Isolation and Characterization of the C-type Lysozyme Gene from the Common Cutworm Spodoptera litura

We have isolated and characterized a new insect chicken type (c-type) lysozyme gene from the common cutworm, Spodoptera litura. The full-length cDNA of Spodoptera lysozyme is cloned by rapid amplification of cDNA ends PCR (RACE-PCR). The isolated cDNA consists of 1039 bp including the coding region for a 142-amino acid residue polypeptide, which included a signal peptide of 21-amino acid residue and a mature protein of 121-amino acid residue. The predicted molecular weight of mature lysozyme and its theoretical isoelectric point from amino acid composition is 13964.8 Da and 9.05, respectively. The deduced amino acid sequence of Spodoptera lysozyme gene shows the highest similarity (96.7%) to Spodoptera exigua lysozyme among other lepidopteran species. Amino acid sequence comparison with other the c-type lysozymes, Spodoptera lysozyme has the completely conserved $Glu^{32}$ and $Asp^{50}$ of the active site and eight Cys residues are completely conserved in the same position as that of other lepidopteran lysozymes.