昆虫卵黄原蛋白受体( VgＲs) 及其主要功能综述

卵黄原蛋白受体(VgRs)属于低密度脂蛋白受体家族成员,具有该家族典型的保守结构域,包括配体结合域,表皮生长因子前体同源域,跨膜域,O-联糖功能域,以及胞质尾域。昆虫VgRs通常具有卵巢特异性,是卵黄原蛋白Vg的专一性胞吞作用受体,可介导Vg进入昆虫卵母细胞,而后沉淀积累形成昆虫生殖必须的卵黄蛋白YP。VgRs介导的胞吞作用是一个动态循环过程,它是卵黄发生的基础,对昆虫卵母细胞发育起着至关重要的作用。近年来的研究表明,VgRs不仅与卵巢激活、卵黄发生与卵子形成密切相关,而且在昆虫信息交流、社会分化、行为构建以及免疫调控等中也起到了至关重要的作用,已成为潜在的害虫控制新靶标。本文首次对昆虫VgRs基因的序列信息,分子结构,系统进化,表达模式以及调控功能等方面进行了综述,旨在为了解VgRs基因的研究进展及前景提供参考,对进一步改进害虫生态控制的策略和措施也具有指导意义。     

天蚕卵黄原蛋白的合成、运转与沉积

系统测定了天蚕Antheraea yamamai吐丝结茧至成虫期脂肪体、血淋巴和卵巢中卵黄蛋白和可溶性蛋白总含量的动态变化。结果表明,脂肪体是卵黄原蛋白(Vg)合成场所,Vg合成始于吐丝结茧后第4天;脂肪体、血淋巴中Vg滴度在吐丝结茧后第4天开始上升,化蛹后第6天或第8天达高峰,成虫羽化第1天则明显下降。卵巢对Vg摄取始于化蛹第1天,此后随蛹日龄逐渐上升,并渐趋平稳。同一卵巢管中卵黄蛋白(Vt)含量自顶端至基端随卵室增大而逐渐升高,不同日龄蛹中相应序号卵室的Vt含量以日龄大者为高;卵室中Vt含量与卵室体积大小呈正线性关系。电镜观察表明,Vg被卵母细胞摄入后以卵黄体形式存在,不同发育阶段卵巢中卵母细胞内卵黄体大小不同,以早期者为小;同一卵巢管中不同卵母细胞内卵黄体以顶端为小,基端明显增大,且卵黄体呈网状。     

野桑蚕卵黄原蛋白的鉴定及cDNA序列分析

利用SDS-PAGE和Western blot方法分析鉴定了野桑蚕Bombyx mandarina Moore卵黄原蛋白,发现该蛋白由大小两个亚基组成,分子量分别为175 kD和42 kD。利用昆虫卵黄原蛋白进化上的保守性,根据家蚕的卵黄原蛋白cDNA序列设计特异性引物在野桑蚕的总RNA进行RT-PCR扩增,对于3′和5′端进行RACE扩增,解析获得了野桑蚕卵黄原蛋白cDNA全序列(GenBank登录号AY 309967)。该序列含有5.754个碱基,由一个开放阅读框组成,编码1.780个氨基酸,卵黄原蛋白的氨基酸序列与家蚕的同源性达到97.6%。在特定的酶切位点(RSRR)处,即第364～367个氨基酸位置,卵黄原蛋白前体被酶切为大小两个亚基,根据氨基酸推算的相对分子质量分别为161.571 kD和40.794 kD,如果考虑到翻译后的修饰,这与SDS-PAGE的结果是吻合的。同源性分析表明,昆虫卵黄原蛋白一级结构分化基本上局限在同一目内,具有较高的保守性。     

蜜蜂卵黄原蛋白的作用

卵黄蛋白不仅为胚胎发生提供营养物质,它在生物体内还具有其他的生物学功能。昆虫卵黄蛋白是昆虫卵内的营养储备,它的前体主要来源于脂肪体的雌性特异血蛋白——卵黄原蛋白(Vg),它是近年来昆虫生理学和生化学最活跃的领域之一,文章介绍蜜蜂卵黄原蛋白在蜜蜂生殖过程中的作用,以及与蜜蜂社会性生活及寿命的关系。     

