Integrin is a cell surface protein that is composed of α and β heterodimer and mediates cell interaction with extracellular matrix or other cells including microbial pathogens. A full length cDNA sequence (2,517 bp) of a integrin subunit β1 (HaITGβ1) was cloned from the oriental tobacco budworm, Helicoverpa assulta. Phylogenetic analysis showed that HaITGβ1 was clustered with other insect β integrin subunits with the highest amino acid sequence identity (61%) to β1 of other Noctuidae such as Spodoptera exigua and S. litura. Structural analysis of the HaITGβ1 possessed all functional domains known in other insect β1 integrins. RT-PCR analysis showed that HaITGβ1 was expressed in all developmental stages and all tested tissues of H. assulta. Injection of double-stranded HaITGβ1 RNA (dsHaITGβ1) into third instar of H. assulta suppressed HaITGβ1 expression and resulted in significant delay from last larval stage to pupal stage. The dsHaITGβ1 injection significantly impaired nodule formation of H. assulta in response to bacterial challenge and hemocyte adherence. These results suggest that HaITGβ1 plays crucial roles in cellular immune responses as well as development in H. assulta.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of integrin α3 and integrin β1 in the ameloblastomas. For this study, 10 specimens diagnosed as amoblastomas referred to the Department of Oral Pathology, School of Dentistry, Kyung Hee University, and 5 specimens of normal oral mucosa without any inflammatory changes were used as experimental and control groups, respectively. The ameloblastomas devided into follicular type, plexiform type, acanthomatous type, and granular cell type. All specimens; experimental and control group were fixed in 10% neutral formalin solution and embedded in paraffin, and then the serial tissue sections were made 5㎛ in thickness and processed for immunohistochemical observation. The specimens were incubated with primary antibody against integrin α3 or integrin β1, each was diluted at 1 : 100, followed by the Supersensitive non-biotin horse radish peroxidase detection system with DAB as chromogen. After counterstaining with Gill's hematoxylin stain method and mounted, and examined under the light microscope. Based on the intensity of the immunoreactivity, intensity of the immunity was scored no epithelial stain, weak or focal epithelial stain, moderate or focal intensive epithelial stain, intense generalized epithelial staining for the epithelial, and connective tissue component in ameloblastomas, and normal oral mucosa on each. Attained results as follows. Expression of integrin α3 in the oral mucosa, weak reaction was noted on the all layers of epithelium, and submucosa. Expression of integrin β1 in the oral mucosa, intense reaction on the superficial layer, moderate reaction in basal layer were shown. Expression of integrin α3 in ameloblastomas, it was noted that weak reaction on the ameloblast like cells in the all types and rarely in basement membrane. Expression of integrin β1 in ameloblastomas, intense reaction on the tumor cell ,and partly in the nuclei in follicular type was noted, And moderate reaction on the tumor cell in plexiform , acathomatous types, but weak reaction in granular cell type was shown. This results result suggest that integrin α3 may influenced negligibly, but the integrin β1 influenced significantly the development of the ameloblastomas considering the response is increased on the region with highly cellular activities