Reproducible alteration of cytoplasmic polyhedrosis virus double-stranded RNA genome patterns on laboratory passage

Abstract A change in the polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic pattern of the double-stranded RNA genome segments of a cytoplasmic polyhedrosis virus was observed following only one or two passages through laboratory-reared larvae of Heliothis armigera . This change consisted of the loss of a high molecular weight segment concomitant with the appearance of a low molecular weight segment and was a reproducible feature observed with several separate isolates from the field.