EXPRESSION AND FATE OF MOSQUITO HEXAMERINS

蚊子是世界范围内对人类的滋扰和健康危害， 其他动物。由于目前还没有有效的手段来实现 消灭蚊子，确定新的战略，以 蚊子的控制显然取决于更好地了解 蚊子发育和传播的生化和遗传学基础 蚊子传播的疾病。在全变态昆虫中，如 蚊子、六聚体血清蛋白或六聚体蛋白丰富 在幼虫发育的最后阶段合成的，是 被认为主要用作氨基酸的一种储存形式 在非摄食阶段。我们进行了一项关于蚊子的研究 为了研究六聚体如何调控表达和利用 这些蛋白质在成人发育过程中可能会影响不同的 这种以血液为食的疾病媒介的生理状态。最近， 我们对结构和发育调节的外观进行了表征 两口井的幼虫、蛹和成虫血淋巴中六聚体的含量 研究了埃及伊蚊和冈比亚按蚊。少校 这两个物种中的蛋白质都是由两种类型的 与更高的双翅目同系物有相同特征的亚基。 此外，蚊子六聚体mrna的积累明显 发育调节的。我们建议继续对蚊子的研究 六聚体，侧重于调节六聚体基因活性的基础 以及六聚体在成人发育过程中的潜在作用。监管 组织特异性、阶段特异性和激素特异性的DNA序列 将通过在果蝇和伊蚊中进行基因转移来绘制表达图谱。 生殖组织的特定摄取、储存和/或利用， 将对角质层、血细胞或脂肪体进行检查。可能的 受体介导的摄取将具有特征性，并将作为基础 用于分离推测的受体基因的克隆。的影响 幼虫体内特异性六聚体的合成和积累 将通过比较吸血和不吸血来研究卵黄发生 食血蚊子。这项研究应该提供更好的 了解六聚体在蚊虫体内的表达和功能 开发并贡献有价值的分子和生化工具 开发新的策略来控制和基因操纵 蚊子是传播疾病的媒介。

Mosquitoes are a world-wide nuisance and health hazard to humans and other animals. As currently no efficient means exists for the eradication of the mosquito, the identification of new strategies for mosquito control are clearly dependent on a better understanding of the biochemical and genetic basis for mosquito development and transmission of mosquito-borne diseases. In holometabolous insects such as the mosquito, hexameric serum proteins or hexamerins are abundantly synthesized during the last stage of larval development and are believed to serve primarily as a storage form of amino acids for use during non-feeding stages. We have undertaken a study of mosquito hexamerins in order to examine how regulated expression and utilization of these proteins during adult development may affect different physiological states in this blood-feeding disease vector. Recently, we characterized the structure and developmentally regulated appearance of hexamerins in the larval, pupal and adult hemolymph of two well- studied mosquitoes, Aedes aegypti and Anopheles gambiae. The major protein in both species is a heterohexamer composed of two types of subunits which share some features with higher dipteran homologues. Furthermore, accumulation of mosquito hexamerin mRNA is clearly developmentally regulated. We propose to continue the study of mosquito hexamerins, focusing on the basis for regulated hexamerin gene activity and potential roles for hexamerins during adult development. Regulatory DNA sequences underlying tissue-, stage-, and hormone-specific expression will be mapped using gene transfer in Drosophila and Aedes. Specific uptake, storage and/or utilization by reproductive tissues, the cuticle, blood cells or the fat body will be examined. Possible receptor-mediated uptake will characterized and will serve as the basis for isolation of clones for a putative receptor gene. The effect of specific hexamerin synthesis and accumulation in larvae on the onset of vitellogenesis will-be studied by comparing blood-feeding and non- blood-feeding mosquitoes. This study should provide a better understanding of hexamerin expression and function during mosquito development and contribute valuable molecular and biochemical tools for developing new strategies to control and genetically manipulate the mosquito as a disease vector.