Bombyx mori voltage‐dependent anion‐selective channel induces programmed cell death to defend against Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus infection

Abstract

BACKGROUNDVoltage‐dependent anion‐selective channels (VDACs) serve as pore proteins within mitochondrial membrane, aiding in the regulation of cell life and cell death. While the occurrence of cell death is crucial for the defense against virus infection, the function played by VDAC in Bombyx mori, in response to the influence of Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV), remains unclear.RESULTSBmVDAC was found to be relatively highly expressed both during embryonic development and in the Malpighian tubule and midgut. Additionally, the expression levels of BmVDAC were found to be different among silkworm strains with varying levels of resistance to BmNPV, strongly suggesting a connection between BmVDAC and virus infection. To gain further insight into the function of BmVDAC in BmNPV, we employed RNA interference (RNAi) to silence and overexpressed it by pIZT/V5‐His‐mCherry. The results revealed that BmVDAC is instrumental in developing the resistance of host cells to BmNPV infection in BmN cells, which was further validated to be likely associated with initiating programmed cell death. Furthermore, we evaluated the function of BmVDAC in another insect, Spodoptera exigua. Knockdown of the BmVDAC homolog in S. exigua, SeVDAC, made the larvae more sensitive to BmNPV.CONCLUSIONWe have substantiated the pivotal role of BmVDAC in conferring resistance against BmNPV infection, primarily associated with the initiation of PCD. The findings of this study offer fresh substantiation illuminating the molecular mechanisms governing the silkworm's response to BmNPV infection, thereby innovative approaches for pest biocontrol.This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.