Characterization of a new Helicoverpa armigera nucleopolyhedrovirus variant causing epizootic on a previously unreported host, Helicoverpa gelotopoeon (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Abstract

This paper reports the first biological and molecular characterization of a nucleopolyhedrovirus isolated from the soybean and cotton pest Helicoverpa gelotopoeon. Studies were performed following a virus outbreak in a rearing facility and in wild H. gelotopoeon populations in Córdoba, Argentina. Host identity was corroborated by partial sequencing of the COI gene. Scanning electron microscope observations of purified OBs revealed their polyhedral morphology and an average diameter of 0.89±0.14μm. Ultrathin sections of infected larvae examined by transmission electron microscopy showed the intranuclear occurrence of polyhedra and virus particles in fat body cells. Nucleocapsids were singly enveloped. Phylogenetic analysis of lef-8, lef-9, polh, orf5/5b and hr3-orf62 viral sequences identified this new NPV isolate (hereafter HegeSNPV) as a variant of Helicoverpa armigera nucleopolyhedrovirus (HearNPV). Furthermore, HegeSNPV was closely related to the so-called "HzSNPV Group" within HearNPV, although having particular characteristics.

A new Helicoverpa armigera Nucleopolyhedrovirus isolate from Heliothis peltigera (Denis & Schiffermuller) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in Turkey

“…China isolate has an OB size of approximately 2 mm. However, OB sizes of HearNPV-TR is larger than the OB size of Argentinian isolate (Ferrelli et al, 2016) which is between 0.6 and 1.2 mm. On the other hand, previous Turkish isolate, H. armigera NPV-O1, has OB sizes between 0.85 and 1.25 μm (Eroglu et al, 2018).…”

Comparative Analysis of HaSNPV-AC53 and Derived Strains

“…Tree visualisation and editing was completed using TreeGraph 2.9.2-622 beta [53]. This was repeated for the available baculovirus repeated open reading frame (BRO)-A, BRO-B, ORF42 (ORF43 homolog), ORF61 (HzSNPV ORF62 homolog), ORF78 including ORF78a and ORF78b (HzSNPV ORF79 homolog) lef -8, lef-9 and polh sequences on Genbank including Busseola fusca SNPV isolate A2-4 [54], Helicoverpa gelotopoeon SNPV [55], Helicoverpa assulta SNPV [56], Mamestra configurata NPV-A (MacoNPV-A) [57,58], Heliothis virescens Ascovirus 3e [59] and Plasmodium falciparium 3D7. Accession numbers and country of origins of each analysed isolate and ORF are shown in Tables S3–S7.…”

Adaptation of the Corn Earworm Single Nucleocapcide Nucleopolyhedrovirus (Helicoverpa Zea Snpv) for the Control of the Cotton Bollworm (Helicoverpa Armigera) Population

“…[9,10] активен в отношении H. armigera. В 2013 г. в Бразилии наблюдались вспышки, вызванные ВЯП АХС, поражающей ХС [1], а в Аргентине в том же году близкородственный вирус поразил южноамериканскую хлопковую совку [11].…”