二化性家蚕品种一代杂交种在印度的饲养

2003～2004年在印度南部的50家农户进行了4次二化性家蚕品种农村试养,结果表明:供试品种生长发育经过较印度二化性家蚕品种慢,茧丝质优于印度对照种,适应性、抗逆性整体表现较印度对照种弱。由于气候、饲养技术、叶质等的差异,与其在国内的饲养相比,印度饲养试验中供试品种的各项性能指标均偏低,生产能力达不到国内水平。印度南部适宜饲养二化性家蚕的季节为9月至翌年的3月,进入4月后,不宜饲养二化性家蚕品种。     

Identification and association of ISSR markers for thermal stress in polyvoltine silkworm Bombyx mori

Evaluation of genetic resources is an essential prerequisite for their effective utilization. In India, the tropical climate prevails in most of the sericultural belts, where temperature goes beyond the ambient during summer, adversely affecting the silkworm rearing. Although polyvoltine silkworms are poor in silk content, they are mostly tolerant to tropical conditions and diseases. With an aim to identify potential silkworm races/breeds specific to thermo-tolerance for their effective utilization in breeding programme, 15 selected polyvoltine silkworm races were studied for their thermo-tolerance behaviour. Their genomic DNA samples were analyzed for ISSR-PCR using 15 selected primers. The UPGMA analysis based on Nei and Li algorithm has clustered the 15 silkworm races into five groups and one isolate. ALSCAL-multidimensional scaling has not only supported the information generated by the dendrogram, but it has made the genetic distance among races more clear and substantiating their status in terms of thermal stress where pupation rate was taken as indicator. Further, discriminant function analysis (DFA) was done with three groups of silkworms classified for thermal stress viz. susceptible, moderately tolerant and tolerant. The canonical correlation value was estimated to be 0.987 (Wilk's lambda = 0.004; chi2 = 36.044, p < 0.05). DFA clearly discriminated the above three groups. Beta statistics with t value and its significance for the markers identified through stepwise multiple regression analysis (MRA) revealed a total of five bands (807(1300), 808(3000), 808(4000), 834(4000), and 834(3000)) showing correlation with pupation rate after thermal treatment. Out of them, marker 8083000 showed maximum and highly significant correlation (r = 0.757, p < 0.001, t = 4.182) with pupation rate among the silkworm races. The identified putative markers are being used to develop DNA marker to be used in evolving thermo-tolerant silkworm breeds using marker assisted selection programme.     

转蜘蛛拖牵丝蛋白基因家蚕蚕丝氨基酸组成及其机械性能

将以绿色荧光蛋白基因为报告基因、含有人工合成的1.6 kb的蜘蛛拖牵丝蛋白基因及转座子pig-gyBac的转基因载体成功导入减秋无滞育家蚕受精卵,得到转蜘蛛拖牵丝蛋白基因家蚕及绿色荧光茧。对转基因家蚕与对照家蚕丝素蛋白进行了氨基酸组成分析,结果表明转基因蚕茧丝素蛋白甘氨酸和丙氨酸的百分含量分别增加了1.65%和1.80%(平均值);对其生丝的机械性能进行了测试研究,结果表明转基因蚕茧生丝的伸长率降低,断裂强度和初始模量增加,且差异均显著,与理论预期结果吻合。结果表明转基因家蚕蚕丝的机械性能一定程度上得到了提高。     

Transgenic silkworms that weave recombinant proteins into silk cocoons

As a result of breeding for more than 4,000 years, the silkworm, Bombyx mori, has acquired the ability to synthesize bulk amounts of silk proteins in its silk glands. To utilize this capacity for mass production of useful proteins, transgenic silkworms were generated that synthesized recombinant proteins in the silk gland and secreted them into the silk cocoon. The silk gland is classified into two main regions: the posterior (PSG) and the middle silk gland (MSG). By controlling the expressed regions of the recombinant protein gene in the silk gland, we were able to control the localization of the synthesized protein in the silk thread. Expression in the PSG or MSG led to localization in the insoluble fibroin core or hydrophilic outer sericin layer, respectively. This review focuses on the expression of recombinant protein in the MSG of transgenic silkworms. The recombinant protein secreted in the sericin layer is extractable from the cocoon with only a small amount of endogenous silk protein contamination by soaking the cocoon in mild aqueous solutions. The possibility of utilizing transgenic silkworms as a valuable tool for the mass production of therapeutic and industrially relevant recombinant proteins is discussed.     

