Two storage hexamerins from the beet armyworm Spodoptera exigua: cloning, characterization and the effect of gene silencing on survival.

ABSTRACT:

Background

In insects, hemocyanin superfamily proteins accumulate apparently to serve as sources of amino acids during metamorphosis, reproduction and development. Storage hexamerins are important members of the hemocyanin superfamily. Although insects possess storage hexamerins, very little is known about the character and specific functions of hexamerin 1 and storage protein 1 in insect development.

Results

To gain insight into the function of storage proteins in insects, cDNAs for two storage proteins were cloned from the fat body of Spodoptera exigua. S. exigua hexamerin 1 (SeHex) cDNA contained an open reading frame of 2124 nucleotides encoding a protein of 707 amino acids with a predicted molecular weight of 82.12 kDa. S. exigua storage protein 1 (SeSP1) cDNA contained

SUBMITTER: Tang B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2939506 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature