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Nucleotide sequence of an adult‐specific cuticular protein gene from the beetle Tenebrio molitor: effects of 20‐hydroxyecdysone on mRNA accumulation
Author(s) -
Bouhin H.,
Braquart C.,
Charles J.P.,
Quennedey B.,
Delachambre J.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
insect molecular biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.955
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1365-2583
pISSN - 0962-1075
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2583.1993.tb00128.x
Subject(s) - biology , 20 hydroxyecdysone , gene , messenger rna , moulting , gene expression , microbiology and biotechnology , clone (java method) , ecdysone , genetics , botany , larva
The accumulation of transcripts from two adult‐specific cuticular genes (ACP‐20 and ACP‐22) is shown to be modified after addition of exogenous 20‐hydroxyecdysone. In the continuous presence of high levels of the hormone, the expression of ACP‐20 gene is significantly weaker than that of untreated controls, while ACP‐22 expression is 2.5‐fold increased. During active synthesis of the ACP messages, a 0.5 µ20‐hydroxyecdysone injection causes a rapid 2‐fold increase in ACP‐22 mRNA and is not able to repress ACP‐20 mRNA accumulation. We conclude that these genes whose transcripts appear in an almost coordinated manner in epidermal cells during the moulting cycle are regulated by ecdysteroids in a different way. In order to undertake a functional dissection of the promoter regions of ACP‐22 gene, we have isolated and sequenced a genomic clone. The sequence similarities with other cuticular protein genes are discussed.