Effect of juvenile hormone analog, methoprene on H-fibroin regulation during the last instar larval development of Corcyra cephalonica

Juvenile hormone (JH) and 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E), co-ordinately orchestrate insect growth and development. The process of silk synthesis and secretion in lepidopteran insects is known to be under hormonal control. However, the role of JH in this process has not been demonstrated hitherto. The present study is aimed to elucidate the role of JH in H-fibroin regulation in Corcyra cephalonica, a serious lepidopteran pest. Reiterated amino acid stretches and the large molecular weight of H-fibroin render its cloning and characterization cumbersome. To address this, a commercially synthesized short amino acid peptide conjugated with a carrier protein was used to generate antibodies against the N-terminal region of H-fibroin. ELISA and immunoblot experiments demonstrated the sensitivity and specificity of antibody. Further, immunohistochemical analyses revealed the antibody’s cross-reactivity with H-fibroins of C. cephalonica and Bombyx mori in the silk gland lumen. Quantitative RT-PCR and Western blot analysis demonstrated the tissue-specificity and developmental expression of H-fibroin. Hormonal studies revealed that JH alone does not alter the expression of H-fibroin. However, in the presence 20E, JH reverses the declined expression caused by 20E administration to normal levels. This study provides molecular evidence for the regulation of H-fibroin by the cumulative action of JH and 20E.

► A simple and efficient method for identification of H-fibroin.
► H-fibroin is silk-gland specific.
► H-fibroin is developmentally regulated.
► JH in the presence of 20E maintains expression of H-fibroin during LLI.
► Interplay of both JH and 20E is essential for H-fibroin regulation.