Recent advances in molecular genetics of the silk moth, Bombyx mori

Abstract

The domesticated silk moth, Bombyx mori, the lepidopteran molecular model and an important economic insect is emerging as an ideal molecular genetic resource for solving a broad range of biological problems. The well-developed genetics of this species includes more than 400 mapped mutations, hundreds of geographical races and genetically improved strains that represent an array of differences for various qualitative and quantitative traits, and a number of well studied cloned genes encoding proteins with diverse functions. The recent progress in the construction of molecular genetic maps, BAC libraries and a variety of molecular marker assays will further widen the scope of genetic analysis of this organism. By making use of a large body of genetic information in Drosophila melanogaster it is possible to study the dynamics of genome structure and organization in an evolutionary context besides identifying new genes and gene systems for transgenesis, develop improved strains through DNA marker utilization and molecular dissection of quantitative trait loci. This review invites attention to Bombyx as a genetic resource and discusses the status of silkworm molecular genetics research.