Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Large-scale Production of Recombinant RNAs on a Circular Scaffold Using a Viroid-derived System in Escherichia coli
Published on: November 30, 2018
A lipase-like gene from Heliothis virescens ascovirus (HvAV-3e) is essential for virus replication and cell cleavage
Matthew Smede1, Mazhar Hussain, Sassan Asgari
1School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia.
Abstract:
A unique feature of ascovirus infection is cleavage of host cells into virus containing vesicles. It has been suggested that the virus induces apoptosis, either by expression of a caspase or other means, which is then diverted toward vesicle formation. There is little known about the mechanism of vesicle formation. Recent genome sequences of three ascoviruses indicated the presence of several putative open reading frames coding for proteins that could be involved in lipid metabolism. These proteins may play a role in rearrangement of membranes in infected host cells leading to formation of vesicles. Here, we analyzed a lipase-like gene (ORF19) from Heliothis virescens ascovirus (HvAV-3e) expressed from 8 h after infection and essential for virus replication and cell cleavage. In addition, ORF19 knock down by RNA interference inhibited virus replication indicating that the gene is indispensable for HvAV-3e replication. However, under enzymatic assays tested, we did not detect any lipase or esterase activity from ORF19.
Related Concept Videos
Leaky Scanning
Viruses of Archaea
Subviral Agents
Intralumenal Vesicles and Multivesicular Bodies
DNA Helicases
Viruses with RNA Genomes

