Abstract
In insects, the follicle cells (FCs) give rise to a single-layered tissue of binucleated professional secretory cells that surround the oocytes during oogenesis. In the latest stage of oocyte development, the FCs rapidly synthesize and secrete the chorion (eggshell) immediately before degenerating through apoptosis. Here, we used RT-qPCR, electron microscopy, and RNAi silencing to explore the role of the main unfolded protein response (UPR) receptors IRE1 and PERK, as well as the ultrastructure dynamics of the FCs during oogenesis of the insect vector of Chagas disease Rhodnius prolixus. We found that IRE1 and PERK mRNAs are highly expressed in the ovaries of vitellogenic females. Interestingly, we observed that IRE1 and PERK, as well as different isoforms of the chaperones Bip and PDI, have their FCs gene expression levels decreased during the vitellogenesis to choriogenesis transition. Using transmission electron microscopy, we observed that the downregulation of the UPR gene expression is accompanied by dramatic changes in the FCs ultrastructure, with an 80% reduction in the mean area of the ER tubules, and circularization and enlargement of the mitochondria. Additionally, we found that parental RNAi silencing of both IRE1 and PERK resulted in minor changes in the chorion protein composition and ultrastructure, accessed by urea extraction of the chorion proteins and scanning electron microscopy, respectively, but did not impact the overall levels of oviposition and F1 embryo development.
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Acknowledgements
The authors thank Yasmin Gutierrez and Yan Mendonça for the careful care of our lab insectarium and CENABIO-UFRJ for providing electron microscopy equipment and facilities.
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This work was funded by the following grants: JCNE-FAPERJ (www.faperj.br/), INCT-EM-CNPq/FAPERJ (http://cnpq.br/), and CAPES (www.capes.gov.br/). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. This work was funded by the following grants. Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho De Amparo À Pesquisa Do Estado Do Rio De Janeiro (FAPERJ) (JCNE E-26/2031802017; http://www.faperj.br/) to I.R.; Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) (INCT-EM 16/2014; http://cnpq.br/) to I.R.; Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) (https://www.gov.br/capes/pt-br).
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T.R. and L.B. designed and conducted the experiments and revised the paper; I.R. designed the experiments and wrote the paper.
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Thamara Rios and Larissa Bomfim equally contributed to this work.
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Rios, T., Bomfim, L. & Ramos, I. The transition from vitellogenesis to choriogenesis triggers the downregulation of the UPR sensors IRE1 and PERK and alterations in the ER architecture in the follicle cells of the vector Rhodnius prolixus. Cell Tissue Res 387, 63–74 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00441-021-03547-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00441-021-03547-z