Characterization of a Nuclear Polyhedrosis Virus Isolated from Diseased Gonometa podocarpi (Lepidoptera:Lasiocampidae).

Gonometa podocarpi is an important pest of several species of pine in East Africa, and large numbers of trees in plantations in Kenya were partially or completely defoliated by the larval stage of this insect. After the infestation in the Mt. Elgon region, large numbers of dead and moribund larvae were found on the ground. Examination of extracts of these larvae demonstrated the presence of an occluded virus. Electron microscopy of purified sectioned polyhedra demonstrated the presence of virus particles containing from 1 to 12 nucleocapsids. Purification of virus particles from polyhedra was accomplished by using alkali solubilization and sucrose gradient centrifugation. Virus particles contained 15 proteins as determined by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Detergent solubilization of the virus particles released polyhedra containing one major structural protein. Electron microscopy of purified virus particles and nucleocapsids demonstrated them to be similar in structure to previously recorded nuclear polyhedrosis viruses. The viral deoxyribonucleic acid was extracted and spread for electron microscopy and was determined to have a size of approximately 80 x 10 daltons.