title: The isolation and genetic characterisation of a South African strain of Phthorimaea operculella granulovirus, PhopGV-SA.
abstract: The Phthorimaea operculella granulovirus (PhopGV) is considered a promising biopesticide that can be incorporated into integrated pest management programmes for sustainable control of the potato tuber moth, Phthorimaea operculella (Zeller) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), a major pest of solanaceous crops in sub-tropical and tropical regions worldwide. Several PhopGV isolates recovered from geographically different insect populations have been genetically characterised, and the full genome of the Tunisian PhopGV-1346 isolate has been sequenced, providing a reference strain for comparison of novel isolates. Here we report the identification and genetic characterisation of a South African PhopGV isolate recovered from a P. operculella colony held under laboratory conditions. Transmission electron microscopy examination of purified occlusion bodies together with analysis of granulin and late expression factor-8 (lef-8) gene sequences confirmed the identity of the virus as PhopGV. The sequenced ecdysteroid UDP-glucosyltransferase (egt) gene was 1353nt in length, placing PhopGV-SA in egt group II. Finally, a phylogenetic analysis using a range of egt sequences grouped PhopGV-SA together with the Kenyan, Ecuadorian, Indonesian and Colombian isolates. The results are discussed with reference to the possible origin of PhopGV-SA, and provide a platform for future studies involving virulence evaluation against geographically different P. operculella populations with a view to biopesticide development.
authors: Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Biotechnology, Rhodes University, PO Box 94, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa.
authors: Michael D
authors: MD
authors: Jukes
authors: Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Biotechnology, Rhodes University, PO Box 94, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa. Electronic address: caroline.knox@ru.ac.za.
authors: Caroline M
authors: CM
authors: Knox
authors: Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, PO Box 94, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa.
authors: Martin P
authors: MP
authors: Hill
authors: Citrus Research International, PO Box 20285, Humewood 6031, Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
authors: Sean D
authors: SD
authors: Moore
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016367:Baculoviridae / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D005838:Genotype; D007915:Lepidoptera / Q000821:virology*; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013019:South Africa; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D014771:Virion / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D014764:Viral Proteins
keywords: Baculovirus; DNA viruses; Granulovirus; Phthorimaea operculella; egt gene