Skin Anti-Aging Potential through Whitening and Wrinkle Improvement Using Fermented Oil Derived from Hermetia illucens Larvae

As the aging population increases, so has interest among emerging seniors in anti-aging ingredients that enhance functionality by incorporating fermentation with natural materials. In this study, fermentation conditions for enhancing the functionality of Hermetia illucens larvae oil (HIO) were established, and its anti-aging potential was evaluated. First, the lipase activity and amount of lipid degradation products of the fermentation strains were measured in order to select Lactobacillus gasseri and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum as the strains with high fermentation ability. A fermentation period of 28 d and a fermentation method that uses only the strain culture medium were established by evaluating the fermentation degree after fermenting HIO with the selected strains. The whitening functionality test results of fermented HIO (FHIO) showed an increase of approximately 20% in extracellular tyrosinase inhibition activity compared with HIO. Additionally, within melanocytes, there was a 12% increase in tyrosinase inhibition activity and a 26% enhancement in melanin production inhibition ability. For wrinkle-improving functionality, it was observed that, for fibroblasts, there was a 10% increase in collagen production, a 9% increase in collagenase inhibition ability, and an 8% increase in elastase inhibition ability. Therefore, FHIO was confirmed to be an effective cosmetic raw material, with high functionality for anti-aging within the senior generation. This is achieved through increased whitening and wrinkle-improving functionality.

Development of Optimized Feed for Lipid Gain in Zophobas morio (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) Larvae

Super mealworm Zophobas morio (Coleoptera: Tenbrionidea) larvae (ZML) are being investigated as potential candidates for biodiesel production. Several studies have revealed that the crude fat content of ZML can be enhanced by increasing the feed consumed. We aimed to develop an optimized ZML feed that enhances the lipid gain using 10 different ingredients. The results revealed that the highest lipid content was observed in ZML fed food waste (FW). Furthermore, we found that the weight gain of ZML improved when fed fermented FW using three selected microorganisms (3M), Lactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus acidophilus, and Pediococcus acidilactici. We also analyzed the effects of preservatives on the weight gain of ZML, and the results revealed that ZML fed 5-day 3M-fermented FW (FFW) containing 0.05% sorbic acid exhibited the highest weight gain. Based on these findings, we produced solid FFW containing 0.05% sorbic acid using 5% agar and established a manufacturing process. Body composition analysis revealed that the lipid content of the ZML fed manufactured feed was higher than that of the ZML fed wheat bran. Therefore, this study suggests that solid FFW containing 0.05% sorbic acid should be used as a commercial feed for ZML breeding to enhance lipid gain, making it an economical substrate for raw biodiesel production.

Prediction of intestinal stem cell regulatory genes from Drosophila gut damage model created using multiple inducers: Differential gene expression-based protein-protein interaction network analysis

Intestinal tissue functions in innate immunity to prevent the entry of harmful substances, and to maintain homeostasis through the constant proliferation of intestinal stem cells (ISC). To understand the mechanisms which regulate ISC in response to gut damage, we identified 81 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) through RNA-seq analysis after oral administration of three intestinal-damaging substances to Drosophila melanogaster. Through protein-protein interaction (PPI) and functional annotation studies, the top 22 DEGs ordered by the number of nodes in the PPI network were analyzed in relation to cell development. Through network topology analysis, we identified 12 essential seed genes. From this we confirmed that p53, RpL17, Fmr1, Stat92E, CG31343, Cnot4, CG9281, CG8184, Evi5, and to were essential for ISC proliferation during gut damage using knockdown RNAi Drosophila. This study presents a method for identifying candidate genes relating to intestinal damage that has scope for furthering our understanding of gut disease.

Evaluation of Antimicrobial Activity in the Extract of Defatted Hermetia illucens Fed Organic Waste Feed Containing Fermented Effective Microorganisms

Simple Summary

We assessed the antimicrobial activity of Hermetia illucens larvae (HIL) extract from crude-oil-extracted crushed powder prepared by using a developed automatic oil extractor for biodiesel production. We found the extract effectively reduced the survival of pathogens and antimicrobial-peptide-resistant bacteria. The results demonstrate that defatted HIL extract from crude-oil-extracted crushed powder prepared by using a developed automatic oil extractor should be used as a feed additive having antimicrobial activity with low production cost.

