A W chromosome-derived feminizing piRNA in pyralid moths demonstrates convergent evolution for primary sex determination signals in Lepidoptera

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F60077344%3A_____%2F25%3A00639523" target="_blank" >RIV/60077344:_____/25:00639523 - isvavai.cz</a>

Alternative codes found

RIV/60076658:12310/25:43910344 RIV/00216208:11130/25:10503661 RIV/00064203:_____/25:10503661

Result on the web

<a href="https://bmcbiol.biomedcentral.com/counter/pdf/10.1186/s12915-025-02392-8.pdf" target="_blank" >https://bmcbiol.biomedcentral.com/counter/pdf/10.1186/s12915-025-02392-8.pdf</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12915-025-02392-8" target="_blank" >10.1186/s12915-025-02392-8</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

A W chromosome-derived feminizing piRNA in pyralid moths demonstrates convergent evolution for primary sex determination signals in Lepidoptera

Original language description

BackgroundnThe primary signals of sex determination in insects are diverse and evolve erratically. This also appears to be the case with moths and butterflies. In the silkworm Bombyx mori, female development is triggered by a W chromosome-derived Feminizer (Fem) piRNA that degrades the mRNA of the Z-linked Masculinizer (Masc) gene, which controls male development. We investigated whether this mechanism is conserved in another group of Lepidoptera.nResultsnWe identified a putative feminizing piRNA and many partial copies of the EkMasc gene on the W chromosome of Ephestia kuehniella. The piRNA is generated by a repetitive W-linked sequence named E. kuehniella Moth-overruler-of-masculinization (EkMom). EkMom piRNA shows high similarity to a region of Z-linked EkMasc and is expressed at the onset of female development, but has no relationship to the B. mori Fem piRNA. We then mapped small RNA-seq data from embryos of the related Plodia interpunctella to the PiMasc gene and identified a single small RNA, a PiMom piRNA, able to target PiMasc and with high sequence identity to the EkMom piRNA. Both the PiMom and EkMom repeats are present in high copy number and form a single cluster on the W chromosome. In both species, the Mom piRNA is responsible for Masc mRNA cleavage, clearly demonstrating that the Mom piRNA triggers female development.nConclusionsnOur study provides multiple lines of evidence that Mom piRNA is the primary sex-determining signal in two pyralid moths and highlights a possible pathway for the origin of feminizing piRNAs in Lepidoptera. The similarity in female sex determination between the phylogenetically distant species suggests convergent evolution of feminizing piRNAs in Lepidoptera.

Czech name

—

Czech description

—

Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

—

OECD FORD branch

10603 - Genetics and heredity (medical genetics to be 3)

Project

Result was created during the realization of more than one project. More information in the Projects tab.

Continuities

I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Publication year

2025

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

BMC Biology

ISSN

1741-7007

e-ISSN

1741-7007

Volume of the periodical

23

Issue of the periodical within the volume

1

Country of publishing house

GB - UNITED KINGDOM

Number of pages

25

Pages from-to

289

UT code for WoS article

001585283200004

EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-105017745216