Baculoviridae

The Baculoviridae are a family of large enveloped DNA viruses that are characterised by rod-shaped nucleocapsids and relatively large double stranded DNA genomes. Autographa californica Multicapsid Nuclear Polyhedrosis Virus (AcMNPV) is the baculovirus most currently used as vector for protein production with insect cells. Several reviews are available describing baculovirus structure and its molecular biology [6-8]. 

This paper will focus on the baculoviruses (family Baculoviridae), a group of viruses reported as pathogens of many destructive insect species affecting agricultural and forest production. 1 will emphasize the role of these pathogens as introduced microbial insecticides or "living insecticides" (1). 

The baculoviruses are known exclusively from arthropods (Table II). The virions of the Baculoviridae consist of one or more cylindrical nucleocapsids enclosed within an envelope. The size of the nucleocapsids is 30-40 nm x 200-350 nm. The nucleic acid is double stranded DNA of 58-100 x 10 dalton. The family Baculoviridae has four subgroups (A, B, C, and D), characterized by differences in genome structure, number of nucleocapsids per virion, and presence or absence of crystalline inclusion bodies (2). 

Baculovirus belongs to the Baculoviridae family, which has two different genera Nucleopolyhedrovirus (NPV) and Granulovirus (GY). Baculo-... 

Pedrini MRS, Wolff JLC, Reid S (2004), Fast accumulation of few polyhedra mutants during passage of a Spodoptera frugiperda multicapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus (Baculoviridae) in Sf9 cell cultures, Ann. Appl. Biol. 145 107-112. 

Cylindrical (nucleocapsid) Baculoviridae 80-180 Spodoptera Utura granulosis virus (SLGV) Autographa califomica nuclear polyhedrosis virus (AcMNPV)... 

Property Baculoviridae (AcMNPV) Poxviridae (vaccinia) Asfarviridae (ASFV), Iridoviridae (CIV), Phycodnaviridae (PBCV-1) Herpesviridae Myoviridae (HSV-1) (T4) ... 

Tanada, Y., and Kaya, H.K., 1993. DNA-viral infections Baculoviridae. In Insect pathology. San Diego Academic Press, Inc. 

Young, V. L., R. M. Simpson, and V. K. Ward. 2005. Characterization of an exochitinase from Epiphyas postvit-tana nucleopolyhedrovirus (family Baculoviridae). J. Gen. Virol. 86 3253—3261. 

In the liver, the virus AcMNPV (of the family baculoviridae) has yielded promising transfection efficiencies [29]. The YABA-like virus, which exhibits very similar attributes to the vaccinia virus but does not produce immune responses in the host, has successfully targeted and treated ovarian cancer in mice [30]. 

More than 1600 virus isolates from about 1100 species of insects and mites have been recorded (5). These viruses are classified into seven families (6). Members of three families, Poxviridae, Reoviridae, and Baculoviridae, have shown the most potential as biocontrol agents. 

Another attribute of the NPVs is their host specificity. Viruses from the family Baculoviridae are found only in arthropods and generally possess narrow host ranges even within an insect order. Host specificity studies utilizing electron microscopy, DNA hybridization, and recombinant DNA technology have demonstrated that the baculovirus lacks the ability to transfer viral DNA into the mammalian cell nucleus even when an established cell line is used for infection (16-18), In addition, extensive studies have shown that baculovirus insecticides are safe for non-target species and the environment (19,20),... 

Viral diseases have been isolated from several hundred insect species (1). Although these viruses represent several families, those studied for use as control agents are almost exclusively limited to occluded viruses (nuclear polyhedrosis [NPV] and granulosis [GV]) of Baculoviridae. Known occluded baculoviruses are mostly restricted to larvae of Lepidoptera and Hymenoptera (saw-flies), thus limiting viral insecticide development primarily to these two orders. These viruses are safe (2, 3), virulent, efficaceous (4) and can be produced in quantity in insect hosts. 

BMN - Baculoviral midgut gland baculovirus (non-occluded Baculoviridae) C-2... 

The 1995 Committee report on virus taxonomy (Murphy et al. 1995) removed crustacean baculoviruses from the Baculovtridae and assigned them to a position of unknown taxonomic position. Nonetheless, BP, MB V, and BMN are most like members of the Baculoviridae (Faquet et al. 2005) and, for practicality, they are listed here as baculoviruses. 

---