昆虫飞行肌细胞凋亡的分子生物学研究进展

细胞凋亡是多细胞生物体内由激素刺激,基因调控,蛋白调节的一个主动的程序化死亡过程,对生物体特定组织功能的发生、发展、衰老及退化等具有重要作用。而昆虫飞行肌细胞凋亡对昆虫迁飞行为尤为重要,它直接决定迁飞性昆虫能否选择更适宜的寄主植物和生活条件,进而影响到对农作物的危害地域和严重程度。本文在近年来昆虫细胞凋亡的研究基础上,从分子生物学的角度,综述了调控昆虫飞行肌细胞凋亡的相关基因和蛋白质的研究进展,探讨了昆虫飞行肌细胞凋亡发生与调控的分子生物学机制。     

昆虫细胞程序性死亡的研究进展

在昆虫发育和抵抗病原微生物的入侵过程中,细胞凋亡与自噬性死亡现象十分常见。昆虫细胞凋亡的研究已经取得了许多的成果,但是有关细胞自噬程序性死亡的研究还正在深入。昆虫细胞凋亡的信号通路至少有3条：一条类似于线虫细胞的凋亡信号通路,另一条类似于哺乳动物细胞的凋亡信号通路, 还有一条不依赖于胱天蛋白酶的凋亡信号通路。在昆虫的多种组织细胞中,细胞凋亡与自噬程序性死亡在信号通路上存在互串(cross talking),可以相互促进、抑制或替代。了解昆虫细胞程序性死亡对防治害虫具有一定的意义。     

果蝇变态过程中的细胞凋亡和细胞自噬

程序化细胞死亡(programmed cell death,PCD)分为I型PCD细胞凋亡(apoptosis)和II型PCD细胞自噬(autophagy)。果蝇等完全变态昆虫有2种类型的器官:即细胞内分裂器官(如脂肪体、表皮、唾液腺、中肠、马氏管等)和有丝分裂器官(复眼、翅膀、足、神经系统等)。在昆虫变态过程中,细胞内分裂器官进行器官重建,幼虫器官大量发生细胞凋亡和细胞自噬到最后完全消亡,同时成虫器官由干细胞从新生成;而有丝分裂器官则由幼虫器官直接发育为成虫器官。在果蝇等昆虫的变态过程中,细胞凋亡和细胞自噬在幼虫器官的死亡和成虫器官的生成中发挥了非常重要的作用。文章简要介绍细胞凋亡和细胞自噬在果蝇变态过程中的生理功能和分子调控机制。     

刘氏蝎蛉卵巢管结构和卵子发生（英文）

卵巢管结构及卵子发生过程在探讨昆虫系统发育关系中有重要意义, 深入研究长翅目昆虫卵巢管结构及卵子发生可为确定其在全变态类昆虫中的系统发育地位提供依据。本文利用光学显微镜和扫描、透射电子显微镜技术研究了刘氏蝎蛉Panorpa liui Hua卵巢管超微结构及卵子发生过程。结果表明：蝎蛉卵巢由12根多滋式卵巢小管组成, 每个卵巢小管分为端丝、生殖区和生长区。根据滋养细胞、卵母细胞及滤泡细胞的变化, 卵子发生过程可分为5个阶段：卵黄发生前早期、卵黄发生前中期、卵黄发生前后期、卵黄发生期及卵壳形成期。在卵黄发生期, 滋养细胞为卵母细胞提供养分后逐渐消亡, 而此时的卵母细胞可通过滤泡之间的细胞间隙从血淋巴中获取营养。在卵壳形成期间, 3种不同类型的滤泡细胞参与形成不同区域的卵壳, 从而形成不同花饰的卵壳表面。据此推测, 与其他目的滋养细胞数目相比, 每个卵室中2次有丝分裂形成3个滋养细胞可能是比较原始的特征, 表明长翅目昆虫可能是全变态类群中近基部的分支。     

昆虫卵子发生调控因素的研究进展

动物卵原细胞形成成熟卵细胞的过程称为卵子发生。昆虫卵子发生在卵巢里进行,经历了卵原细胞的增殖、卵母细胞的生长和卵母细胞的成熟三个阶段。在此过程中,昆虫卵子的发生受到很多内外因素的影响,如基因、细胞因子和环境等。卵子的发生影响着成熟卵细胞的质量以及卵细胞与精子的结合。本文就影响昆虫卵子发生的因素进行综述。     

