Molecular diagnosis of 5 silkworm strains endemic to South Korea using single-nucleotide polymorphisms selected from whole-genome sequences.

The domesticated silkworm, Bombyx mori Linnaeus (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae), often poses a challenge in strain identification due to similarities in morphology and genetic background. In South Korea, around 40 silkworm strains are classified as premium, including 5 endemic tri-molting strains: Goryeosammyeon, Sammyeonhonghoeback, Hansammyeon, Sun7ho, and Sandongsammyeon. These strains have potential for breeding programs in response to emerging industry demands, necessitating a reliable strain identification method. In this study, we established a molecular diagnosis approach for these 5 strains. We selected 2-4 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for each strain from whole-genome sequences of 39 strains, encompassing 37 previously studied and 2 newly added. These SNPs were utilized to construct decision trees for each endemic strain identification. The SNPs can be used to distinguish each target strain from the 38 nontarget strains by the tetra-primer amplification refractory mutation system-polymerase chain reaction, with the exception of HMS which needs the addition of PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism method at the final step. This decision tree-based method using genomic SNPs, coupled with the 2 typing methods, produced consistent and accurate results, providing 100% accuracy. Additionally, the significant number of remaining SNPs identified in this study could be valuable for future diagnosis of the other strains.

NaCl Ionization-Based Moisture Sensor Prepared by Aerosol Deposition for Monitoring Respiratory Patterns.

A highly polarizable moisture sensor with multimodal sensing capabilities has great advantages for healthcare applications such as human respiration monitoring. We introduce an ionically polarizable moisture sensor based on NaCl/BaTiO3 composite films fabricated using a facile aerosol deposition (AD) process. The proposed sensing model operates based on an enormous NaCl ionization effect in addition to natural moisture polarization, whereas all previous sensors are based only on the latter. We obtained an optimal sensing performance in a 0.5 µm-thick layer containing NaCl-37.5 wt% by manipulating the sensing layer thickness and weight fraction of NaCl. The NaCl/BaTiO3 sensing layer exhibits outstanding sensitivity over a wide humidity range and a fast response/recovery time of 2/2 s; these results were obtained by performing the one-step AD process at room temperature without using any auxiliary methods. Further, we present a human respiration monitoring system using a sensing device that provides favorable and stable electrical signals under diverse respiratory scenarios.

Complete Mitochondrial Genomes of Metcalfa pruinosa and Salurnis marginella (Hemiptera: Flatidae): Genomic Comparison and Phylogenetic Inference in Fulgoroidea.

The complete mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) of two DNA barcode-defined haplotypes of Metcalfa pruinosa and one of Salurnis marginella (Hemiptera: Flatidae) were sequenced and compared to those of other Fulgoroidea species. Furthermore, the mitogenome sequences were used to reconstruct phylogenetic relationships among fulgoroid families. The three mitogenomes, including that of the available species of Flatidae, commonly possessed distinctive structures in the 1702-1836 bp A+T-rich region, such as two repeat regions at each end and a large centered nonrepeat region. All members of the superfamily Fulgoroidea, including the Flatidae, consistently possessed a motiflike sequence (TAGTA) at the ND1 and trnS2 junction. The phylogenetic analyses consistently recovered the familial relationships of (((((Ricaniidae + Issidae) + Flatidae) + Fulgoridae) + Achilidae) + Derbidae) in the amino acid-based analysis, with the placement of Cixiidae and Delphacidae as the earliest-derived lineages of fulgoroid families, whereas the monophyly of Delphacidae was not congruent between tree-constructing algorithms.

Complete mitochondrial genome of Saturnia jonasii (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae): Genomic comparisons and phylogenetic inference among Bombycoidea.

The complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of Saturnia jonasii (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae) was sequenced and compared to those of 19 other bombycoid species. Furthermore, the mitogenome sequences were used to infer phylogenetic relationships among bombycoid species. The 15,261-bp Saturnia jonasii mitogenome contained the typical sets of genes and gene arrangements found in majority of Lepidoptera. All Bombycoidea species, including Saturnia jonasii, have a 15-33-bp spacer sequence at the trnS2-ND1 junction. The phylogenetic reconstruction of bombycoid species consistently and strongly supported monophylies of the families, Saturniidae, Bombycidae, and Sphingidae, based on Bayesian inference (BI) and maximum-likelihood (ML) methods. Among these families, the Bombycidae and Sphingidae species consistently showed a sister relationship, regardless of data partitions; the BI method strongly supported this relationship, whereas it was moderately supported using the ML method.

