Serotonin modulates insect hemocyte phagocytosis via two different serotonin receptors.

Serotonin (5-HT) modulates both neural and immune responses in vertebrates, but its role in insect immunity remains uncertain. We report that hemocytes in the caterpillar, Pieris rapae are able to synthesize 5-HT following activation by lipopolysaccharide. The inhibition of a serotonin-generating enzyme with either pharmacological blockade or RNAi knock-down impaired hemocyte phagocytosis. Biochemical and functional experiments showed that naive hemocytes primarily express 5-HT1B and 5-HT2B receptors. The blockade of 5-HT1B significantly reduced phagocytic ability; however, the blockade of 5-HT2B increased hemocyte phagocytosis. The 5-HT1B-null Drosophila melanogaster mutants showed higher mortality than controls when infected with bacteria, due to their decreased phagocytotic ability. Flies expressing 5-HT1B or 5-HT2B RNAi in hemocytes also showed similar sensitivity to infection. Combined, these data demonstrate that 5-HT mediates hemocyte phagocytosis through 5-HT1B and 5-HT2B receptors and serotonergic signaling performs critical modulatory functions in immune systems of animals separated by 500 million years of evolution.

Larvae of the small white butterfly, Pieris rapae, express a novel serotonin receptor.

The biogenic amine serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) is a neurotransmitter in vertebrates and invertebrates. It acts in regulation and modulation of many physiological and behavioral processes through G-protein-coupled receptors. Five 5-HT receptor subtypes have been reported in Drosophila that share high similarity with mammalian 5-HT1A, 5-HT1B, 5-HT2A, 5-HT2B, and 5-HT7 receptors. We isolated a cDNA (Pr5-HT8 ) from larval Pieris rapae, which shares relatively low similarity to the known 5-HT receptor classes. After heterologous expression in HEK293 cells, Pr5-HT8 mediated increased [Ca(2+)]i in response to low concentrations (< 10 nM) of 5-HT. The receptor did not affect [cAMP]i even at high concentrations (> 10 µM) of 5-HT. Dopamine, octopamine, and tyramine did not influence receptor signaling. Pr5-HT8 was also activated by various 5-HT receptor agonists including 5-methoxytryptamine, (±)-8-Hydroxy-2-(dipropylamino) tetralin, and 5-carboxamidotryptamine. Methiothepin, a non-selective 5-HT receptor antagonist, activated Pr5-HT8 . WAY 10635, a 5-HT1A antagonist, but not SB-269970, SB-216641, or RS-127445, inhibited 5-HT-induced [Ca(2+)]i increases. We infer that Pr5-HT8 represents the first recognized member of a novel 5-HT receptor class with a unique pharmacological profile. We found orthologs of Pr5-HT8 in some insect pests and vectors such as beetles and mosquitoes, but not in the genomes of honeybee or parasitoid wasps. This is likely to be an invertebrate-specific receptor because there were no similar receptors in mammals. We isolated a cDNA (Pr5-HT8) from larval Pieris rapae, which shares relatively low similarity to the known GPCRs. After heterologous expression in HEK293 cells, Pr5-HT8 mediated increased [Ca(2+)]i in response to low concentrations (< 10 nM) of 5-HT and various 5-HT receptor agonists. We found orthologs of Pr5-HT8 in some insect pests and vectors such as beetles and mosquitoes, but not in the genomes of honeybee, parasitoid wasps, or mammals.

Two splicing variants of a novel family of octopamine receptors with different signaling properties.

The octopamine and tyramine, as the invertebrate counterparts of the vertebrate adrenergic transmitters, control and modulate many physiological and behavioral processes. Both molecules mediate their effects by binding to specific receptors belonging to the superfamily of G-protein-coupled receptors. So far, four families of octopamine and tyramine receptors have been reported. Here, we described the functional characterization of one putative octopamine/tyramine receptor gene from the rice stem borer, Chilo suppressalis. By a mechanism of alternative splicing, this receptor gene (CsOA3) encodes two molecularly distinct transcripts, CsOA3S and CsOA3L. CsOA3L differs from CsOA3S on account of the presence of an additional 30 amino acids within the third intracellular loop. When heterologously expressed, both receptors cause increases of intracellular Ca(2+) concentration. The short form, CsOA3S, was activated by both octopamine and tyramine, resulting in decreased intracellular cAMP levels ([cAMP]i ) in a dose-dependent manner, whereas dopamine and serotonin are not effective. However, CsOA3L did not show any impact on [cAMP]i . Studies with series of agonists and antagonists confirmed that CsOA3 has a different pharmacological profile from that of other octopamine receptor families. The CsOA3 is, to our knowledge, a novel family of insect octopamine receptors.