Protocol for the isolation of silk glands from silkworms for snRNA-seq and spatial transcriptomics.

The silk glands (SGs) of silkworms specifically synthesize silk proteins, thus strongly influencing the yield and quality of silk. Here, we present a protocol for isolating SG nuclei from silkworms and obtaining high-quality tissue slices for spatial transcriptomics. We describe steps for rearing, dissecting, and nucleus isolation.

The architecture of silk-secreting organs during the final larval stage of silkworms revealed by single-nucleus and spatial transcriptomics.

Natural silks are renewable proteins with impressive mechanical properties and biocompatibility that are useful in various fields. However, the cellular and spatial organization of silk-secreting organs remains unclear. Here, we combined single-nucleus and spatially resolved transcriptomics to systematically map the cellular and spatial composition of the silk glands (SGs) of mulberry silkworms late in larval development.