Expression of a sterol carrier protein-x gene in the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti.
The sterol carrier protein-x (SCP-x), a peroxisomal thiolase/nonspecific lipid binding protein, was characterized in the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti. The Aedes aegypti SCP-x (AeSCP-x) has 83% and 75% similarities to Drosophila and mammalian SCP-x, respectively. However, the AeSCP-x gene did not produce multiple transcripts, which is characteristic of the vertebrate SCP-x gene. Levels of AeSCP-x transcription were higher in larvae and pupae. Gut tissue showed the highest level of AeSCP-x mRNA in larvae. In adults, low levels of AeSCP-x transcription were detected in both sexes. Polyclonal antibodies against the sterol carrier protein-2 (SCP-2) domain of AeSCP-x detected two proteins of 62 kDa and 13 kDa. The results indicate that AeSCP-x is proteolytically cleaved after translation to produce a smaller protein that contains only the SCP-2 domain, which is similar to post-translational modification of the vertebrate's SCP-x to produce multiple products.
Lan
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Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI 53706, USA. qlan@entomology.wisc.edu
Wessely
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D000330:Aedes / Q000378:metabolism*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D017931:DNA Primers; D004064:Digestive System / Q000378:metabolism; D015870:Gene Expression; D007814:Larva / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational / Q000235:genetics*; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
D002352:Carrier Proteins; D017931:DNA Primers; C072087:sterol carrier proteins