Expression and evolution of the Drosophila attacin/diptericin gene family.
We describe the genes for three new glycine-rich antimicrobial peptides in Drosophila, two attacins (AttC and AttD) and one diptericin (DptB). Their structures support the proposal that these glycine-rich antimicrobial peptides evolved from a common ancestor and are probably also related to proline-rich peptides such as drosocin. AttC is similar to the nearby AttA and AttB genes. AttD is more divergent and located on a different chromosome. Intriguingly, AttD may encode an intracellular attacin. DptB is linked in tandem to the closely related Diptericin. However, the DptB gene product contains a furin-like cleavage site and may be processed in an attacin-like fashion. All attacin and diptericin genes are induced after bacterial challenge. This induction is reduced in imd mutants, and unexpectedly also in Tl(-) mutants. The 18w mutation particularly affects the induction of AttC, which may be a useful marker for 18w signaling.
Hedengren
M
M
Umeâ Centre for Molecular Pathogenesis, Umeâ University, Umeâ, S-901 87, Sweden.
Borge
K
K
Hultmark
D
D
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000737:chemistry; D005075:Biological Evolution; D004330:Drosophila / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D017344:Genes, Insect; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D007313:Insecta / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family; D010802:Phylogeny; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; C488990:AttA protein, Drosophila; C488991:AttB protein, Drosophila; C488989:AttC protein, Drosophila; C054756:DptA protein, Drosophila; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D019476:Insect Proteins; D020033:Protein Isoforms; C039711:attacin antibacterial protein, insect