The nervous system of the silkworm is vital for the development of organisms. It achieves and maintains normal life activities by regulating the function of the organs and all kinds of physiological processes in the silkworm. BmApontic (BmApt), as an important bZIP transcription factor, is required for the formation of pigmentation in the silkworm. However, the function of BmApt in the development of the nervous system of the silkworm remains unclear. Here, we showed that amino acid sequence of BmApt was evolutionarily conserved in its Myb/SANT motif and basic DNA binding domain. BmApt was expressed in the nervous system at the embryonic stage. Knockdown of Bmapt by RNA interference resulted in abnormal development of axons. Moreover, the expression of BmnetrinA, BmnetrinB and Bmfrazzled was decreased in the Bmapt knockdown embryos. These results demonstrate that BmApt controls neurodevelopment by activating the expression of Bmnetrin and Bmfrazzled.

蚕的神经系统对于生物的发育至关重要。它通过调节家蚕的器官功能和各种生理过程来实现并维持正常的生活活动。BmApontic（BmApt）作为重要的bZIP转录因子，是蚕中色素沉着形成所必需的。但是，BmApt在家蚕神经系统发育中的功能仍不清楚。在这里，我们表明BmApt的氨基酸序列在其Myb / SANT基序和基本DNA结合域中是进化保守的。BmApt在胚胎期的神经系统中表达。击倒的Bmapt通过RNA干扰导致轴突的发育异常。此外，BmnetrinA，BmnetrinB和BmnetrinA的表达在Bmapt敲除胚胎中Bmfrazzled减少。这些结果表明，BmApt通过激活Bmnetrin和Bmfrazzled的表达来控制神经发育。