Complete mitochondrial genome of the lappet moth, Kunugia undans (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae): genomic comparisons among macroheteroceran superfamilies.

The mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) characteristics of the monotypic Lasiocampoidea are largely unknown, because only limited number of mitogenomes is available from this superfamily. In this study, we sequenced the complete mitogenome of the lappet moth, Kunugia undans (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae) and compared it to those of Lasiocampoidea and macroheteroceran superfamilies (59 species in six superfamilies). The 15,570-bp K. undans genome had one additional trnR that was located between trnA and trnN loci and this feature was unique in Macroheterocera, including Lasiocampoidea. Considering that the two trnR copies are located in tandem with proper secondary structures and identical anticodons, a gene duplication event might be responsible for the presence of the two tRNAs. Nearly all macroheteroceran species, excluding Lasiocampoidea, have a spacer sequence (1-34 bp) at the trnS2 and ND1 junction, but most lasiocampid species, including K. undans, have an overlap at the trnS2 and ND1 junction, which represents a different genomic feature in Lasiocampoidea. Nevertheless, a TTAGTAT motif, which is typically detected in Macroheterocera at the trnS2 and ND1 junction, was also detected in all Lasiocampoidea. In summary, the general mitogenome characteristics of Lasiocampoidea did not differ greatly from the remaining macroheteroceran superfamilies, but it did exhibit some unique features.

Inhibitory effect of ephedrannins A and B from roots of Ephedra sinica STAPF on melanogenesis.

BACKGROUND: Melanogenesis, a process producing the pigment melanin in human skin, eyes and hair, is a major physiological response against various environmental stresses, in particular exposure to ultraviolet radiation, and its pathway is regulated by a key enzyme, tyrosinase. In this study, we evaluated the effects of ephedrannins A and B, which are polyphenols from the roots of Ephedra sinica, commonly used in herbalism in oriental countries, on mushroom tyrosinase and melanogenesis in B16F10 melanoma cells. METHODS: Their effects on mushroom tyrosinase were determined via kinetic studies using a spectrophotometric analysis and those on melanin and tyrosinase production in melanoma cells treated with α-MSH (melanin stimulating hormone) were examined using PCR and ELISA. RESULTS: Both ephedrannins A and B exhibited concentration-dependent inhibitory effects on L-tyrosine oxidation by mushroom tyrosinase, and the inhibition mechanism was competitive and reversible with L-tyrosine as the substrate. In addition, melanin production in melanoma cells was also suppressed in a concentration-dependent manner by ephedrannins A and B without significant effects on cell proliferation at the concentrations tested. Both compounds showed inhibitory effects on melanin production by suppressing the transcription of tyrosinase in the cells. CONCLUSION: Both compounds exhibited significant inhibitory effects, but the inhibition by ephedrannin B was much more effective than that by ephedrannin A. Both ephedrannins A and B may be good candidates for a whitening agent for skin. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE: This is the first report that describes effective inhibition of melanin production by ephedrannins A and B isolated from Ephedra roots.

Complete mitochondrial genomes of two gelechioids, Mesophleps albilinella and Dichomeris ustalella (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), with a description of gene rearrangement in Lepidoptera.

We sequenced the entire mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of two gelechioids, Mesophleps albilinella and Dichomeris ustalella, and compared their genome organization and sequence composition to those of available gelechioid mitogenomes for an enhanced understanding of Gelechioidea genomic characteristics. We compared all available lepidopteran mitogenome arrangements, including that of M. albilinella, which is unique in Gelechioidea, to comprehend the extensiveness and mechanisms of gene rearrangement in Lepidoptera. The genomes of M. albilinella and D. ustalella are 15,274 and 15,410 bp in size, respectively, with the typical sets of mitochondrial (mt) genes. The COI gene begins with CGA (arginine) in all sequenced gelechioids, including M. albilinella and D. ustalella, reinforcing the feature as a synapomorphic trait, at least in the Gelechioidea. Each 353- and 321-bp long A + T-rich region of M. albilinella and D. ustalella contains one (D. ustalella) or two (M. albilinella) tRNA-like structures. The M. albilinella mitogenome has a unique gene arrangement among the Gelechioidea: ARNESF (the underline signifies an inverted gene) at the ND3 and ND5 junction, as opposed to the ARNSEF that is found in ancestral insects. An extensive search of available lepidopteran mitogenomes, including that of M. albilinella, turned up six rearrangements that differ from those of ancestral insects. Most of the rearrangements can be explained by the tandem duplication-random loss model, but inversion, which requires recombination, is also found in two cases, including M. albilinella. Excluding the MIQ rearrangement at the A + T-rich region and ND2 junction, which is found in nearly all Ditrysia, most of the remaining rearrangements found in Lepidoptera appear to be independently derived in that they are automorphic at several taxonomic scales, although current mitogenomic data are limited, particularly for congeneric data.

