title: Expression analysis of putative vitellogenin and lipophorin receptors in honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) queens and workers.
abstract: Two members of the low density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) family were identified as putative orthologs for a vitellogenin receptor (Amvgr) and a lipophorin receptor (Amlpr) in the Apis mellifera genome. Both receptor sequences have the structural motifs characteristic of LDLR family members and show a high degree of similarity with sequences of other insects. RT-PCR analysis of Amvgr and Amlpr expression detected the presence of both transcripts in different tissues of adult female (ovary, fat body, midgut, head and specifically hypopharyngeal gland), as well as in embryos. In the head RNA samples we found two variant forms of AmLpR: a full length one and a shorter one lacking 29 amino acids in the O-linked sugar domain. In ovaries the expression levels of the two honey bee LDLR members showed opposing trends: whereas Amvgr expression was upregulated as the ovaries became activated, Amlpr transcript levels gradually declined. In situ hybridization analysis performed on ovaries detected Amvgr mRNA exclusively in germ line cells and corroborated the qPCR results showing an increase in Amvgr gene expression concomitant with follicle growth.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, SP, Brazil. karina@rge.fmrp.usp.br
authors.forename: Karina Rosa
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Guidugli-Lazzarini
authors.forename: Adriana Mendes
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: do Nascimento
authors.forename: Erica Donato
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Maria Dolors
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Piulachs
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hartfelder
authors.forename: Márcia Gentile
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Bitondi
authors.forename: Zilá Luz Paulino
authors.initials: ZL
authors.lastname: Simões
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001516:Bees / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D004527:Egg Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D004527:Egg Proteins; D019476:Insect Proteins; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear; C432945:lipophorin receptor; C030474:vitellogenin receptor