Mongkhon Panyot. Identification of cadherin-like protein in Aedes aegypti larvae . Master's Degree(Molecular Genetics and Genetic Engineering). Mahidol University. : Mahidol University, 2007.
Identification of cadherin-like protein in Aedes aegypti larvae
Abstract:
The insecticidal crystal proteins, produced from bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis,
bind to specific receptors on the midgut epithelial cells of susceptible insect larvae,
leading to pore formation and death of the larvae. Cadherin-like protein (CadLP) is
considered a receptor to Cry toxins in many insect species but its expression in the gut
of Aedes aegypti larvae is unknown. This study identified and cloned CadLP from the
midgut of Ae. aegypti larvae using RT-PCR, 5´ and 3´ RACEs. 1,498 nucleotides
located at the 3´ end of CadLP cDNA from Ae. aegypti larval midgut were obtained.
The obtained partial sequence has 57% amino acid sequence similarity to An. gambiae
CadLP. Moreover, RNAi technique was employed to specifically knock down the
CadLP expression to determine if this protein is necessary for Cry4Ba toxin larvicidal
activity against Ae. aegypti. Two ways for introducing the dsCadLP RNA into the
larvae were employed. One, feeding the larvae with E. coli expressing dsCadLP RNA.
Two, soaking the larvae in dsCadLP RNA solution. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR was
employed to monitor the expression of CadLP transcripts. The results showed that the
soaking method showed reduction of CadLP transcripts. The silencing of the CadLP
gene by soaking is sequence specific as soaking the larvae in dsGFP RNA did not
result in reduction of CadLP transcripts. The mosquito larvicidal assay was performed
after 12, 24 or 36 hours of soaking in dsCadLP RNA. The results did not show
reduction of larval mortality and there was no reduction of CadLP transcript as
expected. Therefore, the experiments as well as the soaking experiment are
inconclusive