A novel pattern recognition protein of the Chinese oak silkmoth, Antheraea pernyi, is involved in the pro-PO activating system

In this paper, we firstly reported a C-type lectin cDNA clone of1029 bps from the larvae of A. Pernyi (Ap-CTL) using PCR andRACE techniques. The full-length cDNA contains an openreading frame encoding 308 amino acid residues which hastwo different carbohydrate-recognition domains (CRDs) arrangedin tandem. To investigate the biological activities in theinnate immunity, recombinant Ap-CTL was expressed in E. coliwith a 6-histidine at the amino-terminus (Ap-rCTL). Besidesacted as a broad-spectrum recognition protein binding to awide range of PAMPs and microorganisms, Ap-rCTL also hadthe ability to recognize and trigger the agglutination of bacteriaand fungi. In the proPO activation assay, Ap-rCTL specificallyrestored the PO activity of hemolymph blocked by anti-Ap-rCTL antibody in the presence of different PAMPs ormicroorganisms. In summary, Ap-rCTL plays an important rolein insect innate immunity as an pattern recognition protein.[BMB Reports 2013; 46(7): 358-363]