Hou Luyu, Wu Jinxin, Liu Die, Xu Haoran, Yao Hongbo, Liang Yiwen, Xia Qingyou, Lin Ping, Shen Guanwang
Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
College of Sericulture, Textile and Biomass Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
Insects. 2025 Apr 29;16(5):469. doi: 10.3390/insects16050469.
Estrogen-related receptors (ERRs) are important transcription factors within the nuclear receptor family that regulate cellular energy storage and consumption by binding to estrogen-related receptor response elements (ERREs) on gene promoters. While ERRs' role in vertebrates is well-studied, their molecular mechanisms in insect metabolism and development remain unclear. This study systematically summarizes the functions of ERRs in insects, focusing on silkworms by analyzing gene functions and comparing databases. ERRE-like elements were identified in the 2000 bp upstream promoter regions of 69 metabolism-related silkworm genes. Furthermore, electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSAs) revealed that ERREs within the promoters of 15 genes related to sugar, fat, and protein metabolism specifically bind to ERR. Notably, an ERRE in the promoter of the trehalose transporter 1 gene (), crucial for trehalose homeostasis in insect hemolymph, exhibited significantly enhanced activity in ERR-overexpressing cells. These findings suggest that ERR is a potential regulatory factor in silkworm metabolism and refine its metabolic regulatory network. This study highlights the broader and more critical role of ERR in insects than that previously recognized, contributing to a deeper understanding of insect metabolism and its potential applications in related fields.
雌激素相关受体（ERRs）是核受体家族中的重要转录因子，通过与基因启动子上的雌激素相关受体反应元件（ERREs）结合来调节细胞能量储存和消耗。虽然ERRs在脊椎动物中的作用已得到充分研究，但其在昆虫代谢和发育中的分子机制仍不清楚。本研究系统总结了ERRs在昆虫中的功能，通过分析基因功能和比较数据库，重点研究了家蚕。在家蚕69个与代谢相关的基因的2000 bp上游启动子区域中鉴定出类ERRE元件。此外，电泳迁移率变动分析（EMSA）显示，15个与糖、脂肪和蛋白质代谢相关基因的启动子中的ERREs特异性结合ERR。值得注意的是，海藻糖转运蛋白1基因（）启动子中的一个ERRE，对昆虫血淋巴中海藻糖稳态至关重要，在ERR过表达细胞中活性显著增强。这些发现表明ERR是家蚕代谢中的一个潜在调节因子，并完善了其代谢调节网络。本研究强调了ERR在昆虫中比以前认识到的更广泛、更关键的作用，有助于更深入地了解昆虫代谢及其在相关领域的潜在应用。
