title: Identification and Characterization of Novel Chitin-Binding Proteins from the Larval Cuticle of Silkworm, Bombyx mori.
abstract: Cuticle is mainly made of chitin filaments embedded in a matrix of cuticular proteins (CPs). Cuticular chitins have minor differences, whereas CPs are widely variable with respect to their sequences and structures. To understand the molecular basis underlying the mechanical properties of cuticle, it is necessary to know which CPs interact with chitin and how they are assembled into the cuticle structure. In the present study, a chitin-binding assay was performed followed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry to identify the extracted proteins from the larval cuticle of silkworm, Bombyx mori. There were 463 proteins identified from the silkworm larval cuticle, 200 of which were recovered in the chitin-binding fraction. A total of 103 proteins were annotated as CPs, which were classified into 11 CP families based on their conserved motifs, including CPR, CPAP, CPT, CPF and CPFL, CPCFC, chitin_bind 3, BmCPH2 homologues, BmCPH9 homologues, BmCPG1 homologues, BmCPG20 homologues, and BmCPG21 homologues. A total of five CP families were newly identified in the chitin-binding fraction, thereby providing new information and insight into the composition, structure, and function of the silkworm larval cuticle.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, ‡Chongqing Engineering and Technology Research Center for Novel Silk Materials, and §College of Biotechnology, Southwest University , 2 Tiansheng Road, Beibei, Chongqing 400716, China.
authors.forename: Zhaoming
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, ‡Chongqing Engineering and Technology Research Center for Novel Silk Materials, and §College of Biotechnology, Southwest University , 2 Tiansheng Road, Beibei, Chongqing 400716, China.
authors.forename: Weiwei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, ‡Chongqing Engineering and Technology Research Center for Novel Silk Materials, and §College of Biotechnology, Southwest University , 2 Tiansheng Road, Beibei, Chongqing 400716, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, ‡Chongqing Engineering and Technology Research Center for Novel Silk Materials, and §College of Biotechnology, Southwest University , 2 Tiansheng Road, Beibei, Chongqing 400716, China.
authors.forename: Xiaolu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, ‡Chongqing Engineering and Technology Research Center for Novel Silk Materials, and §College of Biotechnology, Southwest University , 2 Tiansheng Road, Beibei, Chongqing 400716, China.
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, ‡Chongqing Engineering and Technology Research Center for Novel Silk Materials, and §College of Biotechnology, Southwest University , 2 Tiansheng Road, Beibei, Chongqing 400716, China.
authors.forename: Qingyou
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Xia
mesh_terms: D020816:Amino Acid Motifs; D000818:Animals; D012831:Bombyx / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000196:embryology; D002686:Chitin / Q000378:metabolism*; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D007814:Larva / Q000737:chemistry; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D058977:Molecular Sequence Annotation; D011485:Protein Binding; D040901:Proteomics / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D019476:Insect Proteins; C047663:cuticle proteins, insects; D002686:Chitin
keywords: chitin; cuticle; cuticular protein; insect; proteomics; silkworm