Molecular analyses of light-sensing mechanism participating in diapause induction of the silkworm, Bombyx mori

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25660264
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• 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, 准教授 (70324241)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: カイコ (Bombyx mori) / 休眠 / オプシン / ゲノム編集 / 温度感受性 TRP チャネル

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Bombyx embryonic diapause is a unique process of seasonal polyphenism that is induced transgenerationally as a maternal effect in the bivoltine strain. Progeny diapause is determined by environmental factors such as light (photoperiod) and temperature during maternal embryogenesis. Both thermal and light (photoperiod) information was stored until the mid-pupal stage and was integrated with neuropeptide signaling to determine diapause phenotype, although the molecular mechanism(s) participating in light (photoperiod)-sensing and storage and integration of information remain unknown. In this study, we analyzed the light-sensing mechanism participating in diapause inducton.

Free Research Field

環境分子昆虫学