title: Discovery of methylfarnesoate as the annelid brain hormone reveals an ancient role of sesquiterpenoids in reproduction.
abstract: Animals require molecular signals to determine when to divert resources from somatic functions to reproduction. This decision is vital in animals that reproduce in an all-or-nothing mode, such as bristle worms: females committed to reproduction spend roughly half their body mass for yolk and egg production; following mass spawning, the parents die. An enigmatic brain hormone activity suppresses reproduction. We now identify this hormone as the sesquiterpenoid methylfarnesoate. Methylfarnesoate suppresses transcript levels of the yolk precursor Vitellogenin both in cell culture andin vivo, directly inhibiting a central energy-costly step of reproductive maturation. We reveal that contrary to common assumptions, sesquiterpenoids are ancient animal hormones present in marine and terrestrial lophotrochozoans. In turn, insecticides targeting this pathway suppress vitellogenesis in cultured worm cells. These findings challenge current views of animal hormone evolution, and indicate that non-target species and marine ecosystems are susceptible to commonly used insect larvicides.
authors.affiliation: Max F. Perutz Laboratories, University of Vienna, Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria.|Research Platform Marine Rhythms of Life, University of Vienna, Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Sven
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-7689-5854
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schenk
authors.affiliation: Max F. Perutz Laboratories, University of Vienna, Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Krauditsch
authors.affiliation: Research Platform Marine Rhythms of Life, University of Vienna, Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria.|Institute for Analytical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Frühauf
authors.affiliation: Research Platform Marine Rhythms of Life, University of Vienna, Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria.|Institute for Analytical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gerner
authors.affiliation: Max F. Perutz Laboratories, University of Vienna, Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria.|Research Platform Marine Rhythms of Life, University of Vienna, Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Florian
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-4515-6485
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Raible
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000845:Annelida / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000378:metabolism*; D006728:Hormones / Q000378:metabolism*; D012098:Reproduction; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects; D014819:Vitellogenins / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D006728:Hormones; D014819:Vitellogenins; C032429:methyl farnesoate
keywords: P. dumerilii; biochemistry; evolution; evolutionary biology; genomics; hormone; insecticides; reproduction; vitellogenin