Apolipophorin-III-like protein expressed in the antenna of the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren (Hymenoptera: Formicidae).
Antennal proteins of the male fire ant (Solenopsis invicta) were analyzed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, with the objective of identifying pheromone-binding proteins, which have not previously been found in ant antennae. The major low-molecular weight protein found in the male fire ant antenna was subjected to Edman degradation to determine the N-terminal amino acid sequence. Degenerate PCR primers based on this sequence were used to obtain a cDNA sequence corresponding to the full-length protein sequence. In-gel trypsin digestion followed by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and HPLC-ESI/MS/MS demonstrated that the protein gel spot contained only the protein corresponding to the cDNA sequence obtained by PCR. The sequence is similar to apolipophorin-III, an exchangeable lipid-binding protein. Fire ant apolipophorin-III is expressed in the antenna as well as the head, thorax and abdomen.
Guntur
Kalyani V P
KV
Department of Biology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas 78249, USA.
Velasquez
Daniel
D
Chadwell
Linda
L
Carroll
Christopher
C
Weintraub
Susan
S
Cassill
J Aaron
JA
Renthal
Robert
R
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001000:Ants / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D001053:Apolipoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D001483:Base Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers; D015180:Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional; D008297:Male; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009943:Organophosphorus Compounds; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012679:Sense Organs / Q000378:metabolism*; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
C043517:2-(4-isothiocyanatophenoxy)-1,3,2-dioxaphosphinene 2-oxide; D001053:Apolipoproteins; D017931:DNA Primers; D009943:Organophosphorus Compounds; C042470:apolipophorin III