Identification and characterization of Bombyx mori eIF5A gene through bioinformatics approaches

As the genome of B. mori is available in GenBank and the EST database of B. mori is expanding, identification of novel genes of B. mori was conceivable by data-mining techniques and bioinformatics tools. In this study, we used the in silico cloning method to identify eukaryotic initiation factor 5A (eIF5A) gene in B. mori. With the hypusine formation, eIF5A is involved in the regulation of cell proliferation and apoptosis. Using the computer program MEGA3, we conducted a search for homologs of eIF5A among many eukaryotic species and confirmed that the eIF5A was conserved in all organisms investigated. This gene has been registered in GenBank under the accession number DQ104412.