Screening and optimization of an efficient Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus inducible promoter.

Pathogen-inducible promoters have been studied extensively and widely used in resistance breeding and gene therapy. However, few reports have been published that explore the efficacy of Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV)-inducible promoters in antiviral research in the Bombyx mori (Lepidoptera). Here, we screened BmNPV promoters (VP1054, P33, Bm21, Bm122, 39K, P143, and P6.

Inhibition of BmNPV replication in silkworm cells using inducible and regulated artificial microRNA precursors targeting the essential viral gene lef-11.

Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) is a major silkworm pathogen, causing substantial economic losses to the sericulture industry annually. We demonstrate a novel anti-BmNPV system expressing mature artificial microRNAs (amiRNAs) targeting the viral lef-11 gene. The mature amiRNAs inhibited the lef-11 gene in silkworm BmN-SWU1 cells.