PDF(Pubmed)
Abstract：
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.
摘要：
铅(Pb)是重金属污染的主要来源,并对生物多样性和人类健康构成威胁。铅水平的升高会阻碍昆虫的生长和发育，通过氧化损伤等机制导致细胞凋亡。家蚕的中肠是接触重金属的主要器官。作为中国重要的鳞翅目模式昆虫，重金属对蚕的胁迫会导致蚕业的巨大损失，从而造成巨大的经济损失。本研究旨在利用高通量测序方法研究家蚕中肠中铅诱导的解毒相关基因，以更深入地理解基因对铅暴露的反应。这项研究鉴定了11,567个单基因和14,978个转录本。共筛选出1265个差异表达基因(DEGs),包括907个上调和358个下调的基因。随后，基因本体论（GO）分类分析表明，1265个DEG分布在整个生物过程中，细胞成分，和分子功能。这表明家蚕中肠可能影响各种细胞器功能和生物学过程，为进一步探索DEG功能提供了关键线索。此外,使用qRT-PCR验证了12种与解毒相关的DEGs的表达水平，这证实了RNA-seq结果的可靠性。本研究不仅为家蚕铅暴露后的解毒防御机制提供了新的见解，而且为进一步研究家蚕的分子解毒机制奠定了宝贵的基础。
