Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Insect Hormones”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 613 records · Page 34Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

Analysis of a gene cluster for sarcotoxin II, a group of antibacterial proteins of Sarcophaga peregrina.

Sarcotoxin II is a group of antibacterial proteins of Sarcophaga peregrina (flesh fly) with related primary structures. We have cloned three genes in this family. These genes formed a tandem array with about 2-kb intervals, and one of them was present in the opposite strand. The putative amino acid sequences of the proteins encoded by these genes were very similar except for a deletion in one of them. All of the genes were found to be activated transiently in the same way when the larval body wall was injured, suggesting that the encoded proteins are acute-phase-responsive proteins for protecting the insect from bacterial infection.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1991

Repression of hsp70 heat shock gene transcription by the suppressor of hairy-wing protein of Drosophila melanogaster.

The suppressor of hairy-wing [su(Hw)] locus of Drosophila melanogaster encodes a zinc finger protein that binds a repeated motif in the gypsy retroposon. Mutations of su(Hw) suppress the phenotypes associated with mutations caused by gypsy insertions. To examine the mechanisms by which su(Hw) alters gene expression, a fragment of gypsy containing multiple su(Hw) protein-binding sites was inserted into various locations in the well-characterized Drosophila hsp70 heat shock gene promoter. We found no evidence for activation of basal hsp70 transcription by su(Hw) protein in cultured Drosophila cells but observed that it can repress heat shock-induced transcription. Repression occurred only when su(Hw) protein-binding sites were positioned between binding sites for proteins required for heat shock transcription. We propose that su(Hw) protein interferes nonspecifically with protein-protein interactions required for heat shock transcription, perhaps sterically, or by altering the ability of DNA to bend or twist.

Alleles↗
PubMed1992

Point mutations in the Drosophila hairy gene demonstrate in vivo requirements for basic, helix-loop-helix, and WRPW domains.

The Drosophila pair-rule gene, hairy (h), encodes a nuclear basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) protein that regulates embryonic segmentation and adult bristle patterning. In both cases, the h protein behaves as a transcriptional repressor. In this study, we determined the molecular nature of 12 h alleles. One mutation maps within the HLH domain, consistent with h function requiring homodimerization or heterodimerization with other HLH proteins. A second mutation lies in the basic domain, suggesting that DNA binding is required for h activity. Several mutations show that the h C terminus, in particular the WRPW domain, is also required for h activity, perhaps by interacting with other proteins to mediate transcriptional repression. We show that the h protein in Drosophila virilis closely resembles that in D. melanogaster and includes completely conserved bHLH and WRPW domains.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1993

Purification and characterization of a 59-kilodalton protein that specifically binds to NF-kappa B-binding motifs of the defense protein genes of Sarcophaga peregrina (the flesh fly).

Various Sarcophaga peregrina (flesh fly) defense protein genes were shown to be activated when NIH-Sape-4 cells were cultured with bacterial lipopolysaccharides or beta-1,3-glucan. The 5' upstream regions of the defense protein genes were found to have common motifs showing similarity to the mammalian NF-kappa B-binding consensus sequence. A protein with affinity to the NF-kappa B-binding motif of the Sarcophaga lectin promoter was identified and purified to near homogeneity. This 59-kDa protein also bound to the NF-kappa B-binding motifs of other defense protein genes, e.g., sarcotoxin I and sarcotoxin II genes. This protein was found in both the cytoplasmic and the nuclear fractions of the cells, and it appeared to migrate from the cytoplasm to the nucleus on treatment of the cells with lipopolysaccharides. This 59-kDa protein is probably a transcriptional regulator of the genes for defense proteins of S. peregrina.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Mediators of activation of fushi tarazu gene transcription by BmFTZ-F1.

Transcriptional activation by many eukaryotic sequence-specific regulators appears to be mediated through transcription factors which do not directly bind to DNA. BmFTZ-F1 is a silkworm counterpart of FTZ-F1, a sequence-specific activator of the fushi tarazu gene in Drosophila melanogaster. We report here the isolation of 18- and 22-kDa polypeptides termed MBF1 and MBF2, respectively, that form a heterodimer and mediate activation of in vitro transcription from the fushi tarazu promoter by BmFTZ-F1. Neither MBF1, MBF2, nor a combination of them binds to DNA. MBF1 interacts with BmFTZ-F1 and stabilizes the BmFTZ-F1-DNA complex. MBF1 also makes direct contact with TATA-binding protein (TBP). Both MBF1 and MBF2 are necessary to form a complex between BmFTZ-F1 and TBP. We propose a model in which MBF1 and MBF2 form a bridge between BmFTZ-F1 and TBP and mediate transactivation by stabilizing the protein-DNA interactions.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

The Drosophila nuclear receptors FTZ-F1 alpha and FTZ-F1 beta compete as monomers for binding to a site in the fushi tarazu gene.

