The silencing suppressor (NSs) protein of the plant virus Tomato spotted wilt virus enhances heterologous protein expression and baculovirus pathogenicity in cells and lepidopteran insects

Arch Virol. 2015 Nov;160(11):2873-9. doi: 10.1007/s00705-015-2580-2. Epub 2015 Sep 1.

Abstract

In this work, we showed that cell death induced by a recombinant (vAcNSs) Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) expressing the silencing suppressor (NSs) protein of Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) was enhanced on permissive and semipermissive cell lines. The expression of a heterologous gene (firefly luciferase) during co-infection of insect cells with vAcNSs and a second recombinant baculovirus (vAgppolhfluc) was shown to increase when compared to single vAgppolhfluc infections. Furthermore, the vAcNSs mean time-to-death values were significantly lower than those for wild-type AcMNPV on larvae of Spodoptera frugiperda and Anticarsia gemmatalis. These results showed that the TSWV-NSs protein could efficiently increase heterologous protein expression in insect cells as well as baculovirus pathogenicity and virulence, probably by suppressing the gene-silencing machinery in insects.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Line
  • Gene Expression
  • Gene Silencing
  • Moths / genetics
  • Moths / virology*
  • Nucleopolyhedroviruses / genetics
  • Nucleopolyhedroviruses / metabolism
  • Nucleopolyhedroviruses / pathogenicity*
  • Spodoptera / genetics
  • Spodoptera / virology*
  • Tospovirus / genetics*
  • Viral Proteins / genetics*
  • Viral Proteins / metabolism*
  • Virulence

Substances

  • Viral Proteins