Female-specific expression of a hexamerin gene in larvae of an autogenous mosquito.
Female-specific expression of a hexamerin gene in larvae of an autogenous mosquito.
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六聚蛋白基因在自体蚊子幼虫中的雌性特异性表达。
DOI：
10.1046/j.0014-2956.2001.02514.x
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发表时间：
2001
期刊：
影响因子：
--
通讯作者：
Benes,H
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Zakharkin,SO;Headley,VV;Kumar,NK;Buck,NA;Wheeler,DE;Benes,H
Fourth‐instar larvae of the autogenous mosquito,Aedes atropalpus, synthesize three hexamerins or hexameric storage proteins which are distinguished by different methionine and aromatic amino‐acid contents. One protein, Hexamerin‐1.2 (AatHex‐1.2) is only found in female larvae and pupae. In order to investigate the molecular basis for this sex‐specific accumulation, we have cloned and sequenced the cDNA encoding AatHex‐1.2 and isolated and sequenced over 1 kb of the 5′ flanking region of theAatHex‐1.2gene. TheAatHex‐1.2transcript encodes a 81.6‐kDa hexamerin subunit which contains 19.8% phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan and 8.6% methionine residues. The single‐copyAatHex‐1.2gene consists of three exons and two small introns located at its 5′ end. A 2.3‐kbAatHex‐1.2mRNA accumulates only in female larvae and pupae and is expressed at very low levels in adult female mosquitoes. The temporal expression profile of this transcript is typical of other mosquito hexamerin genes, with rapid disappearance of the mRNA shortly after pupation. Hence this is the first observation of exclusively female‐specific gene activity during preadult development of an insect. In the 5′ flanking region of theAatHex‐1.2gene, we identified putative binding sites for transcription factors, such as GATA, C/EBP and Doublesex, typically involved in fat body‐ and female‐specific gene activity in Diptera. These findings suggest that mechanisms for sex‐specific transcription in the fat body may be well conserved between flies and mosquitoes.
