Choi, Man-Yeon, Koehler, Rene, Meer, Robert K. Vander, Neupert, Susanne and Predel, Reinhard (2014). Identification and Expression of Capa Gene in the Fire Ant, Solenopsis invicta. PLoS One, 9 (4). SAN FRANCISCO: PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE. ISSN 1932-6203

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Abstract

Recent genome analyses suggested the absence of a number of neuropeptide genes in ants. One of the apparently missing genes was the capa gene. Capa gene expression in insects is typically associated with the neuroendocrine system of abdominal ganglia; mature CAPA peptides are known to regulate diuresis and visceral muscle contraction. The apparent absence of the capa gene raised questions about possible compensation of these functions. In this study, we re-examined this controversial issue and searched for a potentially unrecognized capa gene in the fire ant, Solenopsis invicta. We employed a combination of data mining and a traditional PCR-based strategy using degenerate primers designed from conserved amino acid sequences of insect capa genes. Our findings demonstrate that ants possess and express a capa gene. As shown by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, processed products of the S. invicta capa gene include three CAPA periviscerokinins and low amounts of a pyrokinin which does not have the C-terminal WFGPRLa motif typical of CAPA pyrokinins in other insects. The capa gene was found with two alternative transcripts in the CNS. Within the ventral nerve cord, two capa neurons were immunostained in abdominal neuromeres 2-5, respectively, and projected into ventrally located abdominal perisympathetic organs (PSOs), which are the major hormone release sites of abdominal ganglia. The ventral location of these PSOs is a characteristic feature and was also found in another ant, Atta sexdens.

Item Type: Journal Article
Creators:
CreatorsEmailORCIDORCID Put Code
Choi, Man-YeonUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Koehler, ReneUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Meer, Robert K. VanderUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Neupert, SusanneUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Predel, ReinhardUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
URN: urn:nbn:de:hbz:38-440784
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0094274
Journal or Publication Title: PLoS One
Volume: 9
Number: 4
Date: 2014
Publisher: PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE
Place of Publication: SAN FRANCISCO
ISSN: 1932-6203
Language: English
Faculty: Unspecified
Divisions: Unspecified
Subjects: no entry
Uncontrolled Keywords:
KeywordsLanguage
MANDUCA-SEXTA ALLATOTROPIN; AMERICAN COCKROACH; DROSOPHILA-MELANOGASTER; PERISYMPATHETIC ORGANS; FUNCTIONAL EXPRESSION; MOLECULAR-CLONING; PROTEIN HORMONES; TOBACCO HAWKMOTH; NERVOUS-SYSTEM; CLEAVAGE SITESMultiple languages
Multidisciplinary SciencesMultiple languages
URI: http://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/id/eprint/44078

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