Production of the Eggs with Abnormal Shape from the Domestic Silkworm, Bombyx mori, Infected with Autographa californica Nuclear Polyhedrosis Virus

The female pupae of the silkworms Bombyx mori, were injected with recombinant Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus (AcNPV) expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP) by percutaneous inoculation. When the 4 day-old female pupae were injected with 1x10$^{7}$ or 2${\times}$10$^{7}$ plaque forming units (pfu) of the recombinant AcNPV, oviposited number and egg weight were significantly decreased. Furthermore, the shape of the eggs was obviously divides into normal and abnormal shapes. The percentage of the eggs with an abnormal shape was 7.8% and 57.1% at 1${\times}$10$^{7}$ and 2${\times}$10$^{7}$ pfu inoculation, respectively. PCR analysis of the genomic DNA extracted from the eggs revealed that gfp and AcNPV ecdysteroid UDP-glucosyltransferase genes were amplified from both types of eggs with normal and abnormal shapes. The results demonstrate that AcNPV DNA, and gfp gene cloned into the AcNPV genome, injected in pupal stage were transmitted to eggs and remained stable through at least next generation.