gp64 locus of Anticarsia gemmatalis multicapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus contains a 3' repair exonuclease homologue and lacks v-cath and ChiA genes

• Published in: Journal of general virology 2004, Vol.85 (1), p.211-219
• Main Authors: Slack, J.M, Ribeiro, B.M, Souza, M.L. de
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 3' Untranslated Regions; Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Base Sequence; Biological and medical sciences; Cells, Cultured; Chitinases - genetics; Cysteine Endopeptidases - genetics; DNA Repair; Exonucleases - genetics; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genetics; Microbiology; Miscellaneous; Molecular Sequence Data; Moths - virology; Nucleopolyhedroviruses - genetics; Phylogeny; Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid; Spodoptera; Viral Fusion Proteins - genetics; Viral Proteins - genetics; Virology
• ISSN: 0022-1317; 1465-2099
• DOI: 10.1099/vir.0.19617-0

1 Insect Biocontrol Laboratory, USDA, Beltsville, MD 20852, USA 2 Departamento de Biologia Cellular, Universidade de Brasília, CEP 70910-900 Brasília DF, Brazil 3 Embrapa Recursos Genéticos e Biotecnologia Parque Estação Biológica, CEP 70770-900 Brasília-DF, Brazil Correspondence Jeffrey Slack slackj{at}ba.ars.usda.gov Anticarsia gemmatalis multicapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus ( Ag MNPV) is one of the most successful biological insecticides. In this study, we cloned and sequenced a 12·5 kbp Bam HI-D restriction endonuclease fragment of the Ag MNPV isolate 2D genome that includes the gp64 gene. We compared this highly conserved region with that of other baculoviruses. Ag MNPV contained two genes, p22.2 and v-trex , in common with Choristoneura fumiferana MNPV ( Cf MNPV) that were not present in other baculoviruses. The v-trex gene has homology to a eukaryotic 3' repair exonuclease and appears to have been acquired from an invertebrate host. The v-trex gene product has the potential to be involved in virus recombination or UV-light tolerance. Multigene phylogenetic analysis suggested that Ag MNPV is most closely related to Orgyia pseudotsugata MNPV ( Op MNPV). Ag MNPV differed from other group I NPVs in that ChiA and v-cath gene homologues were missing from the region downstream of the gp64 gene. Proteinase assays and genetic probes suggest the v-cath gene is absent from Ag MNPV.