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Insects
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Insect Neuropeptides and Their Receptors: Molecular and Physiological Advances
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Insect Neuropeptides and Their Receptors: Molecular and Physiological Advances

A special issue of Insects (ISSN 2075-4450). This special issue belongs to the section "Insect Molecular Biology and Genomics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2021) | Viewed by 9449

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Jean-Paul Paluzzi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biology, York University, Lumbers Building, Room 221, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3, Canada
Interests: neuropeptides and other (neuro)hormones; G protein-coupled receptors; excretory system; gut epithelial function; Malpighian tubules
Prof. Dr. Andrew B. Nuss

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agriculture, Veterinary, and Rangeland Sciences, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557, USA
Interests: insect physiology; neuropeptides; insect olfaction; vector biology

Special Issue Information

Dear colleagues,

Like most animals, insects and other terrestrial arthropods contain a wide variety of neuropeptides and other chemical messenger molecules which hold key roles in regulating most physiological and behavioral processes. These signaling molecules elicit their actions on cellular targets by activating receptors expressed in target tissues/organs. Neuropeptides may act as neurohormones, neuromodulators or even as neurotransmitters, with multiple modes of activity being possible for any given factor. This Special Issue focuses on neuropeptides and other neurochemicals along with their receptors that are of importance for regulating the biology of insects and other terrestrial arthropods (i.e., ticks, spiders). Submissions may include investigations at all levels of organization spanning from the molecular to the whole organism level. We are particularly interested in receiving comprehensive research studies using nontraditional models that will advance the comparative element in the field by providing important novel data on understudied models or research areas.

Prof. Jean-Paul Paluzzi
Prof. Andrew B. Nuss
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Insects is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Neuropeptides
  • biogenic amines
  • neuropeptidome
  • G protein-coupled receptors
  • tyrosine kinase receptor
  • steroid hormones
  • oogenesis
  • spermatogenesis
  • reproduction
  • alimentary canal

