Distribution of cuticular protein mRNAs in silk moth integument and imaginal discs.
The distributions of mRNAs for two cuticular proteins of Hyalophora cecropia were examined with RT-PCR and in situ hybridization. For major regions of larval and pupal cuticle, there was a strong correspondence between the type of cuticle and the predominant cuticular protein message found. Epidermal cells underlying soft cuticle had mRNA for HCCP12, with a RR-1 consensus attributed to soft cuticle, while the epidermal cells associated with hard cuticle had predominantly mRNA for HCCP66, a protein with the RR-2 consensus attributed to hard cuticle. Both messages were found in all areas of the pupal fore- and hind-wings, with modest area-specific difference in concentration being much less than differences in the relative abundance of these cuticular proteins.mRNA for HCCP12 was present in imaginal discs of feeding larvae of H cecropia. Data from Bombyx mori available at SilkBase (http://www.ab.a.u-tokyo.ac.jp/silkbase/) revealed that imaginal discs from feeding larvae had abundant mRNA for RR-1 cuticular proteins, representing six distinct gene products. Only discs from spinning larvae had mRNAs that coded for RR-2 proteins arising from 10 distinct genes. Thus, lepidopteran wing imaginal discs can no longer be regarded as inactive in larval cuticle production.
Gu
Subin
S
Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA.
Willis
Judith H
JH
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D012831:Bombyx / Q000235:genetics; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D034582:Integumentary System; D007814:Larva / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009036:Moths / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014921:Wings, Animal / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism
C088240:CP66 protein, Hyalophora cecropia; D017931:DNA Primers; D019476:Insect Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C092898:cuticle protein 12, Hyalophora cecropia