Identification of genes associated with the development of silk glands using transcriptomics in silkworm (Bombyx mori)

The silk gland development has a greater impact on silk yields in silkworms. Silk glands from three pure silkworm strains (A798, A306, and XH) with different silk gland weight phenotypes were compared using transcriptome, proteomics, and WGCNA. Five genes (BGIBMGA002524, BGIBMGA002629, BGIBMGA005659, BGIBMGA005711, and BGIBMGA010889) may be strongly associated with the growth of silk glands to be confirmed. These DEGs encoded alkylglycerol monooxygenase (AGMO), glucose dehydrogenase (GDH), zonadhesin (ZAN), odorant binding protein (OBPs), and ß-fructofuranosidase (INV), respectively. PCR and ELISA were used to verify the mRNA and protein expression of five genes in the silk glands and tissues of 18 silkworm strains. The GO results showed that four genes have higher levels of expression and participate in glycogen metabolism, fatty acid synthesis, and branched-chain amino acid metabolism, thus, promoting growth and silk proteins synthesis. Overall design: We selected three pure silkworm strains (A798, A306, and XH) with different silk gland weight phenotypes to investigate the silkworm's development-related genes. Then, we carried out the gene expression levels using the data obtained from the RNA-seq of three pure silkworm strains. Comparative gene expression profiling analysis of RNA-seq data for A306 against A798 and XH against A798.