Characterization of three ascovirus isolates from cotton insects.

Three new ascovirus isolates were discovered from lepidopteran larvae in cotton fields in Blackville, South Carolina, USA, and were named TnAV-2c, TnAV-2d, and HvAV-3f. TnAV-2c and TnAV-2d were compared by restriction endonuclease (REN) profiles and found to be similar. HvAV-3f was isolated from Helicoverpa zea, and bears remarkable dissimilarity in REN profiles to the reported SeAV-5a from Spodoptera exigua but DNA hybridization shows they are closely related.

Biological and molecular characterization of a multicapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus from Thysanoplusia orichalcea (L.) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).

A multicapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus (ThorMNPV) that was co-isolated with a single nucleocapid ThorSNPV from mixed infected larvae of Thysanoplusia orichalcea L. (Lepidoptea: Noctuidae) is characterized. Scanning electron microscopy of ThorMNPV showed a dodecahedral-shaped occlusion body (OB).

Complete sequence of the genome of two dsRNA viruses from Discula destructiva.

Complete nucleotide sequences were determined for the four dsRNA segments present in isolate 247 of Discula destructiva from South Carolina. The largest dsRNA (dsRNA 1) was 1787 bp in length with a single open reading frame (ORF) that coded for a putative RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp). The dsRNA 2 was 1585 bp in length with a single ORF that coded for a putative viral coat protein.

Nucleotide sequences of segments 1, 3 and 4 of the genome of Bombyx mori cypovirus 1 encoding putative capsid proteins VP1, VP3 and VP4, respectively.

The complete nucleotide sequences of genomic segments S1, S3 and S4 from Bombyx mori cypovirus 1 (BmCPV-1) have been determined. The segments consisted of 4190, 3846 and 3262 nucleotides encoding putative proteins of 1333, 1239 and 1058 amino acids with molecular masses of approximately 148, 140 and 120 kDa (p148, p140 and p120, respectively). All segments possess a single open reading frame.

A new ascovirus from Spodoptera exigua and its relatedness to the isolate from Spodoptera frugiperda.

A new ascovirus was isolated from Spodoptera exigua in Indonesia and was tentatively assigned as a new species, Spodoptera exigua ascovirus 5a (SeAV-5a) according to the present ICTV ascovirus naming scheme based on DNA restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP), hybridization, formation of occlusion body, tissue tropism and host spectrum. SeAV-5a replicated primarily in the fat body of susceptible hosts. SeAV-5a could be transmitted to S.