title: Cloning, characterization, and genetics of the juvenile hormone esterase gene from Heliothis virescens.
abstract: The gene for juvenile hormone esterase (JHE) was cloned from Heliothis virescens (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). A genomic library was constructed from embryonic DNA and screened with a homologous N-terminal probe from the JHE cDNA. Five genomic clones were isolated and analyzed by dot blot hybridization using regions of the JHE cDNA as probes. Clone C hybridized to both 5' and 3' probes from the JHE cDNA, suggesting that clone C contains both ends of JHE gene. This was verified by sequencing the ends of the JHE gene from clone C using primers from both the 5' and 3' ends of the JHE cDNA. Additional sequencing and restriction mapping were used to characterize the gene. The gene is c. 8 kb long and contains four introns with consensus intron-exon junctions. One of the introns is relatively large (4 kb) and is situated near the extreme 5' end of the gene. Genetic analysis of RFLP variation in interspecific and intraspecific crosses shows that the JHE locus is single-copy with no closely related paralogs and is autosomally encoded in Heliothis. Therefore the developmental pattern of expression of this gene and the previously documented sequence variation in cDNA clones is not explainable by reference to a JHE gene family with distinct structural loci for the different forms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Entomology, University of California, Davis 95616.
authors.forename: L G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Harshman
authors.forename: V K
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Ward
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Beetham
authors.forename: D F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Grant
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Grahan
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Zraket
authors.forename: D G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Heckel
authors.forename: B D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Hammock
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002265:Carboxylic Ester Hydrolases / Q000235:genetics*; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D017931:DNA Primers; D015342:DNA Probes; D015252:Deoxyribonucleases, Type II Site-Specific; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian; D005260:Female; D015698:Genomic Library; D005838:Genotype; D007301:Insect Hormones / Q000378:metabolism; D007438:Introns; D007915:Lepidoptera / Q000196:embryology / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D015183:Restriction Mapping
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D015342:DNA Probes; D007301:Insect Hormones; D002265:Carboxylic Ester Hydrolases; C038003:juvenile hormone esterase; C060630:endodeoxyribonuclease NaeI; D015252:Deoxyribonucleases, Type II Site-Specific