U.S. flagAn official website of the United States government
                    Here's how you know **Official websites use .gov**
                            
                            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
 **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
                            
                            A **lock** (                            
                              A locked padlock                                                      
                            
                            ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Menu Agricultural Research Service
						
                    U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 Mosquito and Fly Research: Gainesville, FL
 close



    Research

                    Research Projects
                                    Publications
                                    Collaborations
                                    News
                People

                    Staff Listing
                                    CareersSearch small
                    Search
            
            ARS Home
                                About ARS
                                Contact Us




ARS Home Southeast Area Gainesville, Florida Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology Mosquito and Fly Research Research Publications at this Location





- ARS National Programs
- Search for a scientific manuscript
- Search for a research project
- ARS Software
- Programs and Projects
- Collaborations
- Subjects of Investigation
- Publications

Title:   Author  item
                                            Choi, Man-Yeonitem
                                            Sanscrainte, Neilitem
                                            ESTEP, ALDEN - Navy And Marine Corps Public Health Center (NMCPHC)item
                                            Vander Meer, Robert

                                                         - *Bob*item
                                            Becnel, James
  Submitted to: Journal of Insect Physiology
                                    Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
                                    Publication Acceptance Date: 6/3/2015
                                    Publication  Date: 6/4/2015
                                    Citation: Choi, M.Y., Sanscrainte, N.D., Estep, A.S., Vander Meer, R.K., Becnel, J.J. 2015. Identification and expression of the PBAN/pyrokinin gene in the sand fly Phlebotomus papatasi. Journal of Insect Physiology. 79:55-62.Interpretive Summary: Leishmaniasis, a disease responsible for over 70,000 human deaths annually, is transmitted by several species of sand fly including Phlebotomus papatasi. Traditional methods of vector control, such as treating uniforms or bednets with insecticides, have not been very successful at controlling leishmaniasis outbreaks. Field tests with attractive toxic sugar baits (ATSB) have shown reductions in P. papatasi populations, and as more is learned about the molecular biology of these Old World vectors, better and more specific methods of control (such as ATSB or gene silencing aka RNAi) can be developed. In this study, we identified and characterized the first PBAN/pyrokinin gene from a sand fly. The PBAN/pyrokinin family of genes has been shown to have several critical functions in many orders of insects, ranging from stimulation of sex pheromone production to hindgut muscle contractions. This is the only known PBAN/pyrokinin gene with two transcriptional isoforms. Expression of the Phlpa-PBAN/pyrokinin gene was examined for egg, larval, pupal, and adult life stages, and the phylogeny of all available transcripts that code for PBAN/pyrokinin peptides is discussed.
                                Technical Abstract: 
The PBAN/pyrokinin peptides are a major neuropeptide (NP) family defined by a common FXPRL-NH2 or similar sequence at the C-termini. This family of peptides has been found in all insect groups investigated to date and is implicated in regulating various physiological functions, including pheromone biosynthesis and diapause, but other functions are still largely unknown in specific life stages. Here we identify two isoforms of pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide (PBAN)/pyrokinin (PK) cDNA encoding the PBAN domain from the sand fly Phlebotomus papatasi.  
The two PBAN/PK isoforms have the same sequence except for a 63 nucleotide difference between the long and short forms, and contain no alternative mRNA splicing site. Two NP homologues are expected, including the PBAN; however, sequences corresponding to the diapause hormone and a-NP domains were not found in the P. papatasi PBAN/PK gene. The amino acid sequences corresponding to NP-ß domain are conserved in the gene, but there is no cleavage site for processing a functional peptide. Characterizing the expression of the isoforms in developmental stages and adults indicates that the short form is differentially transcribed depending on the life stage. The architecture of the P. papatasi PBAN/PK gene is simpler than most of the PBAN/PK genes elucidated to date. A phylogenetic analysis showed P. papatasi PBAN/PK grouped more closely with other nematoceran flies rather than higher flies.


Return to top


Connect with ARS Sign up


ARS Home
                            USDA.gov
                            Plain Writing
                            Policies & Links
                            Civil Rights Statements
                            FOIA
                            Accessibility Statement
                            Privacy Policy
                            Non-Discrimination Statement
                            Quality of Information
                            USA.gov
                            WhiteHouse.gov