An Insight into Transcriptomics of the Mulberry Silkworm, Bombyx mori: A Review

Rapid advancements have been made in the field of structural and functional genomics using the available silkworm genome sequence data. Annotated genome sequences, silkworm genomic maps, and transcriptome data are potentially helpful resources for the improvement of silkworm breeding programs. Of the various genomic methodologies, transcriptome analysis is of increasing significance in comprehending the altered manifestation of genetic variations toward a particular characteristic or disease. Understanding the transcriptome is crucial for deciphering the functional components of the genome since it represents the entire collection of RNA transcripts that a genome produces at any specific given time. Numerous transcriptomic research on the silkworm Bombyx mori have identified the transcription factors related to disease resistance and susceptibility, phoxim-induced resistance, alternative splicing events, silk structure and coloration, and other aspects which could be used, via high-throughput genotyping techniques, to create better variety or trait-specific genetic resources. Therefore, functional genomics thus offers guidance for future gene mining, genetic modification, or breeding efforts to meet the different challenges for boosting productivity and quality of silk generated and further leading to significantly increase the quality of raw silk production.