Banner
Current IssueEditorial BoardOnline First ArticlesArchive
Current IssueEditorial BoardOnline First ArticlesArchive

Review Article

Genetically Modified Baculovirus- An Important Tool in Pest Management: A Review

S
Sagar D.1
R
Ratna Prabha2,3,*
S
Saumya Singh4
1ICAR-National Bureau of Agricultural Pest Resources, Bengaluru-560 024, Karnataka, India.
2ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa, New Delhi-110 012, India.
3ICAR-National Equine Research Centre, Equine Production Complex (R.K.), Bikaner- 334 001, Rajasthan, India.
4Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences, Prayagraj-211 007, Uttar Pradesh, India.

  • Submitted19-08-2025|

  • Accepted27-10-2025|

  • First Online 06-11-2025|

  • doi 10.18805/BKAP876

ABSTRACT

Baculoviruses represent the largest family of insect viruses and serve as important tools in integrated pest management due to their unique characteristics including host specificity, environmental safety and compatibility with other control agents. Despite their advantages as biopesticides, wild-type baculoviruses have several limitations, including restricted host range and vulnerability to UV light. Genetic engineering has emerged as a promising approach to overcome these obstacles through the development of recombinant baculoviruses. Recent advances include the development of BACMID systems (bacterial artificial chromosomes) that facilitate genetic manipulation through site-specific recombination and transposition. Future research directions include co-expression of multiple neurotoxins to achieve synergistic effects and broaden the host range, whereby genetically modified baculoviruses may prove quite valuable for sustainable pest management.

REFERENCES


  1. Bhandari, K.M., Paudel, M. (2024). Genetic, biological and sterile insect techniques: Insect pest management strategies: A review. Agricultural Reviews. 45(3): 390-399. doi: 10.18805/ag.RF-311.

  2. Eberle, K.E., Jehle, J.A., Huber, J. (2012). Microbial Control of Crop Pests using Insect Viruses. In: Integrated Pest Management: Principles and Practice, Edited by D.P. Abrol and U. Shankar: CABI. pp. 281-299. 

  3. Elazar, M., Levi, R., Zlotkin, E. (2001). Targeting of an expressed neurotoxin by its recombinant baculovirus. J. Exp. Biol. 204: 2637-2545.

  4. Gordon, D., Moskowitz, H., Eitan, M., Warner, C., Catterall, W.A., Zlotkin, E. (1992). Localization of receptor sites for insect-selective toxins on sodium channels by site-directed antibodies. Biochemistry. 31: 7622-7628.

  5. Granados, R.R. (1980). Infectivity and mode of action of baculoviruses. Biotechnology and Bioengineering. 22: 1377-1405.

  6. Haase, S., Ferrelli, L., Pidre, M.L., Romanowski, V. (2013). Genetic Engineering of Baculoviruses. In: Current Issues in Molecular Virology - Viral Genetics and Biotechnological Applications. pp. 79-111.

  7. Hilton, S., Kemp, E., Keane, G., Winstanley, D. (2008). A bacmid approach to the genetic manipulation of granuloviruses. Journal of Virological Methods. 152: 56-62.

  8. Inceoglu, A.B., Kamita, S.G., Hammock, B.D. (2006). Genetically modified baculoviruses: A historical overview and future outlook. Advances in Virus Research. 68: 323-360.

  9. Inceoglu, A., Kamita, S.G., Hinton, A.C., Huang, Q.H., Severson, T.F., et al. (2001). Recombinant baculoviruses for insect control. Pest Mgt. Sci. 57: 987-987.

  10. Jehle, J.A., Lange, M., Wang, H., Hu, Z., Wang, Y., Huaschild, R. (2006). Molecular identification and phylogenetic analysis of baculoviruses from Lepidoptera. Virology. 346(1): 180-193.

  11. Kroemer, J.A., Bonning, B.C., Harrison, R.L. (2015). Expression, delivery and function of insecticidal proteins expressed by recombinant baculoviruses. Viruses. 7(1): 422-455. doi: 10.3390/v7010422. 

  12. Maeda, S. (1989). Expression of foreign genes in insects using baculovirus vectors. Annual Review of Entomology. 34: 351-372.

  13. Miller, L., Ball, L.A. (Eds.) (1998). The Insect Viruses. Plenum Press, New York. 411 pp.

  14. O’Reily, D.R. (1995). Baculovirus-encodedecdysteroid UDP-glucosyltransferases. Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. 25(5): 541-550.

  15. Regev, A., Rivkin, H., Inceoglu, B., Gershburg, E., Hammock, D., et al. (2003). Further enhancement of baculovirus insecticidal efficacy with scorpion toxins that interact cooperatively. FEBS Lett. 537: 706-710.

  16. Wang, H., Deng, F., Pijlman, G.P., Chen, X., Sun, X., Vlak, J.M., Hu, Z. (2003). Cloning of biologically active genomes from a Helicoverpa armigera single nucleocapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus isolate by using a bacterial artificial chromosome. Virus Research. 97: 57-63.