Abstract

Hermetia illucens (black soldier fly) larvae (HIL) are considered useful industrial insects for the production of feed for livestock, eco-friendly fertilizer from organic wastes, and biodiesel. Therefore, we evaluated the antimicrobial activity in the extract of crude-oil-extracted crushed HIL powder prepared from HIL fed organic waste containing fermented effective micro-organisms for biodiesel production. The result showed that antimicrobial activity was not fully induced in HIL fed L. casei-containing feed. In contrast, increased antimicrobial activity was observed in defatted HIL extract prepared from crude-oil-extracted crushed HIL powder. We found that the extract effectively inhibited the growth of pathogens and antimicrobial-peptide-resistant bacteria, such as three kinds of Salmonella species, and Enterococcus faecalis, Streptococcus mutans, Candida albicans, Serratia marcescens, and Pseudomonas tolaasii, with a minimum inhibitory concentration of 200–1000 µg/100 µL. Furthermore, no cytotoxicity to CaCO-2 human intestinal cells was observed in the extract. We also found that the production fee of extract equivalent to the antimicrobial activity of melittin was approximately 25-fold less than the production fee of melittin. Therefore, the results demonstrate that crude-oil-extracted crushed HIL powder prepared from HIL fed organic waste containing fermented effective micro-organisms for biodiesel production should be used as the feedstock for synthetic, preservative-free livestock feed and food additives. Taken together, the present study supports the usefulness of HIL as an eco-friendly feedstock in the biodiesel, agricultural, food, and feed industries.

Allomyrina dichotoma larval extract has protective effects against gut permeability of dextran sulfate sodium-fed Drosophila by E-cadherin and armadillo

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Larvae of the rhinoceros beetle (Allomyrina dichotoma) (ADL) are used ethnopharmacologically to treat gut-related disorders in Korea and China since 1596 and are also approved as a safe novel food with high nutritional value.

AIM OF THE STUDY

We investigated the protective effects of ADL extract against leaky gut disease using a Drosophila model and sought to elucidate the underlying biological mechanisms.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We examined the protective effects of ADL extract (2 mg/mL) against the leaky gut disease using a dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced leaky gut Drosophila melanogaster model.

RESULTS

We found that oral administration of ADL extracts significantly increase the survival rate of DSS-fed Drosophila. Under conditions of DSS-induced gut damage, ADL extract reduced gut cell apoptosis and gut permeability, resulting in the maintenance of gut tissue homeostasis. Furthermore, we observed that oral administration of ADL extract can induce high levels of E-cadherin gene expression and also restored the original membrane localization of DSS-disrupted E-cadherin contiguous with the armadillo.

CONCLUSION

We concluded that ADL extract plays an important role in maintaining gut homeostasis through the up-regulation of E-cadherin and that it may have a protective effect against leaky gut syndrome.

Effect of Feed Containing Hermetia illucens Larvae Immunized by Lactobacillus plantarum Injection on the Growth and Immunity of Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Simple Summary

In this study, we evaluated the effect on the growth and immunity of rainbow trout of a feed formulated using Hermetia illucens with increased antimicrobial peptides expression by Lactobacillus plantarum infection (ImHIL). As a result, growth and immunological indicators improved, and therefore, ImHIL is expected to become a good feed source for rainbow trout aquaculture.

Abstract

We investigated the effects of a feed containing Hermetia illucens larvae injected with bacteria on the growth and immunity of Oncorhynchus mykiss. The feed was prepared by replacing fishmeal in feed with 25 and 50% nonimmunized (HIL25, HIL50) or immunized HIL (ImHIL25, ImHIL50), and its protein:fat:carbohydrate ratio was 45:15:18. ImHIL extracts showed inhibitory activity against fish pathogenic bacteria. Both red blood cell count and insulin-like growth factor-1 as the growth indicator were the highest among the groups at week 6 after feeding in the ImHIL50 group. As immune indicators, blood aspartate aminotransferase levels were lower in the ImHIL25 and ImHIL50 groups than in that of other groups at week 6 after feeding, and lysozyme content was significantly higher in ImHIL25 and ImHIL50. The above results demonstrate that ImHIL has a beneficial effect on the improvement of growth and immunity. Accordingly, we suggest that ImHIL has the potential to be a good feed source in aquaculture.

Optimization of Feed Components to Improve Hermetia illucens Growth and Development of Oil Extractor to Produce Biodiesel

Simple Summary

This investigation was performed to establish an optimal feed for Hermetia illucens (black soldier fly) larvae (HIL) and to develop an oil extractor for biodiesel production. An optimal feed for HIL for biodiesel production was established using organic wastes such as dried-food waste, chicken manure, and waste cooking oil. In addition, an automatic oil extractor was developed that cost-effectively produced industrial biodiesel, livestock feed, and fertilizer from HIL. Consequently, this investigation can contribute to the establishment of industrial systems for biodiesel production using HIL.

Abstract

HIL are useful in agriculture because they can be used as feed for livestock or fertilizer and can bioconvert organic wastes, such as food waste and human and animal manure to usable fertilizer. In addition, HIL are being studied as a source of biodiesel because of their high-fat content. However, their use for biodiesel production has not been fully adopted. Here, the results showed that survival, weight gains, and total dried weight were significantly enhanced when HIL were fed dried-food waste (DFW)/chicken manure (CM). Furthermore, increased weight gain was observed in HIL fed DFW containing 5 mL waste cooking oil (WCO) per 100 g and 1.2% (v/w) fermented effective microorganism (F-EM). Based on these results, we prepared experimental feeds containing DFW, CM, WCO, and F-EM to establish an optimal feed for biodiesel production. We found that FT-1-2, a feed prepared with 60 g DFW, 40 g CM, 2 mL WCO, and 0.8% F-EM (v/w), significantly enhanced fat content, weight gain, and total dried weight of HIL. Our results indicate FT-1-2 is a suitable feed to breed HIL for biodiesel production. We then developed an automatic oil extractor for biodiesel production. The yield of the oil extractor was higher than that of solvent extraction. The study shows FT-1-2 is an optimal HIL feed for biodiesel production and that the developed oil extractor is useful for the extraction of crude oil from HIL and for the harvesting of defatted HIL frass for livestock feed and fertilizer. Taken together, we established an optimized low-cost feed for HIL breeding and developed an automatic oil extractor for the production of biodiesel from HIL.

Antimicrobial Activity of an Extract of Hermetia illucens Larvae Immunized with Lactobacillus casei against Salmonella Species

The expressions of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) in the larvae of the black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens, were significantly increased by pathogen or stimulant induced innate immunity activation. We immunized H. illucens fifth instar larvae with five different Lactobacillus species, that is, Lactobacillus acidophilus, L. brevis, L. casei, L. fermentum, or L. delbrueckii, to induce the mass production of AMPs and selected optimal immune inducers. Antimicrobial activities in hemolymph and H. illucens larvae (HIL) extract were evaluated against three salmonella species (Salmonella pullorum, Salmonella typhimurium, and Salmonella enteritidis). Highest antimicrobial activity was shown by the hemolymph of HIL immunized by L. casei and its activity was closely linked with the inductions of cecropin 1 (HiCec1) and defensin 1 (HiDef1) gene expressions. Furthermore, antimicrobial activity in hemolymph was stable to heat and pH and the growth of three Salmonella species were dramatically suppressed by HIL hemolymph and extract after immunization with L. casei. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MICs) of L. casei-immunized HIL extract against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella species ranged from 100~200 µg/100 µL and no cytotoxicity to CaCo-2 and L929 cells were observed in the concentration range 100~40,000 µg/100 µL. Taken together, the present investigation demonstrates that L. casei-immunized HIL extract is a powerful natural antibiotic and preservative that can prevent contamination by Salmonella species.

Comparison of MALDI-TOF-MS and RP-HPLC as Rapid Screening Methods for Wheat Lines With Altered Gliadin Compositions

The wheat gliadins are a complex group of flour proteins that can trigger celiac disease and serious food allergies. As a result, mutation breeding and biotechnology approaches are being used to develop new wheat lines with reduced immunogenic potential. Key to these efforts is the development of rapid, high-throughput methods that can be used as a first step in selecting lines with altered gliadin contents. In this paper, we optimized matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) and reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) methods for the separation of gliadins from Triticum aestivum cv. Chinese Spring (CS). We evaluated the quality of the resulting profiles using the complete set of gliadin gene sequences recently obtained from this cultivar as well as a set of aneuploid lines in CS. The gliadins were resolved into 13 peaks by MALDI-TOF-MS. α- or γ-gliadins that contain abundant celiac disease epitopes and are likely targets for efforts to reduce the immunogenicity of flour were found in several peaks. However, other peaks contained multiple α- and γ-gliadins, including one peak with as many as 12 different gliadins. In comparison, separation of proteins by RP-HPLC yielded 28 gliadin peaks, including 13 peaks containing α-gliadins and eight peaks containing γ-gliadins. While the separation of α- and γ-gliadins gliadins achieved by RP-HPLC was better than that achieved by MALDI-TOF-MS, it was not possible to link peaks with individual protein sequences. Both MALDI-TOF-MS and RP-HPLC provided adequate separation of ω-gliadins. While MALDI-TOF-MS is faster and could prove useful in studies that target specific gliadins, RP-HPLC is an effective method that can be applied more broadly to detect changes in gliadin composition.

Genome sequence of the Japanese oak silk moth, Antheraea yamamai: the first draft genome in the family Saturniidae

Background

Antheraea yamamai, also known as the Japanese oak silk moth, is a wild species of silk moth. Silk produced by A. yamamai, referred to as tensan silk, shows different characteristics such as thickness, compressive elasticity, and chemical resistance compared with common silk produced from the domesticated silkworm, Bombyx mori. Its unique characteristics have led to its use in many research fields including biotechnology and medical science, and the scientific as well as economic importance of the wild silk moth continues to gradually increase. However, no genomic information for the wild silk moth, including A. yamamai, is currently available.

