title: Characterization of a Decapentapletic Gene (AccDpp) from Apis cerana cerana and Its Possible Involvement in Development and Response to Oxidative Stress.
abstract: To tolerate many acute and chronic oxidative stress-producing agents that exist in the environment, organisms have evolved many classes of signal transduction pathways, including the transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) signal pathway. Decapentapletic gene (Dpp) belongs to the TGFβ superfamily, and studies on Dpp have mainly focused on its role in the regulation of development. No study has investigated the response of Dpp to oxidative pressure in any organism, including Apis cerana cerana (A. cerana cerana). In this study, we identified a Dpp gene from A. cerana cerana named AccDpp. The 5΄ flanking region of AccDpp had many transcription factor binding sites that relevant to development and stress response. AccDpp was expressed at all stages of A. cerana cerana, with its highest expression in 15-day worker bees. The mRNA level of AccDpp was higher in the poison gland and midgut than other tissues. Furthermore, the transcription of AccDpp could be repressed by 4°C and UV, but induced by other treatments, according to our qRT-PCR analysis. It is worth noting that the expression level of AccDpp protein was increased after a certain time when A. cerana cerana was subjected to all simulative oxidative stresses, a finding that was not completely consistent with the result from qRT-PCR. It is interesting that recombinant AccDpp restrained the growth of Escherichia coli, a function that might account for the role of the antimicrobial peptides of AccDpp. In conclusion, these results provide evidence that AccDpp might be implicated in the regulation of development and the response of oxidative pressure. The findings may lay a theoretical foundation for further genetic studies of Dpp.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong, 271018, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Guilin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong, 271018, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Hang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Science and Technology, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong, 271018, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Hongfang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong, 271018, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Xulei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong, 271018, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Xingqi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong, 271018, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Qinghua
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Science and Technology, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong, 271018, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Baohua
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001516:Bees / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D001665:Binding Sites; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000235:genetics; D010802:Phylogeny; D011485:Protein Binding; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D019476:Insect Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta