title: Molecular cloning of two caspase-like genes from the hard tick Haemaphysalis longicornis.
abstract: We identified two caspase-like genes from the midgut cDNA library of the hard tick, Haemaphysalis longicornis. Sequence analysis showed that these cDNAs encoded homologues of caspase-2 and caspase-8 that were categorized as apoptosis initiators. The H. longicornis caspase-2 (Hlcaspase-2) cDNA encodes 340 amino acid residues with a predicted molecular weight (Mw) of 38.5 kDa. Another cDNA identified as the H. longicornis caspase-8 (Hlcaspase-8) encodes 306 amino acid residues with an estimated Mw of 35.3 kDa. A catalytic active site was highly conserved in Hlcaspase-8 but not in Hlcaspase-2. RT-PCR analysis showed that both Hlcaspase-2 and Hlcaspase-8 were expressed in tick midgut and salivary glands. This is the first report of the molecular cloning of apoptosis-related genes in the tick.
authors.affiliation: National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido, Japan.
authors.forename: Miho
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: Jinlin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Yoshifumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nishikawa
authors.forename: Xuenan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xuan
authors.forename: Kozo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fujisaki
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D053143:Caspase 2 / Q000235:genetics*; D053181:Caspase 8 / Q000235:genetics*; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D026863:Ixodidae / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D053143:Caspase 2; D053181:Caspase 8