A baculovirus-expressed dicistrovirus that is infectious to aphids.
Detailed investigation of virus replication is facilitated by the construction of a full-length infectious clone of the viral genome. To date, this has not been achieved for members of the family Dicistroviridae. Here we demonstrate the construction of a baculovirus that expresses a dicistrovirus that is infectious in its natural host. We inserted a full-length cDNA clone of the genomic RNA of the dicistrovirus Rhopalosiphum padi virus (RhPV) into a baculovirus expression vector. Virus particles containing RhPV RNA accumulated in the nuclei of baculovirus-infected Sf21 cells expressing the recombinant RhPV clone. These virus particles were infectious in R. padi, a ubiquitous aphid vector of major cereal viruses. The recombinant virus was transmitted efficiently between aphids, despite the presence of 119 and 210 vector-derived bases that were stably maintained at the 5' and 3' ends, respectively, of the RhPV genome. The maintenance of such a nonviral sequence was surprising considering that most RNA viruses tolerate few nonviral bases beyond their natural termini. The use of a baculovirus to express a small RNA virus opens avenues for investigating replication of dicistroviruses and may allow large-scale production of these viruses for use as biopesticides.
Pal
Narinder
N
Department of Entomology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011-3222, USA.
Boyapalle
Sandhya
S
Beckett
Randy
R
Miller
W Allen
WA
Bonning
Bryony C
BC
D000818:Animals; D001042:Aphids / Q000821:virology*; D016367:Baculoviridae / Q000235:genetics*; D002460:Cell Line; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000821:virology; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D012328:RNA Viruses / Q000235:genetics*; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D018411:Spodoptera / Q000166:cytology / Q000821:virology; D014771:Virion / Q000648:ultrastructure
D018076:DNA, Complementary; D012367:RNA, Viral