Cricket Paralysis Virus, a Potential Control Agent for the Olive Fruit Fly, Dacus oleae Gmel

Representatives of several families of insect viruses were tested for growth and pathogenicity in the olive fruit fly, Dacus oleae Gmel. The viruses included nuclear polyhedrosis viruses, an iridovirus, two picornaviruses, and Trichoplusia ni small RNA virus (a member of the Nudaurelia β family), in addition to two naturally occurring viruses of the olive fruit fly. Two viruses, one of the two picornaviruses (cricket paralysis virus [CrPV] and the iridovirus (type 21 from Heliothis armigera), were found to replicate in adult flies. Flies which were fed on a solution containing CrPV for 1 day demonstrated a high mortality with 50% dying within 5 days and nearly 80% dying within 12 days of being fed. The virus was transmissible from infected to noninfected flies by fecal contamination. The CrPV which replicated in the infected flies was demonstrated to be the same as input virus by infection of Drosophila melanogaster cells and examination of the expressed viral proteins, immunoprecipitation of the virus purified from flies, and electrophoretic analysis of the structural proteins.     

Toxicity of Bacillus thuringiensis to laboratory populations of the olive fruit fly (Dacus oleae).

A survey of Bacillus thuringiensis recovered from the environments of olive groves in Greece was carried out. Of 80 soil samples, 24 were found to contain B. thuringiensis with parasporal crystal inclusions; these were tested for toxicity against the olive fruit fly (Dacus oleae). Mortality levels of larvae caused by the different isolates varied from 7 to 87%. Higher levels of mortality were observed if a mixture of relatively pure crystals and spores was used compared with the mortality resulting from either fraction alone. We were able to show that the toxicity of the most active isolate is likely to be specific for D. oleae.     

An inapparent infection with a probable picornavirus in several stocks of laboratory reared and naturally occurring populations of Dacus oleae Gmel. pupae in Greece

Pupae from several stocks of wild and laboratory reared olive fruit fly, Dacus oleae, were fractionated by a series of steps designed to identify occluded and nonoccluded viruses. Two different size of particles were isolated, the smaller of which contained a single-stranded RNA molecule of about 2.8 x 10(6). This small RNA virus was found to inapparently infect a Ceratitis capitata continuous cell line.     

Synthesis and biological evaluation of novel 1'-branched and spironucleoside analogues

Novel anomeric spironucleosides and 1'-cyano-2',3'-didehydro-2',3'-dideoxyuridine, a structural analogue of known anti-HIV agents, were prepared by nucleophilic addition of organolithium reagents to 1'-cyano-2'-deoxy- and 1'-cyano-2'-deoxy-2'beta-bromo-uridine derivatives, respectively. The yield and distribution of products depended on the reaction conditions, which were studied in detail. Although none of the compounds exhibited antiviral activity, two compounds displayed cytostatic activity against both murine leukemia and human T-lymphocyte cells.