Diversidade das aquaporinas no genoma de Culex quinquefasciatus: um estudo in silico

Abstract

Culex quinquefasciatus is a cosmopolitan species that transmits the nematode Wuchereria bancrofti, the etiologic agent of lymphatic filariasis. Throughout its life cycle, this mosquito needs to survive adverse environmental conditions and various biological stressors. In this process, molecular mechanisms are essential for reestablishing the body's homeostasis and aquaporins are a group of potentially important biomolecules in these responses. Aquaporins are a superfamily of highly hydrophobic, transmembrane channel-forming proteins that are present in all living organisms, primarily responsible for the facilitated transport of water. The objective of this work was to identify, classify and characterize the aquaporins present in the genome of the mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus using in silico tools. For this, comparative structural and functional analysis of the gene and protein sequences of the aquaporins identified in the NCBI database were carried out, using genomic information from the species Drosophila melanogaster, Anopheles gambiae and Aedes aegypti. Six probable genes and 15 isoforms have been identified in the Culex quinquefasciatus genome, all located on chromosome 2, and classified into the DRIP, BIB, PRIP, Eglp1 and Eglp3 subfamilies. All protein sequences were confirmed for topology, architecture, subcellular localization and other physicochemical configurations characteristic of aquaporins. The motifs and gene structure of aquaporins from Culex quinquefasciatus were conserved within the same family, but subtly different among members of different families, reflecting their different biological functions. The results of these analyzes may help to better understand the molecular aspects of these transmembrane transport proteins, which are of great importance for the biology and evolution of this species of medical and veterinary importance.