Cloning and characterization of nanos gene in silkworm Bombyx mori

Gene nanos is a maternal posterior group gene required for normal development of abdominal segments and the germ line in Drosophila. Expression of nanos-related genes is associated with the germ line in a broad variety of other taxa. In this study, the 5＇-RACE method and the in silico cloning method are used to isolate the new nanos-like gene of Bombyx mor/and the gene obtained is analyzed with bioinformatics tools. The putative protein is expressed in Escherichia coli and the antiserum has been produced in New Zealand white rabbits. The result shows that the nanos cDNA is 1,913 bp in full length and contains a 954 bp open reading frame. The deduced protein has 317 amino acid residues, with a predicted molecular weight of 35 kDa, isoelectric point of 5.38, and contains a conserved nanos RNA binding domain. The conserved region of the deduced protein shares 73% homology with the nanos protein conserved region of Honeybee （Apis mellifera）. This gene has been registered in the GenBank under the accession number EF647589. One encoding sequence of the nanos fragment has been successfully expressed in E. coli. Western blotting analysis indicates that homemade antiserum can specifically detect nanos protein expressed in prokaryotic cells.     

The gene expression profile of Bombyx mori silkgland

During prepupal stage, the genes expression in silkgland is considered as a model for gene expression and regulation of eukaryotes. Aiming to comprehensively interpret gene expression profile in the silkgland, we collected all currently available EST, complete cDNA and protein expression information and other gene expression testing data published before, and explored their roles in their function pathways level. With the analysis of interaction between the known proteins and putative bio-macromolecules partners in silico, we list our prediction results in the form of pathway classification and test some of their expressions by experiments.     

Microarray-based gene expression profiles in multiple tissues of the domesticated silkworm, Bombyx mori

We designed and constructed a genome-wide microarray with 22,987 70-mer oligonucleotides covering the presently known and predicted genes in the silkworm genome, and surveyed the gene expression in multiple silkworm tissues on day 3 of the fifth instar. Clusters of tissue-prevalent and tissue-specific genes and genes that are differentially expressed in different tissues were identified, and they reflect well major tissue-specific functions on the molecular level. The data presented in this study provide a new resource for annotating the silkworm genome.     

家蚕幼虫不同龄期体内主要解毒酶及其基因表达的性别差异

为了研究家蚕Bombyx mori性别与抗性的关系,本研究采用Thermo酶活性测定法和实时荧光定量PCR法,比较不同龄期雌雄家蚕起蚕体内解毒酶活性及其基因的表达差异。结果表明：解毒酶及其基因在雌雄个体之间均存在明显差异,谷胱甘肽S-转移酶活性及其基因BmGSTe5的表达量在1～3龄表现为雌蚕高于雄蚕,4龄和5龄则表现相反,其中4龄雄蚕酶活性和基因表达量分别是雌蚕的3.65倍和5.11倍,推测与雄蚕精巢在4龄初迅速发育有关。雄蚕乙酰胆碱酯酶活性在2～4龄分别是雌蚕的1.48,1.34和1.40倍;乙酰胆碱酯酶基因Bm-ace1在2龄和3龄性别差异不明显,Bm-ace2在2～4龄为雄性高于雌性,雄性分别是雌性的1.75,2.17和2.40倍,提示Bm-ace2对性别间该酶活性的差异影响较大。羧酸酯酶活性在2龄和3龄雄蚕较高,分别是雌蚕的1.23和1.87倍,4～5龄雌蚕较高,分别是雄蚕的1.23和1.22倍;羧酸酯酶基因BmCarE-5和BmCarE-10在性别间的差异规律均与酶活性相反,即羧酸酯酶表现为较高的基因表达量对应较低的酶活性,推测在家蚕体内可能存在“羧酸酯酶突变”现象。结果为研究基因表达产物的修饰方式及其功能开辟了新的研究路径,为家蚕性别与抗药性的研究提供了重要参考。     

Analysis of ESTs and gene expression patterns of the posterior silkgland in the fifth instar larvae of silkworm, Bombyx mori L.

The fibroin gene expression pattern and regulation of the posterior silkgland were studied by means of expressed sequence tags (ESTs) using the first and fifth day larvae of the fifth instar of silkworm, Bombyx mori L (strain: C 108). The results showed that there were 911 repetitive ESTs and 1950 single sequences (Singlets) among total 2861 consentient sequences, which were spliced. 1335 sequences were identified and the other 1526 were unknown. 5560 sequences (55.89%) in the posterior silkgland cell of the silkworm were new ESTs without homology with EST data published by Mita et al. The number of repetitive ESTs and single sequences from the first day larvae of the fifth instar was double more than that of the fifth day of the same instar in the silkworms. The unigenes which were more than 50 in repetitive EST size (contig size) came to only about 0.5% in total consentient sequences. There were significant differences between gene expression frequencies, and expressed genes were related to fibroin synthesis and its secretion and fibroin composition. Comparing the fifth day with the first day of the fifth instar, the genes-expressed quantity of fibroin heavy-chain gene was 18 fold higher, fibroin light-chain gene 9 fold and fibroin P52 gene 8 fold. 508 genes functioned for cellular component and 315 for enzyme after function tracing. These results implied that the gene expression of the first day was mainly for preparation for fibroin synthesis except for the growth of silkgland cells, and the gene expression of the fifth day of the fifth instar was mainly for synthesizing and excreting fibroin. Because the ratio of heavy chain, light chain and p25 of fibroin was not 6:6:1 as theoretically expected, or its special H-chain structure, the H-chain gene was not easy to detect through EST technique. Most of genes among total 2861 consentient sequences functioned for fibroin synthesis and secretion. This suggested the fibroin synthesis and secretion procedure of the posterior silkgland was more complex than the knowledge we have.     

家蚕羧酸酯酶基因克隆及差异表达

家蚕浓核病毒 (Bombyx mori densonucleosis virus,BmDNV)是蚕业生产上危害比较严重的一类病毒。用完全抗浓核病中国镇江株(BmDNV-Z)的家蚕品系秋丰、感性品系华八及以华八为轮回亲本回交8代和自交8代构建的近等基因系BC₈为材料,采用mRNA荧光差显技术首次分离克隆了家蚕羧酸酯酶（B. mori carboxylesterase,BmCarE）基因全长cDNA,并用实时荧光定量PCR检测了添毒后12 h、36 h、72 h BmCarE在感、抗BmDNV-Z家蚕品系中肠内的表达差异。结果表明： （1）添毒后12 h不同品系家蚕中肠BmCarE表达差异最大,抗性品系BC₈和秋丰分别是感性品系华八的17.714倍和3.602倍,三者彼此间的差异达到极显著水平;（2）同一品系添毒后12 h与添清水后12 h BmCarE表达也有较大差异, BC₈添毒是BC₈添清水的15.08倍, 秋丰添毒是秋丰添清水的3.39倍, 差异达到极显著水平,而华八添毒和添清水的BmCarE表达量均低,二者差异不显著;（3）同一品系添毒后不同时间BmCarE表达也有较大差异, BC₈和秋丰添毒后12 h BmCarE表达量最高,显著高于各自添毒后36 h和72 h表达水平,而添毒后36 h与72 h表达无显著差异;华八添毒后12 h、36 h和72 h,BmCarE表达无显著差异。上述结果提示羧酸酯酶基因可能与家蚕抗浓核病毒有一定关系。     

Photoreception in decapitated larvae of silkworm Bombyx mori

To investigate the photoreception that controls daily oscillations at the periphery in insects, we decapitated larvae of the silkworm Bombyx mori (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae) by ligature, and observed rhythms in their peripheral tissues under several light conditions. We measured the mRNA expression of period (per) and timeless (tim), which are homologues of Drosophila clock genes that function in the core oscillator of the circadian clock system. The expression of both per and tim significantly changed in the midgut, Malpighian tubules and silk glands of decapitated larvae exposed to photophase and scotophase that were reversed from the original daily light–dark cycle under which the larvae were housed. Under constant darkness, the daily expression of tim mRNA persisted for at least one cycle in the midgut and silk gland. In addition, an appropriate light stimulus under constant darkness induced a significant phase shift in the endogenous timing system (probably a circadian clock) that determined peak levels of tim mRNA expression in the midgut and silk glands of decapitated larvae. Since light regulated the gene expression rhythm in peripheral tissues of decapitated silkworm larvae, neither the brain nor eyes were essential for photoreception to control daily oscillations in these tissues. Thus, peripheral tissues in insects might directly use light even at the larval stage.     

Germ cell specification and early embryonic patterning in Bombyx mori as revealed by nanos orthologues

In the silkmoth Bombyx mori, the germ cells first appear from the posterior ventral side of the egg (from within the mesodermal primordium) after blastoderm formation. This is in contrast to Drosophila, where germ cells appear at the posterior pole before cellular blastoderm formation. To date, germ plasm has not been found in B. mori. In this study, we describe the identification and expression pattern of nanos from B. mori, in which we recovered four nanos orthologues. One orthologue showed strong expression in embryonic germ cells, which was traced back to periplasmic granules dispersed on the ventral midline of the egg from the posterior-ventral focus of preblastoderm embryos. This suggests that, in B. mori, as in dipterans, germ cell formation depends on a localized determinant in the egg. The expression of another orthologue was observed in the posterior of the germ band. We speculate that nanos has dual functions; one in germ cell formation and the other in posterior body patterning, which is conferred by one nanos gene in Drosophila, but is assigned to different genes in B. mori.     

