title: Insect cytokine paralytic peptide activates innate immunity via nitric oxide production in the silkworm Bombyx mori.
abstract: Insect cytokine paralytic peptide (PP) upregulates the expression of immune-related genes and contributes to host defense in the silkworm Bombyx mori. The present findings demonstrated that PP promotes nitric oxide (NO) production and induces the expression of NO synthase. A pharmacologic NO synthase inhibitor suppressed the PP-dependent (i) induction of immune-related genes, (ii) activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase, and (iii) killing delay of silkworm larvae by Staphylococcus aureus. The upstream mechanism of NO synthesis in insect immunity has been unknown, and the present results suggest for the first time that an insect cytokine induces NO and contributes to self-defense.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Microbiology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Kenichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ishii
authors.forename: Tatsuo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Adachi
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hamamoto
authors.forename: Tadahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Oonishi
authors.forename: Manabu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kamimura
authors.forename: Katsutoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Imamura
authors.forename: Kazuhisa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sekimizu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D012831:Bombyx / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016207:Cytokines / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000276:immunology*; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000187:drug effects; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester / Q000494:pharmacology; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000276:immunology*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010243:Paralysis / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000276:immunology*; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D019476:Insect Proteins; D009479:Neuropeptides; C121924:paralytic peptide, insect; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester