Zinc finger protein,an important transcription factor,regulates gene expres-sion associated with various physiological and pathological processes.U-shaped,belong to the Friend of GATA(FOG)transcription factor,plays a crucial role in hematopoiesis by interacting with the GATA transcription factor as a co-factor.However,little is known about its functions in insects.In the present study,a U-shaped cDNA was identified and characterized from the silkworm Bombyx mori and its potential roles in innate immunity investigated.The predicted silkworm U-shaped amino acid sequence contained a classical nuclear localization signal(NLS)motif"GESSPKRRRR"at position 450-459,and argi-nine residues at position 456 and 478 are the critical sites of the NLS.U-shaped mRNA was detected in all tested tissues of the B.mori;however,the highest levels were found in the hemocytes.U-shaped mRNA expression levels were upregulated in the hemocyte after the Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus challenge.Furthermore,U-shaped knockdown significantly reduced the melanization process and suppressed the expression of melanization-associated genes,including PPO1,PPO2,PPAE and BAEE.In addition,U-shaped interacts with Lozenge protein to regulate the innate immune response of the insect.Our results revealed that U-shaped binds directly to Lozenge protein to modulate the melanization process and innate immune responses in silkworm.

Kui Zhang;Juan Tan;Xiangwei Hao;Houyi Tang;Muhammad Nadeem Abbas;Jingjing Su;Yongyue Su;Hongjuan Cui

State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology,College of Sericulture,Textile and Biomass Sciences,Southwest University,Chongqing,400716,China;Chongqing Reproductive and Genetics Institute,Chongqing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital,Chongqing,400013,China;Department of Orthopaedic,920th Hospital of Joint Logistics Support Force of Chinese People's Liberation Army,Kun-ming,650032,China;Cancer Center,Reproductive Medicine Center,Medical Research Institute,Southwest University,Chongqing,400716,China

中国昆虫科学（英文版）

[1]Kui Zhang;Juan Tan;Xiangwei Hao;Houyi Tang;Muhammad Nadeem Abbas;Jingjing Su;Yongyue Su;Hongjuan Cui-.Bombyx mori U-shaped regulates the melanization cascade and immune response via binding with the Lozenge protein)[J].中国昆虫科学（英文版）,2022(03):704-716

melanization,Lozenge,GESSPKRRRR,argi,hemocytes,hemocyte,PPAE,BAEE

Bombyx,mori,shaped,regulates,cascade,immune,via,binding,protein,Zinc,finger,important,transcription,associated,various,physiological,pathological,processes,belong,Friend,GATA,FOG,plays,crucial,hematopoiesis,interacting,However,little,known,about,its,functions,insects,In,present,study,cDNA,was,identified,characterized,from,silkworm,potential,roles,innate,immunity,investigated,predicted,amino,acid,sequence,contained,classical,nuclear,localization,signal,NLS,motif,position,nine,residues,are,critical,sites,detected,tested,tissues,however,highest,levels,were,found,expression,upregulated,after,Escherichia,coli,Staphylococcus,aureus,challenge,Furthermore,knockdown,significantly,reduced,suppressed,genes,including,PPO1,PPO2,addition,interacts,Our,results,revealed,that,binds,directly,modulate,responses

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