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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Corvallis, Oregon » Horticultural Crops Disease and Pest Management Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #414079
Research Project: Sustainable Management of Arthropod Pests in Horticultural Crops

Location: Horticultural Crops Disease and Pest Management Research Unit

Title: Corticotropin-releasing factor-like diuretic hormone 44 and five corresponding GPCRs in Drosophila suzukii: Structural and functional characterization

Author
item YOON, HOJUNG - Oregon State University
item PRICE, BRIANA - Washington State University
item Parks, Ryssa
item JANG, HYO SANG - Oregon State University
item HAFEEZ, MUHAMMAD - Oregon State University
item Corcoran, Jacob
item AHN, SEUNG-JOON - Mississippi State University
item Choi, Man

Submitted to: Journal of Insect Physiology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/4/2024
Publication Date: 12/6/2024
Citation: Yoon, H., Price, B., Parks, R.K., Jang, H., Hafeez, M., Corcoran, J., Ahn, S., Choi, M.Y. 2024. Corticotropin-releasing factor-like diuretic hormone 44 and five corresponding GPCRs in Drosophila suzukii: Structural and functional characterization. Journal of Insect Physiology. 161:104740. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jinsphys.2024.104740.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jinsphys.2024.104740

Interpretive Summary: Spotted-wing drosophila (SWD) is an invasive vinegar fly that is a major threat to the small fruits and cherry industries worldwide and alternative control measures are needed. Urine production (Diuresis) is one of the most important physiological processes of water regulation in insects for environmental adaptation and survival. It could serve as a target to develop management options for SWD in fields. In this study, a diuretic hormone and five corresponding receptors were identified in the SWD. Our results provide a fundamental insight for the water regulation in SWD to facilitate the identification of potential biological targets for SWD control.

Technical Abstract: Diuretic hormones (DHs) activate the G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), mediating the water and ion homeostasis in arthropods. There are two different diuretic hormones (DHs) known to be expressed in insects; calcitonin (CT)-like DH31 and corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF)-like DH44. In this study, we identified and characterized the Drosophila suzukii DH44 and five DH44 GPCR variants, DH44-R1, DH44-R2a/b/c/d. Drosophila suzukii (spotted wing drosophila) is an invasive species which causes detrimental damages to soft-skinned fruits by their serrated ovipositor. Among the five putative DH44 receptors, DH44-R1 is the largest GPCR consisting of 504 amino acids and the most strongly responded to DH44, and the other DH44-R2 variants are relatively short and over 90% similar to each other. Intertersingly, DH44-R1 is dominant in the brain, but DH44-R2 variants are dominant in the digestive tissues, particularly the Malpighian tubules (MTs) by their gene expressions. The results suggest that DH44 may have multiple physiological functions in the fly, including diuresis. DH44 stimulated the fluid secretion in D. suzukii adults, and the rate of the excretion increased in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, when flies were injected with a mixture of DH31 and DH44, it showed a high mortality rate. Here, we demonstrate the gene structures of DH44 and the five corresponding receptors, signal pathway of different DH44-Rs with the second messenger cAMP, associated with flies’ diuresis mechanism. These investigations provide molecular insights into the physiological roles of the DH system and may assist in the discovery of potential targets for D. suzukii management in the field.