title: Methyl farnesoate plays a dual role in regulating Drosophila metamorphosis.
abstract: Corpus allatum (CA) ablation results in juvenile hormone (JH) deficiency and pupal lethality in Drosophila. The fly CA produces and releases three sesquiterpenoid hormones: JH III bisepoxide (JHB3), JH III, and methyl farnesoate (MF). In the whole body extracts, MF is the most abundant sesquiterpenoid, followed by JHB3 and JH III. Knockout of JH acid methyl transferase (jhamt) did not result in lethality; it decreased biosynthesis of JHB3, but MF biosynthesis was not affected. RNAi-mediated reduction of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA reductase (hmgcr) expression in the CA decreased biosynthesis and titers of the three sesquiterpenoids, resulting in partial lethality. Reducing hmgcr expression in the CA of the jhamt mutant further decreased MF titer to a very low level, and caused complete lethality. JH III, JHB3, and MF function through Met and Gce, the two JH receptors, and induce expression of Kr-h1, a JH primary-response gene. As well, a portion of MF is converted to JHB3 in the hemolymph or peripheral tissues. Topical application of JHB3, JH III, or MF precluded lethality in JH-deficient animals, but not in the Met gce double mutant. Taken together, these experiments show that MF is produced by the larval CA and released into the hemolymph, from where it exerts its anti-metamorphic effects indirectly after conversion to JHB3, as well as acting as a hormone itself through the two JH receptors, Met and Gce.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China; Department of Life Science, Qiannan Normal College for Nationalities, Duyun, Guizhou, China.
authors.forename: Di
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, United States of America.
authors.forename: Crisalejandra
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rivera-Perez
authors.affiliation: Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States of America.
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abdou
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Qiangqiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Qianyu
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Xi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States of America.
authors.forename: Ola
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Zyaan
authors.affiliation: Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, United States of America.
authors.forename: Jingjing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: William G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Bendena
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Stephen S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Tobe
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, United States of America.
authors.forename: Fernando G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Noriega
authors.affiliation: Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, United States of America.
authors.forename: Subba R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Palli
authors.affiliation: Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States of America.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Sheng
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D003335:Corpora Allata / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D005229:Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated / Q000378:metabolism; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D006903:Hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA Reductases / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D051741:Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D007814:Larva; D008675:Metamorphosis, Biological / Q000235:genetics*; D008780:Methyltransferases / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D011679:Pupa; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D005229:Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D006903:Hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA Reductases; D051741:Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors; D008780:Methyltransferases; D014157:Transcription Factors; C497242:Kr-h1 protein, Drosophila; C111234:MET protein, Drosophila; C543965:gce protein, Drosophila; C032429:methyl farnesoate; C058633:methyl 6,7-10,11-bis(epoxy)-3,7,11-trimethyl-2-dodecenoate; C530958:juvenile hormone acid O-methyltransferase, Drosophila