BmNPV p35 regulates apoptosis in Bombyx mori via a novel target of interaction with the BmVDAC2-BmRACK1 complex.

Voltage-dependent anion channel 2 (VDAC2) is an important channel protein that plays a crucial role in the host response to viral infection. The receptor for activated C kinase 1 (RACK1) is also a key host factor involved in viral replication. Our previous research revealed that Bombyx mori VDAC2 (BmVDAC2) and B. mori RACK1 (BmRACK1) may interact with Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV), though the specific molecular mechanism remains unclear. In this study, the interaction between BmVDAC2 and BmRACK1 in the mitochondria was determined by various methods. We found that BmNPV p35 interacts directly with BmVDAC2 rather than BmRACK1. BmNPV infection significantly reduced the expression of BmVDAC2, and activated the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway. Overexpression of BmVDAC2 in BmN cells inhibited BmNPV-induced cytochrome c (cyto c) release, decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential as well as apoptosis. Additionally, the inhibition of cyto c release by BmVDAC2 requires the involvement of BmRACK1 and protein kinase C. Interestingly, overexpression of p35 inhibited cyto c release during mitochondrial apoptosis in a RACK1 and VDAC2-dependent manner. Even the mutant p35, which loses Caspase inhibitory activity, could still bind to VDAC2 and inhibit cyto c release. In summary, our results indicated that BmNPV p35 interacts with the VDAC2-RACK1 complex to regulate apoptosis by inhibiting cyto c release. These findings confirm the interaction between BmVDAC2 and BmRACK1, the interaction between p35 and the VDAC2-RACK1 complex, and a novel target that BmNPV p35 regulates apoptosis in Bombyx mori via interaction with the BmVDAC2-BmRACK1 complex. The result provide an initial exploration of the function of this interaction in the BmNPV-induced mitochondrial apoptosis pathway.

Computational modeling of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii cellular radiation properties with synergistic consideration of complex structures and compositions.

The radiation characteristics of microalgae are of great significance for the design of photobioreactors and ocean optical remote sensing. Yet the complex structure of microalgae makes it difficult to theoretically predict its radiation characteristics based on traditional Mie theory. In this work, taking Chlamydomonas reinhardtii as an example, a multi-component cell model with a complex structure is proposed, which considers the organelles and shape of microalgae, and the volume change during the production of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii lipids. The theoretical calculation is carried out using the discrete dipole approximation method, and an improved transmission method is used for experimental measurement. The experimental data are compared and analyzed with the multi-component complex structure model, the homogeneous sphere model and the coated sphere model. The results show that the calculation accuracy of the multi-component complex structure model is higher, the error of the scattering cross-section is reduced by more than 8.6% compared with the homogeneous sphere model and coated sphere model, and the absorption cross-section and the scattering phase function are in good agreement with the experimental results. With the increase of lipids, the absorption cross-section and the scattering phase function vary slightly. However, the scattering cross-section has an observed change with increasing wavelength. In addition, the theoretical calculation error can be reduced when the influence of the culture medium is taken into account.

Prebiotic inulin ameliorates SARS-CoV-2 infection in hamsters by modulating the gut microbiome.

Current treatment options for COVID-19 are limited, with many antivirals and immunomodulators restricted to the most severe cases and preventative care limited to vaccination. As the SARS-CoV-2 virus and its increasing variants threaten to become a permanent fixture of our lives, this new reality necessitates the development of cost-effective and accessible treatment options for COVID-19. Studies have shown that there are correlations between the gut microbiome and severity of COVID-19, especially with regards to production of physiologically beneficial short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) by gut microbes. In this study, we used a Syrian hamster model to study how dietary consumption of the prebiotic inulin affected morbidity and mortality resulting from SARS-CoV-2 infection. After two weeks of observation, we discovered that inulin supplementation attenuated morbid weight loss and increased survival rate in hamster subjects. An analysis of microbiome community structure showed significant alterations in 15 genera. Notably, there were also small increases in fecal DCA and a significant increase in serum DCA, perhaps highlighting a role for this secondary bile acid in conferring protection against SARS-CoV-2. In light of these results, inulin and other prebiotics are promising targets for future investigation as preventative treatment options for COVID-19.

Efficient Atomically Dispersed Co/N-C Catalysts for Formic Acid Dehydrogenation and Transfer Hydrodeoxygenation of Vanillin.

