eprintid: 10090358 rev_number: 15 eprint_status: archive userid: 608 dir: disk0/10/09/03/58 datestamp: 2020-01-27 12:44:25 lastmod: 2021-01-14 07:10:12 status_changed: 2020-01-27 12:44:25 type: article metadata_visibility: show creators_name: Qiao, L creators_name: Yan, Z-W creators_name: Xiong, G creators_name: Hao, Y-J creators_name: Wang, R-X creators_name: Hu, H creators_name: Song, J-B creators_name: Tong, X-L creators_name: Che, L-R creators_name: He, S-Z creators_name: Chen, B creators_name: Mallet, J creators_name: Lu, C creators_name: Dai, F-Y title: Excess melanin precursors rescue defective cuticular traits in stony mutant silkworms probably by upregulating four genes encoding RR1-type larval cuticular proteins ispublished: pub divisions: UCL divisions: A01 divisions: B02 divisions: C08 divisions: D09 divisions: F99 keywords: Bombyx mori, Cuticle features, Cuticular protein-encoding genes, Induction, Melanic coloring note: This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions. abstract: Melanin and cuticular proteins are vital cuticle components in insects. Cuticular defects caused by mutations in cuticular protein-encoding genes can obstruct melanin deposition. The effects of changes in melanin on the expression of cuticular protein-encoding genes, the cuticular and morphological traits, and the origins of these effects are unknown. We found that the cuticular physical characteristics and the expression patterns of larval cuticular protein-encoding genes markedly differed between the melanic and non-melanic integument regions. By using four p multiple-allele color pattern mutants with increasing degrees of melanism (+p, pM, pS, and pB), we found that the degree of melanism and the expression of four RR1-type larval cuticular protein-encoding genes (BmCPR2, BmLcp18, BmLcp22, and BmLcp30) were positively correlated. By modulating the content of melanin precursors and the expression of cuticular protein-encoding genes in cells in tissues and in vivo, we showed that this positive correlation was due to the induction of melanin precursors. More importantly, the melanism trait introduced into the BmCPR2 deletion strain Dazao-stony induced up-regulation of three other similar chitin-binding characteristic larval cuticular protein-encoding genes, thus rescuing the cuticular, morphological and adaptability defects of the Dazao-stony strain. This rescue ability increased with increasing melanism levels. This is the first study reporting the induction of cuticular protein-encoding genes by melanin and the biological importance of this induction in affecting the physiological characteristics of the cuticle. date: 2020-04 date_type: published official_url: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibmb.2020.103315 oa_status: green full_text_type: other language: eng primo: open primo_central: open_green verified: verified_manual elements_id: 1742615 doi: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2020.103315 pii: S0965-1748(20)30003-5 lyricists_name: Mallet, James lyricists_id: JMALL47 actors_name: Mallet, James actors_id: JMALL47 actors_role: owner full_text_status: public publication: Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology volume: 119 article_number: 103315 event_location: England issn: 0965-1748 citation: Qiao, L; Yan, Z-W; Xiong, G; Hao, Y-J; Wang, R-X; Hu, H; Song, J-B; ... Dai, F-Y; + view all <#> Qiao, L; Yan, Z-W; Xiong, G; Hao, Y-J; Wang, R-X; Hu, H; Song, J-B; Tong, X-L; Che, L-R; He, S-Z; Chen, B; Mallet, J; Lu, C; Dai, F-Y; - view fewer <#> (2020) Excess melanin precursors rescue defective cuticular traits in stony mutant silkworms probably by upregulating four genes encoding RR1-type larval cuticular proteins. Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology , 119 , Article 103315. 10.1016/j.ibmb.2020.103315 <https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibmb.2020.103315>. Green open access document_url: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10090358/1/Qiao%20et%20al.%202020%20melanism%20Bombyx.pdf