title: Cloning and expression analysis of the Bombyx mori α-amylase gene (Amy) from the indigenous Thai silkworm strain, Nanglai.
abstract: α-Amylase is a common enzyme for hydrolyzing starch. In the silkworm, Bombyx mori L. (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae), α-amylase is found in both digestive fluid and hemolymph. Here, the complete genomic sequence of the Amy gene encoding α-amylase from a local Thai silkworm, the Nanglai strain, was obtained. This gene was 7981 bp long with 9 exons. The full length Amy cDNA sequence was 1749 bp containing a 1503 bp open reading frame. The ORF encoded 500 amino acid residues. The deduced protein showed 81-54% identity to other insect α-amylases and more than 50% identity to mammalian enzymes. Southern blot analysis revealed that in the Nanglai strain Amy is a single-copy gene. RT- PCR showed that Amy was transcribed only in the foregut. Transgenic B. mori also showed that the Amy promoter activates expression of the transgene only in the foregut.
authors.affiliation: The Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand. yingjung_@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Nipaporn
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ngernyuang
authors.forename: Isao
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Amornrat
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Promboon
authors.forename: Sunanta
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ratanapo
authors.forename: Toshiki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tamura
authors.forename: Lertluk
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ngernsiri
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D012831:Bombyx / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D005091:Exons / Q000235:genetics; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D007814:Larva / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016366:Open Reading Frames / Q000235:genetics; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013785:Thailand; D000516:alpha-Amylases / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D019476:Insect Proteins; D000516:alpha-Amylases