title: Comparative analysis of the genome and host range characteristics of two insect iridoviruses: Chilo iridescent virus and a cricket iridovirus isolate.
abstract: The iridovirus isolate termed cricket iridovirus (CrIV) was isolated in 1996 from Gryllus campestris L. and Acheta domesticus L. (both Orthoptera, Gryllidae). CrIV DNA shows distinct DNA restriction patterns different from those known for Insect iridescent virus type 6 (IIV-6). This observation led to the assumption that CrIV might be a new species within the family Iridoviridae. CrIV can be transmitted perorally to orthopteran species, resulting in specific, fatal diseases. These species include Gryllus bimaculatus L. and the African migratory locust Locusta migratoria migratorioides (Orthoptera, Acrididae). Analysis of genomic and host range properties of this isolate was carried out in comparison to those known for IIV-6. Host range studies of CrIV and IIV-6 revealed no differences in the peroral susceptibility in all insect species and developmental stages tested to date. Different gene loci of the IIV-6 genome were analyzed, including the major capsid protein (274L), thymidylate synthase (225R), an exonuclease (012L), DNA polymerase (037L), ATPase (075L), DNA ligase (205R) and the open reading frame 339L, which is homologous to the immediate-early protein ICP-46 of frog virus 3. The average identity of the selected viral genes and their gene products was found to be 95.98 and 95.18% at the nucleotide and amino acid level, respectively. These data led to the conclusion that CrIV and IIV-6 are not different species within the Iridoviridae family and that CrIV must be considered to be a variant and/or a novel strain of IIV-6.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Medical Virology, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 324, D-69120 Heidelberg, Federal Republic of Germany1.
authors.forename: N J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Jakob
authors.affiliation: Federal Biological Research Center for Agriculture and Forestry, Institute for Biological Control, Heinrichstrasse 243, D-64287 Darmstadt, Federal Republic of Germany2.
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Kleespies
authors.affiliation: Institute for Medical Virology, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 324, D-69120 Heidelberg, Federal Republic of Germany1.
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Tidona
authors.affiliation: Institute for Medical Virology, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 324, D-69120 Heidelberg, Federal Republic of Germany1.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.affiliation: Robert-Koch-Institute, Nordufer 20, 13353 Berlin, Federal Republic of Germany3.
authors.forename: H R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Gelderblom
authors.affiliation: Institute for Medical Virology, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 324, D-69120 Heidelberg, Federal Republic of Germany1.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Darai
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D016679:Genome, Viral; D006135:Gryllidae / Q000821:virology*; D017994:Iridovirus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000502:physiology; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D014764:Viral Proteins