Atomically dispersed catalysts have gained considerable attention due to their unique properties and high efficiency in various catalytic reactions. Herein, a series of Co/N-doped carbon (N-C) catalysts was prepared using a metal-lignin coordination strategy and employed in formic acid dehydrogenation (FAD) and hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of vanillin. The atomically dispersed Co/N-C catalysts showed outstanding activity, acid resistance, and long-term stability in FAD. The improved activity and stability may be attributed to the high dispersion of Co species, increased surface area, and strong Co-N interactions. XPS and XAS characterization revealed the formation of Co-N3 centers, which are assumed to be the active sites. In addition, DFT calculations demonstrated that the adsorption of formic acid on single-atom Co was stronger than that on Co13 clusters, which may explain the high catalytic activity. The Co/N-C catalyst also showed promising performance in the transfer HDO of vanillin with formic acid, without any external additional molecular H2.

Spectroscopic and Theoretical Identifications of Two Structural Motifs of (H2O)10 Cluster.

Precise characterization of archetypal systems of aqueous hydrogen-bonding networks is essential for developing accurate potential functions and universal models of water. The structures of water clusters (H2O)n (n = 2-9) have been verified recently through size-specific infrared spectroscopy with a vacuum ultraviolet free electron laser (VUV-FEL) and quantum chemical studies. For (H2O)10, the pentagonal prism and butterfly motifs were proposed to be important building blocks and were observed in previous experiments. Here we report the size-specific infrared spectra of (H2O)10 via a joint experimental and theoretical study. Well-resolved spectra provide a unique signature for the coexistence of pentagonal prism and butterfly motifs. These (H2O)10 motifs develop from the dominant structures of (H2O)n (n = 8, 9) clusters. This work provides an intriguing prelude to the diverse structure of liquid water and opens avenues for size-dependent measurement of larger systems to understand the stepwise formation mechanism of hydrogen-bonding networks.

Genetic mutation in Escherichia coli genome during adaptation to the murine intestine is optimized for the host diet.

Mammalian gut microbes colonize the intestinal tract of their host and adapt to establish a microbial ecosystem. The host diet changes the nutrient profile of the intestine and has a high impact on microbiota composition. Genetic mutations in Escherichia coli, a prevalent species in the human gut, allow for adaptation to the mammalian intestine, as reported in previous studies. However, the extent of colonization fitness in the intestine elevated by genetic mutation and the effects of diet change on these mutations in E. coli are still poorly known. Here, we show that notable mutations in sugar metabolism-related genes (gatC, araC, and malI) were detected in the E. coli K-12 genome just 2 weeks after colonization in the germ-free mouse intestine. In addition to elevated fitness by deletion of gatC, as previously reported, deletion of araC and malI also elevated E. coli fitness in the murine intestine in a host diet-dependent manner. In vitro cultures of medium containing nutrients abundant in the intestine (e.g., galactose, N-acetylglucosamine, and asparagine) also showed increased E. coli fitness after deletion of the genes-of-interest associated with their metabolism. Furthermore, the host diet was found to influence the developmental trajectory of gene mutations in E. coli. Taken together, we suggest that genetic mutations in E. coli are selected in response to the intestinal environment, which facilitates efficient utilization of nutrients abundant in the intestine under laboratory conditions. Our study offers some insight into the possible adaptation mechanisms of gut microbes.IMPORTANCEThe gut microbiota is closely associated with human health and is greatly impacted by the host diet. Bacteria such as Escherichia coli live in the gut all throughout the life of a human host and adapt to the intestinal environment. Adaptive mutations in E. coli are reported to enhance fitness in the mammalian intestine, but to what extent is still poorly known. It is also unknown whether the host diet affects what genes are mutated and to what extent fitness is affected. This study suggests that genetic mutations in the E. coli K-12 strain are selected in response to the intestinal environment and facilitate efficient utilization of abundant nutrients in the germ-free mouse intestine. Our study provides a better understanding of these intestinal adaptation mechanisms of gut microbes.

Complete genome sequence of Solobacterium moorei JCM 10645T isolated from a human stool sample.

Solobacterium moorei JCM 10645T is an obligately anaerobic Gram-positive bacterium that was isolated from a human stool sample, generally known as a bacterium associated with sepsis, bacteremia, halitosis, and periodontal disease. In this study, we report the complete genome sequence of this strain, which is 2.615 Mbp with a 37.2% GC content.

Effects of temperature and charged vacancies on electronic and optical properties of ß-Ga2O3 after radiation damage.

