Lepidopteran silk is a complex mixture of proteins, consisting mainly of fibroins and sericins. Sericins are a small family of highly divergent proteins that serve as adhesives and coatings for silk fibers. So far, five genes encoding sericin proteins have been identified in Bombyx mori. Having previously identified sericin protein 150 (SP150) as a major sericin-like protein in the cocoons of the pyralid moths Galleria mellonella and Ephestia kuehniella, we describe the identification of its homolog in B. mori. Our refined gene model shows that it consists of four exons and a long open reading frame with a conserved motif, CXCXCX, at the C-terminus, reminiscent of the structure observed in a class of mucin proteins. Notably, despite a similar expression pattern, both mRNA and protein levels of B. mori SP150 were significantly lower than those of its pyralid counterpart. We also discuss the synteny of homologous genes on corresponding chromosomes in different moth species and the possible phylogenetic relationships between SP150 and certain mucin-like proteins. Our results improve our understanding of silk structure and the evolutionary relationships between adhesion proteins in the silk of different lepidopteran species.

• Klíčová slova
• Galleria mellonella, CXCXCX, Mucin, SP150, Silk glands, Synteny,
• MeSH
• bourec * genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• fylogeneze * MeSH
• hedvábí metabolismus   genetika   chemie   MeSH
• hmyzí proteiny genetika   metabolismus   chemie   MeSH
• sekvence aminokyselin MeSH
• sericiny * metabolismus   genetika   chemie   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• srovnávací studie MeSH
• Názvy látek
• hedvábí MeSH
• hmyzí proteiny MeSH
• sericiny * MeSH