Findings

In order to construct the A. yamamai genome, a total of 147G base pairs using Illumina and Pacbio sequencing platforms were generated, providing 210-fold coverage based on the 700-Mb estimated genome size of A. yamamai. The assembled genome of A. yamamai was 656 Mb (>2 kb) with 3675 scaffolds, and the N50 length of assembly was 739 Kb with a 34.07% GC ratio. Identified repeat elements covered 37.33% of the total genome, and the completeness of the constructed genome assembly was estimated to be 96.7% by Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Orthologs v2 analysis. A total of 15 481 genes were identified using Evidence Modeler based on the gene prediction results obtained from 3 different methods (ab initio, RNA-seq-based, known-gene-based) and manual curation.

Conclusions

Here we present the genome sequence of A. yamamai, the first genome sequence of the wild silk moth. These results provide valuable genomic information, which will help enrich our understanding of the molecular mechanisms relating to not only specific phenotypes such as wild silk itself but also the genomic evolution of Saturniidae.

Alleviation of Hippocampal Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress by Allomyrina dichotoma Larvae Extract

In the brain, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress results in synaptic dysfunction and eventually leads to neurodegeneration. Allomyrina dichotoma larvae are a Chinese ethnomedicine and are widely used in East Asia. In the present study, we investigated the ability of ethanol extract of A. dichotoma larvae (ADE) to improve synaptic structure and function by activating unfolded protein response (UPR) under ER stress in animal and neuron culture models. ER stress was induced in obese mice fed a high fat diet (HFD) or by treating dissociated cultures of rat embryonic (E19) hippocampal neurons with tunicamycin (TM). Western blot and real-time or conventional RT-PCR were performed to analyze the expressions of ER stress marker proteins. In dissociated hippocampal cultures, immunocytochemistry was performed for synaptic proteins, and cultures were stained with styryl dye FM1-43 to assess presynaptic activities. In HFD-fed obese mice, ADE efficiently reduced the expressions of ER stress markers, such as, xbp-1, chop, atf4, erdi4, and eIf2a, and those of the ER chaperone/foldases Bip/grp78, Ero-1l, and PDI. Unconventionally spliced xbp-1s mRNA was not detected. In primary rat hippocampal cultures under ER stress, ADE significantly lowered the nuclear expression of CHOP, inhibited the downregulations of postsynaptic proteins, such as, GluN2A, GluN2B, and PSD-95, and maintained the pool size of recycling presynaptic vesicles. The study shows that ADE potently suppressed the induction of ER stress and maintained the structure and function of hippocampal neurons, and suggests that ADE is a potentially valuable food supplement and preventive therapeutic for ER stress-related nervous disorders.

Bombyx mori hemocyte extract has anti-inflammatory effects on human phorbol myristate acetate-differentiated THP‑1 cells via TLR4-mediated suppression of the NF-κB signaling pathway

Hemolymph is the circulating fluid of insects and is a key component of their immune system. However, little is known concerning hemocyte identification, development, differentiation and related cellular immune responses. The present study aimed to determine whether a hemocyte extract prepared from Bombyx mori larvae had anti-inflammatory effects; THP-1 (a human monocytic leukemia cell line) cells that had been differentiated into macrophage-like cells by treatment with phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) were used. THP-1 cells were cultured with different concentrations of a B. mori hemocyte extract prior to exposure to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to induce an inflammatory response. The effects of the B. mori hemocyte extract on anti-inflammatory pathways were determined using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blotting to assess the expression of pro-inflammatory molecules. The B. mori hemocyte extract inhibited the LPS-induced mRNA expression of Toll-like receptor 4 in addition to LPS-induced interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-8 and tumor necrosis factor-α. Treatment of PMA-differentiated THP-1 cells with B. mori hemocyte extract also inhibited inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 transcription and translation. Nuclear factor-κB activation and phosphorylation also decreased. Further in-depth functional studies are required to understand the mechanism underlying the anti-inflammatory effects of silkworm hemocyte extract.

Tenebrio molitor Larvae Inhibit Adipogenesis through AMPK and MAPKs Signaling in 3T3-L1 Adipocytes and Obesity in High-Fat Diet-Induced Obese Mice

Despite the increasing interest in insect-based bioactive products, the biological activities of these products are rarely studied adequately. Larvae of Tenebrio molitor, the yellow mealworm, have been eaten as a traditional food and provide many health benefits. Therefore, we hypothesized that T. molitor larvae might influence adipogenesis and obesity-related disorders. In the present study, we investigated the anti-adipogenic and antiobesity effects of T. molitor larvae in vitro and in vivo. The lipid accumulation and triglyceride content in mature adipocytes was reduced significantly (up to 90%) upon exposure to an ethanol extract of T. molitor larvae, without a reduction in cell viability. Exposure also resulted in key adipogenic and lipogenic transcription factors. Additionally, in adipogenic differentiation medium the extract induced phosphorylation of adenosine monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase and mitogen-activated protein kinases. Daily oral administration of T. molitor larvae powder to obese mice fed high-fat diet attenuated body weight gain. We also found that the powder efficiently reduced hepatic steatosis as well as aspartate and alanine transaminase enzyme levels in mice fed a high-fat diet. Our results suggest that T. molitor larvae extract has an antiobesity effect when administered as a food supplement and has potential as a therapeutic agent for obesity.

