title: Reduced expression of the dysbindin-like gene in the Bombyx mori ov mutant exhibiting mottled translucency of the larval skin.
abstract: The ov (mottled translucent of Var) mutant, an oily mutant of Bombyx mori, exhibits mottled translucent skin with a varying degree of transparency among individuals. By linkage analysis of 2112 backcross individuals using polymorphic DNA markers, we successfully mapped a 179-kb region of chromosome 20 responsible for the ov phenotype. This region contains nine predicted genes. We compared the mRNA expression of these nine genes between the wild type and mutants and found that the expression of one of them, Bmdysb, was strikingly decreased in the epidermis of ov as well as its allelomorph, ov(p). Moreover, its expression level was well correlated with the degree of transparency among individuals. Bmdysb was homologous to DTNBP1 encoding human dysbindin, a subunit of the biogenesis of lysosome-related organelles complex-1. Our results suggest that the translucent skin may be due to repression of Bmdysb in the ov mutants and that Bmdysb plays an important role in the formation and accumulation of urate granules in the silkworm epidermis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural and Environmental Biology, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Yayoi, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Lingyan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kiuchi
authors.forename: Tsuguru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fujii
authors.forename: Takaaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Daimon
authors.forename: Muwang
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Banno
authors.forename: Susumu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Katsuma
authors.forename: Toru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shimada
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D000818:Animals; D012831:Bombyx / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D004817:Epidermis / Q000378:metabolism; D017344:Genes, Insect; D008040:Genetic Linkage; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D007814:Larva / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D009154:Mutation; D010802:Phylogeny; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D019476:Insect Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger