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Third-party-funded project

Title:
Hormonal control of the silk genes in the graeter wax moth, Galleria mellonella.

Project management at the University of Würzburg:

• Prof. Dr. Klaus Scheller

Participating scientists:

• Prof. Dr. Frantisek Sehnal , Tschechische Akademie der Wissenschaften
• Dr. Michal Zurovec , Tschechische Akademie der Wissenschaften
• Dr. Changsong Yang , Tschechische Akademie der Wissenschaften

Abstract:
The silk glands of Galleria mellonella provide a highly suitable system for the investigation of differential gene expression because they show clearly cut developmental stages like proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. These stages are correlated with the expression of silk protein genes. Silk is a complex mixture of different proteins of which sericins and fibroins are the most important ones. We have been sucessful in cloning the cDNA and genes for 4 silk components. We could demonstrate that the corresponding mRNAs are differentially spliced under the control of juvenile hormone

Key words:
    Galleria mellonella
    silk gland genes
    juvenile hormone
    differential splicing

Projekt period: from 01.1996 to 01.2000

Funding institution:
VW-Stiftung ( Röntgenprofessur für F. Sehnal )

Preceding project:
Volkswagenstiftung: Die Entwicklung der Spinndrüsen der Wachsmotte Galleria mellonella als molekulares Modell der Organdiffer

Publications:

• Yang, C., Sehnal, F. and Scheller, K.. (1996). Juvenile hormone restores larval pattern of sericin gene transcripts. (monograph)
• Yang, C.,Teng, X., Zurovec, M., Scheller, K. and Sehnal, F. (1998). Characterization of the P25 silk gene and related insertion elements in Galleria mellonell. (monograph)
• Zurovec, M., Kodrik, D. Yang, C. Sehnal, F. and Scheller, K. (1998). P25 component of Galleria silk.. (monograph)