B. Cameron Donly

Characterization of the gene for leucomyosuppressin and its expression in the brain of the cockroach Diploptera punctata.

Using HPLC separation, radioimmunoassay, and subsequent bioassay, we have detected the presence of an active peptide, which co-elutes with the insect myoinhibitory peptide leuco-myosuppressin, in the brain of the cockroach Diploptera punctata. We have isolated a cDNA encoding the precursor for this peptide from cDNA libraries representing D. punctata brain RNA. The cDNA sequence contains an open reading frame that upon translation would result in a prepropolypeptide of 96 amino acids. Proteolytic cleavage of the predicted precursor could result in several peptides, including a 10 amino acid C-terminal peptide that would, upon modification of the NH2 and COOH-terminal amino acids, be identical to the insect FLRFamide, leucomyosuppressin. No other RFamide products are predicted to be processed from the precursor. Southern blot analysis indicates that the gene is present in the D. punctata genome in a single copy. Northern blot analysis shows that the gene is predominantly expressed as a 3.8 kb mRNA in cockroach brain. Study of the expression of the leucomyosuppressin gene in D. punctata brain, using in situ hybridization, indicates that expression occurs primarily in the pars intercerebralis of the protocerebrum, a region showing abundant FMRFamide-like immunoreactive neurosecretory cells. Immunohistochemistry and HPLC coupled to radioimmunoassay indicates that leucomyosuppressin represents a significant proportion of FMRFamide-related peptide production in the brain. However, HPLC analysis also indicates the presence of significant levels of other related peptides, demonstrating the presence of more than one FMRFamide-related gene in this insect.

Molecular cloning and characterization of an allatostatin-like receptor in the cockroach Diploptera punctata

Two Drosophila receptors (AlstR/DAR-1 and DAR-2) with sequence similarity to mammalian galanin receptors have been previously identified. These receptors have been shown to form specific interactions with neuropeptides that resemble cockroach allatostatins (ASTs), which have a characteristic Tyr/Phe-Xaa-Phe-Gly-Leu-NH2 carboxyl-terminus. We hypothesized that similar allatostatin receptors exist in the cockroach Diploptera punctata that may regulate the numerous effects that this family of peptides exerts on a range of target tissues. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used, with primer design based on the Drosophila allatostatin receptor (AlstR). Using these primers, a putative allatostatin-like receptor cDNA was isolated from a lambda ZAP-cDNA library prepared from the corpora allata of the D. punctata. As an approach to testing the function of this receptor in vivo, the technique of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) gene interference was tested. Initial experiments suggest that the putative inhibition of receptor RNA expression may increase juvenile hormone (JH) production.

Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus AC83 is a per os infectivity factor (PIF) protein required for occlusion-derived virus (ODV) and budded virus nucleocapsid assembly as well as assembly of the PIF complex in ODV envelopes

ABSTRACT Baculovirus occlusion-derived virus (ODV) initiates infection of lepidopteran larval hosts by binding to the midgut epithelia, which is mediated by per os infectivity factors (PIFs). Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) encodes seven PIF proteins, of which PIF1 to PIF4 form a core complex in ODV envelopes to which PIF0 and PIF6 loosely associate. Deletion of any pif gene results in ODV being unable to bind or enter midgut cells. AC83 also associates with the PIF complex, and this study further analyzed its role in oral infectivity to determine if it is a PIF protein. It had been proposed that AC83 possesses a chitin binding domain that enables transit through the peritrophic matrix; however, no chitin binding activity has ever been demonstrated. AC83 has been reported to be found only in the ODV envelopes, but in contrast, the Orgyia pseudotsugata MNPV AC83 homolog is associated with both ODV nucleocapsids and envelopes. In addition, unlike known pif genes, deletion of ac83 eliminates nucleocapsid formation. We propose a new model for AC83 function and show AC83 is associated with both ODV nucleocapsids and envelopes. We also further define the domain required for nucleocapsid assembly. The cysteine-rich region of AC83 is also shown not to be a chitin binding domain but a zinc finger domain required for the recruitment or assembly of the PIF complex to ODV envelopes. As such, AC83 has all the properties of a PIF protein and should be considered PIF8. In addition, pif7 (ac110) is reported as the 38th baculovirus core gene. IMPORTANCE ODV is essential for the per os infectivity of the baculovirus AcMNPV. To initiate infection, ODV binds to microvilli of lepidopteran midgut cells, a process which requires a group of seven virion envelope proteins called PIFs. In this study, we reexamined the function of AC83, a protein that copurifies with the ODV PIFs, to determine its role in the oral infection process. A zinc finger domain was identified and a new model for AC83 function was proposed. In contrast to previous studies, AC83 was found to be physically located in both the envelope and nucleocapsid of ODV. By deletion analysis, the AC83 domain required for nucleocapsid assembly was more finely delineated. We show that AC83 is required for PIF complex formation and conclude that it is a true per os infectivity factor and should be called PIF8.

