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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Gainesville, Florida » Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology » Mosquito and Fly Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #265110
Title: Susceptibility of Mosquito and Lepidopteran Cell Lines to the Mosquito Iridescent Virus (IIV-3) from Aedes taeniorhynchus

Author
item Becnel, James
item Wei Pridgeon, Yuping

Submitted to: Journal of Invertebrate Pathology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/22/2011
Publication Date: 6/29/2011
Citation: Becnel, J.J., Wei Pridgeon, Y. 2011. Susceptibility of Mosquito and Lepidopteran Cell Lines to the Mosquito Iridescent Virus (IIV-3) from Aedes taeniorhynchus. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology. 108:40-45. DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2011.06.008.

Interpretive Summary: A naturally occurring virus (mosquito iridescent virus, MIV) that infects and kills mosquitoes is being investigated by ARS scientists at the Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology, Gainesville Florida. To enhance research efforts, a robust mosquito cell culture system has been developed for the production of MIV in several mosquito cell lines. This capability will provide for both biological and molecular studies to investigate and understand basic mechanisms involved in infectivity and host range that will enhance capabilities to use these viruses for mosquito control.

Technical Abstract: Mosquito iridescent viruses (MIV) are members of the genus Chloriridovirus and currently contains only the type IIV-3 from Aedes taeniorhynchus. The complete genome of invertebrate iridescent virus -3 (IIV-3) has been sequenced and the availability of a tissue culture system would facilitate functional genomic studies. This investigation, using quantitative PCR and electron microscopy, has determined that the mosquito cell lines Aedes aegypti (Aag2), Ae. albopictus (C6/36) and Anopheles gambiae (4a3A) as well as the lepidopteran cell line from Spodoptera frugiperda (SF9) are permissive to IIV-3 infection. However, IIV-3 infection was only persistent in Aag2 and C6/36 cells. Virus produced in C6/36 cell line was infectious to larvae of Ae. taeniorhynchus by injection and per os. Ultrastructural examination of 4a3A and SF9 cells infected with IIV-3 revealed an unusual feature where virions were localized to mitochondria. It is speculated that containment with mitochondria may play a role is the lack of persistence in these cell lines.