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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Microbiol.
Sec. Virology
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1485951

Downregulation of BmSTAT transcription factor promoted nucleopolyhedrovirus replication in Bombyx mori

Provisionally accepted
Wenjuan Liang Wenjuan Liang Li Zhou Li Zhou Zhuo Dang Zhuo Dang Shiyuan Wang Shiyuan Wang Ping Zhao Ping Zhao Qingyou Xia Qingyou Xia Zhongyan Lu Zhongyan Lu *
  • Southwest University, Chongqing, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    The Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK/STAT) signaling pathway plays a crucial role in the viral immune processes of organisms, with STAT being a key transcription factor downstream in this pathway. The STAT gene of Bombyx mori has two splicing forms, named BmSTAT-S and BmSTAT-L. This study compared the effects of the two splicing forms on Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) infection through cell-level interference and further explored whether BmSTAT participates in the immune response to BmNPV infection via transgenic intervention at the individual level. Our research results indicated that BmNPV upregulates the expression of BmSTAT-S and BmSTAT-L in Bombyx mori BmE cells and larvae. Furthermore, BmE cells with interference of BmSTAT-S or BmSTAT-L displayed significantly higher expression levels of the viral gene GP41 and increased viral fluorescence compared to the control group after 48 hours of infection with BmNPV. Then, we constructed transgenic silkworms with genetic interference, and the results showed that both the transgenic silkworms with systemic interference and midgut-specific interference of the two splice forms of BmSTAT exhibited significantly reduced survival rates and increased viral replication numbers after infection with BmNPV. The above results indicated that the BmSTAT gene is involved in the immune response of Bombyx mori to BmNPV and these findings lay the foundation for further research on the mechanism of JAK/STAT signaling pathway involvement in BmNPV infection.

    Keywords: BmSTAT, BmNPV, transgene, Bombyx mori, immune response

    Received: 29 Aug 2024; Accepted: 14 Oct 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Liang, Zhou, Dang, Wang, Zhao, Xia and Lu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Zhongyan Lu, Southwest University, Chongqing, China

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