Analysis of Diapause-Associated Changes in Silkworm Egg Proteins

The patterns of diapause-associated proteins of silkworm eggs were analyzed by two-dimensional (2-D) gel electrophoresis. Among the hundreds of spots on the 2-D gels, at least two proteins were considered to be associated with diapause. A protein, spot 4, with an approximate molecular weight of 38 kDa and pI 6.1 was observed in the HCI-treated, cold-treated, and diapause eggs, respectively. Spot 4 was undetectable in unfertilized eggs and non-diapause eggs at two days after oviposition, suggesting that this protein may be associated with the entrance to diapause. A protein, spot 11, with an approximate molecular weight of 21 kDa and pI of 61 was detected in the unfertilized, HCl-treated, and cold-treated eggs, respectively, after oviposition by normal moths. In diapausing eggs, a protein corresponding to spot 11 was observed in 3-, 5-, and 30-day-old eggs, while the protein was not detected one-day-old eggs. The protein corresponding to spot 11 was not detected in unfertilized and non-diapause eggs obtained from subesophabeal ganglion (SG)-extirpated moths either. Spot 11 was also considered to be a diapause specific protein, which occurred at only early embryonic stage under the control of diapause-downregulated gene.