Ribonuclease and protease in virus-diseased silkworms

Changes of the action of ribonuclease and protease in the course of polyhedrosis development were pursued using acetone preparations prepared 4 and 6 hours as well as 2, 3 and 6 days after viral infection. It was found that the proteolytic activity is elevated in all cases, and that the maximum activation occurs in the period of polyhedron formation. The elevation of ribonuclease action, however, was rather low. The enzymatic potencies o f larvae were also estimated several hours after injecting with virogenic agents, for example, hydrogen peroxide, hydroxylaminc, potassium nitrite, acetoxime, sodium carbonate and polyhedral virus. It was observed that the tissue protease is activated by all these treatments. But the increase of ribonuclease activity took place only when caterpillars were injected with nitrite, oxime, carbonate and virus.蚕児の多角体病はヒドロキシルアミン,過酸化水素,亜硝酸加里及びアセトオキシム等の化学薬品によつて誘発されるが,かかるバイラスの形成に伴いプロテアーゼの著しい活性化がみられた.かくの如く蛋白分解酵素の賦活はバイラス発生の第一段階と考えられる.しかし一方に於て本バイラス蛋白の生成に最も密接に関与するものは寄主体細胞に存在し自己増殖性を有するリボ核酸及びデオキシリボ核酸とおもわれるので,先ずリボ核酸分解酵素の行動を蛋白酵素のそれと併せて追及した