title: Cloning and baculovirus expression of a desiccation stress gene from the beetle, Tenebrio molitor.
abstract: The cDNA sequence encoding a novel desiccation stress protein (dsp28) found in the hemolymph of the common yellow mealworm beetle, Tenebrio molitor, has been determined. The sequence encodes a 225 amino acid protein containing a 20 amino acid signal peptide. Dsp28 shows no significant similarity to any known nucleic acid or protein sequence. Levels of dsp28 mRNA were found to increase approx 5-fold following desiccation. Dsp28 cDNA has been cloned into a baculovirus expression vector and the expressed protein was compared to native dsp28. Both dsp28 expressed by recombinant baculovirus and native dsp28 are glycosylated and N-terminally processed. Although dsp28 is induced by cold in addition to desiccation stress, it does not contribute to the freezing point depression (thermal hysteresis) observed in Tenebrio hemolymph.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Graham
authors.forename: W G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Bendena
authors.forename: V K
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Walker
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002460:Cell Line; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D003890:Desiccation; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000235:genetics*; D017344:Genes, Insect / Q000235:genetics*; D005822:Genetic Vectors / Q000235:genetics*; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D019476:Insect Proteins; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017924:Nucleopolyhedroviruses / Q000235:genetics; D017421:Sequence Analysis; D018411:Spodoptera / Q000166:cytology; D013712:Tenebrio / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D019476:Insect Proteins; C102202:dsp28 protein, Tenebrio molitor