Functions of Bombyx mori cathepsin L-like in innate immune response and anti-microbial autophagy

Cathepsins belongs to the cysteine protease family, which are activated by an acidic environment. They play essential biological roles in the innate immunity and development of animals. Here, we identified a 62 kDa cathepsin L-like protease from the silkworm Bombyx mori. It contained putative conserved domains, including an I29 inhibitor domain and a peptidase C1A domain. The expression analysis revealed that cathepsin L-like was highly produced in the fat body, and 20-hydroxyecdysone (20 E) induced its expression. After challenge with three different types of heat-killed pathogens (Escherichia coli, Beauveria bassiana, and Bacillus cereus), the mRNA levels of cathepsin L-like significantly increased and displayed variable expression patterns in the immune tissues, suggesting its potential role in the innate immune response. The suppression of cathepsin L-like altered the expression of immune-related genes associated with the Toll and IMD pathway. Besides, autophagy-related genes such as Atg6, Atg8, VAMP2, Vps4, and syntaxin expression were also altered, indicating that cathepsin L-like regulates innate immunity and autophagy. Fluorescence microscopic analysis exhibited that cathepsin L-like was localized in the cytoplasm, and it was activated and dispersed throughout the cytoplasm and nucleus following the induction of anti-microbial autophagy. Altogether, our data suggest that cathepsin L-like may regulate the innate immune response and anti-microbial autophagy in the silkworm, B. mori. •A cathepsin L-like protease was characterized from Bombyx mori for the first time.•Cathepsin L-like expression increased following 20 E treatment and pathogens challenge.•Cathepsin L-like RNAi changed the expression patterns of immune and autophagy-related genes.•Cathepsin L-like was activated after the induction of autophagy by rapamycin and LPS.