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 2488 KiB  
Article
The Peptide Hormone CNMa Influences Egg Production in the Mosquito Aedes aegypti
by Nia I. Keyes-Scott, Aryan Lajevardi, Kyle R. Swade, Mark R. Brown, Jean-Paul Paluzzi and Kevin J. Vogel
Insects 2022, 13(3), 230; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects13030230 - 25 Feb 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2215
Abstract
Mosquito reproduction is regulated by a suite of hormones, many acting through membrane-bound receptor proteins. The Aedes aegypti G protein-coupled receptors AAEL024199 (AeCNMaR-1a) and AAEL018316 (AeCNMaR-1b) were identified as orthologs of the Drosophila melanogaster CNMa receptor (DmCNMaR). The receptor was duplicated early in [...] Read more.
Mosquito reproduction is regulated by a suite of hormones, many acting through membrane-bound receptor proteins. The Aedes aegypti G protein-coupled receptors AAEL024199 (AeCNMaR-1a) and AAEL018316 (AeCNMaR-1b) were identified as orthologs of the Drosophila melanogaster CNMa receptor (DmCNMaR). The receptor was duplicated early in the evolution of insects, and subsequently in Culicidae, into what we refer to as CNMaR-1a and CNMaR-1b. AeCNMaR-1a is only detected in male mosquito antennae while AeCNMaR-1b is expressed at high levels in mosquito ovaries. Using a heterologous cell assay, we determined that AeCNMa activates AeCNMaR-1a with a ~10-fold lower concentration than it does AeCNMaR-1b, though both receptors displayed half maximal effective concentrations of AeCNMa in the low nanomolar range. Finally, we show that injections of AeCNMa into blood-fed mated female Ae. aegypti resulted in fewer eggs laid. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insect Neuropeptides and Their Receptors: Molecular and Physiological Advances)
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16 pages, 4195 KiB  
Article
Identification of the Short Neuropeptide F and Short Neuropeptide F Receptor Genes and Their Roles of Food Intake in Dendroctonus armandi
by Bin Liu, Danyang Fu, Hang Ning, Ming Tang and Hui Chen
Insects 2021, 12(9), 844; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects12090844 - 19 Sep 2021
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2075
Abstract
The short neuropeptide F (sNPF) is an essential signaling molecule that is evolutionarily conserved and involved in a broad range of physiological functions in the invertebrates, by interacting with sNPF receptors, which belong to G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR). However, the function of sNPF [...] Read more.
The short neuropeptide F (sNPF) is an essential signaling molecule that is evolutionarily conserved and involved in a broad range of physiological functions in the invertebrates, by interacting with sNPF receptors, which belong to G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR). However, the function of sNPF in regulating the food intake of Dendroctonus armandi has been unclear. In this study, we cloned and characterized cDNAs encoding sNPF and sNPF receptor in the D. armandi and made bioinformatics predictions on the deduced amino acid sequences. They had a high degree of similarity to that of Dendroctonus ponderosa. Quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) revealed that the transcript levels of both sNPF and sNPFR varied across developmental stages and body parts. In addition, the sNPF and sNPFR expression levels were upregulated in starved beetles, and the expression levels recovered after re-feeding. Furthermore, RNAi knockdown by the injection of sNPF and sNPFR dsRNA into beetles significantly increased mortality and reduced their food intake and body weight, and also caused decrease of glycogen and free fatty acid and increase of trehalose. These results indicate that sNPF signaling pathway plays an important role in the regulation of food intake and provides a potential molecular target for the eco-friendly control strategies of this pest. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insect Neuropeptides and Their Receptors: Molecular and Physiological Advances)
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15 pages, 3616 KiB  
Article
Genome-Wide Identification of Neuropeptides and Their Receptors in an Aphid Endoparasitoid Wasp, Aphidius gifuensi
by Xue Kong, Zhen-Xiang Li, Yu-Qing Gao, Fang-Hua Liu, Zhen-Zhen Chen, Hong-Gang Tian, Tong-Xian Liu, Yong-Yu Xu and Zhi-Wei Kang
Insects 2021, 12(8), 745; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects12080745 - 18 Aug 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2498
Abstract
In insects, neuropeptides and their receptors not only play a critical role in insect physiology and behavior but also are the potential targets for novel pesticide discoveries. Aphidius gifuensis is one of the most important and widespread aphid parasitoids, and has been successfully [...] Read more.
In insects, neuropeptides and their receptors not only play a critical role in insect physiology and behavior but also are the potential targets for novel pesticide discoveries. Aphidius gifuensis is one of the most important and widespread aphid parasitoids, and has been successfully used to control aphid. In the present work, we systematically identified neuropeptides and their receptors from the genome and head transcriptome of A. gifuensis. A total of 35 neuropeptide precursors and 49 corresponding receptors were identified. The phylogenetic analyses demonstrated that 35 of these receptors belong to family-A, four belong to family-B, two belong to leucine-rich repeat-containing GPCRs, four belong to receptor guanylyl cyclases, and four belong to receptor tyrosine kinases. Oral ingestion of imidacloprid significantly up-regulated five neuropeptide precursors and four receptors whereas three neuropeptide precursors and eight receptors were significantly down-regulated, which indicated that these neuropeptides and their receptors are potential targets of some commercial insecticides. The RT-qPCR results showed that dopamine receptor 1, dopamine receptor 2, octopamine receptor, allatostatin-A receptor, neuropeptides capa receptor, SIFamide receptor, FMRFamide receptor, tyramine receptor and short neuropeptide F predominantly were expressed in the head whilst the expression of ion transport peptide showed widespread distribution in various tissues. The high expression levels of these genes suggest their important roles in the central nervous system. Taken together, our study provides fundamental information that may further our understanding of neuropeptidergic signaling systems in the regulation of the physiology and behavior of solitary wasps. Furthermore, this information could also aid in the design and discovery of specific and environment-friendly insecticides. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insect Neuropeptides and Their Receptors: Molecular and Physiological Advances)
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12 pages, 3496 KiB  
Article
Expression Patterns of Three Important Hormone Genes and Respiratory Metabolism in Antheraea pernyi during Pupal Diapause under a Long Photoperiod
by Qi Wang, Yu-Tong Luo, Yong Wang, De-Yi Wang, Xiao-Xia Duan, Yao-Ting Zhang, Yu-Meng Bian, Wei Liu and Li Qin
Insects 2021, 12(8), 699; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects12080699 - 04 Aug 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1830
Abstract
The Chinese oak silkworm is commonly used in pupal diapause research. In this study, a long photoperiod was used to trigger pupal diapause termination. Genes encoding three hormones, namely prothoracicotropic hormone (PTTH), ecdysis triggering hormone (ETH), and eclosion hormone (EH), were studied. Additionally, [...] Read more.
The Chinese oak silkworm is commonly used in pupal diapause research. In this study, a long photoperiod was used to trigger pupal diapause termination. Genes encoding three hormones, namely prothoracicotropic hormone (PTTH), ecdysis triggering hormone (ETH), and eclosion hormone (EH), were studied. Additionally, ecdysteroids (mainly 20-hydroxyecdysone, 20E) were quantified by HPLC. Pupal diapause stage was determined by measuring respiratory intensity. The pupae enter a low metabolic rate, which starts approximately 1 month after pupal emergence. ApPTTH expression showed a small increase at 14 days and then a larger increase from 35 days under the long photoperiod treatment. A similar pattern was observed for the titer of 20E in the hemolymph. However, ApETH expression later increased under the long photoperiod treatment (42 days) just before eclosion. Moreover, ApEH expression increased from 21 to 35 days, and then decreased before ecdysis. These results suggest that hormone-related gene expression is closely related to pupal development. Our study lays a foundation for future diapause studies in A. pernyi. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insect Neuropeptides and Their Receptors: Molecular and Physiological Advances)
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