Recognition of signal peptide by protein translocation machinery in middle silk gland of silkworm <italic>Bombyx mori</italic>

Abstract

To investigate the functions of signal peptide in protein secretion in the middle silk gland of silkworm Bombyx mori, a series of recombinant Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedroviruses containing enhanced green fluorescent protein (egfp) gene, led by sericin-1 promoter and mutated signal peptide coding sequences, were constructed by region-deletions or single amino acid residue deletions. The recombinant Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedroviruses were injected into the hemocoele of newly ecdysed fifth-instar silkworm larvae. The expression and secretion of EGFP in the middle silk gland were examined by fluorescence microscopy and Western blot analysis. Results showed that even with a large part (up to 14 amino acid residues) of the ser-1 signal peptide deleted, the expressed EGFP could still be secreted into the cavity of the silk gland. Western blot analysis showed that shortening of the signal peptide from the C-terminal suppressed the maturation of pro-EGFP to EGFP. When 8 amino acid residues were deleted from the C-terminal of the signal peptide (mutant 13 aa), the secretion of EGFP was incomplete, implicating the importance of proper coupling of the h-region and c-region. The deletion of amino acid residue(s) in the h-region did not affect the secretion of EGFP, indicating that the recognition of signal peptide by translocation machinery was mainly by a structural domain, but not by special amino acid residue(s). Furthermore, the deletion of Arg2 or replacement with Asp in the n-region of the signal peptide did not influence secretion of EGFP, suggesting that a positive charge is not crucial.