Transferrin inhibits stress-induced apoptosis in a beetle.
Transferrin in insects is known as an iron transporter, an antibiotic agent, a vitellogenin, and a juvenile hormone-regulated protein. We show here a novel functional role for insect transferrin. Stresses, such as iron overload, bacterial or fungal challenge, cold or heat shock, wounding, and H2O2 or paraquat exposure, cause upregulation of the beetle Apriona germari transferrin (AgTf) gene in the fat body and epidermis, and they cause increased AgTf protein levels. RNA interference (RNAi)-mediated AgTf reduction results in rapid induction of apoptotic cell death in the fat body during exposure to heat stress. The observed effect of AgTf RNAi indicates that AgTf inhibits heat stress-induced apoptotic cell death, suggesting a functional role for AgTf in defense and stress responses in the beetle.
Lee
Kwang Sik
KS
College of Natural Resources and Life Science, Dong-A University, Busan 604-714, Korea.
Kim
Bo Yeon
BY
Kim
Hong Ja
HJ
Seo
Sook Jae
SJ
Yoon
Hyung Joo
HJ
Choi
Yong Soo
YS
Kim
Iksoo
I
Han
Yeon Soo
YS
Je
Yeon Ho
YH
Lee
Sang Mong
SM
Kim
Doh Hoon
DH
Sohn
Hung Dae
HD
Jin
Byung Rae
BR
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D001517:Coleoptera / Q000378:metabolism*; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D005216:Fat Body / Q000502:physiology; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000502:physiology*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014168:Transferrin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
D018076:DNA, Complementary; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014168:Transferrin