RNA in midgut of tussock moth, Orgyia leucostigma, infected with cytoplasmic-polyhedrosis virus

Abstract

The RNA synthesis in the midgut of the tussock moth, Orgyia leucostigma, infected with cytoplasmic-polyhedrosis virus has been studied in the presence of actinomycin D. Although actinomycin D at a concentration of 2 μg/larva does inhibit the cellular RNA synthesis, virus-specific RNA can be still synthesized in the infected midgut. In these conditions, two species of virus-specific RNA are found; one is RNase-sensitive and the other is resistant. The enzyme-sensitive RNA may be single-stranded and consists of at least two components which have sedimentation rates of 22 and 15 S, while the resistant RNA is probably double-stranded viral progeny RNA. Under the same condition, however, virion formation is inhibited about 63%.