Gulsiri Charoensilp. Isolation and characterization of a newly identified class of glutathione transferase in Anopheles dirus. Doctoral Degree(Molecular Genetics and Genetic Engineering ). Mahidol University. : Mahidol University, 2006.
Isolation and characterization of a newly identified class of glutathione transferase in Anopheles dirus
Abstract:
The insect glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) are of particular interest because
of their potential to confer resistance on all the major groups of insecticides. Recently,
a cluster of eight insect-specific epsilon class GSTs from Anopheles gambiae has been
identified and it was found that they are involved in insecticide resistance. The aim of
this study is to isolate and biochemically characterize the function of the GST epsilon
four (adGSTE4-4) enzyme including variant isoenzymes from the Thai malaria vector,
Anopheles dirus, and to compare the adGSTE4-4 enzyme with GSTE4-4 enzymes
from An. gambiae (agGSTE4-4) and Aedes aegypti (aaGSTE4-4). The An. dirus
GSTE4-4 wild type and three variants (Pro14Leu, Glu44Lys, and Ile131Thr) were
obtained by RT-PCR. After confirmation by sequencing, the RT-PCR products were
subcloned into pET3a expression vector. Proteins were expressed, purified, and
characterized for kinetic properties, substrate specificities, half life stabilities, and
pyrethroid inhibition. The results showed that An. dirus GSTE4-4 shares more than
85% amino acid sequence similarity with two orthologs from An. gambiae and Aedes
aegypti. However, adGSTE4-4 possesses greater catalytic efficiency (kcat/Km) for
CDNB as well as greater activity for several other substrates. In addition, adGSTE4-4
enzyme possesses peroxidase activity while this activity was not observed for the An.
gambiae enzyme and adGSTE4-4 enzyme also binds two pyrethroid insecticides
(permethrin and λcyhalothrin) with relatively high affinity. Moreover, the Pro14Leu
variant exhibited the lowest enzyme activities for all substrates tested and showed no
inhibition with either permethrin or λ-cyhalothrin while Glu44Lys variant had similar
kinetic properties to wild type enzyme except a decrease in half life whereas Ile131Thr
variant had no detectable peroxidase activity and showed variation in substrate
specificity and half life stability. In conclusion, that An. dirus GST Epsilon 4 enzyme,
unlike the An. gambiae enzyme, can contribute to pyrethroid resistance by
sequestration as well as protect against oxidation from secondary pyrethroid
metabolites via its peroxidase activity. Furthermore, the Pro14 position of adGSTE4-4
appears to be an important residue that impacts on enzyme catalysis and pyrethroid
binding affinities while substitution of Glu44 and Ile131 residues showed only small
affect on the structural stability of the enzyme.