Male-Targeting Virus Discovered by Japanese Scientists at Minami Kyushu University in Miyazaki Prefecture
A group of scientists from Minami Kyushu University in Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan, made an accidental and potentially groundbreaking discovery of a virus that exclusively attacks male insects. The virus, named Spodoptera litura male-killing virus or SLMKV, could potentially aid in the control of disease vectors like mosquitoes in the future.
The Unexpected Find: The discovery of the virus occurred serendipitously after Misato Terao, a research technician at the university, found a green caterpillar, identified as the tobacco cutworm, consuming impatiens inside the campus greenhouse, as reported by The New York Times.
Instead of discarding the intruder, Misato brought the caterpillar to the university’s insect physiologist, Yoshinori Shintani, who saw it as a potential feeder for other insects.
Astonishing Revelation: Upon revisiting the caterpillar days later, Yoshinori discovered 50 moths, all of which turned out to be female.
Driven by curiosity, Yoshinori bred the female moths from the greenhouse with male moths found in his home. To his surprise, only three males were born in the 13-generation descendants of the moths.
Pioneering Research: Yoshinori and his colleague, Daisuke Kageyama, a researcher at the National Agriculture and Food Research Organization in Japan, believed they had uncovered a “male killer” virus among the insects.
Further Investigations: After conducting an experiment to determine the cause of the phenomenon, the researchers concluded that they were dealing with a virus. Genetic analysis displayed telltale signs of a virus, and their attempt to eliminate the “male-killing” effect with antibiotics was ineffective, as the treatment only works against bacteria.
According to The New York Times, only two types of male-targeting viruses have been documented, and SLMKV may have evolved separately.
The scientists identified that SLMKV, part of the Partitiviridae family, is infectious and inheritable, as evidenced by the increased production of female offspring in infected tobacco moths, with subsequent generations lacking males.
Sharing the News: The team published their findings in a study in The Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences (PNAS) on Monday.
Potential Impact: The discovery may aid in controlling the population of agricultural pests related to tobacco worms and potentially contribute to the quest for a “female killer” to manage disease vectors like mosquitoes.
