Antenna-specific glutathione S-transferase in male silkmoth Bombyx mori

Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) are multifunctional enzymes that are widely distributed in different species. GSTs detoxify exogenous and endogenous substances by conjugation to reduced glutathione. We characterized BmGSTD4, an antenna-specific GST, in male silkmoths. The full-length mRNA of Bmgstd4 was cloned by RACE-PCR and contained an open reading frame of 738 bp encoding a 245 amino acid protein. The antenna specificity of BmGSTD4 was validated at the mRNA and protein levels and BmGSTD4 was shown to localize in the sensillum of male silkmoth antennae. Homology modeling and multi-sequence alignment suggested that BmGSTD4 was a typical GST belonging to the δ class and had a canonical GST fold with a conserved N-terminus, including a glutathione-binding site and a C-terminal domain harboring a hydrophobic substrate-binding site. Restricted expression of BmGSTD4 in silkmoth antennae combined with GST activity suggested that BmGSTD4 was involved in the detoxification of harmful chemicals.