Nosema bombycis is a unicellular spore-forming obligate parasite, related to fungi, and causes infections in economically important animals and are opportunistic human pathogens. However, the mechanisms of host response to N. bombycis remain unclear. STING (stimulator of interferon genes) is an adapter protein involved in the innate immune response to pathogens. In this study, a transgenic gRNA vector containing BmSTING was constructed and microinjected to generate the transgenic line BmSTING^Δ6bp/WT and BmSTING^Δ5bp/WT in silkworms. The expression of BmSTING was significantly reduced in BmSTING^Δ5bp/WT compared to non-transgenic silkworm. The mortality and LC3 (microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3) level in BmSTING^Δ6bp/WT and BmSTING^Δ5bp/WT was significantly decreased in the early infection stage of N. bombycis, but the transgenic silkworms died rapidly in the later stage. Furthermore, both BmSTING and LC3 were increased in BmE cell lines after infection with N. bombycis. This study highlights the role of STING-dependent pathways response to microsporidia in silkworm, Bombyx mori.

Nosema bombycis是一种单细胞形成孢子的专性寄生虫，与真菌有关，在经济上重要的动物中引起感染，是机会性人类病原体。然而，宿主对N. bombycis 的反应机制仍不清楚。STING（干扰素基因刺激物）是一种衔接蛋白，参与对病原体的先天免疫反应。在本研究中，构建了含有 BmSTING 的转基因 gRNA 载体并进行显微注射，以在家蚕中产生转基因株系 BmSTING ^Δ6bp/WT和 BmSTING ^Δ5bp/WT。BmSTING ^Δ5bp/WT中 BmSTING 的表达显着降低与非转基因蚕相比。死亡率和LC3（微管相关蛋白1的轻链3）在BmSTING水平^{Δ6bp/ WT}和BmSTING ^{Δ5bp/ WT}被显著在早期感染阶段减小N.家蚕，但转基因蚕在稍后阶段迅速死亡。此外，BmSTING 和 LC3 在 BmE 细胞系中在感染N. bombycis后均增加。这项研究强调了 STING 依赖性途径对家蚕 Bombyx mori 中微孢子虫的反应的作用。