Deletion of p10 From the Genome of HaSNPV Results in a Faulty Polyhedral Envelope
Abstract: p10 is one of the two very late genes that are highly expressed in baculovirus infected cells. We have studied the function of P10 by constructing a p10 deletion recombinant of the Helicoverpa armigera singly-enveloped nucleopolyhedrovirus (HaSNPV). The p10 gene of HaSNPV bacterial artificial chromosome (HaBacHZ8) was replaced with a DNA fragment containing a chloramphenicol antibiotic gene and a 40bp flanking region using the λ phage Red recombination system in E. coli BW25113. Polyhedrin and gfp genes were then translocated to the p10 deleted HaBacHZ8 using a Bac-to-Bac system generating the recombinant bacmid HaBacΔp10-PH-eGFP. Virus growth curves and bioassays indicated that deletion of p10 did not impair the infectivity of virus in vitro and in vivo. However, electronic microscopic analysis revealed that deletion of P10 resulted in the fragmentation of polyhedral envelope.