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Grzegorz Rosinski - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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FMRFamide-Related Peptides Signaling Is Involved in the Regulation of Muscle Contractions in Two Tenebrionid Beetles.
Frontiers in physiology, 2020Co-Authors: Paweł Marciniak, Mariola Kuczer, Szymon Chowanski, Monika Szymczak, Joanna Pacholska-bogalska, Wojciech Witek, Grzegorz RosinskiAbstract:Peptidergic signaling regulates various physiological processes in insects. Neuropeptides are important messenger molecules that act as neurotransmitters, neuromodulators or hormones. One of the group of neuropeptides with myotropic properties in insects is known as FMRFamide-related peptides (FaRPs). Here, we describe the myotropic effects of the endogenous FMRFamide related peptide (NSNFLRFa) in the regulation of contractile activity of the heart, ejaculatory duct, oviduct and the hindgut in two beetle species, Tenebrio molitor and Zophobas atratus. A putative receptor was identified in silico in both species. Using RT-PCR technique, receptor was found in the various tissues of both beetles, including visceral organs. Analysis of the amino acid sequence of the receptor indicated that it is similar to other insect FMRF-amide receptors and belongs to G-protein coupled receptors. The tested peptide showed concentration-dependent and organ-specific myoactive properties. It showed species–specific cardioactivity, in that it stimulated Z. atratus heart contractions, while slightly inhibiting that of T. molitor and had mainly myostimulatory effect on the examined visceral organs of both beetle species,with the lowest activity in the ejaculatory duct of these beetles. The peptide was the most active in the hindgut of both species, but only at high concentration of 10-5 M. The results suggest that FMRFamide-related peptides are potent modulators of endogenous contractile activity of the visceral muscles in beetles and may indirectly affect various physiological processes.
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Myotropic activity of allatostatins in tenebrionid beetles.
Neuropeptides, 2018Co-Authors: Jan Lubawy, Mariola Kuczer, Paweł Marciniak, Grzegorz RosinskiAbstract:Abstract Neuropeptides control the functioning of the nervous system of insects, and they are the most diverse signalling molecules in terms of structure and function. Allatostatins are pleiotropic neuropeptides that are considered potent myoinhibitors of muscle contractions in insects. We investigated the effects caused by three distinct allatostatins, Dippu-AST1 (LYDFGL-NH2 from Diploptera punctata), Grybi-MIP1 (GWQDLNGGW-NH2 from Gryllus bimaculatus) and Trica-ASTC (pESRYRQCYFNPISCF-OH from Tribolium castaneum) on contractile activity of the myocardium, oviduct and hindgut of two tenebrionid beetles, Tenebrio molitor and Zophobas atratus. Studies showed that all three peptides exerted myostimulatory effects on the oviduct and hindgut of the beetles, however they did not cause any effect on myocardium. The effects of Dippu-AST1, Grybi-MIP1 and Trica-ASTC were dose-dependent and tissue and species specific. The highest stimulatory effect was caused by Trica-ASTC, showing stimulation of approximately 82% at a 10−12 M concentration and 76% at a 10−11 M concentration for T. molitor and Z. atratus, respectively. The oviduct of T. molitor was more susceptible to allatostatins than that of Z. atratus. Dippu-AST1 showed the maximum stimulating effect at 10−11 M (57%), whereas Grybi-MIP 1 at 10−10 M caused a 41% stimulation. Trica-ASTC, in both species, showed a myostimulatory effect over the whole range of tested concentrations but was most potent at a 10−12 M concentration and caused a 54% and 31.9% increase in the frequency of contractions in the oviduct of T. molitor and Z. atratus, respectively. The results suggest that allatostatins may affect the regulation of egg movement within the oviducts and movement of food in the digestive tract of beetles and do not regulate directly the activity of heart, thus being good candidate compounds in neuropeptides based pest control agents in future research.
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NONSULFATED SULFAKININ CHANGES METABOLIC PARAMETERS OF INSECT FAT BODY MITOCHONDRIA
Archives of insect biochemistry and physiology, 2016Co-Authors: Malgorzata Slocinska, Grzegorz Rosinski, Nina Antos-krzeminska, Wieslawa JarmuszkiewiczAbstract:We investigated the effect of neuropeptide, the nonsulfated sulfakinin (SK) Zopat-SK-1 (pETSDDYGHLRFa) on the mitochondrial oxidative metabolism in the Zophobas atratus larval fat body. Mitochondria were isolated from beetle fat bodies 2 and 24 h after hormone injection. The administration of 20 pmol of Zopat-SK-1 to feeding larvae led to decreased mitochondrial oxidative activities in larval fat body. Diminished activities of citrate synthase and the cytochrome pathway, that is, nonphosphorylating and phosphorylating respiration during succinate oxidation, were observed. However, the effect of Zopat-SK-1 was more pronounced in fat body of insects after 24 h since hormone application. In hormone-treated larval fat bodies, mitochondrial respiration was decreased at the level of respiratory chain and the TCA cycle as well as at the level of mitochondrial biogenesis, as indicated by decreased activities of mitochondrial marker enzymes in fat body homogenates. The inhibition of succinate oxidation may indicate the role of Zopat-SK-1 in the regulation of mitochondrial complex II activity. Moreover, decreased respiratory chain activity was accompanied by the reduced activity of mitochondrial energy-dissipating pathway, uncoupling protein 4. The observed decrease in mitochondrial oxidative metabolism may reflect the Zopat-SK-1-induced reduction in the metabolic rate of larval fat body linked to actual energetic demands of animal.