Microneedle delivery of trivalent influenza vaccine to the skin induces long-term cross-protection

A painless self-immunization method with effective and broad cross-protection is urgently needed to prevent infections against newly emerging influenza viruses. In this study, we investigated the cross-protection efficacy of trivalent influenza vaccine containing inactivated A/PR/8/34 (H1N1), A/Hong Kong/68 (H3N2) and B/Lee/40 after skin vaccination using microneedle patches coated with this vaccine. Microneedle vaccination of mice in the skin provided 100% protection against lethal challenges with heterologous pandemic strain influenza A/California/04/09, heterogeneous A/Philippines/2/82 and B/Victoria/287 viruses 8 months after boost immunization. Cross-reactive serum IgG antibody responses against heterologous influenza viruses A/California/04/09, A/Philippines/2/82 and B/Victoria/287 were induced at high levels. Hemagglutination inhibition titers were also maintained at high levels against these heterogeneous viruses. Microneedle vaccination induced substantial levels of cross-reactive IgG antibody responses in the lung and cellular immune responses, as well as cross-reactive antibody-secreting plasma cells in the spleen. Viral loads in the lung were significantly (p < 0.05) reduced. All mice survived after viral challenges. These results indicate that skin vaccination with trivalent vaccine using a microneedle array could provide protection against seasonal epidemic or new pandemic strain of influenza viruses.

Allomyrina Dichotoma Larvae Regulate Food Intake and Body Weight in High Fat Diet-Induced Obese Mice Through mTOR and Mapk Signaling Pathways

Recent evidence has suggested that the Korean horn beetle (Allomyrina dichotoma) has anti-hepatofibrotic, anti-neoplastic, and antibiotic effects and is recognized as a traditional medicine. In our previous works, Allomyrina dichotoma larvae (ADL) inhibited differentiation of adipocytes both in vitro and in vivo. However, the anorexigenic and endoplasmic reticulum(ER) stress-reducing effects of ADL in obesity has not been examined. In this study, we investigated the anorexigenic and ER stress-reducing effects of ADL in the hypothalamus of diet-induced obese (DIO) mice. Intracerebroventricular (ICV) administration of ethanol extract of ADL (ADE) suggested that an antagonizing effect on ghrelin-induced feeding behavior through the mTOR and MAPK signaling pathways. Especially, ADE resulted in strong reduction of ER stress both in vitro and in vivo. These findings strongly suggest that ADE and its constituent bioactive compounds are available and valuable to use for treatment of various diseases driven by prolonged ER stress.

Algae Undaria pinnatifida Protects Hypothalamic Neurons against Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress through Akt/mTOR Signaling

Increased endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is known to be one of the causes of hypothalamic neuronal damage, as well as a cause of metabolic disorders such as obesity and diabetes. Recent evidence has suggested that Undaria pinnatifida (UP), an edible brown algae, has antioxidant activity. However, the neuroprotective effect of UP has yet to be examined. In this study, to investigate the neuroprotective effect of UP on ER stress-induced neuronal damage in mouse hypothalamic neurons, mice immortal hypothalamic neurons (GT1-7) were incubated with extract of UP. ER stress was induced by treating with tunicamycin. Tunicamycin induced apoptotic cell death was compared with the vehicle treatment through excessive ER stress. However UP protected GT1-7 cells from cell death, occurring after treatment with tunicamycin by reducing ER stress. Treatment with UP resulted in reduced increment of ATF6 and CHOP, and recovered the decrease of phosphorylation of Akt/mTOR by tunicamycin and the increment of autophagy. These results show that UP protects GT1-7 cells from ER stress induced cell death through the Akt/mTOR pathway. The current study suggests that UP may have a beneficial effect on cerebral neuronal degeneration in metabolic diseases with elevated ER stress.

Molecular Characterization of Endoplasmic Reticulum Oxidoreductin 1 from Bombyx mori

We isolated a complementary DNA (cDNA) clone encoding endoplasmic reticulum oxidoreductin 1 (bERO1, a specific oxidant of protein disulfide isomerase (PDI)) from Bombyx mori. This protein has a putative open reading frame (ORF) of 489 amino acids and a predicted size of 57.4 kDa. Although bERO1 protein shares less than 57% amino acid sequence homology with other reported ERO1s, it contains two conserved redox active motifs, a Cys-X-X-X-X-Cys motif of N-terminal and Cys-X-X-Cys-X-X-Cys motif of C-terminal. Both motifs are typically present in ERO1 protein family members. The bEro1 mRNA expression was highest in posterior silk gland on the sixth day of the 5th instar larvae. Expression of bEro1 mRNA also markedly increased during endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress induced by stimulation with antimycin, calcium ionophore A23187, dithiothreitol, H₂O₂, monencin, and tunicamycin. In addition, expression levels of bEro1 exactly coincided with that of bPdi. This is the first result suggesting that bERO1 plays an essential role in ER quality control through the combined activities of bERO1 and bPDI as a catalyst of protein folding in the ER and sustaining cellular redox homeostasis.

