Abstract
ApolipophorinIII (apoLp-III) is a protypical exchangeable apolipoprotein that is abundant in hemolymph of many insect species. Its function lies in the stabilization of low-density lipophorin particles (LDLp) crossing the hemocoel in phases of high energy consumption to deliver lipids from the fat body to the flight muscle cells. But, recent studies with naive Galleria mellonella-apoLp-III gave first indication of an unexpected role of that protein in insect immune activation. In this research, we cloned a cDNA encoding putative apoLp-III from the silkworm, Bombyx mori injected with E. coli and characterized its role. We constructed a cDNA library using whole bodies of B. mori larvae injected with E. coli, carried out the differential screening, and selected the up-regulated clones. Among these clones, we focused on a cDNA showing a high sequence similarity to the apolipophorinIII from other insects and analyzed the nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences. The pupative B. mori Jam123 apoLp-III cDNA contained 1,131 bp encoding 186 amino acid residues. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the nucleotide and amino acid sequences of the B. mori apoLp-III cDNA formed a highly inclusive subgroup with Bombycidae. But, it was interesting that B. mori Jam123 is closer to B. mandarina than B. mori P50 and B. mori N4. Northern blot analysis showed a signal in the fat body, posterior silkgland and midgut.