Isolation and expression of a sterol carrier protein-2 gene from the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti.
Autor(es): Krebs K C; Lan Q
Resumo: Trafficking of cholesterol in insects is a very important process due to the fact that insects depend on dietary cholesterol to fulfil their physiological needs. We identified a putative mosquito sterol carrier protein-2 (SCP-2) cDNA from fourth instar subtracted cDNA library. The AeSCP-2 protein has high degree homology in the sterol transfer domain to both rat and human SCP-2. Transcripts of AeSCP-2 in fourth instars were detected strongly in the midgut, and weakly in the head and hindgut. In the early pupae, AeSCP-2 transcription was observed in the thorax, head and body wall of abdomen, but not in the gut. The interaction of mosquito sterol carrier protein-2 (AeSCP-2) with cholesterol was examined. The Kd of purified recombinant AeSCP-2 to cholesterol was 5.6 +/- 0.6 x 10-9 m using radiolabelled cholesterol-binding assay. The results suggest that AeSCP-2 has high affinity to cholesterol and may function as a carrier protein in mosquitoes.
Palavras-Chave: Sterol carrier protein-2; Mosquito; Cholesterol; Gene expression; 20-hydroxyecdysone
Imprenta: Insect Molecular Biology, v. 12, n. 1, p. 51-60, 2003
Identificador do objeto digital: 10.1046/j.1365-2583.2003.00386.x
Descritores: Aedes aegypti - DNA ; Aedes aegypti - Molecular Structure ; Aedes aegypti - Pathogenesis ; Aedes aegypti - Proteins ; Aedes aegypti - RNA
Data de publicação: 2003
