Mutational analysis of the N-terminus in Schistocerca gregaria ion-transport peptide expressed in Drosophila Kc1 cells

The functions of the 6-7 amino acid N-terminal domain conserved in insect and crustacean members of the hyperglycemic hormone (CHH) family were assayed by site-directed mutagenesis of Schistocerca gregaria ion-transport peptide (SchgrITP). Mutant peptides were expressed in Drosophila Kc1 cells and tested in a biological assay measuring stimulation of active Cl(-) transport across the locust ileum. We exchanged the N-terminal domain of SchgrITP with that of the shrimp Penaeus japonicus hyperglycemic hormone leaving the remainder of SchgrITP intact. The chimeric peptide was completely inactive in the ileal bioassay, showing that the N-terminus of SchgrITP is essential and that the 2 amino acids (phenylalanine-3 and aspartate-4) conserved in the shrimp and locust peptides are not sufficient for function. We made all possible alanine substitutions in the SchgrITP N-terminal domain. Only phenylalanines 2 and 3 were essential for function in the locust ileal bioassay. All N-terminal mutations were cleaved correctly from the prepropeptide, and expressed in similar concentrations as wild-type ITP suggesting the specific amino acids are not essential for these functions. Post-translational modification may explain a minor ITP isomorph observed in Drosophila Kc1 cell expression. Alanine substitution at position 2 produced a weak ITP antagonist. These structure-function studies, the first for any member of the CHH family, show that both conserved and unconserved amino acids contribute to SchgrITP ion-transport function and that the conserved aspartate in position 4 is required for a yet uncharacterized function.     

Cloning and sequence analysis of membrane-bound alkaline phosphatase cDNA of the silkworm, Bombyx mori.

The nucleotide sequence (1974 bp) of cDNA coding for membrane-bound alkaline phosphatases (m-ALP) of Bombyx mori was isolated. The cDNA clone contained an open reading frame encoding a polypeptide (547 amino acids), which contains a hydrophobic signal peptide of 36 amino acids and the mature protein of 511 amino acids (Mr = 56,163). We found a highly hydrophobic domain presumed to be a membrane anchoring region at the C-terminus. Comparing analysis between Bombyx m-ALP and mammalian and Escherichia coli ALPs suggested an evolutionary relationship of sharing a common ancestral gene.     

家蚕瘫痪肽结合蛋白基因克隆与分析

ENF肽家族具有保守的N末端结构（Glu—Asn—Phe-）。该家族成员肽大多具有重叠功能活性,在鳞翅目昆虫的免疫反应,生长调控和自体调节等方面都发挥着重要的作用。在昆虫的免疫反应中,血细胞尤其是淋巴液的黏附性是针对外来侵入物的免疫应答过程中的重要因素。家蚕瘫痪肽（paralytic peptide）是ENF肽家族的一种,其具有多种的生物学活性,包括致瘫痪性及在家蚕血细胞免疫反应中的促吞噬细胞扩散活性。ENF肽家族的另一成员,粘虫（Pseudaletia separata）的生长阻抑肽（Growth-blocking peptide）,同家蚕瘫痪肽一样能够在粘虫的血细胞免疫反应中起到调节吞噬细胞的功能。目前,关于昆虫细胞免疫应答的终端调控分子机制的研究还比较少,有文献报道粘虫的生长阻抑肽结合蛋白（GBP—BP）能够起到沉默生长阻抑肽活性的功能,从而可能参与调节细胞免疫应答的终端调控。在本研究中,利用荧光差异显示技术（FDD）分析了家蚕感染BmNPV病毒后基因表达差异情况,在血淋巴中获得了一条差异条带G12782＊通过5＇-RACE技术,首次在家蚕中克隆得到了该基因的全长cDNA序列。通过同源性分析得知,该基因所编码的蛋白质与粘虫的生长阻抑肽结合蛋白具有很大的同源性,并被命名为家蚕瘫痪肽结合蛋白（Bmori paralytic peptide binding protein,PP-BP）。通过RT-PCR研究发现,该蛋白基因在血淋巴中大量表达。同时,利用实时荧光定量PCR（Real-time quantitative PCR）技术分析了该基因在正常饲养家蚕与添食BmNPV病毒的家蚕中的表达差异,结果显示该基因在家蚕添食BmNPV病毒后的表达量大大增强,这就暗示该基因可能与BmNPV病毒刺激后所引起的家蚕血液细胞免疫反应相关。利用生物信息学方法对该基因的结构进行了分析,发现该基因具有两个外显子和一个内含子。这个基因已经登入GenBank数据库,收入号为DQ306881。     

