USE OF RECOMBINANT BM30K PROTEINS AS BIOLOGICAL ANTIFUNGAL AGENTS IN SERICULTURE

Abstract

 The silkworm (Bombyx mori) is a valuable economic insect, but it is highly vulnerable to fungal infections such as Beauveria bassiana. Conventional chemical fungicides, though effective, can be harmful to silkworms and the environment. In recent years, proteins of the 30K family, particularly Bm30K-19G1, have been identified as multifunctional storage proteins involved in immune defense. This study aimed to express recombinant Bm30K proteins in E. coli and to evaluate their antifungal potential against B. bassiana. The purified recombinant protein significantly inhibited fungal growth and spore germination in vitro, indicating that Bm30K proteins may serve as safe and natural biological antifungal agents in sericulture.