title: Isolation and characterization of a novel insect defensin from Rhodnius prolixus, a vector of Chagas disease.
abstract: An antimicrobial peptide belonging to the defensin family of small cationic peptides associated with innate immunity in insects was isolated from the hemolymph of Rhodnius prolixus, a vector of Chagas disease. This peptide, designated R. prolixus defensin A, was purified and sequenced. The active peptide contains 43 residues and aligns well with other insect defensins. However the pre-pro region of the sequence has little shared identity with other insect defensins. We have identified 3 isoforms of R. prolixus defensin from cDNA clones obtained from RNA isolated from the whole bodies of immune activated insects. Northern analysis and Real-Time Quantitative PCR indicate that there is a very low baseline transcription of this peptide in naïve insects, and that transcription increases significantly in the fat body of immune activated insects. In addition there is a delayed induction of transcription of this peptide in the intestine 24 h post activation suggesting that the midgut/intestine of this species is active in the immune response against pathogens.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biología, Universidad de Antioquia, Calle 67 No 53-108, Medellín, Colombia.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lopez
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Morales
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ursic
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wolff
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lowenberger
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000635:transmission*; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D023082:Defensins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D006458:Hemolymph; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D007303:Insect Vectors; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012239:Rhodnius / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
chemical_list: D023082:Defensins; D019476:Insect Proteins