Serine protease inhibitors (serpins) are a broadly distributed protease superfamily in various organisms, which participate in the negative regulation of melanization in insects. Our pervious study demonstrated that induced melanization by Heliothis virescens ascovirus 3h is helpful for HvAV-3h viral replication. In this study, the serpin-2.1 like gene from Spodoptera exigua (Seserpin-2.1 like) which is a specific serpin after HvAV-3h infection was identified. Seserpin-2.1 like has the typical characteristics of serpin proteins family. Seserpin...