  17. Wudayagiri, R., Inceoglu, B., Herrmann, R., Derbel, M., Choudary, P.V., Hammock, B.D. (2001). Isolation and characterization of a novel lepidopteran- selective toxin from the venom of South Indian red scorpion, Mesobuthus tamulus. BMC Biochemistry. 2: 11-16.
Published In
Bhartiya Krishi Anusandhan Patrika
Article Metrics
Metrics Icon
0
Views
0
Citations
Reviewed By
Share Article
Download Article
In this Article
    Contact us
    Follow us

    Review Article

    Genetically Modified Baculovirus- An Important Tool in Pest Management: A Review

    S
    Sagar D.1
    R
    Ratna Prabha2,3,*
    S
    Saumya Singh4
    1ICAR-National Bureau of Agricultural Pest Resources, Bengaluru-560 024, Karnataka, India.
    2ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa, New Delhi-110 012, India.
    3ICAR-National Equine Research Centre, Equine Production Complex (R.K.), Bikaner- 334 001, Rajasthan, India.
    4Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences, Prayagraj-211 007, Uttar Pradesh, India.

    • Submitted19-08-2025|

    • Accepted27-10-2025|

    • First Online 06-11-2025|

    • doi 10.18805/BKAP876

    ABSTRACT

    Baculoviruses represent the largest family of insect viruses and serve as important tools in integrated pest management due to their unique characteristics including host specificity, environmental safety and compatibility with other control agents. Despite their advantages as biopesticides, wild-type baculoviruses have several limitations, including restricted host range and vulnerability to UV light. Genetic engineering has emerged as a promising approach to overcome these obstacles through the development of recombinant baculoviruses. Recent advances include the development of BACMID systems (bacterial artificial chromosomes) that facilitate genetic manipulation through site-specific recombination and transposition. Future research directions include co-expression of multiple neurotoxins to achieve synergistic effects and broaden the host range, whereby genetically modified baculoviruses may prove quite valuable for sustainable pest management.

    REFERENCES


    1. Bhandari, K.M., Paudel, M. (2024). Genetic, biological and sterile insect techniques: Insect pest management strategies: A review. Agricultural Reviews. 45(3): 390-399. doi: 10.18805/ag.RF-311.

    2. Eberle, K.E., Jehle, J.A., Huber, J. (2012). Microbial Control of Crop Pests using Insect Viruses. In: Integrated Pest Management: Principles and Practice, Edited by D.P. Abrol and U. Shankar: CABI. pp. 281-299. 

    3. Elazar, M., Levi, R., Zlotkin, E. (2001). Targeting of an expressed neurotoxin by its recombinant baculovirus. J. Exp. Biol. 204: 2637-2545.

    4. Gordon, D., Moskowitz, H., Eitan, M., Warner, C., Catterall, W.A., Zlotkin, E. (1992). Localization of receptor sites for insect-selective toxins on sodium channels by site-directed antibodies. Biochemistry. 31: 7622-7628.

    5. Granados, R.R. (1980). Infectivity and mode of action of baculoviruses. Biotechnology and Bioengineering. 22: 1377-1405.

    6. Haase, S., Ferrelli, L., Pidre, M.L., Romanowski, V. (2013). Genetic Engineering of Baculoviruses. In: Current Issues in Molecular Virology - Viral Genetics and Biotechnological Applications. pp. 79-111.

    7. Hilton, S., Kemp, E., Keane, G., Winstanley, D. (2008). A bacmid approach to the genetic manipulation of granuloviruses. Journal of Virological Methods. 152: 56-62.

    8. Inceoglu, A.B., Kamita, S.G., Hammock, B.D. (2006). Genetically modified baculoviruses: A historical overview and future outlook. Advances in Virus Research. 68: 323-360.

    9. Inceoglu, A., Kamita, S.G., Hinton, A.C., Huang, Q.H., Severson, T.F., et al. (2001). Recombinant baculoviruses for insect control. Pest Mgt. Sci. 57: 987-987.

    10. Jehle, J.A., Lange, M., Wang, H., Hu, Z., Wang, Y., Huaschild, R. (2006). Molecular identification and phylogenetic analysis of baculoviruses from Lepidoptera. Virology. 346(1): 180-193.

    11. Kroemer, J.A., Bonning, B.C., Harrison, R.L. (2015). Expression, delivery and function of insecticidal proteins expressed by recombinant baculoviruses. Viruses. 7(1): 422-455. doi: 10.3390/v7010422. 

    12. Maeda, S. (1989). Expression of foreign genes in insects using baculovirus vectors. Annual Review of Entomology. 34: 351-372.

    13. Miller, L., Ball, L.A. (Eds.) (1998). The Insect Viruses. Plenum Press, New York. 411 pp.

    14. O’Reily, D.R. (1995). Baculovirus-encodedecdysteroid UDP-glucosyltransferases. Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. 25(5): 541-550.

    15. Regev, A., Rivkin, H., Inceoglu, B., Gershburg, E., Hammock, D., et al. (2003). Further enhancement of baculovirus insecticidal efficacy with scorpion toxins that interact cooperatively. FEBS Lett. 537: 706-710.

    16. Wang, H., Deng, F., Pijlman, G.P., Chen, X., Sun, X., Vlak, J.M., Hu, Z. (2003). Cloning of biologically active genomes from a Helicoverpa armigera single nucleocapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus isolate by using a bacterial artificial chromosome. Virus Research. 97: 57-63.

    17. Wudayagiri, R., Inceoglu, B., Herrmann, R., Derbel, M., Choudary, P.V., Hammock, B.D. (2001). Isolation and characterization of a novel lepidopteran- selective toxin from the venom of South Indian red scorpion, Mesobuthus tamulus. BMC Biochemistry. 2: 11-16.
    In this Article
      Contact us
      Follow us
      Published In
      Bhartiya Krishi Anusandhan Patrika

      Editorial Board

      View all (0)