家蚕羧酸酯酶基因BmCarE-9的鉴定与表达分析

羧酸酯酶是一个多功能超家族酶类, 为研究羧酸酯酶基因在家蚕Bombyx mori组织中的功能, 利用5′/3′RACE和RT-PCR方法克隆了一个家蚕羧酸酯酶基因BmCarE-9, 其GenBank登录号为EU523534。该基因含有一个1 680 bp的ORF, 编码559个氨基酸。BmCarE-9预测的分子量64.2 kD, 等电点7.13, 结构分析表明BmCarE-9存在一个类似的催化三联体, 其中两个残基发生改变。利用实时荧光定量PCR方法研究了该基因在家蚕5龄第3天幼虫不同组织以及在5龄期各日龄幼虫丝腺组织中的表达水平。结果表明, 该基因在丝腺中特异性高表达, 且主要在中部和后部丝腺中表达。该基因在5龄期随着丝腺的生长发育表达量逐渐增高, 到末期表达水平逐渐降低。据此推测该基因可能与丝腺的生长发育或丝蛋白的合成相关。     

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.     

siRNAs induce efficient RNAi response in Bombyx mori embryos

Short interference RNA (siRNA) is widely used in mammalian cells. In insects, however, reports concerning the suitablility of siRNA in vivo is very limited compared with that of long dsRNA, which is thought to be more effective. There is insufficient information on the essential rules of siRNA design in insects, as very few siRNAs have been tested in this context. To establish an effective method of gene silencing using siRNA in vivo in insects, we determined the effects of siRNA on seven target genes. We designed siRNAs according to a new guideline and injected them into eggs of Bombyx mori. At the mRNA level, the expression of most of these genes was successfully silenced, down to less than half the constitutive level, which in some cases led to the development of distinctive phenotypes. In addition, we observed stronger effect of siRNA both on the mRNA level and the phenotype than that of long dsRNA under comparable conditions. These results indicate that direct injection of siRNA is an effective reverse-genetics tool for the analysis of embryogenesis in vivo in insects.     

Cloning of anti-LPS factor cDNA from Tachypleus tridentatus, expression in Bombyx mori larvae and its biological activity in vitro

In this article we report the cloning and expression of a cDNA encoding Tachypleus anti-lipopolysaccharide (LPS) factor, which is of interest for use as a potential inhibitor of the common core subunit of Gramnegative bacterial endotoxins. First, two degenerate primers were designed based on the sequence homology of anti-LPS factors purified from different species of horseshoe crab. The total RNA was extracted from amebocytes of Tachypleus tridentatus. The cDNA was then obtained by using the RT-PCR methods. Second, the cDNA of Tachypleus anti-LPS factor (TALF) was expressed in Bombyx mori larvae using baculovirus expression system, which showed a yield of up to 600 mg/L. Last, we determined the biological activity of the recombinant proteins by LPS neutralization assay and bacteriostatic assay in vitro.     

Organization and developmental timing of the Bombyx mori chorion gene clusters in strain C108

We have standardized the map of chorion structural gene clusters in Bombyx mori strain C108 by analyzing quantitative and qualitative chorion electrophoretic markers in recombinant progeny from four independent crosses. In all we assigned 22 markers to three gene clusters, representing about one-third of the total number of chorion genes: 2 to Ch 1, 9 to Ch 2, and 8 to Ch 3. Three additional markers belong either to Ch 7 or Ch 2. By referring to published chorion protein synthesis patterns, we show that the clusters are restricted in their developmental specificities: Ch 3 appears to be an early locus, carrying all of the mapped early markers (4) and half of the early middles (3/6), while Ch 1 and Ch 2 carry predominantly middle (4/5) and all late, Hc (6) markers, along with some early middle markers (3). We cite evidence to show that Ch 1 and Ch 2 compose the left and right halves of a single gene cluster, which we formally designate as Ch 1–2.     

High-level expression of recombinant human paraoxonase 1 Q in silkworm larvae (Bombyx mori)

Human serum paraoxonase 1 (hPON1) belongs to a family of enzymes that catalyze the hydrolysis of a broad range of esters and lactones. Although the very first identification of hPON1 might have been as a calcium-dependent paraoxonase/arylesterase, PON1 is in fact a lactonase associated with high-density lipoprotein and strongly stimulated by apoA-I. PON1 hydrolyzes various organophosphates, including insecticides and nerve gases. PON1 also plays a key role in prevention of atherosclerosis. Mediation of cholesterol efflux from macrophage is a key in vivo function of PON1. In present study, the hPON1 Q gene was cloned into baculovirus transfer vector pVL1392 and expressed in silkworm expression system. The rhPON1 Q presented two bands with every near molecular weight of about 40 and 43 kDa according to sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and Western blotting analysis. The expression level was up to 1,256 mg/L in haemolymph, about 50 times as high as that from BmN cells (24.8 mg/L). After purified by two chromatography steps (DEAE-Sepharose and HiTrap Chelating HP), the purity of rhPON1 Q was up to 90%, and the enzymatic properties are similar to serum hPON1.     

Sterol composition in larvae of the silkworm, Bombyx mori

Sterols in silkworm larvae were analyzed. Cholesterol was predominantly detected in all tissues examined. Dietary phytosterols and desmosterol, a putative biosynthetic intermediate from phytosterols to cholesterol, were also detected, indicating that imperfect intestinal conversion from phytosterols to cholesterol influences the sterol composition in larval tissues.