| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975213 | Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part B: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology | 2015 | 8 Pages |
Apolipophorin III (apoLp-III) is involved in lipid transport and innate immunity in insects. In this study, an apoLp-III protein that exhibits antibacterial activity was identified in honeybees (Apis cerana). A. cerana apoLp-III cDNA encodes a 193 amino acid sequence that shares high identity with other members of the hymenopteran insect apoLp-III family. A. cerana apoLp-III is expressed constitutively in the fat body, epidermis, and venom gland and is detected as a 23-kDa protein. A. cerana apoLp-III expression is induced in the fat body after injection with Escherichia coli, Bacillus thuringiensis, or Beauveria bassiana. However, recombinant A. cerana apoLp-III (expressed in baculovirus-infected insect cells) binds directly to E. coli and B. thuringiensis but not to B. bassiana. Consistent with these findings, A. cerana apoLp-III exhibited antibacterial activity against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. These results provide insight into the role of A. cerana apoLp-III during the innate immune response following bacterial infection.
