What is it about?
Baculoviruses can induce infected insect hosts, particularly caterpillars, to climb to elevated positions, thereby enhancing the transmission of the virus. Researchers have explored the molecular and behavioral impacts of Helicoverpa armigera single nucleopolyhedrovirus (HearNPV) infection on cotton bollworm (H. armigera) larvae.
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Why is it important?
Our study shows that HearNPV modulates phototactic climbing in Helicoverpa armigera larvae. The virus infects gut cells, triggers calcium signaling in enteroendocrine cells, and induces release of the neuropeptide tachykinin (TK), which travels via hemolymph to the brain to activate TKR and downstream visual signaling. This pathway promotes phototactic climbing and enhances viral transmission. Notably, this mechanism is conserved across lepidopteran larvae, revealing a common strategy of viral behavioral manipulation.
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This page is a summary of: Baculoviruses hijack host midgut-derived tachykinin to regulate phototactic climbing behavior and promote viral transmission, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, January 2026, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2524226123.
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