A new method for the modification of fibroin heavy chain protein in the transgenic silkworm

Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 2007 Dec;71(12):2943-51. doi: 10.1271/bbb.70353. Epub 2007 Dec 7.

Abstract

We constructed a new plasmid vector for the production of a modified silk fibroin heavy chain protein (H-chain) in the transgenic silkworm. The plasmid (pHC-null) contained the promoter and the 3' region of a gene encoding the H-chain and the coding regions for the N-terminal domain and the C-terminal domain of the H-chain. For the model protein, we cloned a foreign gene that encoded EGFP between the N-terminal domain and the C-terminal domain in pHC-null and generated transgenic silkworms that produced a modified H-chain, HC-EGFP. Transgenic silkworms produced HC-EGFP in the posterior part of silk gland cells, secreted it into the lumen of the gland, and produced a cocoon with HC-EGFP as part of the fibroin proteins. N-terminal sequencing of HC-EGFP localized the signal sequence cleavage site to between positions A((21)) and N((22)). These results indicate that our new plasmid successfully produced the modified H-chain in a transgenic silkworm.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Animals, Genetically Modified / genetics
  • Animals, Genetically Modified / metabolism*
  • Bombyx / genetics
  • Bombyx / metabolism*
  • Cloning, Molecular
  • Fibroins / genetics
  • Fibroins / metabolism*
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / genetics
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / metabolism
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic
  • Protein Sorting Signals
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / genetics
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / metabolism

Substances

  • Protein Sorting Signals
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • enhanced green fluorescent protein
  • fibroin, silkworm
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins
  • Fibroins