Detailed project information

Behavioural changes of insects associated with baculovirus infection secure optimal dissemination of progeny virus in the environment. Baculoviruses have been reported in more than 600 insect species and are used as biological control agents. Infected insects show a radical change in behaviour as they become hypermobile and attracted by light resulting in their movement towards the canopy of plants or trees. There they die from the virus infection and 'spray' the progeny virus over the foliage, thereby increasing the chance of establishing a new round of infection in other insects. The induced phototaxis exposes both the infected insects and the progeny virus to enhanced doses of sunlight and a trade-off is expected between optimal virus dissemination and inactivation by ultraviolet light (UV). The central hypothesis of this project is that baculoviruses, besides known genes for virus replication and virion structure, contain genes to modulate their host, including genes that alter host behaviour. The aims of this proposal are (i) to identify the viral genes responsible for altered insect behaviour and (ii) to unravel the pathways that transduce the virus-encoded signal in the insect and explain the changes in behaviour. In parallel, the function of recently discovered DNA photolyase genes will be analyzed. Photolyases have a potential function in repairing DNA lesions induced by UV light and the question is whether these genes provide a solution against UV exposure. With the proposed coupling of genes and behaviour a new research area will be explored to understand baculovirus ecology.

Articles

• (2006). The 5' nontranslated region of Varroa destructor virus 1 (Iflarvirus): Structure prediction and IRES activity in Lymantria dispar celss. Journal of Virology. pp. 3397-3407
• (2007). Phylogenetic analysis of Orgyia pseudotsugata single-nucleocapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus. Virologica Sinica. pp. 257-265
• (2007). The Chilo iridescent virus DNA polymerase promoter contains an essential AAAAT motif. Journal of General Virology. pp. 2488-2494
• (2007). REPAT, a new family of proteins induced by bacterial toxins and baculovirus infection in Spodoptera exigua. Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. pp. 1109-1118
• (2007). Genomic analysis of Oryctes rhinoceros virus suggests genetic relatedness to Heliothis zea virus 1. Archives of Virology. pp. 519-531
• (2007). Baculovirus Genomics. Current Drug Targets. pp. 1052-1068
• (2008). Open reading frame 193R of Chilo iridescent virus encodes a functional inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP). Virology. pp. 124-131
• (2008). Conservation of DNA photolyase genes in group II nucleopolyhedroviruses infecting plusiine insects. Virus Res.. pp. 58-64
• (2008). Active DNA photolyase encoded by a baculovirus from the insect Chrysodeixis chalcites. DNA Repair. pp. 1309-1318
• (2008). Development of a quantitative real-time PCR for determination of genotype frequencies for studies in baculovirus population biology. J. Virol. Methods. pp. 146-154
• (2008). Low multiplicity of infection in vivo results in purifying selection against baculovirus deletion mutants. J. Gen. Virol.. pp. 1220-1224

Bijdragen aan boeken

• (2006). Vaccines for viral and parasitic diseased produced with baculorvirus vectors. in: Vaccines for viral and parasitic diseased produced with baculorvirus vectors. : . pp. 193-253
• (2008). Iflaviruses. in: In: Encyclopedia of Viruses, Third edition, 5 volumes. : . pp. 42-46