REPLICATION OF HELIOTHIS-ARMIGERA ENTOMOPOXVIRUS IN-VITRO

An entomopoxvirus which replicates in Helicoverpa armigera larvae has been adapted to grow in cultured insect cell lines. The virus multipli es in cell lines derived from Helicoverpa zea, Spodoptera frugiperda, Trichoplusia ni, and Plutella xylostella. Twenty-nine clonal lines der ived from the established H. zea cell Line BCIRL-Hz-AM1 showed differe nces in susceptibility to infection. Serological assays revealed quali tative and quantitative variation in HaEPV replication and accumulatio n in different clonal lines and associated culture media. High-level n onlytic replication of the virus was observed in two clonal H. zea lin es. (C) 1995 Academic Press, Inc.