title: Cloning and expression of apolipophorin-III from the common cutworm, Spodoptera litura.
abstract: We have cloned apolipophorin-III (apoLp-III) cDNA from adult fat body of Spodoptera litura. The sequence encodes a 188 amino acid polypeptide including a 22 amino acid leader peptide. The circular dichroism spectrum from the purified apoLp-III indicated a considerable content of alpha-helix. Sequence alignment showed that S. litura apoLp-III has a relatively high degree of sequence identity with the apoLps-III of lepidopteran, Manduca sexta (72%), Galleria mellonella (67%), Bombyx mori (60%). These alignments with four lepidopteran apoLps-III showed highly identical residues and conservative replacements at a degree of 86%. Levels of mRNA from last instar larval fat body and adult fat body were compared through Northern blot analysis using 32-P-labeled 704 bp apoLp-III cDNA probe. A 850 bp mRNA was detected in both stages and mRNA level of day 1 adult fat body was much higher than that of last instar larval fat body. The tissue-distribution of apoLp-III mRNA in adult ovary and testis was also examined and we confirmed the presence of apoLp-III mRNA in ovary and testis although apoLp-III was expressed in these tissues at very low levels compared with the adult fat body.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Korea University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Y I
authors.initials: YI
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: H R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001053:Apolipoproteins / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D002942:Circular Dichroism; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D015870:Gene Expression; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017421:Sequence Analysis; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D018411:Spodoptera / Q000235:genetics*; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: D001053:Apolipoproteins; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D019476:Insect Proteins; C042470:apolipophorin III