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PSI/Masc-Dsx Regulatory Network in Silkworm Sex Determination Pathway
Chengya Tan1,2, Dongbin Chen3, Shuai Zhang3
1Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Sericultural and Animal Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212100, China.
Insects
|July 27, 2026
Summary
The P-element somatic inhibitor (BmPSI) and Masculinizer (BmMasc) proteins cooperate in silkworm sex determination. Their combined overexpression causes female lethality, potentially linked to disrupted mitochondrial function.
Area of Science:
- Entomology
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- Sex determination in silkworms (Bombyx mori) involves P-element somatic inhibitor (BmPSI) and Masculinizer (BmMasc) regulating doublesex (Bmdsx) splicing.
- The precise functional interaction between BmPSI and BmMasc is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the cooperative roles of BmPSI and BmMasc in silkworm sex determination.
- To explore the molecular mechanisms underlying their interaction and potential links to other cellular processes.
Main Methods:
- Transgenic overexpression assays were used to study the effects of BmPSI and BmMasc.
- Pull-down assays coupled with mass spectrometry identified interacting proteins.
- Transcriptome analysis of Bmdsx knockout mutants was performed.
Main Results:
- Co-overexpression of BmPSI and BmMasc led to female-specific lethality, while individual overexpression had no effect.
- Mass spectrometry identified 52 common interacting proteins, including a mitochondrial Complex I subunit.
- Transcriptome analysis revealed 703 dysregulated genes in Bmdsx mutants, enriched in metabolic and cytoskeletal pathways, including oxidative phosphorylation.
Conclusions:
- BmPSI and BmMasc cooperate to regulate silkworm sex determination.
- The findings suggest a potential link between sex determination and mitochondrial function, with synergistic disruption possibly causing female lethality.
- This study offers novel insights into the crosstalk between insect sex determination and mitochondrial metabolism.
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