• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Sericultural Science Conference
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• 1997.06a
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• pp.73-101
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• 1997

Baculoviruses are characterized by large double-stranded circular DNA genomes and rod-shaped enveloped virions. Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus(BmNPV) is a major pathogen, which causes severe damage in sericulture. Currently, BmNPV is recogtnized as an improtant tool in molecular biology, especially for expression of useful genes in B.mori cells and silkworm larvae. Our laboratories have focused on the studies of the molecular mechanisms of BmNPV replication and the application of BmNPV to agriculture and medicine. The entire nucleotide sequence of the BmNPV genome has recently determined. The BmNPV genome possessed 135 putative genes and 7 homologous repeated sequence (hrs) regions. Relatively little space, a few to a few hundred base-pairs, was observed between the open reading frames and hrs. Termination codons often overlapped. These results showed a compactly packde BmNPV genome. Based on comparative sequence analyses, we speculated that the ancestor of BmNPV was a baculovirus similar to Autographa californica NPV(AcNPV). The function of the BmNPV genes were characterized by gene deletion analysis; p35 was found to be involved in blocking apoptosis and cysteine proteinase was found to be involved in horizontal virus transmission by degrading viral-infected larval host. By AcNPV and BmNPV coinfection experiments, we identified a BmNPV gene involved in expanding host specificity of AcNPV. The identified gene was likely encoded a DNA helicase based on the amino acid sequence analysis; a few amino acid substitutions in the putative DNA helicase gene resulted in the expansion of host range of AcNPV. These findings indicate that BmNPV evolved within a short period from an AcNPV-like ancestral virus due to rapid evolution including specific amino acid substitutions and gene deletions/insertions.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.105-112
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• 1989

The nuclear polyhedrosis viruses of Bombyx mori (BmNPV) and Hyphantria cunea (HcNPV) were characterized by electron microscopic observation, SDS-PAGE of polyhedral and virion proteins, and restriction endonuclease analysis of viral DNAs. Polyhedra of BmNPV were octadecahedral in shape with the diameter of $3 \mu\textrm{m}$, whereas those of HcNPV showed irregular appearances having the diameter of $1.5~2\mu\textrm{m}$. Under alkaline protease inactivated condition, polyhedral proteins of two NPVs were resolved into a major polypeptide, 30~31 KD, and several minor polypeptides by SDS-PAGE. Examination of virion proteins by silver staining after SDS-PAGE showed that BmNPV was composed of 47 polypeptides with M.W. range of 9.6~112 KD and HcNPV was composed of 48 polypeptides with M.W. range of 9.4~111 KD. The approximate genome size of two NPVs were determined by restriction endonuclease analysis: BmNPV and HcNPV were 114.6 Kb, respectively.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.105-110
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• 1998

The baculovirus egt gene encodes an ecdysteroid UDP-glucosyltransferase(EGT) which catalyzes the transfer of glucose from UDP-glucose to the insect moltion hormone ecdysteroid resulting in a functionally inactive ecdysteroid. In baculovirus-infected insect larvae, EGT has been shown block molting and pupation. In this study, we compared the development of 4th and 5th instar silkworm, Bombyx mori, larvae injected with either wild-type bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) or a mutant BmNPV(BmEGTZ) in which the egt gene was disrupted by the insertion of a lacZ gene cassette. Larvae injected with BmEGTZ died roughly 12 h more rapidly compared to indentical larvae infected with BmNPV. In addition, BmEGTZ- infected larvae prematurely stopped feeding and gain less weight compared to BmNPV-infected larvae. In order to investigate why BmEGTZ-infected larvae died more rapidly than BmNPV-infected larvae, the array of hemolymph proteins in BmEGTZ-or BmNPV-infected larvae were analyzed by SDS-PAGE. The hemolymph of BmEGTZ-infected larvae showed virus-specific proteins, including polyhedrin, about 12 h earlier than the hemolymph of BmNPV-infected larvae

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.52-56
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• 1995

To investigate the effect of hemolymph of silkworm larvae on the multiplication of Bombyx mori nuclear polyhedrosis virus (BmNPV) in BmN-4 cells, BmN-4 cells were infected with BmNPV, which were sequentially Heated with the hemolymph exracted from B. mori larvae. When the culture media TC-100 containing 3% fetal bovine serum was mixed with 10% hemolymph heated at 65$^{\circ}C$ for 30 minutes, the released polyhedra by multiplication of BmNPV in BmN-4 cells were increased more than those of non-treated. However, multiplication of BmNPV in BmN-4 cells treated with non-heated hemolymph was not effective, since non-heated hemolymph was toxic for the cell growth. The result of plaque assay showed that plaque forming units in BmN-4 cells treated with heated hemolymph are significantly increased, suggesting that efficiency of multiplication of BmNPV in BmN-4 cells is due to increase not of cell growth but of infectivity of BmNPV.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.157-162
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• 2010

Open reading frame 35 (bm35) of the Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) is a special gene whose homologues are only found in some group-I nucleopolyhedroviruses, suggesting that bm35 plays a specific role in the viral life cycle. This paper described the characterization of BmNPV bm35. Computerassisted sequence analysis shows that a putative RING finger motif is observed in the protein, Bm35 encoded by bm35. The coding sequence of bm35 was amplified and subcloned into the vector pET30a(+) and the $(His)_6$-tagged fusion protein His-Bm35 was expressed in the Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) LysS cells. The bm35 transcript and Bm35 protein were detected in BmNPV-infected BmN cells at 12~48 h post infection (p.i.) by RT-PCR and Western blot analysis using the polyclonal antibody generated by immunizing a rabbit with purified $(His)_6$-tagged Bm35, suggesting that bm35 is synthesized in the late stage of BmNPV infection cycle. Bm35 was not a structural component associated with budded virus (BV) and occlusion derived virus (ODV). These data indicated that bm35 is a functional gene in the BmNPV life cycle.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.37-41
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• 2001

The ecdysteroid UDP-glucosyltransferase (egt) gene isolated from Bombyx mori nuclear polyhedrosis virus (BmNPV) K1 strain was compared to its homologue from Autographa californica NPV (AcNPV) and Bm NPV T3. The egt gene of BmNPV-K1 encoded 506 amino acid open reading frame, and was 99.6% identical at the amino acid level and 99.2% identical at the nucleotide level to BmNPV T3. The BmNPV-K1 egt gene showed highly identity to AcNPV and BmNPV T3 strain. The BmNPV-K1 egt gene was different from amino acid sequence at 2 positions, 19 and 72, in BmNPV T3. The genomic location of egt gene in the BmNPV-K1 was confirmed by Southern blot analysis and its expression patterns at the transcriptional level in the infected cells were confirmed by Northern hybridization analysis. Transcripts of the egt of Bm NPV-K1 peaked around 12 hrs postinfection (p.i.) and reduced at 24 hrs p.i.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.36-41
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• 1996

Recombinant baculoviruses having expanded host range were selected by coinfection of Autographa california NPV and Bombyx mori NPV into Sf-9 and BmN-4 insect cell lines. In order to determine the polyhedra morhplogy of RecS-A6, one of a recombinant baculovirus, polyhedra of RecS-A6 produced in insect cells were observed by phase contrast microscope and scanning electron microscope. The results revealed that the recombinant baculovirus had a various polyhedra morphology which was different from its parental viruses, suggesting that the various morhpology of recombinant baculovirus with an expanded host range was due to the genetic recombination of viral genome. To analyze the genomic recombinantion of the recombinant baculoviruses, genomic DNAs of two parent viruses and RecS-A6 were digested with restriction endonuclease and subjected to agarose gel electrophoresis. Southern blot analysis revealed that RecS-A6 has two polyhedrin gene of AcNPV and BmNPV in a viral genome. Polyhedral protein of recombinant baculovirus was analysed by SDS-PAGE. The result showed that molecular weight of polyhedral protein of RecS-A6 containing two polyhedrin gene of AcNPV and BmNPV was as the 31 kDa band of AcNPV and 30 kDa band of BmNPV.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.42-47
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• 1996

To investigate the host range determining factors of nuclear polyhedrois virus (NPV), Autographa california NPV and Bombyx mori NPV were coinfected into the two different cell lines, BmN-4 and Sf-9. The recombinant baculoviruses, RecS-A6 and RecB-727 which have an expanded host range, were isolated from Sf-9 and BmN-4 cell lines, respectively. The molecular biological characteristics of the recombinant baculoviruses were investigated. The pathogenicity of RecB-727 was similar to that of wild type BmNPV, while the pathogenicity of RecS-A6 was relatively lower than that of wild type BmNPV. The restriction enzyme digestion patterns of parental viruses and recombinant viruses showed that the recombinant virus has an expanded host range by genetic recombination. Southern blot analysis revealed that the p10 gene of RecB-727 was derived from AcNPV genomic DNA, while RecS-A6 has p10 gene of BmNPV in a viral genome. To investigate the host range expansion mechanism of recombinant baculovirus, HindIII-SacI 0.6 kb DNA fragments of RecS-A6 and RecB-727 were cloned and sequenced. The results showed that of wild type BmNPV helicase gene, suggesting that the expanded host range of recombinant baculoviruses was due to the insertion of BmNPV helicase gene into AcNPV viral genome.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.21-26
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• 1991

Bombyx mori nuclear polyhedrosis virus (BmNPV) was successfully multiplied in the nuclear of BmN4 cells cultured with insect Grace's medium. By electron microscopic observation, the virons had a single nucleocapsid in an envelope. Polyhedral protein synthesis of BmNPV in BmN4 cells was detected at 18 hr p.i. and polyhedral protein was a singlepolypeptide with a M.W of 30 kd. At 48 hr p.i. polyhedra formation was observed by inverted mociroscope and electron microscope. Genome analysis of BmNPV by restriction endonucleases was not revealed the difference between virus produced in vivo and that in vitro.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.25-29
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• 2001

We have cloned and characterized an antiapoptotic gene, p35, which blocks apoptosis, from Bombyx mori nuclear polyhedrosis virus (BmNPV) K1 strain. The 897 bp p35 has an open reading frame of 299 amino acids. The BmNPV-K1 p35 showed a high identity to Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus and BmNPV T3 strain. The BmNPV-K1 p35 was different from the amino acid sequences of BmNPV T3 at 6 positions. The p35 gene of BmNPV-K1 was 99.2% identical at the nucleotide level and 98% identical at the amino acid level to BmNPV T3. The location of p35 gene in the BmNPV-K1 genome was confirmed by Southern blot analysis and its expression patterns at the transcriptional level in the infected cells were con- firmed by Northern hybridization analysis.