Characterization of Juvenile Hormone Epoxide Hydrolase and Related Genes in the Larval Development of the Silkworm Bombyx mori

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Juvenile hormone epoxide hydrolases (JHEHs) are a family of enzymes that hydrolyze juvenile hormones (JHs). They are important in terms of organ-specific regulation and irreversible degradation. In contrast to three JHEH genes (jheh) in Drosophila melanogaster and five jheh in Tribolium castaneum, only one jheh gene has been reported to date in lepidopteran insects. By searching a genome database of the silkworm, KAIKOBLAST, five JHEH-related genes (jheh-r), in addition to Bmjheh, were found. Developmental changes in mRNA expression were brought about revealing several unique patterns for each of jheh-r as to developmental stages and organ-specificity. Recombinant proteins of JHEH-r were expressed using a baculovirus system to evaluate their enzymatic activities. Three of the five JHEH-r recombinant proteins had JH hydrolytic activities. This is the first report on lepidopteran jheh-related genes and also provides the comprehensive analysis of multiple jheh-related genes in an insect species with respect to their functions in enzyme activities.