Involvement of Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus ORF41 (Bm41) in BV production and ODV envelopment.
Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) ORF41 (Bm41), homologous to Ac52, is a gene present in most lepidopteran nucleopolyhedroviruses. Bm41 transcripts and encoded protein in BmNPV-infected cells can be detected from 3 and 6 h post-infection, respectively. Immunoassays have shown that Bm41 is not a viral structural protein and is detected in both the nuclei and cytoplasm of infected cells. A Bm41-disrupted virus (vBm(De)) and a repaired virus (vBm(Re)) were generated to investigate the function of Bm41. The results showed that Bm41 was essential for viral replication, and the disruption of Bm41 resulted in a much lower viral titer. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that disruption of Bm41 affected normal nucleocapsid envelopment and polyhedra formation in the nucleus. The disruption of Bm41 might severely affect odv-ec27 and polyhedrin expression. The disrupted virus reduced BmNPV infectivity in an LD(50) bioassay and took 18-23 h longer to kill larvae than wild-type virus in an LT(50) bioassay.
Tian
Cai-Hong
CH
Institute of Insect Science, and Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Ministry of Agriculture, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310029, China.
Zhao
Jin-Fang
JF
Xu
Yi-Peng
YP
Xue
Jian
J
Zhang
Bao-Qin
BQ
Cui
Ying-Jun
YJ
Zhang
Min-Juan
MJ
Bao
Yan-Yuan
YY
Zhang
Chuan-Xi
CX
D000818:Animals; D012831:Bombyx / Q000821:virology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004261:DNA Replication / Q000235:genetics; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D055786:Gene Knockout Techniques; D007814:Larva / Q000821:virology; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D009154:Mutation; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D017924:Nucleopolyhedroviruses / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D016366:Open Reading Frames / Q000235:genetics; D013997:Time Factors; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000235:genetics*
D004279:DNA, Viral; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins; D014764:Viral Proteins