title: Cloning and sequence analysis of mosquito defensin genes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To clone the defensin genes from the Chinese main mosquito vectors and conduct sequnce analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The genomic DNA and total RNA were extracted from Aedes aegypti, Aedes albopictus, Culex fatigans and Anopheles sinensis respectively, followed by PCR and reverse transcriptase-PCR with 2 pairs of primers designed and synthesized on the basis of reported defensin gene sequence. Purification and sequence analysis of the PCR products derived from the above procedure were conducted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The products with predicted size were amplified from the genomic DNA of A.aegypti, A.albopictus and A.sinensis. Sequence analysis showed that the amplified fragments from A.aegypti and A.albopictus, but not that from A.sinensis, were highly homologous with the reported defensin sequence.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The defensin gene of A.aegypti and A.albopictus have been successfully cloned, and the homology of defensin genes among different mosquitoes is parallel to their genetic distances.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, First Military Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
authors.forename: Guo-Zhou
authors.initials: GZ
authors.lastname: Zhi
authors.forename: Xiao-Guang
authors.initials: XG
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Xiao-Hong
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Hong-Juan
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: Li-Feng
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Jian-Rong
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.forename: Jing-Xian
authors.initials: JX
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Shu-Ping
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000330:Aedes / Q000235:genetics*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000852:Anopheles / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D003465:Culex / Q000235:genetics*; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D023082:Defensins / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D023082:Defensins