Genome‐Wide Identification of Sexually Dimorphic microRNA Expression Patterns in the Development of White Wax Scale

ABSTRACT The microRNAs play an important role in regulating biological posttranscriptional gene expressions to affect different biological processes of hexapod. Ericerus pela , commonly known as the white wax scale insect (hereafter, WWS), is a resource insect with significant economic value with two distinct developmental styles in male and female. In order to obtain the differential expression of miRNAs in the growth and development of WWS, we conducted miRNA sequencing of male and female through high‐throughput sequencing. A total of 162 and 63 miRNAs were obtained from the male and female larvae respectively with systematic analysis. Mainly mapping on chromosome 2, the miRNAs were classified into 46 families throughout the whole genome of WWS. Furthermore, 17 differentially expressed miRNAs were obtained and a total of 3092 target genes were predicted and related to postembryonic, gonadal development and wing morphogenesis by enrichment analysis. It was concluded that miRNAs have a pivotal role in the sexual differential development of WWS. Our study is the original report for analyzing the metamorphosis of WWS by miRNAs. It will lay a foundation for further investigation of the miRNAs function in the growth and development of insects.