comprehensive piRNA comparison between lepidopteran species
PIWI-interacting RNA(piRNA) is a class of non-coding RNA. Genomic locus called piRNA cluster are known to produce piRNA precursor. However, piRNA cluster is not evolutionarily stable. Some clusters are strongly conserved between species, others are not. This project attempts to understand the dynamics of piRNA clusters in lepidopteran insects, including Bombyx mori, Bombyx mandarina, Samia ricini and Trilocha varians.