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A tapeworm molecule manipulates vitellogenin expression in the beetle Tenebrio molitor
Author(s) -
Warr E.,
Meredith J. M.,
Nimmo D. D.,
Basu S.,
Hurd H.,
Eggleston P.
Publication year - 2006
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.1365-2583.2006.00663.x
Subject(s) - biology , vitellogenin , messenger rna , open reading frame , complementary dna , hymenolepis diminuta , northern blot , in vivo , gene expression , microbiology and biotechnology , gene , secretion , western blot , endocrinology , medicine , zoology , biochemistry , cestoda , genetics , peptide sequence , helminths
Metacestodes of Hymenolepis diminuta secrete a molecule that decreases vitellogenin (Vg) synthesis in the beetle host, Tenebrio molitor . The 5608 bp T. molitor Vg cDNA represents a single‐copy gene encoding a single open reading frame of 1821 amino acids with a predicted molecular mass of 206 kDa. Northern blot analysis revealed detectable levels of transcripts only in adult females. In vivo , Vg mRNA abundance was significantly higher in fat bodies from infected females compared with control females at all but the earliest time point. In vitro , Vg mRNA abundance was significantly increased in fat bodies incubated with live stage I–II parasites. The apparent conflict between increased Vg mRNA abundance and decreased Vg protein in fat bodies from infected females is discussed.