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Transgenic Silkworms Overexpressing Relish and Expressing Drosomycin Confer Enhanced Immunity to Multiple Pathogens

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Abstract

The sericulture industry faces substantial economic losses due to severe pathogenic infections caused by fungi, viruses, and bacteria. The development of transgenic silkworms against specific pathogens has been shown to enhance disease resistance against a particular infection. A single gene or its products that can confer protection against multiple pathogens is required. In an attempt to develop silkworms with enhanced immunity against multiple pathogens, we generated transgenic silkworm lines with an overexpressed NF-kB transcription factor, Relish 1, under two different promoters. Separately, a potent anti-fungal gene, Drosomycin, was also expressed in transgenic silkworms. Both Relish 1 and Drosomycin transgenic silkworms had single copy genomic integration, and their mRNA expression levels were highly increased after infection with silkworm pathogens. The overexpression of the Relish 1 in transgenic silkworms resulted in the upregulation of several defense-related genes, Cecropin B, Attacin, and Lebocin, and showed enhanced resistance to Nosema bombycis (microsporidian fungus), Nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV), and bacteria. The Drosomycin expressing transgenic silkworms showed elevated resistance to N. bombycis and bacteria. These findings demonstrate the role of Relish 1 in long-lasting protection against multiple pathogens in silkworms. Further, the successful introduction of a foreign gene, Drosomycin, also led to improved disease resistance in silkworms.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by a Grant (No. AIT 3540) to RG and UN from Central Silk Board (CSB), Bengaluru, India. RSY, DST, CM, and GR are thankful to CSB for providing research fellowships.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Seri-Biotech Research Laboratory, Central Silk Board, Kodathi, Bengaluru, 560 030, India

    Rasalkar Sandhya Yashwant, Dyna Susan Thomas, Chitra Manoharan, Gourab Roy, Vijayan Kunjupillai, Rakesh Kumar Mishra & Ravikumar Gopalapillai

  2. Molecular Reproduction, Development and Genetics, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, 560 012, India

    Upendra Nongthomba

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  1. Rasalkar Sandhya Yashwant
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  2. Dyna Susan Thomas
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  3. Chitra Manoharan
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Contributions

RSY performed experiments, data organization and analysis, and writing-first draft. DST, CM, and GR assisted in experiments, data organization and analysis, and writing-review. VK analyzed the data and review. RKM performed funding acquisition, resources and coordination. UN guided in experiments, supervision, writing-review and editing. RG did conceptualization, funding acquisition, guidance in experiments, supervision, and writing-review and editing.

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Correspondence to Ravikumar Gopalapillai.

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Rasalkar Sandhya Yashwant—Research Scholar of Jain University, Bengaluru, India under the guidance of RG.

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Yashwant, R.S., Thomas, D.S., Manoharan, C. et al. Transgenic Silkworms Overexpressing Relish and Expressing Drosomycin Confer Enhanced Immunity to Multiple Pathogens. Mol Biotechnol 64, 711–724 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12033-021-00438-0

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