Differentially expressed microRNAs in brains of adult females may regulate the maternal block of diapause in .

The maternal regulation of diapause is one type of phenotypic plasticity where the experience of the mother leads to changes in the phenotype of her offspring that impact how well-suited they will be to their future environment. females with a diapause history produce offspring that cannot enter diapause even if they are reared in a diapause inducing environment. Accumulating evidence suggests that microRNAs regulate diapause and, possibly, maternal regulation of diapause. We found significant differences in the abundances of several microRNAs (miR-125-5p, miR-124-3p, miR-31-5p, and miR-277-3p) in brains dissected from adult female that had experienced diapause compared to females with no diapause history. We also found moderate differences in the mRNA expression of the circadian-clock related genes, and . MiR-124-3p and miR-31-5p are part of a gene network that includes these circadian clock-related genes. Taken together our results suggest the maternal block of diapause in is regulated, at least in part, by a network that includes microRNAs and the circadian clock.