摘要
昆虫的蜕皮、变态和繁殖受到蜕皮激素的严格调控。蜕皮激素作用靶标由蜕皮激素受体(ecdysteroidreceptor,EcR)和超气门蛋白(ultraspiracleprotein,USP)组成,蜕皮激素与EcR/USP作用启动蜕皮级联反应过程。昆虫EcR具有种类或类群的特异性,研究其结构、功能和调控机理在开发环境友好型新药剂和基因调控开关等方面具有重要指导作用。该文介绍了昆虫EcR的结构和功能特点,蜕皮激素及其类似物与EcR/USP的分子作用方式,以及基于EcR/USP的新杀虫剂创制和基因调控开关设计等方面的重要进展。
Ecdysteroids, the steroid hormones, play a crucial role in coordinating molting, metamorphosis and reproduction in insects. The action of ecdysteroids, mainly 20-hydroxyecdysone （20E）, is mediated by their binding to the ecdysone receptor （EcR）, which requires a heterodimeric partner, ultraspiracle protein （USP）. Upon binding the ligand, the EcR-USP heterodimer binds to a DNA ecdysone response element （EcRE） that is located in the promoter region of a series of ecdysteroid-responsive genes and thereafter triggers the expression of a cascade of genes involved in regulating some key developmental events in insects. The EcR has been an important target in designing new, environmentally safe insecticides against pest species. The differences in the ligand binding domains （LBD） of EcRs from insects belonging to different orders can be exploited to discover order-specific insecticides. The EcR also has been used to develop inducible gene switches for efficient regulation of foreign genes in applications such as gene therapy, protein production and functional genomics. The structural and function characteristics of EcRs, the mode of molecular action of ecdysteroid （PonA） and diacylhydrazine （BYI06830） with EcR/USP respectively, and EcR-based screening assays and gene switches were reviewed in this article.
出处
《昆虫学报》
CAS
CSCD
北大核心
2007年第1期67-73,共7页
Acta Entomologica Sinica
关键词
蜕皮激素受体
超气门蛋白
配体结合域
级联反应
活性筛选
基因开关
Ecdysteroid receptor （EcR）
ultraspiracle protein （USP）
ligand binding domain
genetic cascade
screening assays
gene switch
