›› 2013, Vol. 56 ›› Issue (8): 831-840.

• RESEARCH PAPERS •     Next Articles

Expression pattern analysis of BmCph2 in Bombyx mori strains with different acceptance of the artificial diet

LI Juan1,#, ZHANG Sheng-Xiang1,#, XU Xin1, ZHANG Jin1, GUO Xiao-Qi1, ZHUO Wei-Wei2, ZHOU Qian-Kai2, LIU Qing-Xin1, CUI Wei-Zheng1,*, XU Shi-Qing2,*   

  1. (1. College of Forestry, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an, Shandong 271018, China; 2. School of Biology and Basic Medical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, China)
  • Online:2013-08-20 Published:2013-08-20

Abstract: The feeding habits to the artificial diet are diverse in different strains of the silkworm, Bombyx mori, and the molecular mechanism is not fully understood now. By investigating differentially expressed genes responsible for appetite of the silkworm to the artificial diet in the constructed SAGE (serial analysis of gene expression) library, we excavated a CPH2 (cuticular protein hypothetical 2) gene (BmCph2) from the silkworm based on the constructed SAGE library of differentially expressed genes in silkworm strains with different acceptance of the artificial diet. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR was employed to analyze the expression of BmCph2 in different strains of the silkworm and real-time PCR was employed to further reveal its expression pattern. The results showed that BmCph2 possessed a high expression level during the molting and newly molted stages, while it could be hardly detected during the embryonic stage and the time right before the molting stage. The expression profile of BmCph2 in the head was similar to that in the whole body. However, the expression level of BmCph2 was low in the midgut, suggesting that BmCph2 may be related to the formation of new cuticle layer. BmCph2 was differently expressed in B. mori strains with different feeding habits to the artificial diet. The expression level of BmCph2 in B. mori strains with low feeding habit was significantly higher than that in B. mori strains with high feeding habit. The expression of BmCph2 in different strains reacted differently to the flavour stimulus of food and repellent, and the feeding stimulus as well. The silkworms with high feeding habit were relatively sensitive, while those with low feeding habit were less influenced, specifically in the low feeding strains of Jingsong A and Jingsong B. The results suggest that BmCph2 may be involved in feeding habits except for having the potential function in the formation of new cuticle layer. However, the detail mechanisms still need further investigation.

Key words: Bombyx mori, cuticular protein hypothetical 2, gene expression, feeding habit, artificial diet