An intestinal mucin is the target substrate for a baculovirus enhancin
Year: 1997
Type: article
Abstract: An invertebrate intestinal mucin (IIM) was identified from a lepidopterous insect, Trichoplusia ni. The IIM is a major protein constituent of the peritrophic membrane that facilitates the digestive process, as well as protecting invertebrate digestive tracts from microbial infections. The IIM demonstrated biochemical characteristics similar to vertebrate mucins, but exhibited strong association with the chitin-containing peritrophic membrane matrix. We have demonstrated that a baculovirus enhancin, which is encoded and carried by specific baculoviruses, has mucin-degrading activity both in vitro and in vivo. The in vivo degradation of IIM by enhancin was correlated with the enhancement of baculovirus infections in insects. These findings have shown that viruses have evolved a novel strategy to overcome intestinal mucinous barriers against microorganisms by utilizing a mucin-degrading enzyme.
Authors: Ping Wang, Robert R. Granados
Institutions: Cornell University, Boyce Thompson Institute
Language: English
Subfield: Molecular Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1995621557