Silk Protein Sericin as a Novel Mitogenic Sup...

Silk Protein Sericin as a Novel Mitogenic Supplement for Plant Cell Culture

Author Name : Bhuvana M, Pavithra S, Harshitha R, Ankitha S. Naik, Arpitha H, Chaya Devi H, Narase Gowda P N, H.L. Ramesh, Manjunath H B, Ashok Kumar

DOI: https://doi.org/10.56025/IJARESM.2023.120124641

ABSTRACT In India, agriculture is the major source of employment and economy. Commercialization and urbanization have led to the decrease in the area of agricultural fields. Plant tissue culture plays a vital role in the production of innumerable disease and pest resistant plants in-vitro by shoot, root and meristem culture. Phytohormones in the culture media is the essential factor for the growth of explants. Silkworm Bombyxmori L. biosynthesize protein by feeding mulberry leaves, sericin and fibroin are secreted in the middle and posterior regions of the silk gland respectively. Sericin is a bio-transformed polar globular protein secreted in silkworm cocoons, possessing inherent biochemical properties like antioxidant, anti-tumor, pharmaceutical formulation and beneficial role in cell culture characteristics. A systematic study was conducted using Murashige-Skoog(MS) medium supplemented with sericin for the rapid growth of protocorm like body(PLB). Sericin was extracted from BombyxmoriL, NBH1 cocoons by degumming process and the experiment was conducted on Oncidium(Dancing Lady Orchid) using four different formulations of MS medium with sericin (Medium I- 20.15mg sericin, Medium II- 20.15mg sericin + 2μM 2,4-D, Medium III- 8.078mg sericin, Medium IV- 8.078mg sericin+2μM 2,4-D)in culture medium (3 replications per formulation) with control(MS medium) and positive control(MS medium+2μM 2,4-D). The growth of the PLB was monitored periodically by the morphological traits (shoot count). The shoot growth from PLB in Medium I showed highest and Medium II showed slightly higher compared to control and positive control. The culture of explant in the medium containing sericin shows efficient shoot induction. An attempt has been made to use sericin (bio-waste) as an alternative source in the culture medium for the rapid growth of explant and initial experiments proved to be more promising in nature.