Expression of beta-galactosidase and luciferase in insect cell lines infected with a recombinant AcMNPV.

An AcMNPV recombinant (Ac-gal-luc) carrying the beta-galactosidase and luciferase genes under the control of the p10 and polyhedrin promoters, respectively, was used to study expression in nine insect cell lines. All AcMNPV-permissive cell lines expressed both reporter genes with the coleopteran cell line, Anthonomus grandis (AGE), producing the highest concentrations of beta-galactosidase (5.0 x 10(6) pg/ml) and luciferase (2.67 x 10(3) pg/ml). Both enzymes were detected as early as 12 h postinoculation in lysate samples of the AGE cell line. Helicoverpa armigera (HA), a nonpermissive cell line, expressed beta-galactosidase at 72 h postinoculation at a concentration of 3.5 x 10(3) pg/ml. However, expression of luciferase was not detected. Expression of luciferase and beta-galactosidase was also not detected in the nonpermissive Helicoverpa zea (HZ) cell line.