Lidocaine induces endoplasmic reticulum stress-associated apoptosis in vitro and in vivo

We demonstrated that upregulation of both gene expression of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress chaperones (BiP, calnexin, calreticulin, and PDI) and ER stress sensors (ATF6, IRE1 and PERK) was induced by lidocaine, a local anesthetic, in PC12 cells. In addition to gene regulation, lidocaine also induced typical ER stress phenomena such as ART6 proteolytic cleavage, eIF2 alpha phosphorylation, and XBP1 mRNA splicing. In in vivo experiments, while lidocaine downregulated gene expression of antiapoptotic factors (Bcl-2 and Bcl-xl), pro-apoptotic factor (Bak and Bax) gene expression was upregulated. Furthermore, lidocaine induced apoptosis, as measured histochemically, and upregulated PARP1, a DNA damage repair enzyme. These results are the first to show that lidocaine induces apoptosis through ER stress in vitro and in vivo.

Microarray expression profiling of Spodoptera litura in response to oxidative stress

To examine the expression profile of oxidative stress responsive genes in Spodoptera litura, we constructed a cDNA library from S. litura injected with hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)). Using a microarray chip composed of 2,964 cDNAs, we screened gene expression at 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 h post H(2)O(2) injection. Data were clustered into 15 groups of genes that behave similarly across each time course. Seventy-three genes were identified as being at least twofold up- or downregulated after treatment with H(2)O(2) in S. litura. We constructed expressed sequence tags (ESTs) for genes that changed at least twofold after treatment with H(2)O(2) . The functional classification of these ESTs based on Gene Ontology showed that the ESTs are rich in genes involved in oxidoreductase activity (5.7%), defense (14.3%), cellular process (22.9%), and development (17.1%).

Tissue-specific gene expression analysis of silkworm (Bombyxmori) by quantitative real-time RT-PCR

The Bombyx mori Microarray Database (BmMDB; http://silkworm.swu.edu.cn/microarray) provides information for tissue-specific gene expression by using the whole-genome oligonucleotide microarray in the silkworm. We analyzed the tissue-specific expression patterns in the silk gland, fat body, and midgut five days of fifth instar larvae during the development of B. mori. To verify the tissue-specific expression, analysis was conducted using quantitative Real-time RT-PCR and the highly expressed endogenous Actin RNA as an intrinsic reference. Finally, we confirmed five genes, (sw15872, sw00692, sw20990, sw05300,and sw2250), out of 18 candidates expressed in two different tissues, which was consistent with the data published by Dr. Xiang's group, thereby supporting the BmMDB. Further studies for promoter regions of candidate genes can be applied in creating transgenic silkworms as biomedical insects for use in producing biomaterials, and to serve as well-characterized models for understanding the mechanism for the genetic regulation of tissue-specific development.

Bombyx mori transferrin: genomic structure, expression and antimicrobial activity of recombinant protein

Transferrin (Tf) is a multifunctional, iron binding protein found in both vertebrates and invertebrates. Although transferrin has been suggested to play a role in innate immunity, its immunological function during infection has not been characterized. In this study, we identified and characterized Bombyx mori transferrin (BmTf). The promoter region of BmTf has numerous putative NF-kappaB binding sites, suggesting its possible function in innate immunity. Analysis of BmTf gene expression shows that it is highly inducible in response to a wide variety of pathogens including bacteria, fungus, and viruses. Recombinant BmTf protein produced in a baculovirus system exhibits iron binding capacity and antibacterial activity against various Gram-positive and -negative bacteria. Taken together, our results indicate that BmTf is an inducible immune effector molecule that may play an important role in pathogen clearance of insect innate immunity.

7-ketocholesterol induces endoplasmic reticulum stress in HT-29 cells

7-Ketocholesterol (7-Kchol, oxidized cholesterol) is an important mediator of cell death in atherosclerosis mediated by up-regulated Nox 4 gene expression. In the current study using the human colon cancer HT-29 cell line, we have demonstrated that 7-Kchol promotes endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress via gene up-regulation of ER chaperone and membrane kinases.

Deferoxamine induces endoplasmic reticulum stress in PC12 cells

Deferoxamine (DFA, N'-[5-(acetyl-hydroxy-amino)-pentyl]-N-[5-[3-(5-aminopentyl-hydroxy-carbamoyl) propanoylamino]pentyl]-N-hydroxy-butane diamide) is a chelating agent used to remove excess iron from the body and to reduce organ and tissue damage. DFA enhances both iron regulatory protein 1 (IRP1) expression and its endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane-binding activity, as occurs in hypoxia, an ER stress, in cultured cells. Here, we show that DFA promotes ER stress via an ER signal pathway.

Two gap junction channel (innexin) genes of the Bombyx mori and their expression

Gap junctions are clusters of intercellular channels that are associated with embryonic development and neural signaling. Innexins, invertebrate gap junction proteins, have been identified in Drosophila and Caenorhabditis. Here, we report the isolation and characterization of two novel members of the insect innexin family, Bm inx2 and Bm inx4, from embryos of the silkworm, Bombyx mori, during the germ-band formation stage. Bm inx2 is a single copy gene with one exon, while Bm inx4 is a single copy gene with four exons and three introns. The predicted proteins show structural similarities with other innexin family members, including four transmembrane (TM) domains, two extracellular loops (ELs), one cytoplasmic loop (CL), and typical conserved amino acids. Bm inx2 is phylogenetically orthologous to the other insect inx2 genes, but Bm inx4 is not orthologous to any known innexin including Dm inx4. Interestingly, Northern blotting and in situ hybridization showed that Bm inx2 was variously expressed across all developmental stages and in various tissues, with high expression seen in the nervous system at the time of embryogenesis. In contrast, Bm inx4 was transiently expressed at the germ-band formation stage of embryogenesis, and was specifically expressed in the ovary and testis during the larval and pupal stages. The isolation and characterization of these novel genes should form the basis for further study of the functional events that occur during development and neuronal communication in B. mori.

Changes in cellular secretory processing during baculovirus infection

In the baculovirus expression vector system (BEVS), secretory green fluorescent protein (sGFP) transcripts were expressed from day 2 to day 5 post-infection (p.i.), while transcripts of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) molecular chaperone Bombyx mori protein disulfide isomerase (bPDI) were measurable in mock cells and in cells at day 1 p.i. The GFP was expressed from day 3 to day 5 p.i. whereas the levels of two ER chaperone proteins, bPDI and calnexin, decreased from day 3 p.i. and were not detected from day 4 p.i. These findings suggest that the rate-limited expression of ER molecular chaperones is strongly associated with the maximal expression of exogenous proteins in BEVS.

Galatosylation and sialylation of mammalian glycoproteins produced by baculovirus-madiated gene expression in insect cells

The baculovirus expression vector system (BEVS) is used extensively for the production of proteins from exogenous cDNAs. However, BEVS is not ideal for pharmaceutical production of glycoproteins owing to the properties of the N-glycans in the expressed products and that insect cells lack several of the enzymes required for mammalian-type N-glycan synthesis. This study describes the effective mammalian-like production of glycoproteins, such as beta-1,4-galactosyltransferase and alpha-2,6-sialyltransferase, in the insect cell line Sf9.

The analysis of differentially expressed novel transcripts in diapausing and diapause-activated eggs of Bombyx mori

As an initial step to define the molecular mechanism of initiation and termination of diapause during the embryogenesis of silkworms, Bombyx mori, mRNA transcripts from maintained and activated diapause eggs were compared with differential expression using cDNA array. Twenty-four individual cDNA transcripts were expressed differentially in a total of 1,468 different cDNAs. Among those clones, mRNA transcript from cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI), which was detected to be 2-kb transcripts, gradually increased in diapause-activated eggs during early embryogenesis. Further analysis revealed that mRNA transcripts from silkworm COI were highly expressed in testis, fat body, and midgut during the larval stage. These results may indicate that the expression of silkworm COI mRNA is regulated developmentally as well as tissue-specifically.

cDNA cloning and mRNA expression of LIM protein gene homologue from the silkworm, Bombyx mori

LIM protein cDNA, from Bombyx mori that contains an open reading frame of 622 bp encoding 94 amino acids, was identified and characterized. The B. mori LIM protein homologue is classified into group 2 LIM proteins that contain glycine-rich LIM domain. B. mori LIM protein mRNA is up-regulated at late embryogenesis and detected in the mid-gut of 5th instar larvae.

cDNA cloning and mRNA expression of L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine decarboxylase gene homologue from the silkworm, Bombyx mori

L-3,4-Dihydroxyphenylalanine decarboxylase (DDC) cDNA, from Bombyx mori that contains an open reading frame of 1437 bp encoding 478 amino acids, was cloned and characterized. Expression analyses of B. mori DDC mRNA by Northern and in situ hybridization indicated that expression of silkworm DDC expression is possibly controlled by neuropeptide hormones in tissue- and stage-specific manners.