The striped pattern of fushi tarazu (ftz) expression found in the blastoderm of the Drosophila melanogaster embryo is generated largely through complex interactions between multiple transcription factors that bind to the zebra element of the ftz gene. A motif in the zebra element, the FTZ-F1 recognition element (F1RE), has been shown to bind a transcription factor, FTZ-F1 alpha, that is a member of the nuclear receptor family. We recently identified a second, related member of this family, FTZ-F1 beta, that also binds to this motif. To investigate the possibility that FTZ-F1 alpha and FTZ-F1 beta coregulate ftz transcription through the F1RE, we have studied the DNA binding properties of FTZ-F1 alpha and FTZ-F1 beta. We demonstrate that recombinant FTZ-F1 alpha and FTZ-F1 beta proteins produce similar in vitro DNase I footprint patterns on a 14-nucleotide region of the zebra element and bind to this site with similar affinities and sequence specificities. Using wild-type and N-terminally truncated receptors, we have determined that FTZ-F1 alpha and FTZ-F1 beta both bind as monomers to the 9-bp F1RE in the zebra element, as well as to an imperfect inverted F1RE repeat present in the Drosophila alcohol dehydrogenase gene. A polyclonal antibody raised against FTZ-F1 beta identifies a predominant F1RE-binding component in embryonic nuclear extracts. Although FTZ-F1 alpha is also present in these extracts, FTZ-F1 alpha and FTZ-F1 beta do not appear to form heterodimers with each other. Cotransfection assays in mammalian cell culture indicate that both receptors contribute to the net transcriptional activity of a reporter gene through their direct interaction with the F1RE. These data suggest that FTZ-F1 alpha and FTZ-F1 beta likely coregulate common target genes by competition for binding to a 9-bp recognition element.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Specificity for the hairy/enhancer of split basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) proteins maps outside the bHLH domain and suggests two separable modes of transcriptional repression.

The Hairy/Enhancer of split/Deadpan family of basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) proteins function as transcriptional repressors. We have examined the mechanisms of repression used by the Hairy and E(SPL) proteins by assaying the antagonism between wild-type or altered Hairy/E(SPL) and Scute bHLH proteins during sex determination in Drosophila melanogaster. Domain swapping and mutagenesis of the Hairy and E(SPL) proteins show that three evolutionarily conserved domains are required for their function: the bHLH, Orange, and WRPW domains. However, the suppression of Scute activity by Hairy does not require the WRPW domain. We show that the Orange domain is an important functional domain that confers specificity among members of the Hairy/E(SPL) family. In addition, we show that a Xenopus Hairy homology conserves not only Hairy's structure but also its biological activity in our assays. We propose that transcriptional repression by the Hairy/E(SPL) family of bHLH proteins involves two separable mechanisms: repression of specific transcriptional activators, such as Scute, through the bHLH and Orange domains and repression of other activators via interaction of the C-terminal WRPW motif with corepressors, such as the Groucho protein.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1996

The WRPW motif of the hairy-related basic helix-loop-helix repressor proteins acts as a 4-amino-acid transcription repression and protein-protein interaction domain.

Hairy-related proteins include the Drosophila Hairy and Enhancer of Split proteins and mammalian Hes proteins. These proteins are basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcriptional repressors that control cell fate decisions such as neurogenesis or myogenesis in both Drosophila melanogaster and mammals. Hairy-related proteins are site-specific DNA-binding proteins defined by the presence of both a repressor-specific bHLH DNA binding domain and a carboxyl-terminal WRPW (Trp-Arg-Pro-Trp) motif. These proteins act as repressors by binding to DNA sites in target gene promoters and not by interfering with activator proteins, indicating that these proteins are active repressors which should therefore have specific repression domains. Here we show the WRPW motif to be a functional transcriptional repression domain sufficient to confer active repression to Hairy-related proteins or a heterologous DNA-binding protein, Ga14. This motif was previously shown to be necessary for interactions with Groucho, a genetically defined corepressor for Drosophila Hairy-related proteins. Here we show that the WRPW motif is sufficient to recruit Groucho or the TLE mammalian homologs to target gene promoters. We also show that Groucho and TLE proteins actively repress transcription when directly bound to a target gene promoter and identify a novel, highly conserved transcriptional repression domain in these proteins. These results directly demonstrate that Groucho family proteins are active transcriptional corepressors for Hairy-related proteins and are recruited by the 4-amino acid protein-protein interaction domain, WRPW.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1995

Signaling pathways that establish the dorsal-ventral pattern of the Drosophila embryo.