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The influence of hormones on the lipid profile in the fat body of insects
ISJ-Invertebrate Survival Journal, 2015Co-Authors: Magdalena Cerkowniak, Grzegorz Rosinski, Malgorzata Slocinska, Piotr Stepnowski, Aleksandra Ostachowska, Marek GołębiowskiAbstract:Peptide hormones play a special role in the neuroendocrine systems of insects and affect a number of physiological processes related to their development, reproduction and behavior. The lipid content in the fat body of insects is closely correlated with the work of the endocrine glands. The lipid profile of the fat body of the Zophobas atratus beetle reveals a predominant proportion of triacylglycerols when compared to free fatty acids and other lipid compounds, such as fatty acid esters, fatty alcohols and sterols. Although it may depend on the stage of the insects’ development, the disparate impacts of the adipokinetic hormone (AKH) on the lipid content in the fat bodies of the feeding larvae and the non-feeding pupae of Z. atratus, may signify the different roles this hormone plays in the indirect control of the insects’ metabolism.
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The activity of the nonsulfated sulfakinin Zopat-SK-1 in the neck-ligated larvae of the beetle Zophobas atratus.
Peptides, 2015Co-Authors: Malgorzata Slocinska, Wieslawa Jarmuszkiewicz, T. Czubak, Paweł Marciniak, Grzegorz RosinskiAbstract:Abstract Insect sulfakinins (SKs) are multifunctional neuropeptides structurally and functionally homologous to the mammalian gastrin/cholecystokinin (CCK). It has been proposed that SKs play a role in modulating energy management in insects by interacting with adipokinetic hormone (AKH), the principle hormone controlling insect intermediary metabolism. To exclude head factors (including AKH) that influence the activity of the nonsulfated sulfakinin Zopat-SK-1 in the larvae of the beetle Zophobas atratus, ligature and in vitro bioassays were used. Our study showed that in the neck-ligated larvae, Zopat-SK-1 evoked a much more pronounced glycogenolytic effect in fat body tissue and a significantly higher hypertrahelosemic effect in hemolymph than in larvae without ligation. We found that the concentration of the sugar trehalose increased under hormonal treatment but no changes in glucose levels were observed. Under in vitro conditions, the maximal glycogenolytic effect of Zopat-SK-1 in fat body was observed at 10 pmol of hormone. Ligature and in vitro bioassays indicated that Zopat-SK-1 activity in the Z. atratus larvae is modulated by head signals and/or factors from the gastrointestinal tract. Our data indicate the existence of a brain–gastrointestinal axis that has a role in controlling of energy (carbohydrate) metabolism in the insect body. Moreover, these results, together with immunological evidence of a cholecystokinin-like (sulfakinin) receptor in the Z. atratus fat body, help us to better understand the SK signaling pathways and its physiological role in insect biology.
Paweł Marciniak - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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FMRFamide-Related Peptides Signaling Is Involved in the Regulation of Muscle Contractions in Two Tenebrionid Beetles.
Frontiers in physiology, 2020Co-Authors: Paweł Marciniak, Mariola Kuczer, Szymon Chowanski, Monika Szymczak, Joanna Pacholska-bogalska, Wojciech Witek, Grzegorz RosinskiAbstract:Peptidergic signaling regulates various physiological processes in insects. Neuropeptides are important messenger molecules that act as neurotransmitters, neuromodulators or hormones. One of the group of neuropeptides with myotropic properties in insects is known as FMRFamide-related peptides (FaRPs). Here, we describe the myotropic effects of the endogenous FMRFamide related peptide (NSNFLRFa) in the regulation of contractile activity of the heart, ejaculatory duct, oviduct and the hindgut in two beetle species, Tenebrio molitor and Zophobas atratus. A putative receptor was identified in silico in both species. Using RT-PCR technique, receptor was found in the various tissues of both beetles, including visceral organs. Analysis of the amino acid sequence of the receptor indicated that it is similar to other insect FMRF-amide receptors and belongs to G-protein coupled receptors. The tested peptide showed concentration-dependent and organ-specific myoactive properties. It showed species–specific cardioactivity, in that it stimulated Z. atratus heart contractions, while slightly inhibiting that of T. molitor and had mainly myostimulatory effect on the examined visceral organs of both beetle species,with the lowest activity in the ejaculatory duct of these beetles. The peptide was the most active in the hindgut of both species, but only at high concentration of 10-5 M. The results suggest that FMRFamide-related peptides are potent modulators of endogenous contractile activity of the visceral muscles in beetles and may indirectly affect various physiological processes.
