Silkworm ovaries and ovarioles infected by <i>N</i>. <i>bombycis</i>.

Paraffin sections of the infected ovaries and ovarioles in the prepupal stage (A), and on the 1st (B), 2nd (C), 3rd (D), 4th (E) and 5th (F) day of pupation were prepared. (A1-F1 and A2-F2) Immunofluorescence assay on the paraffin sections of the infected ovaries and ovarioles. Arrowhead shows N. bombycis in the ovarioles. N. bombycis spores were stained by FB28 (blue). Proliferative parasites were labeled with polyclonal antibodies against N. bombycis and conjugated to Alexa Fluor 488 (green). (G) Copies of Nb-β-tubulin were detected at six different stages in the ovarian wall and ovarioles. Pre-P, prepupal stage, P1d, 1st day of pupation, P2d, 2nd day of pupation, P3d, 3rd day of pupation, P4d, 4th day of pupation P5d, 5th day of pupation. The data are described as the mean ± SD, and letters above the data columns indicate significant differences at the 0.05 level (independent-sample t test). All nuclei were stained with PI (red). OS, ovariole sheath; OW, ovarian wall; Ov, ovariole; FC, follicular cell; NC, nurse cell; O, oocyte.