家蚕不同茧色品种中cbp基因的结构和表达分析

类胡萝卜素结合蛋白(CBP)是唯一已被确认与家蚕黄色茧形成儡切相关的主要蛋白质。文章选择12个有色茧和白茧蚕品种, 调查了cbp基因结构、转录产物mRNA类型和丝腺类胡萝卜素紫外可见光吸收特征与其茧色的关系。结果表明: 黄色茧蚕品种含有2种或3种cbp基因结构, 同时转录具有CBP功能性的完整 mRNA和缺少第2外显子的mRNA; 绿茧品种间cbp基因结构存在差异, 转录缺少第2外显子的mRNA; 白茧蚕品种cbp基因只有1种结构, 转录缺少第2外显子的mRNA。文章在黄茧品种中新发现的cbp基因第1内含子序列可能具有茧色品种特异性, 家蚕黄茧品种丝腺的紫外可见吸收光谱特征显著区别于绿茧和白茧品种, cbp基因的结构和表达特征与家蚕茧色密切相关。     

对人工饲料摄食性不同的家蚕品种Cph2基因的表达特征分析

家蚕Bombyx mori不同品种对人工饲料的摄食性存在很大差异。为探讨食性差异的分子机理, 本文基于对人工饲料摄食性不同的蚕品种（系）SAGE （serial analysis of gene expression）文库差异表达基因的分析, 发掘了1条家蚕假定表皮蛋白（cuticular protein hypothetical）基因BmCph2。采用半定量RT-PCR和实时荧光定量PCR方法, 对BmCph2在不同摄食性蚕品种（系）不同发育时期的表达特征进行了研究。结果表明： BmCph2基因在家蚕幼虫眠期和起蚕期高表达, 在胚胎期和幼虫将眠期几乎检测不到表达; 在幼虫头部与全蚕的表达特征相似, 而在中肠中表达活性很低, 推测该基因表达可能与家蚕新表皮的形成有关。BmCph2在对人工饲料摄食性不同的蚕品种（系）中的表达存在较大差异, 在摄食性好的高食性品种中表达量显著低于摄食性差的低食性品种; 饲料和忌避剂的气味刺激及取食刺激对不同品种（系）该基因的表达有不同的影响, 高食性蚕对诱导刺激比较敏感, 而低食性蚕受影响较小, 尤其是菁松A和菁松B的低食性品系几乎不受影响。本研究结果说明, BmCph2基因除可能参与表皮形成的同时, 还与家蚕的食性有密切关系, 但其具体机理有待于进一步研究。     

Analyzing genetic relationships in Bombyx mori using intersimple sequence repeat amplification

Intersimple sequence repeat (ISSR) amplification was used to analyze genetic relationships among silkworm, Bombyx mori L., strains. Nineteen primers containing simple sequence repeat (SSR) motifs were tested for amplification on a panel of 42 strains, representative of the diversity of silkworm germplasm; 12 of the primers amplified distinct, reproducible bands. The primers amplified a total of 108 bands, of which 85 (78.7%) were polymorphic. The ISSR results suggested that within the dinucleotide class, the poly(CA) motif was more common than the poly(CT) motif. The ISSR amplification pattern was used to group the silkworm strains into seven subclusters based on their origin in an unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic average cluster analysis by using Nei's genetic distance. Seven major ecotypic silkworm groups were analyzed. Principal component analysis of the ISSR data supported the unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic average clustering. Therefore, ISSR amplification is a valuable method for determining genetic variability among silkworm varieties. This efficient genetic fingerprinting technique should be useful for characterizing the large numbers of silkworm strains held in national and international germplasm centers.     

Functional analysis of a survivin-like gene in Bombyx mori

The survivin (svv) gene is a newly discovered member of the inhibitors of apoptosis gene family. In recent years, svv has been confirmed to have an anti-apoptosis function and to play a critical role in cell division. We identified a survivin-like gene in the silkworm, Bombyx mori (Bm-svv). In this study, to gain insight into its function, a baculovirus expression system was used to express the Bm-svv gene in insect cell lines. The recombinant viruses were then used as a vector to transform insect cells, and cell activity was determined using the Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), which is usually employed for detecting mammalian cell number. The results indicated that the Bm-svv gene plays a role in the cell growth arrest or apoptosis induced by viruses. Furthermore, the CCK-8 kit is effective in determining the activity of insect cells.     

Proteomics analysis of adult testis from Bombyx mori

The development of the testis involves a large number of tissue‐specific proteins, possibly because the sperms in it are the most divergent of all cell types. In this study, LC‐MS/MS was employed to investigate the protein compositions of the adult testis of silkworm. A total of 14 431 peptides were identified in the adult testis of Bombyx mori, which were matched to 2292 proteins. Thirty‐two HSPs constitute a group of most abundant proteins in the adult testis, suggesting that they are critical for the development, differentiation, and survival of germ cells. Other proteins in this analysis were also involved in testis‐specific processes mainly including sperm motility, meiosis, germ cell development, and spermatogenesis. The data have been deposited to the ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD000909 ( http://proteomecentral.proteomexchange.org/dataset/PXD000909 ).     

