ABSTRACT
The entomopoxviruses, the subfamily Entomopoxvirinae of the family Poxviridae, comprise a poxvirus subgroup apparently restricted to insects. An enzyme linked immunosorbent assay technique has been developed which can detect low levels of entomopoxvirus in live hosts or tissue culture. Viral replication was inhibited by rifampicin, an antibiotic which also inhibits vertebrate poxvirus growth by binding to viral deoxyribonucleic acid-dependent ribonucleic acid polymerase. The virus particles of Genus C most closely resemble the vertebrate poxviruses, being flattened rectangular cushion shaped before and after occlusion. A polytrophic entomopoxvirus was isolated from Pseudaletia separata in China. Sequencing of the spheroidin gene of the Choristoneura biennis entomopoxvirus revealed substantial homology between its 5' flanking region and the vaccinia major core protein precursor gene P4b. The biochemistry of Genus B has been extensively studied, particularly in relation to the morphologically similar vaccinia virus of vertebrates. The basic scheme of replication involving the two types of viroplasm is very similar to that found in Genus A.
