An object of the present invention is to develop: a method of efficiently producing a long bagworm silk thread containing no contaminant while preventing a change in the spinning direction and the runaway of the bagworm from a rail, and alleviating a burden on the bagworm; and an apparatus for implementing the thread-producing method. Provided is an apparatus for producing a bagworm silk thread, having a movable rail having a width smaller than the maximum width between the right and left legs of a bagworm and configured to move in the longitudinal direction and to be able to hold with the legs of the bagworm; and a fixator configured to fix a bagworm, wherein the fixator is placed at a position such that the fixed bagworm can hold the movable rail.

An object of the present invention is to develop: a method of efficiently producing a long bagworm silk thread containing no contaminant while preventing a change in the spinning direction and the runaway of the bagworm from a rail, and alleviating a burden on the bagworm; and an apparatus for implementing the thread-producing method. Provided is an apparatus for producing a bagworm silk thread, having a movable rail having a width smaller than the maximum width between the right and left legs of a bagworm and configured to move in the longitudinal direction and to be able to hold with the legs of the bagworm; and a fixator configured to fix a bagworm, wherein the fixator is placed at a position such that the fixed bagworm can hold the movable rail.

An object of the present invention is to develop: a method of efficiently producing a long bagworm silk thread containing no contaminant while preventing a change in the spinning direction and the runaway of the bagworm from a rail, and alleviating a burden on the bagworm; and an apparatus for implementing the thread-producing method. Provided is an apparatus for producing a bagworm silk thread, having a movable rail having a width smaller than the maximum width between the right and left legs of a bagworm and configured to move in the longitudinal direction and to be able to hold with the legs of the bagworm; and a fixator configured to fix a bagworm, wherein the fixator is placed at a position such that the fixed bagworm can hold the movable rail.

A method of producing a transgenic silkworm that spins bagworm silks and producing a large quantity of bagworm silks by transgenic technology is developed and provided. A gene encoding a modified bagworm Fib H and a transgenic silkworm in which the gene is introduced, wherein the gene is obtained by cloning a gene fragment encoding a bagworm Fib H-like polypeptide comprising a partial amino acid sequence of bagworm Fib H, and fusing the gene fragment to a gene fragment encoding silkworm-derived Fib H, are provided.

A method of producing a transgenic silkworm that spins bagworm silks and producing a large quantity of bagworm silks by transgenic technology is developed and provided. A gene encoding a modified bagworm Fib H and a transgenic silkworm in which the gene is introduced, wherein the gene is obtained by cloning a gene fragment encoding a bagworm Fib H-like polypeptide comprising a partial amino acid sequence of bagworm Fib H, and fusing the gene fragment to a gene fragment encoding silkworm-derived Fib H, are provided.

The present inventors have conducted intensive studies on an antibody which controls HIV in an administration group with a high probability over a long period of time with one or several times of single-agent administration. As a result, the present inventors have surprisingly found that, when an SW-1C10 antibody, which is obtained by producing an antibody gene reported as 1C10 in silkworms, is singly administered only a few times, the viral load in the blood is suppressed to the detection limit or lower at an early stage in all of individuals to which the antibody has been administered, and moreover, the viral RNA load in the blood is maintained at the detection limit or lower for a long time of 12 weeks. Also, the yield of the antibody in silkworms is approximately several hundreds μg per cocoon, or several μg per 1 mg of cocoon, and studies to increase the productivity more than this level have not been conducted heretofore. The present inventors have conducted studies to find an antibody having a higher yield in silk-spinning insects among a large number of anti-HIV antibodies. As a result, the present inventors have found that a 1C10 antibody and a 1D9 antibody, each of which is an anti-HIV antibody, are produced in silk threads of silk-spinning insects at a higher yield than the conventional yield.

The present inventors have conducted intensive studies on an antibody which controls HIV in an administration group with a high probability over a long period of time with one or several times of single-agent administration. As a result, the present inventors have surprisingly found that, when an SW-1C10 antibody, which is obtained by producing an antibody gene reported as 1C10 in silkworms, is singly administered only a few times, the viral load in the blood is suppressed to the detection limit or lower at an early stage in all of individuals to which the antibody has been administered, and moreover, the viral RNA load in the blood is maintained at the detection limit or lower for a long time of 12 weeks. Also, the yield of the antibody in silkworms is approximately several hundreds μg per cocoon, or several μg per 1 mg of cocoon, and studies to increase the productivity more than this level have not been conducted heretofore. The present inventors have conducted studies to find an antibody having a higher yield in silk-spinning insects among a large number of anti-HIV antibodies. As a result, the present inventors have found that a 1C10 antibody and a 1D9 antibody, each of which is an anti-HIV antibody, are produced in silk threads of silk-spinning insects at a higher yield than the conventional yield.

A thread collecting method for easily and simply collecting a bagworm-derived pure silk thread from a bagworm with a small number of processes and a thread collecting device for implementing the thread collecting method are developed and provided. A device that collects a silk thread from a bagworm is provided, the device including: a container that accommodates the bagworm; and an in-and-out hole through which the bagworm is put in and taken out of the container. A width of a maximum short axis cross section of an inner space of the container is in a range from 1.2 times or more to less than 3.1 times relative to a maximum body width of the bagworm being accommodated.

A thread collecting method for easily and simply collecting a bagworm-derived pure silk thread from a bagworm with a small number of processes and a thread collecting device for implementing the thread collecting method are developed and provided. A device that collects a silk thread from a bagworm is provided, the device including: a container that accommodates the bagworm; and an in-and-out hole through which the bagworm is put in and taken out of the container. A width of a maximum short axis cross section of an inner space of the container is in a range from 1.2 times or more to less than 3.1 times relative to a maximum body width of the bagworm being accommodated.

A movement control method and a spinning position control method for a bagworm is provided, in which a bagworm is led to a predetermined position and allowed to spin a foothold silk thread at the predetermined position. A behavior control method in which a light is radiated to a bagworm to lead the bagworm toward a direction from which the light is radiated, and a spinning position control method in which a light is radiated to a bagworm at a spinning position on a surface of a base material to allow the bagworm to spin at the position are also provided.