The genome of a granulovirus isolated from the tobacco cutworm, Spodoptera litura, was completely sequenced. The nucleotide sequence of the Spodoptera litura granulovirus (SlGV) genome was 124,121 bp long, with a 61.2% A+T content and contained 133 putative open reading frames (ORFs) of 150 nucleotides or larger. The 133 putative ORFs covered 86.3% of the genome. Among these, 29 ORFs were conserved in most completely sequenced baculovirus genomes, 35 were granuloviruses (GVs)-specific, and 60 were present in some NPVs and/or GVs. Especially, we proved that there were 9 SlGV-specific ORFs by RT-PCR. When the phylogenic relationship was analyzed using the nucleotide sequence of granulin gene, SlGV was most closely related to Trichoplusia ni granulovirus (TnGV) and Xestiac-nigrum granulovirus (XcGV) which were belonged to Type-I granulovirus. Comparative analysis of gene organization of the SlGV genome with those of other baculoviruses were carried out using blast matrix and gene order diagram.

• Yong Wang(Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University)
• Jae Young Choi(Research Institute for Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University)
• Jong Yul Roh(Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University)
• Soo-Dong Woo(College of Agriculture, Life and Environment Sciences, Chungbuk National University)
• Byung Rae Jin(College of Natural Resources and Life Science, Dong-A University)
• Yeon Ho Je(Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University)