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Viruses
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Insect Viruses
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Insect Viruses

A special issue of Viruses (ISSN 1999-4915). This special issue belongs to the section "Invertebrate Viruses".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2011) | Viewed by 60464

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Dawn Gundersen-Rindal

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Guest Editor
USDA Agricultural Research Service, Invasive Insect Biocontrol & Behavior Laboratory, Bldg. 011A, Rm. 214, BARC-West, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
Dr. Robert L. Harrison

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Guest Editor
USDA Agricultural Research Service, Invasive Insect Biocontrol & Behavior Laboratory, Building 011A, Room 214, BARC-West, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Insects are the most numerous and diverse animals on the planet, and are attacked by a correspondingly wide variety of microorganisms.  This special issue of Viruses covers research on viruses that infect insects. Insect viruses have been the subject of basic research in virology and molecular biology and have been evaluated and deployed as safe, environmentally friendly means of controlling insect pests.  The largest and most studied group of insect viruses, the baculoviruses, has been developed into expression vectors that serve as invaluable tools for laboratory research and the production of vaccines and pharmaceuticals, and are currently being assessed as potential gene therapy vectors.  At the same time, insect viruses pose a significant threat to beneficial insects of great value, such as bees and silkworm moths.  The collection of reviews and original research papers in this special issue is intended to summarize and showcase current research on the diversity of viruses that are pathogenic for insects.

