• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• 제11권2호
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• pp.107-111
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• 2005

Impact of microsporidian infection and season on reproductive potential of Bombyx mori L. was investigated in the laboratory. Microsporidian infection significantly (P<0.01) reduced fecundity and hatching and increased sterility and mortality of eggs. Among the microsporidia, Nosema sp. 2 infected silkworm produced eggs with least fecundity and hatching percent as well as highest dead and sterile eggs followed by Nosema sp. 1 and N. bombycis. Microsporidia, in general, significantly reduced fecundity and hatching percent of eggs and increased number of dead and sterile eggs in all the three seasons except N. bombycis in July - August (S3) and Nosema sp. 2 in January February (S1). Since, seed production is the anchor sheet of mulberry sericulture, coefficient of egg lying is considered as an important aspect and the industry quite often facing shortage of disease free layings. The present study indicates that B. mori is more susceptible to microsporidia during S2 followed by S3 and S1 and Nosema sp2. is most virulent followed by Nosema spl. and N. bombycis.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• 제18권2호
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• pp.83-89
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• 2009

Multiplication and spore production of three microsporidia(Nosema bombycis, Nosema sp. 1 and Nosema sp. 2) in selected tissues of pupa and adult of silkworm, Bombyx mori L. were studied in two seasons (SI, SII) with distinct temperature (SI: $20.1{\pm}0.8^{\circ}C$ and SII: $25.1{\pm}0.7^{\circ}C$) regimes. Multiplication of the microsporidia followed a logistic pattern with a lag phase, an exponential phase and a stationary phase. In SII, spore production was significantly (P<0.01) higher in various tissues. Highest spore production was observed 30 days post inoculation (p.i.) in SI and in SII, it was $21{\sim}23$ days p.i. Spore production was significantly (P<0.01) higher in the gut tissues than other tissues. Nosema sp. 2 registered significantly (P<0.01) higher spore production in both the seasons compared to Nosema bombycis and Nosema sp. 1. Results indicate that the multiplication and spore production of microsporidia are tissue specific and extremely sensitive to the temperature at which the host is reared. Through this study, the precise day that the spore numbers of the microsporidia are maximized can be predicted in both pupa and adult in case the infection is initiated in the first instar.

• 한국잠사곤충학회지
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• 제40권1호
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• pp.27-32
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• 1998

One indigenous polyvoltine strain (Nistari) and two bivoltine strains viz. P5 and NB18 along with one bivoltine hybrid (P5$\times$NB18) were subjected for studies on the differences on some physiologically important biomolecules like protein, nucleic acids and cholesterol. Ovarian protein and RNA content remained significantly high in the bivoltine races and their hybrid over multivoltine breed, while, DNA and cholesterol content remained significantly low in all the breeds and the hybrid as compared to Nistari strain. However, the ovarian weight was higher in both the bivoltine breeds and their hybrid than that of Nistari. Higher ovarian weight together with more protein and RNA concentrations reflect the preparatory phase for production of diapausing eggs by the bivoltine silknoths and their hybrid. The variations in biochemical parameters studied herein, thus establish a distinct difference in the overt reproductive physioiogy between multivoltine and bivoltine silkworms.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• 제31권2호
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• pp.115-126
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• 2015

The tropical climate prevailing in India adversely affects temperate bivoltine silkworm rearing and causes crop loss especially during summer. Identification of high temperature tolerant bivoltine breeds by screening for thermotolerance in the silkworm, Bombyx mori (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae) is an essential prerequisite for the development of thermotolerant bivoltine breeds / hybrids. Therefore, in this study, 20 silkworm breeds were reared at different temperatures (25 ± 1℃,32 ± 1℃, 34 ± 1℃ and 36 ± 1℃) for 6 h every day from 3^rd d of 5^th instar to till spinning. Significant differences (p < 0.01) were found among all the rearing traits over temperature. Based on pupation percentage, SK4C and BHR3 were identified as thermotolerant bivoltine breeds. Hierarchical clustering analysis based on rearing traits at tested temperatures grouped 20 silkworm breeds in four clusters which included one cluster each of susceptible and tolerant, and two clusters of moderately tolerant silkworm breeds. This suggests that clustering based on rearing data at high temperatures by using Euclidean distance can be an effective approach in classifying the silkworm breeds on their thermotolerance capacity. The identified breeds would be used for development of thermo tolerant bivoltine silkworm breeds / hybrids.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• 제17권1호
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• pp.157-163
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• 2008

Infection of pathogenic microsporidia, Nosema bombycis and Nosema mylitta (Chakrabarti and Manna, 2006) decreased egg production, fecundity, hatching % and increased sterile eggs in heavily infected mulberry silkmoth, Bombyx mori L. On an average a disease free moth laid upto 442.67 eggs with high hatching % (99.53) and less sterile eggs ($0.47{\sim}2.00%$). While an infected moth laid less number of eggs ($7.00{\sim}412.00$) with low hatching % ($32.437{\sim}98.643$) and high sterile eggs ($2.143{\sim}129.571$). Fecundity of disease free laying was highest (468.714) during season-1 then gradually decreased during season- 2 (414.000) to season- 3 (404.285). But fecundity of an infected laying was highest during season-2 and hatched eggs were lowest during season-2. Higher inoculums concentration of N. mylitta infected to 5th stage larva of mulberry silkworm drastically decreased the fecundity in season - 3 and lower inoculums concentration of N. bombycis decreased the fecundity in season-1 and 3. Season-3 was most effective season to decrease the fecundity and increase sterile eggs when both temperature and humidity were fluctuated from the optimum level.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• 제5권1호
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• pp.1-12
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• 2002

