Functional characterization of the vitellogenin promoter in the silkworm, Bombyx mori. Issue 5 (15th May 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Xu, J.; Wang, Y. Q.; Li, Z. Q.; Ling, L.; Zeng, B. S.; You, L.; Chen, Y. Z.; Aslam, A. F. M.; Huang, Y. P.; Tan, A. J.
• Is Part Of: Insect molecular biology. Volume 23:Issue 5(2014:Oct.)
• Page Start: 550
• Page End: 557
• Publication Date: 2014-05-15
• Subjects: Insects -- Molecular aspects -- Periodicals; 595.7
• DOI: 10.1111/imb.12102
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0962-1075

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title>Abstract</title> <p>Genetic transformation and genome editing technologies have been successfully established in the lepidopteran insect model, the domesticated silkworm, <italic>Bombyx mori</italic>, providing great potential for functional genomics and practical applications. However, the current lack of <italic>cis</italic>‐regulatory elements in <italic>B. mori</italic> gene manipulation research limits further exploitation in functional gene analysis. In the present study, we characterized a <italic>B. mori</italic> endogenous promoter, <italic>Bmvgp</italic>, which is a 798‐bp DNA sequence adjacent to the 5′‐end of the vitellogenin gene (<italic>Bmvg</italic>). <italic>PiggyBac</italic>‐based transgenic analysis shows that <italic>Bmvgp</italic> precisely directs expression of a reporter gene, enhanced green fluorescent protein (<italic>EGFP</italic>), in a sex‐, tissue‐ and stage‐specific manner. In transgenic animals, <italic>EGFP</italic> expression can be detected in the female fat body from larval−pupal ecdysis to the following pupal and adult stage. Furthermore, <italic>in vitro</italic> and <italic>in vivo</italic> experiments revealed that <italic>EGFP</italic> expression can be activated by 20‐hydroxyecdysone, which is consistent with endogenous <italic>Bmvg</italic> expression. These data indicate that <italic>Bmvgp</italic> is an effective endogenous <italic>cis</italic>‐regulatory element in <italic>B. mori</italic>.</p> </abstract>