Role of small nucleolar RNAs in alternative splicing of the doublesex gene in the silkworm, Bombyx mori

Abstract

More and more evidence shows that small noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) play diverse roles in development, stress response and other cellular processes, but functional study of intermediate-size ncRNAs is still rare. Here, the expression profile of 16 intermediate-size ncRNAs in ovary and testis of silkworm Bombyx mori were analyzed. Twelve ncRNAs, including 5 small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) and 7 unclassified ncRNAs, accumulated more in the testis than in the ovary of silkworm, especially Bm-163, Bm-51 and Bm-68. Four ncRNAs (including three orphan snoRNAs and one unclassified ncRNA) had higher expression level in the ovary than in the testis, especially Bm-86. Overexpression of the testis-enriched snoRNA Bm-68 in the female led to the accumulation of male-specific isoform of doublesex (Bmdsx^M) and increased the expression ratio of Bmdsx^M: Bmdsx^F. While overexpression of ovary-enriched snoRNA Bm-86 in the male decreased the expression ratio of Bmdsx^M: Bmdsx^F, indicating the roles of the two snoRNAs played in the alternative splicing of Bmdsx of silkworm, which will provide new clues for the functional study of snoRNAs in insects.