Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Biochemical changes in developing embryos of Schistocerca gregaria (Orthoptera: Acrididae) induced by pheromone produced by ovipositing gregarious females

  • Published:
International Journal of Tropical Insect Science Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Trans-generational transfer of gregarious-phase traits in the desert locust Schistocerca gregaria (Forskål, 1775) is mediated by primer gregarizing pheromonal signals produced by ovipositing females that experience crowding. We monitored time-course proteomic events in eggs from solitary-reared locusts that had been exposed for 1, 3, 5, 7, 10 and 12 days to different levels of the sand-associated gregarizing signal originating from 0, 3, 5 or 10 ovipositions by crowd-reared females. Evidence for the phase transition was sought by comparing the protein patterns of embryos thus exposed with those from crowd-reared (gregarious) controls; this comparison was continued until the stage of the first instars. Expressed proteins were analysed by two-dimensional protein gel electrophoresis, and patterns from the different treatments within stages were compared by profile matching and χ2 analyses. Eggs derived from crowd- and solitary-reared females showed essentially similar protein patterns at early stages of embryogenesis; however, mature stages (particularly, days 10 and 12) and hatchlings demonstrated significantly different patterns. Protein patterns of eggs from solitary-reared females that were incubated in sand contaminated with the pheromonal signal and of the hatchlings that emerged were similar to those derived from gregarious females and dependent on the level of the pheromone to which the embryos had been exposed. The results confirm the gregarizing effect of the signal and constitute a useful basis for unravelling the mechanism of the signalling cascades associated with gene expressions triggered by the pheromone.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Applebaum S. W., Avisar E. and Heifitz Y. (1997) Juvenile hormone and locust phase. Archives of Insect Biochemistry and Physiology 35, 375–391. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1520-6327(1997)35:4< 375: AID-ARCH3> 3.0. CO;2-R.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bashir M. O., Hassanali A., Rai M. M. and Saini R. K. (2000) Changing oviposition preferences of the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria, suggest a strong species predisposition for gregarization. Journal of Chemical Ecology 26, 1721–1733.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bouaïchi A., Roessingh P. and Simpson S. J. (1995) An analysis of the behavioural effects of crowding and re-isolation on solitary-reared adult desert locusts (Schistocerca gregaria) and their offspring. Physiological Entomology 20, 199–208. doi:10.1111/j.l365-3032.1995.tb00002.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bouaïchi A., Simpson S. J. and Roessingh P. (1996) The influence of environmental microstructure on the behavioural phase state and distribution of the desert locust Schistocerca gregaria. Physiological Entomology 21, 247–256.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chongsuvivatwong V. (2012) Epicalc: epidemiological calculator. R package version 2.14.1.6. Available at: http://CRAN.R-project.org/package=epicalc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Deng A. L., Torto B., Hassanali A. and Ali E. E. (1996) Effects of shifting to crowded or solitary conditions on pheromone release and morphometrics of the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria (Forskål) (Orthoptera: Acrididae). Journal of Insect Physiology 42, 771–776. doi:10.1016/0022-1910(96)00015-7.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hagele B. E, Oag V., Bouaïchi A., McCaffery A. R. and Simpson S. J. (2000) The role of female accessory glands in maternal inheritance of phase in the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria. Journal of Insect Physiology 46, 275–280.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hassanali A., Bashir M. O., Njagi P. G. N. and Ely S. O. (2005a) Desert locust gregarization: a conceptual kinetic model. Journal of Orthoptera Research 14, 223–226.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hassanali A., Njagi P. G. N. and Bashir M. O. (2005b) Chemical ecology of locusts and related acridids. Annual Review of Entomology 50, 223–245.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Islam M. S., Roessingh P., Simpson S. J. and McCaffery A. R. (1994a) Parental effects on the behaviour and colouration of nymphs of the desert locust Schistocerca gregaria. Journal of Insect Physiology 40, 173–181.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Islam M. S., Roessingh P., Simpson S. J. and McCaffery A. R. (1994b) Effects of population density experienced by parents during mating and oviposition on the phase of hatchling desert locusts, Schistocerca gregaria. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 257, 93–98.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jones J. S. (1980) How much genetic variation? Nature 288, 10–11.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kiely M. L. and Riddiford L. M. (1985a) Temporal programming of epidermal cell protein synthesis during the larval-pupal transformation of Manduca sexta. Wilhelm Roux’s Archives of Developmental Biology 194, 325–335.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kiely M. L. and Riddiford L. M. (1985) Temporal patterns of protein synthesis in Manduca epidermis during the change to pupal commitment in vitro: their modulation by 20-hydroxyecdysone and juvenile hormone. Wilhelm Roux’s Archives of Developmental Biology 194, 336–343.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Laemmli U. K. (1970) Cleavage of structural proteins during the assembly of the head of bacteriophage T4. Nature 227, 680–685. doi:10.1038/227680a0.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Malual A. G., Hassanali A., Torto B., Assad Y. O. H. and Njagi P. G. N. (2001) The nature of the gregarizing signal responsible for maternal transfer of phase to the offspring in the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria. Journal of Chemical Ecology 27, 1423–1435.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Miller G. A., Islam M. S., Claridge T D. W., Dodgson T. and Simpson S. J. (2008) Swarm formation in the desert locust Schistocerca gregaria: isolation and NMR analysis of the primary maternal gregarizing agent. Journal of Experimental Biology 211, 370–376.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Njagi P. G. N., Torto B., Obeng-Ofori D. and Hassanali A. (1996) Phase-independent responses to phase-specific aggregation pheromone in adult desert locusts, Schistocerca gregaria (Orthoptera: Acrididae). Physiological Entomology 21, 131–137. doi:10.1111/j.l365-3032.1996.tb00845.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Norris M. J. (1968) Laboratory experiments on oviposition responses of the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria (Forskål). Anti-Locust Bulletin 43, 1–47.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ochieng-Odero J. P. R., Ndugo S. M., El Bashir S. and Capstick P. B. (1994) A method for rearing crowded (gregarious) and isolated (solitary) locusts (Orthoptera: Acrididae) in the laboratory, pp. 33–44. In Proceedings of a Workshop on Effective Networking of Research and Development on Environmentally Sustainable Locust Control Methods among Locust Affected Countries (edited by P. G. N. Njagi and M. F. B. Chaudhury). ICIPE Science Press, Nairobi.

