Localization of the genes for silk fibroin in silk gland cells of Bombyx mori.

Radioactive iodinated silk fibroin messenger RNA and ribosomal RNA have been used as probes to localize their genes in tissue sections of Bombyx mori by in situ hybridization. From filter hybridization experiments it is inferred that the majority of the grains produced by in situ hybridization with fibroin mRNA represents specific hybridization to fibroin genes. Sections of the posterior silk gland where silk is synthesized have been compared with those of the middle gland which does not synthesize fibroin. Glands have been analyzed from the second through the fifth (last) larval instar during feeding and moulting periods. During later stages when the gland cells increase their DNA content by polyploidization, serial sections were required to follow the distribution of grains through entire nuclei. At all stages, both ribosomal DNA and fibroin genes are distributed randomly throughout the nuclei without a preferred relationship to any nuclear structure.     

Identification and characterization of a novel sericin gene expressed in the anterior middle silk gland of the silkworm Bombyx mori

Sericin is a group of proteins expressed in the middle silk gland that covers the surface of fibroin in the cocoon filament of Bombyx mori. Sericin consists of several serine-rich proteins with different molecular masses. Sericin A is one of the proteins and is produced in the anterior portion of the middle silk gland. To identify the gene coding for the protein, we determined the primary structures of its partial peptides, and the gene was searched using the silkworm genomic databases. Three contigs containing the corresponding nucleotide sequences were identified and categorized as one group. The gene structure covering the 5' flanking and the 3' end was determined by PCR fragments from genomic DNA, RT-PCR, and 5' and 3' RACE. The amino acid sequence deduced from the nucleotide sequence mainly consists of two serine-rich regions of 86-amino acid motif and 8-amino acid repeated sequence. The expression of the gene is limited to the anterior and middle parts of the middle silk gland. In addition, because the sericin gene appeared different from the sericin 1 and 2 genes reported earlier, we designated the newly discovered gene as sericin 3.     

Isolation,characterization, and cDNA sequence of a carotenoid binding protein from the silk gland of Bombyx mori larvae

A carotenoid binding protein (CBP) has been isolated from the silk glands of Bombyx mori larvae. The protein has an apparent molecular mass of 33 kDa and binds carotenoids in a 1:1 molar ratio. Lutein accounts for 90% of the bound carotenoids, whereas alpha-carotene and beta-carotene are minor components. Immunological analysis demonstrated the presence of CBP only in the yellow-colored tissues of the silk gland, midgut, testis, and ovary. Several phenotypes of B. mori mutants linked to carotenoid transport have been utilized to characterize CBP. The Y (yellow hemolymph) gene controls uptake of carotenoids from the midgut lumen into the midgut epithelium, and larvae with the +(Y) gene lack this property. Immunoblotting analysis confirmed the presence of CBP in mutants with the dominant Y gene only. Immunohistochemistry verified the localization of CBP in the villi of the midgut epithelium, indicating that CBP might be involved in absorption of carotenoids. A cDNA clone for CBP encoding a protein of 297 amino acids has been isolated from the B. mori silk gland cDNA library. The deduced amino acid sequence revealed that CBP is a novel member of the steroidogenic acute regulatory (StAR) protein family with its unique structural feature of a StAR-related lipid transfer domain, known to aid in lipid transfer and recognition. Lutein-binding capacity of the recombinant CBP (rCBP) determined by incubating rCBP with lutein followed by immunoprecipitation using anti-CBP IgG conjugated to protein A-Sepharose, demonstrated the formation of a lutein-rCBP complex. Sequence analyses coupled with binding specificity suggest that CBP is a new member of the StAR protein family that binds carotenoids rather than cholesterol.     

Comparison of Bombyx mori and Helicoverpa armigera cytoplasmic actin genes provides clues to the evolution of actin genes in insects

The cytoplasmic actin genes BmA3 and BmA4 of Bombyx mori were found clustered in a single genomic clone in the same orientation. As a similar clustering of the two cytoplasmic actin genes Ha3a and Ha3b also occurs in another lepidopteran, Helicoverpa armigera, we analyzed the sequence of the pair of genes from each species. Due to the high conservation of cytoplasmic actins, the coding sequence of the four genes was easily aligned, allowing the detection of similarities in noncoding exon and intron sequences as well as in flanking sequences. All four genes exhibited a conserved intron inserted in codon 117, an original position not encountered in other species. It can thus be postulated that all of these genes derived from a common ancestral gene carrying this intron after a single event of insertion. The comparison of the four genes revealed that the genes of B. mori and H. armigera are related in two different ways: the coding sequence and the intron that interrupts it are more similar between paralogous genes within each species than between orthologous genes of the two species. In contrast, the other (noncoding) regions exhibited the greatest similarity between a gene of one species and a gene of the other species, defining two pairs of orthologous genes, BmA3 and HaA3a on one hand and BmA4 and HaA3b on the other. However, in each species, the very high similarities of the coding sequence and of the single intron that interrupts it strongly suggest that gene conversion events have homogenized this part of the sequence. As the divergence of the B. mori genes was higher than that of the H. armigera genes, we postulated that the gene conversion occurred earlier in the B. mori lineage. This leads us to hypothesize that gene conversion could also be responsible for the original transfer of the common intron to the second gene copy before the divergence of the B. mori and H. armigera lineages.     

