Molecular cloning and characterization of presenilin gene in Bombyx mori

Presenilin (PS), the catalytic core of the γ-secretase complex, is considered to be a causative protein of the early‑onset familial form of Alzheimer's disease. Aging is a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease and a number of genetic studies have utilized Bombyx mori (B. mori) as a model, making it possible to use B. mori to investigate Alzheimer's disease. However, the homologous gene of human PS in B. mori has remained to be elucidated. In the present study, the PS homologue gene in B. mori was identified and characterized, and six B. mori presenilin (BmPS) mRNA transcripts were generated by selecting multiple transcription start sites and/or alternative splice sites. The longest mRNA of BmPS (termed BmPS1) contains a 153 nt 5' untranslated region (UTR), a 1,440 nt open reading frame and a 1,063 nt 3' UTR. The predicted protein of BmPS1 consists of 479 amino acid residues and has two highly‑conserved aspartate residues, which form the catalytic core of aspartic proteases. It exhibits a sequence identity of ~44 and 51% with homologues in Homo sapiens and Drosophila melanogaster, respectively. However, the amino acid sequence of the BmPS loop region does not completely match between the two B. mori strains R13Q and Dazao. Genomic analysis revealed that B. mori had a single copy of the BmPS gene, which was composed of 14 exons. A total of four isoforms of BmPS (BmPS‑A, ‑B, ‑C and ‑D) owing to multiple transcriptional start sites and alternative splice sites were identified. The alternative splicing events occurring in the loop region improved the diversity of the BmPS protein and were detectable in all tissues, as determined using reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT‑qPCR). Furthermore, the expression levels of BmPS in the brain at different developmental stages were detected using RT‑qPCR, and significantly higher expression levels of BmPS were found in the adult stage compared with those in the larval and pupal stages. The present study on BmPS provided insight into the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease and mechanisms of silkworm developmental regulation.