ARS | Publication request: Transcriptomic profile of Drosophila melanogaster larval midgut and responses to oxidative stress

Submitted to: Insect Molecular Biology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: March 4, 2008
Publication Date: March 4, 2008
Citation: Hong-Mei, L., Buczkowski, G., Schemerhorn, B.J., Murdock, L.L., Pittindrigh, B.R. 2008. Transcriptomic profile of Drosophila melanogaster larval midgut and responses to oxidative stress. Insect Molecular Biology: 335-339.

Interpretive Summary: The use of an oligoarray allowed us to determine many transcripts in Drosophila that are related to protein synthesis and metabolism. Some of these proteins are of great interest because of the interest in pesticides that target the insect digestive system in order to be used in transgenic plants for defenses. Currently Bt is used in this manner. However, given that resistance to pesticides is a well-documented phenomenon, there is a need to identify novel potential target-sites in the insect digestive system that can be used to develop novel insect control agents. This work was a step in this direction.

Technical Abstract: Oligoarray analysis was used to determine the number and nature of genes expressed in third-instar Drosophila melanogaster larval midguts. The majority of transcripts were associated with protein synthesis and metabolism. Serine proteases were the main proteolytic enzymes detected. Some 40% of the cytochrome P450 genes and 57% of the glutathione S transferases (GSTs) in the genome of Drosophila were observed to be highly expressed in the midgut. We also identified putative transcription factor binding motifs (TFBMs) of P450s and GSTs. Many of the midgut-expressed GST genes contained putative oxidative stress-responsive TFBMs. We also investigated the response of GSTs in the midgut to dietary H2O2, which showed a dosage based differential response.