Biochemistry Department (Silkworm Biochemistry & Endocrinology), Regional Research Laboratory (CSIR), Jorhat-785 006, Assam (India).
The variation in the activities of phosphorylase (EC: 2.4.1.1) and trehalase (EC:3.2.1.28) and changes in the level of glycogen, glucose, trehalose and pyruvate were analysed during embryogenesis, larval development and spinning period in Antheraea assama (Westwood) and Philosarnia ricini (Boisduval). During embryogenesis, phosphorylase activity was higher in P. ricini than A. assarna. In the early larval development (1st to IIIrd instar), both phosphorylase and trehalase exhibited higher activity in P. ricini as compared to A. assarna. In the silk glands and haemolymph, however, the activity of the enzymes was observed to be dominating in A. assama. Higher contents of glycogen, trehaiose and pyruvate were detected in the early instar larvae. But, the level of same metabolites was higher in the haemolymph of P. ricini. These metabolites corresponding to the enzymes were observed to be in continuous flux in accordance with the developmental stages, metabolic purposes, spining and cocoon formation.
