U.S.-Japan Cooperative Science: Novel Multifunctional Peptides in Insects and Their Role in Cellular Immunity

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9726205 Strand This award supports a two year collaborative research project between Professor Michael Strand of the University of Wisconsin and Professor Yoichi Hyakawa of Hokkaido University in Japan. The researchers will undertake a study of novel multifunctional peptides in insects and their role in cellular immunity. The investigators believe that the biological activities reported for PSPl and GBP reflect a multifunctional role for this family of peptides in response to invasion by infectious agents. They plan to characterize the function of these peptides in insect immunity. The specific objectives are: (l) compare the functional activities of PSPl and GBP in P.includens and P.separata; (2) isolate a PSPl cDNA and characterize its expression during wounding and encapsulation; and (3) develop an in vitro system for production of PSPl/GBP and investigate its processing. The long-range goal of the research is to understand the function of these peptides in invertebrate immunity. This project brings together the efforts of two laboratories that have complementary expertise, research capabilities and equipment. Both researchers were studying different biological processes related to parasitism in larvae of noctuid moths and converged upon the same hemolymph peptide as the biological effector molecule for stimulating plasmatocyte spreading and for retarding development through altering juvenile hormone level. The planned experiments will enable the researchers to work together to understand the functions of this family of peptides. Events associated with formation of hemocyte clots and capsules are fundamentally conserved across most insects and many other invertebrates. Therefore, results of this research will be relevant to many taxa and will provide an important foundation for future comparative studies. Through the exchange of ideas and technology, this project will broaden our base of basic knowledge and promote international understandin g and cooperation. ***