• BMB Reports
• /
• v.31 no.4
• /
• pp.364-369
• /
• 1998

Insect plasma protein is abundant in the hemolymph of holometabolous insect larvae and is used as a source of amino acids and energy for construction of adult structures during metamorphosis. In order to understand the mechanism of decomposition of larval plasma proteins by hemocyte protease, we tried to purify a cysteine protease from the hemocyte lysate by using Carbobenzoxy-L-Phenylalanyl-L-Arginine-4-Methyl-Coumaryl-7-Amide (Z-Phe-Arg-MCA) as substrate and to identify plasma proteins that are selectively susceptible to the purified protease. Here, we describe the purification and characterization of a cysteine protease that specifically hydrolyzes the plasma protein of the coleopteran insect, Tenebrio molitor, larvae. The molecular mass of this enzyme was 25 kDa, as determined by SDS-PAGE under reducing conditions. The amino acids sequence of its $NH_{2}-terminus$ was determined to be Leu-Pro-Gly-Gln-Ile-Asp-Trp-Arg-Asp-Lys-Gly. This sequence contained Pro, Asp, and Arg residues, conserved in many papain superfamily enzymes. The specific cysteine protease inhibitors, such as E-64 and leupetin, inhibited its hydrolytic activity. One plasma protein with a molecular mass of 48 kDa was selectively hydrolyzed within 3 h when the purified enzyme and plasma proteins were incubated in vitro. However, the 48 kDa protein was not hydrolyzed by the purified 25 kDa protease in the presence of E-64. Western blotting analysis at various developmental stages showed that the purified enzyme was detected at larvae, pupae, and adult stages, but not the embryo stage.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.46 no.7
• /
• pp.358-363
• /
• 2013

In this paper, we firstly reported a C-type lectin cDNA clone of 1029 bps from the larvae of A. Pernyi (Ap-CTL) using PCR and RACE techniques. The full-length cDNA contains an open reading frame encoding 308 amino acid residues which has two different carbohydrate-recognition domains (CRDs) arranged in tandem. To investigate the biological activities in the innate immunity, recombinant Ap-CTL was expressed in E. coli with a 6-histidine at the amino-terminus (Ap-rCTL). Besides acted as a broad-spectrum recognition protein binding to a wide range of PAMPs and microorganisms, Ap-rCTL also had the ability to recognize and trigger the agglutination of bacteria and fungi. In the proPO activation assay, Ap-rCTL specifically restored the PO activity of hemolymph blocked by anti-Ap-rCTL antibody in the presence of different PAMPs or microorganisms. In summary, Ap-rCTL plays an important role in insect innate immunity as an pattern recognition protein.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
• /
• v.51 no.3
• /
• pp.255-263
• /
• 2012

High frequency sounds disrupt physiological processes, such as feeding behavior, development and immune responses of Spodoptera exigua. We analyzed high frequency sounds with respect to biochemical changes in S. exigua. High frequency sound (5,000 Hz, 95 dB) suppressed protein synthesis and secretion of midgut epithelium. It also significantly inhibited a digestive enzyme activity of phospholipase $A_2$. The gene expression of three different heat shock proteins and apolipophorin III was altered, particularly in midgut tissue in response to high frequency sound treatments. High frequency sound treatments significantly increased sugar and lipid levels in hemolymph plasma. These results suggest that high frequency sounds are a physiological stress that induces biochemical changes in S. exigua.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
• /
• v.25 no.2
• /
• pp.1-31
• /
• 1984

Flacherie, as one of the most prevalent silkworm diseases, causes severe economic damage to sericultural industry and its pathogens have been proved to be flacherie virus (FV) and densonucleosis virus (DNV). Multiplications of the viruses in the larvae of the silkworm, Bombyx mori, were studied by the sucrose density gradient centrifugation and electron microscopy. The quantitative and qualitative changes of nucleic acids and proteins were investigated from the midgut and hemolymph in the silkworm larvae infected separately with FV and DNV. The histopathological changes of epithelial cells of infected midgut also were examined by an electron microscope. 1. Purified fractions of FV or DNV in a sucrose density gradient centrifugation yielded one homogenous and sharp peak without a shoulder, suggesting no heterogenous materials in the preparation. Electron microscopy also revealed that FV and DNV were spherical particles, 27nm and 21nm in diameter, respectively. 2. Silkworm larvae showed a decrease in body weight on the 6th day and in midgut weight on the 3rd day after inoculation with FV or DNV. 3. DNA content was higher in the midgut when infected with FV or DNV, but the hemolymph of the infected larvae showed no difference during first 6 days after inoculation, after which DNA concentration declined rapidly. 4. RNA synthesis of silkworm larvae infected separately with FV and DNV was stimulated in the midgut, but RNA content was reduced in the hemolymph at the early stage of virus multiplication. At the late stage of virus multiplication, however, it was extremely reduced in both midgut and hemolymph. 5. The concentration of protein in the midgut and hemolymph of silkworm larvae infected separately with FV and DNV showed no difference from that of the healthy larvae at the early stage of virus multiplication, but it was significantly reduced at the late stage of virus multiplication. 6. There was no difference in the electrophoretic patterns of RNAs extracted from the midgut of healthy or virus-infected larvae. 7. The electrophoresis of proteins extracted from the midgut infected with FV or DNV, when carried out on the 1st and 5th day after virus inoculation, showed no difference from that of the healthy larvae. But, there was an additional band with medium motility in the proteins on the 8th day after virus inoculation, while a band with low mobility shown in the proteins of healthy larvae disappeared in the infected larvae. However, a band with high mobility in the healthy larvae was separated into two fractions in the infected larvae. 8. The electrophoretic pattern of hemolymph proteins of the silkworm larvae infected separately with FV and DNV was similar to that of the healthy larvae, but the concentration of hemolymph proteins in the infected larvae was lower than that of the healthy larvae at the late stage. 9. Two types of inclusion bodies were shown by the double staining of pyronin-methyl green in the columnar cell of the midgut on the 8th day after FV inoculation. 10. Electron microscopy of the infected midgut revealed that the 'cytoplasmic wall' of the goblet cell thickened on the 5th day after FV inoculation and several types of the cytopathogenic structures, such as virus$.$specific vesicles, virus particles, linear structures, tubular structures, and high electron-dense matrices were observed in the cytoplasm of the goblet cell. The virus particles were also observed in the microvilli and the structures similar to spherical virus particles were observed around the virus-specific vesicles, suggesting the virus assembly in the cytoplasm. 11. Fluorescence micrograph of the infected midgut stained with acridine orange showed that the nucleus, the site of DNV multiplication in the columnar cell, enlarged on the 5th day after virus inoculation. 12. Electron microscopic examination of DNV infected midgut revealed that the nucleolus of the columnar cell was broken into granules and those granules dispersed into apical region of the nucleus on the 5th day after virus inoculation. On the 8th day after inoculation, it was also observed that the nucleus of the columnar cell was full with the high electron-dense virogenic stroma which were similar to virus particles. These facts suggest that the virogenic stroma were the sites of virus assembly in the process of DNV multiplication.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.9 no.1
• /
• pp.84-89
• /
• 1999

To determine phylogenetic relatedness of four silk-producing silkmoths (B. mori, B. mandarina, A. yamamai and A. pernyi), internal coding region of arylphorin which is a storage protein in hemolymph protein of insects were amplified by polymerase chain reaction and then sequenced and compared each other. The nucleotide composition was biased toward adenine and thymine(59% A+T) and a strong bias for use of C in the third position of codons was found for Phe and Tyr. Together TTC(Phe) and TAC(Tyr) account for about 16.8% (10 for TTC and 8 for TAC) of all codon usage. The nucleotide similarity of arylphorin gene from B. mori showed 99%, 98% and 97% homology with those of B. mandarina, A. yamamai and A. pernyi, respectively. Also, the nucleotide sequence of arylphorin gene from B. mandarina showed 98% and 97% homology with those of A. yamamai and A.pernyi, respectively. Between A. yamamai and A. pernyi, the sequence homology was 97%. The deduced amino acid sequences in B. mori, B. mandarina and A. yamamai showed almost 99% homology. Although the aryphorin gene provided insufficient variability among the four insect species, A UPGMA tree is generated that supported the monophyly of silk-producing insects, with M. sexta placed basal to it. It is suggest that silk-producing insects have a close relationship and a homogeneous genetic background from comparison with those of other insects.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
• /
• v.29 no.1
• /
• pp.20-30
• /
• 1987

In the hemolymph proteins of the silkworm reared with mulberry leaves and artificial diet, electrophoretic patterns of Storege Protein 1 (SP1) and Vitellogenin(VG), changes of relative concentration of SP1, JHA effects during the developmental stages, and estimation of the molecular weight of vitellin subunits were investigated in the present study. 1. Storage Protein 1 (SP1) showed female specificity from the middle stage of the fifth instar to the end of spinning stage in the silkworm reared with mulberry leaves and artificial diet. 2. Vitellogenin (VG) showed female specififcity just afrter pupation in the silkworm reared with mulberry leaves and artificial diet. 3. Storage Protein 2 (SP2) without female specificity was detected from the early stage of the fifth instar to the first or second day after pupation. 4. Vitellin was composed of two non-identical subunits (vitellin-heavy chain ; VTL-H, vitellinlight chain ; VTL-L) with mplecular weight of 186,000 and 41,000. Also, there were no differenes between the molecular weights of vitellin subunits obtained from silkworms reared with mulberry leaves and artificial diet. 5. Relative concentration of Storage Protein 1 (SP1) after topical application - 0.5, and 10$\mu\textrm{g}$ per body weight - JHA on the 60th hour of the fifth instar showed the highest increase with the treatment of 5$\mu\textrm{g}$ and a higher increase with the treatment of 10$\mu\textrm{g}$ compared with the control (no topical application of JHA).

• Journal of Aquaculture
• /
• v.19 no.2
• /
• pp.77-83
• /
• 2006

This study was conducted to investigate changes of hemolymph count, antioxidant enzyme activities (catalase: CAT and superoxide dismutase: SOD) and Heat Shock Protein 70 (HSP70) mRNA in hemolymph, hepatopancreas and gill of abalone (Haliotis sieboldii) exposed to various water temperatures. Abalones were exposed to 10, 15, 20, 25 or $30^{\circ}C$ for 0, 6, 12, 24 or 48 hours. Survival rate of abalone was 100% at 10, 15, 20 and $25^{\circ}C$, but 0% at $30^{\circ}C$. Hemolymph counts increased at lower water temperatures (10 and $15^{\circ}C$) and decreased at $30^{\circ}C$. SOD activity decreased immediately after exposure to lower or higher water temperatures compared to the control ($20^{\circ}C$) with an exception at $30^{\circ}C$ where the activity increased. At lower temperatures, SOD activity rose high after 24 hours, but decreased again at 48 hours. At $25^{\circ}C$, it decreased compared to the control. CAT activity decreased immediately after exposure to 10 or $25^{\circ}C$ compared to the control, and then was recovered to the initial level after increment. At $15^{\circ}C$, CAT activity was high after 6 hours, and then was recovered to the initial level after increment. At $30^{\circ}C$, the activity decreased throughout the experiment. The HSP70 mRNA expression in gill increased at lower temperatures compared to the control ($20^{\circ}C$) and $25^{\circ}C$. In this study, rapid change of wale, temperature caused stress response in abalone which had been raised at $20^{\circ}C$. At molecular level, HSP70 was expressed rapidly, but antioxidant enzymes like SOD and CAT were expressed later than HSP70. At 15 and $25^{\circ}C$ of water temperatures, the HSP70, SOD and CAT expression were stable with time. However, at $30^{\circ}C$, all abalone died possibly because they could not develop resistance to high temperature.

