Infectious components of granulosis virus of the codling moth, Carpocapsa pomonella

Disruption of the salivary gland muscle in tsetse, Glossina pallidipes Austen, as a result of salivary gland hypertrophy virus infection

The secretory region of the salivary glands in Glossina pallidipes Austen (Diptera: Glossinidae) is characterized by an external muscle layer. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy investigations provide a detailed description of the longitudinal muscle fibres and a comparison of their structure when affected by salivary gland hypertrophy virus. The virus is responsible for hypertrophy of the salivary glands in symptomatic flies, specifically of the muscle fibres, the cytoarchitecture of which is completely altered. Although observations did not reveal viral particles in the muscle cells of either asymptomatic or symptomatic flies, muscle fibres were enlarged and detached from one another and their associated basement membrane only in symptomatic flies. A decrease in type IV collagen labelling in the basement membrane of the muscles in symptomatic flies is reported and is considered a potential cause of the salivary gland muscle alteration and, possibly, myopathy. The maintenance of an organized muscular layer is essential for the normal secretion of saliva and hence its pathology in symptomatic tsetse flies could affect the normal transmission of the trypanosome that develops inside the salivary gland epithelium. Therefore, a better understanding of the possible role of the virus is essential in order to elucidate its impact on salivary deployment in symptomatic flies.

Characterization of nuclear polyhedrosis virus DNAs

The nuclear polyhedrosis virus DNAs characterized and compared in this study consist of the singly-enveloped nucleocapsids (SNPV) of Trichoplusia ni and the bundles of nucleocapsids common to a single envelope (MNPV) from Spodoptera frugiperda and Rachiplusia ou. The SNPV and MNPV DNAs are very similar in hydrodynamic properties and molecular weights. In addition, the NPV DNAs are similar in size to those extracted from the granulosis viruses that infect T. ni and S. frugiperda. As isolated from purified virus or directly from occluded virus, the nuclear polyhedrosis virus DNAs consist of a mixture of about 20 to 30% double-stranded covalently closed molecules and approximately 60% relaxed circles, with less than 10% in linear duplex form. The molecular weights of all nuclear polyhedrosis virus DNAs as compared in this study are slightly smaller than those of T4 bacteriophage DNA and perhaps slightly smaller than those of the granulosis virus DNAs. The best estimates of these molecular weights by neutral sucrose sedimentation for the nuclear polyhedrosis viruses range from 90 to 100 x 10(6) relative to a size of 108 x 10(6) for T4 DNA. The base compositions of the nuclear polyhedrosis viruses that infect T. ni and S. frugiperda are compared with the respective insect host DNAs.