家蚕磷酸吡哆醛激酶cDNA的克隆和酶活表征

吡哆醛激酶 (EC 2.7.1.35) 在 ATP 和 Zn2 的存在下,催化吡哆醛的磷酸化反应生成磷酸吡哆醛 (PLP)。在生物体内许多酶促反应中,PLP 是一种重要的辅酶因子。家蚕和哺乳动物一样,需依赖食物中的维生素 B6前体来合成 PLP。文章描述了利用家蚕基因组数据库序列信息及使用 PCR 方法,克隆出编码家蚕吡哆醛激酶的 cDNA (GenBank 登录号:DQ452397)。克隆到的 cDNA 含有一个 894 bp 的完整可读框,编码一条分子量为 33.1 kDa,含 298 个氨基酸残基的蛋白质。序列比对显示此蛋白质序列与人类吡哆醛激酶蛋白序列具有 48.6%的同一性,包含吡哆醛激酶家族共有的特征保守序列,但其氨基酸残基数比哺乳动物和植物克隆到的吡哆醛激酶残基数均少 10 多个残基。多序列比对结果显示,吡哆醛激酶中几个有关键功能且在哺乳动物和植物中均保守的氨基酸残基在此蛋白中被替换为其他种类氨基酸残基。采用 T7 启动子和 T7 聚合酶表达系统对克隆到的 cDNA 进行了原核表达并对表达粗提产物进行了酶活检测。实验结果显示表达得到的可溶性蛋白产物占其总蛋白量为 10%,细胞粗提物具有活力为 30 nmol/min/mg 的吡哆醛激酶活性,结果证实了克隆到的 cDNA 编码家蚕中的吡哆醛激酶。     

Molecular cloning and characterization of a cDNA encoding a transferrin homolog from Bombyx mori

We isolated a cDNA representing a message that was strongly induced by injection with E. coli in Bombyx mori. The 2160 bp cDNA has an open reading frame of 644 amino acids and the deduced product a predicted molecular mass of 71 kDa. The cDNA sequence shared high homology with the transferrins known so far, and its deduced peptide had unique features of transferrins, that is, sites of cystein residues and iron binding. We suggest that the B. mori transferrin plays an important role in the self-defense system.     

家蚕浓核病毒(镇江)株主要结构蛋白基因的克隆及表达

家蚕浓核病毒(Bombyx mori densovirus,BmDNV)是一种昆虫细小病毒.与其它昆虫细小病毒感染昆虫体内多种组织不同,家蚕浓核病毒只感染家蚕中肠上皮组织的圆筒型细胞,感染该病毒细胞的细胞核可以被孚尔根和甲基绿浓染,在病毒感染的早期中肠上皮组织细胞数量增加,形成褶皱,最后感染细胞脱落到肠腔中[1-3].自从20世纪70年代末日本学者证实家蚕浓核病是由于家蚕浓核病毒感染引起的以来[4],已经分离得到了多个病毒株系[5-8].根据它们在血清学、理化特性、品种感受性和病理特征等方面的差异,分为BmDNV-1(伊那株)和BmDNV-2(以山梨株为代表)[8-11].     

cDNA cloning and mRNA expression of LIM protein gene homologue from the silkworm, Bombyx mori

LIM protein cDNA, from Bombyx mori that contains an open reading frame of 622 bp encoding 94 amino acids, was identified and characterized. The B. mori LIM protein homologue is classified into group 2 LIM proteins that contain glycine-rich LIM domain. B. mori LIM protein mRNA is up-regulated at late embryogenesis and detected in the mid-gut of 5th instar larvae.     

野蚕黑卵蜂寄主识别利它素的纯化及氨基酸组成分析

针对利它素特殊的物理及化学性质 ,采用特定的温度分离方法 ,成功地从野蚕Theophilamandarina和家蚕Bombyxmori的雌蛾性附腺中分别获得了纯度较高的野蚕黑卵蜂Telenomustheophilae寄主识别利它素。对这两种利它素氨基酸组成的分析表明 ,来自家蚕和野蚕雌蛾性附腺的利它素在氨基酸的组成和含量方面非常相似 ,在检测到的 15种氨基酸中 ,甘氨酸、谷氨酸和天冬氨酸的克分子百分数在 10 %以上。从家蚕得到的分别为 2 8 1%、 18 5 %和 12 6 %。从野蚕得到的分别为 2 4 4%、18 1%和 10 1%。这 3种氨基酸之和在家蚕和野蚕中均超过 5 0 %以上。用凝胰乳蛋白酶对这两种利它素进行水解时发现溶液中均产生非水溶性沉淀 ,电泳表明沉淀的多肽蛋白分子量在 10kD左右。这显示在野蚕和家蚕利它素结构中 ,有着与家蚕丝蛋白相类似的结构 ,存在着结晶区域 (沉淀 )和无定形区域 (上清 )。     

