Abstract
A previously undescribed virus disease has been discovered in larvae of Chironomus plumosus sampled from Lake Pepin, Wisconsin. The disease is characterized by a marked hypertrophy of the fat body and by the presence of large DNA-containing inclusions in the cytoplasm of this tissue. Preliminary ecological studies indicate that at least 40% of fourth-instar larvae may be infected in some years. Electron-microscopic studies of infected fat body reveal extensive areas of viral proliferation in the cytoplasm. The virus particles measure about 145 mμ in diameter, and are similar in morphology to the iridescent insect viruses. They differ in having bundles of fine fibrils in association with the outer shell of the virus. These may prevent the formation of microcrystalline arrays of virus particles, explaining a lack of iridescence in diseased chironomid larvae.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 118-128 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | Journal of Invertebrate Pathology |
| Volume | 12 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Oct 1968 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:In the course of this study, it was found that the virus closely resembles the Tipda iridescent virus (Smith and Williams, 1958) from which it differs structurally, however, in one important feature. Some implications of this with regard to the phenomenon of iridescence in insect tissues infected with certain viruses (Clark et al., 1965; Day 1 This investigation was supported in part by n grant from the National Research Council of Canada and by U.S. Public Health Service Grant CM-13108-02.
ASJC Scopus Subject Areas
- Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics