Firefly luciferase, synthesized to very high levels in caterpillars infected with a recombinant baculovirus, can also be used as an efficient reporter enzyme in vivo

AbstractTrichoplusia ni and Spodoptera littoraus larvae were infected with a recombinant AcNPV, having the viral polyhedrin gene replaced with the cDNA encoding firefly luciferase. Both S. littoralis and T. ni synthesized very high levels of luciferase representing ⩾ 25% and ⩾ 15%, respectively of the total Coomassie blue stainable protein. Luciferase was apparently not secreted into the hemolymph but was contained within the body tissue. Expression in S. linoralis larvae suggests that luciferase can be an excellent reporter enzyme to study virus infection, dissemination and expression in different tissues, host range determination, insect physiology and also to monitor the release of recombinant virus in the environment when used as a biocide