New insights into evolution of crustacean hyperglycaemic hormone in decapods--first characterization in Anomura

The neuropeptides of the crustacean hyperglycaemic hormone (CHH) family are encoded by a multigene family and are involved in a wide spectrum of essential functions. In order to characterize CHH family peptides in one of the last groups of decapods not yet investigated, CHH was studied in two anomurans: the hermit crab Pagurus bernhardus and the squat lobster Galathea strigosa. Using RT-PCR and 3' and 5' RACE methods, a preproCHH cDNA was cloned from the major neuroendocrine organs (X-organs) of these two species. Hormone precursors deduced from these cDNAs in P. bernhardus and G. strigosa are composed of signal peptides of 29 and 31 amino acids, respectively, and CHH precursor-related peptides (CPRPs) of 50 and 40 amino acids, respectively, followed by a mature hormone of 72 amino acids. The presence of these predicted CHHs and their related CPRPs was confirmed by performing MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry on sinus glands, the main neurohaemal organs of decapods. These analyses also suggest the presence, in sinus glands of both species, of a peptide related to the moult-inhibiting hormone (MIH), another member of the CHH family. Accordingly, immunostaining of the X-organ/sinus gland complex of P. bernhardus with heterologous anti-CHH and anti-MIH sera showed the presence of distinct cells producing CHH and MIH-like proteins. A phylogenetic analysis of CHHs, including anomuran sequences, based on maximum-likelihood methods, was performed. The phylogenetic position of this taxon, as a sister group to Brachyura, is in agreement with previously reported results, and confirms the utility of CHH as a molecular model for understanding inter-taxa relationships. Finally, the paraphyly of penaeid CHHs and the structural diversity of CPRPs are discussed.     

家蚕抗菌肽CMIV基因结构改造及表达产物的研究

参照天然抗菌肽ＣＭＩＶ组分的氨基酸序列,作了近５０％的改动,根据大肠杆菌偏爱的密码子,设计并人工合成了抗菌肽基因片段．将人工合成的抗菌肽类ＣＭＩＶ基因先重组到测序载体ｐＵＣ１１８上,经过序列分析,发现克隆于载体ｐＵＣ１１８上的基因片段与设计的序列完全一致．再将该基因片段重组到表达载体ｐＥＴ２８（ａ）上,抗菌肽以融合蛋白的形式表达．融合蛋白经镍－金属离子胶亲和层析纯化后,再用ＣＮＢｒ裂解,最终产物具有与天然抗菌肽相同的生物学活性     

IN VITRO ANTIVIRAL ACTIVITY OF AN ALKALINE TRYPSIN FROM THE DIGESTIVE JUICE OF Bombyx mori LARVAE AGAINST NUCLEOPOLYHEDROVIRUS

Alkaline trypsin protein of molecular mass 25,436 Da purified from the digestive juice of Bombyx mori larvae indicated strong antiviral activity against Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) under in vitro conditions. Partial N-terminal amino acid sequence of the protein was determined and the cDNA was cloned based on the amino acid sequence. A homology search of the deduced amino acid sequence of the cDNA showed 55% identity with Helicoverpa armigera trypsin and the active site of this protein was completely conserved. Hence, the protein was designated B. mori trypsin (Bmtryp). The results suggest that Bmtryp, an insect digestive enzyme, can be a potential antiviral factor against BmNPV at the initial site of viral infection.     

Isolation and nucleotide sequence of cecropin B cDNA clones from the silkworm, Bombyx mori.

Two cDNA clones encoding cecropin B, an antibacterial protein, were isolated from a fat body cDNA library of the silkworm, Bombyx mori. Amino acid sequences of these clones, deduced from nucleotide sequences, were identical, including signal peptide regions. However, the nucleotide sequences were different at 30 positions. Deduced amino acid sequences of Bombyx mori cecropin B showed higher homology with cecropins from Lepidoptera than with those from Diptera.     

