Effect of 1-deoxynojirimycin on the Replication of Baculoviruses, Bombyx Mori Nucleopolyhedrovirus and Autographa Californica Multiple Nucleopolyhedrovirus

1-Deoxynojirimycin (DNJ) is an alkaloid that is found at relatively high concentrations in mulberry leaf and tissues of the silkworm, $Bombyx$ $mori$. DNJ is a well known inhibitor of ${\alpha}$-glucosidase, an enzyme that is involved in the early stages of the $N$-linked glycoprotein synthesis pathway. ${\alpha}$-Glucosidase activity in the cell extract from $B.$ $mori$-derived Bm5 cells showed approximately 40-fold less sensitivity to DNJ than ${\alpha}$-glucosidase activity in the cell extract from $Spodoptera$ $frugiperda$-derived Sf9 cells. The replication of $B.$ $mori$ nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) was not inhibited when it was propagated in BmN cells that were grown in medium containing up to 10 mM DNJ. In contrast, the replication of $Autographa$ $californica$ multiple NPV (AcMNPV) was reduced by 67% when it was propagated in Sf9 cells that were grown in medium containing 10 mM DNJ. The viability of Bm5 and Sf9 cells that were grown in medium containing up to 10 mM DNJ was not affected. Our results suggested that the reduced replication of AcMNPV was the result of the higher sensitivity of ${\alpha}$-glucosidase activity in Sf9 cells to DNJ.