Biological characterization of a nucleopolyhedrovirus of Spodoptera litura (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) isolated from the Philippines

Abstract

A Philippine Spodoptera litura nucleopolyhedrovirus (SltMNPV) was isolated by plaque purification from an uncloned NPV population in a formulated product that exhibits high insecticidal activity against the onion-attacking common cutworm, S. litura. Its estimated genome size was approximately 142 kb. Comparison with Autographa californica MNPV and Spodoptera exigua NPV by restriction fragmentation analysis showed that it was a distinct isolate. Light microscopy examination showed that SltMNPV-P7 infected insect cell lines derived from Spodoptera littoralis (CLS-79), Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9), and S. litura (TUAT-SpLi221). It produced typical cytopathic effects in cell lines established from Bombyx mori and S. exigua and induced apoptotic-like cytopathology in Lymantria dispar-derived cell line; it exerted no observable cytopathic effect on Spilosoma imparilis cell line. Significant increase in budded virus (BV) production was observed in CLS-79, Sf9, and TUAT-SpLi221 cell lines, in which TUAT-SpLi221 cell line supported the highest BV titer. No significant BV production was observed in the remaining four cell lines. Similarly, viral DNA replication and polyhedrin production proceeded only in these three spodopteran cell lines. Resuits showed that SltMNPV-P7 is a unique isolate which can be propagated in vitro for further studies and thus has a potential for development into a more effective microbial insecticide. © 2000 Academic Press.

Source or Periodical Title

Biological Control

ISSN

10499644

Page

39-47

Document Type

Article

Subject

Baculovirus, Biological characterization, Budded virus, DNA replication, In vitro host range, Nucleopolyhedrovirus, Polyhedra, Spodoptera litura

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