title: GC/MS-based metabolomic studies reveal key roles of glycine in regulating silk synthesis in silkworm, Bombyx mori.
abstract: Metabolic profiling of silkworm, especially the factors that affect silk synthesis at the metabolic level, is little known. Herein, metabolomic method based on gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was applied to identify key metabolic changes in silk synthesis deficient silkworms. Forty-six differential metabolites were identified in Nd group with the defect of silk synthesis. Significant changes in the levels of glycine and uric acid (up-regulation), carbohydrates and free fatty acids (down-regulation) were observed. The further metabolomics of silk synthesis deficient silkworms by decreasing silk proteins synthesis using knocking out fibroin heavy chain gene or extirpating silk glands operation showed that the changes of the metabolites were almost consistent with those of the Nd group. Furthermore, the increased silk yields by supplying more glycine or its related metabolite confirmed that glycine is a key metabolite to regulate silk synthesis. These findings provide important insights into the regulation between metabolic profiling and silk synthesis.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, 216 Tiansheng Road, Chongqing 400715, China.
authors.forename: Quanmei
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 457 Zhongshan Road, Dalian 116023, China.
authors.forename: Xinyu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, 216 Tiansheng Road, Chongqing 400715, China.
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, 216 Tiansheng Road, Chongqing 400715, China.
authors.forename: Yanhui
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 457 Zhongshan Road, Dalian 116023, China.
authors.forename: Xinjie
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, 216 Tiansheng Road, Chongqing 400715, China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xiong
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 457 Zhongshan Road, Dalian 116023, China. Electronic address: xugw@dicp.ac.cn.
authors.forename: Guowang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, 216 Tiansheng Road, Chongqing 400715, China. Electronic address: xiaqy@swu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Qingyou
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Xia
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D012831:Bombyx / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002241:Carbohydrates / Q000032:analysis; D005088:Exocrine Glands / Q000378:metabolism; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified / Q000032:analysis; D005349:Fibroins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D005998:Glycine / Q000378:metabolism*; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007814:Larva; D040901:Proteomics; D047011:Silk / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000378:metabolism; D014527:Uric Acid / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D002241:Carbohydrates; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified; D019476:Insect Proteins; D047011:Silk; D014527:Uric Acid; D005349:Fibroins; D005998:Glycine
keywords: Metabolic profiling; Metabolomics; Silk synthesis; Silkworm