Let-7 microRNA targets BmCentrin to modulate the development and functionality of the middle silk gland in the silkworm,Bombyx mori  

作　　者：Yankun Xu Na Du Lili Xu Lu Zhao Ting Fan Tianqi Wei Qian Pu Shiping Liu 

机构地区：[1]State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects,Southwest University,Chongqing,China

出　　处：《Insect Science》2025年第1期95-114,共20页昆虫科学(英文版)

基　　金：supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(32172797);Chongqing Science and Technology Plan Project(2022NSCQMSX5897);Chongqing Graduate Student Research Innovation Project(CYB21132,CYS22254 and CYS23241);the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(SWU-XJPY202309).

摘　　要：The silk gland of the silkworm Bombyx mori serves as a valuable model for investigating the morphological structure and physiological functions of organs.Previous studies have demonstrated the notable regulatory role of let-7 microRNA in the silk gland,but its specific molecular mechanism remains to be elucidated across different segments of this organ.In this study,we further investigated the functional mechanism of let-7 in the middle silk gland(MSG).The MSG of a let-7 knockout strain was analyzed using a combined proteomic and metabolomic technique,revealing the enrichment of differential proteins and metabolites in the DNA synthesis and energy metabolism pathways.BmCentrin was identified as a novel target gene of let-7 in the MSG,and its downregulation inhibited the proliferation of BmN4-SID1 cells,which is exactly opposite to the role of let-7 in these cells.CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing and transgenic technologies were employed to manipulate BmCentrin in the MSG.Knockout of BmCentrin led to severe MSG atrophy,whereas the overexpression of BmCentrin resulted in beaded MSG.Further measurements of these knockout or overexpression strains revealed significant changes in the expression levels of sericin protein genes,the weight of the cocoon and the mechanical properties of the silk.Investigating the biological role of BmCentrin in the silk gland offers valuable insights for elucidating the molecular mechanisms by which let-7 controls silk gland development and silk protein synthesis in the silkworm.

关 键 词：BmCentrin Bombyx mori CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing let-7 microRNA middle silk gland transgenic overexpression 

分 类 号：Q96[生物学—昆虫学]