喜树碱诱导的草地贪夜蛾Sf9细胞凋亡

传统植物源杀虫剂喜树碱具有优异的抑制昆虫生长发育活性, 其诱导昆虫细胞凋亡的作用方式和机制尚不明确, 极大地限制了喜树碱在植物保护领域的应用开发。本研究以1 μmol/L喜树碱诱导草地贪夜蛾Spodoptera frugiperda Sf9细胞呈现细胞皱缩、微绒毛消失和染色质边集等典型细胞凋亡早期超微结构形态特征, 中期凋亡小体逐渐出现并急剧增多, DNA电泳分析可见清晰DNA片段化凋亡特征。流式细胞术分析表明1 μmol/L喜树碱诱导Sf9细胞12 h凋亡率达到最大值39.67%, 是对照的13.13倍, 随后减小。喜树碱诱导Sf9细胞凋亡在12 h和24 h 时Sf caspase-1分别出现两个活性高峰, 表明其作为效应因子在细胞凋亡级联反应过程中具有影响作用。喜树碱显著抑制Sf9细胞拓扑异构酶Ⅰ活性, 阻断解旋负超螺旋pBR322 DNA, 导致DNA损伤进而启动细胞凋亡级联反应使Sf caspase-1活性增加, 提示其信号转导过程是细胞凋亡诱导机制之一。本研究通过分析喜树碱的诱导昆虫Sf9细胞凋亡, 对揭示喜树碱诱导昆虫细胞凋亡的作用机制具有重要启示和帮助。     

雷帕霉素对二种鳞翅目昆虫细胞自噬和凋亡的影响

以2种鳞翅目昆虫细胞为材料,采用雷帕霉素进行处理,初步研究自噬作用与昆虫细胞凋亡的关系。结果表明:雷帕霉素能够提高家蚕细胞系BMN-e细胞的自噬水平,并能诱导BMN-e细胞发生凋亡;自噬抑制剂3-甲基腺嘌呤能抑制雷帕霉素诱导的BMN-e细胞凋亡。相反,雷帕霉素虽能诱导斜纹夜蛾细胞系SL-HP细胞的自噬水平提高,但不能诱导斜纹夜蛾Spodoptera litura(Fabricius)细胞发生凋亡;雷帕霉素的预处理能抑制放线菌素D诱导的斜纹夜蛾细胞系SL-HP细胞发生凋亡;自噬抑制剂3-甲基腺嘌呤对放线菌素D诱导的细胞凋亡没有影响。因此家蚕Bombyx mori细胞自噬水平的提高与细胞凋亡具有正相关性,而斜纹夜蛾细胞自噬水平的提高与细胞凋亡不相关,相反还对细胞凋亡的诱导具有一定的抑制作用。     

哺乳动物卵母细胞凋亡的研究进展

细胞凋亡是发育过程中的基本生命现象,除各种体细胞凋亡外,生殖细胞的发生过程中也发生细胞凋亡。就雌性生殖系而言,细胞凋亡是其发育过程中的一个重要组成部分。在哺乳动物中,超过99．9％的雌性生殖细胞都会在卵子发生的不同阶段发生凋亡。有三种学说解释这一现象：1)被忽视死亡;2)因缺陷死亡;3)自我牺牲死亡。本文主要综述了哺乳动物卵母细胞凋亡的现象、卵母细胞凋亡学说、线粒体遗传与卵母细胞凋亡的关系以及凋亡的分子机理,同时还探讨了卵母细胞凋亡的生物学意义。     

线粒体在细胞凋亡中的变化与作用

要在各种凋亡信号的诱导下,线粒体会发生显著的结构与功能性的变化,包括各种促凋亡蛋白(如细胞色素c,凋亡诱导因子等）的释放,线粒体膜电位的丢失,电子传递链的变化,以及细胞内氧化还原状态的变化;核转录因子以线粒体为中介也参与了细胞凋亡的调控。线粒体在哺乳动物细胞凋亡中具有核心地位和作用,昆虫细胞凋亡的研究表明,线粒体与昆虫细胞凋亡也有密切的关系。线粒体在细胞凋亡中的作用可能具有普遍意义。     

杆状病毒凋亡抑制基因的研究进展

杆状病毒(bacu lovirus)感染昆虫细胞能引起细胞凋亡,但在长期进化过程中,杆状病毒可通过自身编码凋亡抑制基因的表达,抑制细胞凋亡以利于自己的增殖。目前在杆状病毒基因组中已发现两种不同类型的细胞凋亡抑制基因p35/p49和iap,这两类凋亡抑制基因分别作用于细胞凋亡途径的不同位点,以抑制细胞的凋亡。近年来人们对这两种基因的蛋白结构及作用机制等方面进行了大量的研究,这些为今后研究昆虫细胞凋亡,扩大杆状病毒宿主范围等方面奠定了基础。     

A conserved RNA-protein complex component involved in physiological germline apoptosis regulation in C. elegans

