Single-nucleus sequencing of silkworm larval midgut reveals the immune escape strategy of BmNPV in the midgut during the late stage of infection

The midgut is an important barrier against microorganism invasion and proliferation, yet is the first tissue encountered when a baculovirus naturally invades the host. However, only limited knowledge is available how different midgut cell types contribute to the immune response and the clearance or promotion of viral infection. Here, single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA seq) was employed to analyze the responses of various cell subpopulations in the silkworm larval midgut to B. mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) infection. We identified 22 distinct clusters representing enteroendocrine cells (EEs), enterocytes (ECs), intestinal stem cells (ISCs), Goblet cell-like and muscle cell types in the BmNPV-infected and uninfected silkworm larvae midgut at 72 h post infection. Further, our results revealed that the strategies for immune escape of BmNPV in the midgut at the late stage of infection include (1) inhibiting the response of antiviral pathways; (2) inhibiting the expression of antiviral host factors; (3) stimulating expression levels of genes promoting BmNPV replication. These findings suggest that the midgut, as the first line of defense against the invasion of the baculovirus, has dual characteristics of "resistance" and "tolerance". Our single-cell dataset reveals the diversity of silkworm larval midgut cells, and the transcriptome analysis provides insights into the interaction between host and virus infection at the single-cell level.