Biosynthesis and cocoon-export of a recombinant globular protein in transgenic silkworms

A gene construct was made by fusing the coding sequence of the red fluorescent protein (DsRed) to the exon 2 of the fibrohexamerin gene (fhx), that encodes a subunit of fibroin, the major silk protein of the silkworm Bombyx mori. The fusion gene was inserted into a piggyBac vector to establish a series of transgenic lines. The expression of the transgene was monitored during the course of larval life and was found restricted to the posterior silk gland cells as the endogenous fhx gene, in all the selected transgenic lines. The exogenous polypeptide was secreted into the lumen of the posterior silk gland together with fibroin, and further exported with the silk proteins as a foreign constituent of the cocoon fiber. The capacity of DsRed to emit fluorescence in the air-dried silk thread led to show that the recombinant protein was distributed over the whole length of the fiber. A remarkable property of the system lies in the localization of the globular protein at the periphery of the silk thread, allowing its rapid and easy recovery in aqueous solutions, without dissolving fibroin. The procedure represents a novel and promising strategy for the production of massive recombinant proteins of biomedical and pharmaceutical interest, with reduced cost.     

Identification and association of ISSR markers for thermal stress in polyvoltine silkworm <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bombyx mori</Emphasis>

Evaluation of genetic resources is an essential prerequisite for their effective utilization. In India, the tropical climate prevails in most of the sericultural belts, where temperature goes beyond the ambient during summer, adversely affecting the silkworm rearing. Although polyvoltine silkworms are poor in silk content, they are mostly tolerant to tropical conditions and diseases. With an aim to identify potential silkworm races/breeds specific to thermotolerance for their effective utilization in breeding programme, 15 selected polyvoltine silkworm races were studied for their thermotolerance behaviour. Their genomic DNA samples were analyzed for ISSR-PCR using 15 selected primers. The UPGMA analysis based on Nei and Li algorithm has clustered the 15 silkworm races into five groups and one isolate. ALSCAL multidimensional scaling has not only supported the information generated by the dendrogram, but it has made the genetic distance among races more clear and substantiating their status in terms of thermal stress where pupation rate was taken as indicator. Further, discriminant function analysis (DFA) was done with three groups of silkworms classified for thermal stress viz. susceptible, moderately tolerant and tolerant. The canonical correlation value was estimated to be 0.987 (Wilk’s λ= 0.004; χ² = 36.044, p < 0.05). DFA clearly discriminated the above three groups. Beta statistics with t value and its significance for the markers identified through stepwise multiple regression analysis (MRA) revealed a total of five bands (807₁₃₀₀, 808₃₀₀₀, 808₄₀₀₀, 834₄₀₀₀, and 834₃₀₀₀) showing correlation with pupation rate after thermal treatment. Out of them, marker 808 3000 showed maximum and highly significant correlation (r = 0.757, p < 0.001, t = 4.182) with pupation rate among the silkworm races. The identified putative markers are being used to develop DNA marker to be used in evolving thermo-tolerant silkworm breeds using marker-assisted selection programme. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

Preparation of elastic silk sericin hydrogel

This paper reports a preparation method for silk sericin hydrogel using the Sericin-hope silkworm, whose cocoons consist almost exclusively of sericin. Sericin solution, prepared from Sericin-hope cocoons, contains intact sericin and forms elastic hydrogels with the addition of ethanol. The sericin hydrogel can be prepared without crosslinking by chemicals or irradiation and might be usable as a naturally occurring biomaterial.     

