保幼激素信号促进排卵和维持卵形状的分子机制

保幼激素(Juvenile Hormone, JH)在昆虫成虫中是一种促性腺激素，调控雌性成虫脂肪体卵黄蛋白原(Vitellogenin, Vg)的合成和释放，也可以通过Patency现象调控卵巢滤泡细胞介导Vg的吸收，促进卵巢的发育成熟。前期实验显示，JH信号通路受体的突变体果蝇Met27和Gce2.5K，均生殖力下降，但有意思的是，还产生卵巢变大、卵形状变短的表型。为了探究JH信号是否存在新的机制调控昆虫生殖。本项目以经典的模式动物黑腹果蝇、家蚕和褐飞虱为材料，深入研究：（1）JH信号在果蝇卵巢中直接激活的细胞定位；（2）验证JH信号在卵子发生过程中的新功能；（3）解析JH信号调控排卵和维持卵的形状的分子机理，并在家蚕和褐飞虱中进行保守性验证。本项目旨在揭示昆虫JH信号促进排卵和维持卵形状这一全新机制，完善激素调控生殖的理论体系。

Juvenile hormone (JH) represents a family of sesquiterpene hormone unique to insects. JH is a gonadotropic hormone not only stimulate vitellogenesis through activating the production and released, but also regulate the uptake of vitellogenin by patency in adult insects. It was pervious found that mutations in the JH receptor genes, Met27 and Gce2.5K: fecundity decreased with enlargement ovary size and reduced egg length. In this study, we aim to explore a new mechanism of JH signaling, which sheds light on hormone-regulated reproduction in Drosophila melanogaster, Bombyx mori and Nilaparvata lugens. Three major research contents are included. (1) To determine whether JH signaling is directly activated on the ovary. (2) To verify what the new function of JH signaling in ovarian cells. (3) Explore the molecular mechanism how juvenile hormone signaling promotes ovulation and maintains egg shape, and conduct evolutionary conservation of JH signaling in Bombyx mori and Nilaparvata lugens. The achievements of this project will elucidate the molecular mechanism of JH signaling promotes ovulation and maintains egg shape, and improve the theoretical of hormone-regulated reproduction in Drosophila.