title: Knockdown of Broad-Complex Gene Expression of Bombyx mori by Oligopyrrole Carboxamides Enhances Silk Production.
abstract: Bombyx mori (B. mori) is important due to its major role in the silk production. Though DNA binding ligands often influence gene expression, no attempt has been made to exploit their use in sericulture. The telomeric heterochromatin of B. mori is enriched with 5'-TTAGG-3' sequences. These sequences were also found to be present in several genes in the euchromatic regions. We examined three synthetic oligopyrrole carboxamides that target 5'-TTAGG-3' sequences in controlling the gene expression in B. mori. The ligands did not show any defect or feeding difference in the larval stage, crucial for silk production. The ligands caused silencing of various isoforms of the broad-complex transcription factor and cuticle proteins which resulted in late pupal developmental defects. Furthermore, treatment with such drugs resulted in statistically enhanced cocoon weight, shell weight, and silk yield. This study shows for the first time use of oligopyrrole carboxamide drugs in controlling gene expression in B. mori and their long term use in enhancing silk production.
authors.affiliation: Department of Organic Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560 012, India.
authors.forename: Asfa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, GITAM Institute of Science, GITAM University, Visakhapatnam, 530 045, India.
authors.forename: Venugopal Reddy
authors.initials: VR
authors.lastname: Bovilla
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, GITAM Institute of Science, GITAM University, Visakhapatnam, 530 045, India.
authors.forename: Danti Kumari
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Mysarla
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, GITAM Institute of Science, GITAM University, Visakhapatnam, 530 045, India.
authors.forename: Prasanthi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Siripurapu
authors.affiliation: Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, 500 007, India.
authors.forename: Rashmi U
authors.initials: RU
authors.lastname: Pathak
authors.affiliation: Molecular Biology Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, 400 085, India.
authors.forename: Bhakti
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Basu
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, GITAM Institute of Science, GITAM University, Visakhapatnam, 530 045, India.
authors.forename: Anitha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mamillapalli
authors.affiliation: Department of Organic Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560 012, India. sb@orgchem.iisc.ernet.in.|Director's Research Unit, and Technical Research Centre, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Jadavpur, Kolkata, West Bengal, 700 032, India. sb@orgchem.iisc.ernet.in.
authors.forename: Santanu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bhattacharya
mesh_terms: D000631:Aminopyridines / Q000737:chemistry; D000818:Animals; D012831:Bombyx / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D055785:Gene Knockdown Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D020868:Gene Silencing; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011758:Pyrroles / Q000737:chemistry; D047011:Silk / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000631:Aminopyridines; D019476:Insect Proteins; D011758:Pyrroles; D047011:Silk; D014157:Transcription Factors; C047663:cuticle proteins, insects