A Bombyx homolog of ovo is a segmentation gene that acts downstream of Bm-wnt1(Bombyx wnt1 homolog)

•Bombyx ovo (Bm-ovo) is expressed similar to gap and pair-rule genes during embryogenesis.•Bm-ovo knockdown resulted in the fusion of posterior segments.•The corresponding key pair-rule gene expression patterns were altered.•Bm-wnt1 knockdown resulted in altered expression of Bm-ovo.•Bm-ovo is a segmentation gene in Bombyx under the control of Bm-wnt1.

Insect embryogenesis is divided into long and short/intermediate germ types. The long germ type may exhibit Drosophila-like hierarchical segmentation mechanisms, whereas the short/intermediate type assumes some repeating mechanisms that are considered to be ancestral. Embryogenesis in Bombyx mori possesses both characteristics. Here, Bombyx ovo homolog (Bm-ovo) was identified as a gene involved in segmentation. Ovo is a Drosophila gene that encodes a zinc finger transcription factor and studies on its homolog functions in other systems have suggested that it acts as a switch to enable the initiation of differentiation from a progenitor cell state. This is the first description for ovo homologs being involved in insect segmentation. Bm-ovo is expressed dynamically during embryogenesis in a pattern that resembles that of gap and pair-rule genes. In Bm-ovo RNAi knockdown embryos, posterior segmentation does not proceed. In addition, defects in anterior segments are observed. In Bm-wnt1 knockdown embryos, the Bm-ovo expression pattern was changed, suggesting that Bm-wnt1 is an upstream regulator of Bm-ovo. The involvement of Bm-ovo may represent a novel ancestral step under the control of wnt genes in insect segmentation: this step may resemble those operating in cell differentiation processes.