Silkworm Gene Promotes The Reform And Transformation Of Traditional Mulberry Planting And Sericulture Industry In China

Recently, the report meeting of mulberry genome research achievements was held in the State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology of Southwest University. This achievement will strongly promote the reform and transformation of China's traditional industry of "planting mulberry and sericulture".

As one of the subprojects of the National 863 Program "Research and Application of Functional Genome of Characteristic Forest Trees", under the leadership of Academician Xiang Zhonghuai of Southwest University, the research team led by Professor He Ningjia of the State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology (Southwest University), together with Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences Experts from China Academy of Forestry Sciences, Shenzhen Huada Gene Research Institute and other institutions completed the mulberry genome research in three years. This also means that since the world's first silkworm genome framework map was drawn in the laboratory in 2003, the mulberry genome has also been "cracked" here.

According to Academician Zhong Huai, this research has made a series of important discoveries in science. The first is to confirm that the base number of mulberry chromosome is 7, which is one of the most important contributions to the development of mulberry discipline for more than 100 years. He said to the academician that chromosome is the carrier of heredity, the most fundamental characteristic of a species, and also the most basic problem in biology. Only when this problem is clear, other relevant research will be on the "right path".

The second important discovery is the first discovery that the evolution speed of mulberry genes is about three times that of other species of Rosa. Academician Xiang said that the place where mulberry trees can grow marks that it can also be suitable for silkworm breeding, which has certain guiding significance in promoting breeding projects in some places and expanding farmers' income.

In the biological world, can you find an animal that only eats one food? The answer is only silkworm and mulberry leaf. He told the academician that this was the only pair of animals that had a one-on-one relationship with food. Studying their relationship in the genome is the best model for studying the relationship between animal and food (plant) genes.

The third important discovery of the project is that five predicted mulberry derived miRNAs have been identified in the hemolymph and silk gland of the silkworm, which further deepens the understanding of adaptive evolution between plants and herbivores, indicating that they interact at the molecular level.

According to the relevant person in charge of Chongqing Science and Technology Commission, the completion of mulberry genome research is a milestone contribution to the development of mulberry discipline, and the innovation and development of silkworm and mulberry disciplines will strongly promote the reform and transformation of China's traditional industry of "planting mulberry and sericulture".