Molecular cloning and expression of a cDNA encoding the luciferase from the firefly, Pyrocoelia rufa

To clone a cDNA encoding the luciferase of the firefly, Pyrocoelia rufa, we have constructed a cDNA library and isolated the luciferase gene using PCR with gene specific primers. Sequence analysis of the cDNA encoding the luciferase of P. rufa revealed that the 1647 bp cDNA has an open reading frame of 548 amino acid residues. The deduced amino acid sequences of the luciferase gene of P. rufa showed 98.9% homology to that of P. miyako. Phylogenetic analysis further confirmed the deduced amino acid sequences of the P. rufa luciferase gene belonged to the same subfamily, Lampyrinae. Southern blot analysis suggested possible presence of the P. rufa luciferase gene as a single copy and Northern blot analysis confirmed light organ-specific expression pattern at the transcriptional level. The cDNA encoding the luciferase of P. rufa was expressed as a 69 kDa band in baculovirus-infected insect cells and the recombinant baculovirus-infected cell extracts emitted luminescence in the luciferase activity assay.

Tissue-/stage-dependent expression of a cloned Bombyx mandarina QM homologue

QM, a novel gene that was firstly isolated as a putative tumor suppressor gene from Wilms' tumor cell line. Although it is well known that the QM gene product plays an important role within the tumor cells, the precise role of QM in the non-tumor cells has remained elusive. With in this mind we isolated a cDNA encoding QM homologue from Bombyx mandarina to understand the function of QM. The 596 bp cDNA has an open reading frame of 219 amino acids and a predicted mol. wt. of 25 kDa. The protein has more than 88% amino acid sequence identity to the QM protein from Drosophila melanogaster. mRNA expression gradually increased from 1-2 days after egg laying to 2 days of finial instar, while very low expressions were detected for either the pupae and the moth stages. The organs, posterior/middle division of silkgland, midgut, fat body and malpighian tubes, also show relatively high mRNA expression levels, respectively. The high degree of conservation and expression of the B. mandarina QM homologous suggest that it has a selectively conserved amino acid sequence due, presumably, to an important biological role which is associated with pupae formation.

Molecular genetic relationships between Bombycidae and Saturniidae based on the mitochondria DNA encoding of large and small rRNA

The phylogenetic relationships between Bombycidae (Bombyx mori and Bombyx mandarina) and Saturniidae (Antheraea yamamai and Antheraea pernyi) were investigated based on large and small mitochondiral rRNA genes. About 430 bp of four kinds of PCR-amplified fragments were sequenced and aligned. For the 16S rRNA gene, B. mori shared a 98, 87 and 86% sequence homology with B. mandarina, A. yamamai and A. pernyi, and for the 12S rRNA gene, B. mori shared a 99, 89 and 88% sequence homology with B. mandarina, A. yamamai and A. pernyi, respectively. DNA sequence data were also used for a phylogenetic analysis. All of the trees showed monophyly for both Bombycidae and Saturniidae. The monophyly confidence limits of these trees were estimated using bootstrapping tests and measured more than 99% for all trees for both Bombycidae and Saturniidae.

Molecular cloning and characterization of a cDNA encoding a transferrin homolog from Bombyx mori

We isolated a cDNA representing a message that was strongly induced by injection with E. coli in Bombyx mori. The 2160 bp cDNA has an open reading frame of 644 amino acids and the deduced product a predicted molecular mass of 71 kDa. The cDNA sequence shared high homology with the transferrins known so far, and its deduced peptide had unique features of transferrins, that is, sites of cystein residues and iron binding. We suggest that the B. mori transferrin plays an important role in the self-defense system.

The comparative molecular study between Bombycidae and Saturniidae based on mtDNA RFLP and cytochrome oxidase I gene sequences: implication for molecular evolution

The phylogenetic relationships between Bombyx mori and Bombyx mandarina species of Bombycidae, and Antheraea yamamai and Antheraea pernyi species of Saturniidae were investigated based on mtDNA RFLP and cytochrome oxidase I gene. The sizes of the mtDNA of all the species were estimated at approximately 16 kbp +/- 500 bp by total length of all the restricted fragments and no variation in size was recognized. Of the fourteen different restriction endonucleases used, BamHI, HindIII, PstI, EcoRI and XbaI showed RFLP. Among these, only HindIII showed RFLP between B. mori and B. mandarina. A comparative analysis of sequences was also conducted with the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I genes of each species. The results indicated that B. mori shared a 97%, 85% and 87% sequence identity with B. mandarina, A. yamamai and A. pernyi, respectively. B. mandarina shared a 87% and 88% sequence identity with A. yamamai and A. pernyi, respectively. A. yamamai shared 92% sequence identity with A. pernyi. The results of the phylogenetic analysis exhibited monophyly and confidence limits of more than 99% in all trees for both Bombycidae and Saturniidae.