Cloning and expression of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit II gene in Sitophilus zeamais and interaction mechanism with allyl isothiocyanate

Linlin Jiang 1, Yue Li 1, Weilin Shi 1, Wei Chen 1, Zhiqing Ma 2, Juntao Feng 2, Ahmed S Hashem 3, Hua Wu 4

PMID: 37105630 DOI: 10.1016/j.pestbp.2023.105392

Abstract

In the United States, allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) has been registered as an insecticide, bactericide, and nematicide. And it has been confirmed that AITC has significant insecticidal activities against four stored product pests including Sitophilus zeamais Mostchulky (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). This study aimed to verify the mechanism of action of AITC on cytochrome c oxidase core subunits II in S. zeamais. Enzyme - catalyzed reactions and Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR) analysis revealed that the expressed COX II proteins could competitively bind and inhibit the activity of COX II. Furthermore, molecular docking results showed that a sulfur atom of AITC could form a 2.9 Å hydrogen bond with Ile-30, having a binding energy of -2.46 kcal/mol.

Keywords: Allyl isothiocyanate; Cytochrome c oxidase core subunits; Eukaryotic expression; Sitophilus zeamais.