title: On the biosynthesis of Rhodnius prolixus heme-binding protein.
abstract: The biosynthesis of Rhodnius prolixus heme-binding protein (RHBP), which is present in the hemolymph and oocytes of Rhodnius prolixus, was investigated. Fat bodies of female insects incubated in vitro with 14C-leucine were able to synthesize and secrete 14C-RHBP to the culture medium. Titrtion of synthesized RHBP with hemin showed that the protein secreted by the fat bodies is bound to heme, despite the presence of apo-RHBP in the hemolymph. The sequence of the RHBP cDNA encodes a pre-protein of 128 amino acids with no significant homology to any known protein. Northern-blot assays revealed that RHBP expression was limited to fat bodies. The levels of both RHBP mRNA and secreted protein increased in response to blood meal. In addition, the time-course of RHBP secretion in vitro paralleled mRNA accumulation observed in vivo. The inhibition of the de novo heme biosynthesis by treatment of fat bodies with succinyl acetone (SA), an irreversible inhibitor of delta-aminolevulinic acid-dehydratase, led to a significant decrease of heme-RHBP secretion. Nevertheless, the levels of RHBP mRNA were not modified by SA treatment, suggesting that the heme availability is involved in a post-transcriptional control of the RHBP synthesis.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Bioquímica Médica, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, CEP 21941-590, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. gosilva@bioqmed.ufrj.br
authors.forename: G O
authors.initials: GO
authors.lastname: Paiva-Silva
authors.forename: M H F
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Sorgine
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Benedetti
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Meneghini
authors.forename: I C
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Almeida
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Machado
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dansa-Petretski
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yepiz-Plascencia
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Law
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Masuda
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D006418:Heme / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D000081062:Heme-Binding Proteins; D006420:Hemeproteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D006458:Hemolymph / Q000378:metabolism; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009865:Oocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry; D012239:Rhodnius / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D000081062:Heme-Binding Proteins; D006420:Hemeproteins; D019476:Insect Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D006418:Heme