BIOLOGY AND CHARACTERIZATION OF ASCOVIRUSES

一项为期三年的研究提出了表征Ascoviruses，一个新的 发现了一组大的，包膜，双链DNA病毒分离 从昆虫。 重点研究两种明显不同的 分别从夜蛾幼虫分离的囊病毒， 本文将对粉纹夜蛾和草地贪夜蛾进行一系列的研究， 进行了定义这些病毒的基本生物学和 生化特性 拟议研究的具体目标 包括病毒体纯化技术的发展， 病毒粒子的大小和构象方面的表征 DNA基因组和病毒体结构蛋白的分析。 此外，本发明还 由这些引起的大体病理学、组织病理学和细胞病理学 将描述体内和体外的病毒。 在病毒粒子 已经被表征，现有分离物的关系的研究将 使用病毒DNA的限制性酶分析和Southern杂交进行 DNA同源性的印迹分析。 这些研究将使这些病毒 与其他包膜双链DNA容易区分 病毒，并将提供一个基础，在此基础上进行研究， 分子生物学

A three-year study is proposed to characterize Ascoviruses, a newly discovered group of large, enveloped, double-stranded DNA viruses isolated from insects. With emphasis on studies of two apparently different ascoviruses, isolated respectively from larvae of the nocutid moths, Trichoplusia ni an Spodoptera frugiperda, a series of studies will be carried out to define these viruses in terms of their basic biological and biochemical properties. The specific objectives of the proposed research include the development of techniques for purification of virions, characterization of the virions in respect to the size and conformation of the DNA genome, and analysis of virion structural proteins. Additionally, the gross pathology, histopathology, and cytopathology caused by these viruses in vivo and in vitro will be described. After the virions have been characterized, studies of the relationships of existing isolates will be undertaken using restriction enzyme analysis of viral DNA and Southern blot analysis of DNA homologies. These studies will permit these viruses to be readily distinguished from other enveloped double-stranded DNA viruses, and will provide a basis on which to pursue studies of their molecular biology.