Knock down of target genes by RNA interference in the embryos of lepidopteran insect, Bombyx mori

RNA interference (RNAi) is a technique used for posttranscriptional gene silencing, but lepidopteran insects are not sensitive to RNAi. Here, we present a protocol for knocking down the expression level of target genes by RNAi in Bombyx mori embryos. We describe the preparation of double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs) of target genes, followed by microinjection of embryos at different developmental stages, with single or mixed dsRNA. Finally, we use RT-qPCR to verify RNAi efficiency. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Xu et al. (2021).