Ecophysiologically diapause represents a syndrome of physiological and biochemical characteristics, all of which ensure survival during a long period of dormancy. Since, silkworm enters diapause as embryo at the early embryonic stage, the duration of egg life depends on the duration of embryonic diapause. The nature of diapause in silkworm, Bombyx mori, is primarily determined by genetic characters and endocrinologicnl mechanisms, mediated by environmental factors such as temperature and photoperiod. Hibernating potency value besides nucleic acid and carbohydrate metabolism, production and utilization of sorbitol are also equally responsible for induction, initiation, determination, maintenance and termination of diapause. Embryonic diapause in Bombyx moir, induced by active secretion of sub-oesophageal ganglion is attributed to hormonal system and metabolic adjustment, which serves to bring about a new physiological state. Metabolic conversion of trehalose to glycogen at induction, glycogen to sorbitol at initiation and sorbitol to glycogen at termination of diapause is correlated and in each metabolic shift a key enzyme becomes active in response to hormonal and environmental stimulation. An attempt has been made in this review article to discuss briefly the nature of embryonic diapause, influence of various factors on diapause nature, hormonal mechanism of diapause besides biochemical composition of egg, nucleic acid and carbohydrate metabolism, production and utilization of sorbitol in relation to induction, determination, maintenance, initiation and termination of diapause in the silkworm, Bombyx mori.

• 한국응용곤충학회지
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• 제32권4호
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• pp.420-425
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• 1993

멧누에나방(Bombyx mandarina) 난각유전자의 형질발현기구를 규명하기 위한 연구의 일환으로 각형성과정에 있어서 난각단백질의 합성과정을 분석하였다. 난각단백질의 합성과정을 여포세포의 기난관배양에 의한 in vitro합성계에 의하여 분석한 결과, 합성과정은 8단계로 나눌 수 있었으며 SDS-PAGE 분석에 의해 17개 이상의 단백질 band로 분리되었다. 멧누에 난각단백질은 합성시기에 따라 3단계로 구분되며 초기에는 비교적 고분자 성분이, 합성의 중후기에는 비교적 저분자성분이 합성되는 등 난각단백질의 합성은 시기특이적으로 조절되었다.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• 제25권1호
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• pp.111-114
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• 2012

In previous studies we have shown that a sw17255 gene was expressed in hemocyte-specific tissues of the silkworm, Bombyx mori L. (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae). It was verified that the sw17255 core promoter region contains elements that regulate the expression of this gene in hemocyte tissue; the selected promoter region spans nucleotides -1 to -2,112 upstream of the start codon. Each of the luciferase reporter gene expression vectors under the control of 4 different kinds of promoter candidates, (-2,112/-1), (-1,640/-1), (-1,169/-1) and (-579/-1), and the control reporter plasmid DNA, were introduced into B. mori larval coelom by direct injection using a syringe. The promoter candidate [E] (-579/-1) showed more than 1.67 fold transcriptional activity compared to control promoter activity. Higher productivity of an expressed gene in the transgenic silkworm by this promoter combination could be achieved in the near future. The foreign recombinant protein could be easily harvested from the blood of the transgenic silkworm.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• 제14권2호
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• pp.81-85
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• 2007

White Muscardine is the most common fungal disease of silkworm, Bombyx mori L. caused by the pathogenic fungus, Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin. In the present investigation, an attempt has been made to screen locally available medicinal/ weed plants against Beauveria bassiana. Among the plant extracts (PE) tested, 5% aqueous crude extract of the bulb of Allium sativum (Garlic) has been found to be most effective against Beauveria bassiana. The radial growth of Beauveria bassiana in vitro was inhibited to the tune of 54.9% in aqueous extract and 54.4% in ethanolic extract of Allium sativum and correspondingly mycelial dry weight gave rise to 110.7 mg and 108.7 mg against 201.7 mg in control 15 days post treatment. Similarly, silkworm larvae topically inoculated with the Beauveria bassiana conidia ($1.8{\times}10^6/ml$) registered survival up to 53.0% against 0.0% in control after treatment with aqueous extract of Allium sativum. Simultaneously, as a preventive measure, silkworm larvae were put to rear in conidia contaminated seat paper instantly treated with aqueous extract of Allium sativum that also increased survival up to 61.0% against 4.6% in control. It is also observed that the plant extract is absolutely innocuous to silkworm.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• 제43권2호
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• pp.37-44
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• 2021

Mulberry silkworm is classified into uni, bi and multivoltine based on the frequency of diapause incidence. The variation in the incidence of diapause in bivoltine silkworm provides a unique opportunity to study the process of evolution of adaptive plasticity towards seasonal variations. The diapause expression in bivoltine silkworm is highly variable and is determined by environmental factors experienced by the maternal generation. Diapause in natural populations is functionally associated with the overwintering mechanism that facilitates survival in harsh winter conditions. In contrast, under standard commercial rearing conditions, the domesticated bivoltine silkworm is known to enter diapause in every generation. This paper presents a short review of the literature dealing with the role of temperature, photoperiod, diapause hormone and its receptor in diapause induction. Also, we briefly review the incidence of non-diapause eggs in bivoltine silkworm under controlled conditions.