Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Antioxidant Defense Mechanisms in the Silkworm <i>Bombyx mori</i> after Exposure to Lead
Yang Ye,
Yan-Xia Shi,
Qi Jiang,
Ye Jin,
Fan-Xing Chen,
Wen-Hui Tang,
Qin Peng,
Qiu-Ning Liu,
Bo-Ping Tang,
Jia-Lian Wang
Affiliations
Yang Ye
Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Bioresources of Saline Soils, Jiangsu Synthetic Innovation Center for Coastal Bio-Agriculture, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Coastal Wetland Bioresources and Environmental Protection, School of Wetlands, Yancheng Teachers University, Yancheng 224007, China
Yan-Xia Shi
Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Bioresources of Saline Soils, Jiangsu Synthetic Innovation Center for Coastal Bio-Agriculture, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Coastal Wetland Bioresources and Environmental Protection, School of Wetlands, Yancheng Teachers University, Yancheng 224007, China
Qi Jiang
Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Bioresources of Saline Soils, Jiangsu Synthetic Innovation Center for Coastal Bio-Agriculture, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Coastal Wetland Bioresources and Environmental Protection, School of Wetlands, Yancheng Teachers University, Yancheng 224007, China
Ye Jin
Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Bioresources of Saline Soils, Jiangsu Synthetic Innovation Center for Coastal Bio-Agriculture, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Coastal Wetland Bioresources and Environmental Protection, School of Wetlands, Yancheng Teachers University, Yancheng 224007, China
Fan-Xing Chen
Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Bioresources of Saline Soils, Jiangsu Synthetic Innovation Center for Coastal Bio-Agriculture, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Coastal Wetland Bioresources and Environmental Protection, School of Wetlands, Yancheng Teachers University, Yancheng 224007, China
Wen-Hui Tang
Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Bioresources of Saline Soils, Jiangsu Synthetic Innovation Center for Coastal Bio-Agriculture, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Coastal Wetland Bioresources and Environmental Protection, School of Wetlands, Yancheng Teachers University, Yancheng 224007, China
Qin Peng
Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Bioresources of Saline Soils, Jiangsu Synthetic Innovation Center for Coastal Bio-Agriculture, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Coastal Wetland Bioresources and Environmental Protection, School of Wetlands, Yancheng Teachers University, Yancheng 224007, China
Qiu-Ning Liu
Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Bioresources of Saline Soils, Jiangsu Synthetic Innovation Center for Coastal Bio-Agriculture, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Coastal Wetland Bioresources and Environmental Protection, School of Wetlands, Yancheng Teachers University, Yancheng 224007, China
Bo-Ping Tang
Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Bioresources of Saline Soils, Jiangsu Synthetic Innovation Center for Coastal Bio-Agriculture, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Coastal Wetland Bioresources and Environmental Protection, School of Wetlands, Yancheng Teachers University, Yancheng 224007, China
Jia-Lian Wang
Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Bioresources of Saline Soils, Jiangsu Synthetic Innovation Center for Coastal Bio-Agriculture, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Coastal Wetland Bioresources and Environmental Protection, School of Wetlands, Yancheng Teachers University, Yancheng 224007, China
Lead (Pb) is a major source of heavy metal contamination, and poses a threat to biodiversity and human health. Elevated levels of Pb can hinder insect growth and development, leading to apoptosis via mechanisms like oxidative damage. The midgut of silkworms is the main organ exposed to heavy metals. As an economically important lepidopteran model insect in China, heavy metal-induced stress on silkworms causes considerable losses in sericulture, thereby causing substantial economic damage. This study aimed to investigate Pb-induced detoxification-related genes in the midgut of silkworms using high-throughput sequencing methods to achieve a deeper comprehension of the genes’ reactions to lead exposure. This study identified 11,567 unigenes and 14,978 transcripts. A total of 1265 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened, comprising 907 upregulated and 358 downregulated genes. Subsequently, Gene Ontology (GO) classification analysis revealed that the 1265 DEGs were distributed across biological processes, cellular components, and molecular functions. This suggests that the silkworm midgut may affect various organelle functions and biological processes, providing crucial clues for further exploration of DEG function. Additionally, the expression levels of 12 selected detoxification-related DEGs were validated using qRT-PCR, which confirmed the reliability of the RNA-seq results. This study not only provides new insights into the detoxification defense mechanisms of silkworms after Pb exposure, but also establishes a valuable foundation for further investigation into the molecular detoxification mechanisms in silkworms.
