Gene organization of a novel defensin of Ixodes ricinus:: first annotation of an intron/exon structure in a hard tick defensin gene and first evidence of the occurrence of two isoforms of one member of the arthropod defensin family
Gene organization of a novel defensin of Ixodes ricinus:: first annotation of an intron/exon structure in a hard tick defensin gene and first evidence of the occurrence of two isoforms of one member of the arthropod defensin family
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DOI：
10.1111/j.1365-2583.2007.00745.x
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发表时间：
2007-08-01
影响因子：
2.6
通讯作者：
Grubhoffer, L.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Rudenko, N.;Golovchenko, M.;Grubhoffer, L.
抗菌肽（防御素）是免疫系统的效应物。在此，我们描述了一个新的蓖麻硬蜱防御素基因，分析其结构，并与其他已知的抗菌肽从不同的蜱种进行比较。首次在硬蜱防御素基因中发现了内含子/外显子结构。该基因的内含子/外显子基因组组织类似于Ornithodoros moubata中的组织，但不类似于Dermacentor variabilis和Ixodes scapularis的无内含子防御素。对不同重组子推导的氨基酸序列进行了分析。蓖麻cDNA文库揭示了存在两种具有三个氨基酸取代的防御素同种型。这些取代是否影响肽的生物学特性目前尚不清楚。在感染伯氏疏螺旋体后，在蜱中肠中强烈诱导防御素基因的表达。
Antimicrobial peptides (defensins) are effectors of the immune system. Herein, we describe a novel Ixodes ricinus defensin gene(s), analyse its structure and compare it with other known antimicrobial peptides from different tick species. For the first time, an intron/exon structure is discovered in a hard-tick defensin gene. The intron/exon genomic organization of the gene is similar to the organization in Ornithodoros moubata, but not to that of the intronless defensins of Dermacentor variabilis and Ixodes scapularis. The analysis of the deduced amino acid sequences of different recombinants from the I. ricinus cDNA library reveals the presence of two defensin isoforms with three amino acid substitutions. Whether or not these substitutions affect the biological properties of the peptides is currently unknown. The expression of the defensin gene is strongly induced in the tick midgut after infection with Borrelia burgdorferi.