scholarly journals 3′-phosphoadenosine-5′-phosphosulphate synthesis and involvement in sulphotransferase reactions in the insect, Spodoptera littoralis

1982 ◽  
Vol 204 (1) ◽  
pp. 127-133 ◽  
Author(s):  
R E Isaac ◽  
K K Phua ◽  
H H Rees

1. Synthesis of 3′-phosphoadenosine-5′-phosphosulphate from ATP and 35SO4(-2) was demonstrated by homogenates of gut. Malpighian tubules and fat body of Spodoptera littoralis. 2. The enzyme system was most active in the gut tissue, and was primarily located in the cytosol fraction of the cell. Gut cytosol preparations were used as a source of the 3′-phosphoadenosine-5′-phosphosulphate generating system for more detailed studies. 3. Maximum synthesis required an incubation mixture containing Tris/HCl buffer (pH 7.5), ATP (20 mM), MgCl2 (13.0 mM) and K2SO4 (3 mM). 4. The specific activity of 3′-phosphoadenosine-5′-phosphosulphate synthesizing activity in gut cytosol increased during development of the sixth instar larva, reaching a peak at day 4. A sudden fall in specific activity was observed in the prepupal stage. 5. 3′-Phosphoadenosine-5′-phosphosulphate formation is the rate limiting process in the overall sulphation of p-nitrophenol in the gut cytosol preparations from S. littoralis. 6. It is concluded that the properties of the sulphate-activating system in this insect are similar to those reported for vertebrates.

2022 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hye Jin Ko ◽  
Bharat Bhusan Patnaik ◽  
Ki Beom Park ◽  
Chang Eun Kim ◽  
Snigdha Baliarsingh ◽  
...  

The inhibitor of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) kinase (IKK) is the core regulator of the NF-κB pathway against pathogenic invasion in vertebrates or invertebrates. IKKβ, -ε and -γ have pivotal roles in the Toll and immune deficiency (IMD) pathways. In this study, a homolog of IKKε (TmIKKε) was identified from Tenebrio molitor RNA sequence database and functionally characterized for its role in regulating immune signaling pathways in insects. The TmIKKε gene is characterized by two exons and one intron comprising an open reading frame (ORF) of 2,196 bp that putatively encodes a polypeptide of 731 amino acid residues. TmIKKε contains a serine/threonine protein kinases catalytic domain. Phylogenetic analysis established the close homology of TmIKKε to Tribolium castaneum IKKε (TcIKKε) and its proximity with other IKK-related kinases. The expression of TmIKKε mRNA was elevated in the gut, integument, and hemocytes of the last-instar larva and the fat body, Malpighian tubules, and testis of 5-day-old adults. TmIKKε expression was significantly induced by Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans challenge in whole larvae and tissues, such as hemocytes, gut, and fat body. The knockdown of the TmIKKε messenger RNA (mRNA) expression significantly reduced the survival of the larvae against microbial challenges. Further, we investigated the induction patterns of 14 T. molitor antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) genes in TmIKKε gene-silencing model after microbial challenges. While in hemocytes, the transcriptional regulation of most AMPs was negatively regulated in the gut and fat body tissue of T. molitor, AMPs, such as TmTenecin 1, TmTenecin 4, TmDefensin, TmColeoptericin A, TmColeoptericin B, TmAttacin 1a, and TmAttacin 2, were positively regulated in TmIKKε-silenced individuals after microbial challenge. Collectively, the results implicate TmIKKε as an important factor in antimicrobial innate immune responses in T. molitor.


