BR-C Z4 and FoxJ interact to regulate expression of a chitin synthase gene CHSA-2b in the pupal wing discs of the silkworm, Bombyx mori

Elaborate regulation of tissue- and stage-specific expression of genes is prerequisite for insect development. The hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) initiates metamorphosis by regulating the expression of a series of genes. However, how 20E orderly regulates the pupa-specific expression of genes remains unclear. In this study, we report a regulatory mechanism for the pupa-specific expression of chitin synthase A 2b (CHSA-2b) in Bombyx mori. We found that Broad-Complex Z4 (BR-C Z4) was up-regulated by 20E just before pupation, while transcription factor FoxJ and CHSA-2b were up-regulated during the pupal stage. There is a Fox cis-regulatory element in the CHSA-2b promoter region, and FoxJ protein bound to this element, enhancing the CHSA-2b transcription during the pupal stage. In addition to CHSA-2b, FoxJ also up-regulated the expression of 16 out of 19 pupa-specific genes tested. However, at the prepupal stage, 20E-induced BR-C Z4 inhibited the FoxJ transcription, indirectly inhibiting the CHSA-2b transcription. These data suggest that at the pre-pupation stage, 20E-induced BR-C Z4 inhibited the expression of pupa-stage genes like CHSA-2b by inhibiting the expression of FoxJ; by the pupal stage, the expression of BR-C Z4 decreased, releasing its inhibition on FoxJ, which then up-regulated the expression of the pupa-specific genes. This study explains the elaborate regulation of the pupa-specific gene expression during metamorphosis in B. mori. [Display omitted] •20E stimulates pupa-specific transcription of CHSA-2b in Bombyx wing discs.•FoxJ enhances CHSA-2b transcription by directly binding to a Fox site in its promoter.•BR-C Z4 regulates CHSA-2b by inhibiting the expression of FoxJ.•FoxJ up-regulates multiple silkworm pupal genes.