Regulation of the ferritin heavy-chain homologue gene in the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti

In the yellow fever mosquito Aedes aegypti, the ferritin heavy‐chain homologue (HCH) gene is induced by blood feeding. This suggests that ferritin may serve as a cytotoxic protector against the oxidative challenge of the blood meal and may be essential for the survival of the insect. In this study, various cis‐acting elements for the gene were identified and mapped. Transfection assays showed that the strength and activity of a subset of these elements are orientation‐dependent. The shift observed for the ferritin HCH cis‐acting elements is unique among known ferritin genes. DNase I footprinting data together with Transfac analyses identified a number of putative sites known for their involvement in developmental and cell proliferation processes.