Table 3.
Top BLASTp scores of 18 immunity proteins detected in parasitized SGs of G. m. morsitans
| UniProt ID | Protein name | Best Blast Match (description of homologies) | Pathway | Processes and roles in insect immunity | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best match (species name) | % identity | Accession No. | Bits score | E-value | ||||
| Q8MX87 | Transferrin | Transferrin-1; (D. melanogaster) | 63 | AAF48831.1 | 827 | 0.0 | Cell cycle regulation | Pathogen-induced; iron metabolism; cellular homeostasis (prevents hydroxyl radical toxicity) |
| Q8IS37 | Nitric oxide synthase | Nitric oxide synthase; (A. pisum) | 48 | XP_001946209.1 | 137 | 1e-34 | IMD | Response to production of NO; inactivation of critical enzymes in energy metabolism and growth of parasites |
| H9TZT6b | Stress-associated ER protein-2 | Serine protease inhibitor-4; (D. melanogaster) | 43 | NP_724511.2 | 310 | 3e-86 | Toll | Pathogen recognition and apoptosis (activation of Toll pathway). Serpins are determinants for Plasmodium susceptibility and transmission in mosquitoes |
| Q2PQQ0 | Serine protease inhibitor-4 | 52 | 382 | 1e-107 | ||||
| Q694B0 | Thioredoxin peroxidase-3 | Thioredoxin-dependent peroxidase-1; (An. gambiae) | 73 | XP_310704.3 | 295 | 6e-82 | Humoral response | Thioredoxin redox system provides primary defence lines in insects (oxidative stress); increase in oxidative stress limits parasite maturation; oxidative stress plays important roles in refractoriness of tsetse to trypanosome infection |
| D3TN04 | Alkyl hydroperoxide reductase | 74 | 298 | 1e-82 | ||||
| Q694A5 | Thioredoxin peroxidase-1 | Thioredoxin-dependent peroxidase-2; (An. gambiae) | 76 | XP_308081.2 | 315 | 4e-88 | ||
| Q694A6 | Thioredoxin peroxidase-2 | Thioredoxin-dependent peroxidase-3; (An. gambiae) | 73 | XP_308336.4 | 341 | 1e-95 | ||
| D3TRY4b | Cathepsin B-like cysteine protease | Cathepsin L; (D. melanogaster) | 24 | AAF51924.1 | 59 | 2e-10 | Cellular response | Upregulated in immune-stimulated Drosophila and G. m. morsitans (phagocytosis-mediated immunity) |
| D3TPP1a, b | Downstream of receptor kinase | Plenty of SH3-domain protein (POSH); (D. melanogaster) | 31 | NP_523776.1 | 89.7 | 7e-08 | Toll; IMD; signalling | DrKs are important downstream regulator of tumour necrosis factor/ c-Jun N-terminal kinase (TNF/JNK) signaling. JNK activation and Relish induction are delayed and sustained in POSH-deficient flies |
| D3TQS8a, b | Integrin-β | No hits found | Cellular response | Tetraspanins regulate integrin activity; provides scaffold for phagocytosis-mediated insect immunity | ||||
| D3TMA1a, b | Tetraspanin 42Ed | No hits found | ||||||
| D3TMK2b | Ras-related small GTPase rho type | Ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate-1; (D. melanogaster) | 70 | NP_476950.1 | 271 | 9e-75 | Cell cycle regulation | Rac/Rab GTPases are required for proper encapsulation (phagocytosis-mediated immunity); Rac1/2 GTPases are necessary for immune surveillance against pathogens and parasites in Drosophila |
| D3TMD3 | Rab protein-14 (Rab-14) | 27 | 67.8 | 2e-13 | ||||
| D3TRT5 | Rab protein-5 (Rab-5) | 25 | 60.1 | 5e-11 | ||||
| D3TSA8 | Rab protein-7 (Rab-7) | Ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate-2; (D. melanogaster) | 27 | NP_648121.1 | 66.2 | 7e-13 | ||
| D3TP17 | Ras-related GTPase | Ras-related protein; (A. mellifera) | 25 | XP_623951.1 | 66.6 | 5e-13 | ||
| D3TQN6 | Ubiquitin protein ligase (also known as E3) | Bendless/ ubiquitin conjugating enzyme 13; (D. melanogaster) | 33 | ACZ95287.1 | 100 | 3e-23 | Toll; IMD; signaling | Humoral immune response. Bendless mutants have inefficient IMD pathway induction |
Protein sequences were blasted against the Insect Innate Immunity Database (IIID). Sixteen of these proteins have been reported to be upregulated in the midguts, fat bodies and SGs of different trypanosome-infected tsetse species. The remaining three proteins aare implicated in the immunity of other insects (see citations in the manuscript text). All the 18 proteins were upregulated in parasitized SGs compared to unparasitized SGs; six proteins bwere significantly upregulated