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Myotropic activity of allatostatins in tenebrionid beetles.
Neuropeptides, 2018Co-Authors: Jan Lubawy, Mariola Kuczer, Paweł Marciniak, Grzegorz RosinskiAbstract:Abstract Neuropeptides control the functioning of the nervous system of insects, and they are the most diverse signalling molecules in terms of structure and function. Allatostatins are pleiotropic neuropeptides that are considered potent myoinhibitors of muscle contractions in insects. We investigated the effects caused by three distinct allatostatins, Dippu-AST1 (LYDFGL-NH2 from Diploptera punctata), Grybi-MIP1 (GWQDLNGGW-NH2 from Gryllus bimaculatus) and Trica-ASTC (pESRYRQCYFNPISCF-OH from Tribolium castaneum) on contractile activity of the myocardium, oviduct and hindgut of two tenebrionid beetles, Tenebrio molitor and Zophobas atratus. Studies showed that all three peptides exerted myostimulatory effects on the oviduct and hindgut of the beetles, however they did not cause any effect on myocardium. The effects of Dippu-AST1, Grybi-MIP1 and Trica-ASTC were dose-dependent and tissue and species specific. The highest stimulatory effect was caused by Trica-ASTC, showing stimulation of approximately 82% at a 10−12 M concentration and 76% at a 10−11 M concentration for T. molitor and Z. atratus, respectively. The oviduct of T. molitor was more susceptible to allatostatins than that of Z. atratus. Dippu-AST1 showed the maximum stimulating effect at 10−11 M (57%), whereas Grybi-MIP 1 at 10−10 M caused a 41% stimulation. Trica-ASTC, in both species, showed a myostimulatory effect over the whole range of tested concentrations but was most potent at a 10−12 M concentration and caused a 54% and 31.9% increase in the frequency of contractions in the oviduct of T. molitor and Z. atratus, respectively. The results suggest that allatostatins may affect the regulation of egg movement within the oviducts and movement of food in the digestive tract of beetles and do not regulate directly the activity of heart, thus being good candidate compounds in neuropeptides based pest control agents in future research.
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The activity of the nonsulfated sulfakinin Zopat-SK-1 in the neck-ligated larvae of the beetle Zophobas atratus.
Peptides, 2015Co-Authors: Malgorzata Slocinska, Wieslawa Jarmuszkiewicz, T. Czubak, Paweł Marciniak, Grzegorz RosinskiAbstract:Abstract Insect sulfakinins (SKs) are multifunctional neuropeptides structurally and functionally homologous to the mammalian gastrin/cholecystokinin (CCK). It has been proposed that SKs play a role in modulating energy management in insects by interacting with adipokinetic hormone (AKH), the principle hormone controlling insect intermediary metabolism. To exclude head factors (including AKH) that influence the activity of the nonsulfated sulfakinin Zopat-SK-1 in the larvae of the beetle Zophobas atratus, ligature and in vitro bioassays were used. Our study showed that in the neck-ligated larvae, Zopat-SK-1 evoked a much more pronounced glycogenolytic effect in fat body tissue and a significantly higher hypertrahelosemic effect in hemolymph than in larvae without ligation. We found that the concentration of the sugar trehalose increased under hormonal treatment but no changes in glucose levels were observed. Under in vitro conditions, the maximal glycogenolytic effect of Zopat-SK-1 in fat body was observed at 10 pmol of hormone. Ligature and in vitro bioassays indicated that Zopat-SK-1 activity in the Z. atratus larvae is modulated by head signals and/or factors from the gastrointestinal tract. Our data indicate the existence of a brain–gastrointestinal axis that has a role in controlling of energy (carbohydrate) metabolism in the insect body. Moreover, these results, together with immunological evidence of a cholecystokinin-like (sulfakinin) receptor in the Z. atratus fat body, help us to better understand the SK signaling pathways and its physiological role in insect biology.
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New metabolic activity of the nonsulfated sulfakinin Zopat-SK-1 in the insect fat body.
