Molecular analysis of brain plasticity in diapause inducton of the silkworm

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17H03941
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Insect science
• Research Institution: Shinshu University
• Principal Investigator: Shiomi Kunihiro 信州大学, 学術研究院繊維学系, 教授 (70324241)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 溝口 明 愛知学院大学, 教養部, 教授 (60183109)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 休眠 / 温度センサー / カイコ / クワコ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Diapause is a common response to seasonal changes in environmental conditions found in many species of insects as well as other animals, but we do not yet fully understand the molecular mechanisms underlying this important physiological switch in Bombyx mori. Our research highlighted the presence of a GABAergic and corazonin signaling system that induces progeny diapause through diapause hormone release. Furthermore, we performed a comparative analysis between the Kosetsu strain of B. mori and a Japanese population of the wild mulberry silkworm B. mandarina concerning the hierarchical molecular mechanisms in diapause induction. We hypothesize that TRPA1-activated signals are strongly linked to the signaling pathway participating in diapause induction in Kosetsu to selectively utilize the temperature information as the cue because temperature-dependent induction was replaced by photoperiodic induction in the TRPA1 knockout mutant.

Free Research Field

蚕糸科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

昆虫をはじめとする生物の環境応答機構における分子機構の解明として意義があるばかりか，蚕糸科学やカイコが家畜化された過程を探る上で非常に重要な研究成果となりうる。