Compositions and methods for pest control management
AssigneesUniversity of Kentucky Research Foundation, Lepidext LLC
InventorsBruce Webb, Kendra Hitz Steele, Angelika Fath-Goodin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed are genetically modified nudiviruses capable of being sexually transmitted by an insect useful for controlling pest populations. The genetically modified nudiviruses are capable of causing sterility in a target population of insects. Also disclosed are insects infected with the disclosed genetically modified nudiviruses, methods of making the genetically modified nudiviruses, and methods of using the genetically modified nudiviruses to control an insect pest population.
Claims20
A lepidopteran insect infected with a virus comprising a genetically modified Helicoverpa zea nudivirus 2 (HzNV-2) having at least one mutation in a region selected from the group comprising Open Reading Frame 90 (ORF90), Open Reading Frame 92 (ORF92), and Persistance-associated Gene (pag1), to disrupt expression of the gene product encoded by said mutant region, wherein said virus causes increased lepidopteran insect sterility as compared to a wild-type HzNV-2 virus.
A method of making a lepidopteran insect capable of transmitting a virus comprising a genetically modified helicoverpa zea Nudivirus 2 (HzVC-2) having at least one mutation in a region selected from the group comprising Open Reading Frame 90 (ORF90), Open Reading Frame 92 (ORF92), and Persistance-associated Gene (pag1), to disrupt expression of the gene product encoded by said mutant region, wherein said virus causes increased lepidopteran insect sterility in said lepidopteran insect, comprising infecting said lepidopteran insect with said virus.
A method of protecting a crop from lepidopteran insect damage, comprising introducing lepidopteran insects infected with a virus comprising a genetically modified Helicoverpa zea nudivirus 2 (HzVC-2) having at least one mutation in a region selected from the group comprising Open Reading Frame 90 (ORF90), Open Reading Frame 92 (ORF92), and Persistance-associated Gene (pag1), wherein said virus causes increased lepidopteran insect sterility in said lepidopteran insect introduced into said crop.
A method of reducing a lepidopteran insect population, comprising introducing into said lepidopteran insect population a lepidopteran insect infected with a virus comprising a genetically modified Helicoverpa zea nudivirus 2 (HzNV-2) having at least one mutation in a region selected from the group comprising Open Reading Frame 90 (ORF90), Open Reading Frame 92 (ORF92), and Persistance-associated Gene (pag1), wherein said-genetically modified Helicoverpa zea nudivirus 2 (HzNV-2) causes increased lepidopteran insect sterility in said lepidopteran insect population.
A method of reducing a lepidopteran population comprising introducing into a lepidopteran insect population a virus comprising a genetically modified Helicoverpa zea nudivirus 2 (HzNV-2) having at least one mutation in a region selected from the group comprising Open Reading Frame 90 (ORF90), Open Reading Frame 92 (ORF92), and Persistance-associated Gene (pag1), wherein said virus is introduced by feeding the virus to larvae or adults, wherein said virus causes increased sterility in said lepidopteran population as compared to a wild-type HzNV-2 virus.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.