THE EFFECTS OF JUVENILE HORMONE ANALOGUES ON THE EMBRYONIC DEVELOPMENT OF SILKWORMS

Abstract

Embryonic development of silkworm eggs can be blocked as early as the blastoderm stage by exposing unfertilized eggs to potent preparations of juvenile hormone or juvenile hormone analogues. If the treatment is postponed until the eggs have been fertilized and oviposited, it is usually too late to block embryonic development before the completion of recognizable lst-instar larvae which commonly fail to hatch. Larvae which hatch from treated eggs often show anatomical defects as well as curtailed viability and various abnormalities in postembryonic development The implications of these findings are discussed in relation to the role of juvenile hormone in controlling the implementation of genetic information during embryonic and postembryonic development.