YIELD AND ACTIVITY OF AUTOGRAPHA-CALIFORNICA MULTICAPSID NUCLEOPOLYHEDROVIRUS AND PHTHORIMAEA-OPERCULELLA GRANULOSIS-VIRUS IN CLONED AND UNCLONED CELL-LINES OF PHTHORIMAEA-OPERCULELLA

Three selected uncloned Pop 2, Pop 3, Pop 4 and two cloned cell lines Pop cl1A and Pop cl2B were derived from the original cell line establi shed from Phthorimaea operculella (ORS-Pop-93). Three new non-selected cell lines ORS-Pop-94A, ORS-Pop-94B and ORS-Pop-95 were also establis hed from embryos of the same insect. Differences in morphology, growth rate and polypeptide profile were determined between these cell lines . All the cell lines were susceptible to the Autographa californica nu cleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV). The cloned cell lines produced higher lev els of AcMNPV (TCID-50 and PIB) than the parental cells and at the sam e Hate as the Sf9 reference cell line. Substantial amounts of viral DN A. were synthesized in the clone Pop cl 2B after infection with the gr anulosis virus of the potato tuber moth P. operculella (PTMGV) and a c omplete multiplication was obtained in the ORS-Pop-95 cell line. The c omparison between Pop cell lines which support limited or complete rep lication of certain baculoviruses can offer insights into some of the molecular barriers which restrict the host range of these viruses. The se cell lines with variable susceptibility to baculoviruses could also be used for in vitro recombinations, increasing their virus host rang e to be used for the control of this pest.