The dorsal-ventral pattern of the Drosophila embryo is established by three sequential signaling pathways. Each pathway transmits spatial information by localizing the activity of an extracellular signal, which acts as a ligand for a broadly distributed transmembrane receptor. The components of the first two pathways are encoded by maternal effect genes, while the third pathway is specified by genes expressed in the zygote. During oogenesis, the oocyte transmits a signal to the surrounding follicle cells by the gurken-torpedo pathway. After fertilization, the initial asymmetry of the egg chamber is used by the spätzle-Toll pathway to generate within the embryo a nuclear gradient of the transcription factor Dorsal, which regulates the regional expression of a set of zygotic genes. On the dorsal side of the embryo, the decapentaplegic-punt/thick veins pathway then establishes patterning of the amnioserosa and dorsal ectoderm. Each pathway uses a distinct strategy to achieve spatial localization of signaling activity.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Activation of recombinant trp by thapsigargin in Sf9 insect cells.

The mammalian protein responsible for Ca2+ release-activated current (Icrac) may be homologous to the Drosophila protein designated trp. Thus the activity of trp, and another Drosophila protein designated trp-like or trpl, may be linked to depletion of the internal Ca2+ store via the so-called capacitative Ca2+ entry mechanism. To test this hypothesis, the effect of thapsigargin, a selective inhibitor of the endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ pump, on trp- and trpl-induced whole cell membrane current was determined using the baculovirus Sf9 insect cell expression system. The results demonstrate that trp and trpl form Ca(2+)-permeable cation channels. The trpl encodes a nonselective cation channel that is constitutively active under basal nonstimulated conditions and is unaffected by thapsigargin, whereas trp is more selective for Ca2+ than Na+ and is activated by depletion of the internal Ca2+ store. Although evaluation of cation selectivity suggests that trp is not identical to the channel responsible for Icrac, these channels must share some structural feature(s) since both are activated by thapsigargin. A unique proline-rich region in the COOH-terminal tail of trp, which is absent in trpl, may be necessary for capacitative Ca2+ entry.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Vasodilatory properties of recombinant maxadilan.

Maxadilan is a peptide from the salivary gland of the sand fly Lutzomyia longipalpis, a vector for leishmaniasis. Cutaneous injection of femtomolar quantities of maxadilan produces long-lasting erythema, making it the most potent vasodilator known. Isolated rabbit thoracic and abdominal aorta, carotid artery, and iliac artery demonstrated dose-dependent arterial relaxation in response to maxadilan with a mean effective concentration (EC50) of 2.7 +/- 1.5, 2.1 +/- 0.5, 2.6 +/- 0.4, and 1.9 +/- 0.5 nM, respectively. Maxadilan proved to be at least sevenfold more potent than nitroglycerin in each arterial bed (EC50 = 25 +/- 12, 32 +/- 9, 37 +/- 10, and 22 +/- 13 nM, respectively; P < 0.05 for each vs. maxadilan). Arterial relaxation to maxadilan was independent of endothelium and was equipotent in the thoracic and abdominal aorta, carotid artery, and iliac artery. Arterial relaxation to maxadilan was not inhibited by K(+)-channel antagonists, methylene blue, quinacrine, or ouabain. Maxadilan-mediated arterial relaxation was found to be adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) dependent, as it was potentiated by the phosphodiesterase inhibitors 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine and theophylline, and it was inhibited by the protein kinase A inhibitor H-89. Consistent with this observation, incubation of thoracic aorta with maxadilan (0.1 microM) produced a time-dependent increase in arterial cAMP content coincident with arterial relaxation. Using rabbit aortic smooth muscle cells, we also observed a time-dependent reduction in intracellular calcium in response to maxadilan. Thus these data indicate that maxadilan, a peptide from the sand fly salivary gland, is a potent vasodilator that reduces intracellular calcium through a cAMP-dependent mechanism.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Molecular characterisation of group I allergen Eur m I from house dust mite Euroglyphus maynei.

Using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) we have amplified and cloned genomic DNA encoding the secreted group I allergen proteins from the house dust mite species Euroglyphus maynei, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and D. farinae. Affinity chromatography using a monoclonal antibody to the allergen Der p I was used to purify the group I protein from E. maynei. We present the deduced amino acid sequence of a new member of the group I house dust mite allergen family Eur m I. The three proteins show a high level of primary structure similarity: Eur m I and Der p I show 85% amino acid identity, and the three allergen amino acid sequences taken together show 78% identity. A potential N-glycosylation site and residues of the cysteine protease active site are also conserved between the three proteins.

Allergens↗
PubMed2006

The main triglyceride-lipase from the insect fat body is an active phospholipase A(1): identification and characterization.

The main triglyceride-lipase (TG-lipase) from the fat body of Manduca sexta has been identified as the homolog of Drosophila melanogaster CG8552. This protein is conserved among insects and also shares significant sequence similarity with vertebrate phospholipases (PLs) from the phosphatidic acid preferring-phospholipase A1 (PA-PLA(1)) family. It is shown here that the TG-lipase is also a PL. TG-lipase and PL activities copurify and are inhibited by, or resistant to, the same lipase inhibitors, indicating that both activities are catalyzed by the same enzyme and active site. The PL activity of TG-lipase corresponded to PL type A(1). The concentration dependence of lipase activity with TG and PL micellar substrates showed saturation kinetics, with apparent K(m) values of 152 +/- 11 and 7.8 +/- 1.1 muM, respectively. TG-lipase was able to hydrolyze the major phospholipid components of the lipid droplets, phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine. The enzyme hydrolyzes 77 molecules of TG for every molecule of PL contained in the lipid droplets. It was observed that the activation of lipolysis in vivo is accompanied by activation of the hydrolysis of phospholipids of the lipid droplets. These results suggest that the PL activity of the insect TG-lipase could be required to allow access of the lipase to TG molecules contained in the core of the lipid droplets.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1991

The Drosophila extramacrochaetae protein antagonizes sequence-specific DNA binding by daughterless/achaete-scute protein complexes.

In Drosophila, a group of regulatory proteins of the helix-loop-helix (HLH) class play an essential role in conferring upon cells in the developing adult epidermis the competence to give rise to sensory organs. Proteins encoded by the daughterless (da) gene and three genes of the achaete-scute complex (AS-C) act positively in the determination of the sensory organ precursor cell fate, while the extramacrochaetae (emc) and hairy (h) gene products act as negative regulators. In the region upstream of the achaete gene of the AS-C, we have identified three 'E box' consensus sequences that are bound specifically in vitro by hetero-oligomeric complexes consisting of the da protein and an AS-C protein. We have used this DNA-binding activity to investigate the biochemical basis of the negative regulatory function of emc. Under the conditions of our experiments, the emc protein, but not the h protein, is able to antagonize specifically the in vitro DNA-binding activity of da/AS-C and putative da/da protein complexes. We interpret these results as follows: the heterodimerization capacity of the emc protein (conferred by its HLH domain) allows it to act in vivo as a competitive inhibitor of the formation of functional DNA-binding protein complexes by the da and AS-C proteins, thereby reducing the effective level of their transcriptional regulatory activity within the cell.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

hairy gene function in the Drosophila eye: normal expression is dispensable but ectopic expression alters cell fates.

The regulatory gene hairy is expressed and required during early embryogenesis to control segmentation gene expression properly and during larval and pupal development to control the pattern of certain adult sensory structures. We have found the hairy protein to be expressed transiently during two stages of eye imaginal disc development, including all cells immediately anterior to the morphogenetic furrow that traverses the developing eye disc, and again in the presumptive R7 photoreceptor cells of the developing ommatidia. This pattern is conserved in a significantly diverged Drosophila species. We show that, surprisingly, ommatidia formed by homozygous hairy- mutant clones are apparently normal, indicating that hairy function in the eye is dispensable. However, we do find that ectopic expression of hairy causes numerous structural abnormalities and the alteration of cell fates. Thus, proper regulation of hairy is still essential for normal eye development. We suggest that the loss of hairy function may be compensated by other regulatory proteins, as has been observed previously for several structurally and functionally related genes involved in sensory organ development. The effects of ectopic hairy expression may result from interactions with proneural genes involved in the development of the eye and other sensory organs.

Animals↗