INFECTION OF LEPIDOPTERA WITH A PSEUDOTYPED RETROVIRAL VECTOR

Studies requiring the introduction and expression of manipulated gene constructs have been technically difficult in non-drosophilid insects. Retroviruses can be engineered to be replication defective and to ser ve as vectors for gene constructs of interest. In this study, pseudoty ped MoMLV(VSV-C) retroviral vectors are shown to successfully infect l epidopteran cells in vitro and in vivo. In Spodoptera frugiperda cells in vitro and in Manduca sexta in vivo, infection and conversion to pr oviral DNA were confirmed by PCR amplification and Southern blot hybri dization of vector-specific sequences. Gene expression and integration of proviral DNA were also documented in vitro. This is the first repo rt of retroviral infection in lepidoptera and suggests that pseudotype d retroviral vectors could be powerful tools in gene manipulation stud ies of non-drosophilid insects. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rig hts reserved.