N 6 -methyladenosine (m 6 A) is the most prevalent internal mRNA modification in eukaryotes and serves as a key post-transcriptional regulator in insect development. This review synthesizes current knowledge on m 6 A in insect sexual development, beginning with its well-established role in Drosophila melanogaster , where it ensures female fate by promoting the female-specific splicing of the master switch gene Sex-lethal ( Sxl ). Notably, classical female-lethal genes such as Fl(2)d and Virilizer are now recognized as essential regulatory subunits of the m 6 A methyltransferase complex, linking classic genetics to epitranscriptomics. In insects lacking an Sxl -centric pathway, such as Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, and Lepidoptera, m 6 A depletion does not disrupt core sex differentiation but instead plays essential roles in related processes, including metamorphosis in Tribolium , caste differentiation in honey bees, and gametogenesis across multiple orders.These findings underscore that m 6 A functions extend beyond the initial sex determination switch to regulate a broad spectrum of sex-related developmental processes across insect taxa, providing insights into the evolution of epigenetic regulation.
Duan et al. (Wed,) studied this question.