Two conserved features of oogenesis are the accumulation of translationally quiescent mRNA, and a high rate of stage-specific apoptosis. Little is understood about the function of this cell death. In C. elegans, apoptosis occurring through a specific ;physiological' pathway normally claims about half of all developing oocytes. The frequency of this germ cell death is dramatically increased by a lack of the RNA helicase CGH-1, orthologs of which are involved in translational control in oocytes and decapping-dependent mRNA degradation in yeast processing (P) bodies. Here, we describe a predicted RNA-binding protein, CAR-1, that associates with CGH-1 and Y-box proteins within a conserved germline RNA-protein (RNP) complex, and in cytoplasmic particles in the gonad and early embryo. The CGH-1/CAR-1 interaction is conserved in Drosophila oocytes. When car-1 expression is depleted by RNA interference (RNAi), physiological apoptosis is increased, brood size is modestly reduced, and early embryonic cytokinesis is abnormal. Surprisingly, if apoptosis is prevented car-1(RNAi) animals are characterized by a progressive oogenesis defect that leads rapidly to gonad failure. Elevated germ cell death similarly compensates for lack of the translational regulator CPB-3 (CPEB), orthologs of which function together with CGH-1 in diverse organisms. We conclude that CAR-1 is of critical importance for oogenesis, that the association between CAR-1 and CGH-1 has been conserved, and that the regulation of physiological germ cell apoptosis is specifically influenced by certain functions of the CGH-1/CAR-1 RNP complex. We propose that this cell death pathway facilitates the formation of functional oocytes, possibly by monitoring specific cytoplasmic events during oogenesis.     

Dynamic expression patterns of <Emphasis Type="Italic">vasa</Emphasis> during embryogenesis in the cricket <Emphasis Type="Italic">Gryllus bimaculatus</Emphasis>

The specification of germ cells during embryogenesis is an important issue in the development of metazoans. In insects, the mode of germ cell specification appears to be highly variable among species and molecular data are not sufficient to provide an evolutionary perspective to this issue. Expression of vasa can be used as a germ line marker. Here, we report the isolation of a vasa-like gene in a hemimetabolous insect, the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus (Gb'vas), and its expression patterns during oogenesis and embryogenesis. Gb'vas is preferentially expressed in the germarium and the expression of Gb'vas is detectable throughout vitellogenesis including mature eggs subjected to oviposition, suggesting that Gb'vas is maternally contributed to the cricket eggs. The zygotic expression of Gb'vas appears to start at the mid blastoderm stage in the posterior region of the egg, expanding in a developing germ anlage. In early germbands, an intense expression of Gb'vas is restricted to the posterior end. In later embryos, Gb'vas expression extends over the whole body and then distinctly localized to the embryonic gonad at the stage immediately before hatching. These results suggest that, in the cricket, germ cells are specified early in development at the posterior end of an early germband, as proposed by Heymons (1895) based on cytological criteria.     

Role of apoptosis and Fas/FasL system in the oogenesis of the spotted ray Torpedo marmorata

In the present paper we investigated the role played by apoptosis during oogenesis in the cartilaginous fish Torpedo marmorata. TEM, TUNEL and immunohistochemical techniques were employed to specifically reveal morphological and biochemical hallmarks of apoptosis in specimens from birth to sexual maturity. Data obtained demonstrate that apoptosis occurs in prefollicular oocyte selection, in maintaining the homeostasis of granulosa in healthy growing oocyte and in resorbing atretic follicles. In this respect, the involvement of apoptosis in Torpedo marmorata oogenesis closely parallels that found in mammals, thus confirming that strategies of germ cell selection among vertebrates have been evolutionarily preserved.     

Stress-induced germ cell apoptosis by a p53 independent pathway in Caenorhabditis elegans

In Caenorhabditis elegans, several distinct apoptosis pathways have been characterized in the germline. The physiological pathway is though to eliminate excess germ cells during oogenesis to maintain gonad homeostasis and it is activated by unknown mechanisms. The DNA damage-induced germ cell apoptosis occurs in response to genotoxic agents and involves the proteins EGL-1 and CED-13, and the DNA damage response protein p53. Germ cell apoptosis can also be induced in response to pathogen infection through an EGL-1 dependent pathway. To gain insight into the mechanism and functions of germ cell apoptosis, we investigated whether and how other forms of stress induce this cell death. We found that oxidative, osmotic, heat shock and starvation stresses induce germ cell apoptosis through a p53 and EGL-1 independent pathway. We also learned that the MAPK kinases MEK-1 and SEK-1, and the p53 antagonist protein ABL-1, are essential for stress-induced germ cell apoptosis. We conclude that in C. elegans responses to various stresses that do not involve genotoxicity include an increase in germ cell apoptosis through the physiological pathway.     

