TEMPORAL EXPRESSION AND IMMUNOGOLD LOCALIZATION OF PLODIA-INTERPUNCTELLA GRANULOSIS-VIRUS STRUCTURAL PROTEINS

Monospecific antisera were produced against four structural proteins ( VP12, VP17, VP31, and granulin) of the Plodia interpunctella granulosi s virus using polypeptides derived by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacryl amide gel electrophoresis or acid extraction. The antisera were shown to be specific on immunoblots of SDS-PAGE separated granulosis virus a nd were further used to detect structural proteins in infected fat bod y lysates. Immunoblots of fat body lysates from early stages of infect ion indicated that VP12, VP17, VP31, and granulin were expressed by 2. 5 days post-infection. Immunogold labeling of the virus using the mono specific antisera and electron microscopy confirmed earlier reports th at granulin is located in the protein matrix, V17 is an envelope prote in, and VP31 is a capsid protein.