Linkage analysis of the fibroin light chain gene in the silkworm, Bombyx mori.

The fibroin light chain of an inbred strain of Bombyx mori was shown to give a single band on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis by a Laemmli system. From the electrophoretic mobility of the band, fibroin light chains from various inbred strains of the silkworm were classified into three groups, A, B and C. Linkage analysis of the fibroin light chain gene was performed by observing the relevant phenotypes, using a silkworm strain of Tamanashikasuri (light chain phenotype C) and sixteen silkworm stocks (light chain phenotype A or B) carrying genetic markers on each chromosome. The fibroin light chain gene was not linked to the fibroin H chain gene locating on the 25th chromosome carrying the Nd(2) mutation, but was found to be linked to the U gene locating on the 14th chromosome.