IRON METABOLISM IN INSECTS

最近的报告已经确定，昆虫，像脊椎动物一样， 铁结合蛋白、转铁蛋白和铁蛋白。这表明铁 昆虫的新陈代谢可能与脊椎动物非常相似。 因此，该昆虫可用作研究铁的模型 代谢，和结果可能适用于脊椎动物系统。 此外，对昆虫系统的详细研究将提供新的 深入了解昆虫控制和破坏 寄生虫和昆虫疾病媒介之间的相互作用。 我们提出：1）从天南星铁蛋白的特点和发展 分子探针; 2）确定其存在和特征 转铁蛋白受体的这种昆虫的组织; 3）确定是否 铁蛋白和转铁蛋白的翻译调控表达 受体与脊椎动物相似; 4）寻找铁蛋白 受体并表征它们;和5）开发体外昆虫 铁吸收的组织模型。在此期间开发的分子探针 该项目将用于探索昆虫的铁代谢， 适合生化研究，特别是蚊子。

Recent reports have established that insects, like vertebrates, have iron-binding proteins, transferrin and ferritin. This suggests that iron metabolism in insects may be very similar to that in vertebrates. Therefore, the insect could be used as a model for studying iron metabolism, and the results could be applicable in vertebrate systems. Furthermore, a detailed study of the insect system will give new insights into strategies for insect control and for disrupting the interaction between parasites and insect disease vectors. We propose to: 1) characterize ferritin from Manduca sexta and develop molecular probes for it; 2) determine the presence and characteristics of transferrin receptors from tissue of this insect; 3) determine if the translational regulatory expression of ferritin and the transferrin receptor is similar to that of vertebrates; 4) search for ferritin receptors and characterize them; and 5) develop an in vitro insect tissue model for iron absorption. The molecular probes developed in this project will be used to explore iron metabolism in insects that are less amenable for biochemical studies, particularly mosquitoes.