The silkworm Green b locus encodes a quercetin 5-O-glucosyltransferase that produces green cocoons with UV-shielding properties.

In the silkworm Bombyx mori, dietary flavonoids are metabolized and accumulate in cocoons, thereby causing green coloration. Classical genetic studies suggest that more than seven independent loci are associated with this trait; however, because of the complex inheritance pattern, none of these loci have been characterized molecularly, and a plausible and comprehensive model for their action has not been proposed. Here, we report the identification of the gene responsible for the Green b (Gb) locus involving the green cocoon trait. In +(Gb) animals, glucosylation at the 5-O position of dietary quercetin did not occur, and the total amount of flavonoids in tissues and cocoons was dramatically reduced. We performed positional cloning of Gb and found a 38-kb deletion in a UDP-glucosyltransferase (UGT) gene cluster associated with the +(Gb) allele. RT-PCR and biochemical studies suggested that deletion of Bm-UGT10286 (UGT) is responsible for Gb and Bm-UGT10286 is virtually the sole source of UGT activity toward the 5-O position of quercetin. Our data show that the regiospecific glucosylation of flavonoids by the quercetin 5-O-glucosyltransferase can greatly affect the overall bioavailability of flavonoids in animals. Furthermore, we provide evidence that flavonoids increase the UV-shielding activity of cocoons and thus could confer an increased survival advantage to insects contained in these cocoons. This study will lead to greater understanding of mechanisms for metabolism, uptake, and transport of dietary flavonoids, which have a variety of biological activities in animals and beneficial effects on human health.

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