The baculovirus per os infectivity complex
Insect larvae are orally infected by baculoviruses through ingestion of proteinaceous occlusion bodies (OB) containing the so-called occlusion derived viruses (ODV). OBs disintegrate in the alkaline environment of the insect midgut releasing the ODV, which then bind and fuse with the microvillar membrane of epithelial cells thereby initiating infec...