Characterization of silk genes in Ephestia kuehniella and Galleria mellonella revealed duplication of sericin genes and highly divergent sequences encoding fibroin heavy chains

0564648 - BC 2023 RIV CH eng J - Journal Article
Wu, Chia-hsiang - Šauman, Ivo - Maaroufi, Houda Ouns - Žaloudíková, Anna - Žurovcová, Martina - Kludkiewicz, Barbara - Hradilová, Miluše - Žurovec, Michal
Characterization of silk genes in Ephestia kuehniella and Galleria mellonella revealed duplication of sericin genes and highly divergent sequences encoding fibroin heavy chains.
Frontiers in molecular biosciences. Roč. 9, NOV 29 (2022), č. článku 1023381. E-ISSN 2296-889X
R&D Projects: GA MŠMT(CZ) LM2018129; GA MŠMT(CZ) LM2018131; GA MŠMT(CZ) EF16_013/0001775; GA MŠMT(CZ) ED1.1.00/02.0109
Grant - others:Interreg Bayern Tschechische Republik(AT) Ziel ETZ2021-2022, no. 331; Ministerstvo školství, mládeže a tělovýchovy - GA MŠk(CZ) LM2018140
Research Infrastructure: e-INFRA CZ - 90140; ELIXIR-CZ - 90047
Institutional support: RVO:60077344 ; RVO:68378050
Keywords : synteny * mucin * mediterranean flour moth
OECD category: Developmental biology; Biochemistry and molecular biology (UMG-J)
Impact factor: 5, year: 2022
Method of publishing: Open access
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmolb.2022.1023381/pdf

Silk is a secretory product of numerous arthropods with remarkable mechanical properties. In this work, we present the complete sequences of the putative major silk proteins of E. kuehniella and compare them with those of G. mellonella, which belongs to the same moth family Pyralidae. To identify the silk genes of both species, we combined proteomic analysis of cocoon silk with a homology search in transcriptomes and genomic sequences to complement the information on both species. We analyzed structure of the candidate genes obtained, their expression specificity and their evolutionary relationships. We demonstrate that the silks of E. kuehniella and G. mellonella differ in their hydrophobicity and that the silk of E. kuehniella is highly hygroscopic. In our experiments, we show that the number of genes encoding sericins is higher in G. mellonella than in E. kuehniella. By analyzing the synteny of the chromosomal segment encoding sericin genes in both moth species, we found that the region encoding sericins is duplicated in G. mellonella. Finally, we present the complete primary structures of nine fibH genes and proteins from both families of the suborder Pyraloidea and discuss their specific and conserved features. This study provides a foundation for future research on the evolution of silk proteins and lays the groundwork for future detailed functional studies.
Permanent Link: https://hdl.handle.net/11104/0338889