Dr. Dawn Gundersen-Rindal
Dr. Robert L. Harrison
Guest Editor

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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1344 KiB  
Article
Analysis of the Genome of the Sexually Transmitted Insect Virus Helicoverpa zea Nudivirus 2
by John P. Burand, Woojin Kim, Claudio L. Afonso, Edan R. Tulman, Gerald F. Kutish, Zhiqiang Lu and Daniel L. Rock
Viruses 2012, 4(1), 28-61; https://doi.org/10.3390/v4010028 - 6 Jan 2012
Cited by 32 | Viewed by 11840
Abstract
The sexually transmitted insect virus Helicoverpa zea nudivirus 2 (HzNV-2) was determined to have a circular double-stranded DNA genome of 231,621 bp coding for an estimated 113 open reading frames (ORFs). HzNV-2 is most closely related to the nudiviruses, a sister group of [...] Read more.
The sexually transmitted insect virus Helicoverpa zea nudivirus 2 (HzNV-2) was determined to have a circular double-stranded DNA genome of 231,621 bp coding for an estimated 113 open reading frames (ORFs). HzNV-2 is most closely related to the nudiviruses, a sister group of the insect baculoviruses. Several putative ORFs that share homology with the baculovirus core genes were identified in the viral genome. However, HzNV-2 lacks several key genetic features of baculoviruses including the late transcriptional regulation factor, LEF-1 and the palindromic hrs, which serve as origins of replication. The HzNV-2 genome was found to code for three ORFs that had significant sequence homology to cellular genes which are not generally found in viral genomes. These included a presumed juvenile hormone esterase gene, a gene coding for a putative zinc-dependent matrix metalloprotease, and a major facilitator superfamily protein gene; all of which are believed to play a role in the cellular proliferation and the tissue hypertrophy observed in the malformation of reproductive organs observed in HzNV-2 infected corn earworm moths, Helicoverpa zea. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insect Viruses)
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2192 KiB  
Article
Dynamics of Persistent and Acute Deformed Wing Virus Infections in Honey Bees, Apis mellifera
by Gennaro Di Prisco, Xuan Zhang, Francesco Pennacchio, Emilio Caprio, Jilian Li, Jay D. Evans, Gloria DeGrandi-Hoffman, Michele Hamilton and Yan Ping Chen
Viruses 2011, 3(12), 2425-2441; https://doi.org/10.3390/v3122425 - 14 Dec 2011
Cited by 74 | Viewed by 12851
Abstract
The dynamics of viruses are critical to our understanding of disease pathogenesis. Using honey bee Deformed wing virus (DWV) as a model, we conducted field and laboratory studies to investigate the roles of abiotic and biotic stress factors as well as host health [...] Read more.
The dynamics of viruses are critical to our understanding of disease pathogenesis. Using honey bee Deformed wing virus (DWV) as a model, we conducted field and laboratory studies to investigate the roles of abiotic and biotic stress factors as well as host health conditions in dynamics of virus replication in honey bees. The results showed that temperature decline could lead to not only significant decrease in the rate for pupae to emerge as adult bees, but also an increased severity of the virus infection in emerged bees, partly explaining the high levels of winter losses of managed honey bees, Apis mellifera, around the world. By experimentally exposing adult bees with variable levels of parasitic mite Varroa destructor, we showed that the severity of DWV infection was positively correlated with the density and time period of Varroa mite infestation, confirming the role of Varroa mites in virus transmission and activation in honey bees. Further, we showed that host conditions have a significant impact on the outcome of DWV infection as bees that originate from strong colonies resist DWV infection and replication significantly better than bee originating from weak colonies. The information obtained from this study has important implications for enhancing our understanding of host‑pathogen interactions and can be used to develop effective disease control strategies for honey bees. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insect Viruses)
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1097 KiB  
Article
The Lymantria dispar IPLB-Ld652Y Cell Line Transcriptome Comprises Diverse Virus-Associated Transcripts
by Michael E. Sparks and Dawn E. Gundersen-Rindal
Viruses 2011, 3(11), 2339-2350; https://doi.org/10.3390/v3112339 - 21 Nov 2011
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 5700
Abstract
The enhanced viral susceptibility of the gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar)-derived IPLB-Ld652Y cell line has made it a popular in vitro system for studying virus-related phenomena in the Lepidoptera. Using both single-pass EST sequencing and 454-based pyrosequencing, a transcriptomic library of 14,368 [...] Read more.
The enhanced viral susceptibility of the gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar)-derived IPLB-Ld652Y cell line has made it a popular in vitro system for studying virus-related phenomena in the Lepidoptera. Using both single-pass EST sequencing and 454-based pyrosequencing, a transcriptomic library of 14,368 putatively unique transcripts (PUTs) was produced comprising 8,476,050 high-quality, informative bases. The gene content of the IPLB-Ld652Y transcriptome was broadly assessed via comparison with the NCBI non‑redundant protein database, and more detailed functional annotation was inferred by comparison to the Swiss-Prot subset of UniProtKB. In addition to L. dispar cellular transcripts, a diverse array of both RNA and DNA virus-associated transcripts was identified within the dataset, suggestive of a high level of viral expression and activity in IPLB-Ld652Y cells. These sequence resources will provide a sound basis for developing testable experimental hypotheses by insect virologists, and suggest a number of avenues for potential research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insect Viruses)
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389 KiB  
Article
Complete Sequence, Analysis and Organization of the Orgyia leucostigma Nucleopolyhedrovirus Genome
by David K. Thumbi, Robert J. M. Eveleigh, Christopher J. Lucarotti, Renée Lapointe, Robert I. Graham, Lillian Pavlik, Hilary A. M. Lauzon and Basil M. Arif
Viruses 2011, 3(11), 2301-2327; https://doi.org/10.3390/v3112301 - 15 Nov 2011
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 6016
Abstract
The complete genome of the Orgyia leucostigma nucleopolyhedrovirus (OrleNPV) isolated from the whitemarked tussock moth (Orgyia leucostigma, Lymantridae: Lepidoptera) was sequenced, analyzed, and compared to other baculovirus genomes. The size of the OrleNPV genome was 156,179 base pairs (bp) and had [...] Read more.
The complete genome of the Orgyia leucostigma nucleopolyhedrovirus (OrleNPV) isolated from the whitemarked tussock moth (Orgyia leucostigma, Lymantridae: Lepidoptera) was sequenced, analyzed, and compared to other baculovirus genomes. The size of the OrleNPV genome was 156,179 base pairs (bp) and had a G+C content of 39%. The genome encoded 135 putative open reading frames (ORFs), which occupied 79% of the entire genome sequence. Three inhibitor of apoptosis (ORFs 16, 43 and 63), and five baculovirus repeated ORFs (bro-a through bro-e) were interspersed in the OrleNPV genome. In addition to six direct repeat (drs), a common feature shared among most baculoviruses, OrleNPV genome contained three homologous regions (hrs) that are located in the latter half of the genome. The presence of an F-protein homologue and the results from phylogenetic analyses placed OrleNPV in the genus Alphabaculovirus, group II. Overall, OrleNPV appears to be most closely related to group II alphabaculoviruses Ectropis obliqua (EcobNPV), Apocheima cinerarium (ApciNPV), Euproctis pseudoconspersa (EupsNPV), and Clanis bilineata (ClbiNPV). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insect Viruses)
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1560 KiB  
Article
Baculovirus Induced Transcripts in Hemocytes from the Larvae of Heliothis virescens
by Jonathan E. Breitenbach, Kent S. Shelby and Holly J.R. Popham
Viruses 2011, 3(11), 2047-2064; https://doi.org/10.3390/v3112047 - 28 Oct 2011
Cited by 38 | Viewed by 6135
Abstract
Using RNA-seq digital difference expression profiling methods, we have assessed the gene expression profiles of hemocytes harvested from Heliothis virescens that were challenged with Helicoverpa zea single nucleopolyhedrovirus (HzSNPV). A reference transcriptome of hemocyte-expressed transcripts was assembled from 202 million 42-base tags by [...] Read more.
Using RNA-seq digital difference expression profiling methods, we have assessed the gene expression profiles of hemocytes harvested from Heliothis virescens that were challenged with Helicoverpa zea single nucleopolyhedrovirus (HzSNPV). A reference transcriptome of hemocyte-expressed transcripts was assembled from 202 million 42-base tags by combining the sequence data of all samples, and the assembled sequences were then subject to BLASTx analysis to determine gene identities. We used the fully sequenced HzSNPV reference genome to align 477,264 Illumina sequence tags from infected hemocytes in order to document expression of HzSNPV genes at early points during infection. A comparison of expression profiles of control insects to those lethally infected with HzSNPV revealed differential expression of key cellular stress response genes and genes involved in lipid metabolism. Transcriptional regulation of specific insect hormones in baculovirus-infected insects was also altered. A number of transcripts bearing homology to retroviral elements that were detected add to a growing body of evidence for extensive invasion of errantiviruses into the insect genome. Using this method, we completed the first and most comprehensive gene expression survey of both baculoviral infection and host immune defense in lepidopteran larvae. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insect Viruses)
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Review