c-fos-like蛋白在尖唇散白蚁繁殖蚁和工蚁性腺中的表达

为了探讨c-fos原癌基因在白蚁生殖品级和非生殖品级性腺发育中的作用,揭示白蚁不同品级性腺发育的调节机理,本研究运用免疫细胞化学定位方法对尖唇散白蚁Reticulitermes aculabialis繁殖蚁和工蚁精、卵发生过程中的c-fos蛋白表达进行了研究。结果显示：雌性繁殖蚁在末龄若虫期的卵子发生过程中有c-fos-like表达, c-fos-like免疫阳性物质定位于生长期的卵母细胞核和滤泡细胞核中;而繁殖蚁成虫的卵子发生过程中没有c-fos-like免疫阳性反应。雄性繁殖蚁在末龄若虫期时精子发生过程中没有c-fos-like表达, 而发育到成虫期有c-fos-like免疫阳性反应,阳性物质定位于精原细胞的细胞核中。工蚁精、 卵发生过程中均没有c-fos-like的表达。结果提示：c-fos在调节繁殖蚁精子和卵子发生方面有重要作用,c-fos可能通过调节精原细胞增殖参与精子的发生;在卵巢中可以直接作用于生长期的卵母细胞和滤泡细胞来调节卵子的发生。在工蚁性腺中c-fos表达缺失可能导致卵母细胞和滤泡细胞无法正常发育,精原细胞停止增殖而使精子发生处于相对抑制状态。工蚁性腺退化不育可能与c-fos没有正常表达有关。     

Eggs over easy: cell death in the Drosophila ovary

Programmed cell death is the most common fate of female germ cells in Drosophila and many animals. In Drosophila, oocytes form in individual egg chambers that are supported by germline nurse cells and surrounded by somatic follicle cells. As oogenesis proceeds, 15 nurse cells die for every oocyte that is produced. In addition to this developmentally regulated cell death, groups of germ cells or entire egg chambers may be induced to undergo apoptosis in response to starvation or other insults. Recent findings suggest that these different types of cell death involve distinct genetic pathways. This review focuses on progress towards elucidating the molecular mechanisms acting during programmed cell death in Drosophila oogenesis.     

Rananos expression pattern during oogenesis and early embryonic development in Rhynchosciara americana

The Dipteran Rhynchosciara americana, a native Brazilian insect that has become a valuable model system for developmental biology research because it provides an interesting opportunity to study a different type of insect oogenesis. Sequences from a cDNA library that was constructed with poly A+RNA from the ovaries of R. americana larvae at different ages were analyzed. Molecular characterization confirmed interesting findings, such as the presence of Rananos. The nanos gene encodes a conserved RNA-binding protein that is required during early development for the maintenance and division of the primordial germ cells of Diptera. nanos plays an important role in specifying the posterior regions of insect embryos and is important for abdomen formation. In the present work, we showed the spatial and temporal expression profiles of this important gene, which is involved in oogenesis and early development. Data mining techniques were used to obtain the complete sequence of Rananos. Bioinformatic tools were used to determine the following: (1) the secondary structure of the 3'-untranslated region of the Rananos mRNA, (2) the encoded protein of the isolated Rananos gene, (3) the conserved zinc-finger domains of the RaNanos protein, and (4) phylogenetic analyses. Furthermore, RNA in situ hybridization and immunolocalization were used to determine mRNA and protein expression in the tissues that were studied and to define Rananos as a germ cell molecular marker.     

中华鳖vasa基因克隆及在卵母细胞中的表达分析

研究利用中华鳖为研究模型进行爬行类生殖细胞发育分化成熟等生物学研究,克隆了中华鳖vasa基因的cDNA序列,全长3865 bp,包括5'端非编码区90 bp,3'端非编码区1699 bp,开放阅读框长2076 bp,共编码691个氨基酸。中华鳖Vasa氨基酸序列包含DEAD-box家族蛋白8个保守保守功能域,在N末端有4个RGG重复序列和2个GG富集区,与小鼠Vasa蛋白的同源性较高（72%）。荧光定量PCR的结果表明,中华鳖vasa mRNA主要精巢和卵巢中表达,其他体组织中均难检测到表达。卵巢冰冻切片原位杂交结果显示:中华鳖vasa mRNA在生殖细胞中特异表达;在卵子发生过程中的不同发育期卵母细胞中呈现动态的变化。即vasa mRNA在初级卵母细胞及生长期卵母细胞中表达最强,且均匀分布在细胞质中,随着卵母细胞的逐渐增大,信号逐渐减弱,直至在成熟的卵母细胞中几乎检测不到表达信号,说明vasa可能在中华鳖早期卵母细胞发育中起重要作用。同时,vasa基因可作为中华鳖生殖细胞分子标记物,根据其mRNA的表达水平来鉴别不同发育时期的卵母细胞。研究结果为进一步开展中华鳖胚胎生殖细胞发育及配子生成,特别是研究中华鳖,乃至爬行类原始生殖细胞（Primordial Germ Cells,PGCs）的起源、迁移、分化等研究奠定了基础。