Canadian Forest Service Publications
Molecular cloning and structural characterization of ecdysis triggering hormone from Choristoneura fumiferana. 2016. Kumar P., B.; Viswanath K., K.; Devi S., T.; Kumar R., S; Doucet, D.; Retnakaran, A.; Krell, P.J.; Feng, Q.; Ampasala, D.R. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules 88:213-221.
Year: 2016
Issued by: Great Lakes Forestry Centre
Catalog ID: 37361
Language: English
Availability: PDF (request by e-mail)
Available from the Journal's Web site. †
DOI: 10.10116/j.ijbiomac.2016.03.037
† This site may require a fee
Plain Language Summary
At the end of each stadium, insects undergo a precisely orchestrated process known as ecdysis which results in the replacement of the old cuticle with a new one. This physiological event is necessary to accommodate growth since the cuticle is rigid. Ecdysis is initiated by the direct action of an hormone called the Ecdysis Triggering Hormones (ETH) on the central nervous system. Choristoneura fumiferana (the spruce budworm) is a major defoliator of coniferous forests in Eastern North America. Studies on the ecdysis behavior of this pest might lead to the development of novel pest management strategies. Hence in this study, the spruce budworm ETH gene was cloned. The article describes in detail the structure of the ETH gene product, along with its pattern of expression along development. We conclude the study by the virtual 3D modeling of this new ETH protein, and perform a virtual screen from a library of insecticides to identify compounds displaying high binding capacity to ETH.