Ultrastructure of fibroin in the silk gland of larval Bombyx mori

The fibroin molecules stored in Golgi vacuoles in the posterior silk gland cells of 72-h-old, fifth instar larvae of Bombyx mori L. were observed electron-microscopically. The fibers which float in the Golgi vacuoles often have their ends attached to the limiting membrane. The fibers are helical bundles about 130 Å in diameter composed of 5–7 threads, each 20–30 Å thick.     

Transient in vivo reporter gene assay for ecdysteroid action in the Bombyx mori silk gland

To analyze the molecular mechanisms underlying hormone-regulated gene expression during molt and metamorphosis, we developed a transient reporter gene assay system using the silkworm anterior silk gland. Reporter plasmids were delivered into dissected anterior silk glands by particle bombardment and bombarded glands transplanted into other larvae, to which hormones were then administered. When the green fluorescent protein gene, coupled with the constitutive cytoplasmic actin gene A3 promoter, was introduced into the anterior silk gland, strong green fluorescence was observed a few days later. Bombarded silk glands transplanted into other larvae showed the same morphological changes as intrinsic glands after 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) alone or 20E plus juvenile hormone (JH) treatment, indicating that the transplanted gland received hormonal signals properly. When a 20E-responsive reporter construct containing four tandemly repeated pal-1 ecdysone response elements upstream from the luciferase gene was delivered into the gland, an approximately 50-fold increase in luciferase activity was detected 30 h after 20E injection. This induction was comparable to that in an ecdysteroid-responsive Bombyx cell line. This in vivo reporter assay system is thus a rapid, effective tool for analyzing gene expression regulated by 20E and probably by JH.     

The expression of five middle silk gland specific genes is territorially regulated during the larval development of Bombyx mori

By differential screening of a Bombyx mori genomic library, three genes specifically expressed in the middle silk gland (MSGS 3, 4 and 5) have been isolated. They code respectively for a 3500, 2950 and 450 nt long mRNA. By probing Northern blotted RNA, we investigated their topological distribution during the last larval instar. The results parallel those previously observed for the Ser 1 and Ser 2 genes. As Ser 1, MSGS 3 is expressed in a strictly limited middle silk gland (MSG) area, including the middle and posterior subparts, whereas MSGS 5 expression, as the Ser 2 one, precociously occurs in the whole MSG, but is progressively restricted to its anterior subpart. The MSGS 4 mRNA is detected only in the MSG anterior subpart. This parallelism was confirmed by probing dot-blotted MSG RNA from fourth to mid-fifth larval instar, which shows also that the maximal relative accumulation of the MSGS 5 and Ser 2 RNAs occurs earlier than that of the MSGS 3 and Ser 1 ones.The topographical and temporal regulation of these five genes recalls that of the genes governing pigment accumulation, suggesting that the former are under the same hormonal control as the latter.     

The nucleotide sequence of a major glycine transfer RNA from the posterior silk gland of Bombyx mori L.

The nucleotide sequence of tRNA1Gly isolated from the posterior silk gland of Bombyx mori has been determined. This transfer RNA is present in high amounts in the posterior silk gland during the fifth larval instar. It has a GCC anticodon, capable of decoding a major glycine codon in the fibroin messenger RNA, GGU. Structural features of Bombyx tRNA1Gly and its homology to other eukaryotic glycine tRNAs are discussed.     

Death commitment in the anterior silk gland of the silkworm, Bombyx mori

The insect steroid hormone, 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) triggers the programmed cell death (PCD) of the anterior silk glands (ASGs) of the silkworm, Bombyx mori. We tried to determine the time of commitment to die (death commitment) by examining ASG responses to 20E and juvenile hormone analogue (JHA) in vivo as well as in vitro. The ASGs obtained late on day 6 of the fifth instar completed PCD when cultured with 20E, while the ASGs obtained on day 4 and cultured with 20E did not undergo PCD. The ASGs became competent to respond to 20E at mid-day 5. The ASGs with responsiveness to 20E were not sensitive to JHA, indicating that the ASGs were committed to die before becoming capable of responding to 20E. Topical application of JHA on day 4 suppressed 20E-induced PCD, but that on day 5 failed to do so, indicating that the death commitment might occur between day 4 and 5. We also determined the time of death commitment after allatectomy of the fourth instar larvae, a procedure that induced the precocious PCD. Timed application of JHA and culture of ASGs with 20E in the presence of JHA showed that the ASGs had lost their sensitivity to JHA between 72 and 96 h after allatectomy, i.e. 24-48 h before precocious gut purge in the allatectomized larvae. This result is similar to that obtained in the fifth instar. We conclude that the cellular commitment to die takes place one day before the ASGs become competent to respond to 20E.     

