Agent that modulates physiological condition of pests, involved in insect choline acetyltransferase activity

Abstract

The present invention provides an agent that modulates physiological condition of pests, wherein the agent has an ability to modulate the activity of an insect choline acetyltransferase; a method for assaying pesticidal activity of a test substance, which comprises measuring the activity of a choline acetyltransferase in a reaction system in which the choline acetyltransferase contacts with a test substance, and the like.

1 . An isolated insect choline acetyltransferase comprising an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of:
 (a) the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1;   (b) an amino acid sequence with deletion, addition or substitution of one or more amino acids in the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1, wherein said amino acid sequence has choline acetyltransferase activity;   (c) an amino acid sequence that has sequence identity of 50% or more to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1, wherein said amino acid sequence has choline acetyltransferase activity;   (d) an amino acid sequence that has sequence similarity of 75% or more to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1, wherein said amino acid sequence has choline acetyltransferase activity;   (e) the amino acid sequence encoded by the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2 or 3;   (f) an amino acid sequence encoded by a nucleotide sequence that has sequence identity of 50% or more to the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2 or 3, wherein said amino acid sequence has choline acetyltransferase activity;   (g) an amino acid sequence encoded by a polynucleotide, wherein said polynucleotide hybridizes under a stringent condition to a polynucleotide comprising a nucleotide sequence complementary to the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2 or 3, wherein said amino acid sequence has choline acetyltransferase activity; and   (h) an amino acid sequence of a cotton aphid choline acetyltransferase.   
     
     
         2 . An isolated insect choline acetyltransferase comprising an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of:
 (a) the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1;   (b) an amino acid sequence that has sequence identity of at least 90% to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1, wherein said amino acid sequence has choline acetyltransferase activity;   (c) an amino acid sequence that has sequence similarity of at least 90% to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1, wherein said amino acid sequence has choline acetyltransferase activity;   (d) the amino acid sequence encoded by the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2 or 3;   (e) an amino acid sequence encoded by a nucleotide sequence that has sequence identity of at least 90% to the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2 or 3, wherein said amino acid sequence has choline acetyltransferase activity;   (f) an amino acid sequence encoded by a polynucleotide, wherein said polynucleotide hybridizes under stringency conditions comprising a salt concentration of about 6.0×SSC and a temperature of about 65° C. to a polynucleotide comprising a nucleotide sequence complementary to the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2 or 3, wherein said amino acid sequence has choline acetyltransferase activity; and   (g) an amino acid sequence of a cotton aphid choline acetyltransferase.   
     
     
         3 . The choline acetyltransferase of  claim 2 , which is a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1. 
     
     
         4 . The choline acetyltransferase of  claim 2 , which is a protein comprising an amino acid sequence that has sequence identity of at least 90% to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1, wherein said protein has choline acetyltransferase activity. 
     
     
         5 . The choline acetyltransferase of  claim 2 , which is a protein comprising an amino acid sequence that has sequence similarity of at least 90% to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1, wherein said protein has choline acetyltransferase activity. 
     
     
         6 . The choline acetyltransferase of  claim 2 , which is a protein comprising the amino acid sequence encoded by the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2 or 3. 
     
     
         7 . The choline acetyltransferase of  claim 2 , which is a protein comprising an amino acid sequence encoded by a nucleotide sequence that has sequence identity of at least 90% to the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2 or 3, wherein said protein has choline acetyltransferase activity. 
     
     
         8 . The choline acetyltransferase of  claim 2 , which is a cotton aphid choline acetyltransferase.