Activity of fusion prophenoloxidase-GFP and its potential applications for innate immunity study.

ABSTRACT: Insect prophenoloxidase (PPO) is essential for physiological functions such as melanization of invading pathogens, wound healing and cuticle sclerotization. The insect PPO activation pathway is well understood. However, it is not very clear how PPO is released from hemocytes and how PPO takes part in cellular immunity. To begin to assess this, three Drosophila melanogaster PPO genes were separately fused with GFP at the C-terminus (rPPO-GFP) and were over-expressed in S2 cells. The results of staining and morphological observation show that rPPO-GFP expressed in S2 cells has green fluorescence and enzyme activity if Cu(2+) was added during transfection. Each rPPO-GFP has similar properties as the corresponding rPPO. However, cells with rPPO-GFP over-expressed are easier to trace without PO

SUBMITTER: Yang B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3662757 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature