Calreticulin enriched as an early-stage encapsulation protein in wax moth Galleria mellonella larvae.
To investigate the molecular mechanism of the early-stage encapsulation reaction in insects, we purified a 47kDa protein from injected beads into Galleria mellonella larvae. When a cDNA clone was isolated, the 47kDa protein showed high homology with Drosophila and human calreticulin. Western blotting analysis showed that the 47kDa protein was present in the hemocytes, but not in the plasma. When the early-stage encapsulated beads were coated with 47kDa protein antibody and reinjected into G. mellonella larvae, any further encapsulation reaction was inhibited. These results suggest that calreticulin is involved in non-self recognition in invertebrate cellular defense reactions.
Choi
J Y
JY
College of Pharmacy, Pusan National University, Jangjeon Dong, Kumjeong Ku, 609-735, Pusan, South Korea.
Whitten
M M A
MM
Cho
M Y
MY
Lee
K Y
KY
Kim
M S
MS
Ratcliffe
N A
NA
Lee
B L
BL
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D037282:Calreticulin; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D004330:Drosophila / Q000235:genetics; D006434:Hemocytes / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D007814:Larva / Q000276:immunology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009036:Moths / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D037282:Calreticulin; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D019476:Insect Proteins; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins