Molecular cloning of insect pro-phenol oxidase: a copper-containing protein homologous to arthropod hemocyanin.
AUTOR(ES)
Kawabata, T
RESUMO
Pro-phenol oxidase [pro-PO; zymogen of phenol oxidase (monophenol, L-dopa:oxygen oxidoreductase, EC 1.14.18.1)] is present in the hemolymph plasma of the silkworm Bombyx mori. Pro-PO is a heterodimeric protein synthesized by hemocytes. A specific serine proteinase activates both subunits through a limited proteolysis. The amino acid sequences of both subunits were deduced from their respective cDNAs; amino acid sequence homology between the subunits was 51%. The deduced amino acid sequences revealed domains highly homologous to the copper-binding site sequences (copper-binding sites A and B) of arthropod hemocyanins. The overall sequence homology between silkworm pro-PO and arthropod hemocyanins ranged from 29 to 39%. Phenol oxidases from prokaryotes, fungi, and vertebrates have sequences homologous to only the copper-binding site B of arthropod hemocyanins. Thus, silkworm pro-PO DNA described here appears distinctive and more closely related to arthropod hemocyanins. The pro-PO-activating serine proteinase was shown to hydrolyze peptide bonds at the carboxyl side of arginine in the sequence-Asn-49-Arg-50-Phe-51-Gly-52- of both subunits. Amino groups of N termini of both subunits were indicated to be N-acetylated. The cDNAs of both pro-PO subunits lacked signal peptide sequences. This result supports our contention that mature pro-PO accumulates in the cytoplasm of hemocytes and is released by cell rupture, as for arthropod hemocyanins.
ACESSO AO ARTIGO
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=41228Documentos Relacionados
- Pro-phenol oxidase activating proteinase from an insect, Manduca sexta: A bacteria-inducible protein similar to Drosophila easter
- Role of the integument in insect defense: pro-phenol oxidase cascade in the cuticular matrix.
- Human copper-containing superoxide dismutase of high molecular weight.
- Properties of a copper-containing cytochrome ba3: a second terminal oxidase from the extreme thermophile Thermus thermophilus.
- Molecular characterization of nosA, a Pseudomonas stutzeri gene encoding an outer membrane protein required to make copper-containing N2O reductase.