Analysis of genetic relationship in mutant silkworm strains of Bombyx mori using inter simple sequence repeat （ISSR） markers

Amplified inter simple sequence repeats (ISSR) markers were used to determine genetic relationships among mutant silkworm strains of Bombyx mori. Fifteen ISSR primers containing simple sequence repeat (SSR) motifs were used in this study. A total of 113 markers were produced among 20 mutant swains, of which 73.45% were found to be polymorphic. In selected mutant genetic stocks, the average number of observed allele was (1.7080±0.4567), effective alleles (1.5194±0.3950) and genetic diversity (Ht) (0.2901±0.0415). The dendrogram produced using the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic means (UPGMA) and cluster analysis made using Nei's genetic distance resulted in the formation of one major group containing 6 groups separated 20 mutant silkworm strains. Therefore, ISSR amplification is a valuable method for determining the genetic variability among mutant silkworm swains. This efficient molecular marker would be useful for characterizing a considerable number of silkworm swains maintained at the germplasm center.     

Comparative transcriptome analysis of wing discs from Bombyx mori and Bombyx mandarina

The insect wing is developed from the wing imaginal disc which is designed from the embryonic ectoderm. To get insight into gene expression profiles in wing discs of Bombyx mori during metamorphosis, we compared the gene expression in the wing between B. mori and B. mandarina moth through RNA-seq. Out of total valid reads identified from the 5th day of 5th instar larvae of silkworm (L5), 7th day of pupae (P7), 1st day of moth (M1) and 1st day of wild silkworm moth (WM1), 20,092,004, 29,251,647, 24,654,695 and 19,753,089 reads were mapped to the mRNA reference sequences of silkworm, respectively. 9229, 7048, 9268 and 6701 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were respectively recorded in P7 vs L5, M1 vs P7, M1 vs L5 and WM1 vs M1. Further, the peroxisome, ribosome, endocytosis and oxidative phosphorylation pathways were significantly regulated in the metamorphosis of the silkworm. Our study identified 16 orthologous genes with a positive selection from M1, which might be subjected to artificial selection in the domestication of B. mori and would play vital roles in the flight of B. mandarina.     

野桑蚕、蓖麻蚕及家蚕基因组的RFLP分析

以家蚕Bombyx mori丝素重链基因、丝胶基因1和胰凝乳蛋白酶抑制因子13基因为探针,对野桑蚕B.mandarina、蓖麻蚕Philosamia cynthia ricini和家蚕B.mori基因组DNA进行限制性片段长度多态性分析。结果发现,在野桑蚕、蓖麻蚕基因组中存在着家蚕丝素重链基因、丝胶基因1的同源序列,而在中日野桑蚕以及蓖麻蚕品种间存在着限制性酶切位点差异;丝胶基因1在中国野桑蚕基因组的EcoRⅠ酶切图谱较日本野桑蚕与家蚕更为一致,表明家蚕与中国野桑蚕亲缘关系更近。此外,在野桑蚕基因组中发现了家蚕胰凝乳蛋白酶抑制因子13基因的同源序列,并且在家蚕品种间以及中日野桑蚕之间也存在着多态性。这些结果表明不同绢丝昆虫在适应生存环境的进化过程中,基因组发生了结构改变。     

Molecular characterization and expression analysis of BmNOX in two strains of Bombyx mori with contrasting viral resistance phenotype

We recently documented the identification of a 26.5 kDa protein named BmNox in the gut fluid of Nistari strain of Bombyx mori, which possessed antiviral activity against BmNPV in vitro. In this report, we report the characterization of the full‐length gene encoding BmNOX and the levels of expression of this gene in select tissues of silkworm larvae from a BmNPV‐susceptible and a BmNPV‐resistant strain to the defense capability in Bombyx mori larvae challenged with BmNPV. We also evaluated the BmNox expression in various stages of larval life of a resistant and a susceptible strain of Bombyx mori selected from among a panel of strains of silkworm. Nistari, a multivoltine strain of silkworm, expressed BmNOX during all five larval stages, and were highly resistant to BmNPV infection. In sharp contrast, CSR₂, a bivoltine strain, showed weaker expression of BmNOX in the anterior midgut in larval life and was highly susceptible to BmNPV infection. BmNOX is a secretory protein with dual expression in gut fluid and mid gut tissue. BmNOX is expressed heavily in the posterior mid gut, with weaker expression in the fore‐ and mid‐gut regions. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Microarray analysis of gene expression profile in resistant and susceptible Bombyx mori strains reveals resistance-related genes to nucleopolyhedrovirus

