Crustacean methyl farnesoate–binding protein is an insect juvenile hormone–binding protein homolog that inhibits molting

作者：Hao Yang, Ting Chen, Xin Zhang, Mingyu Zhou, Lvping Zhang, Aifen Yan, Weihao Chen, Guiling Tan, Jingxuan Liang, Chunhua Ren, Xiaoli Chen, Zhi Li, Yao Ruan, Jiaxi Li, Hongmei Li, Peng Luo, Yanhong Wang, Xiao Jiang, Jiayue Yin, Bo Ma, Chunhua Zhu, Xugan Wu, Jiquan Zhang, Chaoqun Hu · 发表于：Journal of Biological Chemistry · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1016/j.jbc.2025.110297 · 被引用次数：3 · 研究领域：Insect Resistance and Genetics、Neurobiology and Insect Physiology Research、Insect-Plant Interactions and Control

Methyl farnesoate (MF) serves as an essential regulator of key developmental processes in crustaceans, similar to juvenile hormones (JHs) in insects. However, it is susceptible to degradation in circulation. Despite the detection of proteins binding to MF in crustacean hemolymph for 3 decades, the precise genes encoding these proteins remain unclear. The present study identifies genes in crustaceans containing the juvenile hormone-binding protein (JHBP) domain. Among the 11 JHBPs found in the Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei), XP_027209752.1, which is primarily expressed in the hepatopancreas, emerges as the predominant form. This protein exhibits selective binding to MF rather than to JHs, leading to its designation as a methyl farnesoate-binding protein (MFBP) in crustaceans. Alterations in the amino acid sequence are predicted to induce structural changes that enhance the affinity of MFBP for MF. Endogenous MFBP inhibits molting, consistent with the function of MF. Furthermore, positive regulation of MFBP by MF has been observed in hepatopancreatic primary cells, with similar trends of hepatopancreatic MFBP mRNA and hemolymph MF levels during molting and ovarian development. This study identifies a novel MFBP in crustaceans that, despite being a homolog of insect JHBP, specifically binds MF to regulate molting in penaeid shrimp. These findings may advance our understanding of crustacean endocrine regulation and provide a molecular basis for improving their aquacu...