Aedes albopictus inhibitor of apoptosis 1 gene protects vertebrate cells from bluetongue virus-induced apoptosis

• Published in: Insect molecular biology Vol. 16; no. 1; pp. 93 - 105
• Main Authors: Li, Q, Li, H, Blitvich, B.J, Zhang, J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Oxford, UK : Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.02.2007; Blackwell Publishing Ltd
• Subjects: Aedes - cytology; Aedes - genetics; Aedes - metabolism; Aedes - virology; Aedes albopictus; Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Apoptosis; Bluetongue virus; Bluetongue virus - physiology; Cell Line; Culicidae; Drosophila; Drosophila Proteins - genetics; Drosophila Proteins - metabolism; Humans; iap; Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins - genetics; Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins - metabolism; intrinsic apoptotic pathway; Molecular Sequence Data; mosquito; Neuropeptides - genetics; Neuropeptides - metabolism; Spodoptera frugiperda; Tetracycline; Virus Replication
• ISSN: 0962-1075; 1365-2583
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2583.2007.00705.x

We sequenced and characterized the inhibitor of apoptosis (iap) 1 gene from Aedes albopictus, designated as Aaiap1. The Aaiap1 gene rescued Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) cells from apoptosis when cotransfected with the Drosophila pro-apoptotic hid gene. The antiapoptotic function of the Aaiap1 gene was evaluated in the bluetongue virus (BTV)-induced apoptosis system. BTV infection induced apoptosis in vertebrate cells via the intrinsic apoptotic pathway. This was shown by the translocation of cytochrome C and the second mitochondria-derived activator of caspase (Smac, also known as DIABLO) from the mitochondria and the subsequent activation of caspase-9 and -3. Stable expression of the Aaiap1 gene in derivative baby hamster kidney cells delayed BTV-induced apoptosis by 24 h and reduced the BTV progeny yield by 10-fold. This study provides the first evidence that the mosquito AaIAP1 protein possesses antiapoptotic activity.