NAD-dependent methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase-methenyltetrahydrofolate cyclohydrolase is targeted to the cytoplasm in insect cell lines.

Cytosolic NADP-dependent methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase-cyclohydrolase synthetase and the mitochondrial NAD-dependent methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase-cyclohydrolase (NMDMC) are differentially expressed during insect development although both enzymes are detectable at all stages. In contrast, cell lines derived from a variety of insect species express high levels of NMDMC but undetectable levels of the NADP-dependent enzyme. Northern analysis indicates the NMDMC message is expressed at levels 50-100 times higher in a Drosophila cell line compared to adult flies. RNase protection showed the predominance of shortened transcripts that require initiation at a downstream AUG producing a truncated protein that lacks a mitochondrial targeting sequence. These changes in expression effectively exchange the cytosolic NADP-dependent dehydrogenase for one with NAD specificity.

Molecular and biochemical aspects of chitin synthesis inhibition.

Chitin, is a beta-1,4-linked aminopolysacharide homopolymer of GlcNAc that occurs as a glycoprotein in the exoskeleton of arthropods, the cell wall of fungi and in various components of diverse invertebrates. It is synthesized in two different ways: in fungi the chitin synthase enzyme occurs as an inactive zymogen in vesicles called chitosomes and requires proteolytic activation; in arthropods this enzyme is membrane-bound and catalyzes the addition of GlcNAc units to a dolichol carrier. Chitin is degraded by three different chitinases, the endochitinase that degrades chitin into oligosaccharides of differing chain lengths, the exochitinase that degrades oligosaccharides into diacetylchitobiose and chitobiase, which degrades diacetylchitobiose into GlcNAc monomers. Inhibition of chitin synthesis as well as degradation can both result in deleterious effects that are often similar. Chitin synthesis can be blocked during the various steps by a variety of antibiotics, metabolic inhibitors, insect growth regulators, alkaloids and hormone analogs. During the molting process in arthropods, genes are sequentially expressed and repressed by developmental hormones. When these hormones or their analogs are administered temporally out of sequence, it can result in the blocking of cuticle formation, including chitin synthesis. With the advent of biotechnology and the availability of both complementary DNA and antibody probes, it is possible to develop high throughput assays for discovering new chemicals that can block chitin formation. Chitin synthesis inhibitors as well as inhibitors of chitin degradation that produce similar effects are promising agents for controlling insect pests, fungal pathogens and helminthic parasites.

Studies on two ecdysone receptor isoforms of the spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana.

A full-length cDNA clone corresponding to the Choristoneura fumiferana ecdysone receptor-A isoform (CfEcR-A) was isolated. The deduced amino acid sequence of CfEcR-A differed from CfEcR-B in the NH2-terminal region of the A/B domain. The CfEcR-A-specific region showed high amino acid identity with EcR-A isoforms of Manduca sexta, Bombyx mori, Drosophila melanogaster and Tenebrio molitor. Isoform-specific probes were used to study the expression of EcR-A and EcR-B mRNAs. Both probes detected 6 kb mRNAs that were present in second-sixth larval instars and in the pupae. Both EcR-A and EcR-B mRNA levels increased during the molting periods. In the sixth instar larvae, the increase in EcR-A and EcR-B mRNA levels were more pronounced in the midgut than in epidermis and fat body. Both EcR-A and EcR-B mRNAs were induced in CF-203 cells (a cell line developed from C. fumiferana midgut) grown in the presence of 4 x 10(-6) M 20E. EcR-B specific mRNAs were induced within 1 h of exposure to 20E, but EcR-A specific mRNAs were induced only after 3 h of exposure to 20E. Induction of mRNAs for both isoforms was unaffected by the presence of a protein synthesis inhibitor, cyclohexamide, in the culture medium. RH-5992, a stable ecdysone agonist, caused a similar induction pattern of EcR-A and EcR-B mRNAs in the midgut, epidermis and fat body of sixth instar larvae. In vitro translated CfEcR-A, CfEcR-B and CfUSP proteins were used to study the DNA binding and ligand binding properties of EcR-A/USP and EcR-B/USP protein complexes. The Kd values indicated that both complexes have similar binding affinities for ecdysone response elements and ponasterone A.

Spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana) juvenile hormone esterase: hormonal regulation, developmental expression and cDNA cloning.

We have used the differential display of mRNAs technique to identify Choristoneura fumiferana genes that are induced by juvenile hormone I (JH I). Of the six PCR products identified, one bound to a 2.8-kb mRNA from CF-203 cells whose abundance increased when the cells were grown in the presence of JH I. The same 2.8-kb mRNA decreased to undetectable levels when the CF-203 cells were grown in the presence of 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E). The PCR fragment probe also detected a 2.8-kb mRNA in the C. fumiferana larval tissues. This 2.8-kb mRNA was present on the first day of the first, third, fourth, fifth and sixth larval and pupal stadia, but was conspicuously absent on the first day of the second larval stadium, as well as during the intermolt periods of the first to fifth instar larval stages. In the sixth instar larvae the 2.8-kb mRNA was detected in the fat body, epidermis and midgut during the intermolt period. The PCR fragment was used as a probe to screen a cDNA library. The deduced amino acid sequence of this 2.8-kb cDNA clone showed similarity with the deduced amino acid sequences of Heliothis virescens juvenile hormone esterases (HvJHE). The deduced amino acid sequence of the cDNA clone contained all five functional motifs that are present in most of esterases, proteases and lipases. The cDNA clone was expressed in the baculovirus expression system, producing a protein that showed JHE activity.

Basis for selective action of a synthetic molting hormone agonist, RH-5992 on lepidopteran insects.

The non-steroidal ecdysone agonist, RH-5992, induces a precocious incomplete molt in lepidopteran insects but is refractory to insects of other orders. We used two lepidopteran cell lines, FPMI-CF-203 (CF-203) and IPRI-MD-66 (MD-66) and two dipteran cell lines, DM-2 and Kc, to investigate the lepidopteran specificity of RH-5992. The mRNAs for hormone receptor 3 homologues cloned from Drosophila (DHR3) and Choristoneura (CHR3) are directly induced by 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) and serve as suitable markers for studying ecdysone action. Dose response experiments showed that 10(-7) M 20E induced CHR3 mRNA in CF-203 cell and DHR3 mRNA in DM-2 cells. Concentrations of RH-5992 as low as 10(-10) M induced CHR3 mRNA in CF-203 cells, whereas concentrations as high as 10(-6) M induced only very low levels of DHR3 mRNA in DM-2 cells. Studies using 14C-RH-5992 revealed that lepidopteran cell lines (CF-203 and MD-66) retained more of this compound within the cells than the dipteran cell lines (DM-2 and Kc). The clearance of RH-5992 from DM-2 cells was temperature dependent and was blocked by 10(-5) M ouabain, an inhibitor of Na+, K(+)-ATPase suggesting that the efflux was due to active transport.

Identification and developmental expression of the mitochondrial phosphate transport protein gene from the spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana.

Phosphate transport protein (PTP) is a mitochondrial inner membrane protein responsible for the translocation of inorganic phosphate into the mitochondrial matrix. A full length cDNA clone encoding the PTP was isolated from the spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana. The deduced amino acid sequence of the longest ORF of CfPTP cDNA showed high similarity with the amino acid sequences of PTPs cloned from several species. Phylogenetic tree analysis indicated that CfPTP occupied an intermediate position between vertebrates on the one side and yeast and nematodes on the other side. Studies on the developmental expression of CfPTP mRNA showed that higher levels of mRNA were present during the feeding and growing stages than during molting periods.

Analysis of ecdysteroid action in Malacosoma disstria cells: cloning selected regions of E75- and MHR3-like genes.

