REPLICATION OF ORYCTES BACULOVIRUS IN CELL-CULTURE - VIRAL MORPHOGENESIS, INFECTIVITY AND PROTEIN-SYNTHESIS

The sequence of events in the replication of Oryctes baculovirus in DSIR-HA-1179 cells began with the uptake of virus particles by pinocytosis at the plasma membrane. Seven h after infection, enveloped virus particles were observed inside a cleared area in the nucleus. Virus was released from cells by budding through the plasma membrane where a second unit membrane was acquired. The infectivity of virus particles with a single envelope purified from within cells was not significantly different from that of virus which had acquired the second envelope by budding. Twenty-seven structural virus proteins were identified by gradient polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The synthesis of 8 of the major structural proteins was detected by pulse labeling infected cells with L-[35S]methionine. No late protein synthesis, as observed in subgroup A baculoviruses, was detected in this subgroup C baculovirus.