The viral protein Egf1.0 is a dual activity inhibitor of prophenoloxidase-activating proteinases 1 and 3 from Manduca sexta.
Some pathogens are capable of suppressing the melanization response of host insects, but the virulence factors responsible are largely unknown. The insect pathogen Microplitis demolitor bracovirus encodes the Egf family of small serine proteinase inhibitors. One family member, Egf1.0, was recently shown to suppress melanization of hemolymph in Manduca sexta in part by inhibiting the enzymatic activity of prophenoloxidase activating proteinase 3 (PAP3). However, other experiments suggested this viral protein suppresses melanization by more than one mechanism. Here we report that Egf1.0 inhibited the amidolytic activity of PAP1 and dose-dependently blocked processing of pro-PAP1 and pro-PAP3. Consistent with its PAP inhibitory activity, Egf1.0 also prevented processing of pro-phenoloxidase, serine proteinase homolog (SPH) 1, and SPH2. Isolation of Egf1.0-protein complexes from plasma indicated that Egf1.0 binds PAPs through its C-terminal repeat domain. Egf1.0 also potentially interacts with SPH2 and two other proteins, ferritin and gloverin, not previously associated with the phenoloxidase cascade. Overall, our results indicate that Egf1.0 is a dual activity PAP inhibitor that strongly suppresses the insect melanization response.
Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA.
Zhiqiang
Z
Lu
Markus H
MH
Beck
Yang
Y
Wang
Haobo
H
Jiang
Michael R
MR
Strand
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D006458:Hemolymph / Q000378:metabolism; D018402:Manduca / Q000201:enzymology; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D014442:Monophenol Monooxygenase / Q000737:chemistry; D000073718:Pancreatitis-Associated Proteins; D011485:Protein Binding; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000737:chemistry*; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*
C531286:Egf1.0 protein, Microplitis demolitor bracovirus; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D000073718:Pancreatitis-Associated Proteins; C000612141:REG3A protein, human; D014764:Viral Proteins; D014442:Monophenol Monooxygenase; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; C022435:prephenoloxidase-activating enzyme