Complete mitochondrial genome of Camponotus atrox (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): a new tRNA arrangement in Hymenoptera.

We sequenced the complete mitochondrial (mt) genome of Camponotus atrox (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), which is only distributed in Korea. The genome was 16 540 bp in size and contained typical sets of genes (13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNAs, and 2 rRNAs). The C. atrox A+T-rich region, at 1402 bp, was the longest of all sequenced ant genomes and was composed of an identical tandem repeat consisting of six 100-bp copies and one 96-bp copy. A total of 315 bp of intergenic spacer sequence was spread over 23 regions. An alignment of the spacer sequences in ants was largely feasible among congeneric species, and there was substantial sequence divergence, indicating their potential use as molecular markers for congeneric species. The A/T contents at the first and second codon positions of protein-coding genes (PCGs) were similar for ant species, including C. atrox (73.9% vs. 72.3%, on average). With increased taxon sampling among hymenopteran superfamilies, differences in the divergence rates (i.e., the non-synonymous substitution rates) between the suborders Symphyta and Apocrita were detected, consistent with previous results. The C. atrox mt genome had a unique gene arrangement, trnI-trnM-trnQ, at the A+T-rich region and ND2 junction (underline indicates inverted gene). This may have originated from a tandem duplication of trnM-trnI, resulting in trnM-trnI-trnM-trnI-trnQ, and the subsequent loss of the first trnM and second trnI, resulting in trnI-trnM-trnQ.

Viscoelastic interactions between polydeoxyribonucleotide and ophthalmic excipients.

This study investigated the interaction between polydeoxyribonucleotide (PDRN) and several ionic and nonionic isotonic agents, thickeners and a preservative that were employed as excipients in ophthalmic preparations. Interaction of each individual excipient and PDRN aqueous solution was evaluated by analyzing their rheological properties. Rheological properties of PDRN solutions were evaluated by dynamic oscillatory shear tests and values of elastic modulus (G'), viscous modulus (G″) and loss tangent (tan δ) were used to assess the relative changes in viscoelastic properties. At given concentrations, sodium chloride was found to show alteration in viscoelastic properties of PDRN solution while nonionic isotonic agents like d-glucose and d-sorbitol did not alter them. Similarly, nonionic water soluble polymers like polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) also did not interact with PDRN to alter the viscoelastic properties. However, there were changes observed when carbopol 940 was used as a thickener. Therefore, PDRN was found to interact with ionic excipients and the interactions were negligible when nonionic materials were examined, which suggests that nonionic excipients are suitable to be formulated with PDRN.

Depletion of autophagy-related genes ATG3 and ATG5 in Tenebrio molitor leads to decreased survivability against an intracellular pathogen, Listeria monocytogenes.

Macroautophagy (autophagy) is an evolutionarily conserved catabolic process involved in physiological and developmental processes including cell survival, death, and innate immunity. Homologues of most of 36 originally discovered autophagy-related (ATG) genes in yeast have been characterized in higher eukaryotes including insects. In this study, the homologues of ATG3 (TmATG3) and ATG5 (TmATG5) were isolated from the coleopteran beetle, Tenebrio molitor by expressed sequence tag and RNAseq approaches. The cDNA of TmATG3 and TmATG5 comprise open-reading frame sizes of 963 and 792 bp encoding polypeptides of 320 and 263 amino acid residues, respectively. TmATG3 and TmATG5 mRNA are expressed in all developmental stages, and mainly in fat body and hemocytes of larvae. TmATG3 and TmATG5 showed an overall sequence identity of 58-95% to other insect Atg proteins. There exist clear one-to-one orthologs of TmATG3 and TmATG5 in Tribolium and that they clustered together in the gene tree. Depletion of TmATG3 and TmATG5 by RNA interference led to a significant reduction in survival ability of T. molitor larvae against an intracellular pathogen, Listeria monocytogenes. Six days post-Listeria challenge, the survival rate in the dsEGFP-injected (where EGFP is enhanced green fluorescent protein) control larvae was significantly higher (55%) compared to 4 and 3% for TmATG3 and TmATG5 double-stranded RNA injected larvae, respectively. These data suggested that TmATG3 and TmATG5 may play putative role in mediating autophagy-based clearance of Listeria in T. molitor model.

A phase III, randomized, double-blind, matched-pairs, active-controlled clinical trial and preclinical animal study to compare the durability, efficacy and safety between polynucleotide filler and hyaluronic acid filler in the correction of crow's feet: a new concept of regenerative filler.

The Rejuran® is a new filler product made from purified polynucleotides. Here we present data from an animal study and a clinical trial to examine the durability, efficacy and safety of the Rejuran® on crow's feet. For the animal study, 25 mice were divided into three groups: Group 1 received phosphate buffered saline (PBS); Group 2 were treated with Yvoire®; and Group 3 were treated with Rejuran®. The durability and efficacy of each treatment were assessed by microscopy and staining. In the clinical trial, 72 patients were randomized to receive Rejuran® treatment for crow's feet on one side and Yvoire-Hydro® on the contralateral side, at a ratio of 1:1. Repeated treatments were performed every two weeks for a total of three times, over a total of 12 weeks' observation. All injections and observations of efficacy and safety were performed by the same two investigators. In the animal study, the Rejuran® group showed similar durability and inflammatory response to the Yvoire® group. Upon efficacy assessment, the Rejuran® group showed the greatest elasticity and collagen composition, and a significant difference in skin surface roughness and wrinkle depth. In the clinical trial, the primary and secondary objective efficacy outcome measure showed no statistical significance between the two groups, and in safety outcomes there were no unexpected adverse effects. Our data suggest that the Rejuran®, as a new regenerative filler, can be useful to reduce wrinkles, by showing evidence for its efficacy and safety.

Complete mitochondrial genome of the European common barnacle Perforatus perforatus Bruguière, 1789 (balanomorpha: balanidae).

This study is the first to sequence the complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of Perforatus perforatus Bruguière, 1789 (Balanomorpha: Balanidae). The 15,536-bp long P. perforatus mitogenome contained a typical set of animal mitochondrial genes, along with one control region. The P. perforatus mitogenome had an inverted gene block (trnP-ND4L-ND4-trnH-ND5-trnF) between trnS(gct) and trnT. This inverted gene block had been detected six species in three subfamilies of the Balanidae family (Balaninae, Acastinae and Megabalaninae), but our results show that it is also present in Concavinae, in which P. perforatus is included. The phylogenetic tree based on the concatenated sequences of the 13 protein-coding genes and two rRNA genes showed that P. perforatus is closely associated with Acasta sulcate and Balanus trigonus within Balanidae.

Description of new mitochondrial genomes (Spodoptera litura, Noctuoidea and Cnaphalocrocis medinalis, Pyraloidea) and phylogenetic reconstruction of Lepidoptera with the comment on optimization schemes.

We newly sequenced mitochondrial genomes of Spodoptera litura and Cnaphalocrocis medinalis belonging to Lepidoptera to obtain further insight into mitochondrial genome evolution in this group and investigated the influence of optimal strategies on phylogenetic reconstruction of Lepidoptera. Estimation of p-distances of each mitochondrial gene for available taxonomic levels has shown the highest value in ND6, whereas the lowest values in COI and COII at the nucleotide level, suggesting different utility of each gene for different hierarchical group when individual genes are utilized for phylogenetic analysis. Phylogenetic analyses mainly yielded the relationships (((((Bombycoidea + Geometroidea) + Noctuoidea) + Pyraloidea) + Papilionoidea) + Tortricoidea), evidencing the polyphyly of Macrolepidoptera. The Noctuoidea concordantly recovered the familial relationships (((Arctiidae + Lymantriidae) + Noctuidae) + Notodontidae). The tests of optimality strategies, such as exclusion of third codon positions, inclusion of rRNA and tRNA genes, data partitioning, RY recoding approach, and recoding nucleotides into amino acids suggested that the majority of the strategies did not substantially alter phylogenetic topologies or nodal supports, except for the sister relationship between Lycaenidae and Pieridae only in the amino acid dataset, which was in contrast to the sister relationship between Lycaenidae and Nymphalidae in Papilionoidea in the remaining datasets.

