The TRH-ortholog EFLamide in the migratory locust

Jan A. Veenstra, Ladislav Šimo
Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. 2020-01-01; 116: 103281
DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2019.103281

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Veenstra JA(1), Šimo L(2).

Author information:
(1)INCIA UMR 5287 CNRS, University of Bordeaux, Pessac, France. Electronic
address: .
(2)UMR BIPAR INRA, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d’Alfort, ANSES, Université
Paris-Est, Maisons-Alfort, France.

Arthropod EFLamide genes in chelicerates, myriapods, decapods and non pterygote
hexapods encode various EFLamide paracopies on a single precursor. However, in
more advanced insect species such multiple EFLamide paracopies encoding genes are
absent. In some Hemiptera putative exons of an EFLamide gene coding for a single
EFLamide have been identified, while in the migratory locust a similar exon could
potentially code for two EFLamide peptides. The recent identification of an
EFLGamide from Platynereis dumerilii as the ligand for an ortholog of the TRH
GPCR, suggested that the arthropod EFLamides might similarly activate TRH GPCR
orthologs. We here identify the TRH GPCR ortholog from Locusta migratoria and
show that it is activated in nanomolar concentrations by the two EFLamides
previously predicted from this species. We also show that in the central nervous
system there seems to be only a single bilateral neuron in the protocerebrum
expressing this peptide. Given this very limited expression of EFLamide in
locusts, it is perhaps not surprising that this gene and its receptor have been
lost in many other insect species. This shows again that although neuropeptides
and their receptors may persist in different evoltionary lineages, their
functions can change dramatically.

Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

 

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