RNA interference of Hemolin causes depletion of phenoloxidase activity in Hyalophora cecropia

• DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2006.09.006
• Publication Date: 2006-11-03T12:53:54Z
• Authors: Olle Terenius; Raul Bettencourt; So Young Lee; Wenli Li; Kenneth Söderhäll; Ingrid Faye
• Keywords: Prophenoloxidase; Saturniidae

Melanization is regulated by the prophenoloxidase cascade and functions as a response to intruding microorganisms in invertebrates. When injecting dsRNA of the lepidopteran immune protein hemolin in pupae of Hyalophora cecropia (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae), we observed a significant reduction in phenoloxidase activity after 24 h, but not after 72 h. The link between hemolin and the prophenoloxidase system suggests that hemolin is a pattern recognition protein important for the triggering of the prophenoloxidase cascade in the defence against bacterial infections.