Viral-enhancing activity of an optical brightener for Spodoptera littoralis (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) nucleopolyhedrovirus

The effect of an optical brightener on the insecticidal activity of a Spodoptera littoralis (Boisduval) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) nucleopolyhedrovirus (SpliNPV) were examined in three instars of S. littoralis. LD₅₀ values of the SpliNPV were reduced from 33 to <5, 73 to 5.7 and 342 321 to 288 412 occlusion bodies for second, third and fourth instars, respectively, by the addition of 1% Tinopal UNPA-GX. Relative potencies were >66, 12.8, and 1.2 for second-. third- and fourth-instar S. littoralis larvae, respectively. Relative mortality between the treatments with and without the brightener decreased from third- to fourth-stage larvae. In terms of speed of kill, the ST₅₀ values of the baculovirus-infected larva were reduced from 210 to 159, 213 to 147, and 207 to 165 h for second-, third- and fourth-instar larvae, respectively, by the addition of the optical brightener at biologically equivalent doses.     

Priming by airborne signals boosts direct and indirect resistance in maize

Plants counteract attack by herbivorous insects using a variety of inducible defence mechanisms. The production of toxic proteins and metabolites that instantly affect the herbivore's development are examples of direct induced defence. In addition, plants may release mixtures of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that indirectly protect the plant by attracting natural enemies of the herbivore. Recent studies suggest that these VOCs can also prime nearby plants for enhanced induction of defence upon future insect attack. However, evidence that this defence priming causes reduced vulnerability to insects is sparse. Here we present molecular, chemical and behavioural evidence that VOC-induced priming leads to improved direct and indirect resistance in maize. A differential hybridization screen for inducible genes upon attack by Spodoptera littoralis caterpillars identified 10 defence-related genes that are responsive to wounding, jasmonic acid (JA), or caterpillar regurgitant. Exposure to VOCs from caterpillar-infested plants did not activate these genes directly, but primed a subset of them for earlier and/or stronger induction upon subsequent defence elicitation. This priming for defence-related gene expression correlated with reduced caterpillar feeding and development. Furthermore, exposure to caterpillar-induced VOCs primed for enhanced emissions of aromatic and terpenoid compounds. At the peak of this VOC emission, primed plants were significantly more attractive to parasitic Cotesia marginiventris waSPS. This study shows that VOC-induced priming targets a specific subset of JA-inducible genes, and links these responses at the molecular level to enhanced levels of direct and indirect resistance against insect attack.     

不同干扰因素对斜纹猫蛛(Oxyopes sertatus)和红彩真猎蝽(Harpactor fuscipes)捕食作用的影响

斜纹猫蛛和红彩真猎蝽均是烟草上斜纹夜蛾的重要捕食性天敌。室内测定几种干扰因素对斜纹猫蛛和红彩真猎蝽捕食作用的影响,结果表明这些干扰因素对斜纹猫蛛种内、红彩真猎蝽种内和两种捕食者种间的捕食作用均有明显的干扰作用,随捕食者数量的增加,其对斜纹夜蛾捕食作用率显著降低。斜纹猫蛛种内的干扰系数和红彩真猎蝽种内的干扰系数分别为0.7278和0.6911,而两者种间的干扰系数为0.9464,说明两者种间的干扰作用要明显高于同一种捕食者种内的干扰作用。两种捕食性天敌对斜纹夜蛾的捕食量和捕食作用率随烟草茎杆数的增加而降低,表明空间异质性同样是影响两种捕食性天敌捕食作用的一个重要因素。     

烟草和香芋上斜纹夜蛾的自然种群生命表

应用作用因子生命表方法,组建烟草和香芋上第2、3代斜纹夜蛾Spodoptera litura（Fabricius）自然种群生命表,分析作用因子对斜纹夜蛾种群数量的控制作用。结果表明,2005和2006年烟草和香芋上第2、3代斜纹夜蛾种群的增长倍数均以香芋高于烟草。无论烟草还是香芋上第2、3代斜纹夜蛾,均以“捕食及其它”的排除作用控制指数最大。如排除所有天敌等作用因子的作用,2005年烟草上第2、3代斜纹夜蛾自然种群趋势指数将分别增长31．2029和50．0371倍,香芋上第2、3代斜纹夜蛾自然种群趋势指数将分别增长29．3492和41．2873倍;2006年烟草上第2、3代斜纹夜蛾自然种群趋势指数将分别增长33．1421和75．4167倍,香芋上第2、3代斜纹夜蛾自然种群趋势指数将分别增长31．5357和70．5355倍。说明天敌等自然作用因子对斜纹夜蛾种群数量有较为明显的控制作用,而烟草上的自然作用因子的作用要强于香芋上的自然作用因子。     

斜纹夜蛾幼虫感染莱氏野村菌后的抗氧化酶活性变化

【目的】研究斜纹夜蛾Spodoptera litura幼虫感染莱氏野村菌Nomuraea rileyi后的抗氧化防御机制。【方法】通过测定斜纹夜蛾各龄幼虫超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、过氧化氢酶(CAT)和过氧化物酶(POD)等的活性,探讨染菌后不同侵染阶段,幼虫抗氧化酶活性的变化趋势和不同接种方法对抗氧化酶活性的影响。【结果】在斜纹夜蛾染菌幼虫和未接种幼虫(对照)中均未测出POD活性;各龄幼虫在接种莱氏野村菌后SOD和CAT活性显著高于对照,但随着侵染过程的进行,2-3龄幼虫的SOD和CAT活性在16 h左右达峰值后迅速降低,而4-5龄幼虫SOD和CAT活性自染菌初期增强后,变化较平缓,至60-72 h后才低于对照。喷雾法与浸蘸法接种后,各龄幼虫SOD和CAT活性显著高于对照,且对于2-3龄幼虫,浸蘸法对抗氧化酶活性的影响显著高于喷雾法,而对于4-5龄幼虫而言两处理方式之间活性差异不显著。【结论】斜纹夜蛾感染莱氏野村菌后,其体内抗氧化酶活性变化很大,SOD和CAT活性先升后降,且其变化趋势与幼虫所处的发育阶段密切相关。在体壁接种量相当的情况下,浸蘸法对2-3龄幼虫SOD和CAT活性的影响大于4-5龄幼虫。     

