Figure 6.

The race to apoptosis through the mosquito reaper. This is a schematic presentation of our findings. On CuniNPV infection, there is a competing ‘race' between the host cell to express cellular proapoptotic gene(s) to eliminate the infected cell and the virus to express early genes to block apoptosis and initiate proliferation. A prompt induction of mx and apoptosis leads to elimination of the infected cell before the viral genes are detectable in the refractory mosquito A. aegypti. A delay in this process, either due to insufficient proapoptotic response or interference of caspase inhibitors, could subjugate the cell under viral control and render the organism susceptible to the virus