A Comparison of Buoyant Density and Polypeptides of <i>Drosophila</i> P, C and A Viruses

Abstract

On the basis of their buoyant densities in CsCl and their capsid polypeptides, three viruses isolated from Drosophila spp. which were originally described as serotypes, are now classified as distinct viruses. The biochemical properties of each virus suggest that it has several key features in common with the mammalian picornaviruses.

General Characteristics, Gene Organization and Expression of Small RNA Viruses of Insects

“…Numerous small RNA viruses have been reported in field and laboratory populations of Drosophila melanogaster (Plus & Duthoit, 1969;Teninges & Plus, 1972;Jousset et al, 1972;Plus et al, 1975Plus et al, , 1976Brun & Plus, 1980) and in tissue culture cells derived from the flies (Plus, 1978(Plus, , 1980. Plus et al (1976) distinguished three distinct serotypes of Drosophila RNA viruses termed P, C and A, of which only Drosophila C virus has been examined in detail, and described some characteristics of Drosophila P, C and A viruses which they considered strengthened the case for classification as 'picornaviruses' (Table 1).…”

“…Plus et al (1976) distinguished three distinct serotypes of Drosophila RNA viruses termed P, C and A, of which only Drosophila C virus has been examined in detail, and described some characteristics of Drosophila P, C and A viruses which they considered strengthened the case for classification as 'picornaviruses' (Table 1). Although both protein composition and high (1980, 1981c, g, 1982).…”

Drosophila A virus is an unusual RNA virus with a T=3 icosahedral core and permuted RNA-dependent RNA polymerase

“…Three of these, which were isolated from D. melanogaster , were described as picorna-like viruses based on morphological and biophysical characteristics. The three viruses; Drosophila C virus (DCV), Drosophila A virus (DAV) and Drosophila P virus (DPV) were shown to be different viruses based on serology and sizes of the capsid proteins (Jousset et al , 1972; Plus et al , 1976). These viruses are natural pathogens of D. melanogaster with about 40% of wild populations being infected with one or more of these viruses (Plus et al, 1975).…”

Insights from natural host–parasite interactions: The Drosophila model

“…D. melanogaster is the natural host to at least four viral species, including the RNA viruses Sigma, Drosophila C, and Nora, and the DNA virus DiNV (Brun and Plus, 1980; Fleuriet, 1981; Habayeb et al, 2006; Kapun et al, 2010; Thomas-Orillard, 1988; Unckless, 2011). Other viruses have been identified in lab and natural populations of Drosophila but are relatively uncharacterized (Brun and Plus, 1980; Plus et al, 1976; Plus et al, 1975a; Plus et al, 1975b; Plus and Duthoit, 1969). Fruit flies resist viral infections using RNAi mechanisms, which silence viral gene transcripts in a sequence-specific manner via small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and RNAi pathway machinery, and by autophagy, whereby autophagosomes collect cytoplasmic material to be degraded and recycled (Galiana-Arnoux et al, 2006; Ghildiyal and Zamore, 2009; Kemp et al, 2013; Shelly et al, 2009; van Rij et al, 2006; Zambon et al, 2006).…”

“…The transposable elements of D. melanogaster are well-characterized and the piRNA pathway appears to be the main host defense, but many functional aspects of the piRNA system are unclear. Only a handful of natural fly viruses have been identified and cultured, even though several other viruses were identified via microscopy from wild and lab D. melanogaster strains (Brun and Plus, 1980; Plus et al, 1976; Plus et al, 1975a; Plus et al, 1975b; Plus and Duthoit, 1969). Surveys of bacteria associated with D. melanogaster in nature have identified hundreds of bacterial species (Chandler et al, 2011; Corby-Harris et al, 2007).…”