title: Expression pattern of glycoside hydrolase genes in Lutzomyia longipalpis reveals key enzymes involved in larval digestion.
abstract: The sand fly Lutzomyia longipalpis is the most important vector of American Visceral Leishmaniasis. Adults are phytophagous (males and females) or blood feeders (females only), and larvae feed on solid detritus. Digestion in sand fly larvae has scarcely been studied, but some glycosidase activities putatively involved in microorganism digestion were already described. Nevertheless, the molecular nature of these enzymes, as the corresponding genes and transcripts, were not explored yet. Catabolism of microbial carbohydrates in insects generally involves β-1,3-glucanases, chitinases, and digestive lysozymes. In this work, the transcripts of digestive β-1,3-glucanase and chitinases were identified in the L. longipalpis larvae throughout analysis of sequences and expression patterns of glycoside hydrolases families 16, 18, and 22. The activity of one i-type lysozyme was also registered. Interestingly, this lysozyme seems to play a role in immunity, rather than digestion. This is the first attempt to identify the molecular nature of sand fly larval digestive enzymes.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Insect Biochemistry and Physiology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Oswaldo Cruz Institute FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Caroline da Silva
authors.initials: Cda S
authors.lastname: Moraes
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Insect Biochemistry and Physiology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Oswaldo Cruz Institute FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Hector M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Diaz-Albiter
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Insect Biochemistry and Physiology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Oswaldo Cruz Institute FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maiara do Valle
authors.initials: Mdo V
authors.lastname: Faria
authors.affiliation: Parasitology Department, Federal University of Minas Gerais Belo Horizonte, Brazil ; Faculty of Health and Medicine, Division of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Lancaster University Lancaster, UK.
authors.forename: Maurício R V
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Sant'Anna
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health and Medicine, Division of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Lancaster University Lancaster, UK.
authors.forename: Rod J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Dillon
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Insect Biochemistry and Physiology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Oswaldo Cruz Institute FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil ; National Institute of Science and Technology, Department of Molecular Entomology, Laboratory of Insect Biochemistry and Physiology Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fernando A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Genta
keywords: Lutzomyia longipalpis; chitinase; digestion; lysozyme; β-1,3-glucanase