IPRI-MD-66 (MD-66) cells respond to 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E, 4 x 10(-6) M) in the medium by producing cytoplasmic extensions, clumping and attaching themselves to the substrate. These morphological changes are at a maximum by 6 days post treatment. Degenerate oligonucleotides, designed on the basis of conserved amino acid sequences in the DNA and ligand binding regions of the members of the steroid hormone receptor superfamily, were used in RNA-PCR to isolate two cDNA fragments, Malacosoma disstria hormone receptor 2 (MdHR2) and Malacosoma disstria hormone receptor 3 (MdHR3) from the MD-66 cells. Comparison of deduced amino acid sequences of these cDNA fragments with the members of the steroid hormone receptor superfamily showed that MdHR2 is most closely related to E75 proteins of Manduca sexta, Galleria mellonella and Drosophila melanogaster. The MdHR3 is most closely related to Manduca hormone receptor 3 (MHR3), Galleria hormone receptor 3 (GHR3) and Drosophila hormone receptor 3 (DHR3) proteins. At a concentration of 4 x 10(-6) M, 20E induces the expression of MdHR2 and MdHR3 beginning at 3 h, reaching maximum levels in 12 h and declining in 24 h. MdHR2 binds to a 2.5 kb mRNA, whereas MdHR3 binds to a 4.5 kb mRNA. Based on sequence similarity, RNA size and ecdysone inducibility, we conclude that these cDNA fragments, cloned from MD-66 cells, are regions of E75- (MdHR2) and MHR3- (MdHR3) like genes.

Cloning and developmental expression of Choristoneura hormone receptor 3, an ecdysone-inducible gene and a member of the steroid hormone receptor superfamily.

Degenerate oligonucleotides and cDNA converted from Choristoneura fumiferana embryonic RNA were used in a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) procedure to isolate a 683 bp cDNA fragment. Comparison of the deduced amino acid sequence of this cDNA fragment showed that it was a region of an MHR3-like gene from C. fumeferana; we therefore named it Choristoneura hormone receptor 3 (CHR3). This CHR3 cDNA fragment was used as a probe to screen a C. fumiferana embryonic cDNA library. Twenty clones were isolated and two overlapping clones were sequenced. The longest open reading frame of CHR3 cDNA codes for 546 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence of this open reading frame contained all five regions typical of a steroid hormone nuclear receptor. The C domain showed the highest identity to Manduca hormone receptor 3 (MHR3), Drosophila hormone receptor 3 (DHR3) and Galleria hormone receptor 3 (GHR3). The A/B, D and E domains also showed significant amino acid similarity with MHR3, DHR3 and GHR3. The 683 bp CHR3 cDNA probe detected two mRNAs of 3.8 and 4.5 kb present during the ecdysteroid peaks for embryonic, larval, pupal and adult molts but were not detected during the intermolt periods. In sixth instar larvae, the 3.8 and 4.5 kb mRNA were detected in the epidermis, fat body and midgut tissues and the maximum expression was observed during the prepupal peak of ecdysteroids in the hemolymph. CHR3 mRNA was induced in 20-hydroxyecdysone treated CF-203 cells as well as in the midgut, fat body and epidermis of larvae that were fed the non-steroidal molting hormone agonist, RH-5992. In vitro transcription and translation of the CHR3 cDNA yielded a 61 kDa protein that bound to the retinoid related orphan receptor response element.

Molecular cloning of a female-specific cDNA with unique repeat sequences from the fat body of the adult locust, Locusta migratoria.

A cDNA clone encoding a 25-kDa protein (25K) was isolated from a cDNA library made from RNA isolated from the adult fat body and ovaries of the locust, Locusta migratoria. The longest open reading frame of this cDNA clone encodes a 225-amino acid polypeptide, the N-terminal end of which was similar to the 21-kDa and 19-kDa juvenile hormone induced proteins identified in the locust hemolymph, but the C-terminal end was different. The C-terminal end of the 25K cDNA contained seven unique repeat elements of 10 amino acids each, most of which are polar residues. Expression of the 25K mRNA was tissue-, development- and sex-specific. A 1.2-kb mRNA was detected using the 25K cDNA as a probe only in the fat body of adult females. The mRNA started to appear at day 4 after the insect molted to the adult and rapidly increased by day 6. The mRNA was absent in the ovarian follicle cells and fat body of adult males. In vitro transcription and translation of the 25K cDNA produced a protein that migrated around 32 kDa on sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gels. The 25K cDNA was expressed in a baculovirus expression system and the protein produced also migrated around 32 kDa.

A molt-associated chitinase cDNA from the spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana.

