2. Academic Validation
  3. DNA methylomes and transcriptomes analysis reveal implication of host DNA methylation machinery in BmNPV proliferation in Bombyx mori

DNA methylomes and transcriptomes analysis reveal implication of host DNA methylation machinery in BmNPV proliferation in Bombyx mori

  • BMC Genomics. 2019 Oct 15;20(1):736. doi: 10.1186/s12864-019-6146-7.
Haoling Huang 1,  Ping Wu 2 3 4,  Shaolun Zhang 1,  Qi Shang 1,  Haotong Yin 1,  Qirui Hou 1 5 6,  Jinbo Zhong 1,  Xijie Guo 7 8
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Sericultural Research Institute, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, 212018, China.
  • 2 Sericultural Research Institute, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, 212018, China. wp4114@163.com.
  • 3 The Key Laboratory of Silkworm and Mulberry Genetic Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Sericultural Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhenjiang, 212018, China. wp4114@163.com.
  • 4 Quality inspection center for sericultural products, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Zhenjiang, 212018, China. wp4114@163.com.
  • 5 The Key Laboratory of Silkworm and Mulberry Genetic Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Sericultural Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhenjiang, 212018, China.
  • 6 Quality inspection center for sericultural products, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Zhenjiang, 212018, China.
  • 7 Sericultural Research Institute, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, 212018, China. guoxijie@163.com.
  • 8 The Key Laboratory of Silkworm and Mulberry Genetic Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Sericultural Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhenjiang, 212018, China. guoxijie@163.com.
PMID: 31615392 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-019-6146-7
Abstract

Background: Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrosis virus (BmNPV) is a major pathogen that threatens the sustainability of the sericultural industry. DNA methylation is a widespread gene regulation mode in Epigenetics, which plays an important role in host immune response. Until now, little has been known about epigenetic regulation on virus diseases in insects. This study aims to explore the role of DNA methylation in BmNPV proliferation.

Results: Inhibiting DNA Methyltransferase (DNMT) activity of silkworm can suppress BmNPV replication. The integrated analysis of transcriptomes and DNA methylomes in silkworm midguts infected with or without BmNPV showed that both the expression pattern of transcriptome and DNA methylation pattern are changed significantly upon BmNPV Infection. A total of 241 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) were observed in BmNPV infected midguts, among which, 126 DMRs were hyper-methylated and 115 DMRs were hypo-methylated. Significant differences in both mRNA transcript level and DNA methylated levels were found in 26 genes. BS-PCR validated the hypermethylation of BGIBMGA014008, a structural maintenance of chromosomes protein gene in the BmNPV-infected midgut. In addition, DNMT inhibition reduced the expression of inhibitor of Apoptosis family genes, iap1 from BmNPV, Bmiap2, BmSurvivin1 and BmSurvivin2.

Conclusion: Our results indicate that DNA methylation plays positive roles in BmNPV proliferation and loss of DNMT activity could induce the Apoptosis of infected cells to suppress BmNPV proliferation. Our results may provide a new idea and research direction for the molecular mechanism on insect-virus interaction.

Keywords

BmNPV; Bombyx mori; DNA methylation; Epigenetic regulation; Host-virus interaction; Insect immune response, inhibitor of apoptosis.

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