• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.69-75
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• 1994

Through the histological and anatomical investigation of silkworm gonad, N. bombycis infection was found to begin from the peripheral region of ovarial sheath or testicular sheath, then, the pathogens spread to the inner portion. Peroral inoculation with purified spores of N. bombycis to 2nd instar larvae at dosages around 106-8/㎤ of artificial diet resulted in the extremely extended larval survival as long as 15 to 22 days of 4th instar. The growth of ovarioles was confirmed in the 10 to 14 day old larvae, oogonia developed into oocytes and nurse cell against heavy infection of the ovary. Gonads rarely obstructed oogenesis and spermatogenesis in the pupae failed in adult eclosion. Light infection of female hosts effected insignificantly on the ovarial development, however, recorded 100% transmission of the pathogens to the progeny populations. Conclusively, ovarial inflection of silkworm induce transovarial transmission begins around 2~3 day old pupae when ovarioles extruded out to hemocoel, and the infection period thought to be continued until the stage of eggs complete shell formation in the ovariole.