Role of BmDredd during Apoptosis of Silk Gland in Silkworm, Bombyx mori.

Silk glands (SGs) undergo massive apoptosis driven degeneration during the larval-pupal transformation. To better understand this event on molecular level, we investigated the expression of apoptosis-related genes across the developmental transition period that spans day 4 in the fifth instar Bombyx mori larvae to day 2 pupae. Increases in the expression of BmDredd (an initiator caspase homolog) closely followed the highest BmEcR expression and resembled the expression trend of BmIcE. Simultaneously, we found that BmDredd expression was significantly higher in SG compared to other tissues at 18 h post-spinning, but reduced following injection of the apoptosis inhibitor (Z-DEVD-fmk). Furthermore, BmDredd expression correlated with changes of caspase3-like activities in SG and RNAi-mediated knockdown of BmDredd delayed SG apoptosis. Moreover, caspase3-like activity was increased in SG by overexpression of BmDredd. Taken together, the results suggest that BmDredd plays a critical role in SG apoptosis.

BMDREDD REGULATES THE APOPTOSIS COORDINATING WITH BMDAXX, BMCIDE-B, BMFADD, AND BMCREB IN BMN CELLS.

The apoptosis mechanisms in mammals were investigated relatively clearly. However, little is known about how apoptosis is achieved at a molecular level in silkworm cells. We cloned a caspase homologous gene named BmDredd (where Bm is Bombyx mori and Dredd is death-related ced-3/Nedd2-like caspase) in BmN cells from the ovary of Bm and analyzed its biological information. We constructed the N-terminal, C-terminal, and overexpression vector of BmDredd, respectively. Our results showed that the transcriptional expression level of BmDredd was increased in the apoptotic BmN cells. Furthermore, overexpression of BmDredd increased the caspase-3/7 activity. Simultaneously, RNAi of BmDredd could save BmN cells from apoptosis. The immunofluorescence study showed that BmDredd located at the cytoplasm in normal cell otherwise is found at the nucleus when cells undergo apoptosis. Moreover, we quantified the transcriptional expressions of apoptosis-related genes including BmDredd, BmDaxx (where Daxx is death-domain associated protein), BmCide-b (where Cide-b is cell death inducing DFF45-like effector), BmFadd (Fadd is fas-associated via death domain), and BmCreb (where Creb is cAMP-response element binding protein) in BmN cells with dsRNA interferences to detect the molecular mechanism of apoptosis. In conclusion, BmDredd may function for promoting apoptosis and there are various regulatory interactions among these apoptosis-related genes.

BmPLA2 containing conserved domain WD40 affects the metabolic functions of fat body tissue in silkworm, Bombyx mori.

PLA2 enzyme hydrolyzes arachidonic acid, and other polyunsaturated fatty acids, from the sn-2 position to release free arachidonic acid and a lysophospholipid. Previous studies reported that the PLA2 in invertebrate organisms participates in lipid signaling molecules like arachidonic acid release in immune-associated tissues like hemocytes and fat bodies. In the present study, we cloned the BmPLA2 gene from fat body tissue of silkworm Bombyx mori, which has a total sequence of 1.031 kb with a 31.90 kDa protein. In silico results of BmPLA2 indicated that the protein has a putative WD40 conserved domain and its phylogeny tree clustered with Danaus plexippus species. We investigated the transcriptional expression in development stages and tissues. The highest expression of BmPLA2 was screened in fat body among the studied tissues of third day fifth instar larva, with a high expression on third day fifth instar larva followed by a depression of expression in the wandering stage of the fifth instar larva. The expression of BmPLA2 in female pupa was higher than that of male pupa. Our RNAi-mediated gene silencing results showed highest reduction of BmPLA2 expression in post-24 h followed by post-48 and post-72 h. The BmPLA2-RNAi larvae and pupa could be characterized by pharate adult lethality and underdevelopment. The phenotypic characters of fat body cells in RNAi-induced larva implied that BmPLA2 affects the metabolic functions of fat body tissue in silkworm Bombyx mori.

TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR Bmsage PLAYS A CRUCIAL ROLE IN SILK GLAND GENERATION IN SILKWORM, Bombyx mori.

Salivary gland secretion is altered in Drosophila embryos with loss of function of the sage gene. Saliva has a reduced volume and an increased electron density according to transmission electron microscopy, resulting in regions of tube dilation and constriction with intermittent tube closure. However, the precise functions of Bmsage in silkworm (Bombyx mori) are unknown, although its sequence had been deposited in SilkDB. From this, Bmsage is inferred to be a transcription factor that regulates the synthesis of silk fibroin and interacts with another silk gland-specific transcription factor, namely, silk gland factor-1. In this study, we introduced a germline mutation of Bmsage using the Cas9/sgRNA system, a genome-editing technology, resulting in deletion of Bmsage from the genome of B. mori. Of the 15 tested samples, seven displayed alterations at the target site. The mutagenesis efficiency was about 46.7% and there were no obvious off-target effects. In the screened homozygous mutants, silk glands developed poorly and the middle and posterior silk glands (MSG and PSG) were absent, which was significantly different from the wild type. The offspring of G0 mosaic silkworms had indel mutations causing 2- or 9-bp deletions at the target site, but exhibited the same abnormal silk gland structure. Mutant larvae containing different open-reading frames of Bmsage had the same silk gland phenotype. This illustrated that the mutant phenotype was due to Bmsage knockout. We conclude that Bmsage participates in embryonic development of the silk gland.

RNAi KNOCKDOWN OF BmRab3 LED TO LARVA AND PUPA LETHALITY IN SILKWORM Bombyx mori L.

