Solenopsis invicta virus 3: Pathogenesis and stage specificity in red imported fire ants

• Published in: Virology (New York, N.Y.) Vol. 460; pp. 66 - 71
• Main Authors: Valles, Steven M, Porter, Sanford D, Firth, Andrew E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01-07-2014
• Subjects: Animals; Ants - growth & development; Ants - physiology; Ants - virology; Behavior, Animal; Caste; Formicidae; Infectious Disease; Insect Viruses - physiology; Larva - growth & development; Larva - physiology; Larva - virology; RNA virus; RNA Viruses - physiology; Social insect; Species Specificity; Tropism; Tropism; Formicidae; Caste; Social insect; RNA virus
• ISSN: 0042-6822; 1096-0341
• DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2014.04.026

Abstract Solenopsis invicta colonies were exposed to purified preparations of Solenopsis invicta virus 3 (SINV-3) to investigate virus pathogenesis at the colony level. Time course experiments revealed an infection exhibiting specificity for the adult stage (workers). SINV-3 genome and a capsid protein were increasingly present in worker ants with time. Northern blot analysis revealed two bands in RNA preparations from worker ants infected with SINV-3 corresponding to the genomic and sub-genomic species. Conversely, larval RNA preparations from SINV-3-infected colonies showed a near-complete absence of SINV-3 genome or sub-genome. The data confirm that SINV-3 is the etiological agent causing mortality among S. invicta colonies in the laboratory. We propose that SINV-3 infection somehow alters worker ant behavior, which may prevent them from acquiring and/or distributing solid food to the larvae. Consequently, larval mortality and impaired queen health occur as a result of starvation or neglect by the worker caste.