Accumulation of uric acid in the epidermis forms the white integument of Samia ricini larvae

PLoS One. 2018 Oct 15;13(10):e0205758. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0205758. eCollection 2018.

Abstract

The white color in the larval integument of the silkworm Bombyx mori is considered the result of uric acid accumulation in its epidermal cells. Larvae of the eri silkworm Samia ricini (Lepidoptera; Saturniidae) also have a white and opaque integument, but little is known about its coloration mechanism. In this study, we first performed a feeding assay of S. ricini larvae using allopurinol, an inhibitor of xanthine oxidase, which catalyzes the degradation of xanthine to uric acid. This treatment induced a clear translucent integument phenotype, indicating that the larval color of S. ricini is also determined by uric acid accumulation. Next, to investigate the genetic basis that controls uric acid accumulation in S. ricini larvae, we isolated and characterized the S. ricini homolog of mammalian biogenesis of lysosome-related organelles complex 1, subunit 2 (BLOS2), which is known to play a crucial role in urate granule biosynthesis. We created a transcription activator-like effector nuclease (TALEN)-mediated gene knockout of S. ricini BLOS2 (SrBLOS2) and succeeded in establishing SrBLOS2 knockout strains (SrBLOS2KO). SrBLOS2KO mutants exhibited a translucent larval integument phenotype and lacked uric acid in the epidermis, as also observed in allopurinol-fed larvae. In addition, electron microscopy revealed that urate granules were rarely observed in the epidermis of SrBLOS2KO larvae, whereas abundant granules were found in the epidermis of wild-type larvae. These results clearly demonstrated that larval S. ricini accumulates uric acid as urate granules in the epidermis and that the genetic basis that controls uric acid accumulation is evolutionarily conserved in S. ricini and B. mori.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Allopurinol / pharmacology
  • Animals
  • Color
  • DNA / genetics
  • Epidermis / metabolism
  • Female
  • Gene Knockdown Techniques
  • Larva / drug effects
  • Larva / metabolism
  • Larva / ultrastructure
  • Male
  • Microscopy, Electron, Transmission
  • Moths / drug effects
  • Moths / genetics
  • Moths / metabolism*
  • Moths / ultrastructure
  • Phylogeny
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA
  • Uric Acid / metabolism*
  • Xanthine / metabolism
  • Xanthine Oxidase / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Xanthine Oxidase / metabolism

Substances

  • Xanthine
  • Uric Acid
  • Allopurinol
  • DNA
  • Xanthine Oxidase

Grants and funding

JL is a recipient of a fellowship from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (17J06249). https://kaken.nii.ac.jp/en/grant/KAKENHI-PROJECT-17J06249/. This work was supported by Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A) (15H02482) to TK, TS, and SK. https://kaken.nii.ac.jp/en/grant/KAKENHI-PROJECT-15H02482/. Additional support for TK and SK from Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (17H06431). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.