The silkworm Bombyx mori uses a WZ sex determination system that is analogous to the one found in birds and some reptiles. In this system, males have two Z sex chromosomes, whereas females have Z and W sex chromosomes. The silkworm W chromosome has a dominant role in female determination, suggesting the existence of a dominant feminizing gene in this chromosome. However, the W chromosome is almost fully occupied by transposable element sequences, and no functional protein-coding gene has been identified so far. Female-enriched PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are the only known transcripts that are produced from the sex-determining region of the W chromosome, but the function(s) of these piRNAs are unknown. Here we show that a W-chromosome-derived, female-specific piRNA is the feminizing factor of B. mori. This piRNA is produced from a piRNA precursor which we named Fem. Fem sequences were arranged in tandem in the sex-determining region of the W chromosome. Inhibition of Fem-derived piRNA-mediated signalling in female embryos led to the production of the male-specific splice variants of B. mori doublesex (Bmdsx), a gene which acts at the downstream end of the sex differentiation cascade. A target gene of Fem-derived piRNA was identified on the Z chromosome of B. mori. This gene, which we named Masc, encoded a CCCH-type zinc finger protein. We show that the silencing of Masc messenger RNA by Fem piRNA is required for the production of female-specific isoforms of Bmdsx in female embryos, and that Masc protein controls both dosage compensation and masculinization in male embryos. Our study characterizes a single small RNA that is responsible for primary sex determination in the WZ sex determination system.

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BACKGROUND Solvent extraction is one of the most used processes worldwide for metal extraction at an industrial and laboratory scale. As a process that requires an external component, the selection of extractants is one of the most studied topics to find the most suitable ones for a particular case. The use of combined reagents, or so‐called synergistic extractants, is a branch of extraction studies that have proven better results than the use of solvents on their own. However, a comparison between synergistic extractants cannot be made with the currently reported factors. This paper provides a guide on clarifying the implications of the conventional synergistic factor, R, for the evaluation of the best extractant combinations. Moreover, a new indicator is proposed, named relative distribution enhancement factor, H, that will quantitatively measure the efficiency of the extraction and compare extraction enhancement among different experimental research. RESULTS Four references were selected to illustrate the use of the H factor in contrast with the R factor. The usefulness of the new enhancement factor H was demonstrated by evaluating the synergistic solvent extraction of rare earth elements. It was found that the use of R factors can mislead the selection of extractants ratio, and although synergism exists this does not imply an enhanced extraction. CONCLUSION The main finding of this work is that the newly developed H factor can easily detect extraction enhancement or diminishment and is not limited to the evaluation of two extractants. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).