THE MORPHOLOGY OF THE POLYHEDRA OF A HOST RANGE-EXPANDED RECOMBINANT BACULOVIRUS AND ITS PARENTS

The host range-expanded recombinant baculovirus, RecB-8 was isolated f rom BmN-4 cells coinfected with Autographa californica and Bombyx mori nuclear polyhedrosis viruses. Its genome was compared with those of i ts parents by restriction endonuclease digestion and their polyhedra c ompared in an electron microscope. Interestingly, the polyhedra of Rec B-8 were tetrahedral although the polyhedrin gene was the same as that of the BmNPV parent which has icosahedral polyhedra. Thus the morphol ogy of the RecB-8 polyhedra resulted from host cell factors and/or ano ther viral genome in the host cells.