Abstract

In this research, the cocoonase gene was cloned by RT-PCR as an 860 bp fragment, including the signal peptide and the
core sequence of cocoonase gene. In order to investigate the function of signal peptide, recombinant transfer vector
pBacPAK8-Cocoonase-EGFP were constructed by fusing with enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) gene to
observe under fluorescence microscope. The purified pBacPAK8-Cocoonase-EGFP DNA was co-transfected with
linear virus Bm-BacPAK6 DNA into BmN cells. The homologous recombination occurred in the cells and then the
recombinant virus Bm-BacPAK8-Cocoonase-EGFP was obtained. BmN cell was infected with the recombinant virus
Bm-BacPAK8-Cocoonase-EGFP, and fluorescent signal was detected in most of the cells under fluorescence
microscope at 72 hrs postinfection. Then BmN cells were harvested. Both SDS-PAGE and Western-blotting analysis
indicated that the cocoonase was expressed successfully in silkworm (Bombyx mori) baculovirus expression vector
system. Furthermore, referred to Astrup methods,used fibrin plate process confirmed that expression product in vitro
had cellulolytic activity. We conclude that silkworm expression system can be used successfully to express functional
cocoonase.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.