A new chitinase-related gene, BmChiR1, is induced in the Bombyx mori anterior silk gland at molt and metamorphosis by ecdysteroid.

A novel ecdysteroid-inducible gene was isolated from the anterior silk gland of the silkworm by mRNA differential display and named Bombyx mori chitinase-related gene 1 (BmChiR1). cDNA for BmChiR1 is 3.7 kbp encoding 1080 amino acids. Its predicted protein sequence consists of two tandem-repeated sequences, both showing high similarities to arthropod chitinases but lacking the active site glutamate essential for catalytic activity, suggesting that BmChiR1 protein has no chitinolytic activity. BmChiR1 mRNA was expressed simultaneously with chitinase mRNA in the anterior silk gland at the ends of the penultimate and last larval instar. Injection of 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) into feeding last instar larvae induced accumulation of BmChiR1 mRNA. Topical application of a juvenile hormone analog, fenoxycarb, just after the 20E injection, suppressed this induction. BmChiR1 expression is therefore upregulated by ecdysteroid and downregulated by juvenile hormone.     

Identification of an aldehyde oxidase involved in indole-3-acetic acid synthesis in Bombyx mori silk gland

Auxin is thought to be an important factor in the induction of galls by galling insects. We have previously shown that both galling and nongalling insects synthesize indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) from tryptophan (Trp) via two intermediates, indole-3-acetaldoxime (IAOx) and indole-3-acetaldehyde (IAAld). In this study, we isolated an enzyme that catalyzes the last step “IAAld → IAA” from a silk-gland extract of Bombyx mori. The enzyme, designated “BmIAO1”, contains two 2Fe–2S iron–sulfur-cluster-binding domains, an FAD-binding domain, and a molybdopterin-binding domain, which are conserved in aldehyde oxidases. BmIAO1 causes the nonenzymatic conversion of Trp to IAAld and the enzymatic conversion of IAOx to IAA, suggesting that BmIAO1 alone is responsible for IAA production in B. mori. However, a detailed comparison of pure BmIAO1 and the crude silk-gland extract suggested the presence of other enzymes involved in IAA production from Trp.

Abbreviations: BA: benzoic acid; CE: collision energy; CXP: collision cell exit potential; DP: declustering potential; IAA: indole-3-acetic acid; IBI1: IAA biosynthetic inhibitor-1; IAAld: indole-3-acetaldehyde; ICA: indole-3-carboxylic acid; IAOx: indole-3-acetaldoxime; IEtOH: indole-3-ethanol; LC–MS/MS: liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry; Trp: tryptophan     

Recognition of signal peptide by protein translocation machinery in middle silk gland of silkworm Bombyx mori

To investigate the functions of signal peptide in protein secretion in the middle silk gland of silkworm Bombyx mori, a series of recombinant Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedroviruses containing enhanced green fluorescent protein （egfp） gene, led by sericin-1 promoter and mutated signal peptide coding sequences, were constructed by region-deletions or single amino acid residue deletions. The recombinant Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedroviruses were injected into the hemocoele of newly ecdysed fifth-instar silkworm larvae. The expression and secretion of EGFP in the middle silk gland were examined by fluorescence microscopy and Western blot analysis. Results showed that even with a large part （up to 14 amino acid residues） of the ser-1 signal peptide deleted, the expressed EGFP could still be secreted into the cavity of the silk gland. Western blot analysis showed that shortening of the signal peptide from the C-terminal suppressed the maturation of pro-EGFP to EGFP. When 8 amino acid residues were deleted from the C-terminal of the signal peptide （mutant 13 aa）, the secretion of EGFP was incomplete, implicating the importance of proper coupling of the h-region and c-region. The deletion of amino acid residue（s） in the h-region did not affect the secretion of EGFP, indicating that the recognition of signal peptide by translocation machinery was mainly by a structural domain, but not by special amino acid residue（s）. Furthermore, the deletion ofArg^2 or replacement with Asp in the n-region of the signal peptide did not influence secretion of EGFP, suggesting that a positive charge is not crucial.     

Studies on the posterior silk gland of the silkworm Bombyx mori. VI. Distribution of microtubules in the posterior silk gland cells

There are two microtubule systems in the posterior silk gland cells. One is a radial microtubule system in which the microtubules run radially from the basal to the apical cytoplasm and in which fibroin globules (secretory granules of fibroin) and mitochondria are arranged along these microtubules, thus composing a "canal system" which is assumed to be responsible for the intracellular transport of fibroin globules. The other is a circular microtubule system in the apical cytoplasm which is composed of bundles of microtubules and microfilaments running in a circular arrangement around the glandular lumen at an interval of approximately 4 mum at the end of the fifth instar. This system is presumably concerned with secretion and/or intraluminal transport of fibroin.