斜带石斑鱼2种胰脂肪酶基因全长cDNA序列的克隆与分析

利用RT-PCR和RACE方法克隆得到斜带石斑鱼（Epinephelus coioides）肝胰脏中胆盐活化的胰脂肪酶(bile salt-activated lipase,BSAL)和依赖于辅酶的胰脂肪酶(colipase-dependent pancreatic lipase,PL)基因的全长cDNA序列.BSAL基因全长cDNA序列1 796 bp,编码558个氨基酸,该蛋白序列含有BSAL的全部特征结构区,与其他脊椎动物BSAL的氨基酸序列同源性为49.9%～57.3%.PL基因的全长cDNA序列1 503bp,编码465个氨基酸,该蛋白序列含有PL全部的特征结构区,与其它脊椎动物PL的氨基酸同源性为49.1%～73.9%.系统树分析表明,斜带石斑鱼BSAL和PL与其它物种BSAL、PL和胰脂肪酶相关蛋白(PL-RP)聚于进化树的两个不同分支,属于2种不同的胰脂肪酶.结果证实,在同一鱼类体内也存在BSAL和PL两种胰脂肪酶基因.     

天蚕卵黄发生的激素调控

报告了蜕皮激素和保幼激素对天蚕Antheraea yamamai卵黄发生的调控作用。当单独以20－羟基蜕皮酮或保幼激素类似物methoprene处理,以及同时用这两种激素处理天蚕蛹时,蛹期脂肪体和血淋巴中卵黄原蛋白（Vg)含量明显高于对照,即二对Vg的合成起促进作用。然而,卵巢中卵黄蛋白（Vt)含量则因激素种类而异,以保幼激素处理时明显低于对照,以20－羟基蜕皮酮处理则反之,即前抑制卵巢对Vg的摄取,而后则起促进作用。离体培养脂肪体并以激素处理的结果表明,20－羟基蜕皮酮和methoprene均能促进Vg合成,但前作用更。综合考虑上述结果可以认为蜕皮激素对该蚕的卵黄发生起主要调控作用。     

施氏鲟卵黄蛋白原及其相关蛋白的研究

采用凝胶柱层析、聚丙烯凝胶电泳、免疫印迹（Western blotting）和免疫扩散等方法对施氏鲟卵黄蛋白原（Vi-tellogenin,Vg）及其相关蛋白（Yolk protein,YP）进行了研究。结果表明,施氏鲟血清Vg是一种糖脂磷蛋白,其相对分子量为410kD,由分子量为205kD的两个同源亚基组成。Vg的3种相关蛋白YP1、YP2和YP3。其中YP1相对分子量为370kD,是一种糖脂磷蛋白,由相对分子量为97kD和33kD的两个亚基构成。YP2是一种相对分子量为144kD的磷脂蛋白,由相对分子量为94kD和45kD的2个亚基构成。YP3为相对分子量为66kD的磷蛋白,由相对分子量为30kD的同源亚基构成。     

柳蚕卵黄原蛋白cDNA的克隆及序列分析

经RT-PCR和RACE合成了柳蚕卵黄原蛋白(Vg)cDNA,经序列分析其长度为5701个碱基,由一个ORF组成,编码了1 774个氨基酸。氨基酸序列中有2个保守的多聚丝氨酸区域。并推测氨基酸序列中有8个天冬酰胺连接的糖基化位点(N-linked glycosylation sites)。与樟蚕、天蚕、柞蚕、野桑蚕、家蚕、樗蚕、蓖麻蚕的VgcDNA序列比对后发现有很高的同源性,分别为83.1%、81.1%、81.0%、64.7%、64.6%、79.7%、79.2%,同其它昆虫Vg cDNA序列也具有很高的同源性。根据7种蚕(家蚕、天蚕、柞蚕、蓖麻蚕、樟蚕、野桑蚕、樗蚕)VgcDNA序列建立了系统发生树。     

