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Molecular characterization and expression analysis of target of rapamycin ( T m TOR ) in coleopteran insect T enebrio molitor
Author(s) -
Jo Yong Hun,
Lee Jung Hee,
Tindwa Hamisi,
Patnaik Hongray Howerelia,
Seong Jeong Hwan,
Kim Soo Gon,
Patnaik Bharat Bhusan,
Oh Seunghan,
Lee Yong Seok,
Han Yeon Soo
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
entomological research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.421
H-Index - 20
eISSN - 1748-5967
pISSN - 1738-2297
DOI - 10.1111/1748-5967.12163
Subject(s) - biology , tor signaling , open reading frame , untranslated region , complementary dna , kinase , amino acid , peptide sequence , biochemistry , genetics , messenger rna , microbiology and biotechnology , gene
Target of rapamycin ( TOR ) is an evolutionarily conserved serine–threonine kinase that affects various cellular functions including growth, development, ageing, immunity and autophagy. Inhibition in TOR activity stimulates autophagy, a self‐eating process that ensures survival by maintaining metabolic homeostasis and energy retention at both cellular and organismal levels. To understand the interplay between TOR and autophagy during development and immunity, we screened and identified a TOR homologue from the coleopteran insect, T enebrio molitor ( T m TOR ). The full‐length cDNA of TmTOR contained an open reading frame (ORF) of 7,197 bp encoding a protein of 2,398 amino acids, and a 5′‐ and 3′‐ untranslated region (UTR) of 156 and 457 bp, respectively. Deduced amino acid sequence of T m TOR shows characteristic Huntington, EF3A, ATM, TOR ( HEAT ) repeat, focal adhesion kinase targeting ( FAT ), rapamycin‐binding, phosphatidylinositol 3‐/4‐kinase and FRAP, ATM and TRRAP C‐terminal ( FATC ) domains known to be conserved among TOR orthologs. T m TOR showed high sequence identity (92%) with T ribolium castaneum TOR ( T c TOR ) and the two were placed in the same cluster of the phylogenetic tree. T m TOR shows high m RNA expression level in the fat body and integument of T . molitor larvae. Significantly, a reduced expression of T m TOR m RNA during pupation correlated to an increase in the area of autolysosomes. Intriguingly, T . molitor larvae showed an increase in T m TOR transcripts upon a challenge with various bacterial pathogens. This suggests a negative role of T m TOR in the regulation of autophagy during development.