Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Hebei Province, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050016, Hebei, China.
Dev Comp Immunol. 2012 May;37(1):207-11. doi: 10.1016/j.dci.2011.10.004. Epub 2011 Oct 19.
A novel gene was identified from a cDNA library of the male accessory glands of Haemaphysalis longicornis. The full-length cDNA of the gene was 349bp, encoding a 79-amino acid defensin-like protein and therefore the protein was named HlMS-defensin. Reverse transcriptase-PCR results suggested that this gene was expressed exclusively in male ticks. The tissue expression pattern and the mRNA levels of HlMS-defensin during blood feeding were determined using real-time PCR. HlMS-defensin was expressed predominately in the male accessory gland and was up-regulated during blood feeding. The antimicrobial activity of a synthetic peptide based on the predicted mature portion of HlMS-defensin was examined against a variety of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and fungi. It appears that ticks use the antimicrobial peptide to protect their reproductive tracts from microbial infections. The protective role of HlMS-defensin during mating was also discussed.
从长角血蜱雄附腺 cDNA 文库中鉴定出一个新基因。该基因全长 349bp，编码一个 79 个氨基酸的防御素样蛋白，因此该蛋白被命名为 HlMS-防御素。逆转录 PCR 结果表明，该基因仅在雄性蜱中表达。使用实时 PCR 测定了 HlMS-防御素在吸血过程中的组织表达模式和 mRNA 水平。HlMS-防御素主要在雄附腺中表达，并在吸血过程中上调。根据 HlMS-防御素预测的成熟部分设计的合成肽的抗菌活性针对各种革兰氏阳性和革兰氏阴性细菌和真菌进行了检测。似乎蜱类使用抗菌肽来保护它们的生殖道免受微生物感染。还讨论了 HlMS-防御素在交配过程中的保护作用。
