title: Constitutive expression and enzymatic activity of Tan protein in brain and epidermis of Ceratitis capitata and of Drosophila melanogaster wild-type and tan mutants.
abstract: The present report shows a partial biochemical characterization and life cycle expression of N-β-alanyldopamine hydrolase (Tan protein) in Ceratitis capitata and Drosophila melanogaster. This enzyme catalyzes the hydrolysis of N-β-alanyldopamine (NBAD), the main tanning precursor of insect brown cuticles. It also plays an important role in the metabolism of brain neurotransmitters, recycling dopamine and histamine. In contrast to NBAD-synthase, Tan is expressed constitutively in epidermis and does not respond directly to microbial challenge. Immunodetection experiments showed the novel localization of NBAD-hydrolase in the embryo central neural system and in different regions of the adult brain, in addition to optic lobes. We sequenced and characterized Drosophila mutants tan¹ and tan³. The latter appears to be a mutant with normal expression in neural tissue but weak one in epidermis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Chemistry, FCEyN, University of Buenos Aires, IIBBA-CONICET and Fundación Instituto Leloir, Patricias Argentinas 435, Buenos Aires 1405, Argentina.
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Pérez
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sabio
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Badaracco
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Quesada-Allué
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001921:Brain / Q000201:enzymology; D033622:Ceratitis capitata / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000254:growth & development; D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D020405:Dermis / Q000201:enzymology; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000254:growth & development; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D007814:Larva / Q000201:enzymology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010641:Phenotype; D011679:Pupa / Q000201:enzymology
chemical_list: D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D019476:Insect Proteins; C431070:t protein, Drosophila