中国野桑蚕遗传多样性的AFLP分析

采用AFLP技术对我国具有代表性的7个省市的10个野桑蚕(Bombyx mandarina)种群和2个家蚕（Bombyx mori)品种的遗传多样性进行了研究。结果表明：杭州、陕西和重庆3个地区的野桑蚕种群间及种群内个体间的遗传距离都比家蚕品种大。野桑蚕存在广泛的变异,7个省市的10个野桑蚕种群之间的遗传距离为0．164－0．444（平均值为0．3826）,平均杂合度为0．7061,表明野桑蚕自然群体的遗传多样性十分丰富。     

Elastic modulus of trabecular bone material

An ultrasonic technique was used to measure both the elastic modulus (Young's modulus) of trabecular bone material and the elastic modulus of the cancellous structure. The average trabecular modulus, measured on specimens obtained from three human and one bovine distal femora, was 13.0 GPa (S.D. 1.47) and 10.9 GPa (S.D. 1.57), respectively. On human specimens the structural elastic modulus was found to be related to the structural (apparent) density raised to the 1.88 power. The elastic modulus from the bovine specimens showed a more linear relationship with the density of the cancellous structure (density raised to the 1.57 power).     

Synthesis and characterization of chimeric silkworm silk

A synthetic gene encoding a chimeric silklike protein was constructed that combined a polyalanine encoding region (Ala)(18), a sequence slightly longer than the (Ala)(12-13) found in the silk fibroin from the wild silkworm Samia cynthia ricini, and a sequence encoding GVGAGYGAGAGYGVGAGYGAGVGYGAGAGY, found in the silk fibroin from the silkworm Bombyx mori. A tetramer of the chimeric repeat sequence encoding a approximately 29 kDa protein was expressed as a fusion protein in Escherichia coli. In comparison to S. c. ricini silk, the chimeric protein demonstrated improved solubility because it could be dissolved in 8 M urea. The purified protein assumed an alpha-helical structure based on solid-state (13)C CP/MAS NMR and was less prone to conformational transition to a beta-sheet, unlike native silk proteins from S. c. ricini. Model peptides representing the crystalline region of S. c. ricini silk fibroin, (Ala)(12) and (Ala)(18), formed beta-sheet structures. Therefore, the solubility and structural transitions of the chimeric protein were significantly altered through the formation of this chimeric silk. This experimental strategy to the study of silk structure and function can be used to develop an improved understanding of the contributions of protein domains in repetitive silkworm and spider silk sequences to structure development and structural transitions.     

High-Toughness Silk Produced by a Transgenic Silkworm Expressing Spider (Araneus ventricosus) Dragline Silk Protein

Spider dragline silk is a natural fiber that has excellent tensile properties; however, it is difficult to produce artificially as a long, strong fiber. Here, the spider (Araneus ventricosus) dragline protein gene was cloned and a transgenic silkworm was generated, that expressed the fusion protein of the fibroin heavy chain and spider dragline protein in cocoon silk. The spider silk protein content ranged from 0.37 to 0.61% w/w (1.4–2.4 mol%) native silkworm fibroin. Using a good silk-producing strain, C515, as the transgenic silkworm can make the raw silk from its cocoons for the first time. The tensile characteristics (toughness) of the raw silk improved by 53% after the introduction of spider dragline silk protein; the improvement depended on the quantity of the expressed spider dragline protein. To demonstrate the commercial feasibility for machine reeling, weaving, and sewing, we used the transgenic spider silk to weave a vest and scarf; this was the first application of spider silk fibers from transgenic silkworms.     

Production of scFv-conjugated affinity silk powder by transgenic silkworm technology

Bombyx mori (silkworm) silk proteins are being utilized as unique biomaterials for medical applications. Chemical modification or post-conjugation of bioactive ligands expand the applicability of silk proteins; however, the processes are elaborate and costly. In this study, we used transgenic silkworm technology to develop single-chain variable fragment (scFv)-conjugated silk fibroin. The cocoons of the transgenic silkworm contain fibroin L-chain linked with scFv as a fusion protein. After dissolving the cocoons in lithium bromide, the silk solution was dialyzed, concentrated, freeze-dried, and crushed into powder. Immunoprecipitation analyses demonstrate that the scFv domain retains its specific binding activity to the target molecule after multiple processing steps. These results strongly suggest the promise of scFv-conjugated silk fibroin as an alternative affinity reagent, which can be manufactured using transgenic silkworm technology at lower cost than traditional affinity carriers.     

