Transcriptome reveal the response to Cry1Ac toxin in susceptible Bombyx mori

• Published in: Archives of insect biochemistry and physiology Vol. 107; no. 3; pp. e21794 - n/a
• Main Authors: Qin, Sheng, Zhang, Shu, Sun, Xia, Kong, Yunhui, Hou, Chengxiang, Li, Muwang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.07.2021
• Subjects: Agricultural production; ATP; Binding; Bombyx mori; Bt toxin; Cry1Ac; Cry1Ac toxin; Cuticles; Epicuticle; Gene expression; Genes; Heat shock proteins; Insects; Protein biosynthesis; Protein folding; Protein synthesis; Proteins; Sex; Silkworms; Toxins; transcriptome; Transcriptomes; Bombyx mori; Cry1Ac; Bt toxin; transcriptome
• ISSN: 0739-4462; 1520-6327
• DOI: 10.1002/arch.21794

Bombyx mori as a representative in Lepidoptera is an important economic insect in agriculture production. Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is a bacterial pathogen in silkworm production. Understanding how silkworm respond to Bt‐toxin can provide guidance to cultivate resistant silkworm strains. Cry1Ac is one type of Bt‐toxin. In current research, Dazao, a susceptible B. mori strain to Bt‐toxin, was treated by Cry1Ac toxin and compared its transcriptome with untreated samples. This analysis detected 1234 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Gene Ontology, KEGG, and UniProt keyword enrichment analysis showed that DEGs include ATP‐binding cassette (ABC) transporter, stress response, cuticle, and protein synthesis, and folding process. Five ABC genes were upregulated after Cry1Ac treatment including ABCA2, ABCA3, and ABCC4. They are also known as the transporters of Bt‐toxin in lepidopteran insect. Expression of cuticle proteins was significantly increased at 6 h after Cry1Ac treatment. Sex‐specific storage‐proteins and heat shock protein were also upregulated in Cry1Ac treated samples. Our data provide an expression profile about the response of Cry1Ac toxin in susceptible B. mori strain. Graphical Response of susceptible Bombyx mori to Cry1Ac toxin. After Cry1Ac treatment, Signal, cuticle, and stress response related genes were significantly activated but DNA replication, messenger RNA splicing, aminoacyi‐transfer RNA synthetase related genes were highly inhibited. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS The response of susceptible Bombyx mori to Cry1Ac toxin mainly related to stress response, cuticle, protein synthesis, and fold process. Verified the expression pattern of related genes including ATP‐binding cassette receptors, cuticle proteins, sex‐specific storage‐proteins, and heat shock proteins.