Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 3, 2026

Author Spotlight: Advancing Gene Silencing Research in Silkworms with dsRNA Delivery Through Feeding Chitosan Nanoparticles
05:36

Author Spotlight: Advancing Gene Silencing Research in Silkworms with dsRNA Delivery Through Feeding Chitosan Nanoparticles

Published on: October 4, 2024

2.2K

BmICE-2 is a novel pro-apoptotic caspase involved in apoptosis in the silkworm, Bombyx mori

Hua-Shan Yi1, Cai-Xia Pan1, Chun Pan1

  • 1State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China.

Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications
|February 5, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Researchers identified Bombyx mori ICE-2 (BmICE-2), a novel pro-apoptotic gene in silkworms. This gene exhibits caspase-9 activity, triggering apoptosis in silkworm cells, suggesting its role in programmed cell death.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Cell Biology
  • Insect Biochemistry

Background:

  • Apoptosis, or programmed cell death, is crucial for development and tissue homeostasis.
  • Caspases are key proteases that execute apoptosis.
  • Understanding caspase function in insects like Bombyx mori provides insights into conserved apoptotic pathways.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify and characterize a novel caspase gene in Bombyx mori.
  • To investigate the enzymatic activity and cellular function of the identified caspase.
  • To determine the role of this gene in apoptosis within silkworm cells.

Main Methods:

  • Gene identification and sequencing of Bombyx mori ICE-2 (BmICE-2).
  • Expression of BmICE-2 in Escherichia coli (E. coli) to assess proteolytic activity.
  • Transient expression of BmICE-2 in Bombyx mori (BmN-SWU1) and Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) cells.
  • Assay of caspase activity using synthetic substrates (Ac-LEHD-pNA, Ac-DEVD-pNA).
  • Induction of apoptosis using actinomycin D.

Main Results:

  • BmICE-2 encodes a 284-amino acid protein with caspase domains and a catalytic site.
  • Recombinant BmICE-2 showed high activity against caspase-9 substrates but low activity against caspase-3 substrates.
  • Expression in BmN-SWU1 cells induced caspase-3-like activity, leading to apoptosis and spontaneous cleavage.
  • Apoptosis induction was specific to BmN-SWU1 cells and not observed in Sf9 cells.
  • Actinomycin D induced cleavage of endogenous BmICE-2 in BmN-SWU1 cells.

Conclusions:

  • BmICE-2 is a novel pro-apoptotic gene in Bombyx mori.
  • BmICE-2 possesses caspase-9-like activity.
  • This caspase plays a role in initiating apoptotic processes in silkworm cells.
Keywords:
ApoptosisBmICE-2Bombyx moriCaspase

More Related Videos

In Vitro Cleavage Assays using Purified Recombinant Drosophila Caspases for Substrate Screening08:16

In Vitro Cleavage Assays using Purified Recombinant Drosophila Caspases for Substrate Screening

Published on: October 6, 2022

2.6K
In Vivo Biosensor Tracks Non-apoptotic Caspase Activity in Drosophila13:21

In Vivo Biosensor Tracks Non-apoptotic Caspase Activity in Drosophila

Published on: November 27, 2016

8.6K

Related Concept Videos

Caspases01:24

Caspases

Caspase, a family of cysteine proteases, serve as effectors in apoptosis. The ced3 gene in C.elegans was first identified to be involved in apoptosis. This gene encodes the ced-3 caspase that is similar to the interleukin-1-beta converting enzyme or ICE in mammals. In addition to apoptosis, caspases also function in the inflammatory response. Inflammatory caspases are essential in activating pro-inflammatory cytokines that recruit immune cells and block the replication of pathogens inside...
8.7K
The Intrinsic Apoptotic Pathway01:31

The Intrinsic Apoptotic Pathway

Internal cellular stress, such as cellular injury or hypoxia, triggers intrinsic apoptosis. The B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) family of proteins are the primary regulators of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway. For example, during DNA damage, checkpoint proteins, such as Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated (ATM protein) and Checkpoints Factor-2 (Chk2) proteins, are activated. These proteins phosphorylate p53 which further activates pro-apoptotic proteins, such as Bax, Bak, PUMA, and Noxa, and inhibits...
6.2K
Apoptosis01:30

Apoptosis

Apoptosis is a combination of two Greek words, 'apo' and 'ptosis,' meaning separation and falling off, respectively. Hippocrates used this word to describe gangrene, which was caused due to bandaging of fractured bones. Apoptosis was distinguished from necrosis in 1970 when John Kerr reported observations of morphological changes occurring during apoptosis. During one experiment, he observed that the disruption of blood supply to the liver tissue resulted in a size...
12.0K
The Extrinsic Apoptotic Pathway01:17

The Extrinsic Apoptotic Pathway

The extrinsic apoptotic pathway is initiated when extracellular death-inducing signals, such as specific cytokines, activate the death receptors expressed on the cell surface. The immune cells involved in this pathway are natural killer cells (NK cells) and cytotoxic T-lymphocytes. NK cells are critical in innate immune response, while cytotoxic T-lymphocytes are associated with adaptive immune response. These cells recognize specific receptors expressed on the altered cells and activate...
6.2K
Cellular Injury V: Apoptosis and Autophagy01:22

Cellular Injury V: Apoptosis and Autophagy

Cells respond to damage and stress through highly coordinated processes that decide whether they survive or undergo controlled self-destruction. Two major pathways involved in this regulation are apoptosis, a type of programmed cell death, and autophagy, a survival mechanism that helps cells adapt to adverse conditions.ApoptosisApoptosis removes aged or injured cells to maintain tissue balance. During this process, the cell shrinks, chromatin condenses and fragments, and membrane-bound...
99
Leaky Scanning02:28

Leaky Scanning

During most eukaryotic translation processes, the small 40S ribosome subunit scans an mRNA from its 5' end until it encounters the first start AUG codon. The large 60S ribosomal subunit then joins the smaller one to initiate protein synthesis. The location of the translation initiation is largely determined by the nucleotides near the start codon as there may be multiple translation initiation sites present on the mRNA.  Marilyn Kozak discovered that the sequence RCCAUGG (where R...
4.5K