Rab3 GTPases are known to play key a role in vesicular trafficking, and express highest in brain and endocrine tissues. In mammals, Rab3 GTPases are paralogs unlike in insect. In this study, we cloned Rab3 from the silk gland tissue of silkworm Bombyx mori, and identified it as BmRab3. Our in silico analysis indicated that BmRab3 is an isoform with a theoretical isoelectric point and molecular weight of 5.52 and 24.3 kDa, respectively. Further, BmRab3 showed the C-terminal hypervariability for GGT2 site but having two other putative guanine nucleotide exchange factor/GDP dissociation inhibitor interaction sites. Multiple alignment sequence indicated high similarities of BmRab3 with Rab3 isoforms of other species. The phylogeny tree showed BmRab3 clustered between the species of Tribolium castaneum and Aedes aegypti. Meanwhile, the expression analysis of BmRab3 showed the highest expression in middle silk glands (MSGs) than all other tissues in the third day of fifth-instar larva. Simultaneously, we showed the differential expression of BmRab3 in the early instar larva development, followed by higher expression in male than female pupae. In vivo dsRNA interference of BmRab3 reduced the expression of BmRab3 by 75% compared to the control in the MSGs in the first day. But as the worm grew to the third day, the difference of BmRab3 between knockdown and control was only about 10%. The knockdown later witnessed underdevelopment of the larvae and pharate pupae lethality in the overall development of silkworm B. mori L.

Hedgehog signaling pathway regulated the target genes for adipogenesis in silkworm Bombyx mori.

Hedgehog (Hh) signals regulate invertebrate and vertebrate development, yet the role of the pathway in adipose development remains poorly understood. In this report, we found that Hh pathway components are expressed in the fat body of silkworm larvae. Functional analysis of these components in a BmN cell line model revealed that activation of the Hh gene stimulated transcription of Hh pathway components, but inhibited the expression of the adipose marker gene AP2. Conversely, specific RNA interference-mediated knockdown of Hh resulted in increased AP2 expression. This further showed the regulation of Hh signal on the adipose marker gene. In silkworm larval models, enhanced adipocyte differentiation and an increase in adipocyte cell size were observed in silkworms that had been treated with a specific Hh signaling pathway antagonist, cyclopamine. The fat-body-specific Hh blockade tests were consistent with Hh signaling inhibiting silkworm adipogenesis. Our results indicate that the role of Hh signaling in inhibiting fat formation is conserved in vertebrates and invertebrates.

Molecular cloning and transcription expression of 3-dehydroecdysone 3α-reductase (3de 3α-reductase) in the different tissues and the developing stage from the silkworm, Bombyx mori L.

Molting in insects is regulated by molting hormones (ecdysteroids), which are also crucial to insect growth, development, and reproduction etc. The decreased ecdysteroid in titre results from enhanced ecdysteroid inactivation reactions including the formation of 3-epiecdyson under ecdysone oxidase and 3-dehydroecdysone 3α-reductase (3DE 3α-reductase). In this paper, we cloned and characterized 3-dehydroecdysone 3α-reductase (3DE 3α-reductase) in different tissues and developing stage of the silkworm, Bombyx mori L. The B. mori 3DE 3α-reductase cDNA contains an ORF 783 bp and the deduced protein sequence containing 260 amino acid residues. Analysis showed the deduced 3DE 3α-reductase belongs to SDR family, which has the NAD(P)-binding domain. Using the Escherichia coli, a high level expression of a fusion polypeptide band of approx. 33 kDa was observed. High transcription of 3DE 3α-reductase was mainly presented in the midgut and hemolymph in the third day of fifth instar larvae in silkworm. The expression of 3DE 3α-reductase at different stages of larval showed that the activity in the early instar was high, and then reduced in late instar. This is parallel to the changes of molting hormone titer in larval. 3DE 3α-reductase is key enzyme in inactivation path of ecdysteroid. The data elucidate the regulation of 3DE 3α-reductase in ecdyteroid titer of its targeting organs and the relationship between the enzyme and metamorphosis.

Expression and functions of dopa decarboxylase in the silkworm, Bombyx mori was regulated by molting hormone.

Insect molting is an important developmental process of metamorphosis, which is initiated by molting hormone. Molting includes the activation of dermal cells, epidermal cells separation, molting fluid secretion, the formation of new epidermis and old epidermis shed and other series of continuous processes. Polyphenol oxidases, dopa decarboxylase and acetyltransferase are necessary enzymes for this process. Traditionally, the dopa decarboxylase (BmDdc) was considered as an enzyme for epidermal layer's tanning and melanization. This work suggested that dopa decarboxylase is one set of the key enzymes in molting, which closely related with the regulation of ecdysone at the time of biological molting processes. The data showed that the expression peak of dopa decarboxylase in silkworm is higher during molting stage, and decreases after molting. The significant increase in the ecdysone levels of haemolymph was also observed in the artificially fed silkworm larvae with ecdysone hormone. Consistently, the dopa decarboxylase expression was significantly elevated compared to the control. BmDdc RNAi induced dopa decarboxylase expression obviously declined in the silkworm larvae, and caused the pupae appeared no pupation or incomplete pupation. BmDdc was mainly expressed and stored in the peripheral plasma area near the nucleus in BmN cells. In larval, BmDdc was mainly located in the brain and epidermis, which is consisted with its function in sclerotization and melanization. Overall, the results described that the dopa decarboxylase expression is regulated by the molting hormone, and is a necessary enzyme for the silkworm molting.