Journal of Virology (2014) 88, 3548-3556

Inés Beperet, Sarah L. Irons, Oihane Simón, Linda A. King, Trevor Williams, Robert D. Possee, Miguel López-Ferber and Primitivo Caballero (2014)
Superinfection exclusion in alphabaculovirus infections is concomitant with actin reorganization
Journal of Virology 88 (6), 3548-3556
Abstract: Superinfection exclusion is the ability of an established virus to interfere with a second virus infection. This effect was studied in vitro during lepidopteran-specific nucleopolyhedrovirus (genus Alphabaculovirus, family Baculoviridae) infection. Homologous interference was detected in Sf9 cells sequentially infected with two genotypes of Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV), each one expressing a different fluorescent protein. This was a progressive process in which a sharp decrease in the signs of infection caused by the second virus was observed, affecting not only the number of coinfected cells observed, but also the level of protein expression due to the second virus infection. Superinfection exclusion was concurrent with reorganization of cytoplasmic actin to F-actin in the nucleus, followed by budded virus production (16 to 20 h postinfection). Disruption of actin filaments by cell treatment with cytochalasin D resulted in a successful second infection. Protection against heterologous nucleopolyhedrovirus infection was also demonstrated, as productive infection of Sf9 cells by Spodoptera frugiperda nucleopolyhedrovirus (SfMNPV) was inhibited by prior infection with AcMNPV, and vice versa. Finally, coinfected cells were observed following inoculation with mixtures of these two phylogenetically distant nucleopolyhedroviruses - AcMNPV and SfMNPV - but at a frequency lower than predicted, suggesting interspecific virus interference during infection or replication. The temporal window of infection is likely necessary to maintain genotypic diversity that favors virus survival but also permits dual infection by heterospecific alphabaculoviruses.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Trevor Williams, Primitivo Caballero, Oihane Simón

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
molecular biology - genes

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
Alphabaculovirus aucalifonicae (entomopathogen)
Alphabaculovirus spofrugiperdae (entomopathogen)