• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.105-110
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• 1998

The baculovirus egt gene encodes an ecdysteroid UDP-glucosyltransferase(EGT) which catalyzes the transfer of glucose from UDP-glucose to the insect moltion hormone ecdysteroid resulting in a functionally inactive ecdysteroid. In baculovirus-infected insect larvae, EGT has been shown block molting and pupation. In this study, we compared the development of 4th and 5th instar silkworm, Bombyx mori, larvae injected with either wild-type bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) or a mutant BmNPV(BmEGTZ) in which the egt gene was disrupted by the insertion of a lacZ gene cassette. Larvae injected with BmEGTZ died roughly 12 h more rapidly compared to indentical larvae infected with BmNPV. In addition, BmEGTZ- infected larvae prematurely stopped feeding and gain less weight compared to BmNPV-infected larvae. In order to investigate why BmEGTZ-infected larvae died more rapidly than BmNPV-infected larvae, the array of hemolymph proteins in BmEGTZ-or BmNPV-infected larvae were analyzed by SDS-PAGE. The hemolymph of BmEGTZ-infected larvae showed virus-specific proteins, including polyhedrin, about 12 h earlier than the hemolymph of BmNPV-infected larvae

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.149-153
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• 2001

The influence of baculovirus Bombyx mori Nuclear Polyhedrosis virus (BmNPV) infection on intermediary metabolic pathways in silkworm Bombyx mori L. was investigated. Studies revealed that NADP-linked malate dehydrogenase activity in hemolymph of infected silkworms at 96 hrs post infection (p.i.) with visible symptoms of infection was enhanced in comparison to healthy larvae of the same age. Also, NADP-dependent MDH activity was significantly lower in fat body cytosol of infected larvae at 96 hrs p.i. when compared to healthy larvae. Similarly, some biometabolic parameters like growth, protein content and cholesterol titer were observed to be influenced by baculovirus infection. While the growth of infected larvae was significantly retardedi protein content was also drastically reduced in both hemolymph and fat body tissues. Cholesterol titers however, was enhanced in infected larvae. The results observed herein point to a significant change in the normal biochemical and biometabolic pathways required for growth and development following BmNPV infection.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.35-38
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• 2007

In this study, ORF 46 of Bombyx mod nucleopolyhedrovirus(Bm46) fused with EGFP was expressed in Bombyx mod cell lines, larvae and pupae by BmNPV Bacmid system. Bm46 and EGFP were cloned into donor plasmid pFastBacHTb, which was transformed to competent DH10B cells containing helper and BmNPV bacmid by site-specific transposition. Recombinant bacmid was used to transfected BmN-4 cells to produce the recombinant baculovirus vBm-Bm46-EGFP. Recombination virus was injected into silkworm larvae and pupae. The expression of the fusion protein was monitored by examining green fluorescence using a fluorescent microscope. Intense fluorescence in cells and silkworm was observed at 4 days post-infection, indicating the Bm46-EGFP fusion gene was expressed successfully.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.9-16
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• 2007

The present study was aimed to screen different antibiotics in vivo for their effects against the bacterium Bacillus coagulans in silkworm Bombyx mori in three experimental conditions viz., a) healthy larvae treated with the antibiotics b) larvae which were first inoculated with Bacillus coagulans immediately after the $2^{nd}$ moult and treated with the antibiotics from 24 hour after inoculation up to the end of the $5^{th}$ instar(pre-inoculated larvae) and c) larvae which were treated with the antibiotics right from hatching up to the end of the $5^{th}$ instar and inoculated with Bacillus coagulans immediately after the $2^{nd}$ moult(post-inoculated larvae). All the antibiotics used in this study stimulated better performance in improving the rearing performance and economic characters of the cocoons in healthy, pre-inoculated and post-inoculated larvae, besides reducing the mortality of infected larvae. Cephelexin and Tetracycline were more effective than the others in their overall performance under all the three experimental conditions. Chloramphenical caused greater increase in the length of the reelable silk filament, but was not as good in elevating the other parameters compared to the remaining antibiotics. Of the four concentrations of antibiotics tested, 2.0% performed better under all the three experimental conditions.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.179-181
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• 2003

$F(ab`)_2$-ELISA and direct antigen coating-ELISA (DAC-ELISA) were evaluated in the detection of purified Bombyx mori nuclear polyhedrosis virus (BmNPV) and nuclear polyhedrosis virus infection in silkworm larvae inoculated with BmNPV polyhedra. Although nanogram levels of BmNPV was detected in both DAC- and $F(ab`)_2$-ELISA, similar concentrations of antigen was detected in case of F(ab’)$_2$-ELISA even at higher dilution of antibody (up to 1 : 20 K). One hundred percent nuclear polyhedrosis infection was detected 6 hrs after inoculation in BmNPV infected silkworm larvae by $F(ab`)_2$-ELISA. On the other hand, detection of 100% infection was observed only three days after inoculation in DAC-ELISA. In this study, it was observed $F(ab`)_2$-ELISA was more sensitive than DAC-ELISA in the detection of purified BmNPV as well as nuclear polyhedrosis infection in silkworm larvae.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.279-284
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• 2002

Flacherie symptom was found in the fifth instar larvae of silkworm, Bombyx mori. The bacterial pathogen was isolated from the hemolymph of the infected silkworm and identified. The isolated bacteria caused a significant flacherie pathogenicity to the fifth instar larvae of B. mori when $5{\times}10^{6}$ cfu (colony-forming unit) of the bacteria was injected into each larva. The infected larvae began to die at 6 days after injection and resulted in complete mortality at 10 days. The bacterium was identified as Staphylococcus gallinarum based on the morphological and physiological characteristics described in Bergey's manual. This identification was further supported by the characters of carbohydrate utility analyzed from a bacterial identification system ($MicroLog^{\circledR}$) and also by the molecular structure of 165-23S rDNA internal transcribed spaces. As an insecticidal action, S. gallinarum caused hemolymph septicemia by its cytotoxic effect on the hemocytes of B. mori.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.63-68
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• 2007

The response of silkworm, Bombyx mori L. to phytoecdysteroid (PE) when administered at different ages of $5^{th}$ instar was studied in the popular bivoltine ($CSR2{\times}CSR4$) and multi${\times}$bivoltine ($PM{\times}CSR2$) silkworm hybrids, reared on the Victory-1 variety of mulberry leaves. PE was administered to $5^{th}$ instar silkworm per os at a rate of $250{\mu}g$ per 100 larvae to different batches of silkworm at 0, 24, 48, 72, 96, 120, 144 hrs and at the onset of cocoon spinning when a few larvae were ripe. The larval and mounting duration, cocoon yield and cocoon characters were influenced by PE. The intensity of influence was dependent on the time of application. The larvae treated at the beginning of the instar, improved the economic traits significantly with a marginal increase in larval duration. In the larvae treated at the middle of the instar, larval duration was shortened remarkably but the economic traits were adversely affected. This particular treatment can become a good management strategy in the case of mulberry leaf shortage or disease incidence. In the larvae treated at the onset of cocoon spinning, the mounting duration was substantially reduced without much effect on the cocoon traits which would be a big benefit in commercial sericulture. The physiological significance of varied response of silkworm to PE administration is discussed.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.121-126
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• 1995

The effects of oral application of fenoxycarb, the commercial formulation Insegar, to the selected developmental stages of the silkworm, Bombyx mori, was investigated. An oral application of the chemical to the silkworm from the 2nd- to the 5th-instar larvae delayed the larval development upto more than 40 days and increased the larval body weight in the range of 1.1 to 1.7 folds. When the chemical was orally applied to the final instar larvae, spinning and pupation were prevented, and consequently permanent larvae occurred. The weight of a cocoon and its shell of silkworm(bombyx, mori, L) increased following the application of fenoxycarb to the 2nd- and the 3rd-instar larvae.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.243-248
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• 1995

In order to isolate naturally occurring novel Bacillus thuringiensis strains, we investigated the distribution of B. thuringiensis from granary which exist in Kyong-gi province, Korea. A total of 146 strains of B. thuringiensis producing spore and crystal wre isolated. The toxicity of B. thuringiensis isolates was examined against lepidopteran larvae (Bombyx mori), dipteran larvae (Culex pipiens) and coleopteran larvae (Sitophilus oryzae.), respectively. The results showed that a large number of B. thuringiensis isolates from granary dusts were isolated and most isolates wer toxic to lepidopterous larvae. Also, non-toxic B. thuringiensis isolate was common. In order to isolate many B. thuringiensis, therefore, it suggested that granary is favorable locality.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.119-122
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• 2006

As the Selenium is known to be growth promoter in sheep and cattle, the efficacy of selenium has been tested in silkworm Bombyx mori L. The V instar larvae were fed with lethal and sub-lethal doses of selenium treated leaves. The larvae fed with lethal dose showed a significant decrease in growth and Cocoon commercial characters. The treatment with sub lethal dose exhibited a significant increase in the growth of the silkworm. Correspondingly, the cocoon commercial characters on exposure to the lethal dose showed significant decrease and sub lethal dose showed a significant increase. In the light of similar findings reported earlier in other cocoon crops and vertebrates, it can be inferred that selenium at lower doses acts as a growth stimulator, resulting in the higher yield of cocoon crop.