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Title: A NEW MEMBER OF THE GROWTH-PROMOTING GLYCOPROTEINS FROM DIAPREPES ROOT WEEVIL (COLEOPTERA: CURCULIONIDAE)

Author
item HUANG, ZHIPENG - UNIV. OF FLORIDA
item Hunter, Wayne
item CLELAND, CATHY - UNIV. OF CALIF. LANL
item WOLINSKI, MURRAY - UNIV. OF CALIF. LANL
item Lapointe, Stephen
item POWELL, CHARLES - UNIV. OF FLORIDA

Submitted to: Florida Entomologist
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/17/2006
Publication Date: 6/19/2006
Citation: Huang, Z., Hunter, W.B., Cleland, C., Wolinski, M., Lapointe, S.L., Powell, C. 2006. A new member of the growth-promoting Glycoproteins from Diaprepes root weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Florida Entomologist. 89(2): 223-232.

Interpretive Summary: Insects, like all animals, produce specific proteins during development. In insects a set of genes referred to as the imaginal disc growth factors, idgf, are thought to have a wide range of functions. By understanding specific pathways of development in insects and how they are regulated scientists hope to be able to develop safer and more specific insect management strategies. Genes that function in the regulation of development of the antennae, wings and legs of insects are especially of interest since disruption of any of these structures could render an insect pest helpless to natural predators. The Diaprepes root weevil is a major pests of citrus, fruit trees and ornamentals. The weevil is becoming widespread throughout the southern USA and new methods to manage this serious pest need to be developed.

Technical Abstract: The imaginal disc growth factor gene, idgf, for the Diaprepes root weevil was identified and cloned from a cDNA library made from teneral adult females. After rigorous sequencing and homology comparisons of the idgf-DRW gene (GenBank accession no. AY821658) indicated an open reading frame consisting of 1329 bases which encodes a putative protein of 442 amino acids residues with a calculated molecular weight of 49.5 kDa and a pI value of 6.68. BLAST analyses of deduced amino acid sequence of IDGF-DRW showed a 43% and 51% identity with IDGF1-5 and DS47 from Drosophila melangoaster, D. simulans, and D. yakuba, and a 51% identity with two IDGF proteins from lepidopterans, Pieris rapae, and Bombyx mori. The predicted IDGF-DRW displays characteristic folding of the family 18 glycosyl hydrolases, with an insertion (Gly304 to Phe392) in the beta barrel between strand ß7 and helix '7 and forms an additional '+ß domain similar to that of Serratia marcescens chitinases A and B. By understanding specific pathways of development in insects and how they are regulated scientists hope to be able to develop safer and more specific insect management strategies.