Cloning and Sequencing of a Gene Encoding Aminopeptidase N in the Midgut of Helicoverpa armigera(Hubner)

A cDNA encoding aminopeptidase N was cloned by degenerated PCR combined with RACE technique in this paper. The full-length of APN-Harm is 3 043 bp. Open reading frame is 2 856 bp in length, encoding 951 amino acid residues. Its predicted molecular weight and isoelectric point are 108. 3 kDa and 5.29, respectively. This deduced amino acid sequence shares some common structural features with aminopeptidase N from several moth species, including the consensus zinc-binding motif HEXXHX18E and the GAMEN motif common to gluzincin aminopeptidases. The first 20 amino acid residues at N-termini is hydrophobic transmembrane helix. The sequence of APN-Harm was deposited in GenBank and the accession number is AY181026.