Acetylcholinesterase Genes in the Glanville Fritillary Butterfly (Melitaea cinxia, Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae)

Abstract Acetylcholinesterase (AChE, EC 3.1.1.7), which is encoded by the ace gene, is a key enzyme in both cholinergic system and other non-neuronal tissues. AChE is the target of organophosphates (OP) and carbamates (CA) insecticides. Although AChEs have been extensively studied in lepidopteran pests, no research has been carried out on butterflies, a major subgroup in Lepidoptera. In this study, we cloned two ace genes (Mcace1 and Mcace2) from the Glanville fritillary butterfly (Melitaea cinxia, Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae). The full-length cDNA of Mcace1 was 2433bp, containing a 2073bp ORF encoding 690 amino acids, a 227bp 5’-untranslated region (5’-UTR), and a 133bp 3’-UTR with a poly(A) tail. The cDNA of Mcace2 was 2400bp in length, containing a 1911bp ORF encoding 636 amino acids, a 368bp 5’-UTR, and a 121bp 3’-UTR with a poly(A) tail. Both the deduced proteins, McAChE1 and McAChE2, possess typical features of AChE family, such as catalytic triad, acyl pocket and choline-binding site. Phylogenetic ana...