Category: Silkworm
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Flacherie (and a ridiculous history of Bt development…roundabout)
History of Bt Development as told in New Innovative Pesticides: An Evaluation of Incentives and Disincentives for Commercial Development by Industry, Stanford Research Institute (Final Report dated September 1977, Prepared for Economic Analysis Branch Criteria and Evaluation Division Office of Pesticide Programs US Environmental Protection Agency Washington DC) Punctuation if nothing else may be wonky…
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Bacillus thuringiensis: the James Bond of biological pest control
In the microscopic world of bacteria, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), a gram-positive, soil-dwelling microbe is the go-to secret agent for farmers and gardeners worldwide, thanks to its uncanny ability to produce crystal-clear killers. From Silkworms to Superbugs Our story begins in 1902 when Japanese sericultural engineer Ishiwatari Shigetane stumbled upon a mysterious ailment causing silkworms to…
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The NACHT domain consists of seven distinct conserved motifs, including the ATP/GTPase specific P-loop, the Mg2+-binding site (Walker A and B motifs, respectively) and five more specific motifs
The NACHT domain is an evolutionarily conserved protein domain. This NTPase domain is found in apoptosis proteins as well as those involved in MHC transcription. Its name reflects some of the proteins that contain it: NAIP (NLP family apoptosis inhibitor protein), CIITA (that is, C2TA or MHC class II transcription activator), HET-E (incompatibility locus protein from Podospora anserina) and TEP1 (that is, TP1 or telomerase-associated protein). The NACHT domain contains 300 to 400 amino acids. It is…
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The enzyme juvenile hormone esterase catalyzes the hydrolysis of juvenile hormone
The enzyme juvenile hormone esterase (EC 3.1.1.59, systematic name methyl-(2E,6E,10R)-10,11-epoxy-3,7,11-trimethyltrideca-2,6-dienoate acylhydrolase, JH esterase) catalyzes the hydrolysis of juvenile hormone: Nomenclature and function This enzyme belongs to the family of hydrolases, specifically those acting on carboxylic ester bonds. The systematic name of this enzyme class is methyl-(2E,6E)-(10R,11S)-10,11-epoxy-3,7,11-trimethyltrideca-2,6-dienoate acylhydrolase. Other names in common use include JH esterase, juvenile hormone esterase, and juvenile hormone carboxyesterase. Juvenile hormone (JH) controls insect metamorphosis. High JH titers…
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The conjugate (10S,11S) JH diol phosphate is the product of a two-step enzymatic process: conversion of JH to JH diol and then addition of a phosphate group to C10
The conjugate (10S,11S) JH diol phosphate is the product of a two-step enzymatic process: conversion of JH to JH diol and then addition of a phosphate group to C10. The enzyme responsible for the phosphorylation of JH diol is JH diol kinase (JHDK), which was first characterized from the Malpighian tubules of early fifth instars of M. sexta. The Malpighian tubule system is a type of excretory and osmoregulatory system found in…
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Fibroin is an insoluble protein present in silk produced by numerous insects
Fibroin is an insoluble protein present in silk produced by numerous insects, such as the larvae of Bombyx mori, and other moth genera such as Antheraea, Cricula, Samia and Gonometa. Silk in its raw state consists of two main proteins, sericin and fibroin, with a glue-like layer of sericin coating two singular filaments of fibroin called brins. BRIN AND BAVE (BRIN) One of the radiating sticks of a fan.…
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Sericin is a protein created by Bombyx mori (silkworms) in the production of silk
Silk is a fibre produced by the silkworm in production of its cocoon. It consists mainly of two proteins, fibroin and sericin. Silk consists of 70–80% fibroin and 20–30% sericin; fibroin being the structural center of the silk, and sericin being the gum coating the fibres and allowing them to stick to each other. Structure Sericin is composed…
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Peptidoglycan or murein is a unique large macromolecule, a polysaccharide, consisting of sugars and amino acids that forms a mesh-like peptidoglycan layer outside the plasma membrane
Not to be confused with glycopeptide, proteoglycan, or glycoprotein Peptidoglycan or murein is a unique large macromolecule, a polysaccharide, consisting of sugars and amino acids that forms a mesh-like peptidoglycan layer outside the plasma membrane, the rigid cell wall (murein sacculus) characteristic of most bacteria (domain Bacteria). The sugar component consists of alternating residues of β-(1,4) linked N-acetylglucosamine (NAG) and N-acetylmuramic acid (NAM). Attached to the N-acetylmuramic acid is an oligopeptide chain made of three to five amino acids.…
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Gu: The Venomous Vortex of Ancient Chinese Sorcery
Here is another that may make your skin crawl and your blood run cold! Welcome to the world of Gu, the sinister sorcery that turns creepy crawlies into catastrophic curses! Picture, if you dare, a jar teeming with nature’s most venomous vermin – centipedes, snakes, and scorpions, oh my! But this is no petting zoo,…
