Small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) modification (SUMOylation) is an important and widely used reversible modification system in eukaryotic cells. It regulates various cell processes, including protein targeting, transcriptional regulation, signal transduction, and cell division. To understand its role in the model lepidoptera insect Bombyx mori, a recombinant baculovirus was constructed to ex...

The domesticated silkworm, Bombyx mori Linn., a lepidopteran molecular model and an important economic insect that are emerging as an ideal molecular genetic resource for solving a broad range of biological problems. The silkworm, B. mori produces massive amount of silk proteins during the final stage of larval development. These proteins are stored in the middle silk gland and they are dischar...

The minichromosome maintenance protein (MCM) family is involved in the regulatory role of DNA replication in eukaryotic organisms. A cDNA encoding of an MCM of the silkworm, Bombyx mori L. (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae), was cloned by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and sequenced. The resultant amino acid sequence and phylogenetic analysis revealed high identity to MCM, and ...

topical application with 100, 200 and 300 ng/ml phytohormone salicyclic acid on commercial traits was analysed in bivoltine csr2, csr4 and csr2xcsr4 crossbreed races of the silkworm, bombyx mori l. the results showed that there was significant increase in larval weight female cocoon weight, male cocoon shell weight, and hatching percentage with 100 and 200 ng/ml, silkgland weight, female cocoon...

A quarter of a century has passed since bombyxin, the first insulin-like peptide identified in insects, was discovered in the silkmoth Bombyx mori. During these years, bombyxin has been studied for its structure, genes, distribution, hemolymph titers, secretion control, as well as physiological functions, thereby stimulating a wide range of studies on insulin-like peptides in other insects. Mor...

The silkworm is the larva or caterpillar of the domesticated silkmoth, Bombyx mori and being a primary producer of silk is an economically important insect. These days the silk is emerging as a resource for solving a broad range of biological problems. The silk (Abresham) is popularly known as Abresham muqriz (muqriz means cut) in Unani medicine. Its cocoons are extensively used as an ingredien...

The impact of PGF2? on total proteins, free amino acids and the amino transferases in the gonads of silkworm, Bombyx mori L. were investigated in the present experiment. The effect of PGF2? resulted in increase in the total protein and free amino acid contents in the gonads of silkworm larvae indicating improved structural and dynamic levels of organization. The enhanced activity levels of amin...

There are few powerful techniques available to transfect insect tissues. We previously used biolistics to transfect Bombyx mori embryos, and larval and pupal tissues (Thomas J-L et al. 2001. Journal of Insect Science 1/9, Kravariti L et al. 2001. Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 31: 473-479). As the main limitation was the irregularity in results we explored electroporation as an alter...

Several organophosphorus (OP) insecticides can selectively kill the silkworm maggot, Exorista sorbillans (Es) (Diptera: Tachinidae), while not obviously affecting the host (Bombyx mori) larvae, but the mechanism is not yet clear. In this study, the cDNA encoding an acetylcholinesterase (AChE) from the field Es was isolated. One point mutation (Gly353Ala) was identified. The Es-353G AChE and Es-...