title: In vivo and in vitro analyses of a Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus mutant lacking functional vfgf.
abstract: All lepidopteran baculovirus genomes sequenced to date encode a viral fibroblast growth factor homolog (vfgf), suggesting that vfgf may play an important role in the infection cycle of lepidopteran baculoviruses. Here, we describe the characterization of a Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) mutant lacking functional vfgf. We constructed a vfgf deletion mutant (BmFGFD) and characterized it in BmN cells and B. mori larvae. We observed that budded virus (BV) production was reduced in BmFGFD-infected BmN cells and B. mori larvae. The larval bioassays also revealed that deletion of vfgf did not reduce the infectivity; however, the mutant virus did take 20 h longer to kill B. mori larvae than wild-type BmNPV, when tested either by BV injection or by polyhedrin-inclusion body ingestion. These results suggest that BmNPV vfgf is involved in efficient virus production in BmN cells and B. mori larvae.
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural and Environmental Biology, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan. katsuma@ss.ab.a.u-tokyo.ac.jp
authors.forename: Susumu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Katsuma
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Horie
authors.forename: Takaaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Daimon
authors.forename: Masashi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iwanaga
authors.forename: Toru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shimada
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D012831:Bombyx / Q000821:virology*; D002460:Cell Line; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D017353:Gene Deletion; D015870:Gene Expression; D005814:Genes, Viral; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D007814:Larva / Q000821:virology; D017924:Nucleopolyhedroviruses / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000502:physiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D010948:Viral Plaque Assay; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics; D019065:Virus Assembly; D014779:Virus Replication
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D006133:Growth Substances; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012367:RNA, Viral; D014764:Viral Proteins