Comprehensive silk gland multi-omics comparison illuminates two alternative mechanisms in silkworm heterosis.

Heterosis is a common phenomenon in plants and animals with diverse underlying mechanisms. Here, we applied two widely used silkworm hybrid systems and performed multi-omics analysis to identify possible intrinsic associations between different hybrid strategies and epigenetic mechanisms with silkworm heterosis. We found significant differences in the silk gland transcriptomic landscape between the two systems, including differentially expressed genes and expression patterns in the hybrid offspring compared to their parents.

Bmmp influences wing morphology by regulating anterior-posterior and proximal-distal axes development.

Insect wings are subject to strong selective pressure, resulting in the evolution of remarkably diverse wing morphologies that largely determine flight capacity. However, the genetic basis and regulatory mechanisms underlying wing size and shape development are not well understood. The silkworm Bombyx mori micropterous (mp) mutant exhibits shortened wing length and enlarged vein spacings, albeit without changes in total wing area.

Expansion of targetable sites for the ribonucleoprotein-based CRISPR/Cas9 system in the silkworm Bombyx mori.

Background: With the emergence of CRISPR/Cas9 technology, multiple gene editing procedures became available for the silkworm. Although binary transgene-based methods have been widely used to generate mutants, delivery of the CRISPR/Cas9 system via DNA-free ribonucleoproteins offers several advantages. However, the T7 promoter that is widely used in the ribonucleoprotein-based method for production of sgRNAs in vitro requires a 5' GG motif for efficient initiation.

Sob gene is critical to wing development in Bombyx mori and Tribolium castaneum.

The development of insect appendages requires the expression of multiple genes in a strict spatial and temporal order. The odd-skipped family genes are vital transcriptional factors involved in embryonic development. The development and morphogenesis of the insect wing requires multiple transcription factors to regulate the expression of wing patterning genes at the transcriptional level.

Identification, expression, and artificial selection of silkworm epigenetic modification enzymes.

Background: Understanding the genetic basis of phenotype variations during domestication and breeding is of great interest. Epigenetics and epigenetic modification enzymes (EMEs) may play a role in phenotypic variations; however, no comprehensive study has been performed to date. Domesticated silkworm (Bombyx mori) may be utilized as a model in determining how EMEs influence domestication traits.

Molecular basis of the silkworm mutant re causing red egg color and embryonic death.

The coloration and hatchability of insect eggs can affect individual and population survival. However, few genetic loci have been documented to affect both traits, and the genes involved in regulating these two traits are unclear. The silkworm recessive mutant re shows both red egg color and embryo mortality.

Artemisinin is highly soluble in polyethylene Glycol 4000 and such solution has multiple biological effects.

Artemisinin has a significant role in treatment of malaria, as well as effective anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activities. However, such problems as poor water solubility and easy recrystallization limit its application. In this study, polyethylene glycol, a solvent which is widely used in pharmaceutics, was introduced to prepare an artemisinin dissolution.

Fibroblast growth factor 21 prolongs lifespan and improves stress tolerance in the silkworm, .

Background: Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21), an FGF family member, is an atypical hormone and pro-longevity factor.

Methods: To better understand of the effects of exogenous administration of FGF21 on lifespan and stress tolerance, and the underlying molecular basis, we used the silkworm, , as an experimental animal model to evaluate FGF21's pharmaceutical effects.

Results: Lifespan was significantly prolonged in female silkworms with FGF21 replenishment, whereas no effect was observed in the male silkworms.

gene encoding a C2H2 zinc finger protein is required for wing development in the silkworm .

Cys2-His2 zinc finger (C2H2-ZF) proteins represent the most common class of transcription factors. These factors have great potential for the management of developmental progression by regulating the specific spatiotemporal expression of genes. In this study, we cloned one C2H2-ZF protein gene of , , that is orthologous to (); we thus named it as ().

The Association of D-dimer and Spontaneous Hemorrhagic Ascites with Outcomes in Cirrhosis: a Retrospective Study.

Background: Cirrhotic patients with hemorrhagic ascites have significant morbidity and mortality. This study aims to determine the relationship between D-dimer values and hemorrhagic ascites in cirrhotic patients and analyze its predictive value.

