An immune signalling kinase AaMEK3 from mosquitoes: cDNA cloning and characterization.
In mammals, the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase pathway is one of the four major signalling systems that respond to stress and inflammatory stimuli. A full-length cDNA corresponding to Aedes aegypti MAP kinase kinase 3 (AaMEK3) was cloned and sequenced. It is 1.7 kb and contains an open reading frame of 334 amino acids and eleven conserved kinase domains, including signatures of a putative serine/threonine kinase active site and an ATP binding site. The messenger (mRNA) and protein expression levels of AaMEK3 are enhanced post bacterial inoculation. The in vitro kinase activity assay reveals that (1) AaMEK3 is not autophosphorylated but can phosphorylate myelin basic protein successfully, and (2) it is slightly enhanced by lipopolysaccharide stimulation. This suggests that AaMEK3 may be involved in mosquito immune signalling.
Department of Parasitology, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
S J
SJ
Huang
R C C
RC
Wu
M F
MF
Shaio
P S
PS
Wang
Wen-Long
WL
Cho
D000330:Aedes / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D015153:Blotting, Western; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D015870:Gene Expression; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000378:metabolism; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D010766:Phosphorylation; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D015398:Signal Transduction
D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases