Abstract
A cell-lytic factor has been found in homogenates of Choristoneura fumiferana and Trichoplusia ni larvae infected with Entomophaga aulicae. The onset of cell-lytic activity correlates with a set of abnormal behavioral symptoms exhibited by larvae in the terminal stages of infection. This activity peaks at or shortly after death and is shown to be short-lived in the infected larvae. The instability of the celllytic factor is due partly to serine protease sensitivity. The molecular mass of the cell-lytic factor was estimated by size exclusion chromatography to be approximately 32 kDa. Column fractions were tested in vitro using cultured insect cells in a lawn assay. We propose that this cell-lytic factor is the primary causative agent of insect death and subsequent host cell lysis during the final stages of E. aulicae infection.
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