ß-Ga2O3 as an ultra-wide bandgap material is widely used in space missions and nuclear reactor environments. It is well established that the physical properties of ß-Ga2O3 would be affected by radiation damage and temperature in such application scenarios. Defects are inevitably created in ß-Ga2O3 upon irradiation and their dynamic evolution is positively correlated with the thermal motion of atoms as temperature increases. This work utilizes first-principles calculations to investigate how temperature influences the electronic and optical properties of ß-Ga2O3 after radiation damage. It finds that the effect of p-type defects caused by Ga vacancies on optical absorption diminishes as temperature increases. The high temperature amplifies the effect of oxygen vacancies to ß-Ga2O3, however, making n-type defects more pronounced and accompanied by an increase in the absorption peak in the visible band. The self-compensation effect varies when ß-Ga2O3 contains both Ga vacancies and O vacancies at different temperatures. Moreover, in the case of Ga3- (O2+) vacancies, the main characters of p(n)-type defects caused by uncharged Ga0 (O0) vacancies disappear. This work aims to understand the evolution of physical properties of ß-Ga2O3 under irradiation especially at high temperatures, and help analyze the damage mechanism in ß-Ga2O3-based devices.

Thermal transport across TiO2-H2O interface involving water dissociation: Ab initio-assisted deep potential molecular dynamics.

Water dissociation on TiO2 surfaces has been known for decades and holds great potential in various applications, many of which require a proper understanding of thermal transport across the TiO2-H2O interface. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations play an important role in characterizing complex systems' interfacial thermal transport properties. Nevertheless, due to the imprecision of empirical force field potentials, the interfacial thermal transport mechanism involving water dissociation remains to be determined. To cope with this, a deep potential (DP) model is formulated through the utilization of ab initio datasets. This model successfully simulates interfacial thermal transport accompanied by water dissociation on the TiO2 surfaces. The trained DP achieves a total energy accuracy of ∼238.8 meV and a force accuracy of ∼197.05 meV/Å. The DPMD simulations show that water dissociation induces the formation of hydrogen bonding networks and molecular bridges. Structural modifications further affect interfacial thermal transport. The interfacial thermal conductance estimated by DP is ∼8.54 × 109 W/m2 K, smaller than ∼13.17 × 109 W/m2 K by empirical potentials. The vibrational density of states (VDOS) quantifies the differences between the DP model and empirical potentials. Notably, the VDOS disparity between the adsorbed hydrogen atoms and normal hydrogen atoms demonstrates the influence of water dissociation on heat transfer processes. This work aims to understand the effect of water dissociation on thermal transport at the TiO2-H2O interface. The findings will provide valuable guidance for the thermal management of photocatalytic devices.

Copper Site Motion Promotes Catalytic NOx Reduction under Zeolite Confinement.

Ammonia-mediated selective catalytic reduction (NH3-SCR) is currently the key approach to abate nitrogen oxides (NOx) emitted from heavy-duty lean-burn vehicles. The state-of-art NH3-SCR catalysts, namely, copper ion-exchanged chabazite (Cu-CHA) zeolites, perform rather poorly at low temperatures (below 200 °C) and are thus incapable of eliminating effectively NOx emissions under cold-start conditions. Here, we demonstrate a significant promotion of low-temperature NOx reduction by reinforcing the dynamic motion of zeolite-confined Cu sites during NH3-SCR. Combining complex impedance-based in situ spectroscopy (IS) and extended density-functional tight-binding molecular dynamics simulation, we revealed an environment- and temperature-dependent nature of the dynamic Cu motion within the zeolite lattice. Further coupling in situ IS with infrared spectroscopy allows us to unravel the critical role of monovalent Cu in the overall Cu mobility at a molecular level. Based on these mechanistic understandings, we elicit a boost of NOx reduction below 200 °C by reinforcing the dynamic Cu motion in various Cu-zeolites (Cu-CHA, Cu-ZSM-5, Cu-Beta, etc.) via facile postsynthesis treatments, either in a reductive mixture at low temperatures (below 250 °C) or in a nonoxidative atmosphere at high temperatures (above 450 °C).

Response and driving factors of soil enzyme activity related to acid rain: a meta-analysis.

