Molecular cloning and characterization of an α-amylase cDNA highly expressed in major feeding stages of the coffee berry borer, Hypothenemus hampei.

α-Amylases are common enzymes responsible for hydrolyzing starch. Insect-pests, whose larvae develop in seeds, rely obligatorily on α-amylase activity to digest starch, as their major food source. Considering the relevance of insect α-amylases and the natural α-amylase inhibitors present in seeds to protect from insect damage, we report here the molecular cloning and nucleotide sequence of the full-length AmyHha cDNA of the coffee berry borer, Hypothenemus hampei, a major insect-pest of coffee crops. The AmyHha sequence has 1879 bp, containing a 1458 bp open reading frame, which encodes a predicted protein with 485 amino acid residues, with a predicted molecular mass of 51.2 kDa. The deduced protein showed 55-79% identity to other insect α-amylases, including Anthonomus grandis, Ips typographus and Sitophilus oryzae α-amylases. In depth analysis revealed that the highly conserved three amino acid residues (Asp184, Glu220, and Asp285), which compose the catalytic site are also presented in AmyHha amylase. The AmyHha gene seems to be a single copy in the haploid genome and AmyHha transcription levels were found higher in L2 larvae and adult insects, both corresponding to major feeding phases. Modeling of the AmyHha predicted protein uncovered striking structural similarities to the Tenebrio molitor α-amylase also displaying the same amino acid residues involved in enzyme catalysis (Asp184, Glu220 and Asp285). Since AmyHha gene was mostly transcribed in the intestinal tract of H. hampei larvae, the cognate α-amylase could be considered a high valuable target to coffee bean insect control by biotechnological strategies.

Two Kunitz-type inhibitors with activity against trypsin and papain from Pithecellobium dumosum seeds: purification, characterization, and activity towards pest insect digestive enzyme.

Two trypsin inhibitors (called PdKI-3.1 and PdKI-3.2) were purified from the seeds of the Pithecellobium dumosum tree. Inhibitors were obtained by TCA precipitation, affinity chromatography on Trypsin-Sepharose and reversed-phase-HPLC. SDS-PAGE analysis with or without reducing agent showed that they are a single polypeptide chain, and MALDI-TOF analysis determined molecular masses of 19696.96 and 19696.36 Da, respectively. The N-terminal sequence of both inhibitors showed strong identity to the Kunitz family trypsin inhibitors. They were stable over a wide pH (2-9) and temperature (37 to 100 degrees C) range. These inhibitors reduced over 84% of trypsin activity with inhibition constant (Ki) of 4.20 x 10(-8) and 2.88 x 10(-8) M, and also moderately inhibited papain activity, a cysteine proteinase. PdKI-3.1 and PdKI-3.2 mainly inhibited digestive enzymes from Plodia interpunctella, Zabrotes subfasciatus and Ceratitis capitata guts. Results show that both inhibitors are members of the Kunitz-inhibitor family and that they affect the digestive enzyme larvae of diverse orders, indicating a potential insect antifeedant.

Major digestive carbohydrase during larval development of meal moth, Plodia interpunctella (Lepidoptera: pyralidae).

The digestive system of P. interpunctella was characterized during its larval development to determination of carbohydrases using disaccharides (sucrose and maltose) and polysaccharides (starch and inulin) as substrate. At 6(th) instar larval, Invertase>alpha-amylase> maltase activities peaks were observed. Invertase was fractionated with acetone and isolated. The Invertase was 485.5 fold purified by Sephacryl S-200 and DEAE-Sephadex. Its kinetic parameters were K(m) of 6.6 mM, V(max) of 0.48, pH optimum of 5.5 and temperature optimum of 30 degrees C. This enzyme was activated by CaCl(2) and inhibited by EDTA. When analyzed by SDS-PAGE it showed one band of M(r) 34 kDa. The understanding of the digestive system of P. interpunctella could be a key step in the design of bioinsecticides.

Identification of a Kunitz-type proteinase inhibitor from Pithecellobium dumosum seeds with insecticidal properties and double activity.

A trypsin inhibitor, PdKI, was purified from Pithecellobium dumosum seeds by TCA precipitation, trypsin-sepharose chromatography, and reversed-phase-HPLC. PdKI was purified 217.6-fold and recovered 4.7%. SDS-PAGE showed that PdKI is a single polypeptide chain of 18.9 kDa and 19.7 kDa by MALDI-TOF. The inhibition on trypsin was stable in the pH range 2-10 and at a temperature of 50 degrees C. The Ki values were 3.56 x 10(-8)and 7.61 x 10(-7) M with competitive and noncompetitive inhibition mechanisms for trypsin and papain, respectively. The N-terminal sequence identified with members of Kunitz-type inhibitors from the Mimosoideae and Caesalpinoideae subfamilies. PdKI was effective against digestive proteinase from Zabrotes subfasciatus, Ceratitis capitata, Plodia interpunctella, Alabama argillaceae, and Callosobruchus maculatus, with 69, 66, 44, 38, and 29% inhibition, respectively. Results support that PdKI is a member of the Kunitz inhibitor family and its insecticidal properties indicate a potent insect antifeedant.

A serine proteinase inhibitor isolated from Tamarindus indica seeds and its effects on the release of human neutrophil elastase.

Proteinaceous inhibitors with high inhibitory activities against human neutrophil elastase (HNE) were found in seeds of the Tamarind tree (Tamarindus indica). A serine proteinase inhibitor denoted PG50 was purified using ammonium sulphate and acetone precipitation followed by Sephacryl S-300 and Sephadex G-50 gel filtration chromatographies. Inhibitor PG50 showed a Mr of 14.9 K on Sephadex G-50 calibrated column and a Mr of 11.6 kDa on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. PG50 had selective activity while cysteine proteinases (papain and bromelain) and serine proteinases (porcine pancreatic elastase and bovine chymotrypsin) were not inhibited, it was strongly effective against serine proteinases such as bovine trypsin and isolated human neutrophil elastase. The IC50 value was determined to be 55.96 microg.mL-1. PG50 showed neither cytotoxic nor haemolytic activity on human blood cells. After pre-incubation of PG50 with cytochalasin B, the exocytosis of elastase was initiated using PAF and fMLP. PG50 exhibited different inhibition on elastase release by PAF, at 44.6% and on release by fMLP, at 28.4%. These results showed that PG50 preferentially affected elastase release by PAF stimuli and this may indicate selective inhibition on PAF receptors.