Peptides, 2014Co-Authors: Malgorzata Slocinska, Wieslawa Jarmuszkiewicz, Paweł Marciniak, Grzegorz RosinskiAbstract:Insect sulfakinins are multifunctional neuropeptides homologous to vertebrate gastrin/cholecystokin (CCK) neuropeptide hormones. We investigated the action of the nonsulfated sulfakinin Zopat-SK-1 (pETSDDYGHLRFa) on the levels of chosen metabolites in the Zophobas atratus beetle fat body. Samples of fat body were collected 2h and 24h after hormone injection. The administration of 20pmol of Zopat-SK-1 to feeding larvae significantly increased concentrations of lipids and proteins and decreased the content of glycogen in fat body tissue in the 24h experimental group. In contrast, the only increase in total lipid concentration in prepupal fat bodies was observed 24h after Zopat-SK-1 treatment. Simultaneously, changes in the quality and quantity of free sugars in the hemolymph were measured. In larval hemolymph, a marked increase in free sugar concentration and a decrease in glucose content were observed 24h and 2h after Zopat-SK-1 application, respectively. No changes in the prepupal stage were observed. For the first time we show potent metabolic activity of sulfakinin in the fat body tissue of an insect. Our findings imply a physiological function of the nonsulfated form of sulfakinin in energy storage and release processes in fat body tissue of larvae and prepupae was indicated. We suggest a role for sulfakinin signaling in the regulation of energy metabolism in insect tissues.
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Identification and localisation of selected myotropic neuropeptides in the ventral nerve cord of tenebrionid beetles.
Comparative biochemistry and physiology. Part A Molecular & integrative physiology, 2013Co-Authors: Paweł Marciniak, Neil Audsley, Monika Szymczak, Joanna Pacholska-bogalska, Grzegorz RosinskiAbstract:MALDI-TOF MS and MS/MS techniques were used for the isolation and identification of neuropeptides from the ventral nerve cord (VNC) of two beetle species Tenebrio molitor and Zophobas atratus. Two peptides, proctolin and myosuppressin (Zopat-MS), with well-established myotropic properties were identified as well as Trica-NVPL-4trunc. The presence of proctolin and myosuppressin was confirmed by immunocytochemical studies in adults and larvae of both beetles. In addition, the myosuppressin gene in Z. atratus was sequenced and expression analyses showed that it is present in all parts of the beetle central nervous system. Results suggest that the identified peptides act as neurotransmitters/neuromodulators in beetles, regulate visceral muscle contractions and indirectly influence important physiological processes such as feeding and reproduction.
Malgorzata Slocinska - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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NONSULFATED SULFAKININ CHANGES METABOLIC PARAMETERS OF INSECT FAT BODY MITOCHONDRIA
Archives of insect biochemistry and physiology, 2016Co-Authors: Malgorzata Slocinska, Grzegorz Rosinski, Nina Antos-krzeminska, Wieslawa JarmuszkiewiczAbstract:We investigated the effect of neuropeptide, the nonsulfated sulfakinin (SK) Zopat-SK-1 (pETSDDYGHLRFa) on the mitochondrial oxidative metabolism in the Zophobas atratus larval fat body. Mitochondria were isolated from beetle fat bodies 2 and 24 h after hormone injection. The administration of 20 pmol of Zopat-SK-1 to feeding larvae led to decreased mitochondrial oxidative activities in larval fat body. Diminished activities of citrate synthase and the cytochrome pathway, that is, nonphosphorylating and phosphorylating respiration during succinate oxidation, were observed. However, the effect of Zopat-SK-1 was more pronounced in fat body of insects after 24 h since hormone application. In hormone-treated larval fat bodies, mitochondrial respiration was decreased at the level of respiratory chain and the TCA cycle as well as at the level of mitochondrial biogenesis, as indicated by decreased activities of mitochondrial marker enzymes in fat body homogenates. The inhibition of succinate oxidation may indicate the role of Zopat-SK-1 in the regulation of mitochondrial complex II activity. Moreover, decreased respiratory chain activity was accompanied by the reduced activity of mitochondrial energy-dissipating pathway, uncoupling protein 4. The observed decrease in mitochondrial oxidative metabolism may reflect the Zopat-SK-1-induced reduction in the metabolic rate of larval fat body linked to actual energetic demands of animal.
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The influence of hormones on the lipid profile in the fat body of insects
ISJ-Invertebrate Survival Journal, 2015Co-Authors: Magdalena Cerkowniak, Grzegorz Rosinski, Malgorzata Slocinska, Piotr Stepnowski, Aleksandra Ostachowska, Marek GołębiowskiAbstract:Peptide hormones play a special role in the neuroendocrine systems of insects and affect a number of physiological processes related to their development, reproduction and behavior. The lipid content in the fat body of insects is closely correlated with the work of the endocrine glands. The lipid profile of the fat body of the Zophobas atratus beetle reveals a predominant proportion of triacylglycerols when compared to free fatty acids and other lipid compounds, such as fatty acid esters, fatty alcohols and sterols. Although it may depend on the stage of the insects’ development, the disparate impacts of the adipokinetic hormone (AKH) on the lipid content in the fat bodies of the feeding larvae and the non-feeding pupae of Z. atratus, may signify the different roles this hormone plays in the indirect control of the insects’ metabolism.
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The activity of the nonsulfated sulfakinin Zopat-SK-1 in the neck-ligated larvae of the beetle Zophobas atratus.