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753 KiB  
Review
Biology and Genomics of Viruses Within the Genus Gammabaculovirus
by Basil Arif, Shannon Escasa and Lillian Pavlik
Viruses 2011, 3(11), 2214-2222; https://doi.org/10.3390/v3112214 - 10 Nov 2011
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 5138
Abstract
Hymenoptera is a very large and ancient insect order encompassing bees, wasps, ants and sawflies. Fossil records indicate that they existed over 200 million years ago and about 100 million years before the appearance of Lepidoptera. Sawflies have been major pests in [...] Read more.
Hymenoptera is a very large and ancient insect order encompassing bees, wasps, ants and sawflies. Fossil records indicate that they existed over 200 million years ago and about 100 million years before the appearance of Lepidoptera. Sawflies have been major pests in many parts of the world and some have caused serious forest defoliation in North America. All baculoviruses isolated from sawflies are of the single nucleocapsids phenotype and appear to replicate in midgut cells only. This group of viruses has been shown to be excellent pest control agents and three have been registered in Canada and Britain for this purpose. Sawfly baculoviruses contain the smallest genome of all baculoviruses sequenced so far. Gene orders among sequenced sawfly baculoviruses are co-linear but this is not shared with the genomes of lepidopteran baculoviruses. One distinguishing feature among all sequenced sawfly viruses is the lack of a gene encoding a membrane fusion protein, which brought into question the role of the budded virus phenotype in Gammabaculovirus biology. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insect Viruses)
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843 KiB  
Review
Next Generation Sequencing Technologies for Insect Virus Discovery
by Sijun Liu, Diveena Vijayendran and Bryony C. Bonning
Viruses 2011, 3(10), 1849-1869; https://doi.org/10.3390/v3101849 - 10 Oct 2011
Cited by 100 | Viewed by 11896
Abstract
Insects are commonly infected with multiple viruses including those that cause sublethal, asymptomatic, and latent infections. Traditional methods for virus isolation typically lack the sensitivity required for detection of such viruses that are present at low abundance. In this respect, next generation sequencing [...] Read more.
Insects are commonly infected with multiple viruses including those that cause sublethal, asymptomatic, and latent infections. Traditional methods for virus isolation typically lack the sensitivity required for detection of such viruses that are present at low abundance. In this respect, next generation sequencing technologies have revolutionized methods for the discovery and identification of new viruses from insects. Here we review both traditional and modern methods for virus discovery, and outline analysis of transcriptome and small RNA data for identification of viral sequences. We will introduce methods for de novo assembly of viral sequences, identification of potential viral sequences from BLAST data, and bioinformatics for generating full-length or near full-length viral genome sequences. We will also discuss implications of the ubiquity of viruses in insects and in insect cell lines. All of the methods described in this article can also apply to the discovery of viruses in other organisms. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insect Viruses)
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