Low METTL3 level in midgut of the Bombyx mori inhibit the proliferation of nucleopolyhedrovirus

Abstract

• Expression of m 6 A-modifciation-genes in BmN cell changed with infection of BmNPV. • Low METTL3 expression inhibited the proliferation of BV in BmN cell. • Lower METTL3 expression inhibited BmNPV proliferation in Bombyx mori. N6 -methyladeosine (m 6 A) plays an important role in virus infection and replication. Bombyx mori nuclear polyhedrosis is caused by Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus ( BmNPV ) infection. Expression levels of m 6 A-modification-related genes after the infection of BmNPV were detected at first. Then, expression levels of BmNPV nucleocapsid protein gene VP 39 and envelope fusion protein gene GP 64 after knockdown of METTL 3 in vitro were quantified to identify the effect of m 6 A modification on BmNPV. BmNPV firstly infects the larval midgut in case of oral infection. Subsequently, to clarify the relationship between m 6 A modification and resistance of the silkworm to BmNPV, we detected the expression levels of m 6 A-modification-related genes invivo before and after infection of BmNPV. The results indicated that low METTL3 level hindered the proliferation of BmNPV to some extent, and silkworm strain with low METTL3 level showed stronger resistance against BmNPV. This study will accumulate new experimental data for elucidating the resistance mechanism of silkworm against BmNPV.