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Zinc is a significant source of heavy metal pollution that poses risks to both human health and biodiversity. Excessive concentrations of zinc can hinder the growth and development of insects and trigger cell death through oxidative damage. The midgut is the main organ affected by exposure to heavy metals. The silkworm, a prominent insect species belonging to the Lepidoptera class and widely used in China, serves as a model for studying the genetic response to heavy metal stress. In this study, high-throughput sequencing technology was employed to investigate detoxification-related genes in the midgut that are induced by zinc exposure. A total of 11,320 unigenes and 14,723 transcripts were identified, with 553 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) detected, among which 394 were up-regulated and 159 were down-regulated. The Gene Ontology (GO) analysis revealed that 452 DEGs were involved in 18 biological process subclasses, 14 cellular component subclasses and 8 molecular functional subclasses. Furthermore, the KEGG analysis demonstrated enrichment in pathways such as Protein digestion, absorption and Lysosome. Validation of the expression levels of 9 detoxification-related DEGs through qRT-PCR confirmed the accuracy of the RNA-seq results. This study not only contributes new insights into the detoxification mechanisms mechanism of silkworms against zinc contamination, but also serves as a foundation basis for understanding the molecular detoxification processes in lepidopteran insects. [Display omitted] • The midgut transcriptomes of silkworm were constructed using high-throughput sequencing. • Totally 553 DGEs were identified including 394 up- and 159 down-regulated unigenes. • The qRT-PCR results of the transcriptome validation candidate gene are consistent with the transcriptome. • Digestive system pathway plays an important role in the silkworm against zinc challenge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Procambarus clarkii is an economically important species in China; however, its high mortality rate due to pathogenic bacteria, particularly Vibrio parahaemolyticus , results in significant economic loss. This study aimed to understand the immune response of crayfish to bacterial infection by comparing and analyzing transcriptome data of hepatopancreatic tissue from P. clarkii challenged with V. parahaemolyticus or treated with PBS. Physiological indices (TP, Alb, ACP, and AKP) were analyzed, and tissue sections were prepared. After assembling and annotating the data, 18,756 unigenes were identified. A comparison of the expression levels of these unigenes between the control and V. parahaemolyticus groups revealed 4037 DEGs, with 2278 unigenes upregulated and 1759 downregulated in the V. parahaemolyticus group. GO (Gene Ontology) enrichment analysis shows that the DGEs are mainly enriched in cellular anatomical activity, bindinga and cellular process, enrichment analysis of KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) pathways showed that DGEs were mainly enriched in Base excision repair, Phagosome and Longevity regulating pathway. At the same time, lysosome was also enriched. The phagosome and lysosome pathways play a crucial role in the immune defense of crayfish against V. parahaemolyticus injection that will be highlighted. In addition, the expression levels of six selected immune-related DEGs were measured using qRT-PCR, which validated the results of RNA-seq analysis. This study provides a new perspective on the immune system and defense mechanisms of P. clarkii and a valuable foundation for further investigation of the molecular immune mechanisms of this species. [Display omitted] • The hepatopancreas transcriptomes of Procambarus clarkii were constructed using RNA-seq. • Totally 4,037 DGEs were identified including 2,278 up- and 1,759 down-regulated unigenes. • The qRT-PCR results of candidate genes are consistent with the transcriptome. • The phagosome and lysosome pathways are crucial for crayfish's immune defense against V. parahaemolyticus injection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

WRKY proteins are a large family of plant transcription factors, which play an important role in many biological processes such as plant development, metabolism, and responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. This study aimed to develop a complete overview of the WRKY family by using the potato genome. Based on the genome-wide analysis, a total of 82 StWRKY proteins were characterized and classified into three groups (I, II, and III) and five subgroups (IIa, IIb, IIc, IId, and IIe) according to the sequence similarity, motif varieties, and their phylogenetic relationships. By using multiple sequence alignment, a novel motif, WRKYGQR, was identified from StWRKY076 along with three variations of the WRKYGQK heptapeptide (WRKYGMK, WHKCGQK, and WRKYGKK) that might execute new biological functions. Chromosomal location analysis showed that the 82 StWRKY proteins were located in 11 of the 12 chromosomes, excluding chromosome 11. Phylogenetic analyses also showed that the 82 StWRKY proteins could be clustered into three large groups and five subgroups which shared typical characters of WRKY. The results provide fundamental information to inform further analysis and understanding of WRKY gene functions in potato. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) can provide novel insights into understanding the mechanisms underlying mitogenome evolution. In this study, the complete mitogenome of Eriocheir japonica sinensis (Decapoda: Varunidae) was determined to be 16,378 bp, including 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), two rRNA genes, 22 tRNA genes and a D-loop region. The AT skew of the E. j. sinensis mitogenome was slightly negative (−0.016), indicating a higher number of T compared with A nucleotides. The nucleotide composition of the mitogenome was also biased toward A + T nucleotides (71.6%). All PCGs were initiated by ATN codons. Eight of the 13 PCGs harbored the incomplete termination codon by T, or TA. All other tRNA genes displayed a typical clover-leaf structure of mitochondrial tRNA. The D-loop region of the E. j. sinensis mitogenome was 918 bp in length. Based on 13 PCGs, phylogenetic analysis confirmed the placement of E. j. sinensis within the Varunidae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 14-3-3 proteins are a large family of approximately 30 kDa acidic proteins and acting in the regulation of many biological processes. In this study, a 14-3-3 zeta ( Pi14-3-3z ) gene from the Indian meal moth, Plodia interpunctella (Lepidoptera, Pyralidae) was isolated and characterized. The full-length cDNA of Pi14-3-3z is 1382 bp, including a 5'-untranslated region (UTR) of 141 bp, 3′-UTR of 497 bp and an open reading frame (ORF) of 744 bp encoding a polypeptide of 247 amino acids which contains a 14-3-3 homologues domain (PF00244). The deduced Pi14-3-3z protein sequence has 81%–100% identity with the homologues in comparison to with other individuals. qPCR analysis revealed that Pi14-3-3z was expressed at the four developmental stages and in all tissues tested. Based on the amino acid of 14-3-3z, phylogenetic analysis demonstrated a similar topology with the traditional classification, suggesting 14-3-3z protein has the potential value in phylogenetic inference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of Diaphania pyloalis (Lepidoptera: Pyralididae) was determined to be 15,298bp and has the typical gene organization of mitogenomes from lepidopteran insects. It consists of 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), two rRNA genes, 22 tRNA genes and an A+T-rich region. The A+T content of this mitogenome is 80.83% and the AT skew is slightly positive. All PCGs are initiated by ATN codons, except for cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) gene which is initiated by CGA. Only the cox2 gene has an incomplete stop codon consisting of just a T. All the tRNA genes display a typical clover-leaf structure of mitochondrial tRNA. The A+T-rich region of the mitogenome is 332bp in length, including several common features found in lepidopteran mitogenomes. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the D. pyloalis is close to Pyralididae. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] The sHSP21 gene was first reported in Chinese oak silkworm Antheraea pernyi. [•] Higher expression of Ap-sHSP21 is found in testis than other examined tissues. [•] The expression of Ap-sHSP21 was significantly up-regulated after heat shock. [•] Ap-sHSP21 was confirmed to protect restriction enzymes from thermal inactivation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of Actias selene (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae) was determined to be 15,236bp, including 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), two rRNA genes, 22 tRNA genes and a control region. The arrangement of 13 PCGs was similar to that of other sequenced lepidopterans. The AT skew of the mitogenome of A. selene was slightly negative, indicating a higher number of T compared to A nucleotides. The nucleotide composition of the mitogenome of A. selene was also biased toward A+T nucleotides (78.91%). All PCGs were initiated by ATN codons, except for the gene encoding cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1), which may be initiated by the TTAG, as observed in other lepidopterans. Three genes, including cox1, cox2, and nad5, had incomplete stop codons consisting of just a T. With an exception for trnS1(AGN), all the other tRNA genes displayed a typical clover-leaf structure of mitochondrial tRNA. The A+T-rich region of the mitogenome of A. selene was 339bp in length, and contains several features common to the Lepidopteras, including non-repetitive sequences, a conserved structure combining the motif ATAGA and an 18-bp poly-T stretch and a poly-A element upstream of trnM gene. Phylogenetic analysis showed that A. selene was close to Saturniidae. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of Bombyx mori strain H9 (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae) is 15,670base pairs (bp) in length, encoding 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), two rRNA genes, 22 tRNA genes and a control region. The nucleotide composition of the genome is highly A+T biased, accounting for 81.31%, with a slightly positive AT skewness (0.059). The arrangement of 13 PCGs is similar to that of other sequenced lepidopterans. All the PCGs are initiated by ATN codons, except for the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) gene, which is proposed by the TTAG sequence as observed in other lepidopterans. Unlike the other PCGs, the cox1 and cytochrome c oxidase subunit 2 (cox2) genes have incomplete stop codons consisting of just a T. All tRNAs have typical structures of insect mitochondrial tRNAs, which is different from other sequenced lepidopterans. The structure of A+T-rich region is similar to that of other sequenced lepidopterans, including non-repetitive sequences, the ATAGA binding domain, a 18bp poly-T stretch and a poly-A element upstream of transfer RNA M (trnM) gene. Phylogenetic analysis shows that the domesticated silkmoth B. mori originated from the Chinese Bombyx mandarina. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The mitochondrial genome (mt genome) provides important information for understanding molecular evolution and phylogeny. The further understand the molecular evolution and phylogeny of Helice tientsinensis , the complete mt genome was determined. It is 16,212 bp long and includes 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 tRNA genes, two rRNA genes and a control region. The genome composition of H. tientsinensis was highly A + T biased 69.0% and showed negative AT skew (− 0.017) and GC skew (− 0.289). One PCG, all rRNAs and 12 of the tRNAs appeared to be rearranged with respect to the pancrustacean ground pattern gene order. Tandem duplication, followed by random deletion, is widely considered to explain translocation of mitochondrial genes. Consecutive recombinations events could explain inversions of genes. The phylogenetic analyses showed that H. tientsinensis has close relationships with Eriocheir japonica sinensis , E. j. hepuensis and E. j. japonica ; this indicated that H. tientsinensis belongs in the Grapsoidea, part of the Varunidae family. This study provides evidence for a better understanding of gene rearrangements, as well as the evolutionary status of H. tientsinensis and related species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]