BIOPOTENCY OF SERINE PROTEASE INHIBITORS FROM COWPEA (Vigna unguiculata) SEEDS ON DIGESTIVE PROTEASES AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF Spodoptera littoralis (BOISDUVAL)

Serine protease inhibitors (PIs) have been described in many plant species and are universal throughout the plant kingdom, where trypsin inhibitors is the most common type. In the present study, trypsin and chymotrypsin inhibitory activity was detected in the seed flour extracts of 13 selected cultivars/accessions of cowpea. Two cowpea cultivars, Cream7 and Buff, were found to have higher trypsin and chymotrypsin inhibitory potential compared to other tested cultivars for which they have been selected for further purification studies using ammonium sulfate fractionation and DEAE‐Sephadex A‐25 column. Cream7‐purified proteins showed two bands on sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS‐PAGE) corresponding to molecular mass of 17.10 and 14.90 kDa, while the purified protein from Buff cultivar showed a single band corresponding mass of 16.50 kDa. The purified inhibitors were stable at temperature below 60°C and were active at wide range of pH from 2 to 12. The kinetic analysis revealed noncompetitive type of inhibition for both inhibitors against both enzymes. The inhibitor constant (K_i) values suggested high affinity between inhibitors and enzymes. Purified inhibitors were found to have deep and negative effects on the mean larval weight, larval mortality, pupation, and mean pupal weight of Spodoptera littoralis, where Buff PI was more effective than Cream7 PI. It may be concluded that cowpea PI gene(s) could be potential insect control protein for future studies in developing insect‐resistant transgenic plants.     

Improved replication of the baculovirus Anticarsia gemmatalis nucleopolyhedrovirus (AgMNPV) in vitro using proteins from Lonomia obliqua hemolymph

The baculovirus Anticarsia gemmatalis nucleopolyhedrovirus (AgMNPV), a member of the family Baculoviridae, has been widely applied as a biopesticide for the control of the velvetbean caterpillar, a pest of soybean crop field. Baculoviruses are considered safe and efficient agents for this purpose, because they do not infect vertebrates, being safe for the health of humans and animals, as well as to the environment. The objective of this work was to identify proteins obtained from Lonomia obliqua hemolymph with potential application in the optimization of baculovirus AgMNPV replication in Sf9 insect cell culture. In this work the improvement of the cell culture and viral replication of the AgMNPV baculovirus was observed when Grace medium was supplemented with 10 % (v/v) Fetal Bovine Serum (FBS), 1 % (v/v) hemolymph extract, or 3 % (v/v) of hemolymph fractions or hemolymph sub-fractions obtained by purifying hemolymph through High Performance Liquid Chromatography. Hemolymph presented a positive effect on the synthesis of polyhedra and enhanced baculovirus replication in Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) cells (TCID₅₀/mL), and led to Sf9 cell culture improvement. Grace medium supplemented with 10 % (v/v) FBS and 1 % (v/v) hemolymph provided an increase of baculovirus replication, when the cells were infected with multiplicity of infection of 1. In this case, the baculovirus replication was 6,443.91 times greater than that obtained with the control: Grace medium supplemented with 10 % (v/v) FBS. In addition, this work suggests that hemolymph from L. obliqua could have an interesting application in biotechnology, due to an increase in the viability of the cells and virus replication.     

Concurrent modulation of neuronal and behavioural olfactory responses to sex and host plant cues in a male moth

Mating has profound effects on animal physiology and behaviour, not only in females but also in males, which we show here for olfactory responses. In cotton leafworm moths, Spodoptera littoralis, odour-mediated attraction to sex pheromone and plant volatiles are modulated after mating, producing a behavioural response that matches the physiological condition of the male insect. Unmated males are attracted by upwind flight to sex pheromone released by calling females, as well as to volatiles of lilac flowers and green leaves of the host plant cotton, signalling adult food and mating sites, respectively. Mating temporarily abolishes male attraction to females and host plant odour, but does not diminish attraction to flowers. This behavioural modulation is correlated with a response modulation in the olfactory system, as shown by electro-physiological recordings from antennae and by functional imaging of the antennal lobe, using natural odours and synthetic compounds. An effect of mating on the olfactory responses to pheromone and cotton plant volatiles but not to lilac flowers indicates the presence of functionally independent neural circuits within the olfactory system. Our results indicate that these circuits interconnect and weigh perception of social and habitat odour signals to generate appropriate behavioural responses according to mating state.     

Microarray expression profiling of Spodoptera litura in response to oxidative stress

To examine the expression profile of oxidative stress responsive genes in Spodoptera litura, we constructed a cDNA library from S. litura injected with hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)). Using a microarray chip composed of 2,964 cDNAs, we screened gene expression at 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 h post H(2)O(2) injection. Data were clustered into 15 groups of genes that behave similarly across each time course. Seventy-three genes were identified as being at least twofold up- or downregulated after treatment with H(2)O(2) in S. litura. We constructed expressed sequence tags (ESTs) for genes that changed at least twofold after treatment with H(2)O(2) . The functional classification of these ESTs based on Gene Ontology showed that the ESTs are rich in genes involved in oxidoreductase activity (5.7%), defense (14.3%), cellular process (22.9%), and development (17.1%).