[Entomopoxviruses and biological control.]

Poxviridae are divided into two subfamilies: the Chordopoxvirinae (poxviruses of vertebrates) and the Entomopoxvirinae (insect poxviruses). Entomopoxviruses (EPVs) are large (300-400 nm) oval shaped viruses. The genome of EPVs is large, with covalent ends and is a linear double-stranded DNA (200-240 kbp) molecule. The Entomopoxvirinae comprises three genera based on host insect and virion morphology. Genus A viruses infect coleopterans, genus B viruses infect lepidopterans and orthopterans, and genus C viruses infect dipterans. The Melolontha melolontha entomopoxvirus (MmEPV) was the first poxvirus to be described as being associated with an insect disease. Then, several entomopoxviruses (EPVs) have been found to infect Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera, and Orthoptera. Entomopoxviruses are very similar to orthopoxvirus and molluscipoxvirus that cause dermal lesions and pox diseases in humans. Therefore, these viruses have great importance in understanding their replication mechanism as well as in the use as a gene expression vector and as a pest control agent. In this review article, we present information about entomopoxviruses on which important studies have been done recently.