Molecular cloning, recombinant protein expression and purification of a novel carboxylesterase from Liposcelis bostrychophila

Abstract

Booklice are tiny insect pests commonly found in an indoor environment and characterized by extremely high proliferation ability. Booklouse contamination in stored foods causes serious food loss; therefore, they are recognized as so-called stored-food pests. Furthermore, since booklice in house dust have been reported to be a potent allergen, it should be also considered that the accidental ingestion of booklice possibly causes allergic symptom. Therefore, safe extermination of booklice would contribute to the solution of both food-loss and allergic concerns. Organophosphates (OPs) are compounds generally used as harmless insecticides; nonetheless, the cases of OP poisoning are sometimes reported worldwide. Therefore, considering usage for stored food products, OP doses should be low as far as possible. It is known that carboxylesterase-mediated inactivation of OPs decreases the efficacy of OPs, suggesting that an inhibitor of carboxylesterase could be a synergist to reduce the dose of OP. Herein, I report the molecular cloning and characterization of a novel carboxylesterase highly expressed in a representative species of indoor booklice, Liposcelis bostrychophila.