title: Reassessing ecdysteroidogenic cells from the cell membrane receptors' perspective.
abstract: Ecdysteroids secreted by the prothoracic gland (PG) cells of insects control the developmental timing of their immature life stages. These cells have been historically considered as carrying out a single function in insects, namely the biochemical conversion of cholesterol to ecdysteroids and their secretion. A growing body of evidence shows that PG cells receive multiple cues during insect development so we tested the hypothesis that they carry out more than just one function in insects. We characterised the molecular nature and developmental profiles of cell membrane receptors in PG cells of Bombyx mori during the final larval stage and determined what receptors decode nutritional, developmental and physiological signals. Through iterative approaches we identified a complex repertoire of cell membrane receptors that are expressed in intricate patterns and activate previously unidentified signal transduction cascades in PG cells. The expression patterns of some of these receptors explain precisely the mechanisms that are known to control ecdysteroidogenesis. However, the presence of receptors for the notch, hedgehog and wingless signalling pathways and the expression of innate immunity-related receptors such as phagocytosis receptors, receptors for microbial ligands and Toll-like receptors call for a re-evaluation of the role these cells play in insects.
authors: Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens 157 84, Greece.
authors: Alexandros
authors: A
authors: Alexandratos
authors: HybridStat Predictive Analytics, Aiolou 19, 10551, Athens, Greece.|Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Biomedical Sciences Research Center 'Alexander Fleming', Fleming 34, 16672, Vari, Greece.
authors: Panagiotis
authors: P
authors: Moulos
authors: Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens 157 84, Greece.
authors: Ioannis
authors: I
authors: Nellas
authors: Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens 157 84, Greece.
authors: Konstantinos
authors: K
authors: Mavridis
authors: Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens 157 84, Greece.
authors: Skarlatos G
authors: SG
authors: Dedos
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D012831:Bombyx / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D026461:Ecdysteroids / Q000378:metabolism; D004702:Endocrine Glands / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D007814:Larva / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D008018:Life Cycle Stages; D020543:Proteome / Q000032:analysis; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry; D059467:Transcriptome
chemical_list: D026461:Ecdysteroids; D019476:Insect Proteins; D020543:Proteome; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface