Genome-Wide Identification, Characterization and Expression Analysis of the Solute Carrier 6 Gene Family in Silkworm (Bombyx mori)

Abstract

The solute carrier 6 (SLC6) gene family, initially known as the neurotransmitter transporters, plays vital roles in the regulation of neurotransmitter signaling, nutrient absorption and motor behavior. In this study, a total of 16 candidate genes were identified as SLC6 family gene homologs in the silkworm (Bombyx mori) genome. Spatio-temporal expression patterns of silkworm SLC6 gene transcripts indicated that these genes were highly and specifically expressed in midgut, brain and gonads; moreover, these genes were expressed primarily at the feeding stage or adult stage. Levels of expression for most midgut-specific and midgut-enriched gene transcripts were down-regulated after starvation but up-regulated after re-feeding. In addition, we observed that expression levels of these genes except for BmSLC6-15 and BmGT1 were markedly up-regulated by a juvenile hormone analog. Moreover, brain-enriched genes showed differential expression patterns during wandering and mating processes, suggesting that these genes may be involved in modulating wandering and mating behaviors. Our results improve our understanding of the expression patterns and potential physiological functions of the SLC6 gene family, and provide valuable information for the comprehensive functional analysis of the SLC6 gene family.

Enhanced silk yield in transgenic silkworm (Bombyx mori) via ectopic expression of BmGT1‐L in the posterior silk gland

“…Generally, glycine transporters include two isoforms (GlyT1 and GlyT2), and their tissue distributions are quite different (Aroeira et al, 2014). In silkworm, three glycine transporters have been identified, which are named BmGT1, BmGT2 and BmGT1-L. BmGT1-L transcripts are specifically expressed in the midgut of larvae (Tang et al, 2016). Immunofluorescence results uncovered that BmGT1-L was solely…”

“…In Drosophila melanogaster (Dm), Ntl is similar to human GlyT2 and is required for Drosophila spermiogenesis (Chatterjee et al, 2011). In addition, a previous study has identified three GlyTs in the silkworm genome, which were named BmGT1, BmGT2 and BmGT1-L (Tang et al, 2016).…”

Genome-Wide Analysis of the Amino Acid Auxin Permease (AAAP) Gene Family and Identification of an AAAP Gene Associated with the Growth and Reproduction of the Brown Planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens (Stål)

“…Since the first identification and cloning of γ-aminobutyric acid transporters in humans in 1990 [19], an increasing number of AAAP transporters has been recognized in a series of insect species, including Drosophila melanogaster [20,21], Bombyx mori [22], Bemisia tabaci [23], Leptinotarsa decemlineata [24], and several hemipterans belonging to Phylloxeridae [25]. Rapidly developing next-generation sequencing technology and bioinformatics algorithms are useful tools for identifying the AAAP transporters at a genome-wide level.…”