Specific amino acids affecting Drosophila melanogaster prophenoloxidase activity in vitro

Developmental and Comparative Immunology
Yang ChenE Ling

Abstract

Insect prophenoloxidase (PPO) is a key enzyme that induces melanization around invading pathogens and at wounds to prevent further infection. Drosophila melanogaster has three PPO genes which have different biochemical properties following over-expression in S2 cells. As shown by automatic melanization of S2 cells, recombinant PPO3 (rPPO3) became activated upon Cu(2+) addition (Cu(2+)-aided cells melanization without ethanol activation and substrate addition: +Cu(2+); -DOPA, -Ethanol). The exact reasons for this phenomenon are still unknown. In this study, using site-directed mutagenesis and over-expression methods, we found that the place holder, two independent amino acids (equal to Manduca sexta amino acid residues: F218 and S393 in MsPPO1, F224 and E395 in MsPPO2) in the active site pocket and a missing fragment (similar to (565)RPGDPGT(571) in MsPPO1 and (571)QGSDPRR(577) in MsPPO2) at the C-terminus of PPO3, affect rPPO3-S2 cells Cu(2+)-aided auto-melanization. Some mutations nearly rescued rPPO3 Cu(2+)-aided auto-activation, which suggests that the auto-activation of wild type rPPO3 was not due to cleavage by serine proteases. We also found that the corresponding amino acids in the active site pocket have similar effect ...Continue Reading

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Citations

Feb 18, 2015·The FEBS Journal·Isabella Vlisidou, Will Wood
Jul 30, 2014·Frontiers in Physiology·Anrui LuErjun Ling
Apr 6, 2017·Pigment Cell & Melanoma Research·Miranda M A Whitten, Christopher J Coates
Jan 30, 2018·Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology·Kiyoshi Ferreira FukutaniArtur Trancoso Lopo de Queiroz
Oct 19, 2021·Frontiers in Plant Science·Leonard Blaschek, Edouard Pesquet

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