• Journal of fish pathology
• /
• v.33 no.1
• /
• pp.45-53
• /
• 2020

Doxycycline is a semi-synthetic broad-spectrum antibiotic, and it has been used to get rid of bacteria in animals and humans. The use of antibiotics has greatly contributed to the aquaculture production although its misuse sometimes presents public health problems. This study was performed to investigate the toxic effects of doxycycline on whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) administered for possible infection treatments. The shrimp were allocated into four groups and doxycycline was fed three times a day for 7 days at 0, 20, 50 and 100 mg/kg to each group. After 24 hr following the 7-day treatment, hemolymph and hepatopancreas were used for blood and biochemical analysis: Total hemocyte counts, Total protein, Total cholesterol, Gluscose, Glutamic pyruvic transaminase, Glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, Glutathione peroxidase, Superoxide dismutase, Glutathione-s-transferases, Total antioxidant capacity colorimetric and Acid phosphatase. In addition, histopathological examination was performed on the hepatopancreas and muscle. It was observed that body weight gain was significantly retarded in 100 mg/kg doxycycline group. Doxycycline was found to induce biochemical or functional disorders at 100 mg/kg as observed many of the blood and biochemical parameters were significantly reduced. In conclusion, it was judged that there will be no major toxicity problems with doxycycline when used for shrimp aquaculture at regular doses.

• The Journal of Korean Society of Virology
• /
• v.28 no.3
• /
• pp.225-232
• /
• 1998

We have expressed GFP in Sf9 and Bm5 cells or Bombyx mori larvae by using Ac-Bm hybrid virus capable of replicating in both Bm5 and Sf9 cells. Genomic DNA of Ac-Bm hybrid virus expressing ${\beta}$-galactosidase was cotransfected with baculovirus transfer vector containing GFP gene, pBacPAK-GFP in Sf9 cells. The Ac-Bm hybrid virus harboring GFP was named as Ac-Bm hybrid virus-GFP. The Ac-Bm hybrid virus-GFP-infected insect cells were easily selected by detecting the emission of GFP from each well of cell culture dish on the UV illuminator. GFP produced by Ac-Bm hybrid virus-GFP in Sf9 and Bm5 cells or B. mori larvae was confirmed by SDS-PAGE and Western blot analysis using GFP antibody. In addition, B. mori larvae infected with Ac-Bm hybrid virus-GFP was apparently appeared fluorescence from the whole body at S days postinoculation. The fluorescence of GFP from the hemolymph and fat body of B. mori larvae infected with Ac-Bm hybrid virus-GFP was also observed by fluorescence microscope. In conclusion, our results demonstrated that in baculovirus expression vector system, use of Ac-Bm hybrid virus have an additional advantage of expanded host range for producing recombinant proteins.

• Applied Microscopy
• /
• v.35 no.3
• /
• pp.177-186
• /
• 2005

The foregut epithelium of the last instar larva in the scarab beetle, Allomyrina dichotoma was observed with electron microscopes. The foregut epithelium of the scarab beetle larva is composed of a single-layered squamous absorptive cell. The luminal surface of the epithelium is covered with cuticular intima. The free surface of the squamous cell has a irregular array of microvilli 'brush border', while cell membrans close to the basal lamina are infolded and a lot of mitochondria are concentrated in those processes. The cytoplasm in the epithelial cells is well developed nucleus, mitochondria. And the basal region of cell contains large lipid-, protein droplets and numerous glycogen granules. The basal lamina is located between the basal membrane and muscle bundle, providing barrier between the epithelium and the hemolymph. The epithelium is surround by the subepithelial space and muscles. The subepithelial space, which is composed of fibrous connective tissue is innervated by many tracheoles and axon.