Nudiviruses

Abstract

Nudiviruses are a group of rod-shaped, enveloped, DNA-containing, insect viruses that have structural and biological similarities but with a genetic relatedness that is presently unclear. These viruses are often referred to as non-occluded baculoviruses, since they resemble baculoviruses in their size and shape as well as the fact that they contain a double-stranded circular DNA genome. Unlike baculoviruses, however, nudiviruses are not found associated with any protein crystal occlusion body. The lack of an occlusion body limits the survival of these viruses outside their host and has led to the evolution of modes of transmission involving a closer association between the virus and its host, which often involves the virus becoming latent or persistent. The nudivirus Hz-1 virus (Hz-1V) was first isolated as a persistent agent in insect cells and has become an interesting model for the study of virus persistence. The close association or persistence of these viruses in insect populations is one example of the many biological properties that nudiviruses possess that make them potentially very useful tools for use in managing insect pests.