Molecular Characterization of Infectious Fungi in Bombyx batryticatus from Korea and Abroad
2
조회
0
다운로드
0
인용
0
참고문헌
키워드
초록
Bombyx batryticatus (Bb), traditionally used as a herbal medicine in Korea, China, and Japan for centuries, refers to silkworms that are either naturally infected or artificially inoculated with the entomopathogenic fungus, Beauveria bassiana. Currently, no clear regulations stipulate which fungal species infect Bb and affect their production. Therefore, this study aimed to identify and comparatively analyze the predominant fungal species that cause infections in Bb samples collected from Korea and abroad so as to propose criteria that can be used for their identification. Five fungal strains were isolated from Korean Bb samples and six obtained from Chinese samples. Among these, the commonly identified fungi included Iprex lacteus, Aspergillus westerdijkiae, and A. versicolor. Strains identified at the species level exhibited high genetic homology (99.57%), whereas those classified only at the genus level showed a relatively lower similarity (74.0%). Phylogenetic analysis of the genus-level strains revealed that the Korean isolates (Aspergillus subspecies) may represent regional or evolutionary divergence from reference strains within the same genus. These findings contribute to the discovery of novel functional strains from both domestic and international Bb samples and offer essential baseline data for assessing the safety and efficacy of Bb-derived products.
Abstract
Bombyx batryticatus (Bb), traditionally used as a herbal medicine in Korea, China, and Japan for centuries, refers to silkworms that are either naturally infected or artificially inoculated with the entomopathogenic fungus, Beauveria bassiana. Currently, no clear regulations stipulate which fungal species infect Bb and affect their production. Therefore, this study aimed to identify and comparatively analyze the predominant fungal species that cause infections in Bb samples collected from Korea and abroad so as to propose criteria that can be used for their identification. Five fungal strains were isolated from Korean Bb samples and six obtained from Chinese samples. Among these, the commonly identified fungi included Iprex lacteus, Aspergillus westerdijkiae, and A. versicolor. Strains identified at the species level exhibited high genetic homology (99.57%), whereas those classified only at the genus level showed a relatively lower similarity (74.0%). Phylogenetic analysis of the genus-level strains revealed that the Korean isolates (Aspergillus subspecies) may represent regional or evolutionary divergence from reference strains within the same genus. These findings contribute to the discovery of novel functional strains from both domestic and international Bb samples and offer essential baseline data for assessing the safety and efficacy of Bb-derived products.