Proteomics Provides Insight into the Interaction between Mulberry and Silkworm

Abstract

Mulberry leaves have been selected as a food source for the silkworm (Bombyx mori) for over 5000 years. However, the interaction mechanisms of mulberry-silkworm remain largely unknown. We explore the interaction between mulberry and silkworm at the protein level. Total proteins were extracted from mulberry leaves and silkworm feces on day 5 of the fifth larval instar and analyzed on shotgun liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, respectively. In total, 2076 and 210 foliar proteins were identified from mulberry leaves and silkworm feces, respectively. These proteins were classified into four categories according to their subcellular location: chloroplast proteins, mitochondrial proteins, secretory-pathway proteins, and proteins of other locations. Chloroplast proteins accounted for 68.3% in mulberry leaves but only 23.2% in the feces. In contrast, secretory-pathway proteins had low abundance in mulberry leaves (7.3%) but were greatly enriched to the largest component in the feces (60.1%). Most of the foliar secretory-pathway proteins in the feces were found to be resistant to silkworm feeding by becoming involved in primary metabolite, proteinase inhibition, cell-wall remodeling, redox regulation, and pathogen-resistant processes. On the contrary, only six defensive proteins were identified in the fecal chloroplast proteins including two key proteins responsible for synthesizing jasmonic acid, although chloroplast proteins were the second largest component in the feces. Collectively, the comparative proteomics analyses indicate that mulberry leaves not only provide amino acids to the silkworm but also display defense against silkworm feeding, although the silkworm grows very well by feeding on mulberry leaves, which provides new insights into the interactions between host-plant and insect herbivores.

Transcriptome analysis and identification of key genes involved in 1-deoxynojirimycin biosynthesis of mulberry (Morus albaL.)

“…Mulberry ( Morus alba L.), a perennial shrub belonging to the family Moraceae, represents an extremely important economic plant given that its foliage is used in sericulture as the sole diet for the monophagous silkworm ( Bombyx mori ) ( Wang et al, 2017 ). It also has long been used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat disease ( Zhishen, Mengcheng & Jianming, 1999 ).…”

Organ-Specific Analysis of Morus alba Using a Gel-Free/Label-Free Proteomic Technique

“…Furthermore, mulberry root bark is usually used in traditional Chinese medicine as a diuretic and expectorant agent, while the leaf was consumed as food by silkworms [35] and the fruit was taken as a health food [36]. However, the branch was largely neglected and ended up as fire wood material or agro-waste.…”

Construction and analysis of the protein–protein interaction network for the olfactory system of the silkworm Bombyx mori

“…The olfactory system functions in the processes of feeding and information exchange between silkworms (Clark & Ray, 2016; Liu et al, 2017; Zhang et al, 2019; Zhao et al, 2015). Much information about genes and proteins related to the olfaction of the silkworm has been obtained with the development of high‐throughput sequencing (Chen et al, 2013; Qiu et al, 2018; Wang et al, 2017). As early as 2008, the genome assembly and gene models for the silkworm were published by Japanese and Chinese collaboration groups (International Silkworm Genome Consortium, 2008).…”