Activation of protein arginine methyltransferase 1 and subsequent extension of moth lifespan is effected by the ROS/JNK/CREB signaling axis.

Previous studies have demonstrated that high physiological levels of reactive oxygen species induce pupal diapause and extend lifespan in the moth Helicoverpa armigera. This has been shown to occur via protein arginine methyltransferase 1 (PRMT1) blockade of Akt-mediated phosphorylation of the transcription factor FoxO, after which activated FoxO promotes the initiation of diapause. However, it is unclear how PRMT1 is activated upstream of FoxO activity. Here, we show that high reactive oxygen species levels in the brains of H. armigera diapause-destined pupae activate the expression of c-Jun N-terminal kinase, which subsequently activates the transcription factor cAMP-response element binding protein. We show that cAMP-response element binding protein then directly binds to the PRMT1 promoter and upregulates its expression to prevent Akt-mediated FoxO phosphorylation and downstream FoxO nuclear localization. This novel finding that c-Jun N-terminal kinase promotes FoxO nuclear localization in a PRMT1-dependent manner to regulate pupal diapause reveals a complex regulatory mechanism in extending the healthspan of H. armigera.