摘要

Proline plays an important role in regulating synaptic neurotransmission in both mammalian and insect nervous systems. The full-length complementary DNA sequences encoding the proline transporter gene (CsProT) and its alternative spliced transcript (CsProT-ST) were cloned from the striped stem borer (SSB), Chilo suppressalis, one of the most important rice pests in Asia. The comparison of amino acid sequences showed that CsProT is highly similar to the proline transporter isolated from Manduca sexta (MasProT). The developmental changes of the relative messenger RNA expression levels of CsProT and CsProT-ST genes were examined in SSB. The expression level of CsProT-ST is much higher than that of CsProT in all developmental periods, suggesting that the 3'-end spliced variant is the major transcript instead of CsProT. The highest expression level of both genes in the pupal stage means that proline may be involved in some unclear functions in the metamorphosis from pupa to adulthood.