title: Tenebrio molitor antifreeze protein gene identification and regulation.
abstract: The yellow mealworm, Tenebrio molitor, is a freeze susceptible, stored product pest. Its winter survival is facilitated by the accumulation of antifreeze proteins (AFPs), encoded by a small gene family. We have now isolated 11 different AFP genomic clones from 3 genomic libraries. All the clones had a single coding sequence, with no evidence of intervening sequences. Three genomic clones were further characterized. All have putative TATA box sequences upstream of the coding regions and multiple potential poly(A) signal sequences downstream of the coding regions. A TmAFP regulatory region, B1037, conferred transcriptional activity when ligated to a luciferase reporter sequence and after transfection into an insect cell line. A 143 bp core promoter including a TATA box sequence was identified. Its promoter activity was increased 4.4 times by inserting an exotic 245 bp intron into the construct, similar to the enhancement of transgenic expression seen in several other systems. The addition of a duplication of the first 120 bp sequence from the 143 bp core promoter decreased promoter activity by half. Although putative hormonal response sequences were identified, none of the five hormones tested enhanced reporter activity. These studies on the mechanisms of AFP transcriptional control are important for the consideration of any transfer of freeze-resistance phenotypes to beneficial hosts.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 3N6.
authors.forename: Wensheng
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.forename: Virginia K
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Walker
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D021301:Antifreeze Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D001483:Base Sequence; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D015723:Gene Library; D017344:Genes, Insect; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D019476:Insect Proteins; D007438:Introns; D007814:Larva; D008156:Luciferases / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012045:Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D016385:TATA Box; D013712:Tenebrio / Q000235:genetics*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D015533:Transcriptional Activation
chemical_list: D021301:Antifreeze Proteins; D019476:Insect Proteins; D008156:Luciferases