Molecular biological analysis of W chromosome of lepidopteran insects

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26450464
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Insect science
• Research Institution: Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology
• Principal Investigator: Abe Hiroaki 東京農工大学, (連合)農学研究科(研究院), 助教 (80222660)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: カイコ / 性染色体 / 転移因子 / トランスポゾン / レトロトランスポゾン / Ｂｏｍｂｙｘ ｍｏｒｉ / Ｗ染色体

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Sex chromosomes of the silkworm, Bombyx mori, are designated as ZW (XY) for females and ZZ (XX) for males. The female mode of development is determined by the presence of a single W chromosome. No genes for morphological traits have been mapped to the W chromosome. Many long terminal repeat (LTR) and non-LTR retrotransposons, retroposons, DNA transposons, and their derivatives, had accumulated as strata on the W chromsosome. It is notable that some of these transposable elements contained the Bombyx short interspersed element (Bm1) sequences in the elements.
A mutant strain (op mutant) of the silkworm, Bombyx mori, was proposed as a model for Parkinson's disease. A previously reported study movie documenting occasional unique actions of op/op larvae was considered; it revealed that these actions were simply reactions to the touch of other larvae. Moreover, xanthine oxidase injection did not rescue the phenotype of op mutant larvae.

Free Research Field

昆虫遺伝学