A method for screening the suppressor genes of siRNA and piRNA pathways using cultured silkworm cells.

The BmN-4 cell line originates from the ovaries of silkworm, , and possesses endogenous small interfering RNA (siRNA) and PIWI-interacting RNA (piRNA) pathways. BmN-4 cells are latently infected with (BmLV), an RNA virus whose replication is strictly controlled by both siRNA and piRNA pathways. Knockdown or knockout of the core factors of these two small RNA pathways increases BmLV RNA amount, which in turn inhibits cell growth. Here, we used the known RNAi suppressor CrPV-1A to assess whether the BmN-4 cell line can be used for screening the suppressors of siRNA and piRNA pathways.