MOLECULAR STUDIES FOR Triatoma infestans THORACIC MUSCLES GLYCEROL-3-PHOSPHATE DEHYDROGENASE
Stroppa MM, Soria N, Carriazo C, Pereira R, Gerez de Burgos NM.
Cát. de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Fac. Cs. Médicas, UNC.
Triatoma infestans (T. infestans), Chagas disease vector, acquires wings and the ability to fly at adult instars. In our laboratory it was demonstrated that glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH), an enzyme involved in the glycerophosphate shuttle, increase its activity 30 fold in adults thoracic muscles. Adults muscles should have higher glycolitic and respiratory capacity to support flight. Electrophoretic studies from thoracic muscles extracts showed two GPDH isoforms. Nymph predominant isozyme has less movility. This work aim of beginning GPDH molecular studies about parts of coding regions from GPDH gen and its cDNA. Three insects species were selected for comparative studies: T. infestans, Apis mellifera (A. melliphera) and Drosophila melanogaster (D. melanogaster). On the basis of protein and nucleotide acid sequences alignment of GPDH from good flyers insects were designed specific primers for A. mellifera and D. melanogaster and the degenerate corresponding forms to be employed in T. infestans reactions. Primers were used to amplify DNA and cDNA sequences. As a result, 200 pb fragment were obtained at three insects species. The size fragment was the expected, and correspond to a portion of GPDH DNA and cDNA sequences. Sequencing results allow homology analysis.
