A chitinase structurally related to the glycoside hydrolase family 48 is indispensable for the hormonally induced diapause termination in a beetle.
Two proteins (APAP I and II) of the glycoside hydrolase family 48 (Family GH48) were isolated from the active adults of the leaf beetle Gastrophysa atrocyanea. Full-length and cDNAs were sequenced. APAP I expression and function were examined in detail. The protein has a chitinase but not a glucanase and cellobiohydrolase activity. It is expressed in the feeding stages, including beetles whose diapause was terminated with a juvenile hormone agonist. Suppression of the APAP I expression by means of RNA interference prevented the hormonal termination of diapause.
Fujita
Kosuke
K
Department of Agro-Bioscience, Faculty of Agriculture, Iwate University, Morioka 020-8550, Japan.
Shimomura
Kumiko
K
Yamamoto
Kei-Ichiro
K
Yamashita
Tetsuro
T
Suzuki
Koichi
K