Drug – bio-affecting and body treating compositions – Whole live micro-organism – cell – or virus containing – Genetically modified micro-organism – cell – or virus
Patent
1991-02-28
1994-10-04
Schwartz, Richard A.
Drug, bio-affecting and body treating compositions
Whole live micro-organism, cell, or virus containing
Genetically modified micro-organism, cell, or virus
4351721, 4351723, 4352351, 935 64, A01N 6300, C12N 701, C12N 1500
Patent
active
053524519
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to methods and compositions for improved biological control of insect pests. More particularly, the present invention relates to the use and manipulation of a baculovirus gene and its gene product which is effective in controlling the growth and development of insects The present invention also relates to genetically modified baculoviruses and other insect control agents that adversely affect infected insect pests.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Interest in the biological control of insect pests has arisen as a result of disadvantages of conventional chemical pesticides. Chemical pesticides generally affect beneficial as well as nonbeneficial species. Insect pests tend to acquire resistance to such chemicals so that new insect pest populations can rapidly develop that are resistant to these pesticides. Furthermore, chemical residues pose environmental hazards and possible health concerns. Biological control presents an alternative means of pest control which can reduce dependence on chemical pesticides.
The primary strategies for biological control include the deployment of naturally-occurring organisms which are pathogenic to insects (entomopathogens) and the development of crops that are more resistant to insect pests. Approaches include the identification and characterization of insect genes or gene products which may serve as suitable targets for insect control agents, the identification and exploitation of previously unused microorganisms (including the modification of naturally-occurring nonpathogenic microorganisms to render them pathogenic to insects), the modification and refinement of currently used entomopathogens, and the development of genetically engineered crops which display greater resistance to insect pests.
Viruses that cause natural epizootic diseases within insect populations are among the entomopathogens which have been developed as biological pesticides. Baculoviruses are a large group of viruses which infect only arthropods (Miller, L. K. (1981) in Genetic Engineering in the Plant Sciences, N. Panopoulous, (ed.), Praeger Publ., New York, pp. 203-224; Carstens, (1980) Trends in Biochemical Science 52:107-110; Harrap and Payne (1979) in Advances in Virus Research, Vol. 25, Lawfer et al. (eds.), Academic Press, New York, pp. 273-355). Many baculoviruses infect insects which are pests of commercially important agricultural and forestry crops. Such baculoviruses are potentially valuable as biological control agents. Four different baculoviruses have been registered for use as insecticides by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Among the advantages of baculoviruses as biological pesticides is their host specificity. Not only do baculoviruses as a group infect only arthropods, but also individual baculovirus strains usually only infect one or a few species of insects. Thus, they pose no risk to man or the environment, and can be used without adversely affecting beneficial insect species.
Baculovirus subgroups include nuclear polyhedrosis viruses (NPV), granulosis viruses (GV), and nonoccluded baculoviruses. In the occluded forms of baculoviruses, the virions (enveloped nucleocapsids) are embedded in a crystalline protein matrix. This structure, referred to as an inclusion or occlusion body, is the form found extraorganismally in nature and is responsible for spreading the infection between organisms. The characteristic feature of the NPV viruses is that many virions are embedded in each occlusion body. The NPV occlusion bodies are relatively large (up to 5 micrometers). Occlusion bodies of the GV viruses are smaller and contain a single virion each. The crystalline protein matrix of the occlusion bodies of both forms is primarily composed of a single 25,000 to 33,000 dalton polypeptide which is known as polyhedrin or granulin. Baculoviruses of the nonoccluded subgroup do not produce a polyhedrin or granulin protein, and do not form occlusion bodies.
In nature, infection is initiated when an insect ingests food contaminated with baculovir
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Miller Lois K.
O'Reilly David R.
Mosher Mary E.
Schwartz Richard A.
University of Georgia Research Foundation Inc.
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