Juvenile hormone receptor relies on conserved domain interfaces for dimerization-dependent activity
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 123 (32). 2026 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2605755123
Lenka Bittova, Sarka Tumova,
Mykola Yatsenko,
Raveendra Babu Mokhamatam,
Roman Tuma and Marek Jindra
Juvenile hormone (JH) sustains development and reproduction of insects, the largest of animal taxa that bears tremendous impact on ecosystems, agriculture, and transmission of infectious diseases. JH action depends on receptor proteins that, when bound by the hormonal ligand, form a gene-regulatory nuclear complex. Mechanisms of the JH receptor activation remain unclear. Our study identifies evolutionarily conserved sites within the JH receptor protein that are essential for its ligand-dependent transition from a cytoplasmic chaperone assembly to the DNA-bound complex that actively engages in transcriptional regulation. These results provide insights essential for our understanding of molecular principles that govern JH signaling and underlie the effects of the vital endocrine signal.
This work is a result of ongoing colaboration between Institute of Entomology (Czech Academy of Sciences) and Faculty of Science (University of South Bohemia).
Funded by Czech Science Foundation award GACR 25-17423S
Mykola Yatsenko,
Raveendra Babu Mokhamatam,
Roman Tuma and Marek Jindra
Juvenile hormone (JH) sustains development and reproduction of insects, the largest of animal taxa that bears tremendous impact on ecosystems, agriculture, and transmission of infectious diseases. JH action depends on receptor proteins that, when bound by the hormonal ligand, form a gene-regulatory nuclear complex. Mechanisms of the JH receptor activation remain unclear. Our study identifies evolutionarily conserved sites within the JH receptor protein that are essential for its ligand-dependent transition from a cytoplasmic chaperone assembly to the DNA-bound complex that actively engages in transcriptional regulation. These results provide insights essential for our understanding of molecular principles that govern JH signaling and underlie the effects of the vital endocrine signal.
This work is a result of ongoing colaboration between Institute of Entomology (Czech Academy of Sciences) and Faculty of Science (University of South Bohemia).
Funded by Czech Science Foundation award GACR 25-17423S