Molecular Characterization of PBAN G-protein Coupled Receptors in Moth Pest Species: Design of Antagonists
Authors: Rafaeli Ada , Jurenka Russell 
Published: December 2021

The proposed research was directed at determining the activation/binding domains and gene regulation of the PBAN-R’s thereby providing information for the design and screening of potential PBAN-R-blockers and to indicate possible ways of preventing the process from proceeding to its completion. Our specific aims included: (1) The identification of the PBAN-R binding domain by a combination of: (a) in silico modeling studies for identifying specific amino-acid side chains that are likely to be involved in binding PBAN with the receptor and; (b) bioassays to verify the modeling studies using mutant receptors, cell lines and pheromone glands (at tissue and organism levels) against selected, designed compounds to confirm if compounds are agonists or antagonists. (2) The elucidation ofthemolecular regulationmechanisms of PBAN-R by:(a) age-dependence of gene expression; (b) the effect of hormones and; (c) PBAN-R characterization in male hair-pencil complexes. Background to the topic Insects have several closely related G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) belonging to the pyrokinin/PBAN family, one with the ligand pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide or pyrokinin-2 and another with diapause hormone or pyrokinin-1 as a ligand. We were unable to identify the diapause hormone receptor from Helicoverpa zea despite considerable effort. A third, related receptor is activated by a product of the capa gene, periviscerokinins. The pyrokinin/PBAN family of GPCRs and their ligands has been identified in various insects, such as Drosophila, several moth species, mosquitoes, Triboliumcastaneum, Apis mellifera, Nasoniavitripennis, and Acyrthosiphon pisum. Physiological functions of pyrokinin peptides include muscle contraction, whereas PBAN regulates pheromone production in moths plus other functions indicating the pleiotropic nature of these ligands. Based on the alignment of annotated genomic sequences, the primary and secondary structures of the pyrokinin/PBAN family of receptors have similarity with the corresponding structures of the capa or periviscerokinin receptors of insects and the neuromedin U receptors found in vertebrates. Major conclusions, solutions, achievements Evolutionary trace analysisof receptor extracellular domains exhibited several class-specific amino acid residues, which could indicate putative domains for activation of these receptors by ligand recognition and binding. Through site-directed point mutations, the 3rd extracellular domain of PBAN-R was shown to be critical for ligand selection. We identified three receptors that belong to the PBAN family of GPCRs and a partial sequence for the periviscerokinin receptor from the European corn borer, Ostrinianubilalis. Functional expression studies confirmed that only the C-variant of the PBAN-R is active. We identified a non-peptide agonist that will activate the PBAN-receptor from H. zea. We determined that there is transcriptional control of the PBAN-R in two moth species during the development of the pupa to adult, and we demonstrated that this transcriptional regulation is independent of juvenile hormone biosynthesis. This transcriptional control also occurs in male hair-pencil gland complexes of both moth species indicating a regulatory role for PBAN in males. Ultimate confirmation for PBAN's function in the male tissue was revealed through knockdown of the PBAN-R using RNAi-mediated gene-silencing. Implications, both scientific and agricultural The identification of a non-peptide agonist can be exploited in the future for the design of additional compounds that will activate the receptor and to elucidate the binding properties of this receptor. The increase in expression levels of the PBAN-R transcript was delineated to occur at a critical period of 5 hours post-eclosion and its regulation can now be studied. The mysterious role of PBAN in the males was elucidated by using a combination of physiological, biochemical and molecular genetics techniques.