Sequence characterization and expression patterns of defensin and lysozyme encoding genes from the gut of the reduviid bug Triatoma brasiliensis

The cDNAs encoding an intestinal defensin (def1) and lysozyme (lys1) of the reduviid bug Triatoma brasiliensis have been amplified by PCR using specific oligonucleotide primers and 5'- and 3'-RACE, cloned and sequenced. The 576 bp clone has an open reading frame of 282 bp and encodes a pre-prodefensin with 94 amino acid residues, containing a putative signal and activation peptide cleavage site at Ser19 and Arg51, respectively. The genomic DNA contains a second defensin gene with similar characteristics, 88.3% identity and also one intron of 107 nucleotides. The 538 bp clone has an open reading frame of 417 bp, encoding a pre-lysozyme with 139 amino acid residues. The putative signal peptide is cleaved at alanine 18. Using whole mount in situ hybridization, high expression of both genes has been found, distributed uniformly throughout the entire cardia and the blood-storing stomach and to a much lower extent in the digesting small intestine. Using quantitative real-time PCR, the expression level of def1 was also shown to be very low in small intestine, rectum and salivary glands; in the stomach, expression was 500-2500 times higher than in the cardia and fat body. No expression of lys1 could be detected in the salivary glands and rarely a very low expression in the small intestine, rectum and fat body. Lys1 expression in the stomach was 60-300 times higher than in the cardia. Comparing the levels in unfed fifth instars and up to 15 days after feeding, a strong def1 induction was evident in the fat body at 15 days after feeding and in the stomach a maximum level of def1 and lys1 at 5 days after feeding.