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A lysogenic phage, MZTP02, was produced via induction by mitomycin C from Bacillus thuringiensis (B. thuringiensis) strain MZ1. Plaques were about 3 mm in diameter with a small inner zone consisting of new B. thuringiensis colonies. Electron microscopic analysis showed that MZTP02 had a long tail (220 nm x 18 nm) and an icosahedral head (82 nm x 85 nm). MZTP02 was insensitive to organic solvents such as chloroform, and infected six B. thuringiensis strains. Its complete genome contained 15,717 base pairs (bp) with 37.55% G + C content. Two inverted terminal repeats consisting of 40 bp were 65% identical. Twenty putative open reading frames (ORFs) were found in the MZTP02 genome, and nine predicted proteins, including two terminase subunits, portal protein, minor head protein, scaffold protein, two putative membrane proteins, tail component, and minor structural protein, showed similarity to other phage proteins. But six ORFs were unique. The presence of a terminal protein at the 5'-terminus was demonstrated using proteinase K, lambda exonuclease and E. coli exonuclease III to digest the genome DNA. A TMP phylogenetic tree was constructed based on amino acid sequences from ten phages.

The silk gland of the domesticated silkworm Bombyx mori, is a remarkable organ that produces vast amounts of silk with exceptional properties. Little is known about which silk gland cells execute silk protein synthesis and its precise spatiotemporal control. Here, we use single-cell RNA sequencing to build a comprehensive cell atlas of the silkworm silk gland, consisting of 14,972 high-quality cells representing 10 distinct cell types, in three early developmental stages. We annotate all 10 cell types and determine their distributions in each region of the silk gland. Additionally, we decode the developmental trajectory and gene expression status of silk gland cells. Finally, we discover marker genes involved in the regulation of silk gland development and silk protein synthesis. Altogether, this work reveals the heterogeneity of silkworm silk gland cells and their gene expression dynamics, affording a deeper understanding of silk-producing organs at the single-cell level.

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