Leucoma salicis nucleopolyhedrovirus (LesaNPV) genome sequence shed new light on the origin of the Alphabaculovirus orpseudotsugatae species

LesaNPV (Leucoma salicis nucleopolyhedrovirus) is an alphabaculovirus group Ib. Potentially, it can be an eco-friendly agent to control the white satin moth Leucoma salicis population. In this study, we have established the relationship between LesaNPV and other closely related alphabaculoviruses. Environmental samples of late instar of white satin moth collected in Poland infected with baculovirus have been homogenized, polyhedra were purified and subjected to scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Viral DNA was sequenced using the Illumina platform and the whole-genome sequence was established by de novo assembly of paired reads. Genome annotation and phylogenetic analyses were performed with the use of bioinformatics tools. The genome of LesaNPV is 132 549 bp long with 154 ORFs and 54.9