As a global pollution, acid rain can significantly alter soil physicochemical and biochemical processes, but our knowledge of how acid rain affects soil enzyme activity is still limited. To quantify the overall magnitude and direction of the response of soil enzyme activity to acid rain, we conducted a linear mixed model-based meta-analysis of 40 articles. Our analysis revealed that acid rain decreased enzyme activity by an average of 4.87%. Soil dehydrogenase and protease activities were particularly sensitive to acid rain, with significant inhibitions observed. The effect of acid rain was moderated by acid rain intensity (i.e., H+ addition rate, total H+ added, and acid rain pH) and soil fraction (i.e., rhizosphere and bulk soil). Structural equation modelling further revealed that acid rain suppressed soil microbial biomass by acidifying the soil and that the reduction in microbial biomass directly led to the inhibition of enzyme activity in bulk soil. However, the enzyme activity in the rhizosphere soil was not affected by acid rain due to the rhizosphere effect, which was also not impacted by the decreased soil pH induced by acid rain in rhizosphere. Our study gives an insight into how bulk soil enzyme activity is impacted by acid rain and highlights the need to incorporate rhizosphere processes into acid rain-terrestrial ecosystem models.

Revealing the Formation and Reactivity of Cage-Confined Cu Pairs in Catalytic NOx Reduction over Cu-SSZ-13 Zeolites by In Situ UV-Vis Spectroscopy and Time-Dependent DFT Calculation.

The low-temperature mechanism of chabazite-type small-pore Cu-SSZ-13 zeolite, a state-of-the-art catalyst for ammonia-assisted selective reduction (NH3-SCR) of toxic NOx pollutants from heavy-duty vehicles, remains a debate and needs to be clarified for further improvement of NH3-SCR performance. In this study, we established experimental protocols to follow the dynamic redox cycling (i.e., CuII ↔ CuI) of Cu sites in Cu-SSZ-13 during low-temperature NH3-SCR catalysis by in situ ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy and in situ infrared spectroscopy. Further integrating the in situ spectroscopic observations with time-dependent density functional theory calculations allows us to identify two cage-confined transient states, namely, the O2-bridged Cu dimers (i.e., µ-η2:η2-peroxodiamino dicopper) and the proximately paired, chemically nonbonded CuI(NH3)2 sites, and to confirm the CuI(NH3)2 pair as a precursor to the O2-bridged Cu dimer. Comparative transient experiments reveal a particularly high reactivity of the CuI(NH3)2 pairs for NO-to-N2 reduction at low temperatures. Our study demonstrates direct experimental evidence for the transient formation and high reactivity of proximately paired CuI sites under zeolite confinement and provides new insights into the monomeric-to-dimeric Cu transformation for completing the Cu redox cycle in low-temperature NH3-SCR catalysis over Cu-SSZ-13.

Effects of C-H stretching excitation on the dynamics of the O(1D) + CHD3 → OH/OD + CD3/CHD2 reaction.

The vibrationally excited reaction O(1D) + CHD3(ν1 = 1) has been investigated by crossed-molecular-beam experiments with a time-sliced velocity map imaging technique. Detailed and quantitative information is extracted on the C-H stretching excitation effects on the reactivity and dynamics of the title reaction, with the help of preparation of C-H stretching excited CHD3 molecules by direct infrared excitation. Experimental results show that the vibrational stretching excitation of the C-H bond almost does not affect the relative contributions between different dynamical pathways for all product channels. For the OH + CD3 product channel, the vibrational energy of the C-H stretching excited CHD3 reagent is channeled exclusively into the vibrational energy of the OH products. The vibrational excitation of the CHD3 reactant changes the reactivities for the ground-state and umbrella-mode-excited CD3 channels very modestly, while it significantly suppresses the corresponding CHD2 channels. For the CHD2(ν1 = 1) channel, the stretching excited C-H bond of the CHD3 molecule acts almost as a pure spectator.

Prediction of radiative properties of spherical microalgae considering internal heterogeneity and optical constants of various components.

Most of the current predictions of the radiative properties of microalgae use the homogeneous sphere approximation based on the Mie scattering theory, and the refractive indices of the model were regarded as fixed values. Using the recently measured optical constants of various microalgae components, we propose a spherical heterogeneous model for spherical microalgae. The optical constants of the heterogeneous model were characterized by the measured optical constants of microalgae components for the first time. The radiative properties of the heterogeneous sphere were calculated using the T-matrix method and were well verified by measurements. It shows that the internal microstructure has a more significant effect on scattering cross-section and scattering phase function than absorption cross-section. Compared with the traditional homogeneous models selected with fixed values as refractive index, the calculation accuracy of scattering cross-section of the heterogeneous model improved by 15%-150%. The scattering phase function of the heterogeneous sphere approximation agreed better with measurements than the homogeneous models due to the more detailed description of the internal microstructure. It can be concluded that considering the internal microstructure of microalgae and characterizing the microstructure of the model by the optical constants of the microalgae components helps to reduce the error caused by the simplification of the actual cell.

