Translocator protein (TSPO) inhibits Nosema bombycis proliferation in silkworm, Bombyx mori

• Published in: Bulletin of entomological research Vol. 114; no. 4; p. 551
• Main Authors: Liu, Mengjin, Wen, Lang, Deng, Ben, Su, Yaping, Han, Zhenghao, Zhang, Yiling, Zhu, Feng, Qu, Qingsheng, Li, Mingze, Fang, Yujia, Qian, Ping, Tang, Xudong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01.08.2024
• Subjects: Animals; Apoptosis; Bombyx - genetics; Bombyx - metabolism; Bombyx - microbiology; Insect Proteins - genetics; Insect Proteins - metabolism; Larva - growth & development; Larva - metabolism; Larva - microbiology; Nosema - physiology; Receptors, GABA - genetics; Receptors, GABA - metabolism; TSPO; Nosema bombycis; Bombyx mori; IMD pathway; JAK-STAT pathway
• ISSN: 1475-2670
• DOI: 10.1017/S0007485324000385

Pebrine disease, caused by ( ) infection in silkworms, is a severe and long-standing disease that threatens sericulture. As parasitic pathogens, a complex relationship exists between microsporidia and their hosts at the mitochondrial level. Previous studies have found that the translocator protein (TSPO) is involved in various biological functions, such as membrane potential regulation, mitochondrial autophagy, immune responses, calcium ion channel regulation, and cell apoptosis. In the present study, we found that TSPO expression in silkworms ( ) was upregulated following infection, leading to an increase in cytoplasmic calcium, adenosine triphosphate, and reactive oxygen species levels. Knockdown and overexpression of resulted in the promotion and inhibition of proliferation, respectively. We also demonstrated that the overexpression of promotes host cell apoptosis and significantly increases the expression of genes involved in the immune deficiency and Janus kinase-signal transducer and the activator of the transcription pathways. These findings suggest that BmTSPO activates the innate immune signalling pathway in silkworms to regulate Nb proliferation. Targeting TSPO represents a promising approach for the development of new treatments for microsporidian infections.