抄録
We isolated a protein from pupal brain extract of the silkworm, Bombyx mori, using two chromatographic steps, and identified its N-terminal amino acid sequence. Based on the amino acid sequence, degenerate oligodeoxynucleotide was synthesized and used as a hybridization probe to screen a pupal brain cDNA library. The sequence analysis of the identified cDNA clones indicated that a 603bp open reading frame encoded a 201-amino-acid protein containing a 15-amino-acid leader peptide. This protein has a high similarity to the Galleria mellonella Gallerin as a member of the lipocalin family. Northern blot analysis clearly showed a ca 1.4kb transcript in the central nervous system, but not in the fat body, salivary glands and Malpighian tubules of 1-day old female pupae. We named this novel protein from the Bombyx central nervous system, Bombyrin, and discussed possible functions of Bombyrin in the central nervous system, although members of lipocalin family are well known to serve as transport proteins.