不同地域卵黄萤荧光素酶基因的克隆与序列分析

为了比较不同地域萤火虫荧光素酶基因的进化关系,通过GenBank中已知的荧光素酶基因保守区段设计引物,利用5′ RACE（rapid amplification of cDNA ends）和3′ RACE技术克隆了来自云南省文山州和西双版纳州的同种卵黄萤荧光素酶基因cDNA和全基因序列.来自不同地域的2种卵黄萤荧光素酶在基因序列上存在3个不同碱基位点,但是它们编码的荧光素酶只存在1个不同的氨基酸.卵黄萤荧光素酶基因全长（从起始密码子到终止密码子）1998 bp,包含7个外显子,6个内含子,其cDNA序列共1976 bp,包含102 bp 5′ UTR (untranslated region)、1635 bp的荧光素酶基因开放阅读框和239 bp的3′ UTR序列.卵黄萤荧光素酶基因的开放阅读框编码1个544个氨基酸的蛋白质,比同属的其它几种荧光素酶少4个氨基酸. 来自2个不同地域的卵黄萤荧光素酶在进化上是比较保守的,它们与北美萤火虫Photinus pyralis荧光素酶在碱基序列上分别有629%和63%相似性.     

印度疟疾媒介库态按蚊卵黄蛋白原基因的克隆与生物信息学分析（英文）

卵黄蛋白原（vitellogenin, Vg)是主要的卵黄蛋白前体, 在雌虫血餐之后在脂肪体内大量合成。卵黄蛋白原的调节元件已经被用于驱动蚊子（与寄生虫发生最大相互作用的场所）中抗寄生基因的组织特异性表达。不过, 迄今为止, 对在印度引起60%~70%疟疾发生的库态按蚊Anopheles culicifacies中的内源启动子尚未进行过分析。本研究通过PCR扩增了包括5′端上游调节区在内的库态按蚊A. culicifacies卵黄蛋白原基因, 并命名为AncuVg (GenBank登录号为JN113091)。它含有一个大约6.2 kb的开放阅读框, 编码2 052个氨基酸, 具有一个16个氨基酸残基的推断的信号肽。也含有一个N_Vitellogenin区和一个VWF型D区, 这两个区在其他昆虫卵黄蛋白原中也保守。估计多肽分子量为238.0 kDa, 含有4个共有的(RXXR/S)切割位点, C端附近有一个GL/ICG基序, 其后是9个半胱氨酸残基和1个位于GL/ICCG基序上游第18个氨基酸残基处的DGXR 基序。在推断的氨基酸序列上发现3个聚丝氨酸区, 其中2个位于氨基端, 1个位于羧基端。根据同义密码子相对使用概率值, 通过有效密码子数, 测定了蚊子卵黄蛋白原基因密码子的偏倚性程度。也预测了库态按蚊A. culicifacies Vg的三维结构。分析了AncuVg基因, 以理解Vg基因的转录调节。对Vg基因5′端上游区进行的系统发育分析表明, 它们聚类于蚊子的3大分枝。也用各种生物信息学工具分析分析了Vg的同源性和特征。     

The major yolk proteins of higher Diptera are homologs of a class of minor yolk proteins in lepidoptera

In most oviparous animals, including insects, vitellogenin (Vg) is the major yolk protein precursor. However, in the higher Diptera (cyclorrhaphan flies), a class of proteins homologous to lipoprotein lipases called yolk polypeptides (YP) are accumulated by oocytes instead of Vg, which is not produced at all. Lepidopterans (moths) produce Vg as the major yolk protein precursor, but also manufacture a class of minor yolk proteins referred to as egg-specific proteins (ESP) or YP2s. Although the lepidopteran ESP/YP2s are related to lipoprotein lipases, previous attempts to directly demonstrate their homology with higher-dipteran YPs were unsuccessful. In this paper, a multiple alignment of amino acid sequences was constructed using a shared lipid binding motif as an anchor, to demonstrate that lepidopteran ESP/YP2s, higher-dipteran YPs, and lipoprotein lipases are indeed homologous. Phylogenetic analyses of the aligned sequences were performed using both distance-based and parsimony strategies. It is apparent that the higher dipterans did not requisition a lipoprotein lipase to replace Vg as a yolk protein precursor, but instead utilize a class of proteins with an evolutionary history of use as minor constituents of yolk in other insects.     

Structure and evolution of the lipase superfamily.