Peptides, 2015Co-Authors: Malgorzata Slocinska, Wieslawa Jarmuszkiewicz, T. Czubak, Paweł Marciniak, Grzegorz RosinskiAbstract:Abstract Insect sulfakinins (SKs) are multifunctional neuropeptides structurally and functionally homologous to the mammalian gastrin/cholecystokinin (CCK). It has been proposed that SKs play a role in modulating energy management in insects by interacting with adipokinetic hormone (AKH), the principle hormone controlling insect intermediary metabolism. To exclude head factors (including AKH) that influence the activity of the nonsulfated sulfakinin Zopat-SK-1 in the larvae of the beetle Zophobas atratus, ligature and in vitro bioassays were used. Our study showed that in the neck-ligated larvae, Zopat-SK-1 evoked a much more pronounced glycogenolytic effect in fat body tissue and a significantly higher hypertrahelosemic effect in hemolymph than in larvae without ligation. We found that the concentration of the sugar trehalose increased under hormonal treatment but no changes in glucose levels were observed. Under in vitro conditions, the maximal glycogenolytic effect of Zopat-SK-1 in fat body was observed at 10 pmol of hormone. Ligature and in vitro bioassays indicated that Zopat-SK-1 activity in the Z. atratus larvae is modulated by head signals and/or factors from the gastrointestinal tract. Our data indicate the existence of a brain–gastrointestinal axis that has a role in controlling of energy (carbohydrate) metabolism in the insect body. Moreover, these results, together with immunological evidence of a cholecystokinin-like (sulfakinin) receptor in the Z. atratus fat body, help us to better understand the SK signaling pathways and its physiological role in insect biology.
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adipokinetic hormone induces changes in the fat body lipid composition of the beetle Zophobas atratus
Peptides, 2014Co-Authors: Marek Golebiowski, Aleksandra Urbanek, Magdalena Cerkowniak, Grzegorz Rosinski, Malgorzata Slocinska, Piotr StepnowskiAbstract:Abstract In insects, neuropeptide adipokinetic hormone (AKH) released from the corpora cardiaca mobilizes lipids and carbohydrates in the fat body. We examined the developmental differences in the action of Tenmo-AKH, a bioanalogue belonging to the adipokinetic/hypertrahelosemic family (AKH/HrTH), on the lipid composition of larval and pupal fat bodies in the beetle Zophobas atratus . Tenmo-AKH was administered to the beetle larvae and pupae either as a single dose or as two doses of 20 pmol during a 24 h interval. Extracts of fat bodies were used to analyse the lipid composition by gas chromatography (GC) combined with mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Control extracts were analyzed using the same method. Fatty acids (FA) and fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) were the most abundant compounds in the fat bodies from both developmental stages. We observed significant differences in their concentrations following hormonal treatment. Tenmo-AKH also induced a distinct increase in larval sterols, fatty alcohols and benzoic acid.
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New metabolic activity of the nonsulfated sulfakinin Zopat-SK-1 in the insect fat body.
Peptides, 2014Co-Authors: Malgorzata Slocinska, Wieslawa Jarmuszkiewicz, Paweł Marciniak, Grzegorz RosinskiAbstract:Insect sulfakinins are multifunctional neuropeptides homologous to vertebrate gastrin/cholecystokin (CCK) neuropeptide hormones. We investigated the action of the nonsulfated sulfakinin Zopat-SK-1 (pETSDDYGHLRFa) on the levels of chosen metabolites in the Zophobas atratus beetle fat body. Samples of fat body were collected 2h and 24h after hormone injection. The administration of 20pmol of Zopat-SK-1 to feeding larvae significantly increased concentrations of lipids and proteins and decreased the content of glycogen in fat body tissue in the 24h experimental group. In contrast, the only increase in total lipid concentration in prepupal fat bodies was observed 24h after Zopat-SK-1 treatment. Simultaneously, changes in the quality and quantity of free sugars in the hemolymph were measured. In larval hemolymph, a marked increase in free sugar concentration and a decrease in glucose content were observed 24h and 2h after Zopat-SK-1 application, respectively. No changes in the prepupal stage were observed. For the first time we show potent metabolic activity of sulfakinin in the fat body tissue of an insect. Our findings imply a physiological function of the nonsulfated form of sulfakinin in energy storage and release processes in fat body tissue of larvae and prepupae was indicated. We suggest a role for sulfakinin signaling in the regulation of energy metabolism in insect tissues.
