In-depth transcriptome unveils the cadmium toxicology and a novel metallothionein in silkworm

Liu, Yue; Sun, Le; Wang, Aoming; Lan, Xinhui; Xü, Wei; Liang, Yan; Ma, Sanyuan; Xia, Qingyou

doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.128522

Cited by 9 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…Consistent with previous research, a decrease in average insect weight emerged as a common response to heavy metal treatment, attributed to elevated protein, glycogen, and lipid consumption (52), or a reduction in the anti-damage and self-repair mechanisms (21,22,53). In this study, the basal metabolic processes, including "amino sugar and nucleotide sugar metabolism, " "biosynthesis of amino acids, " "glycine, serine and threonine metabolism, " "pentose and glucuronate interconversions, " "ascorbate and aldarate metabolism, " and "retinol metabolism" were significantly affected both in the midgut and fat body.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

Effect of acute exposure of Hg on physiological parameters and transcriptome expression in silkworms (Bombyx mori)

Wen,

Wang,

et al. 2024

Front. Vet. Sci.

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Mercury (Hg) contamination poses a global threat to the environment, given its elevated ecotoxicity. Herein, we employed the lepidopteran model insect, silkworm (Bombyx mori), to systematically investigate the toxic effects of Hg-stress across its growth and development, histomorphology, antioxidant enzyme activities, and transcriptome responses. High doses of Hg exposure induced evident poisoning symptoms, markedly impeding the growth of silkworm larvae and escalating mortality in a dose-dependent manner. Under Hg exposure, the histomorphology of both the midgut and fat body exhibited impairments. Carboxylesterase (CarE) activity was increased in both midgut and fat body tissues responding to Hg treatment. Conversely, glutathione S-transferase (GST) levels increased in the fat body but decreased in the midgut. The transcriptomic analysis revealed that the response induced by Hg stress involved multiple metabolism processes. Significantly differently expressed genes (DEGs) exhibited strong associations with oxidative phosphorylation, nutrient metabolisms, insect hormone biosynthesis, lysosome, ribosome biogenesis in eukaryotes, and ribosome pathways in the midgut or the fat body. The findings implied that exposure to Hg might induce the oxidative stress response, attempting to compensate for impaired metabolism. Concurrently, disruptions in nutrient metabolism and insect hormone activity might hinder growth and development, leading to immune dysfunction in silkworms. These insights significantly advance our theoretical understanding of the potential mechanisms underlying Hg toxicity in invertebrate organisms.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

Effect of acute exposure of Hg on physiological parameters and transcriptome expression in silkworms (Bombyx mori)

Wen,

Wang,

et al. 2024

Front. Vet. Sci.

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“…The antioxidant ability of MT could alleviate oxidative stress, which further reduces the toxicity of heavy metals . Overexpressing MT in silkworms enhanced larval viability under cadmium exposure . In addition, previous results indicated that expression of MT was an important detoxification pathway for animals living in heavy metal-contaminated environments .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…9 Overexpressing MT in silkworms enhanced larval viability under cadmium exposure. 10 In addition, previous results indicated that expression of MT was an important detoxification pathway for animals living in heavy metal-contaminated environments. 11 Numerous studies have demonstrated the protective role of MT in both chronic and acute arsenic toxicity.…”

Section: ■ Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Metallothionein Attenuated Arsenic-Induced Cytotoxicity: The Underlying Mechanism Reflected by Metabolomics and Lipidomics

Wang

et al. 2021

J. Agric. Food Chem.

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Arsenic ions (As3+) have been recognized as a hazard that threatens the health of humans. Metallothionein (MT) rich in cysteine may provide favorable binding sites for chelation of As3+. However, the influence of MT on As3+-induced toxicity and the underlying mechanism are poorly understood, especially at the metabolic level. Herein, the effects of MT on As3+-induced toxicity were evaluated. Cell viability analysis suggested that MT alleviated As3+-induced cytotoxicity. The metabolic response of PC12 cells to As3+ investigated by lipidomics and metabolomics indicated that the presence of As3+ disrupted phospholipids metabolism and induced cell membrane damage. Moreover, energy and amino acid metabolism were perturbed by As3+. The perturbation of As3+ on metabolism was further illustrated by the decrease of the mitochondrial membrane potential and the rise of cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS). On the contrary, MT rescued As3+-induced metabolic disorder and suppressed ROS accumulation. In addition, the binding process between As3+ and MT was characterized. The results proved that the As3+–MT complex was formed and chelated As3+-scavenged ROS, thus alleviating the toxic effects of As3+. These results revealed that MT would be a potential agent to reduce As3+-induced cytotoxicity.

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“…These intricate physiological responses draw attention to the significant biological pressures endured by silkworms in Chromium-rich environments, potentially having deleterious impacts on their growth and development dynamics. Presented against a backdrop of preceding studies focusing on heavy metal effects, our revelations provide fresh, compelling insights, proficiently extending and enriching earlier associations and conclusions [ 21 , 41 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 73%

“…Using reference genome-guided transcriptomic analysis, we can investigate the advantages of understanding gene expression changes in silkworms under Chromium exposure. Previous research utilizing referenced transcriptomics has demonstrated that heavy metal stress such as Cadmium [ 21 ], Lead [ 22 ], and Zinc [ 23 ] can alter gene expression, affecting growth, reproduction, and overall fitness through the scavenging of reactive oxygen species (ROS) [ 24 , 25 , 26 ]. Several essential genes encoding enzymes involved in these processes, such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), cytochrome P450, and glutathione S-transferase (GST), were also identified [ 27 , 28 , 29 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Chromium Exposure on the Gene Expression of the Midgut in Silkworms, Bombyx mori

Rong

Chen

Jiang

et al. 2023

Genes

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Chromium is a severe heavy metal pollutant with significant environmental risks. The effects of Chromium on the digestion of Bombyx mori (silkworms) are of particular importance due to their ecological and economic significance. Herein, RNA sequencing was conducted on nine midgut samples from silkworms exposed to control, 12 g/kg and 24 g/kg Chromium chemical diets. Comparative transcriptomics revealed that under moderate Chromium exposure, there was a significant increase in up-regulated genes (1268 up-regulated to 857 down-regulated), indicating a stimulation response. At higher stress levels, a weakened survival response was observed, with a decrease in up-regulated genes and an increase in down-regulated genes (374 up-regulated to 399 down-regulated). A notable shift in cellular responses under medium chromium exposure was exposed, signifying the activation of crucial metabolic and transport systems and an elevation in cellular stress and toxicity mechanisms. The observation of up-regulated gene expression within xenobiotic metabolism pathways suggests a heightened defense against Chromium-induced oxidative stress, which was primarily through the involvement of antioxidant enzymes. Conversely, high-dose Chromium exposure down-regulates the folate biosynthesis pathway, indicating biological toxicity. Two novel genes responsive to pressure were identified, which could facilitate future stress adaptation understanding. The findings provide insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying silkworms’ digestion response to Chromium exposure and could inform its biological toxicity.

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In-depth transcriptome unveils the cadmium toxicology and a novel metallothionein in silkworm

Cited by 9 publications

References 48 publications

Effect of acute exposure of Hg on physiological parameters and transcriptome expression in silkworms (Bombyx mori)

Effect of acute exposure of Hg on physiological parameters and transcriptome expression in silkworms (Bombyx mori)

Metallothionein Attenuated Arsenic-Induced Cytotoxicity: The Underlying Mechanism Reflected by Metabolomics and Lipidomics

Effects of Chromium Exposure on the Gene Expression of the Midgut in Silkworms, Bombyx mori

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