Project description:<p>The complex stripes and patterns of insects play key roles in behavior and ecology. However, the fine-scale regulation mechanisms underlying pigment formation and morphological divergence remain largely unelucidated. Here we demonstrated that imaginal disc growth factor (IDGF) maintains cuticle structure and controls melanization in spot pattern formation of Bombyx mori. Moreover, our knockout experiments showed that IDGF is suggested to impact the expression levels of the ecdysone inducible transcription factor E75A and pleiotropic factors apt-like and Toll8/spz3, to further control the melanin metabolism. Furthermore, the untargeted metabolomics analyses revealed that BmIDGF significantly affected critical metabolites involved in phenylalanine, beta-alanine, purine, and tyrosine metabolism pathways. Our findings highlighted not only the universal function of IDGF to the maintenance of normal cuticle structure but also an underexplored space in the genefunction affecting melanin formation. Therefore, this study furthers our understanding of insect pigment metabolism and melanin pattern polymorphisms.</p>
Project description:To identify the cuticular proteins in developing wing scales of Bombyx mori, we performed LC-MS/MS analysis of dissoliving developing wing scales from Bombyx mori
Project description:To identify the cuticular proteins in developing wing scales of Bombyx mori, we performed LC-MS/MS analysis of dissoliving developing wing scales from Bombyx mori
Project description:To identify the cuticular proteins in developing wing scales of Bombyx mori, we performed LC-MS/MS analysis of dissoliving developing wing scales from Bombyx mori
Project description:In the silkworm, Bombyx mori, juvenile hormone (JH) and 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) levels are high during the final larval molt (4M) but both absent during the feeding stage of 5th instar (5F), while JH level is low and 20E level is high during the prepupal stage (PP). Fat body is the important organs in insect, we want to find out differentially expressed genes which are respectively regulated by the two hormones. Total RNA from 4th molting,5th feeding and prepupa stages Bombyx fat body were used to generate target cDNA, and then hybridized to 48k Bombyx genome Array Genechips, representing about 23000 characterized genes
Project description:The project aim was to identify the proteins expressed by the prothoracic gland cells during the final larval stage of the model insect, Bombyx mori.
Project description:We identified genes regulated by parasitization of the silkworm Bombyx mori by three tachinid parasitoid species, Exorista japonica, Drino inconspicuoides and Pales pavida, using oligonucleotide microarrays. The numbers of genes and their intensity of expression varied with the species of parasitoid, within silkworm hemocytes and fat body. Bombyx mori hemocyte, silkgland and fat body samples parasitizated by Exorista japonica, Drino inconspicuoides and Pales pavida were prepared. Gene expression was compared in these two groups: control and parasitized.