Molecular and immunohistochemical characterization of granulin gene encoded in Pieris rapae granulovirus genome.

Pieris rapae granulovirus (PiraGV) is highly pathogenic to the cabbage butterfly (P. rapae), an important pest of cultivated cabbages and mustard crops. It therefore holds significant promise towards exploitation as a potent bio-control agent in the field controlling the pest population. Whole-genome elucidation of the Korean isolate of the granulovirus (PiraGV-K), reported the presence of a granulin gene corresponding to ORF 1 in its genome. Comprehensive studies towards functional characterization of the gene, established that it is composed of 744 nucleotides and encodes a peptide of 247 amino acid residues. It possessed significant homology with AoGV and ClanGV with 87% identity at amino acid level. Multiple alignment data suggests that the C-terminus region of the gene had three different conserved regions. Time-course studies conducted in PiraGV-K infected P. rapae larvae revealed a significant upsurge of the transcript (134-fold) at 4 days post infection followed by a significant decline at the most advanced stages of infection. Anti-PiraGV-K granulin antibody was produced and western blot conducted with the infected larvae further confirmed the induction pattern with a protein of 30 kDa. Immunofluorescent staining showed a granulin-specific signal in fat body and integument of the infected larvae. Granulin-specific signals were noticed 2 days post infection with the eventual systemic spread of infection to the associated tracheal matrix witnessed at 4 days post infection. Immunogold labeling and electron microscopic studies further proved the cytopathological effects as the presence of numerous membrane-bound vesicles with nucleocapsids and abruption of intercellular junctions in fat body and hypertrophied cells in the integument.

Amorphous Carbon Films for Electronic Applications.

While various crystalline carbon allotropes, including graphene, have been actively investigated, amorphous carbon (a-C) thin films have received relatively little attention. The a-C is a disordered form of carbon bonding with a broad range of the CC bond length and bond angle. Although accurate structural analysis and theoretical approaches are still insufficient, reproducible structure-property relationships have been accumulated. As the a-C thin film is now adapted as a hardmask in the semiconductor industry and new properties are reported continuously, expectations are growing that it can be practically used as active materials beyond as a simple sacrificial layer. In this perspective review article, after a brief introduction to the synthesis and properties of the a-C thin films, their potential practical applications are proposed, including hardmasks, extreme ultraviolet (EUV) pellicles, diffusion barriers, deformable electrodes and interconnects, sensors, active layers, electrodes for energy, micro-supercapacitors, batteries, nanogenerators, electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding, and nanomembranes. The article ends with a discussion on the technological challenges in a-C thin films.

Identification of Sympetrum depressiusculum Sélys, 1841 in South Korea (Odonata: Libellulidae) According to Morphology and Genetic Markers.

In South Korea, both Sympetrum depressiusculum Sélys, 1841 (Odonata: Libellulidae), which is distributed throughout Europe and from Russia to the Korean Peninsula, and Sympetrum frequens Sélys, 1883, which is endemic to Japan, are recorded. However, the identity of South Korean populations and the validity of listing the two species have not yet been settled. In this study, we collected seventy-four individuals of Sympetrum species from South Korea (five localities), Russia, The Netherlands, and Japan. These samples were examined for morphology and sequenced for partial COI, 16S rRNA, and a nuclear internal spacer (ITS) region, after which these molecular data were combined with available public data from Russia, Japan, and The Netherlands. Major morphological characters that have been used to distinguish the two species and phylogenetic, network, and structure analyses all consistently suggest that South Korean populations form a single species. Consequently, it could be valid to treat South Korean populations as one species, S. depressiusculum, by applying the senior name. Nevertheless, the validity of maintaining each as an independent species in other countries may need additional study considering that our samples were focused more on South Korea and limited for Europe, Russia, and Japan.

Complete mitochondrial genome of Asiagomphus coreanus (Odonata: Gomphidae), which is endemic to South Korea.

