title: Bursicon-α subunit modulates dLGR2 activity in the adult Drosophila melanogaster midgut independently to Bursicon-β.
abstract: Bursicon is the main regulator of post molting and post eclosion processes during arthropod development. The active Bursicon hormone is a heterodimer of Burs-α and Burs-β. However, adult midguts express Burs-α to regulate the intestinal stem cell niche. Here, we examined the potential expression and function of its heterodimeric partner, Burs-β in the adult midgut. Unexpectedly, our evidence suggests that Burs-β is not significantly expressed in the adult midgut. burs-β mutants displayed the characteristic developmental defects but showed wild type-like adult midguts, thus uncoupling the developmental and adult phenotypes seen in burs-α mutants. Gain of function data and ex vivo experiments using a cAMP biosensor, demonstrated that Burs-α is sufficient to drive stem cell quiescence and to activate dLGR2 in the adult midgut. Our evidence suggests that the post developmental transactivation of dLGR2 in the adult midgut is mediated by Burs-α and that the β subunit of Bursicon is dispensable for these activities.
authors.affiliation: a The Beatson Institute for Cancer Research, Garscube Estate , Glasgow , UK.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Scopelliti
authors.affiliation: a The Beatson Institute for Cancer Research, Garscube Estate , Glasgow , UK.
authors.forename: Christin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bauer
authors.affiliation: b Wolfson Wohl Cancer Research Center , Glasgow , UK.
authors.forename: Julia B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Cordero
authors.affiliation: a The Beatson Institute for Cancer Research, Garscube Estate , Glasgow , UK.
authors.forename: Marcos
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vidal
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000378:metabolism; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D007447:Invertebrate Hormones / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D018978:Molting / Q000235:genetics; D010641:Phenotype; D055503:Protein Multimerization; D021122:Protein Subunits / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D055153:Stem Cell Niche / Q000235:genetics; D015533:Transcriptional Activation
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D007447:Invertebrate Hormones; D021122:Protein Subunits; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; C416853:Rk protein, Drosophila; C002295:bursicon; D000242:Cyclic AMP
keywords: adult Drosophila midgut; bursicon-α; rickets