Publicaties
System-wide mapping of peptide-GPCR interactions in C. elegans KU Leuven Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie
Neuropeptides and peptide hormones are ancient, widespread signaling molecules that underpin almost all brain functions. They constitute a broad ligand-receptor network, mainly by binding to G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). However, the organization of the peptidergic network and roles of many peptides remain elusive, as our insight into peptide-receptor interactions is limited and many peptide GPCRs are still orphan receptors. Here we ...
Ancestral glycoprotein hormone-receptor pathway controls growth in C. elegans KU Leuven
In vertebrates, thyrostimulin is a highly conserved glycoprotein hormone that, besides thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), is a potent ligand of the TSH receptor. Thyrostimulin is considered the most ancestral glycoprotein hormone and orthologs of its subunits, GPA2 and GPB5, are widely conserved across vertebrate and invertebrate animals. Unlike TSH, however, the functions of the thyrostimulin neuroendocrine system remain largely unexplored. ...
Yolk-deprived Caenorhabditis elegans secure brood size at the expense of competitive fitness. KU Leuven
Oviparous animals support reproduction via the incorporation of yolk as a nutrient source into the eggs. In Caenorhabditis elegans, however, yolk proteins seem dispensable for fecundity, despite constituting the vast majority of the embryonic protein pool and acting as carriers for nutrient-rich lipids. Here, we used yolk protein-deprived C. elegans mutants to gain insight into the traits that may yet be influenced by yolk rationing. We show ...
CDK12 orchestrates super-enhancer-associated CCDC137 transcription to direct hepatic metastasis in colorectal cancer KU Leuven
BACKGROUND: Hepatic metastasis is the primary and direct cause of death in individuals with colorectal cancer (CRC) attribute to lack of effective therapeutic targets. The present study aimed to identify potential druggable candidate targets for patients with liver metastatic CRC. METHODS: The transcriptional profiles of super-enhancers (SEs) in primary and liver metastatic CRC were evaluated in publicly accessible CRC datasets. ...
Key role of juvenile hormone in controlling reproductive diapause in females of the Asian lady beetle Harmonia axyridis KU Leuven
BACKGROUND: The Asian lady beetle Harmonia axyridis is an important predator of several agricultural pests, including aphids and whiteflies, and thus can contribute to pest management. Commercial viability as a pest control method requires that the beetle can be mass-reared, and that workable conditions for extended shelf-life can be guaranteed. One of the features of Harmonia's life cycle is that it enters diapause in the adult stage when the ...
Culex quinquefasciatus Late Trypsin Biosynthesis Is Translationally Regulated by Trypsin Modulating Oostatic Factor KU Leuven
Trypsin is a serine protease that is synthesized by the gut epithelial cells of female mosquitoes; it is the enzyme that digests the blood meal. To study its molecular regulation, Culex quinquefasciatus late trypsin was purified by diethylaminoethyl (DEAE), affinity, and C18 reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) steps, and the N-terminal amino acid sequence was determined for molecular cloning. Five overlapping segments of ...
A conserved neuropeptide system links head and body motor circuits to enable adaptive behavior KU Leuven
Neuromodulators promote adaptive behaviors that are often complex and involve concerted activity changes across circuits that are often not physically connected. It is not well understood how neuromodulatory systems accomplish these tasks. Here, we show that the Caenorhabditis elegans NLP-12 neuropeptide system shapes responses to food availability by modulating the activity of head and body wall motor neurons through alternate G-protein coupled ...