Methods: This retrospective study screened 572 consecutive cirrhotic patients with ascites and hemorrhagic ascites (defined as red blood cells (RBC) in ascitic fluid ≥ 10,000/µL) during a 72-month period.

[Applications of the CRISPR/Cas9 system in insects].

The CRISPR/Cas9 (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat/CRISPR-associated) system guides Cas9 to specific genomic locations by a short RNA search string. This technology enables the systematic interrogation of mammalian genome editing, repairing damaged genes, silencing harmful genes and improving quality traits. In recent years, with the introduction of the CRISPR/Cas9 system for easy, fast and efficient genetic modification, it has been possible to conduct meaningful functional studies in a broad array of insect species, such as Drosophila, Bombyx mori, Aedes aegypti and butterflies et al.

[Progress and perspective of silkworm as a model of human diseases for drug screening].

As a typical representative of Lepidopteran insects, the silkworm, Bombyx mori, has numerous advantages, such as simple husbandry,highly prolific nature, short generation time, easily handled to be operated with moderate body size, clear genetic background and abundant mutation resources. Silkworm has not only been studied by the geneticists, but also been used as a new laboratory animal model of human disease and drug screening. There is a plenty of genetic resources in silkworm, some of which could be used as models of human genetic diseases, such as Phenylketonuria, Parkinson’s disease, Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome and so on.

Microarray analysis of New Green Cocoon associated genes in silkworm, Bombyx mori.

Green cocoons in silkworm, Bombyx mori, are caused by flavonoids accumulation in the silk proteins, fibroin and sericin. Despite the economic value of natural green cocoon and medical value of flavonoids, there is limited understanding of the molecular mechanism regulating flavonoids uptake in silkworm, which is tightly associated with the trait of green cocoon. The purpose of this study is to perform a comprehensive analysis to understand the molecular mechanisms of flavonoids uptake in silkworm based on microarray analyses.

Molecular mapping and characterization of the silkworm apodal mutant.

The morphological diversity of insects is important for their survival; in essence, it results from the differential expression of genes during development of the insect body. The silkworm apodal (ap) mutant has degraded thoracic legs making crawling and eating difficult and the female is sterile, which is an ideal subject for studying the molecular mechanisms of morphogenesis. Here, we confirmed that the infertility of ap female moths is a result of the degradation of the bursa copulatrix.

Mutation of a cuticular protein, BmorCPR2, alters larval body shape and adaptability in silkworm, Bombyx mori.

Cuticular proteins (CPs) are crucial components of the insect cuticle. Although numerous genes encoding cuticular proteins have been identified in known insect genomes to date, their functions in maintaining insect body shape and adaptability remain largely unknown. In the current study, positional cloning led to the identification of a gene encoding an RR1-type cuticular protein, BmorCPR2, highly expressed in larval chitin-rich tissues and at the mulberry leaf-eating stages, which is responsible for the silkworm stony mutant.

A single origin for nymphalid butterfly eyespots followed by widespread loss of associated gene expression.

Understanding how novel complex traits originate involves investigating the time of origin of the trait, as well as the origin of its underlying gene regulatory network in a broad comparative phylogenetic framework. The eyespot of nymphalid butterflies has served as an example of a novel complex trait, as multiple genes are expressed during eyespot development. Yet the origins of eyespots remain unknown.

Mutations of an arylalkylamine-N-acetyltransferase, Bm-iAANAT, are responsible for silkworm melanism mutant.

Coloration is one of the most variable characters in animals and provides rich material for studying the developmental genetic basis of pigment patterns. In the silkworm, more than 100 gene mutation systems are related to aberrant color patterns. The melanism (mln) is a rare body color mutant that exhibits an easily distinguishable phenotype in both larval and adult silkworms.

[Construction of linkage localization lines containing genes with maternal effects].

Since the phenotypes of hybrid progenies involving genes with maternal effects are affected by the genotype of female parent, they cannot reflect the genotypes of individuals. This makes it difficult to develop test cross parents (triple or double recessive lines) for linkage localization and, consequently, hinders the progress in localization researches for these types of genes. In this study, we designed a set of hybridization schemes, the key of which was to make the "maternal-effect" genes homozygous at first, and then the non-maternal-effect genes.