Comparison of the time-mortality response of Heliothis zea to 14 isolates of Heliothis nuclear polyhedrosis virus

Twelve singly embedded isolates (SEV) and two multiply embedded isolates (MEV) of nuclear polyhedrosis viruses from Heliothis larvae were compared by time-mortality assays in neonate H. zea larvae. The isolates could be separated into six groups based on differences in the 50% survival time (ST₅₀) values. Isolates with identical restriction endonuclease (REN) profiles did not differ significantly in their ST₅₀ values, whereas isolates with several different REN cleavage sites also had significantly different ST₅₀ values. With the exception of one isolate from India, the singly embedded isolates acted faster than the multiply embedded isolates.     

Characteristics of structural proteins of infectious flacherie virus from the silkworm, Bombyx mori

Structural proteins and the characteristics of infectious flacherie virus (IFV) purified from the silkworm, Bombyx mori, are described. The purified IFV had four major structural proteins, which were detected only in high concentration gels of sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and a few minor ones. Molecular weights of the major proteins were 35,200 (VP 1), 33,000 (VP 2), 31,200 (VP 3), and 11,600 (VP 4), and numbers per virion were 62, 57, 54, and 31, respectively. Amino acid compositions of VP 1, VP 2, and VP 3 were similar to each other but that of VP 4 was somewhat different. By isoelectric focusing and two-dimensional electrophoresis, high resolution of the structural proteins was obtained with silver staining. The isoelectric points of the four major proteins were determined as 7.7(VP 1), 6.7(VP 2), 4.8(VP 3), and 5.5(VP 4). This work is the first report on insect picornaviruses that presents some discriminative properties of each viral protein that was compared to those of mammalian picornaviruses.     

Restriction map of CELO virus DNA

A restriction map of chicken embryo lethal orphan (CELO) virus DNA was reported with ten restriction endonucleases (XbaI, XhoI, SalI, HindIII, EcoRI, BglI, KpnI, BamHI, PstI and SstI). CELO virus DNA was estimated by comparing CELO virus DNA fragments with marker DNA fragments to have a molecular weight of 29.3·10⁶.     

Factors affecting pathogenicity of NPV preparations to the corn earworm,Heliothis armigera

Pathogenicity ofHeliothis nuclear polyhedrosis virus (HSNPV) to the corn earworm,Heliothis armigera, was studied using 3 different inoculative methods. The LD50 values of 4^th-instar larvae inoculated with corn-fed, diet-fed and inoculum-imbiding method were 1.85×10⁶, 2.55×10⁵ and 1,22×10³ PIBs/larva, respectively. The inoculum-imbiding is more sensitive and convenient for inoculatingH. armigera with HSNPV. The HSNPV product, Elcar^®, was highly pathogenic toH. armigera, the LD50 values of 2^nd-, 3^rd- and 4^th-instar larvae being 27, 83 and 1,221 PIBs/larva, respectively, as measured by the inoculum-imbiding method. The mortality of 4^th-instar larvae caused by HSNPV was increased, but the incubation period was shortened with higher incubation temperatures. However, the high temperature at 35°C caused a lower mortality, and a prolongation of the median lethal time (LT50). Stability and persistence of HSNPV preparations were better in January–February and April–May than in June–July and October–November periods when sprayed on corn silks under field conditions. The HSNPV was inactivated by weak alkaline dew (pH 8.1) collected from soybean leaves, but it remained active on those from corn, tomato and asparagus with pH 7.2–7.3. The artificial heavy rainfall of 242 mm/h for 30 min did not wash off HSNPV preparations sprayed on the corn silks.     

大麦条纹花叶病毒新疆株(BSMV-XJ)RNA_2的cDNA克隆及5′端序列分析

分离了大麦条纹花叶病毒(BSMV)新疆株基因组的3个RNA组份。以RNA2为模板,3′端互补寡核苷酸为引物,合成了第一条cDNA链和第二条cDNA链,将ds-cDNA重组在pUC9质粒中,转化大肠杆菌细胞,获得含RNA3′端的克隆,并证明所选克隆的cDNA含有新疆株几近全长的RNA2组份。对于插入片段为3.3kbp的112号克隆进行了酶谱分析,得到了与国外典型株类似的结果;用双脱氧终止法分析了相当于RNA 2 5′端250bp的cDNA酶切片段,表明与国外典型株有十分相似的一级结构。