Polycalin (chlorophyllid A binding protein): a novel, very large fluorescent lipocalin from the midgut of the domestic silkworm Bombyx mori L

We studied a protein from the midgut of the silkworm Bombyx mori characterized by its ability to bind the prosthetic group of chlorophyll, that confers fluorescent properties to this protein. Several techniques, 2D electrophoresis purification, MS-MS and Maldi-TOF peptide sequencing, RT-PCR and nucleotide sequencing were used to obtain the nucleotide sequence and the deduced amino acid sequence. The coding sequence was compared to the gene sequence to define the number and size of introns and exons.The gene spanned 45.5 kb of DNA and consisted of 46 exons. The cDNA encoded a protein of 2721 amino acids.The protein was identified as a lipocalin with novel features. Most lipocalins are proteins with high affinity to small lipophilic molecules, with a molecular size in the 25 kDa range and a well conserved tertiary structure. The apoprotein described here revealed 15 lipocalin like structures, in line. We called this protein a polycalin (pentadecacalin).     

柞蚕Septin基因的克隆及表达分析

Septin蛋白参与了细胞分裂、细胞内物质转运、细胞周期调控及细胞凋亡等生理反应,并且发现与肿瘤发生、神经功能障碍和病原物侵染的过程直接相关。研究克隆了柞蚕septin基因全长,序列分析表明septin基因全长1904 bp,开放阅读框长度为1137 bp,编码378个氨基酸。多重序列比对分析表明柞蚕septin与家蚕及黑脉金斑蝶septin相似性最高,聚为一类。实时定量PCR结果表明柞蚕septin基因在各个组织中都有表达,但在血细胞中表达量最高,其次是表皮,而在丝腺中表达量最低。通过构建原核表达载体,柞蚕septin蛋白在大肠杆菌中成功诱导表达。     

Structural and functional analysis of the Xestia c-nigrum granulovirus matrix metalloproteinase

Sequence analysis of the Xestia c-nigrum granulovirus (XcGV) genome identified an open reading frame encoding a 469-amino-acid (54-kDa) protein with over 30% amino acid sequence identity to a region of about 150 amino acids that includes the catalytic domains of human stromelysin 1 (Str1)/matrix metalloproteinase 3 (MMP-3) (EC 3.4.24.17) and sea urchin hatching enzyme (HE). Stromelysin homologs have not been reported from baculoviruses or other viruses. Unlike human Str1 and sea urchin HE, the putative XcGV-MMP does not have a signal peptide and lacks the peptide motif involved in the cysteine switch that maintains other MMPs in an inactive form. The putative XcGV-MMP, however, possesses a conserved zinc-binding motif in its putative catalytic domain. The XcGV-MMP homolog was cloned, and a recombinant Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) that expresses XcGV-MMP under the polyhedrin promoter was constructed. A distinct pattern of melanization was observed in B. mori larvae infected with MMP-expressing BmNPV. Fat body extracts from larvae overexpressing the 54-kDa recombinant MMP digested dye-impregnated collagen (Azocoll). The enzymatic activity was inhibited by two metalloproteinase inhibitors, EDTA and 1,10-phenanthroline. These results suggest that the XcGV MMP-3 gene homolog encodes a functional metalloproteinase.     

Isolation,characterization, and cDNA sequence of a carotenoid binding protein from the silk gland of Bombyx mori larvae

A carotenoid binding protein (CBP) has been isolated from the silk glands of Bombyx mori larvae. The protein has an apparent molecular mass of 33 kDa and binds carotenoids in a 1:1 molar ratio. Lutein accounts for 90% of the bound carotenoids, whereas alpha-carotene and beta-carotene are minor components. Immunological analysis demonstrated the presence of CBP only in the yellow-colored tissues of the silk gland, midgut, testis, and ovary. Several phenotypes of B. mori mutants linked to carotenoid transport have been utilized to characterize CBP. The Y (yellow hemolymph) gene controls uptake of carotenoids from the midgut lumen into the midgut epithelium, and larvae with the +(Y) gene lack this property. Immunoblotting analysis confirmed the presence of CBP in mutants with the dominant Y gene only. Immunohistochemistry verified the localization of CBP in the villi of the midgut epithelium, indicating that CBP might be involved in absorption of carotenoids. A cDNA clone for CBP encoding a protein of 297 amino acids has been isolated from the B. mori silk gland cDNA library. The deduced amino acid sequence revealed that CBP is a novel member of the steroidogenic acute regulatory (StAR) protein family with its unique structural feature of a StAR-related lipid transfer domain, known to aid in lipid transfer and recognition. Lutein-binding capacity of the recombinant CBP (rCBP) determined by incubating rCBP with lutein followed by immunoprecipitation using anti-CBP IgG conjugated to protein A-Sepharose, demonstrated the formation of a lutein-rCBP complex. Sequence analyses coupled with binding specificity suggest that CBP is a new member of the StAR protein family that binds carotenoids rather than cholesterol.     

