THE EFFECT OF A POLYDNAVIRUS OF APANTELES GALLERIAE ON THE HEMOLYMPH PROTEINS OF HOST GALLERIA MELLONELA

M. R. BROCHETTO-BRAGA(1,3), M. S. PALMA(1,3), J. C. RIBEIRO(2), N. GOBBI(2,3)

(1)Department of Biology of the Institute of Biosciences of Rio Claro - UNESP, State of São Paulo, Brazil, (2)Department of Ecology of the Institute of Biosciences of Rio Claro - UNESP, State of São Paulo, Brazil, (3)Center for the Study of  Venoms and Venomous Animals - CEVAP - UNESP, State of São Paulo, Brazil.

ABSTRACT. The presence of a polydnavirus in the ovary of the microhymenoptera Apanteles galleriae was detected. This wasp parasites the larvae of the wax moth Galleria mellonella. To study the possible viral effects on the total protein of G.mellonella, hemolymph extracts of the ovary calyxes of parasitized A. galleriae were injected into 6th and 7th instar cells of G.mellonella larvae. Protein profiles on polyacrilamide gel electrophoresis containing sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS-PAGE) of host cell  extracts showed a suppression of several protein bands when infection occurred in the 6th instar. However, in the 7th instar, parasitism caused an amplification in the synthesis of most proteins with some changes in the electrophoretic profile.

KEY WORDS: microhymenoptera, wax moth, parasitism, polydnavirus, SDS-PAGE, Apanteles galleriae, Galleria mellonela.

CORRESPONDENCE TO:

M.R. BROCHETTO-BRAGA - Departamento de Biologia, Instituto de Biociências - UNESP, Caixa Postal 199 - CEP 13.506-900 - Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brasil. Email mrbbraga@rc.unesp.br