| Title | Functional Characterization of Autographa californica Multiple Nucleopolyhedrovirus ORF43 and Phenotypic Changes of ORF43-Knockout Mutant |
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| Author | Xue Ying Tao1, Jae Young Choi2, Yong Wang3, Jong Yul Roh4, Joo Hyun Lee1, Qin Liu1, Jong Bin Park2, Jae Su Kim5, Woojin Kim2, and Yeon Ho Je1,2* |
| Address | 1Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, College of Agriculture & Life Science, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, Republic of Korea, 2Research Institute for Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, Republic of Korea, 3School of Life Science, Lanzhou University, 99 Dong Ganxi Road, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China, 4Division of Medical Entomology, Korea National Institute of Health, Chungbuk 363-951, Republic of Korea, 5Department of Agricultural Biology, College of Agricultural Life Science, Chonbuk National University, Jeonju 561-756, Republic of Korea |
| Bibliography | Journal of Microbiology, 51(4),515-521, 2013, |
| DOI | 10.1007/s12275-013-3058-0 |
| Key Words | baculovirus, nucleopolyhedrovirus, Autographa californica NPV, ac43, virus morphology |
| Abstract | ORF43 (ac43) of Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) is a highly conserved baculovirus gene of unknown function. To investigate the role of ac43 in the baculovirus lifecycle, we constructed an ac43-deleted mutant AcMNPV, Ac43KO. After transfection into Spodoptera frugiperda cells, Ac43KO produced polyhedra much larger in size than those of wild-type AcMNPV. Interestingly, some of the nucleocapsids were singly enveloped in the polyhedrin matrix while the nucleocapsids of AcMNPV are known to be multiply enveloped. Furthermore, Ac43KO led to a defect in the transcription and expression of polyhedrin, which resulted in reduced occlusion body production. However, Ac43KO did not affect production of budded virus as there was no remarkable difference in budded virus titer. These results suggest that ac43 plays an important role in the expression of polyhedrin, the morphogenesis of occlusion body, and the assembly of virions occluded in occlusion bodies. |