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The UDP-glucosyltransferase multigene family in Bombyx mori.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Glucosidation plays a major role in the inactivation and excretion of a great variety of both endogenous and exogenous compounds. A class of UDP-glycosyltransferases (UGTs) is involved in this process. Insect UGTs play important roles in several processes, including detoxication of substrates such as plant allelochemicals, cuticle formation, pigmentation, and olfaction. Identification and characterization of Bombyx mori UGT genes could provide valuable basic information for this important family and explain the detoxication mechanism and other processes in insects. RESULTS: Taking advantage of the newly assembled genome sequence, we performed a genome-wide analysis of the candidate UGT family in the silkworm, B. mori. Based on UGT signature and their similarity to UGT homologs from other organisms, we identified 42 putative silkworm UGT genes. Most of them are clustered on the silkworm chromosomes, with two major clusters on chromosomes 7 and 28, respectively. The phylogenetic analysis of these identified 42 UGT protein sequences revealed five major groups. A comparison of the silkworm UGTs with homologs from other sequenced insect genomes indicated that some UGTs are silkworm-specific genes. The expression patterns of these candidate genes were investigated with known expressed sequence tags (ESTs), microarray data, and RT-PCR method. In total, 36 genes were expressed in tissues examined and showed different patterns of expression profile, indicating that these UGT genes might have different functions. CONCLUSION: B. mori possesses a largest insect UGT gene family characterized to date, including 42 genes. Phylogenetic analysis, genomic organization and expression profiles provide an overview for the silkworm UGTs and facilitate their functional studies in future.

SUBMITTER: Huang FF

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2633020 | biostudies-literature | 2008

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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The UDP-glucosyltransferase multigene family in Bombyx mori.

Huang Fei-Fei FF Chai Chun-Li CL Zhang Ze Z Liu Zeng-Hu ZH Dai Fang-Yin FY Lu Cheng C Xiang Zhong-Huai ZH

BMC genomics 20081127

<h4>Background</h4>Glucosidation plays a major role in the inactivation and excretion of a great variety of both endogenous and exogenous compounds. A class of UDP-glycosyltransferases (UGTs) is involved in this process. Insect UGTs play important roles in several processes, including detoxication of substrates such as plant allelochemicals, cuticle formation, pigmentation, and olfaction. Identification and characterization of Bombyx mori UGT genes could provide valuable basic information for th ...[more]

PMID: 19038024

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Project description:BackgroundNicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) mediate fast synaptic cholinergic transmission in the insect central nervous system. The insect nAChR is the molecular target of a class of insecticides, neonicotinoids. Like mammalian nAChRs, insect nAChRs are considered to be made up of five subunits, coded by homologous genes belonging to the same family. The nAChR subunit genes of Drosophila melanogaster, Apis mellifera and Anopheles gambiae have been cloned previously based on their genome sequences. The silkworm Bombyx mori is a model insect of Lepidoptera, among which are many agricultural pests. Identification and characterization of B. mori nAChR genes could provide valuable basic information for this important family of receptor genes and for the study of the molecular mechanisms of neonicotinoid action and resistance.ResultsWe searched the genome sequence database of B. mori with the fruit fly and honeybee nAChRs by tBlastn and cloned all putative silkworm nAChR cDNAs by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) methods. B. mori appears to have the largest known insect nAChR gene family to date, including nine alpha-type subunits and three beta-type subunits. The silkworm possesses three genes having low identity with others, including one alpha and two beta subunits, alpha 9, beta2 and beta 3. Like the fruit fly and honeybee counterparts, silkworm nAChR gene alpha 6 has RNA-editing sites, and alpha 4, alpha 6 and alpha 8 undergo alternative splicing. In particular, alternative exon 7 of Bm alpha 8 may have arisen from a recent duplication event. Truncated transcripts were found for Bm alpha 4 and Bm alpha 5.ConclusionB. mori possesses a largest known insect nAChR gene family characterized to date, including nine alpha-type subunits and three beta-type subunits. RNA-editing, alternative splicing and truncated transcripts were found in several subunit genes, which might enhance the diversity of the gene family.

Dataset Information

The UDP-glucosyltransferase multigene family in Bombyx mori.

Publications

The UDP-glucosyltransferase multigene family in Bombyx mori.

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