Increased insecticidal effect by a recombinant baculovirus carrying a synthetic diuretic hormone gene.
Genetically engineered insect viruses may be potential alternatives to conventional chemical insecticides. A recombinant gene for the diuretic hormone of the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta, has been introduced into a baculovirus, Bombyx mori nuclear polyhedrosis virus (BmNPV). When silkworm larvae were injected with the resulting recombinant BmNPV, the diuretic hormone was expressed, causing a strong alteration in larval fluid metabolism. The recombinant virus killed infected larvae about 20% faster than the original virus.
Maeda
S
S
Zoecon Research Institute, Sandoz Crop Protection Corp., Palo Alto, California 94303.
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D012831:Bombyx / Q000502:physiology; D004274:DNA, Recombinant; D005818:Genetic Engineering; D006458:Hemolymph / Q000502:physiology; D007301:Insect Hormones / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D007304:Insect Viruses / Q000235:genetics*; D007814:Larva; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010572:Pest Control, Biological; D014162:Transfection
D004274:DNA, Recombinant; D007301:Insect Hormones