To investigate the molecular mechanism of silkworm resistance to BmNPV infection, we constructed a near-isogenic line (BC8) with BmNPV resistance using highly resistant (NB) and highly susceptible parental strains (306). We investigated variations in the gene expression in the midguts of BmNPV-infected BC8 and 306 at 12 h pi using the microarray. 92 differentially expressed genes were identified. Real-time qPCR analysis confirmed that 10 genes were significantly up-regulated or down-regulated in the midguts of BC8 and NB compared to 306. To our knowledge, we first defined the role of the amino acid transporter and 26S proteasome in insect antiviral. However, serine protease was not completely consistent with data of reported previously in insect antiviral. The role of the 5 genes (Bm123, Bm122, COP β′, aquaporin, glycoside hydrolases) was also demonstrated in insect antiviral. Our results provided new insights into the molecular mechanism of the Bombyx mori immune response against BmNPV infection.     

Functional analysis of novel sulfotransferases in the silkworm Bombyx mori

Sulfoconjugation plays a vital role in the detoxification of xenobiotics and in the metabolism of endogenous compounds. In this study, we aimed to identify new members of the sulfotransferase (SULT) superfamily in the silkworm Bombyx mori. Based on amino acid sequence and phylogenetic analyses, two new enzymes, swSULT ST1 and swSULT ST2, were identified that appear to belong to a distinct group of SULTs including several other insect SULTs. We expressed, purified, and characterized recombinant SULTs. While swSULT ST1 sulfated xanthurenic acid and pentachlorophenol, swSULT ST2 exclusively utilized xanthurenic acid as a substrate. Based on these results, and those concerning the tissue distribution and substrate specificity toward pentachlorophenol analyses, we hypothesize that swSULT ST1 plays a role in the detoxification of xenobiotics, including insecticides, in the silkworm midgut and in the induction of gametogenesis in silkworm ovary and testis. Collectively, the data obtained herein contribute to a better understanding of SULT enzymatic functions in insects.     

Identification of 2chromosome region translocated onto the W chromosome by RFLP with EST-cDNA clones in the Gensei-kouken strains of the mulberry silkworm, Bombyx mori L

In silkworms, sex-limited strains are either obtained spontaneously or induced by X-rays or gamma rays. When a fragment of an autosome carrying a dominant allele of those genes responsible for certain characters is translocated onto a W chromosome, the female of the successive generations will express these phenotypic characters and sex discrimination can be facilitated. Gensei-kouken strains are sex-limited strains of silkworms developed by irradiating the pupae with gamma rays, by which a portion of the second chromosome is translocated onto the W chromosome. In these improved strains, the females are yellow-blooded and spin yellow cocoons. By using the EST-cDNA clones mapped on the Z chromosome, we identified the sex according to the polymorphic banding pattern or intensity of the signals. Furthermore, by using the clones on the second chromosome, the region of the second chromosome translocated onto the W chromosome was also defined. In both the A95 and A 96 strains selected for the present study, only the mid-portion of the second chromosome was translocated. The differences in length of the fragments translocated in these strains are discussed.     

Serial analysis of gene expression in the silkworm, Bombyx mori

The silkworm Bombyx mori is one of the most economically important insects and serves as a model for Lepidoptera insects. We used serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE) to derive profiles of expressed genes during the developmental life cycle of the silkworm and to create a reference for understanding silkworm metamorphosis. We generated four SAGE libraries, one from each of the four developmental stages of the silkworm. In total we obtained 257,964 SAGE tags, of which 39,485 were unique tags. Sorted by copy number, 14.1% of the unique tags were detected at a median to high level (five or more copies), 24.2% at lower levels (two to four copies), and 61.7% as single copies. Using a basic local alignment search tool on the EST database, 35% of the tags matched known silkworm expressed sequence tags. SAGE demonstrated that a number of the genes were up- or down-regulated during the four developmental phases of the egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Furthermore, we found that the generation of longer cDNA fragments from SAGE tags constituted the most efficient method of gene identification, which facilitated the analysis of a large number of unknown genes.     

Expression analysis of decapentaplegic gene in the silkworm,Bombyx mori

The decapentaplegic (dpp) gene in Drosophila is involved in multiple developmental processes, and is a highly conserved among various eukaryotic species, including Bombyx mori. Although the gene has well been characterized in Drosophila species the B. mori dpp has not yet been functionally analyzed. In this study, we analyzed the expression pattern of B. mori dpp in 12 different developmental days/stages (7 days for fifth instar larvae, 2 days for spinning stage, 2 days for pupal stages, and 1 day for adults) in both male and female silkworms using quantitative real‐time RT‐PCR (qRT‐PCR). mRNA expression of B. mori dpp was much higher in the female larvae up to the mid‐stage of the fifth instar compared with the corresponding male larvae. Similarly, dpp expression also was much higher in females during the eclosion period than that in the corresponding male pupae. During the embryonic stage, the expression level of the dpp gene was much higher compared to that of adult stage in both male and female silkworms. These results suggest that the B. mori dpp gene plays multiple roles in the developmental of B. mori.