Identification of a novel bean alpha-amylase inhibitor with chitinolytic activity

FEBS Lett. 2005 Oct 24;579(25):5616-20. doi: 10.1016/j.febslet.2005.09.030. Epub 2005 Sep 28.

Abstract

Zabrotes subfasciatus is a devastating starch-dependent storage bean pest. In this study, we attempted to identify novel alpha-amylase inhibitors from wild bean seeds, with efficiency toward pest alpha-amylases. An inhibitor named Phaseolus vulgaris chitinolytic alpha-amylase inhibitor (PvCAI) was purified and mass spectrometry analyses showed a protein with 33330 Da with the ability to form dimers. Purified PvCAI showed significant inhibitory activity against larval Z. subfasciatus alpha-amylases with no activity against mammalian enzymes. N-terminal sequence analyses showed an unexpected high identity to plant chitinases from the glycoside hydrolase family 18. Furthermore, their chitinolytic activity was also detected. Our data provides compelling evidence that PvCAI also possessed chitinolytic activity, indicating the emergence of a novel alpha-amylase inhibitor class.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Chitin / metabolism
  • Chitinases / metabolism*
  • Coleoptera / drug effects
  • Coleoptera / enzymology
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / isolation & purification
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / pharmacology*
  • Insecticides / isolation & purification
  • Insecticides / pharmacology*
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Phaseolus / enzymology*
  • Plant Proteins / isolation & purification
  • Plant Proteins / pharmacology*
  • alpha-Amylases / antagonists & inhibitors*

Substances

  • Enzyme Inhibitors
  • Insecticides
  • Plant Proteins
  • Chitin
  • alpha-Amylases
  • Chitinases