Insulin family peptide members play key roles in regulating growth, metabolism, and reproduction. Bombyxin is an insulin-related peptide of the silkmoth Bombyx mori. We analyzed the full genome of B. mori and identified five novel bombyxin families, V to Z. We characterized the genomic organization and chromosomal location of the novel bombyxin family genes. In contrast to previously identified...

The insect steroid hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) acts through a specific nuclear receptor complex, ecdysone receptor (EcR) and ultraspiracle (USP). EcR and USP are FXR/LXR and RXR orthologs, respectively, which play critical roles in the regulation of lipid metabolism in mammals. Lipid concentration in Bombyx hemolymph and lipase activity in fat body peaked during molting and pupation, sugge...

We identified a cDNA encoding a putative cytosolic sulfotransferase (SULT) by searching the expressed sequence tag database of Bombyx mori, and subsequently obtained the full-length cDNA for this gene via rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE). We designated this gene bmST1, and showed by sequence analysis that it belongs to a novel SULT family. The tissue specificity of bmST1 mRNA expression ...

Tau proteins are major microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs), which promote polymerization of tubulin and determine spacings between microtubules in axons of both the central and peripheral nervous systems (CNS and PNS). Here, we cloned and identified a tau-like protein BmTau from silkworm, Bombyx mori (GenBank accession number FJ904935). The coding sequence of BmTau is 723 bases long and enco...

Three forms of recombinant protein complexes comprising the human prorenin (hPro) and (pro)renin receptor (hPRR) (hPRR/prorenin) were successfully expressed in the silkworm larvae using Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) bacmids. They were localized in the fat body cells and formed a prorenin-bound hPRR complex. The expressed levels of hPro and hPRR were similar judging from Western blott...

Oral Supplementation with 50, 100 and 150 ?g/ml calcium chloride to the fifth stadium larvae of CSR2xCSR4 biovoltine hybrid silkworm, B. mori on fat body glycogen, protein, and total lipids and haemolymph trehalose and protein have been studied. One of the four normal feeds per day was substituted with treated leaves fed to silkworms at fifth instar larvae. The controls were fed with the leaves...

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-...

Influence of magnetic field on biological system has been reported. The study reveals effect of magnetization of Bombyx mori larvae on the total protein content level in the silk gland, fat body and haemolymph of fifth instar larvae. First instar larvae were magnetized in 1000, 2000, 3000 and 4000 Gauss magnetic field for 30 minutes in a day till first moulting. Variation in the strength of mag...

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...

This study was conducted out to select a silkworm variety suitable for synnemata production of Isaria tenuipes. Four kinds of the mulberry silkworm varieties, Bombyx mori, were hybridized using a Japanese parental line and a Chinese parental line, and used to test for synemata formation in I. tenuipes. The larval period of normal silkworms was 22 hr longer than the silkworms inoculated with thi...