The pro-phenoloxidase of coleopteran insect, Tenebrio molitor, larvae was activated during cell clump/cell adhesion of insect cellular defense reactions.
To characterize the proteins involved in cell clump/cell adhesion of insect cellular defense reactions, we induced the cell clump/cell adhesion reaction in vitro with the hemolymph of larvae of the coleopteran insect, Tenebrio molitor. The 72 kDa protein was specifically enriched in the residues of cell clump/cell adhesion and was purified to homogeneity. A cDNA clone for the 72 kDa protein was isolated. We found that the 72 kDa protein was an activated phenoloxidase from Tenebrio pro-phenoloxidase. We suggest that activated phenoloxidase is involved in the cell clump/cell adhesion reaction as well as in the synthesis of melanin.
College of Pharmacy, Pusan National University, Jangjeon Dong, South Korea.
H S
HS
Lee
M Y
MY
Cho
K M
KM
Lee
T H
TH
Kwon
K
K
Homma
S
S
Natori
B L
BL
Lee
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites / Q000235:genetics; D004156:Catechol Oxidase / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000235:genetics*; D002449:Cell Aggregation / Q000235:genetics; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D003300:Copper / Q000378:metabolism; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D004790:Enzyme Induction / Q000235:genetics; D004792:Enzyme Precursors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D006458:Hemolymph / Q000378:metabolism; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D007544:Isopropyl Thiogalactoside / Q000494:pharmacology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013712:Tenebrio / Q000196:embryology / Q000201:enzymology*
D004792:Enzyme Precursors; D019476:Insect Proteins; D007544:Isopropyl Thiogalactoside; D003300:Copper; C038451:pro-phenoloxidase; D004156:Catechol Oxidase