    Google Scholar 

  • O’Farrell P. H. (1975) High resolution two-dimensional electrophoresis of proteins. Journal of Biological Chemistry 250, 4007–4021.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • O’Farrell P. Z., Goodman H. M. and O’Farrell P. H. (1977) High-resolution two-dimensional electrophoresis of basic as well as acidic proteins. Cell 12, 1133–1142.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pener M. P. (1983) Endocrine aspects of phase polymorphism in locusts. In Downer R. G. H. and Laufer H. (eds), Endocrinology of Insects, pp. 379–394. New York: Alan R. Liss, Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pener M. P. (1991) Locust phase polymorphism and its endocrine relations. Advances in Insect Physiology 23, 1–79.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pener M. P. and Yerushalmi Y. (1998) The physiology of locust phase polymorphism: an update. Journal of Insect Physiology 44, 365–377.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • R Development Core Team (2011) R: A Language and Environment for Statistical Computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria. ISBN 3-900051-07-0. Available at: http://www.R-project.org.

    Google Scholar 

  • Roessingh P. and Simpson S. J. (1994) The time-course of behavioural phase change in nymphs of the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria. Physiological Entomology 19, 191–197. doi:10.1111/j.l365-3032.1994.tb01042.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Saini R. K., Rai M. M., Hassanali A., Wawiye J. and Odongo H. (1995) Semiochemicals from froth of egg pods attract ovipositing female Schistocerca gregaria. Journal of Insect Physiology 41, 711–716.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Simpson S. J. and Miller G. A. (2007) Maternal effects on phase characteristics in the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria: a review of current understanding. Journal of Insect Physiology 53, 869–876.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Uvarov B. P. (1966) Grasshoppers and Locusts: A Handbook of General Acridology: Volume 1. Anatomy, Physiology, Development, Phase Polymorphism, Introduction to Taxonomy. Cambridge University Press, London. 481 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wedekind-Hirschberger S., Sickold S. and Dorn A. (1999) Expression of phase-specific haemolymph polypeptides in a laboratory strain and field catches of Schistocerca gregaria. Journal of Insect Physiology 45, 1097–1103.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), PO Box 30772, Nairobi, 00100, Kenya

    Fathiya M. Khamis & Ellie O. Osir

  2. Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Kenyatta University, PO Box 43844, Nairobi, 00100, Kenya

    Fathiya M. Khamis

  3. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Egerton University, PO Box 536-20115, Egerton, Kenya

    Paul O. Mireji

  4. Department of Biochemistry, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, PO Box 62000, Nairobi, Kenya

    Mabel O. Imbuga

  5. Department of Chemistry, Kenyatta University, PO Box 43844, Nairobi, 00100, Kenya

    Ahmed Hassanali

Authors
  1. Fathiya M. Khamis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Paul O. Mireji
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ellie O. Osir
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Mabel O. Imbuga
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Ahmed Hassanali
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Fathiya M. Khamis.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Khamis, F.M., Mireji, P.O., Osir, E.O. et al. Biochemical changes in developing embryos of Schistocerca gregaria (Orthoptera: Acrididae) induced by pheromone produced by ovipositing gregarious females. Int J Trop Insect Sci 35, 125–131 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1017/S1742758415000119

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1742758415000119

Key words

Search

Navigation