Cell entry of BmCPV can be promoted by tyrosine-protein kinase Src64B-like protein

Abstract

Bombyx mori cytoplasmic polyhedrosis virus (BmCPV) is a non-enveloped dsRNA virus, which specifically infect the midgut epithelium of B. mori. BmCPV enters permissive cells via clathrin-dependent endocytosis employing β1 integrin mediated internalization. Until now, the cell entry mechanism of BmCPV has not been known clearly. Here, we investigated whether tyrosine-protein kinase Src64B-like is involved in the cell entry of BmCPV. The Src64B-like gene was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli (E. coli), and the recombinant protein Src64B-like was used to immunize mouse for preparation of anti-Src64B-like polyclonal antibody (pAb). After Src64B-like gene was silenced by RNAi, the infection of BmCPV was reduced by 59.48% ± 2.18% and 92.22% ± 1.12% in vitro and in vivo autonomously. Contrary to it, BmCPV infection could be enhanced by increasing the expression of Src64B-like. In addition, immunofluorescence assay showed that Src64B-like protein did not co-localize with BmCPV in the cultured BmN cells during viral infection. These results indicate that Src64B-like protein participates and plays an important role in the cell entry of BmCPV, but not contacting directly with BmCPV.