Asiagomphus coreanus (Doi & Okumura, 1937) belongs to the family Gomphidae in the order Odonata, and has been listed as an endemic species in South Korea. Here, we assembled its complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) which is 15,649 base pairs (bp) in length. The A. coreanus mitogeneome consists of a typical set of genes [13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 2 ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes, and 22 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes] and one major non-coding A + T-rich region which is 846 bp long. The gene arrangement of the species was identical to that of commonly found in the majority of the insects. Phylogenetic analyses using the concatenated sequences of 13 PCGs and two rRNA genes of the representative odonate mitogenomes by Bayesian inference method revealed that A. coreanus belongs to the Gomphidae family with a strong nodal support (Bayesian posterior probabilities = 1). Unlike previous phylogenetic analyses (with regards to suborder relationships) the suborder Anisozygoptera-which was represented by a single species, Epiophlebia superstes-was placed as the sister to Zygoptera.

Phylogeographic Relationships among Bombyx mandarina (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae) Populations and Their Relationships to B. mori Inferred from Mitochondrial Genomes.

We report 37 mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) sequences of Bombyx mori strains (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae) and four of B. mandarina individuals, each preserved and collected, respectively, in South Korea. These mitogenome sequences combined with 45 public data showed a substantial genetic reduction in B. mori strains compared to the presumed ancestor B. mandarina, with the highest diversity detected in the Chinese origin B. mori. Chinese B. mandarina were divided into northern and southern groups, concordant to the Qinling-Huaihe line, and the northern group was placed as an immediate progenitor of monophyletic B. mori strains in phylogenetic analyses, as has previously been detected. However, one individual that was in close proximity to the south Qinling-Huaihe line was exceptional, belonging to the northern group. The enigmatic South Korean population of B. mandarina, which has often been regarded as a closer genetic group to Japan, was most similar to the northern Chinese group, evidencing substantial gene flow between the two regions. Although a substantial genetic divergence is present between B. mandarina in southern China and Japan, a highly supported sister relationship between the two regional populations may suggest the potential origin of Japanese B. mandarina from southern China instead of the Korean peninsula.

The first complete mitochondrial genome in the family Attevidae (Attevaaurea) of the order Lepidoptera.

The superfamily Yponomeutoidea, one of the early-derived groups in the order Lepidoptera, consists of 11 families. However, mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) sequences, popularly used for phylogeny and evolutionary tracing, are available for only seven species across six genera and five families. Thus, a larger variety of mitogenome sequences in Yponomeutoidea are required to improve our understanding of lepidopteran phylogeny and genomic evolution. In this study, we present the complete mitogenome of Attevaaurea (Fitch, 1856), the first species in the family Attevidae (superfamily Yponomeutoidea, order Lepidoptera) to be sequenced. The complete mitogenome comprises 16,329 bp and contains a typical set of genes and one non-coding region. Within Yponomeutoidea, the mitogenome of A.aurea has a unique trnI-trnM-trnQ arrangement at the A + T-rich region and ND2 junction and trnA-ND3 arrangement at the trnG and trnR junction. Twelve of the 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs) of A.aurea have a typical ATN starting codon, whereas COI has the atypical CGA codon, which is frequently found in the starting region of lepidopteran COI. Phylogenetic analyses, based on the concatenated sequences of 13 PCGs and two rRNA genes, using the Maximum Likelihood method, revealed a sister relationship between Attevidae and Praydidae with moderately low nodal support (bootstrap support = 64%).

Whole-genome sequences of 37 breeding line Bombyx mori strains and their phenotypes established since 1960s.

Bombyx mori is a key insect in the sericulture industry and one of the very important economic animals that are responsible for not only the livelihood of many farmers internationally but also expended biomedical use. The National Institute of Agricultural Sciences of the Rural Development Administration of Korea (NIAS, RDA, Korea) has been collecting silkworm resources with various phenotypic traits from the 1960s and established breeding lines for using them as genetic resources. And these breeding line strains have been used to develop suitable F1 hybrid strains for specific use. In this study, we report the whole-genome sequences of 37 breeding line B. mori strains established over the past 60 years, along with the description of their phenotypic characteristics with photos of developmental stages. In addition, we report the example phenotypic characteristics of the F1-hybrid strain using these breeding line strains. We hope this data will be used as valuable resources to the related research community for studying B. mori and similar other insects.