title: CNAct-1 gene is differentially expressed in the subtropical mosquito Culex nigripalpus (Diptera: Culicidae), the primary West Nile Virus vector in Florida.
abstract: Analysis of differentially expressed genes is a common molecular biological tool to investigate changes in mosquito genes after a bloodmeal or parasite exposure. We report here the characterization of a differentially expressed actin gene, CNAct-1, from the subtropical mosquito, Culex nigripalpus Theobald (Diptera: Culicidae). The CNAct-1 genomic clone is 1.525 kb, includes one 66-bp intron, and a 328-bp 3'-untranslated region. The 376-amino acid putative translation product shares high similarity with muscle-specific actin proteins from other insects, including Culex pipiens pipiens L., Aedes aegypti (L.), Anopheles gambiae Giles and Drosophila melanogaster (Meigen). CNAct-1 is expressed in second and third instars, late pupae, and adult females and males. Interestingly, Cx. nigripalpus actin was highly expressed in female mosquito midgut tissue isolated 6-12 h after ingestion of a bloodmeal. This expression profile indicates a unique function for CNAct-1 in midgut processes that are initiated after blood ingestion.
authors.affiliation: Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory, Department of Entomology and Nematology, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, 200 9th Street S.E., Vero Beach, FL 32962, USA. ctsmart@ufl.edu
authors.forename: Chelsea T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Smartt
authors.forename: Jennifer S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Erickson
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D003465:Culex / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005431:Florida / Q000453:epidemiology; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000378:metabolism; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D014901:West Nile Fever / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D019476:Insect Proteins