Review the role of terminal domains during storage and assembly of spider silk proteins

Fibrous proteins in nature fulfill a wide variety of functions in different structures ranging from cellular scaffolds to very resilient structures like tendons and even extra-corporal fibers such as silks in spider webs or silkworm cocoons. Despite their different origins and sequence varieties many of these fibrous proteins share a common building principle: they consist of a large repetitive core domain flanked by relatively small non-repetitive terminal domains. Amongst protein fibers, spider dragline silk shows prominent mechanical properties that exceed those of man-made fibers like Kevlar. Spider silk fibers assemble in a spinning process allowing the transformation from an aqueous solution into a solid fiber within milliseconds. Here, we highlight the role of the non-repetitive terminal domains of spider dragline silk proteins during storage in the gland and initiation of the fiber assembly process.     

Proteome profile of spinneret from the silkworm,Bombyx mori

The silkworm spinneret is an important tissue for silk fibrillogenesis and spinning. All biochemical processes during silk fibrillogenesis are correlated with silk properties. Understanding the role of spinneret in silk fibrillogenesis may help to reveal the mechanism of silk fibrillogenesis as well as improve silk quality for commercial purposes. Thus, we profiled the proteome of silkworm spinneret. A total of 1572 proteins and 232 differential abundance proteins were identified. Silk fibrillogenesis‐related proteins, such as cuticle proteins, ion‐transporting proteins, muscular proteins, and energy metabolic proteins, were abundant in spinneret. Metabolic pathway and GO enrichment analyses revealed that the identified proteins were involved in energy metabolism, chitin binding, and cuticle construction. Active energy metabolism may provide abundant energy for the muscle contraction as well as ion and water exchange. The chitin binding and cuticle construction process may provide sufficient shear forces for silk formation. Our data suggest that silkworm spinneret provides a suitable physiological and biochemical environment for silk fibrillogenesis. These proteins are potential targets for improving silk quality in the silk industry. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD004455.     

The profiles of red fluorescent proteins with antinucleopolyhedrovirus activity in races of the silkworm Bombyx mori

Partially purified red fluorescent proteins (RFPs) secured from the gut juice of 5th-instar multivoltine and bivoltine silkworm races were observed as several bands in electrophoretograms and chromatographic eluates. Interestingly, different races of silkworms had varying numbers of fluorescent protein bands: 11 in Pure Mysore (resistant), 11 in Nistari (resistant), 4 in CSR₂ (moderately susceptible) and 1 in NB₄D₂ (highly susceptible). Bioassay experiments indicated that the fluorescent bands had antinucleopolyhedrovirus (antiNPV) activity. The molar extinction coefficients and fluorescence quantum yields of all RFPs were estimated. The purified tetrapyrroles were characterized by UV–visible absorption and fluorescence spectral analyses. All tetrapyrrole moieties associated with RFPs were found to be different and characteristic of the fluorescent bands. The resulting qualitative and quantitative differences among the individual RFPs from various races of silkworm were related to the susceptibilities of the silkworms to the viral disease. Moreover, light was found to be essential for the synthesis of RFPs, and, therefore, the role of light in the synthesis of RFPs was evaluated. Thus, this work may elucidate the process of RFP synthesis in silkworm, which may be used as a biomarker to measure the degree of susceptibility of silkworm races to NPV. Therefore, the characteristic band pattern may be used as an indicator to define the relative resistance of a race towards the specific virus.     

Oxidative stress and the mechanical properties of naturally occurring chimeric collagen-containing fibers.

The byssal threads of marine mussels are a fiber-reinforced composite material. Fibers are continuous, separated by matrix, and consist of chimeric collagens that encompass within the same primary protein structure domains corresponding to collagen, polyhistidine, and either elastin or dragline spider silk. The elastic modulus (stiffness) of the proximal portion of byssal threads was measured by cyclic stress-strain analysis at 50% extension. Before measurement, the threads were conditioned by various treatments, particularly agitation in aerated or nitrogen-sparged seawater. Stiffness can be permanently increased by more than two times, e.g., from 25 MPa to a maximum of 65 MPa, by simple agitation in aerated seawater. Much but not all of this stiffening can be prevented by agitation under nitrogen. Reversible strain stiffening would seem to be a useful adaptation to lower residual stresses arising from the deformation of two joined materials, i.e., distal and proximal portions with rather different elastic moduli. The permanent strain stiffening that characterizes proximal byssal threads subjected to oxidative stress is probably due to protein cross-linking. In the short term, this results in a stronger thread but at the expense of dynamic interactions between the molecules in the structure.     

Conductive polymer combined silk fiber bundle for bioelectrical signal recording

Electrode materials for recording biomedical signals, such as electrocardiography (ECG), electroencephalography (EEG) and evoked potentials data, are expected to be soft, hydrophilic and electroconductive to minimize the stress imposed on living tissue, especially during long-term monitoring. We have developed and characterized string-shaped electrodes made from conductive polymer with silk fiber bundles (thread), which offer a new biocompatible stress free interface with living tissue in both wet and dry conditions.An electroconductive polyelectrolyte, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT-PSS) was electrochemically combined with silk thread made from natural Bombyx mori. The polymer composite 280 μm thread exhibited a conductivity of 0.00117 S/cm (which corresponds to a DC resistance of 2.62 Mohm/cm). The addition of glycerol to the PEDOT-PSS silk thread improved the conductivity to 0.102 S/cm (20.6 kohm/cm). The wettability of PEDOT-PSS was controlled with glycerol, which improved its durability in water and washing cycles. The glycerol treated PEDOT-PSS silk thread showed a tensile strength of 1000 cN in both wet and dry states. Without using any electrolytes, pastes or solutions, the thread directly collects electrical signals from living tissue and transmits them through metal cables. ECG, EEG, and sensory evoked potential (SEP) signals were recorded from experimental animals by using this thread placed on the skin. PEDOT-PSS silk glycerol composite thread offers a new class of biocompatible electrodes in the field of biomedical and health promotion that does not induce stress in the subjects.     

Regioselective formation of quercetin 5-O-glucoside from orally administered quercetin in the silkworm, Bombyx mori

The cocoons of some races of the silkworm, Bombyx mori, have been shown to contain 5-O-glucosylated flavonoids, which do not occur naturally in the leaves of their host plant, mulberry (Morus alba). Thus, dietary flavonoids could be biotransformed in this insect. In this study, we found that after feeding silkworms a diet rich in the flavonol quercetin, quercetin 5-O-glucoside was the predominant metabolite in the midgut tissue, while quercetin 5,4'-di-O-glucoside was the major constituent in the hemolymph and silk glands. UDP-glucosyltransferase (UGT) in the midgut could transfer glucose to each of the hydroxyl groups of quercetin, with a preference for formation of 5-O-glucoside, while quercetin 5,4'-di-O-glucoside was predominantly produced if the enzyme extracts of either the fat body or silk glands were incubated with quercetin 5-O-glucoside and UDP-glucose. These results suggest that dietary quercetin was glucosylated at the 5-O position in the midgut as the first-pass metabolite of quercetin after oral absorption, then glucosylated at the 4'-O position in the fat body or silk glands. The 5-O-glucosylated flavonoids retained biological activity in the insect, since the total free radical scavenging capacity of several tissues increased after oral administration of quercetin.     

Structures of Bombyx mori and Samia cynthia ricini silk fibroins studied with solid-state NMR

There are many kinds of silks spun by silkworms and spiders, which are suitable to study the structure-property relationship for molecular design of fibers with high strength and high elasticity. In this review, we mainly focus on the structural determination of two well-known silk fibroin proteins that are from the domesticated silkworm, Bombyx mori, and the wild silkworm, Samia cynthia ricini, respectively. The structures of B. mori silk fibroin before and after spinning were determined by using an appropriate model peptide, (AG)(15), with several solid-state NMR methods; (13)C two-dimensional spin-diffusion solid-state NMR and rotational echo double resonance (REDOR) NMR techniques along with the quantitative use of the conformation-dependent (13)C CP/MAS chemical shifts. The structure of S. c. ricini silk fibroin before spinning was also determined by using a model peptide, GGAGGGYGGDGG(A)(12)GGAGDGYGAG, which is a typical repeated sequence of the silk fibroin, with the solid-state NMR methods. The transition from the structure of B. mori silk fibroin before spinning to the structure after spinning was studied with molecular dynamics calculation by taking into account several external forces applied to the silk fibroin in the silkworm.