Prevention of baculovirus-induced apoptosis of BTI-Tn-5B1-4 (Hi5) cells bythe p35 gene of Trichoplusia ni multicapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus

A typical apoptosis of BTI-Tn-5B1-4 (Hi5) cells induced by Heliothis armige ra single capsid nucleopolyhedrovirus (HaSNPV) infection was completely sup pressed by coinfection with Trichoplusia ni multicapsid nucleopolyhedroviru s polyhedron-negative recombinant (TnMNPV-SVI(-)G) (OCC-) at a low multipli city of infection (6.5 x 10(-2)). To determine whether TnMNPV p35 alone was sufficient to inhibit the apoptosis, two recombinant plasmids containing t he early promoter of p35, or the very late promoter of TnMNPV polh were con structed to study p35 function by transient expression assay. It was shown that expression of p35 alone could partially prevent HaSNPV-induced apoptos is but did not facilitate HaSNPV replication in Hi5 cells. The data suggest s that both P35 of TnMNPV and other unknown gene products are required for the suppression of apoptosis and facilitation of HaSNPV replication in Hi5 cells.