Physical and genetic map of the Wiseana nucleopolyhedrovirus genome

Wiseana nucleopolyhedrovirus (NPV) is the major pathogen of the New Zealand endemic pasture pest, Wiseana spp. To characterize this potential biological control agent, the genome of a virus isolated from Wiseana signata was purified and cloned. The complete genome was cloned as BamHI or Hindlll restriction fragments, which were mapped by Southern hybridization and restriction analysis. To verify the physical map, the junctions between all Hindlll fragments were confirmed by sequencing. The viral genome was estimated to be 128 kbp, Sequence data generated at the termini of cloned restriction fragments were compared to sequence databases to identify putative gene homologues. Seventeen putative ORFs, which were homologous to other baculoviral sequences, were identified, These putative ORFs were located on the Wiseana NPV physical map and their distribution was compared to genetic maps of NPVs isolated from Autographa californica, Orgyia pseudotsugata and Lymantria dispar. Although the virus from W.signata was significantly different from these other NPVs, a core region of the viral genome was conserved.