1994 ◽  
Vol 299 (3) ◽  
pp. 711-717 ◽  
Author(s):  
J H Chen ◽  
T Hara ◽  
M J Fisher ◽  
H H Rees

The developmental changes in ecdysone 20-mono-oxygenase during the sixth larval instar of the cotton leafworm, Spodoptera littoralis, were investigated. The specific activity of mitochondrial ecdysone 20-mono-oxygenase in the fat-body exhibited a distinct peak at 72 h, at which time the larvae stop feeding. Immunoblot analyses, using antibodies raised against components of vertebrate mitochondrial steroidogenic enzyme systems [anti-(cytochrome P-450scc), anti-(cytochrome P-450(11) beta), anti-adrenodoxin and anti-(adrenodoxin reductase) antibodies], revealed the presence of specific immunoreactive polypeptides in fat-body mitochondrial extracts. In addition, these antibodies effectively inhibited fat-body mitochondrial ecdysone 20-mono-oxygenase activity. This suggests that the S. littoralis steroid-hydroxylating system(s) may contain polypeptide components analogous to those present in vertebrates. A close correlation between developmental changes in mitochondrial ecdysone 20-mono-oxygenase activity and the abundance of polypeptides (approx. 66 kDa and 50 kDa) recognized by the anti-(cytochrome P-450(11) beta) antibody and a polypeptide (approx. 52 kDa) recognized by the anti-(adrenodoxin reductase) antibody were observed in both fat-body and midgut. These results suggest that developmental changes in the abundance of components of the ecdysone 20-mono-oxygenase system may play an important role in the developmental regulation of the enzyme expression and, hence, of 20-hydroxyecdysone titre.


Author(s):  
Brendan Clifford

An ultrastructural investigation of the Malpighian tubules of the fourth instar larva of Culex pipiens was undertaken as part of a continuing study of the fine structure of transport epithelia.Each of the five Malpighian tubules was found to be morphologically identical and regionally undifferentiated. Two distinct cell types, the primary and stellate, were found intermingled along the length of each tubule. The ultrastructure of the stellate cell was previously described in the Malpighian tubule of the blowfly, Calliphora erythrocephala by Berridge and Oschman.The basal plasma membrane of the primary cell is extremely irregular, giving rise to a complex interconnecting network of basal channels. The compartments of cytoplasm entrapped within this system of basal infoldings contain mitochondria, free ribosomes, and small amounts of rough endoplasmic reticulum. The mitochondria are distinctive in that the cristae run parallel to the long axis of the organelle.


Author(s):  
Rahma R. Z. Mahdy ◽  
Shaimaa A. Mo’men ◽  
Marah M. Abd El-Bar ◽  
Emad M. S. Barakat

Abstract Background Insect lipid mobilization and transport are currently under research, especially lipases and lipophorin because of their roles in the production of energy and lipid transport at a flying activity. The present study has been conducted to purify intracellular fat body lipase for the first time, from the last larval instar of Galleria mellonella. Results Purification methods by combination of ammonium sulfate [(NH4)2SO4] precipitation and gel filtration using Sephadex G-100 demonstrated that the amount of protein and the specific activity of fat body lipase were 0.008633 ± 0.000551 mg/ml and 1.5754 ± 0.1042 μmol/min/mg protein, respectively, with a 98.9 fold purity and recovery of 50.81%. Hence, the sephadex G-100 step was more effective in the purification process. SDS-PAGE and zymogram revealed that fat body lipase showed two monomers with molecular weights of 178.8 and 62.6 kDa. Furthermore, biochemical characterization of fat body lipase was carried out through testing its activities against several factors, such as different temperatures, pH ranges, metal ions, and inhibitors ending by determination of their kinetic parameters with the use of p-nitrophenyl butyrate (PNPB) as a substrate. The highest activities of enzyme were determined at the temperature ranges of 35–37 °C and 37–40 °C and pH ranges of 7–9 and 7–10. The partially purified enzyme showed significant stimulation by Ca2+, K+, and Na+ metal ions indicating that fat body lipase is metalloproteinase. Lipase activity was strongly inhibited by some inhibitors; phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (PMSF), ethylene-diaminetetractic acid (EDTA), and ethylene glycoltetraacetic acid (EGTA) providing evidence of the presence of serine residue and activation of enzymes by metal ions. Kinetic parameters were 0.316 Umg− 1 Vmax and 301.95 mM Km. Conclusion Considering the purification of fat body lipase from larvae and the usage of some inhibitors especially ion chelating agents, it is suggested to develop a successful control of Galleria mellonella in near future by using lipase inhibitors.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xu Tan ◽  
Sheng Zhang ◽  
Wei Song ◽  
Jia Liu ◽  
Cong Gao ◽  
...  

