Identification and docking analysis of allatostatin receptor in Carausius morosus

Abstract

Allatostatin receptors (AlstRs) with their ligands (ASTs) play role in insect development, by inhibiting the production of Juvenile hormone. This thesis project uses the advances in structure-based studies and single-molecule based approaches in order to obtain a detailed information about AlstR-AST interaction in a model laboratory organism Carausius morosus. The mRNA sequence of AlstR was first obtained via 5' and 3' RACE reactions with the help of speci c primers designed on conserved transmembrane region previously found by Birgül et al. The longest ORF was predicted and identi ed as an Allatostatin Receptor type C of insects. As a result it was named as AlstR-C of C. morosus (CamAlstR-C) in this project. Then, evolutionary analysis was combined with bioinformatics modeling and docking tools, to obtain some features of CamAsltR-C interaction pattern. This interaction was veri ed in vivo via atomic force microscopy. This was the rst time of AFM study on living cells, in Bo gazi ci University. Binding force was detected in CamAlstR-C over-expressed cells. In addition, the binding pocket was predicted bioinformatically, to be composed of second, third and N-terminal extracellular loops of CamAlstR-C. And in more detail, a speci c conserved binding motif (IXTXP) was proposed on the third extracellular loop, which may be identical in other AlstRs.