Studies on the Molecular Mechanism of Diapause in the Silkworm,Bombyx mori

Embryonic diapause of the silkworm, Bombyx mori ,is controlled by both enviromental factors and inheritance.Exposure to high temperature and long illumination at the middle to late embryonic stages results in an embryonic diapause in the next generation.Different enviromental informations are readed and accepted by neuroendocrine cells.Under specific enviromental information,neuroendocrine cells produce and secrete diapause hormone(DH).DH enters into eggs,which regulates and builds internal enviroment for specific diapause eggs.The characteristics are showed through a series of reaction for changes of glycogen and sorbitol in the diapause eggs to complete the physiological process of entry and termination of diapause.This paper briefly introduces advances on the molecular biological researches of diapause mechanism in the silkworm, Bombyx mori.