ARS | Publication request: EXPRESSION OF MESSENGER RNAS FROM HAEMATOBIA IRRITANS IRRITANS (DIPTERA: MUSCIDAE) ENCODING A PUTATIVE CYCLIN-DEPENDENT KINASE AND A CYTOCHROME BC-1 COMPLEX PROTEIN

Submitted to: Journal of Medical Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: March 26, 1998
Publication Date: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Two cDNAs from horn fly, designated HFCDRK and HFCCP, have been cloned and sequenced and their expression in various stages of the horn fly life cycle characterized. The open reading frame from HFCDRK codes for a protein with significant similarity to insect cyclin-dependent kinases, proteins involved in regulating cell division and possibly involved in regulating diapause. HFCCP codes for a protein similar to mammalian cytochrome bc-1 complex core protein II, a protein component of a complex involved in respiration. HFCDRK is expressed significantly in early stages of embryo and pupal development, while HFCCP is highly expressed in adults and early embryos. Differences among insect species in usage of DNA codons for amino acids might result in problems in gene transfer experiments if the transforming DNA utilizes codons which are used only rarely in the host insect. Using the horn fly sequences accessible from Genbank, codon usage in horn fly was compared to Musca domestica and Drosophila melanogaster.

Technical Abstract: Two cDNAs from horn fly, designated HFCDRK and HFCCP, have been cloned and sequenced and their expression in various stages of the horn fly life cycle characterized with ribonuclease protection assays. The open reading frames from HFCDRK and HFCCP code for proteins with signficiant amino acide identity to insect cyclin-dependent kinases and mammalian cytochrome bc-1 complex core protein II, respectively. HFCDRK is expressed significantly in early stages of embryo and pupal development, while HFCCP is expressed in adults, early embryos and late pupal stages. Using the horn fly sequences accessible from Genbank, synonymous codon usage in horn fly was compared to Musca domestica and Drosophila melanogaster. Differences in codon usage among insect species might result in problems in gene transfer experiments if the transforming DNA utilizes codons which require tRNAs which occur only rarely in the host insect.