Wieslawa Jarmuszkiewicz - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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NONSULFATED SULFAKININ CHANGES METABOLIC PARAMETERS OF INSECT FAT BODY MITOCHONDRIA
Archives of insect biochemistry and physiology, 2016Co-Authors: Malgorzata Slocinska, Grzegorz Rosinski, Nina Antos-krzeminska, Wieslawa JarmuszkiewiczAbstract:We investigated the effect of neuropeptide, the nonsulfated sulfakinin (SK) Zopat-SK-1 (pETSDDYGHLRFa) on the mitochondrial oxidative metabolism in the Zophobas atratus larval fat body. Mitochondria were isolated from beetle fat bodies 2 and 24 h after hormone injection. The administration of 20 pmol of Zopat-SK-1 to feeding larvae led to decreased mitochondrial oxidative activities in larval fat body. Diminished activities of citrate synthase and the cytochrome pathway, that is, nonphosphorylating and phosphorylating respiration during succinate oxidation, were observed. However, the effect of Zopat-SK-1 was more pronounced in fat body of insects after 24 h since hormone application. In hormone-treated larval fat bodies, mitochondrial respiration was decreased at the level of respiratory chain and the TCA cycle as well as at the level of mitochondrial biogenesis, as indicated by decreased activities of mitochondrial marker enzymes in fat body homogenates. The inhibition of succinate oxidation may indicate the role of Zopat-SK-1 in the regulation of mitochondrial complex II activity. Moreover, decreased respiratory chain activity was accompanied by the reduced activity of mitochondrial energy-dissipating pathway, uncoupling protein 4. The observed decrease in mitochondrial oxidative metabolism may reflect the Zopat-SK-1-induced reduction in the metabolic rate of larval fat body linked to actual energetic demands of animal.
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The activity of the nonsulfated sulfakinin Zopat-SK-1 in the neck-ligated larvae of the beetle Zophobas atratus.
Peptides, 2015Co-Authors: Malgorzata Slocinska, Wieslawa Jarmuszkiewicz, T. Czubak, Paweł Marciniak, Grzegorz RosinskiAbstract:Abstract Insect sulfakinins (SKs) are multifunctional neuropeptides structurally and functionally homologous to the mammalian gastrin/cholecystokinin (CCK). It has been proposed that SKs play a role in modulating energy management in insects by interacting with adipokinetic hormone (AKH), the principle hormone controlling insect intermediary metabolism. To exclude head factors (including AKH) that influence the activity of the nonsulfated sulfakinin Zopat-SK-1 in the larvae of the beetle Zophobas atratus, ligature and in vitro bioassays were used. Our study showed that in the neck-ligated larvae, Zopat-SK-1 evoked a much more pronounced glycogenolytic effect in fat body tissue and a significantly higher hypertrahelosemic effect in hemolymph than in larvae without ligation. We found that the concentration of the sugar trehalose increased under hormonal treatment but no changes in glucose levels were observed. Under in vitro conditions, the maximal glycogenolytic effect of Zopat-SK-1 in fat body was observed at 10 pmol of hormone. Ligature and in vitro bioassays indicated that Zopat-SK-1 activity in the Z. atratus larvae is modulated by head signals and/or factors from the gastrointestinal tract. Our data indicate the existence of a brain–gastrointestinal axis that has a role in controlling of energy (carbohydrate) metabolism in the insect body. Moreover, these results, together with immunological evidence of a cholecystokinin-like (sulfakinin) receptor in the Z. atratus fat body, help us to better understand the SK signaling pathways and its physiological role in insect biology.
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New metabolic activity of the nonsulfated sulfakinin Zopat-SK-1 in the insect fat body.
Peptides, 2014Co-Authors: Malgorzata Slocinska, Wieslawa Jarmuszkiewicz, Paweł Marciniak, Grzegorz RosinskiAbstract:Insect sulfakinins are multifunctional neuropeptides homologous to vertebrate gastrin/cholecystokin (CCK) neuropeptide hormones. We investigated the action of the nonsulfated sulfakinin Zopat-SK-1 (pETSDDYGHLRFa) on the levels of chosen metabolites in the Zophobas atratus beetle fat body. Samples of fat body were collected 2h and 24h after hormone injection. The administration of 20pmol of Zopat-SK-1 to feeding larvae significantly increased concentrations of lipids and proteins and decreased the content of glycogen in fat body tissue in the 24h experimental group. In contrast, the only increase in total lipid concentration in prepupal fat bodies was observed 24h after Zopat-SK-1 treatment. Simultaneously, changes in the quality and quantity of free sugars in the hemolymph were measured. In larval hemolymph, a marked increase in free sugar concentration and a decrease in glucose content were observed 24h and 2h after Zopat-SK-1 application, respectively. No changes in the prepupal stage were observed. For the first time we show potent metabolic activity of sulfakinin in the fat body tissue of an insect. Our findings imply a physiological function of the nonsulfated form of sulfakinin in energy storage and release processes in fat body tissue of larvae and prepupae was indicated. We suggest a role for sulfakinin signaling in the regulation of energy metabolism in insect tissues.
