【目的】通过RNA seq技术对纯培养的蜜蜂球囊菌Ascosphaera apis孢子和球囊菌侵染的蜜蜂幼虫肠道组织进行测序，de novo组装球囊菌的参考转录组，并对其进行功能与代谢通路注释，进而基于该转录组数据开发球囊菌的SSR分子标记。【方法】首先通过差速离心获得活化的球囊菌孢子，配制含1×107孢子/mL的饲料饲喂4, 5和6日龄的意大利蜜蜂Apis mellifera ligustica幼虫和中华蜜蜂Apis cerana cerana幼虫，通过Illumina HiSeqTM 2500平台同时对上述蜜蜂幼虫肠道及纯化球囊菌孢子进行深度测序，原始数据过滤后通过Trinity软件组装得到unigenes，进而通过BLASTX比对NCBI Nr, Swiss-Prot, KOG和KEGG数据库对unigenes进行功能与代谢通路注释。利用MISA软件对所有unigenes进行SSR搜索，并利用Primer Premier 5软件设计SSR特异性引物，通过PCR对不同来源的球囊菌SSR位点进行扩增。【结果】本研究共获得146 135 308条高质量reads，de novo组装得到42 609个unigenes。BLASTX比对结果显示，29 316个unigenes在上述公共数据库中具有功能和代谢通路注释。注释到法夫酵母Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous上的unigenes最多，达6 050个。KEGG注释结果显示，unigenes可注释到117个代谢通路，其中富集在核糖体（ribosome）上的unigenes数量最多（529）。所有unigenes中共预测到7 968个SSRs，通过PCR开发出5个球囊菌SSR分子标记。【结论】本研究成功组装球囊菌的参考转录组，并进行了功能与代谢通路注释，可为在分子水平深入研究球囊菌提供重要的参考信息。基于该转录组信息开发的5个SSR分子标记可推动菌株鉴定、基因图谱构建及基因定位等研究。

蜜蜂球囊菌Ascosphaera apis特异性侵染蜜蜂幼虫而导致白垩病。本研究利用RNA-seq技术对球囊菌菌丝和孢子进行深度测序，基于高质量的转录组数据对已注释基因进行结构优化，对未注释基因进行预测、鉴定和分析。本研究通过将测序得到的clean reads比对参考基因组和转录本重构，共对101个已注释基因的5'端或3'端进行了延长；利用Cuffcompare软件将重构转录本与参考基因组进行比对，共鉴定出373个新基因，随机挑选10个新基因进行RT-PCR验证，8个能扩增出符合预期的目的片段，表明预测出的多数新基因真实存在。进一步分析结果显示有147个球囊菌新基因可注释到Nr和eggNOG数据库中；85个新基因富集在29个GO条目；66个新基因富集在33条代谢通路；上述结果表明本研究预测出的新基因可能在球囊菌的新陈代谢和细胞生命活动中发挥重要作用。研究结果为球囊菌的基因结构和功能注释信息提供了有益补充，也为新基因的功能研究打下了初步基础。

【目的】本研究旨在通过趋势分析对胁迫意大利蜜蜂Apis mellifera ligustica（简称意蜂）幼虫肠道的球囊菌Ascosphaera apis的差异表达基因（DEGs）进行转录组分析。【方法】将纯化的球囊菌孢子配制为1×107孢子/mL的饲料饲喂意蜂3日龄幼虫，利用Illumina HiSeq 2500平台对球囊菌胁迫的意蜂幼虫肠道cDNA进行测序，将过滤得到的有效读段（clean reads）映射（mapping）到核糖体数据库及mapping意蜂参考基因组，最后mapping到本课题组组装并注释的球囊菌参考转录组。利用STEM软件对DEGs进行趋势分析。利用WEGO软件对显著表达模式中的DEGs进行GO富集分析。利用Blastall对显著表达模式中的DEGs进行KEGG代谢通路富集分析。最后，通过对随机选取6个DEGsd的RT-qPCR分析对RNA-seq数据进行验证。【结果】球囊菌胁迫意蜂幼虫肠道样品的Illumina测序共得到球囊菌的25 454 076条原始读段（raw reads），经过滤得到24 909 820条clean reads，Q30均在93.46%以上。趋势分析结果显示，19 893个DEGs聚类为8个表达模式，其中有12 151个DEGs聚类为3个表现为显著上调趋势的表达模式。GO富集分析结果显示，表现上调趋势的DEGs富集在40个GO term，富集基因数最多的为细胞进程（cellular process）（2 601 unigenes），其次为代谢进程（metabolic process）（2 553 unigenes）和细胞（cell）（2 522 unigenes）。KEGG代谢通路富集分析结果显示，上调趋势中的DEGs富集在119个代谢通路上，其中富集基因数最多的是核糖体（ribosome）（213 unigenes），其次为氨基酸生物合成（biosynthesis of amino acids）（154 unigenes）和内质网蛋白加工（protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum）（130 unigenes）。共有48个DEGs富集在MAPK信号通路上，聚类分析结果显示，这些DEGs随着胁迫时间的延长表达水平逐渐增强。RT-qPCR结果显示，6个DEGs的表达水平变化趋势与RNA-seq数据一致，证明了本研究中的转录组数据真实可靠。【结论】本研究为在分子水平揭示球囊菌的致病机理提供了重要信息，也为阐释球囊菌胁迫意蜂幼虫过程中的病原-宿主互作机制奠定了基础。

