temporal and spatial expression patterns of gene EcMFE, relative expression profiles of EcMFE in tissues and developmental stages, overview. The expression level of EcMFE is high in the first instar larval stage. Transcripts of EcMFE, EcJHEH and EcJHAMT show a similar tendency with the cantharidin production in male blister beetles after mating
gene mfe expression and juvenile hormone, JH, titers in the life cycle of the highly eusocial stingless bee, hemolymph JH titers for all life cycle stages of Melipona scutellaris queens and workers, overview. The JH titer is high in the second larval instar, drops in the third, and rises again as the larvae enter metamorphosis. During the pupal stage, mfe expression is initialy elevated, but then gradually drops to low levels before adult emergence. No variation is seen in the JH titer. In adult virgin queens, mfe expression and the JH titer are significantly elevated, possibly associated with their reproductive potential. For workers, JH titers are lower in foragers than in nurse bees, while mfe expression does not differ
the methyl farnesoate epoxidase gene (MFE) is an indicator of juvenile hormone production. Virgin queens are distinguished by higher expression of forkhead box protein O and downregulated insulin-like peptides and juvenile hormone signaling, indicated by low expression of methyl farnesoate epoxidase (MFE) and transcription factor Krüppel homolog 1 (Kr-h1), while reproducing queens reveal an upregulation of MFE and vitellogenin together with insulin signaling. Workers exhibit an expression pattern of MFE and vitellogenin similar to that of reproducing queens. Males aere characterized by high Kr-h1expression and low vitellogenin level
BgInR knockdown leads to a severe inhibition of juvenile hormone synthesis in adult female corpora allata, with a concomitant reduction of mRNA levels corresponding to 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) synthase-1, HMG-CoA synthase-2, HMG-CoA reductase and methyl farnesoate epoxidase, phenotype, overview
juvenile hormone is finally synthesized via methylation and epoxidation regulated by JH acid O-methyltransferase (JHAMT) and methyl farnesoate epoxidase (MFE), respectively. Genes EcMFE and EcJHEH may be involved in the biosynthesis of cantharidin, but juvenile hormone III (JH III) might not be the direct precursor of cantharidin. Cantharidin is a monoterpene that is proposed to be constituted of two isoprene units. Cantharidin is biosynthesized via the mevalonate pathway that can also synthesize JH III
EcMFE RNAi-mediated knockdown. In EcMFE dsRNA treatment, there are no significant differences between the treated group and controls until the 5th day after injection, when compared on cantharidin content, the cantharidin content is significantly reduced on the 7th day after injection
Methyl farnesoate epoxidase (mfe) gene expression and juvenile hormone titers in the life cycle of a highly eusocial stingless bee, Melipona scutellaris