Effect of a glycine residue insertion into crustacean hyperglycemic hormone on hormonal activity

Crustacean hyperglycemic hormone (CHH) and molt-inhibiting hormone (MIH) have similar amino acid sequences and therefore comprise a peptide family referred to as the CHH family. All MIHs unexceptionally have an additional glycine residue at position 12, which is lacking in all CHHs. In order to understand the relevance of the absence of the glycine residue for hyperglycemic activity, a mutant CHH having a glycine residue insertion was prepared, and its hyperglycemic activity was assessed. This mutant CHH had the same disulfide bond arrangement as the recombinant CHH produced in Escherichia coli cells, and exhibited a similar circular dichroism spectrum to the recombinant CHH, indicating that the two CHHs possessed similar conformations. The mutant CHH showed a hyperglycemic effect weaker than the recombinant CHH by about one order of magnitude. These results suggest that the insertion of a glycine residue is one of the indices for structural and functional divergence of the CHH family peptides.     

一个新的家蚕LIMonly蛋白基因的序列分析和原核表达

LIM蛋白是一类含有LIM结构域的真核蛋白家族,它可介导细胞分化和发育,转录调控和激活、参与细胞骨架形成等多种重要的生物调节过程。从家蚕蛹cDNA文库获得一个新的编码LIM only蛋白的基因,我们将其命名为BmLIMO（BombyxmoriLIMonly protein）。该基因ORF长度为561 bp,编码长度为186个氨基酸残基的蛋白质,预测分子量为21.6 kDa,等电点为9.14。对BmLIMO基因进行了生物信息学方面的分析,并用DNA重组技术将Bm-LIMO片段克隆到原核表达载体pET-28α中,在大肠杆菌BL21（DE3）中成功表达了可溶性BmLIMO蛋白,这为进一步研究该蛋白功能奠定了基础。     

Cloning and Characterization of Bombyx mori PP-BP a Gene Induced by Viral Infection

The ENF peptide family, so termed after the consensus sequence in their amino termini (Glu-Asn-Phe-), is assumed to play multiple important roles in defense reactions, growth regulation, and homeostasis of Lepidopteran insects. The paralytic peptide of Bombyx mori (BmPP) is one such peptide that is involved in the paralytic and plasmatocyte-spreading activities in the hemocyte immune reaction. The growth-blocking peptide of Pseudaletia separata (PsGBP), which is also a member of the ENF peptide family, has similar functions that can reportedly be attenuated by the growth-blocking peptide-binding protein (GBP-BP). Using the fluorescent differential display (FDD) technique, the differential expression pattern of genes in highly susceptible silkworm strain 306 were analyzed, following infection with B. mori nuclear polyhedrosis virus (BmNPV), and a differential band (G12₇₈₂) was obtained from the hemolymph RNA pools. Using 5′-RACE with a specially designed primer based on the FDD study, a 1 401 bp cDNA clone was obtained containing a 1 311 bp open reading frame (ORF, GenBank accession number DQ306881). The deduced protein was highly homologous in primary structure to GBP-BP and was termed B. mori paralytic peptide-binding protein (PP-BP). The B. mori PP-BP gene is organized into two exons and only one intron, using bioinformatics searches.Using RT-PCR analysis, it was found that the B. mori PP-BP gene was expressed almost exclusively in the hemolymph. Real-time quantitative PCR analysis indicated that the B. mori PP-BP mRNA level in B. mori strain 306 exposed to BmNPV was much higher than that in B. mori strain without the virus infection. This result implies that the B. mori PP-BP is related to the cellular immune response after BmNPV invades the hemolymph.     

Small GTP binding proteins: Rab GTPases from the brain of Bombyx mori

From a mRNA of the brain of Bombyx mori, we isolated 8 cDNA clones (BRabs), each of which encodes a different member of Rab-protein family. Four of them have more than 80% amino acid identity to the corresponding members of Drosophila Rab proteins. The other 4 proteins show low sequence similarity to any of the known Rab proteins. However, all of them contain the region conserved in rab protein. Using RACE (Rapid Amplification of cDNA ends), the one full-length cDNA clone (BRab14) was isolated. The clone was expressed in Escherichia coli as a glutathione S-transferase (GST) fusion protein. After purification, the fusion protein was cut with protease to remove GST-Tag and applied to a glutathione S-Sepharose column. The protein bound [(3)H]-GDP with association constant of 1.02 x 10(11) M(-1). Further, the protein was phosphorylated by protein kinase. This result suggests that Rab protein in the brain of Bombyx mori binds GDP or GTP and its function is regulated by phosphorylation.