Expression of the rubber-like protein, resilin, in developing and functional insect cuticle determined using a Drosophila anti-Rec 1 resilin antibody.

Background: The natural elastomeric protein, insect resilin, is the most efficient elastic material known, used to store energy for jumping and flight in a variety of insects. Here, an antibody to recombinant Drosophila melanogaster pro-resilin is used to examine resilin expression in Drosophila and a wider range of insects.

Results: Immunostaining of Drosophila embryos reveals anti-resilin reactivity in epidermal patches that exhibit a dynamic spatial and temporal expression through late embryogenesis.

Molecular and functional characterisation of resilin across three insect orders.

Resilin is an important elastomeric protein of insects, with roles in the storage and release of energy during a variety of different functional categories including flight and jumping. To date, resilin genes and protein function have been characterised only in a small number of flying insects, despite their importance in fleas and other jumping insects. Microscopy and immunostaining studies of resilin in flea demonstrate the presence of resilin pads in the pleural arch at the top of the hind legs, a region responsible for the flea's jumping ability.

Design and facile production of recombinant resilin-like polypeptides: gene construction and a rapid protein purification method.

Resilin is an elastic protein found in specialized regions of the cuticle of insects, which displays unique resilience and fatigue lifetime properties. As is the case with many elastomeric proteins, including elastin, gliadin and spider silks, resilin contains distinct repetitive domains that appear to confer elastic properties to the protein. Recent work within our laboratory has demonstrated that cloning and expression of exon 1 of the Drosophila melanogaster CG15920 gene, encoding a putative resilin-like protein, results in a recombinant protein that can be photochemically crosslinked to form a highly resilient, elastic biomaterial (Rec1 resilin).

Synthesis and properties of crosslinked recombinant pro-resilin.

Resilin is a member of a family of elastic proteins that includes elastin, as well as gluten, gliadin, abductin and spider silks. Resilin is found in specialized regions of the cuticle of most insects, providing low stiffness, high strain and efficient energy storage; it is best known for its roles in insect flight and the remarkable jumping ability of fleas and spittle bugs. Previously, the Drosophila melanogaster CG15920 gene was tentatively identified as one encoding a resilin-like protein (pro-resilin).

The role of homeotic genes in determining the segmental pattern of chordotonal organs in Drosophila.

The homeotic genes are instrumental in establishing segment-specific characteristics. In Drosophila embryos there is ample evidence that the homeotic genes are involved in establishing the differences in the pattern of sense organs between segments. The chordotonal organs are compound sense organs made up of several stretch receptive sensilla.