A FAMILY OF PUPAL-SPECIFIC CUTICULAR PROTEIN GENES IN THE MOSQUITO ANOPHELES-GAMBIAE

We have cloned and sequenced members of a cuticular protein multi-gene family from the mosquito Anopheles gambiae. Three genes (agcp2a-c), e ach approximately 1 kb in length, were found in a 17.4 kb genomic phag e clone. Analysis of ten cDNAs revealed that at least four related gen es are present. The open reading frame of the genes and cDNAs showed 9 5% sequence identity. Divergence was observed in the sequence of the 3 ' ends and the number of copies of two repeated coding sequences. In s itu hybridizations with a probe prepared from one of these cuticular p rotein genes (agcp2b) showed that the genes physically mapped to two l oci, 26B on chromosome 2L and 37A on 3R. Transcription of these An. ga mbiae cuticular protein genes appears to be limited to pharate pupae a nd the expressed protein(s) is found in early pupae. The deduced amino acid sequence of these proteins contains a hydrophilic region with si gnificant similarity to other cuticular proteins including the pupal-s pecific cuticular protein, EDG84, of Drosophiln melanogaster (Apple an d Fristrom, 1991). Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.