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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Columbia, Missouri » Biological Control of Insects Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #105153
Title: IN VITRO HOST RANGE STUDIES WITH A NEW BACULOVIRUS ISOLATE FROM THE DIAMONDBACK MOTH PLUTELLA XYLOSTELLA (L.) (PLUTELLIDAE:LEPIDOPTERA)

Author
item KARIUKI, CHARLES - KENYA AGRI RES INST
item McIntosh, Arthur
item Goodman, Cynthia

Submitted to: In Vitro Cellular And Developmental Biology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/29/1999
Publication Date: 4/20/2000
Citation: KARIUKI, C.W., MCINTOSH, A.H., GOODMAN, C.L. IN VITRO HOST RANGE STUDIES WITH A NEW BACULOVIRUS ISOLATE FROM THE DIAMONDBACK MOTH PLUTELLA XYLOSTELLA (L.) (PLUTELLIDAE:LEPIDOPTERA). IN VITRO CELLULAR AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY. 2000. V. 36. P. 271-276.

Interpretive Summary: The diamondback moth is an insect pest of considerable proportion leading to an estimated cost of one billion dollars U.S. for its management worldwide. It attacks many vegetable crops such as cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and kale. Because of the indiscriminate use of large quantities of insecticides and a toxin from a bacterium, the diamondback moth has developed resistance to these agents. In the present report, a newly discovered insect virus that has been shown to be very effective for controlling the diamondback moth was successfully produced in high quantities in two of six different insect cell cultures. The latter are produced by taking cells from insects and growing them in flasks containing liquid nutrients. This cell culture system provides a simple alternative to the more cumbersome insect host for the production of this biological control agent. This system has been made available to industry for the potential commercialization of the virus. Such a product will be useful to both small and large scale farmers, the general public and the scientific community.

Technical Abstract: The in vitro host range of a newly isolated baculovirus from the diamondback moth Plutella xylostella was tested against six lepidopteran cell lines. Two baculoviruses with wide host ranges from the alfalfa looper Autographa californica (AcMNPV) and the celery looper Anagrapha falcifera (AfMNPV) were also included in this study for comparative purposes. PxMNPV replicated in all six cell lines and produced occlusion bodies, with HV-AM1 and TN-CL1 cells producing the highest viral titers and greatest number of occlusion bodies. There was no significant replication of AcMNPV and AfMNPV in the HZ-FB33 cell line and thus no production of occlusion bodies. The restriction endonuclease profiles of the three baculoviruses showed similarities but could be readily distinguished from each other. Either HV-AM1 or TN-CL1 would be suitable cell lines for the in vitro production of PxMNPV.