Identification of a new subtilisin-like protease NbSLP2 interacting with cytoskeletal protein septin in Microsporidia Nosema bombycis.

Nosema bombycis is the pathogen of pébrine which brings heavy losses to sericulture every year. As a member of serine proteases, subtilisin-like protease (SLP) is related to the pathogenicity in fungi. In this study, we characterized a novel 63.8kDa subtilisin-like protease NbSLP2 with a predicted transmembrane domain from Microsporidia, N. bombycis. RT-PCR showed that the transcript of NbSLP2 was detected from third day post infection. Immunofluorescence assay (IFA) indicated that NbSLP2 mainly scattered around the spore wall of N. bombycis. Co-immunoprecipitation data and liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis revealed that NbSLP2 directly interacts with septin2 of N. bombycis, which is a cytoskeletal protein. IFA showed that NbSLP2 and Nbseptin2 co-localized beneath the spore wall. NbSLP2 can be pulled down by Nbseptin2, further confirming the interaction between NbSLP2 and Nbseptin2. As an important serine protease with a transmembrane domain, NbSLP2 interacting with Nbseptin2, a scaffold protein adjacent to the membrane may provide advantages to stabilize the NbSLP2 for its hydrolysis function.