• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.163-167
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• 2010

[ $\alpha$ ]Glucosidase (EC 3.2.1.20) is a glycosidase that hydrolyzes disaccharides, oligosaccharides, and polysaccharides resulting in the release of α-D-glucose. In this study, $\alpha$-glucosidase activity in the hemolymph and midgut of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori and Japanese oak silkmoth Antheraea yamamai was measured using maltose, sucrose, trehalose, and p-nitrophenyl $\alpha$-D-glucopyranoside as substrates. In general, hemolymph $\alpha$-glucosidase activity was higher in B. mori than in A. yamamai. In contrast, midgut $\alpha$-glucosidase activity was higher in A. yamamai than in B. mori for all of the substrates tested. $\alpha$-Glucosidase activity in the midgut of both B. mori and A. yamamai showed similar responses to changes in pH and temperature for all of the substrates tested. Native (7.5%) PAGE of hemolymph and midgut proteins from B. mori and A. yamamai followed by staining with 4-methylumbelliferyl $\alpha$-D-glucoside (MUG) indicated that the $\alpha$-glucosidases of these related lepidopterans are functionally similar but structurally different. In comparison to $\alpha$-glucosidase activity from A. yamamai, $\alpha$-glucosidase activity from B. mori was generally less sensitive to the $\alpha$-glucosidase inhibitors, 1-deoxynojirimycin (DNJ), acarbose, and voglibose when the activity was determined using maltose, sucrose, and trehalose.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.205-211
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• 2002

Previously, genetic relationships among 321 silkworm races preserved in the Department of Sericulture and Entomology, NIAST, RDA were studied using six isozymes comprising 20 loci. As a part of additional studies, three additional isozymes with 7 loci [phos-phoglucomutase (PGM), glucose phosphate isomerase (GPI), malete dehydrogenase (MDH)] from hemolymphs, midgets, and eggs were employed to reevaluate the previous dendrogram (UPGMA method). Although the current study supported the recognition of the previously identified major groups, some minor changes were apparent among the selected 47 forms. The current study showed that the polymorphic loci of GPI from eggs and MDH from hemolymph appear to be responsible characters for generating a new major group in the genetic relationship. Interpreting the data with current additive isozymes may represent more robust genetic relatioships among 321 silkworm races preserved in Korea, until further evidence is available.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.233-237
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• 2005

In order to investigate the feasibility of 30K protein from silkworm (Bombyx mori) hemolymph (SH) on the proliferation of human cells, a simple separating procedure by anion-exchange chromatography system with Q-Sepharose fast flow gel was established. The 30K protein was eluted with an optimized condition of 0.16 M sodium chloride in 20 mM tris buffer (pH 9.0). The separated 30K protein at three concentrations of 0.04, 0.12, and 0.4 mg/ml was added to the culture medium with various human cells, such as chondrocytes, periosteum-derived cells, and MRC-5 cells, and their growth rates were measured. The cell growth rate at protein concentration of 0.4 mg/ml was always higher than that without 30K protein in all human cells tested, suggesting that the 30K protein has positive effect on the increase of the life span of human cells.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.1-31
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• 1984

