title: Bm59 is an early gene, but is unessential for the propagation and assembly of Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus.
abstract: Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) is a major pathogen that specifically infects the domestic silkworm and causes serious economic loss to sericulture around the world. The function of BmNPV Bm59 gene in the viral life cycle is inconclusive. To investigate the role of Bm59 during viral infection, the transcription initiation site and temporal expression of Bm59 were analyzed, and Bm59-knockout virus was generated through homologous recombination in Escherichia coli. The results showed that Bm59 is an early transcription gene with an atypia early transcriptional start motif. Budded virion (BV) production and DNA replication in the BmN cells transfected with the Bm59-knockout virus bacmid were similar to those in the cells transfected with the wild-type virus. Electron microscopy revealed that the occlusion-derived virus can be produced in cells infected with the Bm59-knockout virus. These results indicated that Bm59 is an early gene and is not essential for viral replication or assembly of BmNPV. These findings suggested that non-essential gene (Bm59) remained in the viral genome, which may interact with other viral/host genes in a certain situation.
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China.|School of Biology and Basic Medical Science, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China.
authors.forename: Xiaolong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
authors.forename: Yunwang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
authors.forename: Qin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
authors.forename: Guobao
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China. wuxiaofeng@zju.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Xiaofeng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: School of Biology and Basic Medical Science, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China. gongcl@suda.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Chengliang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gong
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D012831:Bombyx / Q000821:virology*; D002460:Cell Line; D004261:DNA Replication / Q000235:genetics; D015967:Gene Expression Regulation, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D055786:Gene Knockout Techniques / Q000379:methods; D008854:Microscopy, Electron / Q000379:methods; D017924:Nucleopolyhedroviruses / Q000235:genetics*; D024363:Transcription Initiation Site / Q000502:physiology; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D014162:Transfection / Q000379:methods; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D019065:Virus Assembly / Q000235:genetics*; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D014764:Viral Proteins
keywords: Bm59 gene; Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV); Early gene