Abstract: Objective  To observe the effects of rsa gene on embryonic development and egg hatching of mbk-2 mutant C. elegans by using Caenorhabditis elegans(C.elegans) as a model organism, and the role and mechanism of mbk-2 in embryonic development were preliminarily discussed. 
Methods  RNAi technology was used to directionally interfere with the expression of rsa gene in mbk-2 mutant C. elegans. The egg hatching level and embryonic development of nematode after rsa silencing were analyzed to detect the changes in the growth and reproductive capacity of C. elegans. 
Results  Compared with mbk-2 gene mutation group fed with L4440, the hatchability of eggs in mbk-2 gene mutation group treated with rsa-1 and rsa-2 RNAi bacteria increased significantly, reaching 41.8% and 49.2%(P＜0.05), and rsa-2 treatment group was significantly higher than rsa-1 group(P＜0.05). The hatchability of eggs of N2 wild-type C. elegans treated by rsa-1 and rsa-2 RNAi bacteria was 3.9% and 5.7% respectively, which was significantly lower than that of mbk-2 mutant C. elegans treated by rsa-1 and rsa-2 RNAi bacteria(P＜0.05). rsa-2 RNAi treatment of mbk-2 mutant C. elegans significantly increased abnormal embryonic development. 
Conclusion  mbk-2 is an important factor in C. elegans development, rsa is an important modification gene of mbk-2, and the two interact to regulate C. elegans embryo development and egg hatching.

Key words: embryonic and fetal development, nematoda, genes