Chitinase (CfChitinase) cDNA from the spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana, was cloned using reverse transcription PCR and cDNA library screening. The CfChitinase cDNA was determined to be 2856 nucleotides long with the longest open reading frame made up of 1671 nucleotides that encoded a protein that was 557 amino acid long with a predicted molecular mass of 62 kDa. The deduced amino acid sequence showed 76-79% identity with other lepidopteran chitinases. Northern blots revealed that transcripts of CfChitinase appeared prior to each molt and peaked on the day of ecdysis from the second instar to the pupal stage but disappeared immediately after the molt. No transcripts could be detected in the early first instar prior to the spinning of the hibernaculum or in the diapausing second instars or during the intermolt periods of the other instars. Western blot analysis revealed that the protein appeared 12 h prior to ecdysis and disappeared 12 h after ecdysis from the sixth instar to pupal stage. The 20-hydroxyecdysone analog, tebufenozide (RH5992), induced expression of CfChitinase in the early stage of the sixth instar and caused a precocious and incomplete molt into an extra larval stage. During the sixth instar to the pupal molt, transcripts could be detected only in the epidermis and fat bodies, but not in the midgut. Western blots showed that the protein was present in the epidermis and midgut, but not in the fat bodies. The recombinant protein expressed in Autographa californica multicapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) showed high levels of chitinolytic activity with an optimal pH range 6-9. Glycosylation appeared to be necessary for the chitinolytic activity and secretion of the recombinant protein.

Cloning and expression of a putative transferrin cDNA of the spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana.

A spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana) transferrin cDNA (CfTf) was isolated and cloned from a cDNA library that was constructed using mRNA from fifth to sixth instar larvae. CfTf cDNA encoded a predicted protein of 681 amino acids with a molecular mass of approximately 76 kDa. CfTf shared 72% and 74% identities at the amino acid level with transferrins of Manduca sexta and Bombyx mori, respectively. Like other transferrins, CfTf retains most of the N-terminal, iron-binding amino acid residues. Northern blot analyses indicated that CfTf mRNA was present at high levels after ecdysis, but that the expression level was low prior to ecdysis at the fourth-sixth instar stages. The highest level of CfTf expression was detected in the fat body. Relatively low levels of expression were detected in the epidermis and no expression was found in the midgut. Expression of CfTf mRNA could be induced by bacteria but not fungi. Expression of CfTf mRNA was suppressed by iron load.

Choristoneura fumiferana entomopoxvirus prevents metamorphosis and modulates juvenile hormone and ecdysteroid titers.

Larvae of the spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana, infected with C. fumiferana entomopoxvirus (CfEPV) continue to feed and grow without undergoing metamorphosis and die as moribund larvae. The lethal dose (LD(50)) and lethal time (LT(50)) values for fourth instar larvae are 2.4 spheroids and 25.2 days, respectively. One hundred percent of the control fourth instar larvae, which were fed water instead of virus, pupated by 18 days post feeding (PF). Only 30% of the larvae that were fed the LD(50) dose and none of the larvae that were fed the LD(95) dose pupated by 18 days PF. Of the control larvae, 95% became adults by 24 days PF, whereas in the treated group only 2% of larvae that were fed the LD(50) dose and none of the larvae that were fed the LD(95) dose became adults by 24 days PF. Some of the virus-treated larvae died as either larval/pupal or pupal/adult intermediates. These phenotypic effects were similar to the larval/pupal and pupal/adult intermediates, resulting from treating larvae with juvenile hormone (JH) or its analogs, which suggests that EPV may cause such abnormalities by modulating JH and/or ecdysteroid titers. In untreated sixth instar larvae the JH titer decreased to low levels by 24 h after ecdysis and remained low throughout larval life. EPV-fed sixth instar larvae had 2112 pg/ml on day 0, 477 pg/ml on day 1 and 875 pg/ml on day 8 of the sixth instar. Control larvae contained 860 ng of ecdysteroids per ml hemolymph on day 8 of the sixth instar, whereas EPV-treated larvae of the same age (30 days PF) had only 107 ng of ecdysteroids per ml of hemolymph. Thus, EPV infection results in increased JH titer and decreased ecdysteroid titer. Northern hybridization analysis was performed using RNA isolated from control and EPV-fed larvae and cDNA probes for (i) juvenile hormone esterase (JHE), which is JH inducible, (ii) Choristoneura hormone receptor 3 (CHR3), which is ecdysteroid inducible, and (iii) larval specific diapause associated protein 1 (DAP1), whose expression is larval specific. EPV-treated larvae showed higher levels of JHE and DAP1 mRNA and lower levels of CHR3 mRNA, indicating that they had higher levels of JH and lower levels of ecdysteroids. Thus, our data show that EPV prevents metamorphosis by modulating ecdysteroid and JH levels.

Glutathione S-transferase from the spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana: identification, characterization, localization, cDNA cloning, and expression.

A 23-kDa protein that was present at higher levels in diapausing 2nd instar larvae than in feeding 2nd instar larvae of Choristoneura fumiferana was purified, and polyclonal antibodies were raised against this protein. The antibodies were subsequently used to screen a cDNA library that was constructed using RNA from 2nd instar larvae. Eight identical cDNA clones were isolated. The cDNA clone had a 665-bp insert and the longest open reading frame coded for a 203-amino acid protein with a predicted molecular mass of 23.37 kDa. The deduced amino acid sequence showed high similarity to glutathione S-transferases and therefore, the cDNA clone was named C. fumiferana glutathione S-transferase (CfGST). Identity of CfGST was confirmed by using affinity-purification as well as enzyme activity assay. CfGST was closer in similarity to insect GST2 members than GST1 members. The apparent Vmax of the purified CfGST towards the substrates glutathione and 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenezene (CDNB) were similar. However, the enzyme had a three-fold higher affinity towards CDNB than glutathione. Analyses using Northern blot, immunoblot and immunocytochemistry demonstrated that the fat body was the major tissue where the enzyme was synthesized and stored. Higher levels of CfGST protein were present in diapausing 2nd instar larvae compared to feeding 2nd and 6th instar larvae, suggesting that besides detoxification CfGST may have other roles during insect development that are not readily apparent at present. The CfGST cDNA was expressed in a recombinant baculovirus expression system and an active enzyme was produced.

Effect of RH-5992 on adult development in the spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana.

The effect of RH-5992 (tebufenozide), a non-steroidal ecdysone agonist, on adult development of the spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana, was investigated by administering the compound intrahemocoelically to pupae on days 1-6 after pupal ecdysis. At concentrations of 200ng/pupa there was significant mortality but at doses of 50-100ng/pupa, the emerging adults displayed wing deformities which reduced their ability to mate and oviposit. Light microscopy of the pupal wings revealed that there was degeneration of the epithelial cells, reduction in the number of veins, precocious cuticle formation and inhibition of growth of normal wing scales. Injection of RH-5992 into pupae resulted in a dose dependent induction of mRNA for ecdysone-induced transcription factor, Choristoneura hormone receptor 3 (CHR3). These results suggest that the pupae respond to RH-5992 in a manner similar to larvae. However, the effects are not expressed overtly and are camouflaged by the pharmacological effects.

An ecdysone-inducible putative "DEAD box" RNA helicase in the spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana).

RNA helicases are a family of enzymes that unwind nucleic acid duplexes, such as RNA/RNA and RNA/DNA, in a 3' to 5' direction into single-stranded polynucleotides. A putative RNA helicase cDNA (CfrHlc64) was isolated from the spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana. CfrHlc64 was 1998 nucleotides in length, and the deduced protein had 565 amino acids with a predicted molecular mass of 64 kDa. It contained eight functional motifs conserved in the "DEAD box" family of RNA helicases. The deduced amino acid sequence showed 10-50% identities to homologues of other species from bacteria to human. In vitro expression of the cDNA resulted in recombinant proteins of 64 kDa as expected from the deduced amino acid sequence. Northern blotting and RT-PCR analyses revealed the presence of CfrHlc64 mRNA in all developmental stages from embryo to adult. Higher levels of CfrHlc64 mRNA were detected in the fat body and midgut than in the epidermis of sixth instar larvae. The CfrHlc64 protein was distributed mainly in the fat body. Female adults expressed CfrHlc64 mRNA at higher levels than male adults. The nonsteroidal ecdysone agonist, tebufenozide, enhanced the expression of CfrHlc64 in a dose-dependent manner.

Temporal, spatial and induced expression of chitinase in the spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana.

Temporal, spatial and induced expression of Choristoneura fumiferana chitinase (CfChitinase) was studied using immunohistochemistry and Western blots. CfChitinase was detected in the integument, the midgut peritrophic membrane, the cuticular lining of the trachea, the spiracle, and salivary glands. The enzyme was expressed as larvae were preparing to molt from one instar to the next. The spatial and temporal expression patterns are consistent with its function in degrading chitin during the molting process. The 20-hydroxyecdysone agonist, tebufenozide (RH5992), induced the expression of the CfChitinase gene in the early stage of the sixth-instar larvae and the enzyme was detected in the epidermis and molting fluid 24 h post treatment.

Concomitant primary infection of the midgut epithelial cells and the hemocytes of Trichoplusia ni by Autographa californica nucleopolyhedrovirus.

We have constructed a modified Autographa californica multicapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) to express the green fluorescent protein (GFP) under the polyhedrin promoter and used it to study the infection process of AcMNPV in Trichoplusia ni larvae. T. ni larvae that ingested the virus showed localized expression of GFP in the midgut epithelial cells and the hemocytes at 12 h post infection (hpi). The presence of GFP-related fluorescence in the midgut columnar cells indicated that the virus was not only replicating, but also synthesizing the late viral proteins. Studies using the transmission electron microscope showed that the virus infected the midgut columnar cells. At the same time a proportion of the parental virus travelled through the midgut epithelial layer, possibly utilizing the plasma membrane reticular system, entered the hemocoel and infected the hemocytes. This resulted in the simultaneous infection of the midgut epithelial cells and the hemocytes. Subsequently, the budded virus (BV) released from the infected hemocytes into the hemolymph caused secondary infection within the tracheal epithelial cells. The virus then rapidly spread through the tracheal system allowing the infection of a variety of other tissues such as the epidermis and the fat body.

Mode of action of the ecdysone agonist tebufenozide (RH-5992), and an exclusion mechanism to explain resistance to it.

Spruce budworm larvae (Choristoneura fumiferana) upon ingesting tebufenozide (RH-5992) stop feeding and go into a precocious, incomplete molt, leading eventually to death. Like 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E), tebufenozide also acts at the receptor level and transactivates the expression of up-regulated genes but, because of its persistence, the down-regulated genes that are normally expressed in the absence of 20E are not expressed. While tebufenozide is lepidopteran-specific, an analog, RH-5849, is effective on dipterans. This is reflected in the respective effects of the two compounds on Cf-203 (C. fumiferana--203), a lepidopteran cell line and Dm-2 (Drosophila melanogaster--2), a dipteran cell line. Cf-203 cells accumulated [14C]tebufenozide and expressed CHR3 (Choristoneura hormone receptor 3), but Dm-2 cells excluded the material and did not express DHR3 (Drosophila hormone receptor 3). Using yeast ABC (ATP binding cassette) transporter mutants, we determined that PDR5 (pleiotropic drug resistance 5) was responsible for the exclusion. We discovered recently that older instars of the white-marked tussock moth (Orgyia leucostigma) are resistant to tebufenozide, perhaps as a result of such an exclusion system. We are currently cloning PDR5 (pleiotropic drug resistance 5), which is an essential step in studying the resistance mechanism.

Adiponectin in pregnancy: implications for health and disease.

Pregnancy is a unique physiologic state that is associated with profound alterations in maternal metabolic, endocrine, and vascular function, designed to ensure the delivery of appropriate energy and nutrition to the developing fetus. In this context, the role of the fat-derived hormone adiponectin is of interest, particularly in light of emerging recognition of the broad array of physiologic processes upon which this adipokine impacts. Indeed, adiponectin has pleiotropic effects on the regulation of energy homeostasis, systemic inflammation, vascular function, cell growth, and even bone metabolism. Thus, in this review, we consider existing evidence for the physiologic role of adiponectin in human gestation and how this protein may be relevant to two major medical disorders of pregnancy: gestational diabetes mellitus and preeclampsia. While studies to date have yielded many conflicting findings pertaining to adiponectin in pregnancy, further investigation in this area is essential. Ultimately, elucidation of adiponectin physiology in the setting of both normal pregnancy and its pathologic conditions may provide unique insight into fundamental processes that are relevant to health and disease in mother and child.