The POU homeodomain transcription factor POUM2 and broad complex isoform 2 transcription factor induced by 20‐hydroxyecdysone collaboratively regulate vitellogenin gene expression and egg formation in the silkworm Bombyx mori

Abstract Vitellogenin (Vg) is a source of nutrition for embryo development. Our previous study showed that the silkworm ( Bombyx mori ) transcription factor broad complex isoform 2 (BmBrC‐Z2) regulates gene expression of the Vg gene ( BmVg ) by induction with 20‐hydroxyecdysone (20E). However, the mechanism by which 20E regulates BmVg expression was not clarified. In this study, cell transfection experiments showed that the BmVg promoter containing the POU homeodomain transcription factor POUM2 (POUM2) and BrC‐Z2 cis ‐response elements (CREs) showed a more significant response to 20E than that harbouring only the BrC‐Z2 or POUM2 CRE. An electrophoretic mobility shift assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation assay showed that BmPOUM2 could bind to the POUM2 CRE of the BmVg promoter. Over‐expression of BmPOUM2 and BmBrC‐Z2 in B. mori embryo‐derived cell line (BmE) could enhance the activity of the BmVg promoter carrying both the POUM2 and BrC‐Z2 CREs following 20E induction. Quantitative PCR and immunofluorescence histochemistry showed that the expression pattern and tissue localization of BmPOUM2 correspond to those of BmVg. Glutathione S‐transferase pull‐down and co‐immunoprecipitation assays confirmed that BmPOUM2 interacts only with BmBrC‐Z2 to regulate BmVg expression. Down‐regulation of BmPOUM2 in female silkworm by RNA interference significantly reduced BmVg expression, leading to abnormal egg formation. In summary, these results indicate that BmPOUM2 binds only to BmBrC‐Z2 to collaboratively regulate BmVg expression by 20E induction to control vitellogenesis and egg formation in the silkworm. Moreover, these findings suggest that homeodomain protein POUM2 plays a novel role in regulating insect vitellogenesis.