Structural and functional analyses of a sterol carrier protein in Spodoptera litura.

ABSTRACT:

Backgrounds

In insects, cholesterol is one of the membrane components in cells and a precursor of ecdysteroid biosynthesis. Because insects lack two key enzymes, squalene synthase and lanosterol synthase, in the cholesterol biosynthesis pathway, they cannot autonomously synthesize cholesterol de novo from simple compounds and therefore have to obtain sterols from their diet. Sterol carrier protein (SCP) is a cholesterol-binding protein responsible for cholesterol absorption and transport.

Results

In this study, a model of the three-dimensional structure of SlSCPx-2 in Spodoptera litura, a destructive polyphagous agricultural pest insect in tropical and subtropical areas, was constructed. Docking of sterol and fatty acid ligands to SlSCPx-2 and ANS fluorescent replacement ass

SUBMITTER: Zhang L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3893073 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature