Proteomic Analysis of Larval Midgut from the Silkworm (Bombyx mori)‎

Abstract EN

The midgut is the major organ for food digestion, nutrient absorption and also a barrier for foreign substance.

The 5th-instar larval stage of silkworm is very important for larval growth, development, and silk production.

In the present study, we used 2-DE and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) to analyze the midgut proteins from the 5th-instar larvae as well as the midgut proteins under starvation condition.

A total of 96 proteins were identified in this study; and among them, 69 proteins were observed in midgut for the first time.

We also found that the silkworm larval midgut responded to starvation by producing a 10 kDa heat shock protein and a diapause hormone precursor.