title: Orcokinin neuropeptides regulate ecdysis in the hemimetabolous insect Rhodnius prolixus.
abstract: To grow and develop insects must undergo ecdysis. During this process, the individual sheds the old cuticle to emerge as the following developmental stage. During ecdysis, different programed behaviors are regulated by neuropeptidergic pathways. In general, components of these pathways are better characterized in crustacean and holometabolous insects than in hemimetabola. In insects, the orkoninin gene produces two different neuropeptide precursors by alternative splicing: orcokinin A and orcokinin B. Although orcokinins are well conserved in insect species, their physiological role remains elusive. Here we describe a new splicing variant of the orcokinin gene in the hemimetabolous triatomine Rhodnius prolixus. We further analyze the expression pattern and the function of the alternatively spliced RhoprOK transcripts by means of immunohistochemistry and RNAi-mediated gene silencing. Our results indicate that orkoninis play an essential role in the peptidergic signaling pathway regulating ecdysis in the hemimetabolous insect Rhodnius prolixus.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Genetics and Functional Genomics, Regional Center for Genomic Studies, Faculty of Exact Sciences, National University of La Plata, Bvd 120 y 62, 1900, La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Electronic address: juanpwulff@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Juan Pedro
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Wulff
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Genetics and Functional Genomics, Regional Center for Genomic Studies, Faculty of Exact Sciences, National University of La Plata, Bvd 120 y 62, 1900, La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Electronic address: sierra.ivana@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Ivana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sierra
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Biochemistry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Av. Carlos Chagas Filho, 373, bloco D, Prédio do CCS, Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro, 21941-902, Brazil. Electronic address: sterkel@bioqmed.ufrj.br.
authors.forename: Marcos
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sterkel
authors.affiliation: Molecular Developmental Physiology and Signal Transduction, Division of Animal Physiology and Neurobiology, Zoological Institute, K.U. Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. Electronic address: michiel.holtof@bio.kuleuven.be.
authors.forename: Michiel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Holtof
authors.affiliation: Molecular Developmental Physiology and Signal Transduction, Division of Animal Physiology and Neurobiology, Zoological Institute, K.U. Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. Electronic address: pieter.vanwielendaele@bio.kuleuven.be.
authors.forename: Pieter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Van Wielendaele
authors.affiliation: Centre of Experimental and Applied Endocrinology, National University of La Plata, School of Medicine, 60 Street y 120, 1900, La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Electronic address: f_francini@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Flavio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Francini
authors.affiliation: Molecular Developmental Physiology and Signal Transduction, Division of Animal Physiology and Neurobiology, Zoological Institute, K.U. Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. Electronic address: Jozef.VandenBroeck@bio.kuleuven.be.
authors.forename: Jozef Vanden
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Broeck
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Genetics and Functional Genomics, Regional Center for Genomic Studies, Faculty of Exact Sciences, National University of La Plata, Bvd 120 y 62, 1900, La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Electronic address: sheila.ons@presi.unlp.edu.ar.
authors.forename: Sheila
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ons
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D018978:Molting; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D034622:RNA Interference; D012239:Rhodnius / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D009479:Neuropeptides; C079067:orcokinin
keywords: Brain-gut neuropeptides; Chagas' disease; Molting; Post-embryonic development; RNA interference (RNAi)