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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #64192
Title: TRANSFORMATION OF GYPSY MOTH (LYMANTRIA DISPAR) CELL LINES BY INFECTION WITH GLYPTAPANTELES INDIENSIS POLYDNAVIRUS

Author
item MCKELVEY, TERRY - US DEPT COMMERCE
item Lynn, Dwight
item Gundersen-Rindal, Dawn
item GUZO, DAVID - US DEPT COMMERCE
item STOLTZ, DONALD - DALHOUSIE UNIVERSITY
item GUTHRIE, KIM - PROMEGA INC
item Taylor, Philip
item Dougherty, Edward

Submitted to: Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/23/1996
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: The gypsy moth is a serious pest of hardwoods in the U.S. In nature, a particular wasp infects the gypsy moth with a polydna virus as a part of parasitization. In this paper, it is shown that a part of this virus is able to enter the genetic material of gypsy moth cells under laboratory conditions and remain stably as a part of the gypsy moth genetic material. This virus segment could allow scientists to change the genetic material of the gypsy moth and thus offers potential for development as a natural, non- chemical biopesticide. This information will be of interest to scientists and companies involved in production of pest control products.

Technical Abstract: Glyptapanteles indiensis, a species of parasitic wasp, infects its host Lymantria dispar (gypsy moth) with a polydnavirus (GiPDV) to suppress the host immune system during parasitization. Here it is shown that GiPDV can infect L. dispar cell lines, resulting in the stable maintenance of a portion of a GiPDV genome segment in infected cells. Southern hybridization analysis indicated that approximately 30kb of a GiPDV DNA segment is integrated into the cellular genome, apparently using a single recombination site in the polydnavirus genome segment. This is the first report of an insect viral DNA molecule that can integrate into/transform non- drosophilid insect cells.