• 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.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.

• 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.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.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.79-85
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• 1997

Bombyx mori, silkworm powder has been studied for blood-glucose lowering activity by National Sericulture & Entomology Research Institute(NSERI) and Kyung Hee University group in 1995. To obtain the optimum preparative condition of silkworm powder for lowering blood-glucose levels in postprandial time, blood-glucose lowering activity of mulberry & silkworm varieties were examined. In mulberry varieties, Samkwangjam showed the highest activity. Activity for lowering blood-glucose levels of autumn rearing silkworm was higher than that of spring silkworm and hybrid silkworm showed higher activity than that of parent silkworm. In the silkworm lines, Chinese lines showed higher activity than that of Japanese lines. In experiments to see the difference in blood-glucose lowering activity between either male and female or larvae and pupae, activity of larvae was higher than that of pupae and the male was higher than female. The heating dry and artificial diet showed lower than mulberry diet and normal freeze dry of the 5th instar 3rd day. Among the sericultural products, larvae showed the highest activity.

• 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.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.

• 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.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.119-122
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• 2001

Whether Bombyx mori nuclear polyhedrosis virus (BmNPV) can be transmitted to offspring, has been a noticeable question for a long time. When fifth instar larvae of the silkworm were orally inoculated with BmNPV dot hybridization and PCR amplification analysis demonstrated that BmNPV was not detected in the eggs laid by BmNPV productively infected female moths. The results indicated that BmNPV could not be transovarially transmitted.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.14 no.2
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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.