First-principles study of thermal transport properties in ferroelectric HfO2 and related fluorite-structure ferroelectrics.

The discovery of ferroelectricity in the fluorite-structure HfO2 has attracted much interest in various applications including electro-optic devices and nonvolatile memories. Doping and alloying not only induce ferroelectricity in HfO2, but also significantly impact the thermal conduction which plays an essential role in the heat dissipation and thermal stability of ferroelectric devices. To understand and regulate the heat transfer in ferroelectric HfO2, it is crucial to investigate the thermal conduction properties of related fluorite-structure ferroelectrics so as to establish the structure-property relationship. In this work, using first-principles calculations, we investigate the thermal transport in twelve fluorite-structure ferroelectrics. We find an overall satisfactory agreement between the calculated thermal conductivities and those predicted by the simple theory of Slack. Among the family of fluorite-structure ferroelectrics, the transition-metal oxides HfO2 and ZrO2 have the highest thermal conductivities due to the strong interatomic bonding. We demonstrate that the spontaneous polarization, a feature specific to ferroelectrics, is positively correlated with the thermal conductivity, namely, the larger the spontaneous polarization, the larger the thermal conductivity. This is of chemical origin, namely, both the spontaneous polarization and the thermal conductivity are positively correlated to the "ionicity" of the ferroelectrics. We further find that the thermal conductivity is several times lower in the ferroelectric solid solution Hf1-xZrxO2 than in its pure counterparts, especially in the thin films where the finite size effect further suppresses thermal conduction. Our findings suggest the spontaneous polarization as a specific criterion for identifying ferroelectrics with desired thermal conductivities, which may promote the design and application of ferroelectrics.

Sulfur Poisoning and Self-Recovery of Single-Site Rh1 /Porous Organic Polymer Catalysts for Olefin Hydroformylation.

Sulfur poisoning and regeneration are global challenges for metal catalysts even at the ppm level. The sulfur poisoning of single-metal-site catalysts and their regeneration is worthy of further study. Herein, sulfur poisoning and self-recovery are first presented on an industrialized single-Rh-site catalyst (Rh1 /POPs). A decreased turnover frequency of Rh1 /POPs from 4317 h-1 to 318 h-1 was observed in a 1000 ppm H2 S co-feed for ethylene hydroformylation, but it self-recovered to 4527 h-1 after withdrawal of H2 S, whereas the rhodium nanoparticles demonstrated poor activity and self-recovery ability. H2 S reduced the charge density of the single Rh atom and lowered its Gibbs free energy with the formation of inactive (SH)Rh(CO)(PPh3 -frame)2 , which could be regenerated to active HRh(CO)(PPh3 -frame)2 after withdrawing H2 S. The mechanism and the sulfur-related structure-activity relationship were highlighted. This work provides an understanding of heterogeneous ethylene hydroformylation and sulfur-poisoned regeneration in the science of single-atom catalysts.

Temperature-dependent UV-Vis dielectric functions of BaTiO3 across ferroelectric-paraelectric phase transition.

Ferroelectric BaTiO3 with an electric-field-switchable spontaneous polarization has attracted wide attention in photovoltaic applications due to its efficient charge separation for photoexcitation. The evolution of its optical properties with rising temperature especially across the ferroelectric-paraelectric phase transition is critical to peer into the fundamental photoexcitation process. Herein, by combining spectroscopic ellipsometry measurements with first-principles calculations, we obtain the UV-Vis dielectric functions of perovskite BaTiO3 at temperatures varying from 300 to 873 K and provide the atomistic insights into the temperature-driven ferroelectric-paraelectric (tetragonal-cubic) structural evolution. The main adsorption peak in dielectric function of BaTiO3 is reduced by 20.6% in magnitude and redshifted as temperature increases. The Urbach tail shows an unconventional temperature-dependent behavior due to the microcrystalline disorder across the ferroelectric-paraelectric phase transition and the decreased surface roughness at around 405 K. From ab initio molecular dynamics simulations, the redshifted dielectric function of ferroelectric BaTiO3 coincidences with the reduction of the spontaneous polarization at elevated temperature. Moreover, a positive (negative) external electric field is applied which can modulate the dielectric function of ferroelectric BaTiO3 blueshift (redshift) with a larger (smaller) spontaneous polarization since it drives the ferroelectric further away from (closer to) the paraelectric structure. This work sheds light on the temperature-dependent optical properties of BaTiO3 and provides data support for advancing its ferroelectric photovoltaic applications.

