Induction of reaper ortholog mx in mosquito midgut cells following baculovirus infection.

ABSTRACT: Many vertebrate and insect viruses possess antiapoptotic genes that are required for their infectivity. This led to the hypothesis that apoptosis is an innate immunoresponse important for limiting virus infections. The role of apoptosis may be especially important in insect antiviral defense because of the lack of adaptive immunity. However, the cellular mechanism that elicits apoptosis in response to viral infection in insects has not been determined. Using an in vivo infection system with the mosquito baculovirus CuniNPV (Culex nigripalpus nucleopolyhedrovirus), we demonstrated that michelob_x (mx), the mosquito ortholog of Drosophila proapoptotic gene reaper, is specifically induced in larval midgut cells following viral infection. Interestingly, the dynamics of mx induction corresponds

SUBMITTER: Liu B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3172108 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature