title: Cloning and expression of an inhibitor of microbial metalloproteinases from insects contributing to innate immunity.
abstract: The first IMPI (inhibitor of metalloproteinases from insects) was identified in the greater wax moth, Galleria mellonella [Wedde, Weise, Kopacek, Franke and Vilcinskas (1998) Eur. J. Biochem. 255, 535-543]. Here we report cloning and expression of a cDNA coding for this IMPI. The IMPI mRNA was identified among the induced transcripts from a subtractive and suppressive PCR analysis after bacterial challenge of G. mellonella larvae. Induced expression of the IMPI during a humoral immune response was confirmed by real-time PCR, which documented up to 500 times higher amounts of IMPI mRNA in immunized larvae in comparison with untreated ones. The IMPI sequence shares no similarity with those of tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases or other natural inhibitors of metalloproteinases, and the recombinant IMPI specifically inhibits thermolysin-like metalloproteinases, but not matrix metalloproteinases. These results support the hypothesis that the IMPI represents a novel type of immune-related protein which is induced and processed during the G. mellonella humoral immune response to inactivate pathogen-associated thermolysin-like metalloproteinases.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology, Benjamin-Franklin-Hospital, Free University of Berlin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12200 Berlin, Germany. vilcinsk@rz.uni-potsdam.de
authors.forename: Anja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Clermont
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wedde
authors.forename: Volkhard
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Seitz
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Podsiadlowski
authors.forename: Dido
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lenze
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hummel
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vilcinskas
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D003001:Cloning, Molecular / Q000379:methods*; D006458:Hemolymph / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000502:physiology*; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D007313:Insecta / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D007814:Larva / Q000276:immunology; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods; D008666:Metalloendopeptidases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D045726:Metalloproteases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020539:Sequence Analysis, Protein / Q000379:methods; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D019476:Insect Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D045726:Metalloproteases; D008666:Metalloendopeptidases; C044194:microbial metalloproteinases