Comparative transcriptome analyses on silk glands of six silkmoths imply the genetic basis of silk structure and coloration.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Silk has numerous unique properties that make it a staple of textile manufacturing for several thousand years. However, wider applications of silk in modern have been stalled due to limitations of traditional silk produced by Bombyx mori. While silk is commonly produced by B. mori, several wild non-mulberry silkmoths--especially members of family Saturniidae--produce silk with superior properties that may be useful for wider applications. Further utilization of such silks is hampered by the non-domestication status or limited culturing population of wild silkworms. To date there is insufficient basic genomic or transcriptomic data on these organisms or their silk production.

Results

We sequenced and compared the transcriptomes of silk glands of six Saturniidae wil

SUBMITTER: Dong Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4372302 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature