A role for Taiman in insect metamorphosis

PLoS Genet. 2014 Oct 30;10(10):e1004769. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1004769. eCollection 2014 Oct.

Abstract

Recent studies in vitro have reported that the Methoprene-tolerant (Met) and Taiman (Tai) complex is the functional receptor of juvenile hormone (JH). Experiments in vivo of Met depletion have confirmed this factor's role in JH signal transduction, however, there is no equivalent data regarding Tai because its depletion in larval or nymphal stages of the beetle Tribolium castaneum and the bug Pyrrhocoris apterus results in 100% mortality. We have discovered that the cockroach Blattella germanica possesses four Tai isoforms resulting from the combination of two indels in the C-terminal region of the sequence. The presence of one equivalent indel-1 in Tai sequences in T. castaneum and other species suggests that Tai isoforms may be common in insects. Concomitant depletion of all four Tai isoforms in B. germanica resulted in 100% mortality, but when only the insertion 1 (IN-1) isoforms were depleted, mortality was significantly reduced and about half of the specimens experienced precocious adult development. This shows that Tai isoforms containing IN-1 are involved in transducing the JH signal that represses metamorphosis. Reporter assays indicated that both T. castaneum Tai isoforms, one that contains the IN-1 and another that does not (DEL-1) activated a JH response element (kJHRE) in Krüppel homolog 1 in conjunction with Met and JH. The results indicate that Tai is involved in the molecular mechanisms that repress metamorphosis, at least in B. germanica, and highlight the importance of distinguishing Tai isoforms when studying the functions of this transcription factor in development and other processes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors / genetics
  • Blattellidae / genetics*
  • Blattellidae / growth & development
  • Cell Line
  • Drosophila / cytology
  • Drosophila Proteins / biosynthesis
  • Drosophila Proteins / genetics
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
  • Juvenile Hormones / genetics*
  • Juvenile Hormones / metabolism
  • Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors / biosynthesis
  • Larva / genetics
  • Larva / growth & development
  • Metamorphosis, Biological / genetics*
  • Protein Isoforms / genetics
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics
  • Transcription Factors / genetics*
  • Tribolium / genetics

Substances

  • Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors
  • Drosophila Proteins
  • Juvenile Hormones
  • Kr-h1 protein, Drosophila
  • Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors
  • MET protein, Drosophila
  • Protein Isoforms
  • RNA, Messenger
  • TAI protein, Drosophila
  • Transcription Factors

Grants and funding

Financial support for this research was provided by the Spanish MICINN (grant CGL2008-03517/BOS to XB and predoctoral fellowship to JL), Spanish MINECO (grant CGL2012-36251 to XB), from the Catalan Government (2009 SGR 1498), by the Japanese JSPS KAKENHI Grant Numbers, 2585023 to TK and 25252059 to TS, and the NIAS Strategic Research Fund. The research has also benefited from FEDER funds associated to Spanish grants. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.