c DNA cloning and expression analysis of the juvenile hormone acid methyltransferase from seabuckthorn carpenterworm, H olcocerus hippophaecolus ( L epidoptera: C ossidae)

In this study, we report the c DNA cloning and sequence determination of H h‐ JHAMT from the seabuckthorn carpenterworm, H olcocerus hippophaecolus , by using rapid amplification of c DNA ends. The full‐length c DNA of putative H h‐ JHAMT was 1659 bp and contained a highly conserved M otif I , SAM motif I , which showed that Hh ‐ JHAMT like enzyme was a member of SAM ‐dependent MT ases. Moreover, putative Hh ‐ JHAMT had high homology to the other members of the JHAMT peptide family: 59% with S podoptera litura , 54% with B ombyx mori and 54% with H elicoverpa armigera . Multiple alignments and phylogenetic analysis revealed that H h‐ JHAMT was closely related to JHAMT from Lepidoptera. Real‐time quantitative PCR experiments showed that H h‐ JHAMT m RNA expression was highest in the corpora allata ( CA ) complex, and was also detected at high levels during earlier larval and adult stages. The JHAMT m RNA level gradually declined during larval development, and the lowest amount of expression was observed in the pupal stage, while it increased to a higher level during adult stages. The pattern of H h‐ JHAMT expression was similar to the mode of JH biosynthesis. These results provided information concerning molecular characteristics of H h‐ JHAMT , whose expression profile suggests that the H h‐ JHAMT gene might be changed with larval development, metamorphosis and adult reproduction of the H . hippophaecolus.