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The legacy of larval infection on immunological dynamics over metamorphosis.

ABSTRACT: Insect metamorphosis promotes the exploration of different ecological niches, as well as exposure to different parasites, across life stages. Adaptation should favour immune responses that are tailored to specific microbial threats, with the potential for metamorphosis to decouple the underlying genetic or physiological basis of immune responses in each stage. However, we do not have a good understanding of how early-life exposure to parasites influences immune responses in subsequent life stages. Is there a developmental legacy of larval infection in holometabolous insect hosts? To address this question, we exposed flour beetle (Tribolium castaneum) larvae to a protozoan parasite that inhabits the midgut of larvae and adults despite clearance during metamorphosis. We quantified the expression of relevant immune genes in the gut and whole body of exposed and unexposed individuals during the larval, pupal and adult stages. Our results suggest that parasite exposure induces the differential expression of several immune genes in the larval stage that persist into subsequent stages. We also demonstrate that immune gene expression covariance is partially decoupled among tissues and life stages. These results suggest that larval infection can leave a lasting imprint on immune phenotypes, with implications for the evolution of metamorphosis and immune systems. This article is part of the theme issue 'The evolution of complete metamorphosis'.

SUBMITTER: Critchlow JT

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6711287 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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The legacy of larval infection on immunological dynamics over metamorphosis.

Critchlow Justin T JT Norris Adriana A Tate Ann T AT

Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences 20190826 1783

Insect metamorphosis promotes the exploration of different ecological niches, as well as exposure to different parasites, across life stages. Adaptation should favour immune responses that are tailored to specific microbial threats, with the potential for metamorphosis to decouple the underlying genetic or physiological basis of immune responses in each stage. However, we do not have a good understanding of how early-life exposure to parasites influences immune responses in subsequent life stage ...[more]

PMID: 31438817

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Project description:BackgroundMetamorphosis takes place within the life cycle of most marine invertebrates. The marine ascidian is a classical model to study complex cellular processes and underlying molecular mechanisms involved in its larval metamorphosis. The detailed molecular signaling pathways remain elusive, though extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) have been revealed to regulate cell migration, differentiation, and apoptosis in ascidian larval organ regression and juvenile organ development. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that modulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. Large numbers of miRNAs have been demonstrated to be involved in many developmental and metamorphic processes. However, the identification of miRNAs in ascidian larval metamorphosis has not yet been investigated.ResultsTotally, 106 known and 59 novel miRNAs were screened out through RNA-sequencing of three small RNA libraries from 18 to 21-h post-fertilization (hpf) tailbud embryos as well as from 42 hpf larvae (after tail regression) in Ciona savignyi. Expression profiling of miRNAs was confirmed by quantitative real-time PCR, showing that the expression levels of csa-miR-4040, csa-miR-4086, csa-miR-4055, csa-miR-4060, csa-miR-216a, csa-miR-216b, csa-miR-217, csa-miR-183, and csa-miR-92c were significantly higher in 42 hpf larvae, whereas those of csa-miR-4018a, csa-miR-4018b, and csa-miR-4000f were higher in 18 and 21 hpf embryos; then, their expression in 42 hpf larvae became significantly low. For these 12 miRNAs, whose expression levels significantly changed, we predicted their target genes through the combination of miRanda and TargetScan. This prediction analysis revealed 332 miRNA-target gene pairs that were associated with the ERK, JNK, and transforming growth factor beta signaling pathways, suggesting that the identified miRNAs are involved in the regulation of C. savignyi larval metamorphosis via controlling the expression of their target genes. Furthermore, we validated the expression of five selected miRNAs by northern blotting. Among the selected miRNAs, the expression patterns of csa-miR-4018a, csa-miR-4018b, and csa-miR-4000f were further examined by whole-mount in situ hybridization. The results showed that all three miRNAs were specifically expressed in a cell population resembling mesenchymal cells at the head and trunk part in swimming larvae but not in metamorphic larvae. Utilizing the luciferase assay, we also confirmed that miR-4000f targeted Mapk1, suggesting that the csa-miR-4018a/csa-miR-4018b/csa-miR-4000f cluster regulates larval metamorphosis through the Mapk1-mediated signaling pathway.ConclusionsTotally, 165 miRNAs, including 59 novel ones, were identified from the embryos and larvae of C. savignyi. Twelve of them showed significant changes in expression before and during metamorphosis. In situ hybridization and northern blotting results revealed that three miRNAs are potentially involved in the signaling regulatory network for the migration and differentiation of mesenchymal cells in larval metamorphosis. Furthermore, the luciferase reporter assay revealed that Mapk1 is a target of csa-miR-4000f. Our results not only present a list and profile of miRNAs involved in Ciona metamorphosis but also provide informative cues to further understand their function in ascidian larval metamorphosis.

Project description:BackgroundThe metamorphosis of the spionid polychaete Pseudopolydora vexillosa includes spontaneous settlement onto soft-bottom habitats and morphogenesis that can be completed in a very short time. A previous study on the total changes to the proteome during the various developmental stages of P. vexillosa suggested that little or no de novo protein synthesis occurs during metamorphosis. In this study, we used multicolor fluorescence detection of proteins in 2-D gels for differential analysis of proteins and phosphoproteins to reveal the dynamics of post-translational modification proteins in this species. A combination of affinity chromatography, 2D-PAGE, and mass spectrometry was used to identify the phosphoproteins in pre-competent larvae, competent larvae, and newly metamorphosed juveniles.ResultsWe reproducibly detected 210, 492, and 172 phosphoproteins in pre-competent larvae, competent larvae, and newly metamorphosed juveniles, respectively. The highest percentage of phosphorylation was observed during the competent larval stage. About 64 stage-specific phosphoprotein spots were detected in the competent stage, and 32 phosphoproteins were found to be significantly differentially expressed in the three stages. We identified 38 phosphoproteins, 10 of which were differentially expressed during metamorphosis. These phosphoproteins belonged to six categories of biological processes: (1) development, (2) cell differentiation and integrity, (3) transcription and translation, (4) metabolism, (5) protein-protein interaction and proteolysis, and (6) receptors and enzymes.ConclusionThis is the first study to report changes in phosphoprotein expression patterns during the metamorphosis of the marine polychaete P. vexillosa. The higher degree of phosphorylation during the process of attaining competence to settle and metamorphose may be due to fast morphological transitions regulated by various mechanisms. Our data are consistent with previous studies showing a high percentage of phosphorylation during competency in the barnacle Balanus amphitrite and the bryozoan Bugula neritina. The identified phosphoproteins may play an important role during metamorphosis, and further studies on the location and functions of important proteins during metamorphosis are warranted.

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The legacy of larval infection on immunological dynamics over metamorphosis.

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The legacy of larval infection on immunological dynamics over metamorphosis.

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