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ucp4 expression changes in larval and pupal fat bodies of the beetle Zophobas atratus under adipokinetic hormone treatment
Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology A-molecular & Integrative Physiology, 2013Co-Authors: Malgorzata Slocinska, Mariola Kuczer, Grzegorz Rosinski, Marek Golebiowski, Piotr Stepnowski, Nina Antoskrzeminska, Wieslawa JarmuszkiewiczAbstract:Abstract We investigated the influence of adipokinetic hormone (AKH), an insect neurohormone, on uncoupling protein 4 (ZaUCP4) expression and activity in larval and pupal fat body mitochondria of the beetle Zophobas atratus in relation to intermediary metabolism. Homologous Tenmo-AKH was administered to the beetle larvae and pupae as either a single dose or as two doses of 20 pmol during a 24 h interval. In the larval and pupal fat bodies, downregulation of ZaUCP4 expression at the mRNA and protein levels was observed 24 h and 48 h after AKH treatment, respectively. In both developmental stages, ZaUCP4 activity was lowered in fat body mitochondria 48 h after AKH treatment. In the AKH-injected larvae, changes in ZaUCP4 expression were accompanied by the mobilization of carbohydrate reserves, no change in the concentration of total lipids and an increase in the free fatty acid level. In contrast, AKH had no effect on carbohydrate metabolism in the pupal fat body but induced lipid mobilization. It seems that AKH influences ZaUCP4 expression by triggering multiple events and that it has different physiological roles in controlling intermediary metabolism in the fat body of the beetle larvae and pupae.
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Molecular identification and functional characterisation of uncoupling protein 4 in larva and pupa fat body mitochondria from the beetle Zophobas atratus
Comparative biochemistry and physiology. Part B Biochemistry & molecular biology, 2012Co-Authors: Malgorzata Slocinska, Grzegorz Rosinski, Nina Antos-krzeminska, Wieslawa JarmuszkiewiczAbstract:article i nfo Uncoupling protein 4 (UCP4) is a member of the UCP subfamily that mediates mitochondrial uncoupling, and sequence alignment predicts the existence of UCP4 in several insects. The present study demonstrates the first molecular identification of a partial Zophobas atratus UCP4-coding sequence and the functional characterisation of ZaUCP4 in the mitochondria of larval and pupal fat bodies of the beetle. ZaUCP4 shows a high similarity to predicted insect UCP4 isoforms and known mammalian UCP4s, both at the nucleotide and amino acid sequence levels. Bioenergetic studies clearly demonstrate UCP function in mitochondria from larval and pupal fat bodies. In non-phosphorylating mitochondria, ZaUCP activity was stimulated by palmitic acid and inhibited by the purine nucleotide GTP. In phosphorylating mitochondria, ZaUCP4 activity decreased the yield of oxidative phosphorylation. ZaUCP4 was immunodetected with antibodies raised against human UCP4 as a single 36-kDa band. A lower expression of ZaUCP4 at the level of mRNA and protein and a decreased ZaUCP4 activity were observed in the Z. atratus pupal fat body compared with the larval fat body. The different expression patterns and activity of ZaUCP4 during the larval-pupal transformation indicates an important physiological role for UCP4 in insect fat body development and function during insect metamorphosis.
Toshio Ichikawa - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Structure and function of the elastic organ in the tibia of a tenebrionid beetle
The Science of Nature, 2016Co-Authors: Toshio Ichikawa, Yoshihiro Toh, Hirofumi SakamotoAbstract:Many insects have a pair of claws on the tip of each foot (tarsus and pretarsus). The movement of the pretarsal claws is mediated by a long apodeme that originates from the claw retractor muscles in the femur. It is generally accepted that the pulling of the apodeme by the muscles flexes the claws to engage with a rough surface of a substrate, and the flexed claws return to their initial position by passive elastic forces within the tarso-pretarsal joint. We found that each tibia of the tenebrionid beetle Zophobas atratus had a chordal elastic organ that tied the apodeme to the distal end of the tibia and assisted the pulled apodeme to return smoothly. The elastic body of the elastic organ consists of a bundle of more than 1000 thin fibrils (0.3–1.5 μm in diameter) with a hairy yarn-shaped structure made by assemblies of intricately interwoven microfibers. Both ends of the fibrillar elastic body were supported by clusters of columnar cells. Ablation of the elastic organ often disturbed the rapid and smooth return of claws from a flexed position when the tarsal segments were forced to curve in order to increase the friction between the apodeme and surrounding tissues in the segments. The result suggests that rapid claw disengagement is an important step in each cycle of leg movements, and the elastic organ may have evolved to assist the reliable detachment of claws that engage tightly with the substrate when climbing or traversing inverted surfaces.
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Microscopic analysis of mechanosensory system monitoring the dynamic claw actions in the tenebrionid beetle Zophobas atratus
Zoomorphology, 2014Co-Authors: Toshio Ichikawa, Kazuhiko Ohkubo, Hiroshi NishinoAbstract:Many insects have a pair of claws on each leg. The distribution of mechanoreceptors that monitor claw actions was examined in the tenebrionid beetle Zophobas atratus. Each claw has 25–45 campaniform sensilla (CS) that detect the claw’s deformation due to substrate engagement. Five CS clusters are observed around the end of the 5th tarsomere (Ta5) in a concave, socket-like structure. The 1st cluster, containing 2–5 CS, is embedded in the unguifer to which the claws are articulated. The symmetrical 2nd and 3rd clusters, each containing two CS, are located bilaterally in the ventrolateral grooves of the sidewall of the socket, into which the unguis retractor plate slides. The 4th and 5th clusters, containing 1–2 CS with two hair sensilla, are localized near the ventrolateral ridges of the socket into which the basal portion of the claw is pressed during maximal claw flexion. In addition, Ta5 has a chordotonal organ of six sensory cells to monitor claw extension. These results suggest that the mechanoreceptor system may directly monitor the precise mechanical states of individual claws and provide the central nervous system with the sensory information required for fine feedback control of movements of the pretarsus and other leg segments for locomotion and other purposes.
