The insect neuropeptide PTTH activates receptor tyrosine kinase torso to initiate metamorphosis.
Holometabolous insects undergo complete metamorphosis to become sexually mature adults. Metamorphosis is initiated by brain-derived prothoracicotropic hormone (PTTH), which stimulates the production of the molting hormone ecdysone via an incompletely defined signaling pathway. Here we demonstrate that Torso, a receptor tyrosine kinase that regulates embryonic terminal cell fate in Drosophila, is the PTTH receptor. Trunk, the embryonic Torso ligand, is related to PTTH, and ectopic expression of PTTH in the embryo partially rescues trunk mutants. In larvae, torso is expressed specifically in the prothoracic gland (PG), and its loss phenocopies the removal of PTTH. The activation of Torso by PTTH stimulates extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) phosphorylation, and the loss of ERK in the PG phenocopies the loss of PTTH and Torso. We conclude that PTTH initiates metamorphosis by activation of the Torso/ERK pathway.
Rewitz
Kim F
KF
Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
Yamanaka
Naoki
N
Gilbert
Lawrence I
LI
O'Connor
Michael B
MB
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D012831:Bombyx / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D002460:Cell Line; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000378:metabolism; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D007301:Insect Hormones / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D007814:Larva / Q000254:growth & development; D008024:Ligands; D008675:Metamorphosis, Biological; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011679:Pupa / Q000254:growth & development; D034622:RNA Interference; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction
D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D007301:Insect Hormones; D008024:Ligands; C096356:trk protein, Drosophila; C009089:prothoracicotropic hormone; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; C080148:tor protein, Drosophila; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases