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ISSN 0582-9879 Acta Biochim et Biophysica Sinica 2004, 36(5):360-364 CN 31-1300/Q

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Tissue Distribution and Purification of Prophenoloxidase in Larvae of Asian
Corn Borer, Ostrinia furnacalis Guenée (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

Cong-Jing FENG^1,2 and Wen-Jun FU¹*
( ¹Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institute for Biological Sciences, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200025, China;
²The Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039, China )

Abstract Using ammonium sulphate precipitation, Blue-Sepharose CL-6B, Phenyl-Sepharose CL-4B, prophenoloxidase (PPO) was isolated and purified from hemolymph of Ostrinia furnacalis larvae. This zymogen was a heterodimer, and composed of two subunits with the relative molecular mass ranging from 66.2 kD to 97.4 kD determined by SDS-PAGE. Western blotting and indirect immunofluorescence test showed that PPO was present in integument, hemolymph plasma and cell membrane of granular hemocytes and oenocytoids of O. furnacalis larvae.

Key words Ostrinia furnacalis; prophenoloxidase; tissue distribution; purification

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Received: December 18, 2003 Accepted: March 16, 2004
This work was supported by a grant from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 39930030)
*Corresponding author. Tel, 86-21-63366768; Fax, 86-21-63284924; E-mail, fuwenjun@public6.sta.net.cn