HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Saville, G. P. Articles by King, L. A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Saville, G. P. Articles by King, L. A. Agricola Articles by Saville, G. P. Articles by King, L. A.

Deletion of the Autographa californica nucleopolyhedrovirus chitinase KDEL motif and in vitro and in vivo analysis of the modified virus

¹ School of Biological and Molecular Sciences, Gipsy Lane Campus, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford OX3 0BP, UK
² NERC Institute of Virology and Environmental Microbiology, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3SR, UK

Correspondence
Linda A. King
laking{at}brookes.ac.uk

Infection of insect larvae with Autographa californica nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) results in the liquefaction of the host, a process involving the action of virus-encoded chitinase and cathepsin gene products. Chitinase is localized in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) during infection because of the presence of a C-terminal ER retrieval motif (KDEL). In this study, the KDEL coding region was removed from the chitinase gene so that expression of the modified chitinase remained under the control of its own gene promoter, at its native locus. The deletion of KDEL resulted in the redistribution of chitinase within the cell during virus infection. Chitinase lacking the KDEL motif was detectable at the plasma membrane and was also evident in the culture medium of virus-infected cells from as early as 12 h post-infection (p.i.). Secretion of chitinase from the cell continued up to 72 h p.i., until cytolysis. The biological activity of the recombinant virus in Trichoplusia ni larvae was enhanced, with a significant reduction in the lethal dose and lethal time associated with infection. Furthermore, a reduction in feeding damage caused by infected larvae was observed compared to AcMNPV-infected individuals.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. Huang, B. Hao, F. Deng, X. Sun, H. Wang, and Z. Hu Open reading frame Bm21 of Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus is not essential for virus replication in vitro, but its deletion extends the median survival time of infected larvae J. Gen. Virol., April 1, 2008; 89(4): 922 - 930. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. J. Hodgson, B. M. Arif, and P. J. Krell Reprogramming the chiA expression profile of Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus J. Gen. Virol., September 1, 2007; 88(9): 2479 - 2487. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				V. L. Young, R. M. Simpson, and V. K. Ward Characterization of an exochitinase from Epiphyas postvittana nucleopolyhedrovirus (family Baculoviridae) J. Gen. Virol., December 1, 2005; 86(12): 3253 - 3261. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]