title: Expression of a cDNA encoding a member of the hexamerin storage proteins from the moth Sesamia nonagrioides (Lef.) during diapause.
abstract: We isolated and sequenced a cDNA clone corresponding to a storage protein (SnoSP1) from the corn stalk borer Sesamia nonagrioides (Lef.). The cDNA for SnoSP1 (2403 bp) codes for a 751 residue protein with predicted molecular mass of 88.3 kDa and calculated isoelectric point pI=8.72. A signal peptide of 16 amino acids is present at the N-terminus and the protein contained conserved insect larval storage protein signature sequence patterns. Multiple alignment analysis of the amino acid sequence revealed that SnoSP1 is most similar to the basic juvenile hormone-suppressible protein 2 precursor (TniSP2) from Trichoplusia ni (71% identity) and other moderately methionine-rich hexamers. According to both phylogenetic analyses and the criteria of amino acid composition, SnoSP1 belongs to the subfamily of moderately methionine-rich storage proteins (3.7% methionine, 11% aromatic amino acid). Treatment with the juvenile hormone analog, methroprene, after head ligation of larvae, is found to suppress the level of SnoSP1 gene, indicating hormonal effects at the transcriptional level. We also examined developmental profiles of SnoSP1 expression in fat body from diapausing and non-diapausing larvae by semi-quantitative and Real-Time PCR assays. In non diapause conditions the abundance of SnoSP1 was found in high levels during the last larval stage and decreased gradually during the pupal stage. Very low levels of this mRNA were detected in larvae that were preparing to enter diapause, but mRNA dramatically increased in those that were in diapause as well as in those that terminate diapause.
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, Athens 11855, Greece.
authors.forename: Anastasios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Spiliotopoulos
authors.forename: Theodoros
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gkouvitsas
authors.forename: Argyro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fantinou
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kourti
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006605:Hibernation / Q000235:genetics; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D007605:Juvenile Hormones / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009036:Moths / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000235:genetics*; D010802:Phylogeny; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016415:Sequence Alignment
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D019476:Insect Proteins; D007605:Juvenile Hormones; D009479:Neuropeptides; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C041137:storage proteins, Insecta; C075027:diapause hormone