Molecular Developmental Physiology and Signal Transduction, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59 Box 2465, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium.
Center for Medical Genetics Ghent, UZ Ghent, Corneel Heymanslaan 10 Entrance 34, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium.
Int J Mol Sci. 2022 Aug 17;23(16):9232. doi: 10.3390/ijms23169232.
Ecdysteroids are widely investigated for their role during the molting cascade in insects; however, they are also involved in the development of the female reproductive system. Ecdysteroids are synthesized from cholesterol, which is further converted via a series of enzymatic steps into the main molting hormone, 20-hydoxyecdysone. Most of these biosynthetic conversion steps involve the activity of cytochrome P450 (CYP) hydroxylases, which are encoded by the genes. Three of these genes, (), () and (), were previously characterized in the desert locust, . Based on recent sequencing data, we have now identified the sequences of () and (), for which we also analyzed spatiotemporal expression profiles using qRT-PCR. Furthermore, we investigated the possible role(s) of five different genes in the oogenesis process by means of RNA interference mediated knockdown experiments. Our results showed that depleting the expression of , and had a significant impact on oocyte development, oviposition and hatching of the eggs. Moreover, the shape of the growing oocytes, as well as the deposited eggs, was very drastically altered by the experimental treatments. Consequently, it can be proposed that these three enzymes play an important role in oogenesis.
蜕皮甾类化合物因其在昆虫蜕皮级联过程中的作用而被广泛研究；然而，它们也参与雌性生殖系统的发育。蜕皮甾类化合物由胆固醇合成，胆固醇通过一系列酶促步骤进一步转化为主要蜕皮激素 20-羟蜕皮甾酮。这些生物合成转化步骤中的大多数都涉及细胞色素 P450 (CYP) 羟化酶的活性，这些酶由 基因编码。其中三个基因， （）、 （）和 （），先前在沙漠蝗中被表征。基于最近的测序数据，我们现在已经鉴定出 （）和 （）的序列，并用 qRT-PCR 分析了它们的时空表达谱。此外，我们通过 RNA 干扰介导的敲低实验研究了五个不同的 基因在卵发生过程中的可能作用。我们的结果表明，耗尽 、 和 的表达对卵母细胞发育、产卵和卵的孵化有显著影响。此外，生长中的卵母细胞的形状以及所沉积的卵被实验处理极大地改变了。因此，可以提出这三种酶在卵发生中起着重要作用。
