Hormonal control and target genes of ftz-f1 expression in the honeybee Apis mellifera: a positive loop linking juvenile hormone, ftz-f1, and vitellogenin

Author(s)

Mello, T. R. P. ^[1] ; Aleixo, A. C. ^[1] ; Pinheiro, D. G. ^[2] ; Nunes, F. M. F. ^[3] ; Cristino, A. S. ^[4] ; Bitondi, M. M. G. ^[5] ; Barchuk, A. R. ^[6] ; Simoes, Z. L. P. ^[5]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Fac Med Ribeirao Preto, Dept Genet, Ribeirao Preto, SP - Brazil

^[2] Univ Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Fac Ciencias Agr & Vet, Jaboticabal, SP - Brazil

^[3] Univ Fed Sao Carlos, Ctr Ciencias Biol & Saude, Dept Genet & Evolucao, Sao Carlos, SP - Brazil

^[4] Univ Queensland, Translat Res Inst, Diamantina Inst, Brisbane, Qld - Australia

^[5] Univ Sao Paulo, Fac Filosofia Ciencias & Letras Ribeirao Preto, Dept Biol, Ribeirao Preto, SP - Brazil

^[6] Univ Fed Alfenas, UNIFAL MG, Inst Ciencias Biomed, Dept Biol Celular & Desenvolvimento, Alfenas, MG - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Insect Molecular Biology; v. 28, n. 1, p. 145-159, FEB 2019.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

Ftz-f1 is an orphan member of the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily. A 20-hydroxyecdysone pulse allows ftz-f1 gene expression, which then regulates the activity of downstream genes involved in major developmental progression events. In honeybees, the expression of genes like vitellogenin (vg), prophenoloxidase and juvenile hormone-esterase during late pharate-adult development is known to be hormonally controlled in both queens and workers by increasing juvenile hormone (JH) titres in the presence of declining levels of ecdysteroids. Since Ftz-f1 is known for mediating intracellular JH signalling, we hypothesized that ftz-f1 could mediate JH action during the pharate-adult development of honeybees, thus controlling the expression of these genes. Here, we show that ftz-f1 has caste-specific transcription profiles during this developmental period, with a peak coinciding with the increase in JH titre, and that its expression is upregulated by JH and downregulated by ecdysteroids. RNAi-mediated knock down of ftz-f1 showed that the expression of genes essential for adult development (e.g. vg and cuticular genes) depends on ftz-f1 expression. Finally, a double-repressor hypothesis-inspired vg gene knock-down experiment suggests the existence of a positive molecular loop between JH, ftz-f1 and vg. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 05/03926-5 - Functional genomics of Apis mellifera: search for new genes and functional networks in the context of development, different castes and reproduction
• Grantee: Zilá Luz Paulino Simões
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants
• FAPESP's process: 08/10757-3 - The transcription factor FTZ-f1 and the control os vitellogenin expression in Apis mellifera
• Grantee: Tathyana Rachel Palo Mello
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• FAPESP's process: 11/03171-5 - Causal analysis of Apis mellifera development: regulatory genes and hierachical networks of gene expression in the specification of tissue and organs
• Grantee: Zilá Luz Paulino Simões
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants