昆虫蜕皮激素受体研究进展

摘要

Molting hormone is one of steroid hormone and its active form is 20-hydroxyecdysone.In the process of development of insect,ecdysis,metamorphosis and reproduction are regulated and controlled by molting hormone.Ecdysone and ultraspiracle belong to nuclear receptor and have the same structural characteristic which include transactivation domain,DNA-binding domain,hinge region,ligand binding domain and F region.EcR locate in promoter region in the cascade reaction of ecdysis,metamorphosis and reproduction of insect and play a significant role in these processes.Molting hormone interact with heterodimer composed of EcR and USP and start cascade reaction.This paper introduce the structure and function of EcR and USP,mechanism of interaction with molting hormone and application of EcR in agricultural pest control and so on.We discuss the problems that study in EcR and research prospect in future.%昆虫的蜕皮激素(molting hormone,MH)是甾醇类激素,在昆虫体内的活性形式为20-羟基蜕皮酮(20-hydroxyecdysone,20E).在昆虫的正常发育过程中,昆虫的蜕皮、变态和繁殖受到蜕皮激素的调控.昆虫蜕皮激素受体(ecdysone receptor,EcR)和超气门蛋白(ultraspiracle,USP)均属于核受体超家族成员,具有核受体的结构特征,包括A/B域(转录激活域transaetivation domain)、C域(DNA结合域DNA-binding domain,DBD)、D域(铰链域hinge region)、E域(配体结合域ligand binding domain,LBD)和F域.蜕皮激素受体在昆虫蜕皮、变态和繁殖等重要的生命过程中的级联反应启动位置,对昆虫的生长发育和繁殖的正常完成有着非常重要的作用.蜕皮激素通过与蜕皮激素受体和超气门蛋白组成的复合体相互作用,然后启动一系列级联反应的过程.本文介绍了EcR和USP的结构和功能,以及它们与蜕皮激素相互作用的机理,并对EcR在农业害虫防治等方面的应用进行了介绍,并讨论了研究中遇到的问题以及对未来的研究进行展望.