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Functional and molecular studies related to apical midgut membranes of Dysdercus peruvianus

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Author(s):
André Coppe Pimentel
Total Authors: 1
Document type: Doctoral Thesis
Press: São Paulo.
Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Conjunto das Químicas (IQ e FCF) (CQ/DBDCQ)
Defense date:
Examining board members:
Walter Ribeiro Terra; Sergio Verjovski de Almeida; Pedro Lagerblad de Oliveira; Aline Maria da Silva; Aparecida Sadae Tanaka
Advisor: Walter Ribeiro Terra
Abstract

The insects of the order Hemiptera have lipoprotein membranes lining the microvilli of midgut cells, like glove fingers, and form expansions into the lumen of the intestine. The presence of two membranes on the apex of enterocytes thus generates intriguing questions about the formation of perimicrovillar membrane, the absorption of nutrients, and the targeting of digestive enzymes into the intestinal lumen. The digestion of proteins based on originally lysosomal enzymes is an important feature in Hemiptera, especially in Heteroptera that evolutionary returned to feed on polymers. The genes of typical lysosomal proteinases undergo a series of duplications followed by the maintenance of a gene for purely lysosomal function and functional divergence of other genes for extracellular digestion function. The gene that maintains the lysosomal function is not modulated by feeding, in addition to being expressed in diverse tissues. By the other hand, genes specialized in extracellular digestion are up regulated by food intake, indicating its function. No difference was found in the targeting in the proteins produced by these genes, which indicates that targeting to the secretory route is due to overexpression of digestion-related genes. Enzymes involved in extracellular digestion as alpha-glucosidase, alpha-mannosidase and aminopeptidase follow the secretory route that includes the formation of double membrane vesicles. In this study we increased the digestion model adding the participation of cathepsin D, a soluble alpha-glucosidase, and the possible participation of a tiolredutase, and also to defining the place of lipases operation. We now have a global view of the participation of digestive enzymes involved in digestion D. peruvianus. (AU)

FAPESP's process: 11/11354-2 - Functional and molecular studies on apical intestinal membranes of Dysdercus peruvianus
Grantee:André Coppe Pimentel
Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate