Agrotis segetum nucleopolyhedrovirus but not Agrotis segetum granulovirusreplicate in AiE1611T cell line of Agrotis ipsilon

Both Agrotis segetum nucleopolyhedrovirus B (AgseNPV-B) and Agrotis segetum granulovirus (AgseGV) belong to a cluster of four baculoviruses that are infective for different Agrotis species. Belonging further to different baculovirus genera, namely Alphabaculovirus and Betabaculovirus, respectively, AgseNPV-B and AgseGV are candidates to investigate virus interactions in co-infections. However, for the investigation of virus interactions on a cellular level, permissive insect cell-lines are needed. The cell line AiE1611T deriving from Agrotis ipsilon eggs has been shown to be permissive for several Alphabaculovirus isolates. In this study, virus replication was followed based on microscopic analysis of infected and transfected cells, as well as on a molecular level by PCR of DNA and cDNA of selected baculovirus transcripts. While the permissivity was not verified for AgseGV, AgseNPV-B produced occlusion bodies in both infection with hemolymph of infected larvae and Lipofectamin transfection with AgseNPV-B genomic DNA. In addition to the possibility to investigate virus interaction of AgseNPV-B with other alphabaculoviruses, the permissivity of AiE1611T for AgseNPV-B further offers the possibility a biological selection to separate AgseNPV-B from AgseGV.