Molecular cloning, expression and characterization of Bmserpin-2 gene from Bombyx mori

Serpins are a broadly distributed family of protease inhibitors. In this study, the gene encoding Bombyx mori serpin-2 (Bmserpin-2) was cloned and expressed in E. coli. The Bmserpin-2 cDNA contains a 1125 bp open reading frame (ORF). The deduced protein has 374 amino-acid residues, contains a conserved SERPIN domain and shares extensive homology with other invertebrate serpins. RT-PCR analysis showed that Bmserpin-2 was expressed in all developmental stages of B. mori larvae and various larval tissues. Subcellular localization analysis indicated that Bmserpin-2 protein was located in the cytoplasm. Interestingly, real-time quantitative PCR revealed that the expression of Bmserpin-2 in the midgut of susceptible B. mori strain 306 significantly increased at 72 hours post inoculation (hpi) when infected with BmNPV. However, there was no significant increase of the Bmserpin-2 expression in resistant strain NB infected with BmNPV. Thus, our data indicates that Bmserpin-2 may be involved in B. mori antiviral response.