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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Gainesville, Florida » Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology » Imported Fire Ant and Household Insects Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #180354
Title: UP-REGULATION OF A TRANSFERRIN GENE IN RESPONSE TO FUNGAL INFECTION IN SOLENOPSIS INVICTA

Author
item Valles, Steven
item Pereira, Roberto

Submitted to: Imported Fire Ants Conference Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/20/2005
Publication Date: 5/15/2005
Citation: Valles, S.M., Pereira, R.M. 2005. Up-regulation of a transferrin gene in response to fungal infection in Solenopsis invicta. Proceedings in the 2005 Annual Red Imported Fire Ant Conference. 83.Gulfport, MS. March 22-24, 2005.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The cDNA of a gene with significant homology to insect transferrins was identified and sequenced from Solenopsis invicta. Translation of the open reading frame yielded a protein with a molecular mass of 77.3 kDa and pI value of 5.66, characteristics consistent with transferrin proteins. Quantitative PCR was used to examine the expression of the S. invicta transferrin. Among different developmental stages selected, early pupae exhibited the highest expression level, with significantly lower expression levels in late larvae, queens, and workers. Expression was induced in worker ants exposed to varying doses of Beauveria bassiana conidia. Killed conidia did not elicit an inductive response. Worker ants exposed to juvenile hormone exhibited a significantly lower relative expression of S. invicta transferrin compared with an untreated control. However, expression of S. invicta transferrin was not significantly different in ants exposed to 20-hydroxyecdysone. Genes, like the S. invicta transferrin, responding to pathogen attack may provide a unique approach for the discovery of microbial control organisms from fire ants.