Constitutive expression and enzymatic activity of Tan protein in brain and epidermis of Ceratitis capitata and of Drosophila melanogaster wild-type and tan mutants

Insect Biochem Mol Biol. 2011 Sep;41(9):653-9. doi: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2011.04.007. Epub 2011 May 7.

Abstract

The present report shows a partial biochemical characterization and life cycle expression of N-β-alanyldopamine hydrolase (Tan protein) in Ceratitis capitata and Drosophila melanogaster. This enzyme catalyzes the hydrolysis of N-β-alanyldopamine (NBAD), the main tanning precursor of insect brown cuticles. It also plays an important role in the metabolism of brain neurotransmitters, recycling dopamine and histamine. In contrast to NBAD-synthase, Tan is expressed constitutively in epidermis and does not respond directly to microbial challenge. Immunodetection experiments showed the novel localization of NBAD-hydrolase in the embryo central neural system and in different regions of the adult brain, in addition to optic lobes. We sequenced and characterized Drosophila mutants tan¹ and tan³. The latter appears to be a mutant with normal expression in neural tissue but weak one in epidermis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Base Sequence
  • Brain / enzymology
  • Ceratitis capitata / enzymology*
  • Ceratitis capitata / growth & development
  • Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone / genetics
  • Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone / metabolism*
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism*
  • Dermis / enzymology
  • Drosophila Proteins / genetics
  • Drosophila Proteins / metabolism*
  • Drosophila melanogaster / enzymology*
  • Drosophila melanogaster / growth & development
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
  • Insect Proteins / genetics
  • Insect Proteins / metabolism*
  • Larva / enzymology
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Phenotype
  • Pupa / enzymology

Substances

  • Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Drosophila Proteins
  • Insect Proteins
  • t protein, Drosophila

Associated data

  • GENBANK/HM064498