Thesis (Ph.D.)(Entomology)--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Title from opening screen (viewed March 20, 2006). Includes summary. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph.D.)(Entomology)--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Includes summary. Includes bibliographical references. Available on the Internet via the World Wide Web.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Canterbury, 2007. / Typescript (photocopy). "April 2007." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 248-281). Also available via the World Wide Web.

Thesis (M.S.)--Montana State University--Bozeman, 2006. / Typescript. Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Michael A. Ivie. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 253-258).

Black beetle virus (BBV) is a bipartite single-stranded RNA virus belonging to the family Nodaviridae. Its host range has been found to be limited to insects. RNA 1, the larger of the two RNA molecules, with a MW of 1,15 x 10⁶ and the smaller RNA 2 with a MW of 0,46 x 10⁶, are both packaged in the same virus particle. The two RNA molecules are translated separately, with RNA 1 coding for protein A of MW 105 x 10³ and RNA 2 coding for protein α of MW 47 x 10³. Protein α is the major capsid protein precursor, which during in vivo maturation is cleaved to form the coat protein β of MW 43 x 10³, and protein γ of MW 5 x 10³. Cell-free translation of BBV (strain W17) mRNA was carried out in rabbit reticulocyte lysates. Protein α was detectable between 0 and 30 minutes after RNA addition. A protein 'β', which was found to co-electrophorese on polyacrylamide gels with authentic β and which was immunoprecipitated by anti-BBV antiserum, was detectable after 30 minutes. Results of this work show that the formation of 'β' could be prevented by the addition of RNase to the lysate, indicating that intact RNA is necessary for α to β cleavage. Arresting protein synthesis by the addition of cycloheximide to the lysate mix did not inhibit the cleavage. The formation of β could also be prevented by cooling the lysate mix to 1°C. Cleavage of α to β still occurred when RNA 2, without the presence of RNA 1, was translated. Therefore the cleavage is not dependent on a translation product of RNA 1. Sedimentation of lysate on sucrose density gradients showed that α to β cleavage was not accompanied by assembly of BBV RNA and protein lnto a viral substructure as has been shown to occur with some viruses, for example certain picornaviruses. Serial dilution of lysate containing α showed that the level of β decreased with increasing dilution, indicating that the cleavage is not mediated by autocatalysis, but by some other unknown factor. Although much work has been carried out on black beetle virus, no work has been published to date concerning α to β cleavage as an indication of assembly in rabbit reticulocyte lysates. Results of these cell-free translation experiments thus indicate that BBV coat protein precursor α, in association with its messenger RNA 2, undergoes a maturation cleavage in the lysate to produce BBV coat protein β. In addition, this cleavage seems to occur without assembly into any intermediate viral structure

Please read the abstract in the section 00front of this document / Dissertation (MSc (Entomology))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Zoology and Entomology / unrestricted

Please read the abstract in the section 00front of this document / Thesis (PhD (Entomology))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Zoology and Entomology / unrestricted

No description available.

Gnathotrichus retusus is primarily univoltine with a minor fraction of the population taking more than one year to complete the life cycle. From the spring to the summer, the development of brood from egg to adult took about 40 days or more in Douglas-fir logs. Brood production was significantly related to the gallery length. Boring activities were not consistently related with temperature, shifting from shallow sapwood to deep sapwood over time. Fungal staining was usually limited to the wood near the gallery entrance, and became darker in colour over time beginning in June. Abandonment of some galleries mainly occurred in June and July by females, and was probably induced by high temperatures. G. retusus preferred Douglas-fir stumps to western hemlock stumps, but both host tree species were equally suitable for G. retusus brood development. Significant differences were found among individual Douglas-fir and western hemlock stumps in attack density and brood production. Within a stump, attack density and brood production for Douglas-fir, and attack density for western hemlock increased from the stump top to the bottom. G. retusus emergence from Douglas-fir and western hemlock stumps and G. retusus and G. sulcat us flights began in late April when the daily maximum temperature reached 13.5°C, and peaked in late May. Brood emergence of G. retusus ceased, with rare exception, in late June. G. retusus had only one big peak flight while G. sulcatus had a small second peak flight in late July. Seasonal flights ceased in October when weekly mean maximum temperatures dropped below 15°C. Brood emergence, seasonal flights, and the sex ratios of brood ready to emerge and captured flying beetles were positively correlated with maximum temperature. G. retusus had a bimodal diurnal flight rhythm: a very small morning flight and a much larger dusk flight. Light intensity seemed to be a major stimulus in initiating the flight. However, diurnal flight might also be influenced by both temperature and relative humidity. Both G. retusus and G. sulcatus of both sexes responded significantly to ethanol or their own aggregation pheromones, (+)-sulcatol and (±)-sulcatol respectively, and ethanol was a synergist of (+)-sulcatol for G. retusus of both sexes. Alpha-pinene was neither a primary host attractant nor a synergist of aggregation pheromones. The sex ratios (female/male) of both species increased significantly from less than one for host chemicals alone to above one for treatments including aggregation pheromones. The sex ratio of G. sulcatus increased with increases in release rates of (±)-sulcatol. / Forestry, Faculty of / Graduate

No description available.