Abstract
Arylphorins are major serum proteins in larvae of holometabolous insects. We studied cross-reaction of arylphorins from 11 silkworm species with anti-Samia cynthia ricini and anti-Bombyx mori arylphorin sera by Oudin's single immunodiffusion and Ouchterlony's double immunodiffusion analyses. Species used were 1. S.c. ricini, 2. S.c. pryeri, 3. Antheraea yamamai, 4. Antheraea pernyi, 5. Dictyoploca japonica, 6. Actias selene, 7. B. mori, 8. B. mandarina, 9. Prismosticta hyalinata, 10. Pseudandraca gracilis, and 11. Oberthueria falcigera. Species 1-6 belong to Saturniidae, and 7-11 to Bombycidae. Intensity of cross-reaction with anti-S.c. ricini serum was arranged in the order as follows: 1=2>3=4=5=6=9≥10=11>7=8. That with anti-B. mori was as follows: 7=8>1=2=3=4=5=6=9=10=11. These results indicates that similarity of arylphorins is highest between 1 and 2 and between 7 and 8, and that arylphorins of 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10 and 11 are more similar to the arylphorin of 1 than that of 7. We discussed the phylogenetic relationship among these species, based on the results.
