Characterization of a novel superoxide dismutase in Nilaparvata lugens

The brown planthopper (Nilaparvata lugens) is a major agricultural pest of rice crops. Analysis of the enzymes produced by N. lugens is important to develop pest-control methods. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) is a detoxification enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of superoxide anions (reactive oxygen species) into oxygen and hydrogen peroxide. As there have been no reports on SOD in N. lugens, in this study, we characterized a new SOD in the brown planthopper, nlSOD1. Amino acid sequence and phylogenetic analyses revealed that nlSOD1 is a member of the Cu/Zn-SOD family. Recombinant nlSOD1, when overexpressed in Escherichia coli, catalyzes the dismutation of superoxide radicals into molecular O