title: Canavanine incorporation into the antibacterial proteins of the fly, Phormia terranovae (Diptera), and its effect on biological activity.
abstract: In response to microbial infection or mechanical injury, larvae of the fly, Phormia terranovae (Diptera), can induce de novo production of a group of antibacterial proteins including: peak I protein, diptericin A, diptericin B, diptericin C, and peak V protein. Administration of L-canavanine at the time of mechanical injury results in the incorporation of this arginine antagonist into these proteins. Canavanine replacement for arginine causes a total loss of detectable antibacterial activity for diptericin B and diptericin C, whereas diptericin A and peak V protein are severely inhibited. This loss in biological activity occurs in spite of the fact that canavanine stimulates induced protein synthesis. Analysis of the hydrolysate of diptericin A reveals that one-third of the 3 arginyl residues are replaced by canavanine. This investigation provides the first evidence that canavanine incorporation into a protein can impair its function.
authors.affiliation: T. H. Morgan School of Biological Sciences, Lexington, Kentucky.
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Rosenthal
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lambert
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000378:metabolism*; D002172:Canavanine / Q000378:metabolism*; D002852:Chromatography, Ion Exchange; D004175:Diptera / Q000378:metabolism*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects; D006458:Hemolymph / Q000032:analysis; D007301:Insect Hormones / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D019476:Insect Proteins; D007700:Kinetics; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D011506:Proteins / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; C054756:DptA protein, Drosophila; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D007301:Insect Hormones; D019476:Insect Proteins; D011506:Proteins; D002172:Canavanine