title: Characterization of a sterol carrier protein 2/3-oxoacyl-CoA thiolase from the cotton leafworm (Spodoptera littoralis): a lepidopteran mechanism closer to that in mammals than that in dipterans.
abstract: Numerous invertebrate species belonging to several phyla cannot synthesize sterols de novo and rely on a dietary source of the compound. SCPx (sterol carrier protein 2/3-oxoacyl-CoA thiolase) is a protein involved in the trafficking of sterols and oxidation of branched-chain fatty acids. We have isolated SCPx protein from Spodoptera littoralis (cotton leafworm) and have subjected it to limited amino acid sequencing. A reverse-transcriptase PCR-based approach has been used to clone the cDNA (1.9 kb), which encodes a 57 kDa protein. Northern blotting detected two mRNA transcripts, one of 1.9 kb, encoding SCPx, and one of 0.95 kb, presumably encoding SCP2 (sterol carrier protein 2). The former mRNA was highly expressed in midgut and Malpighian tubules during the last larval instar. Furthermore, constitutive expression of the gene was detected in the prothoracic glands, which are the main tissue producing the insect moulting hormone. There was no significant change in the 1.9 kb mRNA in midgut throughout development, but slightly higher expression in the early stages. Conceptual translation of the cDNA and a database search revealed that the gene includes the SCP2 sequence and a putative peroxisomal targeting signal in the C-terminal region. Also a cysteine residue at the putative active site for the 3-oxoacyl-CoA thiolase is conserved. Southern blotting showed that SCPx is likely to be encoded by a single-copy gene. The mRNA expression pattern and the gene structure suggest that SCPx from S. littoralis (a lepidopteran) is evolutionarily closer to that of mammals than to that of dipterans.
authors.affiliation: Cell Regulation and Signalling Division, School of Biological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Biosciences Building, Crown Street, Liverpool, L69 7ZB, UK. htake@liv.ac.uk
authors.forename: Hajime
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takeuchi
authors.forename: Jian-Hua
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: John R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Jenkins
authors.forename: Masanori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bun-Ya
authors.forename: Philip C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Turner
authors.forename: Huw H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Rees
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D003001:Cloning, Molecular / Q000379:methods; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D004175:Diptera / Q000201:enzymology*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D008322:Mammals / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009928:Organ Specificity / Q000235:genetics; D011817:Rabbits; D016415:Sequence Alignment / Q000379:methods; D018411:Spodoptera / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D019476:Insect Proteins; C110574:Scp2 protein, Drosophila; C072087:sterol carrier proteins