Modification of Trichoplusia ni nuclear polyhedrosis virus passaged in vivo

A designated strain of plaque-purified Trichoplusia ni nuclear polyhedrosis virus (NPV) was used to initiate a serial passage series in vivo. The virulence of polyhedra inclusion bodies (PIB) and the distribution of MP (many PIB) and FP (few PIB) strains in hemolymph were monitored. When virus was passaged per os as PIB, there was no major change in virulence after 15 passes in insects. Plaque analysis of hemolymph from the infected insects indicated that there was no selection for the FP strain of virus. There was little overall change in the infectivity of nonoccluded virus (NOV) after 16 passes by injection into T. ni larvae; however, plaque analysis of the hemolymph from the infected insects indicated progressive selection of FP virus. It is postulated that when PIB are the vehicles of virus transmission, there is no progressive accumulation of noninfectious FP PIB; however, when NOV are the vehicles of virus transmission, FP NOV production displaces MP virus synthesis. This may result from a growth advantage of the FP NOV over the MP NOV as shown in vitro and from the noninfectious nature of FP PIB.