VP5 is a 15-kDa nonstructural protein encoded by a small open reading frame in 5

Homologues of Helicoverpa armigera nucleopolyhedrovirus (HearSNPV) orf33 are found in all 22 completely sequenced members of the lepidopteran nucleopolyhedroviruses and granuloviruses, but so far their functions are unknown. In this report, we describe the characterization of HearSNPV orf33 (ha33). Northern blot analysis showed a single transcript of ha33 of approximately 0.7 kb was transcribed beginning at 3 h post-infection in infected Helicoverpa zea cells (HzAM1) and the gene product could be detected as early as 6 h post-infection by western blot analysis using a rabbit derived polyclonal antibody, suggesting it was an early gene. Western blot analysis also demonstrated the ha33 protein in infected cellswas a 31 kDa protein, larger than the theoretical size of 28.4 kDa, and located in the envelope fraction of budded virions (BVs). The results suggested that HearSNPV ha33 gene is a functional gene that encodes a novel structural protein of baculovirus BVs, BV-e31.

Melittin is the principal component of bee venom. Melittin in Apis cerana (Ac-melt) is a single copy gene. A full length Ac-melt cDNA is 389 bp, with a single 191 bp intron in the genome. Its mRNA level was high during the first week of adult life and low during the rest of adult life. Melittin or its precursor could not be detected in the pupal stage. Melittin level increased rapidly to its maximum (about 95μg per worker bee) during the first 8-10 days of adult age, and remained constant for about 20days before starting to decline slowly. The expression of melittin is regulated at the transcriptional level.