Three cocluded insect viruses : a biophysical and biological study of the nuclear-polyhedrosis virus of Colias electo, the granulosis virus of Heliothis armigera and the nuclear-polyhedrosis virus of Heliothis zea

dc.contributor.advisorPolson, Aen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorGitay, Helaen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2017-12-07T07:44:18Z
dc.date.available2017-12-07T07:44:18Z
dc.date.issued1971en_ZA
dc.date.updated2017-08-07T08:35:07Z
dc.description.abstractAn investigation was undertaken in some detail of three virus strains of insect pests of agricultural importance, viz. a nuclear-polyhedrosis virus of the lucerne caterpillar, Colias electo, and a granulosis virus of the bollworm, Heliothis armigera, both found in South Africa, and a nuclear-polyhedrosis virus of the bollworm, Heliothis zea, isolated in America, with a view to ascertaining a knowledge of some of the fundamental properties and basic biology of these infective agents. On the basis of the information gained the viruses could be differentiated and their broad classification was established. The morphology of the polyhedra, capsules and virus particles observed by light and electron microscopy has been completed and measurements of the viral elements have been made. Some biophysical properties of the virus particles and their inclusion bodies were recorded, i.e. their resistance to chemical and physical treatments and their relative mobility in an electric field under standard conditions. Observations were made on procedures which brought about varying degrees of purification and concentration of the virus particles from putrefying larvae and the most successful of these were found to be reproducible. They involved the purification of the inclusion bodies and their digestion by weak alkali to release the virus particles. Both preparations of the viral elements were further purified by zone electrophoresis in sucrose density gradients. Some information was gathered on the mode of transmission of the infection from insect to insect by contact or cannibalism, from one generation to the next through the eggs, and particularly from one area to another by virus survival in avian faeces. The incidence and rate of the infection in the larvae was increased by environmental changes such as raising the temperature and also to some extent by spraying with a suspension of endospores of Bacillus thuringiensis. Exposure to other stress conditions was not successful in initiating a fatal infection in the insects. Of particular interest, however, was the observation that by injecting a 'foreign' virus a fatal infection was induced by activation of a native occult virus in the larvae of the silkworm, Bornbyx mori. In the context of the possible application of these infective agents to future methods of biological control of economically disastrous pests, these preliminary experiments were not unrewarding.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationGitay, H. (1971). <i>Three cocluded insect viruses : a biophysical and biological study of the nuclear-polyhedrosis virus of Colias electo, the granulosis virus of Heliothis armigera and the nuclear-polyhedrosis virus of Heliothis zea</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Health Sciences ,Division of Medical Microbiology. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/26481en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationGitay, Hela. <i>"Three cocluded insect viruses : a biophysical and biological study of the nuclear-polyhedrosis virus of Colias electo, the granulosis virus of Heliothis armigera and the nuclear-polyhedrosis virus of Heliothis zea."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Health Sciences ,Division of Medical Microbiology, 1971. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/26481en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationGitay, H. 1971. Three cocluded insect viruses : a biophysical and biological study of the nuclear-polyhedrosis virus of Colias electo, the granulosis virus of Heliothis armigera and the nuclear-polyhedrosis virus of Heliothis zea. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Gitay, Hela AB - An investigation was undertaken in some detail of three virus strains of insect pests of agricultural importance, viz. a nuclear-polyhedrosis virus of the lucerne caterpillar, Colias electo, and a granulosis virus of the bollworm, Heliothis armigera, both found in South Africa, and a nuclear-polyhedrosis virus of the bollworm, Heliothis zea, isolated in America, with a view to ascertaining a knowledge of some of the fundamental properties and basic biology of these infective agents. On the basis of the information gained the viruses could be differentiated and their broad classification was established. The morphology of the polyhedra, capsules and virus particles observed by light and electron microscopy has been completed and measurements of the viral elements have been made. Some biophysical properties of the virus particles and their inclusion bodies were recorded, i.e. their resistance to chemical and physical treatments and their relative mobility in an electric field under standard conditions. Observations were made on procedures which brought about varying degrees of purification and concentration of the virus particles from putrefying larvae and the most successful of these were found to be reproducible. They involved the purification of the inclusion bodies and their digestion by weak alkali to release the virus particles. Both preparations of the viral elements were further purified by zone electrophoresis in sucrose density gradients. Some information was gathered on the mode of transmission of the infection from insect to insect by contact or cannibalism, from one generation to the next through the eggs, and particularly from one area to another by virus survival in avian faeces. The incidence and rate of the infection in the larvae was increased by environmental changes such as raising the temperature and also to some extent by spraying with a suspension of endospores of Bacillus thuringiensis. Exposure to other stress conditions was not successful in initiating a fatal infection in the insects. Of particular interest, however, was the observation that by injecting a 'foreign' virus a fatal infection was induced by activation of a native occult virus in the larvae of the silkworm, Bornbyx mori. In the context of the possible application of these infective agents to future methods of biological control of economically disastrous pests, these preliminary experiments were not unrewarding. DA - 1971 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 1971 T1 - Three cocluded insect viruses : a biophysical and biological study of the nuclear-polyhedrosis virus of Colias electo, the granulosis virus of Heliothis armigera and the nuclear-polyhedrosis virus of Heliothis zea TI - Three cocluded insect viruses : a biophysical and biological study of the nuclear-polyhedrosis virus of Colias electo, the granulosis virus of Heliothis armigera and the nuclear-polyhedrosis virus of Heliothis zea UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/26481 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/26481
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationGitay H. Three cocluded insect viruses : a biophysical and biological study of the nuclear-polyhedrosis virus of Colias electo, the granulosis virus of Heliothis armigera and the nuclear-polyhedrosis virus of Heliothis zea. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Health Sciences ,Division of Medical Microbiology, 1971 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/26481en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentDivision of Medical Microbiologyen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Health Sciencesen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subject.otherInsect Virusesen_ZA
dc.subject.otherVirus diseasesen_ZA
dc.subject.otherInclusion bodies, Viralen_ZA
dc.titleThree cocluded insect viruses : a biophysical and biological study of the nuclear-polyhedrosis virus of Colias electo, the granulosis virus of Heliothis armigera and the nuclear-polyhedrosis virus of Heliothis zeaen_ZA
dc.typeMaster Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
dc.type.qualificationnameMScen_ZA
uct.type.filetype
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
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