Neurotransmitter transporters in the insect nervous system

Publisher Summary The chapter summarizes the current state of understanding of neurotransmitter transport across the plasma membrane in insect nervous tissue. Neurotransmitters are chemical signals released from neurons at specialized synapses by exocytosis. The specific proteins involved in neurotransmitter synthesis and transport at the nerve terminal that assign each neuron in the arthropod central nervous system its unique molecular identity are described in the chapter. The chapter describes the molecular physiology of the various neurotransmitter transporters (NTT) systems in insects. The approach used is necessarily hierarchical and comparative. Much about the molecular biology of neurotransmitter uptake in the central nervous system (CNS) of Drosophila and other insects is derived from discoveries in the mammalian CNS. The review concludes with an assessment of the potential of neurotransmitter transporters as selective neural targets for future insect control strategies.

MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION OF THE INHIBITORY MYOTROPIC PEPTIDE LEUCOMYOSUPPRESSIN

The myoinhibitory peptide leucomyosuppressin (LMS) (pQDVDHVFLRFamide) has been identified and characterized at the molecular level in the cockroach Diploptera punctata through analysis of the organization of both brain cDNA and genomic DNA. Processing of the precursor predicted from DNA sequence would release a single LMS peptide. The organization of the precursor appears to be conserved in other insects and may reflect a functional organization for this subfamily of extended FLRFamides. The expression of the LMS gene appears in numerous cells of the pars-intercerebralis of the cockroach protocerebellum as well as in numerous endocrine cells of the midgut.

Mamestra configurata nucleopolyhedrovirus-A transcriptome from infected host midgut

Infection of an insect by a baculovirus occurs in two distinct phases, an initial infection of host midgut by occlusion-derived virions (ODVs) and subsequent systemic infection of other tissues by budded virions (BV). A vast majority of investigations of the infection process have been restricted to cell culture studies using BV that emulate the systemic phase of infection. This is one of the first studies to investigate baculovirus gene expression in ODV infected midgut cells. We have focused on the critical first phase of in vivo infection by Mamestra configurata nucleopolyhedrovirus-A in M. configurata larvae, using qPCR and RNAseq mass sequencing to measure virus gene expression in midgut cells. The earliest genes detected by each method had significant overlap, including known early genes as well as genes unique to MacoNPV-A and genes of unknown function. The RNAseq data also revealed a large range of expression levels across all ORFs, which could not be measured using qPCR. This dataset provides a first whole genome transcriptomic analysis of viral genes required for virus infection in vivo and will provide the basis for functionally analyzing specific genes that may be critical elements in baculovirus midgut infectivity and host range.

Microscopic investigation of AcMNPV infection in the Trichoplusia ni midgut

Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) is the type species for the genus Alphabaculovirus in the family Baculoviridae. In nature, AcMNPV infection begins with ingestion of viral occlusion bodies (OBs) from which occlusion-derived viruses (ODV) are released to infect midgut cells. This study explored the early stages of Trichoplusia ni midgut infection using recombinant viruses expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP) and/or a VP39-mCherry fusion protein under the control of early and late promoters, respectively. Using a recombinant ie1:GFP virus, the anterior midgut region was identified as the predominant site for primary infection. Infection of midguts using the GFP-VP39mCherry-dual labelled recombinant virus revealed that active viral replication and cell-to-cell spread was required for the formation of infection foci and the subsequent spread to uninfected midgut cells and tracheoblasts. The spread of the infection from primary infected cells to secondary cells within the midgut was shown to be dependent upon the membrane fusion protein GP64.

MacoNPV baculovirus midgut-specific gene expression during infection of the bertha armyworm, Mamestra configurata

Baculoviruses have two forms, occlusion derived virus (ODV) which is responsible for primary infection in host midgut tissue and budded virus (BV), which infects all other host tissues during secondary infection. This study examined the primary infection by ODV of midgut cells of bertha armyworm Mamestra configurata fourth instar larvae and measured the expression of viral genes over a time course of infection. Both digital PCR and RNA sequencing methods showed the profile of transcription to be different from those produced by AcMNPV BV infection of in vitro cell cultures. This included having unique collections of genes expressed early, as well as much greater late gene expression of p6.9 and much reduced expression of polh and p10. These differences likely reflect characteristics unique to the critical step of in vivo midgut cell infection, and provide insights into the processes that regulate viral gene expression in different host tissues.