DNA methylation suppresses chitin degradation and promotes the wing development by inhibiting Bmara-mediated chitinase expression in the silkworm, Bombyx mori.

ABSTRACT:

Background

DNA methylation, as an essential epigenetic modification found in mammals and plants, has been implicated to play an important role in insect reproduction. However, the functional role and the regulatory mechanism of DNA methylation during insect organ or tissue development are far from being clear.

Results

Here, we found that DNA methylation inhibitor (5-aza-dC) treatment in newly molted pupae decreased the chitin content of pupal wing discs and adult wings and resulted in wing deformity of Bombyx mori. Transcriptome analysis revealed that the up-regulation of chitinase 10 (BmCHT10) gene might be related to the decrease of chitin content induced by 5-aza-dC treatment. Further, the luciferase activity assays demonstrated that DNA methylation suppressed the promote

SUBMITTER: Xu G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7472703 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature