Antiviral activity in the mulberry silkworm, Bombyx mori L.

The silkworm Bombyx mori is exploited both as a powerful biological model system and also as a tool to convert leaf protein into silk. Silkworm larvae often suffer from viral infections causing heavy losses to the economy of the silk industry. Insects exhibit both humoral and cellular immune responses that are effective against various pathogens like bacteria, fungi, protozoa, etc., but no insect immune response is effective against viral...