The lipase superfamily includes three vertebrate and three invertebrate (dipteran) proteins that show significant amino acid sequence similarity to one another. The vertebrate proteins are lipoprotein lipase (LPL), hepatic lipase (HL), and pancreatic lipase (PL). The dipteran proteins are Drosophila yolk proteins 1, 2, and 3. We review the relationships among these proteins that have been established according to gene structural relatedness and introduce our findings on the phylogenetic relationships, distance relationships, and evolutionary history of the lipase gene superfamily. Drosophila yolk proteins contain a 104 amino acid residue segment that is conserved with respect to the lipases. We have used the yolk proteins as an outgroup to root a phylogeny of the lipase family. Our phylogenetic reconstruction suggests that ancestral PL diverged earlier than HL and LPL, which share a more recent root. Human and bovine LPL are shown to be more closely related to murine LPL than to guinea pig LPL. A comparison of the distance (a measure of the number of substitutions between sequences) between mammalian and avian LPL reveals that guinea pig LPL has the largest distance from the other mammals. Human, rodent, and rabbit HL show marked divergence from one another, although they have similar relative rates of amino acid substitution when compared to human LPL as an outgroup. Human and porcine PL are not as divergent as human and rat HL, suggesting that PL is more conserved than HL. However, canine PL demonstrates an unusually rapid rate of substitution with respect to the other pancreatic lipases. The lipases share several structurally conserved features. One highly conserved sequence (Gly-Xaa-Ser-Xaa-Gly) contains the active site serine. This feature, which agrees with that found in serine esterases and proteases, is found within the entire spectrum of lipases, including the evolutionarily unrelated prokaryotic lipases. We review the location and possible activity of putative lipid binding domains. We have constructed a conservation index (CI) to display conserved structural features within the lipase gene family, a CI of 1.0 signifying perfect conservation. We have found a correlation between a high CI and the position of conserved functional structures. The putative lipid-binding domains of LPL and HL, the disulfide-bridging cysteine residues, catalytic residues, and N-linked glycosylation sites of LPL, HL, and PL all lie within regions having a CI of 0.8 or higher. A number of amino acid substitutions have been identified in familial hyperchylomicronemia which result in loss of LPL function.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Cloning and expression of the yolk protein of the tsetse fly Glossina morsitans morsitans

Two major families of nutritional proteins exist in insects, namely the vitellogenins and the yolk proteins. While in other insects only vitellogenins are found, cyclorraphan flies only contain yolk proteins. Possible sites of yolk protein synthesis are the fat body and the follicle cells surrounding the oocyte. We report the cloning of the yolk protein of the tsetse fly Glossina morsitans morsitans, a species with adenotrophic viviparity. The tsetse fly yolk protein could be aligned with other dipteran yolk proteins and with some vertebrate lipases. In contrast to the situation in most fly species, only a single yolk protein gene was found in the tsetse fly. Northern blot analysis showed that only the ovarian follicle cells, and not the fat body represents the site of yolk protein synthesis.     

Comparison of Yolk Production in Seven Pyralid Moth Species

Summary

The yolk proteins of six pyralid moths were analyzed and compared with the yolk proteins of Plodia interpunctella (Hübner). When cross-reacted in an Ouchterlony double immunodiffusion with antiserum raised to either total yolk proteins or purified vitellin from P. tnterpunctella, the yolk proteins of Anagasta kuehniella (Zeller), Cadra cautella (Walker), C. figulilella (Gregson), and Ephestia elutella (Hübner), closely related members of the subfamily Phycitinae, showed strong precipitation lines that consisted of four major yolk polypeptides (YPs). The yolk proteins from Amyelois transitella (Walker) were only weakly reactive, whereas yolk proteins from Galleria mel-lonella (L.) were not precipitated by either antiserum. Abdominal body walls (containing primarily fat body) from late pharate adult females were incubated in vitro and they secreted two major polypeptides that had molecular masses similar to the vitellogenins (YP1 and YP3) from P. interpunctella. In addition, ovarioles from late pharate adult females were incubated in vitro, and they secreted two major polypeptides that had molecular masses similar to YP2 and YP4 from P. interpunctella. When late pharate adult females were injected with ³⁵S-Met, the hemolymph of all species contained vitellogins that were secreted by their respective body walls in vitro. Ovarioles from injected females contained many labeled polypeptides, but there were four major bands that corresponded consistently to the vitellogenins secreted from the fat body and the two major polypeptides secreted from the ovarioles. These data show that the production of the major YPs in these closely related pyralid species is very similar, and that there is considerable conservation of immunological characters of yolk proteins in the subfamily Phycitinae.     

The Use of Yolk Protein Variations in Drosophila Species to Analyse the Control of Vitellogenesis

The yolk proteins of many insects, including Drosophila , are synthesised in the fat body of adult females and are transported through the haemolymph to be accumulated in the oocytes. We have used differences in the size and number of yolk polypeptides in different species of Drosophila to investigate the role of the ovary and of juvenile hormone in vitellogenesis.
The yolk proteins of eight species of Drosophila were compared with those of Drosophila melanogaster . Only Drosophila simulans had three yolk polypeptides of similar molecular weight to the three polypeptides in D. melanogaster and gave a high degree of cross reactivity with antibody raised against the yolk proteins of D. melanogaster . All other species had one to three bands on a sodium dodecyl sulphate gel representing the yolk polypeptides; they are between 44,000 and 49,500 daltons in molecular weight, showing weak cross reactivity with anti- D. melanogaster yolk antibody. Interspecies ovary transplants established that males of D. arizonensis and D.pseudoobscura which supported vitellogenesis of D. melanogaster ovaries, did so by permitting the implanted ovaries to synthesise their own yolk proteins. The synthetic juvenile hormone, ZR515, was unable to induce ovaries, which failed to develop in other species of males, to undergo vitellogenesis. In females, however, ZR515 was able to induce uptake of the yolk proteins of some of the species into the D. melanogaster donor ovaries, which had failed to develop in the absence of hormone. These interspecies differences in the yolk proteins have therefore been used to investigate the control of vitellogenesis and the role of juvenile hormone in this process in Drosophila .     

Why is there sequence similarity between insect yolk proteins and vertebrate lipases?

The major proteins stored in the yolk of developing oocytes are thought to provide a nutritional store for utilization during embryogenesis. They seem to fall into two major families of proteins. The first are called vitellogenins and are found in frog, chicken, nematode, fish, and some insects such as the boll weevil. The other group are called yolk proteins and are found in dipteran insects such as fruitfly, housefly, fleshfly, and blue-bottles. Both groups are the major proteins found in the oocyte and are female-specific proteins endocytosed from the serum or hemolymph. The yolk protein group were found to have sequence similarity to the triacylglycerol lipases and lipoprotein lipases of vertebrates, including rat, pig, and human. The yolk proteins do not have lipase activity, but the sequences conserved between yolk proteins and lipases surround the active site where there are interactions with lipids. The likely reason for the presence of this domain in the yolk proteins is to bind a steroid hormone in a storage form conjugated to lipids. This permits the storage of the hormone in an inactive form until the yolk proteins are degraded, when it can be released from its conjugate to induce developmental decisions in embryogenesis. They may also transport lipids into the oocyte for use in embryogenesis. Whilst the vitellogenin family of proteins do not share this homology with the lipases they do have similarity to the human serum protein, apolipoprotein B, which also has a role in binding lipids. These findings are discussed in relation to the evolution and functions of lipases, apolipoproteins, vitellogenins, and yolk proteins. Experiments aimed at isolating genes encoding lipases in insects and at further elucidating the function of the yolk proteins are suggested.     

The polypeptide structure of Vitellogenin and Vitellin from the cockroach,Leucophaea maderae

