title: G-protein-coupled receptor participates in 20-hydroxyecdysone signaling on the plasma membrane.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Animal steroid hormones are conventionally known to initiate signaling via a genomic pathway by binding to the nuclear receptors. The mechanism by which 20E initiates signaling via a nongenomic pathway is unclear.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We illustrate that 20E triggered the nongenomic pathway through a plasma membrane G-protein-coupled receptor (named ErGPCR) in the lepidopteran insect Helicoverpa armigera. The transcript of ErGPCR was increased at the larval molting stage and metamorphic molting stage by 20E regulation. Knockdown of ErGPCR via RNA interference in vivo blocked larval-pupal transition and suppressed 20E-induced gene expression. ErGPCR overexpression in the H. armigera epidermal cell line increased the 20E-induced gene expression. Through ErGPCR, 20E modulated Calponin nuclear translocation and phosphorylation, and induced a rapid increase in cytosolic Ca2+ levels. The inhibitors of T-type voltage-gated calcium channels and canonical transient receptor potential calcium channels repressed the 20E-induced Ca2+ increase. Truncation of the N-terminal extracellular region of ErGPCR inhibited its localization on the plasma membrane and 20E-induced gene expression. ErGPCR was not detected to bind with the steroid hormone analog [3H]Pon A.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that ErGPCR participates in 20E signaling on the plasma membrane.
authors: Mei-Juan
authors: MJ
authors: Cai
authors: Du-Juan
authors: DJ
authors: Dong
authors: Yu
authors: Y
authors: Wang
authors: Peng-Cheng
authors: PC
authors: Liu
authors: Wen
authors: W
authors: Liu
authors: Jin-Xing
authors: JX
authors: Wang
authors: The Key Laboratory of Plant Cell Engineering and Germplasm Innovation, Ministry of Education, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Cells and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, Shandong, China. xfzhao@sdu.edu.cn.
authors: Xiao-Fan
authors: XF
authors: Zhao
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D020013:Calcium Signaling; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004441:Ecdysterone / Q000378:metabolism*; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D007915:Lepidoptera / Q000378:metabolism*; D008840:Microfilament Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000096985:Calponins
chemical_list: D002118:Calcium; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D004441:Ecdysterone; D019476:Insect Proteins; D008840:Microfilament Proteins; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; D000096985:Calponins