明, 大肠杆菌刺激后6～12 h, 家蝇幼体MdDpt表达出现明显上调。结果提示MdDpt基因在家蝇免疫防御过程中起着重要作用。     

家蝇幼虫消减文库的构建及差异表达基因的鉴定

为了鉴定家蝇Musca domestica免疫相关基因,应用抑制性消减杂交技术,构建刺激家蝇幼虫差异表达cDNA消减文库。以大肠杆菌Escherichia coli和金黄色葡萄球菌Staphylococcus aureus诱导12 h的家蝇幼虫与未诱导的家蝇幼虫为消减杂交对象,获得了差异表达基因的cDNA片段,将其与T/A载体连接并转化大肠杆菌DH5α,构建了刺激家蝇幼虫cDNA消减文库。PCR检测发现,文库的阳性克隆中插入的cDNA片段大小在200~1 000 bp之间,随机挑选了161个含大小不等差异片段的克隆进行测序和同源性分析,鉴定了36种蛋白的基因片段,包括抗菌肽、酶、核糖体蛋白、其他功能蛋白以及功能不明的蛋白。用半定量RT-PCR分析了其中6种蛋白基因的表达,结果显示：防御素和攻击素基因在细菌刺激后24 h内明显上调表达,而溶菌酶、酚氧化酶原活化因子、糜蛋白酶和蛋白质合成起始因子基因在细菌刺激后0-4 h内表达受抑制,12 h后上调表达。该研究结果为家蝇免疫相关基因的克隆和家蝇免疫防御机制的探讨奠定了良好的基础。     

Identification and isolation of endogenous insect phenoloxidase inhibitors.

Inhibitors of phenoloxidase were identified in pupae of the housefly, Musca domestica L. The phenoloxidase inhibitors were purified from final instar pupae of the housefly by a combination of ammonium sulfate fractionation, ion-exchange chromatography, gel filtration and reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography. The potent phenoloxidase inhibitors were heat-stable low molecular weight peptides with an inhibition constant of nM range. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that endogenous phenoloxidase inhibitors have been identified among the insects, and probably also among the invertebrates. It is likely that the inhibitors play a central role in regulating the action of active phenoloxidases and will also serve as important tools for understanding the structures and functions of phenoloxidases, as well as their role in insect metamorphosis.     

Isolation, characterization and biological activity of a diuretic myokinin neuropeptide from the housefly, Musca domestica

A competitive ELISA employing a polyclonal antiserum raised against leucokinin-I was used to isolate and purify a myokinin (muscakinin) from 1.05 kg of adult houseflies (Musca domestica). Following solid-phase purification, seven HPLC column steps were used to purify 4.8 nmol of leucokinin-immunoreactive material. Sequence analysis and mass spectrometry were consistent with the structure Asn-Thr-Val-Val-Leu-Gly Lys-Lys-Gln-Arg-Phe-His-Ser-Trp-Gly NH2. This peptide was synthesized and co-eluted with the natural peptide on three different HPLC columns. The activities of natural and synthetic muscakinin were identical, with both producing a 4-5 fold increase in fluid secretion by housefly Malpighian tubules at nanomolar concentrations. The presence of a pair of basic residues (Lys-Lys) suggested muscakinin might be processed further, with the peptide pGlu-Arg-Phe-His-Ser-Trp-Gly NH2 being produced by conversion of an N-terminal glutamine to pyroglutamic acid. However, this analog was 1000-fold less active than the intact peptide, comparable to the activity of AK-V which shares the same C-terminal pentapeptide sequence. The diuretic activity of muscakinin is more than double that of a previously identified CRF-related diuretic peptide (Musca-DP) from the housefly, and the two peptides act synergistically in stimulating fluid secretion. Muscakinin also increased the frequency and amplitude of contractions by housefly hindgut which might further contribute to the excretory process.     

The product of the Drosophila melanogaster segment polarity gene armadillo is highly conserved in sequence and expression in the housefly Musca domestica

Summary Segmental pattern in Drosophila melanogaster is set up via a set of cell-cell interactions mediated by the products of the segment polarity genes. Among these is the armadillo gene, whose product seems to be required for the reception of an intercellular signal encoded by the wingless gene. As part of our effort to relate the structure of the armadillo protein to its function within the cell, we have examined the evolutionary conservation of the armadillo gene during insect evolution. We have cloned the armadillo gene from the housefly, Musca domestica, which diverged from Drosophila 100 million years ago. The Musca protein is 97.5% identical to that in Drosophila, while the noncoding sequences have diverged extensively. This remarkable degree of conservation at the protein level is mirrored in the expression pattern of the armadillo protein. Antibodies against the Drosophila protein cross-react with a Musca protein of the appropriate size. We have also used these antibodies to show that the Musca armadillo protein has a pattern of expression in larval and adult tissues similar to that of Drosophila armadillo. We discuss the implications of conservation of structure and expression for the cellular role of the armadillo protein and its mammalian homologs.Offprint requests to: M. Peifer     

Molecular cloning and circadian expression profile of insect neuropeptide PDF in black blowfly, Phormia regina

Pigment-dispersing factor PDF is an 18-amino acid insect neuropeptide that mediates a circadian rhythmicity in locomotor activity. PDF is coded in a precursor protein together with another neuropeptide named PDF-associated peptide, PAP. PDF is highly conserved among insects, whereas the homology of PAPs is very low with considerably varied amino acid sequences. Since such dissimilarity has suggested that the function of PAP peptide is not associated with that of PDF, we have attempted to analyze the sequences of PDF precursor proteins among a series of species of insects and hypothesized that PDF precursors are classified into at least three different classes: Drosophila-Musca, Meimuna-Romalea, and Gryllus. In order to exemplify this hypothesis, we here describe the molecular cloning of the pdf-gene of the black blowfly Phormia regina and an in silico screening for the pdf-gene in the genome databank of the mosquito Anopheles gambie, both species belonging to the Diptera. It was found that deduced amino acid sequences of PDF peptides are almost completely conserved among all Dipterans and also the amino acid sequences of PAPs are considerably highly preserved (55–82 similarity) among the species of Diptera. The results confirmed the validity of grouping the PDF precursor proteins. In situ hybridization was carried out in fly brains to identify the precise locations of pdf-expressing cells and to examine any daily cycling of pdf mRNA. Intense signals for pdf mRNA were identified in the medulla, but not in the pars lateralis where PDF neurons were strongly immunostained by the antibody raised against PDF peptide. Hybridization was also performed for the brain samples at two hour intervals throughout the day. Although very intense hybridization signals were observed at ZT8 even in some neurites, no prominent rhythmicity of pdf mRNA expression was observed.     

基因芯片技术筛选家蝇抗菌肽相关基因

用生物学软件对GenBank中部分昆虫抗菌肽基因编码区保守域设计探针, 用直接点样法将探针点印在特制玻片上构建寡核苷酸(Oligonucleotide, oligo)探针微阵列; 提取诱导后24 h的家蝇三龄幼虫脂肪体总RNA, 逆转录成cDNA并标记上荧光标记物Cy3, 与构建的oligo探针微阵列杂交, 经洗片、扫描处理后进行数据分析。结果在两次重复实验中均检测到有效杂交信号的基因点有15个(不包括阳性对照基因), 为进一步发现其新基因提供了依据。     

cDNA cloning and sequence determination of the pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide of the silkworm, Bombyx mori.

We have identified the cDNAs encoding pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide (PBAN) using PCR technique. The nucleotide sequence showed that the PBAN gene encodes, besides PBAN, diapause hormone and three putative amidated peptides. These four peptides share with PBAN the C-terminal pentapeptide amide which is corresponding to the shortest fragment with pheromonotropic activity. The organization of the PBAN gene is characteristic of several short neuropeptides and has some degree of similarity to that of the gene for the insect neuropeptide FMRFamide. Thus, the PBAN gene products construct a family of structurally related peptides and have various biological functions.     

家蝇幼虫体内一种抗菌蛋白的分离纯化

30%H2O2诱导家蝇幼虫90min,继续饲喂24h后利用硫酸铵分级盐析、Sephadex G-25 和Sephadex G-75两步凝胶过滤、CM-Sepharose Fast Flow弱阳离子交换的纯化方法,得到一种电泳纯的抗菌蛋白,经过VDS凝胶扫描得到其分子量为28kDa,命名为AP28。抑菌活性分析表明,AP28对实验中涉及的大多数革兰氏阳性菌和阴性菌都有明显的抑制作用。     

家蝇MdSOD3基因的鉴定及其在抵抗重金属胁迫中的作用

超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）是一种重要的抗氧化酶, 在昆虫抗氧化保护过程中起着重要作用。本研究通过RT-PCR技术鉴定了家蝇Musca domestica MdSOD3基因(GenBank登录号为JQ408979), cDNA序列817 bp, 开放阅读框534 bp, 推导的多肽序列含有177个氨基酸。同源性分析及NJ法系统分析表明MdSOD3与其他物种的Cu/ZnSOD关系较近。荧光定量PCR检测该基因在家蝇幼虫脂肪体、 肠、 表皮和血细胞中不存在差异表达; 在受到不同浓度重金属Cd²⁺刺激时, MdSOD3基因呈诱导性表达, 5 mmol/L 时表达量最高。通过RNAi策略技术成功敲低MdSOD3表达水平。将RNA干扰60 h的幼虫置于5 mmol/L Cd²⁺处理24 h后死亡率明显升高, 并且出现中毒表象。NBT活性染色检测到体外重组表达的MdSOD3具有明显的酶活性。结果提示MdSOD3基因可能在家蝇抗逆防御过程中起着重要作用。     

Presence and distribution of immunoreactive and bioactive FMRFamide-like peptides in the nervous system of the horseshoe crab, Limulus polyphemus

FMRFamide immunoreactivity was detected in all regions of the Limulus nervous system, including the brain (6.5 +/- 0.6 pg FMRFamide/mg), cardiac ganglion (2.06 +/- 0.67 pg FMRFamide/mg), and ventral nerve cord (5.8 +/- 0.7 pg FMRFamide/mg). The distribution of immunoreactive FMRFamide (irFMRFamide) was mapped by immunofluorescence and the distribution corresponded to regional RIA data. A good proportion of the CNS and cardiac ganglion neuropile contained irFMRFamide, and fluorescent cell bodies were observed in several areas. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was employed to separate and characterize the FMRFamide-like peptides from extracts of Limulus brains. HPLC fractions were analyzed using coincidental radioimmunoassay and bioassay (the radula protractor muscle of Busycon contrarium). There appear to be at least three FMRFamide-like peptides in the Limulus brain, including one similar to clam FMRFamide. FMRFamide acts on Limulus heart in a biphasic manner at relatively high concentrations (10(-5)M), but has no effect on the activity of the isolated ventral nerve cord. These data suggest that in Limulus FMRFamide-like peptides are acting as neurotransmitters, or neuromodulators.