Vitellogenin (Vg) synthesized by the fat body of Leucophaea maderaeis made up of four polypeptides with molecular weights of 160,000, 105,000, 98,000, and 57,000. Other polypeptides previously reported as part of Vg are associated with other proteins. Vitellin (Vt), the yolk protein (YP) isolated from mature oocytes and from newly formed oothecae, is a protein with a sedimentation coefficient of 28s and consists of three polypeptides with molecular weights of 105,000, 85,000, and 57,000. During vitellogenesis, the YP of developing oocytes contains both Vt and a 14s component. The 14s component is made up of four polypeptides with molecular weights of 105,000, 90,000, 85,000, and 57,000. The data suggest that 14s may not be a discrete protein but rather a form in transition between Vg and Vt in which the 98,000 dalton polypeptide is converted to the 85,000 dalton polypeptide of Vt through a 90,000 dalton intermediate. The 160,000 dalton peptide of Vg does not appear to be a part of Vt. Under alkaline conditions, both the 14s component and Vt are reduced to a polypeptide with a lower sedimentation rate in sucrose gradients. When acid conditions are restored, a protein resembling 14s is obtained. This suggests that the YP is a loosely held aggregate of similar or identical proteins with a molecular weight of about 250,000.     

Molecular characterization of three forms of vitellogenin and their yolk protein products during oocyte growth and maturation in red seabream (Pagrus major), a marine teleost spawning pelagic eggs

Full-length cDNAs encoding three forms of vitellogenin (Vg) were obtained from a liver cDNA library of estrogen-treated red seabream, Pagrus major. Two of the three Vg sequences had high homology with type-A and -B Vgs (VgA and VgB) of other teleosts. The third red seabream Vg was classified as a type-C or phosvitinless (Pvl) Vg due to its lack of a phosvitin (Pv) domain. Two Vg preparations (610 and 340 kDa) from blood serum of estradiol-treated fish were biochemically characterized. Analyses of precursor-product relationships by examination of N-terminal amino acid sequences verified cleavage of the 610 kDa Vg into a 540 kDa lipovitellin (Lv) and a 32 kDa beta'-component. Each of these yolk preparations comprising both VgA- and VgB-derived polypeptides. The 340 kDa Vg, which was immunologically verified to be a PvlVg, was accumulated by vitellogenic oocytes with no alterations to its native molecular mass. During oocyte maturation, the VgA- and VgB-derived yolk proteins were differentially processed, presumably to generate a pool of free amino acids for oocyte hydration or for allocation of specific types of nutrients, amino acids, and proteins, to the developing embryo. Conversely, the 340 kDa Vg-derived yolk protein is unlikely to contribute to oocyte hydration or diffusible nutrients since the molecule underwent only minor proteolytic nicking during oogenesis. The present study elucidates for the first time specific functions of three different forms of Vg and their product yolk proteins in a higher taxonomic group of marine teleosts that spawn pelagic eggs.     

不同类群寄生蜂卵黄蛋白的检测和免疫相关性分析

为了探讨寄生蜂种类与卵内蛋白质存在与否及免疫相关性, 采用蛋白质电泳和Western免疫印迹的方法对7科12种寄生蜂卵内蛋白进行了检测和分析。结果表明：小蜂科和姬蜂科寄生蜂与其他昆虫一样, 卵内含有分子量约为200 kD的卵黄原蛋白; 而茧蜂科寄生蜂不含有卵黄原蛋白, 但存在分子量为40～80 kD的多肽, 且在所有供试的寄生蜂卵内均存在一个分子量约为62 kD的多肽。     

Yolk polypeptide gene expression in Minute Drosophila females

Minutes have been considered for some time to be mutant at the sites of synthesis of some components of the protein synthetic apparatus. To study the hypothetical relationship between Minutes and suboptimal translation, a group of abundant proteins, the yolk polypeptides, was assayed in outcrossed females bearing M(3)w, M(3)h ^y , or M(1)n mutations. Recently emerged Minute females contained a lower amount of yolk polypeptides, in both ovarian and nonovarian tissues, than their non-Minute sisters. This low level correlated with the lower abundance of cytoplasmic RNA in Minutes compared to control females. By 1 week of age, both M(3)w and their non-Minute sibs contained the same amount of yolk polypeptides and the corresponding mRNA. The double heterozygote, ap ⁴/+;M(3)w/+, did not differ in yolk polypeptide content from control flies. M(3)w females demonstrated reduced fecundity during the period of low yolk polypeptide content but gradually increased egg deposition as yolk polypeptide levels rose. These results suggest that the low protein levels are due to the slower maturation of M(3)w, and not to less efficient translation machinery.This work was supported by the NSERC (Canada) and a Queen's University ARC grant.