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. 1977 Apr;16(1):32–36. doi: 10.1128/iai.16.1.32-36.1977

Bactericidal activity of the normal, cell-free hemolymph of silkworms (Bombyx mori).

T Kinoshita, K Inoue
PMCID: PMC421483  PMID: 326674

Abstract

Cell-free hemolymph from silkworm (Bombyx mori) larvae can kill Escherichia coli B/SM. The bactericidal principle can be resolved into at least two factors. One is a lysozyme-like enzyme that can be absorbed on crab shell chitin and on bentonite, and the other (cofactor) is an anionic factor that is of low molecular weight, can pass through the chitin column and a carboxymethyl-cellulose column, and can be eluted from a diethylaminoethyl-cellulose column at mu = 0.15 and pH 7.5. Egg-white lysozyme cannot replace the silkworm lysozyme-like enzyme for restoring the bactericidal activity when it is mixed with the cofactor, although it can enhance the bactericidal activity of the mixture of silkworm enzyme and cofactor. Mg2+ and Ca2+ can inhibit the bactericidal activity.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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