Abstract

The goal of the next five years is to understand the molecular basis for the cyclic activity of the fat body of the mosquito, Aedes aegypti. Previously they have succeeded in dissecting the biosynthetic pathway of vitellogenin (Vg) and discovered a novel vitellogenic protein 53KP. The goal for the next five years is to study the regulation of expression of several key genes in the fat body. To that end, cloning of full length cDNAs corresponding to these genes will be obtained. Using these cDNA probes, together with nuclear run on transcription and dot blot hybridization assays, the kinetics and regulation of gene expression will be investigated. A combination of in vivo and in vitro hormone treatments of fat body will be utilized to determine the role of 2O-hydroxyecdysone in the initiation and maintenance of expression of the genes and in the stabilization of their mRNAs, and to identify factors responsible for the termination of gene expression. Biochemical and biosynthetic characterization of yolk protein precursors Vg and 53KP will continue.

  Funding Agency

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01AI024716-08
Application #
2062696
Study Section
Tropical Medicine and Parasitology Study Section (TMP)
Project Start
1986-09-01
Project End
1996-02-29
Budget Start
1994-03-01
Budget End
1995-02-28
Support Year
8
Fiscal Year
1994
Total Cost
Indirect Cost

  Institution

Name
Michigan State University
Department
Zoology
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
193247145
City
East Lansing
State
MI
Country
United States
Zip Code
48824

  Publications

Seo, Sook-Jae; Cheon, Hyang-Mi; Sun, Jianxin et al. (2003) Tissue- and stage-specific expression of two lipophorin receptor variants with seven and eight ligand-binding repeats in the adult mosquito. J Biol Chem 278:41954-62
Shin, Sang Woon; Kokoza, Vladimir; Ahmed, Abduelaziz et al. (2002) Characterization of three alternatively spliced isoforms of the Rel/NF-kappa B transcription factor Relish from the mosquito Aedes aegypti. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 99:9978-83
Cho, W L; Raikhel, A S (2001) A novel function of 20-hydroxyecdysone: translational repression of the lysosomal protease mRNA in the mosquito fat body. Insect Biochem Mol Biol 31:283-8
Martin, D; Wang, S F; Raikhel, A S (2001) The vitellogenin gene of the mosquito Aedes aegypti is a direct target of ecdysteroid receptor. Mol Cell Endocrinol 173:75-86
Kokoza, V; Ahmed, A; Wimmer, E A et al. (2001) Efficient transformation of the yellow fever mosquito Aedes aegypti using the piggyBac transposable element vector pBac[3xP3-EGFP afm]. Insect Biochem Mol Biol 31:1137-43
Kokoza, V A; Martin, D; Mienaltowski, M J et al. (2001) Transcriptional regulation of the mosquito vitellogenin gene via a blood meal-triggered cascade. Gene 274:47-65
Kokoza, V; Ahmed, A; Cho, W L et al. (2000) Engineering blood meal-activated systemic immunity in the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 97:9144-9
Sun, J; Hiraoka, T; Dittmer, N T et al. (2000) Lipophorin as a yolk protein precursor in the mosquito, Aedes aegypti. Insect Biochem Mol Biol 30:1161-71
Cho, W L; Tsao, S M; Hays, A R et al. (1999) Mosquito cathepsin B-like protease involved in embryonic degradation of vitellin is produced as a latent extraovarian precursor. J Biol Chem 274:13311-21
Sappington, T W; Raikhel, A S (1998) Molecular characteristics of insect vitellogenins and vitellogenin receptors. Insect Biochem Mol Biol 28:277-300

Showing the most recent 10 out of 24 publications