STRUCTURE OF A D-PROTEIN GENE AND AMINO-ACID-SEQUENCES OF THE HIGHLY REPETITIVE D-PROTEINS SECRETED BY THE ACCESSORY-GLANDS OF THE MEALWORMBEETLE

The D-group proteins form the major component of the proteinaceous sec retion of the tubular accessory glands of the yellow mealworm beetle, Tenebrio molitor. In a previous paper [1], we reported the sequence of two D-protein cDNAs and their inferred translation products. Both pro teins contain three highly repetitive domains (A, A' and B). In this p aper, we present the cDNA-inferred sequences of 8 more D-proteins, non e of which contains an A' domain. We also present the structure of a D -protein gene. Southern analysis suggests that. genes coding for an A' domain are relatively rare. Genes with a total of 7 or 8 (A + B domai n) repeats seem most common.