title: Aspartate Decarboxylase is Required for a Normal Pupa Pigmentation Pattern in the Silkworm, Bombyx mori.
abstract: The pigmentation pattern of Lepidoptera varies greatly in different development stages. To date, the effects of key genes in the melanin metabolism pathway on larval and adult body color are distinct, yet the effects on pupal pigmentation remains unclear. In the silkworm, Bombyx mori, the black pupa (bp) mutant is only specifically melanized at the pupal stage. Using positional cloning, we found that a mutation in the Aspartate decarboxylase gene (BmADC) is causative in the bp mutant. In the bp mutant, a SINE-like transposon with a length of 493 bp was detected ~2.2 kb upstream of the transcriptional start site of BmADC. This insertion causes a sharp reduction in BmADC transcript levels in bp mutants, leading to deficiency of β-alanine and N-β-alanyl dopamine (NBAD), but accumulation of dopamine. Following injection of β-alanine into bp mutants, the color pattern was reverted that of the wild-type silkworms. Additionally, melanic pupae resulting from knock-down of BmADC in the wild-type strain were obtained. These findings show that BmADC plays a crucial role in melanin metabolism and in the pigmentation pattern of the silkworm pupal stage. Finally, this study contributes to a better understanding of pupa pigmentation patterns in Lepidoptera.
authors.affiliation: 1] State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, College of Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400716, China [2] Key Laboratory for Sericulture Functional Genomics and Biotechnology of Agricultural Ministry, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China.
authors.forename: Fangyin
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.affiliation: 1] State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, College of Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400716, China [2] Institute of Entomology and Molecular Biology, College of Life Sciences, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing 401331, China.
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Qiao
authors.affiliation: 1] State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, College of Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400716, China [2] Key Laboratory for Sericulture Functional Genomics and Biotechnology of Agricultural Ministry, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China.
authors.forename: Cun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: 1] State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, College of Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400716, China [2] Key Laboratory for Sericulture Functional Genomics and Biotechnology of Agricultural Ministry, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China.
authors.forename: Xiaofan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: 1] State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, College of Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400716, China [2] Key Laboratory for Sericulture Functional Genomics and Biotechnology of Agricultural Ministry, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoling
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.affiliation: 1] State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, College of Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400716, China [2] Key Laboratory for Sericulture Functional Genomics and Biotechnology of Agricultural Ministry, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China.
authors.forename: Songzhen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: 1] State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, College of Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400716, China [2] Key Laboratory for Sericulture Functional Genomics and Biotechnology of Agricultural Ministry, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China.
authors.forename: Hai
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: 1] State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, College of Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400716, China [2] Key Laboratory for Sericulture Functional Genomics and Biotechnology of Agricultural Ministry, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: 1] State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, College of Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400716, China [2] Key Laboratory for Sericulture Functional Genomics and Biotechnology of Agricultural Ministry, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China.
authors.forename: Songyuan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: 1] State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, College of Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400716, China [2] Key Laboratory for Sericulture Functional Genomics and Biotechnology of Agricultural Ministry, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China.
authors.forename: Duan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: 1] State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, College of Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400716, China [2] Key Laboratory for Sericulture Functional Genomics and Biotechnology of Agricultural Ministry, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China.
authors.forename: Zhonghuai
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xiang
authors.affiliation: 1] State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, College of Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400716, China [2] Key Laboratory for Sericulture Functional Genomics and Biotechnology of Agricultural Ministry, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China.
authors.forename: Cheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D012831:Bombyx / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D002262:Carboxy-Lyases / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics*; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004298:Dopamine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics*; D007814:Larva / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008543:Melanins / Q000378:metabolism; D009154:Mutation; D010858:Pigmentation / Q000235:genetics*; D011679:Pupa / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D015091:beta-Alanine / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D019476:Insect Proteins; D008543:Melanins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D015091:beta-Alanine; C038990:N(beta)-alanyldopamine; D002262:Carboxy-Lyases; C019747:aspartate 4-decarboxylase; D004298:Dopamine