Evidence for rolling circle replication of Autographa californica M nucleopolyhedrovirus genomic DNA.

Autographa californica M nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) is a large ds DNA virus restricted to larval lepidopteran insect hosts. Using field inversion gel electrophoresis and digestion with a restriction enzyme which cuts the AcMNPV genome once, we detected multiple unit-length genome fragments from replicating viral DNA. Our data suggest that AcMNPV replicates in a head-to-tail manner via rolling circle replication.