The vibronic state dependent predissociation of H2S: determination of all fragmentation processes.

Photochemistry plays a significant role in shaping the chemical reaction network in the solar nebula and interstellar clouds. However, even in a simple triatomic molecule photodissociation, determination of all fragmentation processes is yet to be achieved. In this work, we present a comprehensive study of the photochemistry of H2S, derived from cutting-edge translational spectroscopy measurements of the H, S(1D) and S(1S) atom products formed by photolysis at wavelengths across the range 155-120 nm. The results provide detailed insights into the energy disposal in the SH(X), SH(A) and H2 co-fragments, and the atomisation routes leading to two H atoms along with S(3P) and S(1D) atoms. Theoretical calculations allow the dynamics of all fragmentation processes, especially the bimodal internal energy distributions in the diatomic products, to be rationalised in terms of non-adiabatic transitions between potential energy surfaces of both 1A' and 1A'' symmetry. The comprehensive picture of the wavelength-dependent (or vibronic state-dependent) photofragmentation behaviour of H2S will serve as a text-book example illustrating the importance of non-Born-Oppenheimer effects in molecular photochemistry, and the findings should be incorporated in future astrochemical modelling.

Nontrivial role of polar optical phonons in limiting electron mobility of two-dimensional Ga2O3 from first-principles.

The exfoliated two-dimensional (2D) Ga2O3 opens new avenues to fine-tune the carrier and thermal transport properties for improving the electro-thermal performance of gallium oxide-based power electronics with their enhanced surface-to-volume ratios and quantum confinement. Yet, the carrier transport in 2D Ga2O3 has not been fully explored, especially considering their large Fröhlich coupling constants. Herein, we mainly investigate the electron mobility of monolayer (ML) and bilayer (BL) Ga2O3 from first-principles by adding polar optical phonon (POP) scattering. The results show that POP scattering is the dominant factor limiting the electron mobility for 2D Ga2O3, accompanied by a large 'ion-clamped' dielectric constant Δε. The value of Δε is 3.77 and 4.60 for ML and BL Ga2O3, respectively, indicating a large change in polarization in the external field. The electron mobility of 2D Ga2O3 enhances with increasing thickness despite the enhanced electron-phonon coupling strength and Fröhlich coupling constant. The predicted electron mobility for BL and ML Ga2O3 at a carrier concentration of 1.0 × 1012 cm-2 is 125.77 cm2 V-1 s-1 and 68.30 cm2 V-1 s-1 at room temperature, respectively. This work aims to unravel the scattering mechanisms beneath engineering electron mobility of 2D Ga2O3 for promising applications in high-power devices.

RNA methyltransferase BmMettl3 and BmMettl14 in silkworm (Bombyx mori) and the regulation of silkworm embryonic development.

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is a ubiquitous reversible epigenetic RNA modification that plays an important role in regulating many biological processes, especially embryonic development. However, regulation of m6A methylation during silkworm embryonic development and diapause remains to be investigated. In this study, we analyzed the phylogeny of subunits of methyltransferases BmMettl3 and BmMettl14, and detected the expression patterns of BmMettl3 and BmMettl14 in different tissues and at different developmental stages in silkworm. To investigate the function of m6A on the development of silkworm embryo, we analyzed the m6A/A ratio in diapause and diapause termination eggs. The results showed that BmMettl3 and BmMettl14 were highly expressed in gonads and eggs. Moreover, the expression of BmMettl3 and BmMettl14 and the m6A/A ratio were significantly increased in diapause termination eggs compared with diapause eggs in the early stage of silkworm embryonic development. Furthermore, in BmN cell cycle experiments, the percentage of cells in the S phase increased when lacking BmMettl3 or BmMettl14. This work contributes to understanding the role of m6A methylation during insect embryogenesis and gametogenesis. It also provides a research orientation to further analyze the role of m6A methylation in diapause initiation and termination during insect embryonic development.