Abstract: 【Aim】 The estrogen-related receptor (ERR) via regulating the glycolytic cyclecan control the energy metabolism in Drosophila melanogaster. Based on the cloning of ERR gene (BmERR) from the silkworm, Bombyx mori, its molecular property and phylogeny were bioinformatically analyzed, and the expression of the ERR gene in the silkworm was detected. This study may lay the foundation for further research on the function of ERR in Lepidoptera and provide ideas for pest control. 【Methods】 PCR technique was used to clone the cDNA sequence of BmERR gene, and the sequence was bioinformatically analyzed with online resources. The semi-quantitative RT-PCR was further applied to analyze its expression profiles in gonads of B. mori larvae stopping feeding. 【Results】 The full-length cDNA of BmERR has a 1 296 bp open reading frame, which encodes a 431-amino-acid-residue protein with a typical structural domain feature of the ERR protein family. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the BmERR protein shows high amino acid sequence identity with the ERR proteins from other insects. RT-PCR detection showed that BmERR was expressed in both testis and ovary in wandering to pupal B. mori, and possessed apparent time specificity, with a peak expression at the first day after pupation. 【Conclusion】 The cloned ERR encoding sequence is reported for the first time in Lepidoptera. The expression of the ERR gene in the silkworm gonads has no significant gender difference, but with developmental stage specificity.

Key words: Bombyx mori , estrogen-related receptor, cloning, sequence analysis, expression profile