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A third type of defensive behavior in the tenebrionid beetle Zophobas atratus pupae.
Journal of insect science (Online), 2013Co-Authors: Toshio Ichikawa, Hirofumi SakamotoAbstract:Pupae of the tenebrionid beetle Zophobas atratus Fabricius (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) exhibit two types of reflex abdominal motions in response to tactile stimulation: circular rotation and lateral bending to close pinching devices (gin-traps). In the present study, the pupa exhibited novel, sequential abdominal movements at 0.3–2.2 sec after the onset of mechanical stimulation. The most effective stimulation was gentle, double brushing on the ventral surface of an abdominal segment (sternite). The sequential abdominal movements consisted of the following three types of discrete elementary motions (100–350 ms in duration): rapid vibration of 30–40 Hz, circular rotation (or swing), and small wiggling movements. A sequence of abdominal movements generally started with a few bouts of vibration, but the number and order of subsequent motions varied considerably among different sessions and conditions. A restrained pupa often showed a prolonged sequence of many motions, including several rotations, whereas an unrestrained pupa often shortened the sequence by skipping a few rotations after the displacement of its whole body induced by the first abdominal rotation. Stimulation of two types of mechanosensitive sensilla, the hair sensilla (touch sensors) and campaniform sensilla (strain sensors), seemed to be necessary to initiate the defensive response. In natural environments, crawling of a small predator (or parasitoid) on the surface of the abdomen or repeated attacks of a large predator may induce this defensive response in the pupae.
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Defensive gin-trap closure response of tenebrionid beetle, Zophobas atratus, pupae.
Journal of insect science (Online), 2012Co-Authors: Toshio Ichikawa, Toshiaki Kurauchi, Yoshifumi YamawakiAbstract:Pupae of the beetle Zophobas atratus Fab. (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) have jaws called gin traps on the lateral margin of their jointed abdominal segments. When a weak tactile stimulation was applied to the intersegmental region between the two jaws of a gin trap in a resting pupa, the pupa rapidly closed and reopened single or multiple gin traps adjacent to the stimulated trap for 100200 ms. In response to a strong stimulation, a small or large rotation of the abdominal segments occurred after the rapid closure of the traps. Analyses of trajectory patterns of the last abdominal segment during the rotations revealed that the rotational responses were graded and highly variable with respect to the amplitudes of their horizontal and vertical components. The high variability of these rotational responses is in contrast with the low variability (or constancy) of abdominal rotations induced by the tactile stimulation of cephalic and thoracic appendages. Since the closed state of the gin traps lasts only for a fraction of a second, the response may mainly function to deliver a “painful” stimulus to an attacker rather than to cause serious damage.
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Defensive Abdominal Rotation Patterns of Tenebrionid Beetle, Zophobas atratus, Pupae
Journal of insect science (Online), 2012Co-Authors: Toshio Ichikawa, Tatsuya Nakamura, Yoshifumi YamawakiAbstract:Exarate pupae of the beetle Zophobas atratus Fab. (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) have free appendages (antenna, palp, leg, and elytron) that are highly sensitive to mechanical stimulation. A weak tactile stimulus applied to any appendage initiated a rapid rotation of abdominal segments. High-speed photography revealed that one cycle of defensive abdominal rotation was induced in an all-or-none fashion by bending single or multiple mechanosensory hairs on a leg or prodding the cuticular surface of appendages containing campaniform sensilla. The direction of the abdominal rotation completely depended on the side of stimulation; stimulation of a right appendage induced a right-handed rotation about the anterior-posterior axis of the pupal body and vice versa. The trajectories of the abdominal rotations had an ellipsoidal or pear-shaped pattern. Among the trajectory patterns of the rotations induced by stimulating different appendages, there were occasional significant differences in the horizontal (right-left) component of abdominal rotational movements. Simultaneous stimulation of right and left appendages often induced variable and complex patterns of abdominal movements, suggesting an interaction between sensory signals from different sides. When an abdominal rotation was induced in a freely lying pupa, the rotation usually made the pupa move away from or turn its dorsum toward the source of stimulation with the aid of the caudal processes (urogomphi), which served as a fulcrum for transmitting the power of the abdominal rotation to the movement or turning of the whole body. Pattern generation mechanisms for the abdominal rotation were discussed.
