Epigenetic mechanisms and Transgenerational plasticity in Bombyx mori: Implications for stress adaptation and sustainable sericulture

Abstract

Epigenetic regulation has emerged as a pivotal mechanism in shaping phenotypic plasticity and adaptive resilience in insects. In the silkworm Bombyx mori, a model organism of both scientific and economic value, DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNAs collectively orchestrate development, immunity, and stress responses without altering the underlying genetic sequence. Recent studies demonstrate that environmental stressors, including thermal fluctuations, pathogen invasion, nutritional shifts, and chemical exposures induce dynamic epigenetic reprogramming, fine-tuning gene expression for survival under fluctuating rearing conditions. Increasingly, evidence also points toward transgenerational plasticity, where parental experiences influence offspring physiology through heritable epigenetic signatures mediated by DNA methylation and small RNAs. Such processes hold profound implications for sericulture, enabling the development of stress-resilient, disease-tolerant, and high-yield silkworm strains. This review synthesizes current advances in Bombyx mori epigenetics, explores mechanisms of transgenerational inheritance, and highlights their potential applications in sustainable sericulture. By integrating mechanistic insights with applied strategies, epigenetic research in silkworms offers a transformative path toward resilient silk production in the face of climate change and ecological challenges.