Flacherie, as one of the most prevalent silkworm diseases, causes severe economic damage to sericultural industry and its pathogens have been proved to be flacherie virus (FV) and densonucleosis virus (DNV). Multiplications of the viruses in the larvae of the silkworm, Bombyx mori, were studied by the sucrose density gradient centrifugation and electron microscopy. The quantitative and qualitative changes of nucleic acids and proteins were investigated from the midgut and hemolymph in the silkworm larvae infected separately with FV and DNV. The histopathological changes of epithelial cells of infected midgut also were examined by an electron microscope. 1. Purified fractions of FV or DNV in a sucrose density gradient centrifugation yielded one homogenous and sharp peak without a shoulder, suggesting no heterogenous materials in the preparation. Electron microscopy also revealed that FV and DNV were spherical particles, 27nm and 21nm in diameter, respectively. 2. Silkworm larvae showed a decrease in body weight on the 6th day and in midgut weight on the 3rd day after inoculation with FV or DNV. 3. DNA content was higher in the midgut when infected with FV or DNV, but the hemolymph of the infected larvae showed no difference during first 6 days after inoculation, after which DNA concentration declined rapidly. 4. RNA synthesis of silkworm larvae infected separately with FV and DNV was stimulated in the midgut, but RNA content was reduced in the hemolymph at the early stage of virus multiplication. At the late stage of virus multiplication, however, it was extremely reduced in both midgut and hemolymph. 5. The concentration of protein in the midgut and hemolymph of silkworm larvae infected separately with FV and DNV showed no difference from that of the healthy larvae at the early stage of virus multiplication, but it was significantly reduced at the late stage of virus multiplication. 6. There was no difference in the electrophoretic patterns of RNAs extracted from the midgut of healthy or virus-infected larvae. 7. The electrophoresis of proteins extracted from the midgut infected with FV or DNV, when carried out on the 1st and 5th day after virus inoculation, showed no difference from that of the healthy larvae. But, there was an additional band with medium motility in the proteins on the 8th day after virus inoculation, while a band with low mobility shown in the proteins of healthy larvae disappeared in the infected larvae. However, a band with high mobility in the healthy larvae was separated into two fractions in the infected larvae. 8. The electrophoretic pattern of hemolymph proteins of the silkworm larvae infected separately with FV and DNV was similar to that of the healthy larvae, but the concentration of hemolymph proteins in the infected larvae was lower than that of the healthy larvae at the late stage. 9. Two types of inclusion bodies were shown by the double staining of pyronin-methyl green in the columnar cell of the midgut on the 8th day after FV inoculation. 10. Electron microscopy of the infected midgut revealed that the 'cytoplasmic wall' of the goblet cell thickened on the 5th day after FV inoculation and several types of the cytopathogenic structures, such as virus$.$specific vesicles, virus particles, linear structures, tubular structures, and high electron-dense matrices were observed in the cytoplasm of the goblet cell. The virus particles were also observed in the microvilli and the structures similar to spherical virus particles were observed around the virus-specific vesicles, suggesting the virus assembly in the cytoplasm. 11. Fluorescence micrograph of the infected midgut stained with acridine orange showed that the nucleus, the site of DNV multiplication in the columnar cell, enlarged on the 5th day after virus inoculation. 12. Electron microscopic examination of DNV infected midgut revealed that the nucleolus of the columnar cell was broken into granules and those granules dispersed into apical region of the nucleus on the 5th day after virus inoculation. On the 8th day after inoculation, it was also observed that the nucleus of the columnar cell was full with the high electron-dense virogenic stroma which were similar to virus particles. These facts suggest that the virogenic stroma were the sites of virus assembly in the process of DNV multiplication.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.76-82
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• 2003

An increased understanding of apoptosis makes anti-apoptosis engineering possible, which is an approach used to inhibit apoptosis for the purpose of therapeutic, or industrial applications in the treatment of the diseases associated with increased apoptosis, or to improve the productivity of animal cell cultures, respectively. Some known anti-apoptosis proteins are the Bcl-2 family, IAP (inhibitor of apoptosis) and Hsps (heat shock proteins), with which anti-apoptosis engineering has progressed. This article reviews anti-apoptosis engineering using known anti-apoptosis compounds, and introduces a 30 K protein, isolated from silkworm hemolymph, as a novel anti-apoptotic protein, that Shows no homology with other known anti-apoptotic proteins. The regulation of apoptosis, using anti-apoptotic proteins and genes originating from the silkworm, Bombyx mori, may provide a new strategy in this field.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.146-149
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• 2000

Biologically active porcine Interleukin-2(poIL-2) was produced from in vitro and in viva baculovirus expression system, namely the Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus (ACNPV)-cell culture system and the Hybrid nucler polthedrosis virus (HyNPV)-sillkworm larva system. The concentration of the recombinant poIL-2(rpoIL-2) in the larvae hemolymph was 1 to 3 mg/mL, which was about 7 to 20 times those of the cell culture systems. The level of this expression efficiency is equal to that with transgenic livestock, secretion products in milk.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Entomolohy Conference
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• 2001.05a
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• pp.103-103
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• 2001

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2005.10a
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• pp.198-198
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• 2005

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Sericultural Science Conference
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• 2000.10a
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• pp.101-101
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• 2000

No Abstract.See Full-text

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.95-99
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• 2018

In insect defense system, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are one of important biological molecules to survive in a variety of environments. Insect can synthesize AMPs to protect against invading pathogens in humoral immune response. Taking more advantage of biological antimicrobial molecules, we report antibacterial activity of two cecropin type peptides, cecropin and moricin, isolated from the silkworm against four salmonella species. In this work, we purified antimicrobial candidate peptides (AMCP) from the extracts of immune challenged silkworm larval hemolymph by two-step chromatographic purification procedure, cation exchange and gel permeation chromatography. The molecular weights of purified peptides were estimated to be about 4 ~ 5 kDa by Tricin SDS-PAGE analysis, and identified as silkworm cecropin and moricin by NCBI BLAST homology search with their N-terminal amino acid sequences. As antibacterial activity assay, the purified peptides showed stronger antibacterial activity against Salmonella pathogens with an MIC value of $1{\sim}4{\mu}g/mL$. Therefore two cecropin type peptides purified from the silkworm will be valuable potential materials for development of new natural antibiotics.