02398naa a2200289 a 450000100080000000500110000800800410001902400390006010000210009924501970012026000090031752014320032665000180175865000230177665000240179965000260182365000160184965000240186565000250188965300360191465300270195070000170197770000140199470000210200870000190202977300600204814671922025-04-04       2003    bl uuuu     u00u1 u    #d7 a10.1016/S1049-9644(03)00026-42DOI1 aPINEDO, F. J. R.  aInactivation of the ecdysteroid UDP-glucosyltransferase (egt) gene of Anticarsia gemmatalis nucleopolyhedrovirus (AgMNPV) improves its virulence towards its insect host.h[electronic resource]  c2003  aSome baculovirus have been genetically modified for the inactivation of their ecdysteroid glucosyltransferase (egt) gene, and these viruses were shown to kill infected larvae more rapidly when compared to wild-type virus infections. We have previously identified, cloned, and sequenced the egt gene of Anticarsia gemmatalis nucleopolyhedrovirus (AgMNPV). Here we present data regarding the construction of an egt minus (egt?x2212;) AgMNPV and its virulence towards its insect host. We have inserted an hsp70-lacZ (3.7 kb) gene cassette into the egt gene open reading frame (ORF) and purified a recombinant AgMNPV (vAgEGT?x394;-lacZ). Bioassays with third-instar A. gemmatalis larvae showed that viral occlusion body (OB) production were consistently lower from infections with vAgEGT?x394;-lacZ compared to the wild-type virus. A mean of 20.4Ã?108 OBs/g/larva and 40.7Ã?108 OBs/g/larva was produced from vAgEGT?x394;-lacZ and AgMNPV infections, respectively. The mean lethal concentration which killed 50% of insects in a treatment group (LC50) for the 10th day after virus treatment (DAT) was 3.9-fold higher for the wild-type virus compared to vAgEGT?x394;-lacZ. The recombinant virus killed A. gemmatalis larvae significantly faster (ca. 1?x2013;2.8 days), than the wild-type AgMNPV. Therefore, the vAgEGT?x394;-lacZ was more efficacious for the control of A. gemmatalis larvae (in bioassays) compared to wild-type AgMNPV.  aBaculoviridae  aBiological control  aGenetic engineering  aAnticarsia Gemmatalis  aBaculovirus  aControle Biológico  aEngenharia Genética  aEcdysteroid glucosyltransferase  aVelvetbean caterpillar1 aMOSCARDI, F.1 aLUQUE, T.1 aOLSZEWSKI, J. A.1 aRIBEIRO, B. M.  tBiological Controlgv. 27, n. 3, p. 336-344, July 2003.