title: Rab proteins in the brain and corpus allatum of Bombyx mori.
abstract: In eukaryotic cells, Rab guanosine triphosphate-ases serve as key regulators of membrane-trafficking events, such as exocytosis and endocytosis. Rab3, Rab6, and Rab27 control the regulatory secretory pathway of neuropeptides and neurotransmitters. The cDNAs of Rab3, Rab6, and Rab27 from B. mori were inserted into a plasmid, transformed into Escherichia coli, and then subsequently purified. We then produced antibodies against Rab3, Rab6, and Rab27 of Bombyx mori in rabbits and rats for use in western immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry. Western immunoblotting of brain tissue revealed a single band at approximately 26 kDa. Immunohistochemistry results revealed that Rab3, Rab6, and Rab27 expression was restricted to neurons in the pars intercerebralis and dorsolateral protocerebrum of the brain. Rab3 and Rab6 co-localized with bombyxin, an insect neuropeptide. However, there was no Rab that co-localized with prothoracicotropic hormone. The corpus allatum secretes neuropeptides synthesized in the brain into the hemolymph. Results showed that Rab3 and Rab6 co-localized with bombyxin in the corpus allatum. These findings suggest that Rab3 and Rab6 are involved in neurosecretion in B. mori. This study is the first to report a possible relationship between Rab and neurosecretion in the insect corpus allatum.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biological Chemistry, Department of Biofunctional Chemistry, Faculty of Agriculture, Kobe University, Nada-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 657-8501, Japan. unotom@kobe-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Tomohide
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Uno
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biological Chemistry, Department of Biofunctional Chemistry, Faculty of Agriculture, Kobe University, Nada-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 657-8501, Japan.
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Furutani
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biological Chemistry, Department of Biofunctional Chemistry, Faculty of Agriculture, Kobe University, Nada-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 657-8501, Japan.
authors.forename: Chihiro
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Kobe University, 1-1 Rokkodai-cho, Nada-ku, Kobe, 657-8501, Japan.
authors.forename: Katsuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sakamoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Resource Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Kobe University, Nada-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 657-8501, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Uno
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biological Chemistry, Department of Biofunctional Chemistry, Faculty of Agriculture, Kobe University, Nada-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 657-8501, Japan.
authors.forename: Kengo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kanamaru
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biological Chemistry, Department of Biofunctional Chemistry, Faculty of Agriculture, Kobe University, Nada-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 657-8501, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamagata
authors.affiliation: Division of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Aichi Gakuin University, Nisshin, Aichi, 470-0195, Japan.
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mizoguchi
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Kobe University, 1-1 Rokkodai-cho, Nada-ku, Kobe, 657-8501, Japan.
authors.forename: Makio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takeda
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000276:immunology; D012831:Bombyx / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000276:immunology; D001921:Brain / Q000276:immunology*; D003335:Corpora Allata / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000276:immunology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D011817:Rabbits; D051381:Rats; D020691:rab GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D020691:rab GTP-Binding Proteins
keywords: Bombyx mori; Bombyxin; Brain; Corpus allatum; Insect; Rab