Prolixicin: a novel antimicrobial peptide isolated from Rhodnius prolixus with differential activity against bacteria and Trypanosoma cruzi.

We identified and characterized the activity of prolixicin, a novel antimicrobial peptide (AMP) isolated from the hemipteran insect, Rhodnius prolixus. Sequence analysis reveals one region of prolixicin that may be related to the diptericin/attacin family of AMPs. Prolixicin is an 11-kDa peptide containing a putative 21 amino acid signal peptide, two putative phosphorylation sites and no glycosylation sites.

Cloning and characterization of Dorsal homologues in the hemipteran Rhodnius prolixus.

Rhodnius prolixus is an ancient haematophagous hemipteran insect capable of mounting a powerful immune response. This response is transcriptionally regulated in part by transcription factors of the Rel/Nuclear Factor kappa B (Rel/NF-kappaB) family. We have cloned and characterized three members of this transcription factor family in this insect.

Differentiation of Cherry leaf roll virus isolates from various host plants by immunocapture-reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism according to phylogenetic relations.

A restriction fragment length polymorphism assay (RFLP) was developed to differentiate Cherry leaf roll virus (CLRV) isolates according to phylogenetic clades by examining restriction patterns from partial 3' non-coding region (NCR) genomic fragments (approx. 420bp). The 3' NCR fragment from 43 CLRV isolates belonging to different phylogenetic groups were compared after restriction analysis with the endonucleases Bsp143I, AluI, RsaI, EcoRI and Eco130I, and another 23 isolates were analyzed by computer assisted restriction analysis.