INSECT ADIPOKINETIC HORMONE GENE EXPRESSION

肽类激素（如胰岛素、生长激素等）调节 所有动物生命周期的许多方面。了解这些 分子变得可用于功能需要知道的步骤， 他们的合成。利用现代分子生物学和化学技术， 现在可以阐明激素合成的途径。 肽激素合成在昆虫，一组动物含有许多 对人类健康非常重要的物种，不幸的是非常差 明白昆虫激素基因表达的研究 可以导致环境安全的方式来破坏生理 有害物种的平衡 昆虫神经激素中的脂肪动力激素（AKH）家族是 最大的一组相关肽尚未从自然界中描述，很可能是 在所有昆虫中都有。其中一个主要目标是提出 研究的目的是表征AKH基因和基因产物。这项研究将 提供了关于生理调节的新信息， 重要的动物群体。 利用基因工程生产具有医学重要性的蛋白质（例如， 疫苗）是生物技术的重要前景之一。之一 广泛接受的生产有用蛋白质的系统是昆虫 杆状病毒表达载体系统在德克萨斯A & M开发 大学需要了解许多影响效率的因素， 外源基因的杆状病毒表达。效率分析 昆虫特异性杆状病毒介导的昆虫基因（AKH）表达 可能表明改善蛋白质生产的策略， 伙计

Peptide hormones (e.g. insulin, growth hormone among hundreds) regulate many aspects of the life cycle of all animals. Understanding how these molecules become available for function requires knowledge of the steps of their synthesis. With modern techniques of molecular biology and chemistry, the pathways of hormone synthesis can now be elucidated. Peptide hormone synthesis in insects, a group of animals containing many species of great importance to human health, is unfortunately very poorly understood. It is proposed that knowledge of insect hormone gene expression can lead to environmentally safe means of disrupting the physiological balance of injurious species. The adipokinetic hormone (AKH) family of insect neurohormones is the largest group of related peptides yet described from nature, and likely is represented in all insect types. One of the major goals of this proposed research is to characterize AKH genes and gene products. The research will give new information on physiological regulation in one of the most important groups of animals. Use of genetic engineering to produce proteins of medical importance (e.g. vaccines) is one of the important promises of biotechnology. one of the widely accepted systems for production of useful proteins is an insect baculovirus expression vector system developed here at Texas A&M University. Much needs to be learned of factors affecting the efficiency of foreign gene expression by the baculovirus. Analysis of the efficiency of insect gene (AKH) expression directed by the insect-specific baculovirus may indicate strategies for improved production of proteins valuable to man.