Virginia Tech
Comparative analysis of Anopheles gambiae L-tyrosine decarboxylase and L-DOPA decarboxylase
Abstract
dc:description.abstractA major pathway of tyramine and dopamine synthesis in insects is through the decarboxylation of tyrosine and DOPA, respectively. Although tyrosine decarboxylase (TDC) has been mentioned in some reports, it has never been critically analyzed. The high sequence identity shared by tyrosine decarboxylase and DOPA decarboxylase in insects, and the similar structures of the substrates, tyrosine and DOPA, raise the possibility that both tyrosine decarboxylase and DOPA decarboxylase (DDC) have activities to tyrosine and DOPA. In this study, after tyrosine decarboxylase and DOPA decarboxylase enzymes of Anopheles gambiae were expressed, their substrate specificities and biochemical properties were critically analyzed. My results provide clear biochemical evidence establishing that the mosquito tyrosine decarboxylase functions primarily on the production of tyramine with low activity to DOPA. In contrast, mosquito DOPA decarboxylase is highly specific to DOPA with essentially no activity to tyrosine.
Degree
thesis:*- Name thesis:degree_name
- Master of Science in Life Sciences
- Level thesis:degree_level
- masters
- Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
- Biochemistry
- Department dc:contributor.department
- Biochemistry
- Grantor dc:publisher
- Virginia Tech
- Year dc:date.issued
- 2010
Author and committee
dc:creator, dc:contributor.*- Author dc:creator
-
- Aljabri, Hareb Mohammed
- Chair dc:contributor.committeechair
-
- Li, Jianyong
- Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember
-
- Larson, Timothy J.
- Tu, Zhijian Jake
Subjects
dc:subject × 5Rights
dc:rights- Statement dc:rights
-
- In Copyright
- Licence dc:rights.uri
Identifiers
dc:identifier.*- Dc Identifier Other
- etd-08262010-121034
- OAI identifier oai:identifier
- oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/34788