Yellow Fever Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Yellow Fever, including details on immunization, vaccines, symptoms, transmission.

Aedes Dronc: a novel ecdysone-inducible caspase in the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti.

Cooper DM, Thi EP, Chamberlain CM, Pio F, Lowenberger C

Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada. dmcooper@sfu.ca

Caspases are cysteinyl-aspartate-specific proteases known for their role in apoptosis. Here, we describe the characterization of Aedes Dronc, a novel caspase in the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti. Aedes Dronc is predicted to contain an N-terminal caspase recruitment domain and is a homologue of Drosophila Dronc and human caspase-9. An increase in transcripts and caspase activity coincides with developmental changes in the mosquito, suggesting that Aedes Dronc plays a role in developmental apoptosis. Exposure of third instar larvae to ecdysone resulted in a significant increase in both transcript levels and caspase activity. We present here a functional characterization of the first caspase recruitment domain-containing caspase in mosquitoes, and will initiate studies on the role of apoptosis in the innate immune response of vectors.

Published 26 September 2007 in Insect Mol Biol, 16(5): 563-72.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2005-2008 Yellow Fever Research Today. All Rights Reserved.