Characterization of arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase from silkmoth (Antheraea pernyi) and pesticidal drug design based on the baculovirus-expressed enzyme.

Arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase (AANAT; EC 2.3.1.

Cloning and characterization of insect arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase from Bombyx mori.

Arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase (AANAT) catalyzes N-acetylation of arylarkylamines. A cDNA of Bombyx mori insect AANAT (Bm-iAANAT) was found by searching an expressed-sequence tag (EST) database of B. mori (SilkBase).

MbIDGF, a novel member of the imaginal disc growth factor family in Mamestra brassicae, stimulates cell proliferation in two lepidopteran cell lines without insulin.

Imaginal disc growth factor (IDGF) is a soluble polypeptide growth factor that was first identified from the conditioned medium of Drosophilia imaginal disc C1.8+ cells. Working with insulin, IDGF stimulated the growth of cultured imaginal disk cells, which suggested that IDGF might function as a cofactor of Drosophila insulin or insulin like peptide.