Cuticle hardening reactions mediated by quinone isomerase

• Project/Area Number: 24580081
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Applied entomology
• Research Institution: Tokyo Metropolitan University
• Principal Investigator: ASANO Tsunaki 首都大学東京, 理工学研究科, 助教 (40347266)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2014)
• Budget Amount: ¥5,460,000 (Direct Cost: ¥4,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,260,000); Fiscal Year 2014: ¥1,690,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥390,000); Fiscal Year 2013: ¥1,690,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥390,000); Fiscal Year 2012: ¥2,080,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥480,000)
• Keywords: 昆虫外骨格 / 外骨格 / 硬化 / 国際研究者交流 / アメリカ / 国際情報交換 / デンマーク

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Insect cuticle is a matrix mainly composed of chitin fiber and chitin binding proteins. The cuticle is sclerotized through oxidation reactions of catechol amines. Catechol amines are oxidized to quinones, and then isomerized to quinone methides. Both quinones and quinone methides are highly reactive to mediate cross-linkages of cuticular components. For detection of the isomerase activity, the conversion of N-acetyl-dopamine quinone (NADA quinone) to NADA quinone methide was monitored. From the pupal cuticles of the silkworm, Bombyx mori, an active fraction was extracted. Through column chromatographies, a fraction with isomerase activity was obtained, but the characters are different from those of enzymes that were reported previously in other species.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Re-examination of a α-chymotrypsin-solubilized laccase in the pupal cuticle of the silkworm, Bombyx mori: insights into the regulation system for laccase activation during the ecdysis process (2014)
  • Author(s): T. Asano, M. Taoka, Y. Yamauchi, R. C. Everroad, Y. Seto, T. Isobe, M. Kamo, N. Chosa
  • Journal Title: Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Volume: 55 Pages: 61-69
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2014.10.004
  • Peer Reviewed / Acknowledgement Compliant
• [Journal Article] Efficient and cost effective production of active-form human PKB using silkworm larvae. (2014)
  • Author(s): R. Maesaki, R. Satoh, M. Taoka, T. Kanaba, T. Asano, C. Fujita, T. Fujiwara, Y. Ito, T. isobe, T. Hakoshima, K. Maenaka, and M. Mishima
  • Journal Title: Scientific Reports Volume: 4 Issue: 1 Pages: 6016-6016
  • DOI: 10.1038/srep06016
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Journal Article] Enzymes for melanin synthesis in insect cuticle (2013)
  • Author(s): 朝野 維起
  • Journal Title: Hikaku seiri seikagaku(Comparative Physiology and Biochemistry) Volume: 30 Issue: 3 Pages: 106-114
  • DOI: 10.3330/hikakuseiriseika.30.106
  • NAID: 10031202766
  • ISSN: 0916-3786, 1881-9346
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Identification of a cuticle protein with unique repeated motifs in the silkworm, Bombyx mori (2013)
  • Author(s): Tsunaki Asanoa, , , Masato Taokab, Takashi Shinkawab, Yoshio Yamauchib, Toshiaki Isobeb, Dan Satoc
  • Journal Title: Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Volume: 43(4) Issue: 4 Pages: 344-351
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2013.01.001
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Presentation] 外骨格形成の仕組みと昆虫の進化 (2015)
  • Author(s): 朝野維起、相澤 研介、相垣 敏郎
  • Organizer: 応用動物昆虫学会 第59回年次大会
  • Place of Presentation: 山形
  • Year and Date: 2015-03-26 – 2015-03-28
• [Presentation] キイロショウジョウバエラッカーゼの機能解析 (2014)
  • Author(s): 相澤 研介、相垣 敏郎、朝野 維起
  • Organizer: 日本動物学会. 第85回大会
  • Place of Presentation: 仙台
  • Year and Date: 2014-09-16 – 2014-09-18
• [Presentation] ラッカーゼ前駆体の種間比較 (2014)
  • Author(s): 朝野 維起、相澤研介
  • Organizer: 日本動物学会. 第85回大会
  • Place of Presentation: 仙台
  • Year and Date: 2014-09-16 – 2014-09-18
• [Presentation] A cuticle protein with unique motifs in the silkworm, Bombyx mori (2014)
  • Author(s): T. Asano, M. Taoka, T. Shinkawa, Y. Yamauchi, T. Isobe T. and D. Satoh
  • Organizer: 7th International Symposium of Molecular Insect Science
  • Place of Presentation: アムステルダム（オランダ）
  • Year and Date: 2014-07-13 – 2014-07-16
• [Presentation] Construction of insect cuticle through oxidation reactions of phenolic compounds by laccase system (2014)
  • Author(s): Tsunaki Asano
  • Organizer: 3rd International Symposium of Korean Society of Applied Biological Chemistry,
  • Place of Presentation: 釜山（韓国）
  • Year and Date: 2014-06-19 – 2014-06-21
  • Invited
• [Presentation] 昆虫外骨格形成に必須な遺伝子lac- case2 の機能解析 (2013)
  • Author(s): 相澤 研介, 相垣 敏郎, 朝野 維起
  • Organizer: 日本動物学会
  • Place of Presentation: 岡山
• [Presentation] 昆虫脱皮時のラッカーゼ活性調節 (2013)
  • Author(s): 朝野 維起
  • Organizer: 日本動物学会
  • Place of Presentation: 岡山
• [Presentation] Immune inducible factors in the cuticle of the silkworm, Bombyx mori
  • Author(s): Tsunaki Asano
  • Organizer: International Congress of Entomology 2012 general-oral
  • Place of Presentation: 大邱、韓国
• [Presentation] Laccase activation in ecdysis process
  • Author(s): Tsunaki Asano
  • Organizer: International Congress of Entomology 2012 symposium "insect cuticle"
  • Place of Presentation: 大邱、韓国
  • Invited
• [Presentation] 「生体防御」における外骨格の役割
  • Author(s): 朝野 維起
  • Organizer: 第57回応用動物昆虫学会、小集会「昆虫免疫夜話」
  • Place of Presentation: 藤沢
  • Invited