Induction, development and regulation of trimolters: Great progress in the domesticated silkworm (<i>Bombyx mori</i> L.)

Abstract

As the only truly agricultural and great economic domesticated insect, the silkworm is not only value as a model for genetics and rmolecular biology research, but it also has great value for new silk materials. Induction and regulation of trimolter induced by anti-juvenile hormone have shown vast potential to be significant patterns in silkworm research, especially after the further studies on the regulation mechanism of trimolters. This paper reviews the great progress of the induction technique of trimolter silkworms, particularly focusing on its cocoon quality, cocoon filament and the production of advanced silk materials. This review also presents the control technology of fine filament size and the regulatory mechanism of trimolters during the developmental stages.

Key words: Silkworm, trimolter, chemical induction, development, filament control, regulatory mechanism.