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Antiviral activity in the mulberry silkworm, Bombyx mori L.

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Abstract

The silkworm Bombyx mori is exploited both as a powerful biological model system and also as a tool to convert leaf protein into silk. Silkworm larvae often suffer from viral infections causing heavy losses to the economy of the silk industry. Insects exhibit both humoral and cellular immune responses that are effective against various pathogens like bacteria, fungi, protozoa, etc., but no insect immune response is effective against viral infections. To date, no satisfactory reports are available on antiviral immunity of the silkworm. Some efforts have been made by very few workers to identify and characterize the antiviral proteins in the silkworm. In the present article the mode of viral infection, and the activity of certain antiviral proteins involved in silkworm immunity and also in some other insects are discussed. The investigation will be helpful in understanding the molecular aspects of antiviral immunity, disease control and may form the basis for potential use of silkworm in other fields such as medicine.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310029, China

    Yao Hui-peng, Wu Xiao-feng & Gokulamma K.

  2. Department of Studies in Sericultural Science, Manasagangotri, University of Mysore, Mysore, 570006, India

    Gokulamma K.

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  1. Yao Hui-peng
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  2. Wu Xiao-feng
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  3. Gokulamma K.
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Correspondence to Wu Xiao-feng.

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Project supported by the National Basic Research Program (973) of China (No. 2005CB121003), and the Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province (No. Y305050), China

The two authors contribute equally to this work

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Yao, Hp., Wu, Xf. & Gokulamma, K. Antiviral activity in the mulberry silkworm, Bombyx mori L.. J. Zhejiang Univ. - Sci. A 7 (Suppl 2), 350–356 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1631/jzus.2006.AS0350

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