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Hyperactivity and tree-top disease induced by the baculovirus AcMNPV in Spodoptera exigua larvae are governed by independent mechanisms

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Abstract

Although many parasites are known to manipulate the behavior of their hosts, the mechanisms underlying such manipulations are largely unknown. Baculoviruses manipulate the behavior of caterpillar hosts by inducing hyperactivity and by inducing climbing behavior leading to death at elevated positions (tree-top disease or Wipfelkrankheit). Whether hyperactivity and tree-top disease are independent manipulative strategies of the virus is unclear. Recently, we demonstrated the involvement of the protein tyrosine phosphatase (ptp) gene of the baculovirus Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) in the induction of hyperactivity in Spodoptera exigua larvae. Here we show that AcMNPV ptp is not required for tree-top disease, indicating that in S. exigua baculovirus-induced hyperactivity and tree-top disease are independently induced behaviors that are governed by distinct mechanisms.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Linda Guarino of Texas A&M University for kindly providing the AcMNPV ∆ptp bacmid. Just Vlak is acknowledged for reading the manuscript and for the useful discussion. SVH and VIDR were both supported by the Program Strategic Alliances of the Royal Dutch Academy of Sciences (project 08-PSA-BD-01), and VIDR is supported by a VENI grant of the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (project 863.11.017).

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Author notes

  1. Stineke van Houte

    Present address: Centre for Ecology and Conservation, Biosciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, UK

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Virology, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB, Wageningen, The Netherlands

    Stineke van Houte, Vera I. D. Ros & Monique M. van Oers

Authors
  1. Stineke van Houte
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  2. Vera I. D. Ros
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  3. Monique M. van Oers
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Correspondence to Monique M. van Oers.

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Communicated by: Sven Thatje

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van Houte, S., Ros, V.I.D. & van Oers, M.M. Hyperactivity and tree-top disease induced by the baculovirus AcMNPV in Spodoptera exigua larvae are governed by independent mechanisms. Naturwissenschaften 101, 347–350 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-014-1160-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-014-1160-8

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