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P virus of Drosophila melanogaster, as a new picornavirus

Laboratoire de Génétique des Virus CNRS, 91-GIF Sur Yvette France

Nadine Plus

Station de recherches cytopathologiques 30-St- Christol-les-Ales France

Drosophila P virus was described by Plus & Duthoit (1969) as a small icosahedral virus, 25 nm. in diameter, endemic in many Drosophila populations. In naturally infected strains, this virus has little effect on flies. When injected, however, it causes female sterility and reduces the life span of both sexes by half (David & Plus, 1971). Just before death, injected flies become turgid with liquid, suggesting malfunction of the Malpighian tubules responsible for water exchanges in insects. An electron microscopic study was undertaken in order to characterize the virus and the response of the virus to certain chemicals was observed. The P virus exhibited properties consistent with those of the picornaviruses.

Heterozygous Drosophila melanogaster vg, free from known Drosophila viruses: P (Plus & Duthoit, 1969), (L'Héritier, 1970) and Iota (Jousset, 1970), were used as standard flies for injections.

Received 7 February 1972; accepted 19 April 1972.