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been proven to play pivotal roles in a wide range of biological processes in animals and plants. Here, we performed whole transcriptome strand-specific RNA sequencing of normal midguts of Apis mellifera ligustica workers (Am7CK, Am10CK) and Nosema ceranae-inoculated midguts (Am7T, Am10T), and 4749 conserved lncRNAs and 1604 novel lncRNAs were identified. These lncRNAs had minimal sequence similarities with other known lncRNAs in other species; however, their structural features were similar to counterparts in mammals and plants, including shorter exon and intron length, lower exon number, and lower expression level, compared with protein-coding transcripts. Further, 111 and 146 N. ceranae-responsive lncRNAs were identified from midguts at 7-days post-inoculation (dpi) and 10 dpi compared with control midguts. Twelve differentially expressed lncRNAs (DElncRNAs) were shared by Am7CK vs. Am7T and Am10CK vs. Am10T comparison groups, while the numbers of unique DElncRNAs were 99 and 134, respectively. Functional annotation and pathway analysis showed that the DElncRNAs may regulate the expression of neighboring genes by acting in cis and trans fashion. Moreover, we discovered 27 lncRNAs harboring eight known miRNA precursors and 513 lncRNAs harboring 2257 novel miRNA precursors. Additionally, hundreds of DElncRNAs and their target miRNAs were found to form complex competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) networks, suggesting that these DElncRNAs may act as miRNA sponges. Furthermore, DElncRNA-miRNA-mRNA networks were constructed and investigated, the results demonstrated that a portion of the DElncRNAs were likely to participate in regulating the host material and energy metabolism as well as cellular and humoral immune host responses to N. ceranae invasion. Our findings offer a rich genetic resource for further investigation of the functional roles of lncRNAs involved in the A. m. ligustica response to N. ceranae infection.

Genes in the signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) family are vital for activities including gene expression and immune response. To investigate the functions of the silkworm Bombyx mori STAT (Bm-STAT) gene in antiviral immunity, two Bm-STAT gene isoforms, Bm-STAT-L for long form and Bm-STAT-S for short form, were cloned. Sequencing showed that the open reading frames were 2313 bp encoding 770 amino acid residues for Bm-STAT-L and 2202 bp encoding 734 amino acid residues for Bm-STAT-S. The C-terminal 42 amino acid residues of Bm-STAT-L were different from the last 7 amino acid residues of Bm-STAT-S. Immunofluorescence showed that Bm-STAT was primarily distributed in the nucleus. Transcription levels of Bm-STAT in different tissues were determined by quantitative PCR, and the results revealed Bm-STAT was mainly expressed in testes. Western blots showed two bands with molecular weights of 70 kDa and 130 kDa in testes, but no bands were detected in ovaries by using anti-Bm-STAT antibody as the primary antibody. Expression of Bm-STAT in hemolymph at 48 h post infection with B. mori macula-like virus (BmMLV) was slightly enhanced compared with controls, suggesting a weak response induced by infection with BmMLV. Hemocyte immunofluorescence showed that Bm-STAT expression was elevated in B. mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV)-infected cells. Moreover, resistance of BmN cells to BmNPV was reduced by downregulation of Bm-STAT expression and increased by upregulation. Resistance of BmN cells to BmCPV was not significantly improved by upregulating Bm-STAT expression. Therefore, we concluded that Bm-STAT is a newly identified insect gene of the STAT family. The JAK-STAT pathway has a more specialized role in antiviral defense in silkworms, but JAK-STAT pathway is not triggered in response to all viruses.