title: Galpha encoding gene family of the malaria vector mosquito Anopheles gambiae: expression analysis and immunolocalization of AGalphaq and AGalphao in female antennae.
abstract: To initiate a comprehensive investigation of chemosensory signal transduction downstream of odorant receptors, we identified and characterized the complete set of genes that encode G-protein alpha subunits in the genome of the malaria vector mosquito An. gambiae. Data are provided on the tissue-specific expression patterns of 10 corresponding aga-transcripts in adult mosquitoes and pre-imago developmental stages. Specific immunoreactivity in chemosensory hairs of female antennae provides evidence in support of the participation of a subset of AGalphaq isoforms in olfactory signal transduction in this mosquito. In contrast, AGalphao is localized along the flagellar axon bundle but is absent from chemosensory sensilla, which suggests that this G-protein alpha subunit does not participate in olfactory signal transduction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Program in Developmental Biology, Centers for Molecular Neuroscience and Chemical Biology, Institute for Global Health, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, USA.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rützler
authors.forename: Tan
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Laurence J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Zwiebel
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000852:Anopheles / Q000502:physiology*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005260:Female; D044385:GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunits / Q000502:physiology*; D015870:Gene Expression; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D040542:Mechanotransduction, Cellular / Q000502:physiology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D018035:Receptors, Odorant / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014738:Vibrissae / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D044385:GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunits; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D018035:Receptors, Odorant