Characterization of a Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus mutant lacking both fp25K and p35.

Recent studies have shown that dual mutations in fp25K and p35 of Autographa californica nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) result in a typical apoptotic infection on Trichoplusia ni cells, suggesting the involvement of FP25K on NPV-induced apoptosis. To examine the effect of fp25K deletion on Bombyx mori NPV (BmNPV)-induced apoptosis, we generated a BmNPV mutant, fp-p35D, in which both fp25K and p35 genes are deleted from the genome, and compared its phenotype with wild-type (T3), fp25K-deleted (fp-null), and p35-deleted (p35D) BmNPVs. In BmN cells, p35D, but not T3 or fp-null, caused apoptosis with caspase-3 activation. Infection with fp-p35D also resulted in caspase-3 activation, but the level was comparable to that of p35D. Also, we did not observe any apoptotic responses in hemocytes from larvae infected with p35D or fp-p35D. These results indicate that unlike AcMNPV, deletion of fp25K does not affect the pathway of p35D-induced apoptosis of BmN cells and B. mori larvae.