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In silico structural and docking models of dipteran FXPRLamide neuropeptides support ligand-receptor coevolution and suggest mechanisms for ligand bias.

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Insect PRXamides: Evolutionary Divergence, Novelty, and Loss in a Conserved Neuropeptide System.

Sarah M Farris1

  • 1Department of Biology, West Virginia University, 3139 Life Sciences Building, 53 Campus Drive, Morgantown, WV, USA.

Journal of Insect Science (Online)
|January 20, 2023
PubMed
Summary

Insect PRXamide neuropeptides, particularly from the pk/pban gene, show significant evolutionary changes in Diptera. Some species lost key peptide sequences like pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide (PBAN), while others retained novel peptides such as hugin.

Keywords:
capadiapause hormonedipterahuginpheromone biosynthesis activating protein

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Neuroendocrinology
  • Genomics

Background:

  • PRXamide neuropeptides are conserved across protostomes and deuterostomes, including Panarthropoda.
  • Insect PRXamides involve three genes (pk/pban, capa, eth), with pk/pban products undergoing significant evolutionary changes in Diptera.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the evolutionary trajectory of the pk/pban gene and its peptide products within the insect Order Diptera.
  • To understand the functional implications of changes in pk/pban gene products on insect physiology and behavior.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative analysis of genome and transcriptome sequences across Diptera.
  • Phylogenetic analysis of pk/pban peptide coding sequences.
  • Review of existing literature on neuropeptide function and neural circuitry.

Main Results:

  • Basal dipteran pk/pban genes resemble those of other holometabolous insects.
  • More derived Diptera species have lost peptide coding sequences, including pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide (PBAN).
  • The hugin peptide in Drosophila melanogaster is linked to feeding, locomotion, and circadian rhythms.

Conclusions:

  • The pk/pban gene has undergone significant diversification in Diptera, with implications for insect evolution.
  • Despite changes in peptide composition, the underlying neural circuitry for pk/pban function remains conserved.
  • Further research using Drosophila melanogaster can elucidate the adaptive roles of evolving neuropeptides.