Profiling of PIWI-interacting RNAs from the W chromosome-linked mutant that shows sex differentiation deficiency in females

Recently, we established transcriptome-based method to reveal the nature of B. mori W chromosome. Crosses between Bombyx mori female of W chromosome-linked mutant strain called KG line and male of wild type p50T strain cause female-specific sex differentiation deficiency (SDD). To understand molecular bases of this mutation, we analyzed PIWI-interacting RNAs, which silence transposon activity in animal gonads, from independent three SDD females. We found that the expression levels of several piRNAs deriving from the W chromosome decreased.