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Melanization induced by Heliothis virescens ascovirus 3h promotes viral replication
Author(s) -
Li ZiQi,
Song XiaoHui,
Wang Min,
Wang Shu,
Huang GuoHua
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
insect science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.991
H-Index - 45
eISSN - 1744-7917
pISSN - 1672-9609
DOI - 10.1111/1744-7917.12786
Subject(s) - exigua , biology , prophenoloxidase , hemolymph , spodoptera , heliothis virescens , innate immune system , viral replication , immune system , larva , microbiology and biotechnology , autographa californica , virology , gene , downregulation and upregulation , virus , immunology , botany , genetics , noctuidae , recombinant dna
Melanization is an important innate immune defense mechanism of insects, which can kill invading pathogens. Most pathogens, for their survival and reproduction, inhibit the melanization of the host. Interestingly, our results suggested that after infection with Heliothis virescens ascovirus 3h (HvAV‐3h), the speed of melanization in infected Spodoptera exigua larval hemolymph was accelerated and that the phenoloxidase (PO) activity of hemolymph in larvae infected with HvAV‐3h increased significantly (1.20‐fold at 96 hpi, 1.52‐fold at 120 hpi, 1.23‐fold at 144 hpi, 1.12‐fold at 168 hpi). The transcription level of the gene encoding S. exigua prophenoloxidase‐1 ( SePPO‐1 gene) was upregulated dramatically in the fat body during the middle stage of infection. In addition, when melanization was inhibited or promoted, the replication of HvAV‐3h was inhibited or promoted, respectively. In conclusion, infection with HvAV‐3h can markedly induce melanization in the middle stage of infection, and melanization is helpful for HvAV‐3h viral replication.