Analysis of a lysozyme gene from the malaria vector mosquito, Anopheles gambiae

Abstract

A genomic DNA sequence encoding a basic lysozyme was isolated from the malaria vector mosquito Anopheles gambiae by screening a library with a probe prepared by PCR of reverse transcribed adult RNA. The sequence consists of an upstream region of about 2 kb, a coding region containing three exons and two introns, and a short 3' untranslated region. The coding region indicates that this mosquito lysozyme consists of a signal peptide of 20 residues followed by an 120 aa mature protein which is very similar to other basic lysozymes. The two small introns, 67 and 76 bp, are located at evolutionarily conserved sites. RT-PCR indicated that this gene is expressed abundantly in sugar-fed adults, and at considerably lower levels when females have fed on blood. Although it remains to be seen whether this gene is induced by bacterial infection, the surrounding sequence contains six sequence motifs very similar to the consensus binding sites for a transcription factor similar to NF-κB that are found associated with most insect immune response genes. This lysozyme gene maps to division 27 on the left arm of polytene chromosome 2L. An ORF unrelated to any animal protein in current data bases was found at the 5′ end of the clone.