Abstract
In insect immunity little is known about anti-viral immune responses. Viral diseases are especially abundant in Lepidoptera. The aim of this project is to analyse the lepidopteran anti-viral defense in general and the involvement of the lepidopteran immune protein Hemolin in particular. Hemolin functions as a pattern recognition protein and mediates binding between hemocyte and microorganism. Unpublished data indicates that Hemolin binds to virus, however, it is unknown which part of the protein that could be involved in binding. This will be investigated through mutations of different parts of the Hemolin sequence followed by protein expression and binding assays in vitro. Knowledge of viral pathogenesis in Lepidoptera comes from studies of noctuid moths and there are circumstantial evidences for Hemolin involvement in several of the defense mechanisms against the viruses. By cloning Hemolin from noctuid species, it will be possible to directly investigate if and how Hemolin interacts with different virus types. In parallel, a global gene expression analysis in silkmoth will be performed, leading to further investigation through RNA interference. Knowledge of the virus defense mechanisms that control the baculovirus development in the lepidopteran host is important for the silk-industry and for improving baculovirus efficiency in biological control. It can also give insights into anti-viral defense mechanisms in vertebrates.
Sweden