Autor(es): Evans, Amy M.; Aimanova, Karlygash G.; Gill, Sarjeet S.

Resumo: After anautogenous mosquitoes ingest the required blood meal, proteins in it are rapidly cleaved, yielding a large pool of amino acids. Transport of these amino acids into gut epithelial cells and their subsequent translocation into other tissues is critical for oogenesis and other physiological processes. We have identified a proton amino acid transporter (PAT) in Aedes aegypti (AaePAT1, AAEL007191) which facilitates this transport and is expressed in epithelial cell membranes of larval caecae and the adult midgut. AaePAT1 encodes a 475 amino acid protein showing high similarity to Anopheles gambiae AGAP009896, Culex pipiens CPIJ011438 and Drosophila melanogaster CG7888. When expressed in Xenopus oocytes the transport kinetics showed AaePAT1 is a low affinity transporter with low substrate specificity, having K(m) and V(max) values of about 7.2 mmol l(-1) and 69 pm oloocyte(-1) min(-1), respectively, for glutamine. A number of other amino acids are also transported by this PAT. In female adult midgut, AaePAT1 transcript levels were induced after ingestion of a blood meal.

Palavras-Chave: Proton - Dependent amino acid transporter; Midgut; Insect epithelia; Blood - Meal induced protein

Imprenta: Journal of Experimental Biology, v. 212, n. 20, p. 3263-3271, 2009

Identificador do Objeto Digital: 10.1242/jeb.029553

Descritores: Aedes aegypti - Biochemistry ; Aedes aegypti - Public health

Data de Publicação: 2009