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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Gainesville, Florida » Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology » Imported Fire Ant and Household Insects Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #226124
Title: Positive-strand RNA viral infections of the RIFA

Author
item Valles, Steven

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/7/2008
Publication Date: 8/13/2008
Citation: Valles, S.M. 2008. Positive-strand RNA viral infections of the RIFA. 41st Annual Meeting of the Society for Invertebrate Pathology.p.121.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: An expression library was created and 2,304 clones sequenced from a monogyne colony of Solenopsis invicta. The primary intention of the project was to utilize homologous gene identification to facilitate discovery of viruses infecting this ant pest that could potentially be used in pest management. Two viruses were ultimately discovered by the method, Solenopsis invicta viruses 1 and 2 (SINV-1 and -2). SINV-1 and -2 are positive strand RNA viruses. The SINV-1 genome is monopartite and dicistronic. SINV-2 is monopartite and polycistronic (4 open reading frames). Both viruses possessed consensus sequences characteristic of the helicase, cysteine protease, and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase sequence motifs of positive-strand RNA viruses. Characterization of each viral genome and the potential for use as control agents are discussed.