Doublesex-mediated regulation of insulin signaling drives sex-specific body growth

Abstract

Most animals develop sex-biased body sizes driven by sexually divergent plasticity in nutrient-dependent growth. Prior work in Drosophila, implicated the sex-determination gene transformer (tra) in regulation of sex differences in body size. However, tra does not widely mediate sex determination across insects. Thus, the unifying molecular pathway governing female-biased sexual size dimorphism (SSD) remains poorly established in non-drosophilid insects. The rice stem borer Chilo suppressalis, a devastating lepidopteran crop pest, exhibits a robust SSD, offering an ideal system to dissect underlying mechanisms. We report that female-specific splice forms of the sex-determining gene doublesex (Csdsx) are master regulators of female-biased growth. Disruption of the female-specific Csdsx exon 3 via CRISPR knockout or RNA interference drastically reduces female body size and completely erases the SSD. Csilp2, encoding a key insulin-like peptide (ILP2), is selectively upregulated in late-instar female larvae, and female CsDsx proteins directly bind and activate the Csilp2 promoter to boost transcription. Loss-of-function of Csilp2 eliminates the SSD by suppressing female somatic overgrowth. Our results identify a novel regulatory cascade: female-specific Dsx directly stimulates insulin signaling via Csilp2, bridging core sex-determination circuitry and nutrient-dependent body growth control. SignificanceSexual size dimorphism (SSD), widespread across insects with larger females, strongly shapes reproductive fitness. Yet reports on the molecular connection between sex determination and dimorphic growth are scarce. Using a major agricultural pest, the rice stem borer with a prominent female-biased SSD, we show that female-specific Doublesex (dsx) splice variants directly activate the promoter of Insulin-like peptide 2 in late larvae to trigger increased growth. Knocking out either gene in females abolishes the SSD. Our findings thus establish dsx as a novel link connecting sex-determination, insulin signaling and nutrient-dependent body growth.