Identification of four evolutionarily related G protein-coupled receptors from the malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae

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The mosquito Anopheles gambiae is an important vector for malaria, which is one of the most serious human parasitic diseases in the world, causing up to 2.7 million deaths yearly. To contribute to our understanding of A. gambiae and to the transmission of malaria, we have now cloned four evolutionarily related G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) from this mosquito and expressed them in Chinese hamster ovary cells. After screening of a library of thirty-three insect or other invertebrate neuropeptides and eight biogenic amines, we could identify (de-orphanize) three of these GPCRs as: an adipokinetic hormone (AKH) receptor (EC(50) for A. gambiae AKH, 3x10(-9)M), a corazonin receptor (EC(50) for A. gambiae corazonin, 4x10(-9)M), and a crustacean cardioactive peptide (CCAP) receptor (EC(50) for A. gambiae CCAP, 1x10(-9)M). The fourth GPCR remained an orphan, although its close evolutionary relationship to the A. gambiae and other insect AKH receptors suggested that it is a receptor for an AKH-like peptide. This is the first published report on evolutionarily related AKH, corazonin, and CCAP receptors in mosquitoes.
Original languageEnglish
JournalBiochemical and Biophysical Research Communications
Volume344
Issue number1
Pages (from-to)160-5
Number of pages6
ISSN0006-291X
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 26 May 2006

    Research areas

  • Amino Acid Sequence, Animals, Anopheles gambiae, CHO Cells, Cloning, Molecular, Cricetinae, Cricetulus, Evolution, Molecular, Gene Order, Insect Hormones, Insect Proteins, Insect Vectors, Malaria, Molecular Sequence Data, Neuropeptides, Oligopeptides, Phylogeny, Pyrrolidonecarboxylic Acid, Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled, Receptors, Neuropeptide

ID: 33513349