AbstractIn this study, a four-enzyme cascade pathway was developed and reconstructed in vivo for the production of d-p-hydroxyphenylglycine (D-HPG), a valuable intermediate used to produce β-lactam antibiotics and in fine-chemical synthesis, from l-tyrosine. In this pathway, catalytic conversion of the intermediate 4-hydroxyphenylglyoxalate by meso-diaminopimelate dehydrogenase from Corynebacterium glutamicum (CgDAPDH) was identified as the rate-limiting step, followed by application of a mechanism-guided “conformation rotation” strategy to decrease the hydride-transfer distance d(C6HDAP−C4NNADP) and increase CgDAPDH activity. Introduction of the best variant generated by protein engineering (CgDAPDHBC621/D120S/W144S/I169P with 5.32 ± 0.85 U·mg−1 specific activity) into the designed pathway resulted in a D-HPG titer of 42.69 g/L from 50-g/L l-tyrosine in 24 h, with 92.5% conversion, 71.5% isolated yield, and > 99% enantiomeric excess in a 3-L fermenter. This four-enzyme cascade provides an efficient enzymatic approach for the industrial production of D-HPG from cheap amino acids.


1974 ◽  
Vol 139 (1) ◽  
pp. 169-181 ◽  
Author(s):  
William G. Bardsley ◽  
M. James C. Crabbe ◽  
Ian V. Scott

1. The purification of monoamine oxidase and diamine oxidase from normal human term placental tissue is described. 2. The properties of these enzymes are reported and compared with the properties of unpurified human pregnancy plasma. 3. This comparison shows that the amine oxidase of pregnancy plasma has properties corresponding to purified placental diamine oxidase, suggesting a placental origin for the plasma enzyme system. 4. Detailed kinetic study of the purified placental diamine oxidase suggests that it has a Ping Pong sequence, a mechanism of action and rate-limiting step similar to the diamine oxidase of pig kidney. 5. It is suggested that the enzyme system is important in protecting the foeto-placental unit from excesses of biogenic amines.


Development ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 116 (4) ◽  
pp. 1203-1220 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.Y. Hartenstein ◽  
A. Rugendorff ◽  
U. Tepass ◽  
V. Hartenstein

The complex embryonic phenotype of the six neurogenic mutations Notch, mastermind, big brain, Delta, Enhancer of split and neuralized was analyzed by using different antibodies and PlacZ markers, which allowed us to label most of the known embryonic tissues. Our results demonstrate that all of the neurogenic mutants show abnormalities in many different organs derived from all three germ layers. Defects caused by the neurogenic mutations in ectodermally derived tissues fell into two categories. First, all cell types that delaminate from the ectoderm (neuroblasts, sensory neurons, peripheral glia cells and oenocytes) are increased in number. Secondly, ectodermal tissues that in the wild type form epithelial structures lose their epithelial phenotype and dissociate (optic lobe, stomatogastric nervous system) or show significant differentiative abnormalities (trachea, Malpighian tubules and salivary gland). Abnormalities in tissues derived from the mesoderm were observed in all six neurogenic mutations. Most importantly, somatic myoblasts do not fuse and/or form an aberrant muscle pattern. Cardioblasts (which form the embryonic heart) are increased in number and show differentiative abnormalities; other mesodermal cell types (fat body, pericardial cells) are significantly decreased. The development of the endoderm (midgut rudiments) is disrupted in most of the neurogenic mutations (Notch, Delta, Enhancer of split and neuralized) during at least two stages. Defects occur as early as during gastrulation when the invaginating midgut rudiments prematurely lose their epithelial characteristics. Later, the transition of the midgut rudiments to form the midgut epithelium does not occur. In addition, the number of adult midgut precursor cells that segregate from the midgut rudiments is strongly increased. We propose that, at least in the ectodermally and endodermally derived tissues, neurogenic gene function is primarily involved in interactions among cells that need to acquire or to maintain an epithelial phenotype.


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