ArticlePLoS genetics2018
Bombyx mori histone methyltransferase BmAsh2 is essential for silkworm piRNA-mediated sex determination.
Article in PLoS genetics, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 19 papers.
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19 citing papers in PubMed, 43 citations in OpenAlex.
- The complete sequence of the silkworm W chromosome uncovers its rapid evolution by large-scale duplications/deletions and translocation of W-linked genes.G3 (Bethesda, Md.) · 2026Article
- CRISPR-Mediated Silkworm: The Oncoming Agricultural Revolutions and a Rising Model Organism.Genes · 2026Review
- Identification of a piwi1 homologue gene in the orange-spotted grouper (Biochemistry and biophysics reports · 2025Article
- Non-gonadal expression of piRNAs is widespread across Arthropoda.FEBS letters · 2025Review
- Regulation of insect behavior by non-coding RNAs.Science China. Life sciences · 2024Review
- Non-gonadal somatic piRNA pathways ensure sexual differentiation, larval growth, and wing development in silkworms.PLoS genetics · 2023Article
- The Potential Role of theInternational journal of molecular sciences · 2023Article
- Review
- The Prmt5-Vasa module is essential for spermatogenesis in Bombyx mori.PLoS genetics · 2023Article
- Article
- PIWI-interacting RNA (piRNA): a narrative review of its biogenesis, function, and emerging role in lung cancer.Asian biomedicine : research, reviews and news · 2022Review
- Identification and Characterization of the Masculinizing Function of theInternational journal of molecular sciences · 2021Article
- Evolution of sexual development and sexual dimorphism in insects.Current opinion in genetics & development · 2021Review
- The Sex Determination Cascade in the Silkworm.Genes · 2021Review
- A Targeted In-Fusion Expression System for Recombinant Protein Production inFrontiers in genetics · 2021Article
- Gtsf1 is essential for proper female sex determination and transposon silencing in the silkworm, Bombyx mori.PLoS genetics · 2020Article
- Identification, expression, and artificial selection of silkworm epigenetic modification enzymes.BMC genomics · 2020Article
- Dysfunction of dimorphic sperm impairs male fertility in the silkworm.Cell discovery · 2020Article
- CRISPR Disruption ofInsects · 2019Article
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Sex determination is a hierarchically-regulated process with high diversity in different organisms including insects. The W chromosome-derived Fem piRNA has been identified as the primary sex determination factor in the lepidopteran insect, Bombyx mori, revealing a distinctive piRNA-mediated sex determination pathway. However, the comprehensive mechanism of silkworm sex determination is still poorly understood. We show here that the silkworm PIWI protein BmSiwi, but not BmAgo3, is essential for silkworm sex determination. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated depletion of BmSiwi results in developmental arrest in oogenesis and partial female sexual reversal, while BmAgo3 depletion only affects oogenesis. We identify three histone methyltransferases (HMTs) that are significantly down-regulated in BmSiwi mutant moths. Disruption one of these, BmAsh2, causes dysregulation of piRNAs and transposable elements (TEs), supporting a role for it in the piRNA signaling pathway. More importantly, we find that BmAsh2 mutagenesis results in oogenesis arrest and partial female-to-male sexual reversal as well as dysregulation of the sex determination genes, Bmdsx and BmMasc. Mutagenesis of other two HMTs, BmSETD2 and BmEggless, does not affect piRNA-mediated sex determination. Histological analysis and immunoprecipitation results support a functional interaction between the BmAsh2 and BmSiwi proteins. Our data provide the first evidence that the HMT, BmAsh2, plays key roles in silkworm piRNA-mediated sex determination.
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