The effect of symbiosis between silkworm (Bombyx mori) and Firmicutes on silk production
Silkworm conditioning systems are widely popular due to enhancements observed in productivity and in resource efficiencies. However, limited knowledge is available on how intra-gut interspecific collaboration between the work and gut bacteria affects silk dry matter biomass production. The study was to study how gut bacteria, specifically fermicutes boost the dry silk production in Bombyx mori by altruistic/symbiotic interactions. Materials and methodsGreenhouse experiments were carried out to test the yield, biomass, nutrient uptake, parameters of gut morphology traits and glycolysis in 2017, the experiment included three treatments: no barrier treatment (NB) allowing complete gut collaboration, mesh barrier (MB) of partial gut collaboration and solid barrier (SB) without any exchanges of water and nutrients and gut collaboration. ResultsThe yield of silk production was increased by 53.6% and 27.8% in the treatments with complete gut collaborations compared to that without gut collaborations. Nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K) acquisitions of silk proteins were 1.71, 1.97 and 1.47 times for silkworm, and 1.25, 1.21, and 1.19 times for firmicutes in complete gut collaborations as high as in no gut collaborations, respectively. The length and surface area was increased by 42.9% and 43.6% for silkworm, 62.4% and 58.8% for firmicutes in complete gut collaborations compared to that in no gut collaborations. The worm length, leave number and net photosynthetic rate of silkworm were significantly boosted, while there is no significant effect on firmicutes. ConclusionsThe improvement of yield and nutrient acquisition may result from silkworm morphological and functional pliability induced from altruistic collaborations of firmicutes. The results would contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the response of silkworm and firmicutes to the gut collaboration on the basis of interspecific facilitation for silkworm/firmicutes system.