Cloning and sequencing of the gene for an enhancing factor from Pseudaletia separata entomopoxvirus

An enhancing factor (EF) has been shown to increase the susceptibility of the armyworm, Pseudaletia separata, to this nuclear polyhedrosis virus. Using amino acid microsequencing data obtained from the purified EF protein, we cloned and sequenced the gene for EF. The deduced amino acid sequence exhibited a significant similarity to major spindle proteins, fusolins, whose function is unknown, from Heliothis armigera, Choristoneura biennis and Melolontha melolontha entomopoxviruses.