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Title: QUANTITATIVE EXPRESSION ANALYSIS OF A GLYPTAPANTELES INDIENSIS POLYDNAVIRUS GENE IN ITS NATURAL LEPIDOPTERA HOST, LYMANTRIA DISPAR

Author
item Chen, Yanping - Judy
item Gundersen-Rindal, Dawn
item Taylor, Philip
item Shapiro, Martin

Submitted to: BARC Poster Day
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/21/2000
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Glyptapanteles indiensis is a polydnavirus-carrying wasp that parasitizes the larval stage of the gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar. During parasitization, G. indiensis injects its eggs along with the polydnavirus (GiPDV) into L. dispar. Within host tissues, GiPDV do not replicate, but viral genes are expressed that function to knockout the host's immune response and to ensure successful parasitism. However, knowledge of viral gene expression in the parasitized host is limited. Previous studies in our laboratory reported that GiPDV is integrated not only as a provirus within the parasitoid wasp genome, but also in vitro within the chromosomal DNA of cells derived from its natural host, L. dispar (Gundersen-Rindal and Dougherty, 2000). One GiPDV integrating viral fragment was sequenced and a putative protein tyrosine phosphatase (ptpase) gene (ptp 297) was identified (Gundersen-Rindal and Chen, in preparation). In the present study, we analyzed the expression of GiPDV ptpase gene (ptp 297) in different host tissues using quantitative RT-PCR. The results indicated that viral ptp 297 was expressed in the tissues of the larval host haemolymph, brain, and fat body. The highest level of ptp297 expression was detected in haemolymph. Moderate expression was observed in the brain of the host. The weakest expression was observed in fat body of the host. The transcription of viral ptp297 could be detected in the host as early as 24 hours after G. indiensis parasitization. The strongest expression in the host haemolymph suggests ptp297 gene product could play a role in suppressing the cellular immune system of the host.