Abstract
The 14-3-3 family of proteins performs key regulatory functions in phosphorylation-dependent signaling pathways including cell survival and proliferation, apoptosis, regulation of chromatin structure and autophagy. In this study, the zeta isoform of 14-3-3 proteins (designated as Tm14-3-3ζ) was identified from the expressed sequence tags (ESTs) and RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) database of the coleopteran pest, Tenebrio molitor. Tm14-3-3ζ messenger RNA (mRNA) is expressed at higher levels in the immune organs of the larval and adult stages of the insect and exhibit almost five-fold induction within 3 h post-infection of the larvae with Escherichia coli and Candida albicans. To investigate the biological function of Tm14-3-3ζ, a peptide-based Tm14-3-3ζ polyclonal antibody was generated in rabbit and the specificity was confirmed using Western blot analysis. Immunostaining and confocal microscopic analyses indicate that Tm14-3-3ζ is mainly expressed in the membranes of midgut epithelial cells, the nuclei of fat body and the cytosol of hemocytes. Gene silencing of Tm14-3-3ζ increases mortality of the larvae at 7 days post-infection with E. coli and C. albicans. Our findings demonstrate that 14-3-3ζ in T. molitor is essential in the host defense mechanisms against bacteria and fungi.
Highlights
The 14-3-3 family constitutes a highly conserved group of eukaryotic proteins that play a pivotal role in the regulation of cell survival, apoptosis and signal transduction [1,2,3]
We identified the ζ isoform of 14-3-3 gene (Tm14-3-3ζ) from T. molitor expressed sequence tag (EST) and RNA sequencing database and characterized the full-length complementary
Our results demonstrated the requirement of Tm14-3-3ζ in innate immune response against Escherichia coli and C. albicans in T. molitor
Summary
The 14-3-3 family constitutes a highly conserved group of eukaryotic proteins that play a pivotal role in the regulation of cell survival, apoptosis and signal transduction [1,2,3]. Previous reports show that a deletion of 14-3-3 isoform results in loss of viability in yeast [7,10]. Loss of Drosophila 14-3-3ζ leads to impaired viability of the embryo even in the presence of a functional 14-3-3ε isoform [11]. Studies in mammalian models of disease have shown the association of 14-3-3ζ proteins with epilepsy development and other neurological conditions such as seizures [12,13]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call