Such secretion pathway impairment is caused partly by the large accumulation of virus-encoded chitinase (chiA), which works with a protease cathepsin [v-cath) and induces characteristic terminal liquefaction of the insect host in the final stages of the infection process (Rao et al., 2004)]; cathepsin may itself also be involved in the breakdown of the host cell cytoskeleton thereby generating cytopathic effects of infection (Lanier et al., 1996) in the secretion pathway (Figure 1). The gene discussed is CHIA; the disease is infection.