Efficient screening and breeding of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki for high toxicity against Spodoptera exigua and Heliothis armigera

Spodoptera exigua is one of the most renowned agricultural pest insects and relatively insensitive to Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki strains which are widely used commercial products to control lepidopterans such as Heliothis armigera. In the current study, we have developed a new and efficient approach to screen and breed a B. thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki strain exhibiting high toxicity against S. exigua while retaining its high toxicity against H. armigera. UV and diethyl sulfate methods were used for mutagenesis, followed by an agar plug plate diffusion assay for preliminary screening of Zwittermicin A over-producing mutants, from which we obtained a mutant strain, designated here as B. thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki D1-23, with high toxicity against S. exigua. The toxicity of D1-23 against S. exigua and H. armigera was improved by 115.4 and 25.9%, respectively, compared to its parental commercial strain BMB005.     

Decrease in tolerance to fenvalerate, in resistantHelicoverpa armigera after pupal diapause

Pyrethroid resistant and susceptible adults ofHelicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) were screened for tolerance to pyrethroids after 6 wk or 12 wk pupal diapuse. Resistant larvae and F₂ larvae from a cross between resistant and susceptible parents (two replicates), were reared under conditions to induce pupal diapause. After eclosion, adults were tested in glass vials coated with the pyrethroid fenvalerate, at a dose (DD) that is known to discriminate between susceptible and heterozygous resistant individuals. In all diapause experiments, the frequency of resistance was lower in the test groups that had experienced diapause compared with the non-diapausing control group. The underlying cause of the decline is not certain but selective mortality of resistant versus susceptible individuals could not account for all the difference in two of the three experiments — tolerance to the pyrethroid, fenvalerate, is most likely to have declined either as a consequence of diapause or from the extended time of development associated with diapause. These results indicate that monitoring programs could underestimate pyrethroid resistance frequencies when usingH. armigera adults emerging from diapause.     

Transport and kinetics of diflubenzuron and pyriproxyfen in the beet armywormSpodoptera exigua and its predatorPodisus maculiventris

Transport and retention of the insect growth regulators (IGRs) diflubenzuron and pyriproxyfen in larvae of the beet armywormSpodoptera exigua (Hübner) and in nymphs of the predatory bugPodisus maculiventris (Say) were investigated. In a first experiment, the retention of orally administered [¹⁴C]radiolabeled isotopes of both compounds in fifth-instar larvae of the beet armyworm was studied. Rate of excretion of both IGRs inS. exigua caterpillars was high, with a 50% excretion time of approximately 6 h after intake. In a second experiment, the transport of the compounds from prey to predator and their retention inside the predator were studied. Fifthinstar nymphs ofP. maculiventris were allowed to feed on caterpillars that had been given contaminated food. For both diflubenzuron and pyriproxyfen, more than 80% of the amount of radiolabel applied was recovered in consumed prey. Low levels of radioactivity (c. 3% of the applied amount of radiolabel) were also found in the fluid regurgitated by the prey larvae when attacked by the predatory bugs. Relatively small amounts of radiolabel (c. 8 and 15% of the amount orally applied to the prey for diflubenzuron and pyriproxyfen, respectively) were ingested byP. maculiventris nymphs when feeding on beet armyworm caterpillars. The data suggest that the predators did not use gut content as food. The pattern of excretion in nymphs ofP. maculiventris differed between compounds. For diflubenzuron, there was a drastic decrease of radioactivity inside the predator body of around 40% within the first 6 h and then the level of retained radiolabel remained stable at 3–4% up to 72 h. For pyriproxyfen, a slow decrease of radioactivity inside the body was observed and at 72 h only 2% of the applied quantity was detected. Results of this study are discussed in relation to the findings from previous studies on the toxicity of both IGRs toP. maculiventris.     

Persistence and Effects of Parasitic Genotypes in a Mixed Population of the Spodoptera exigua Nucleopolyhedrovirus

Spod-X, a commercialized bioinsecticide for the control of the pest Spodoptera exigua, is based on a nucleopolyhedrovirus (NPV) of S. exigua (SeMNPV) isolated in Florida (US2wt). This field isolate is made up of at least seven genotypic variants, of which two (US2C and US2E) have defective genomes and act as parasites, reducing the pathogenicity of the viral population. Upon co-infection of US2wt and a Spanish field isolate of the same virus (SP2wt), persistence of the defective variants (US2C, US2E) in the viral progeny was observed. This persistence diluted the presence of intact, self-infectious genotypes in the progeny, decreasing the pathogenicity of these viral inocula. Further passages of viral occlusion bodies produced after the co-infection revealed that the parasite US2C continued replicating and constituted up to 30% of the viral progeny in some samples. In addition, the presence of US2C within SP2wt significantly decreased the pathogenicity of contaminated inocula by 3.6-fold. The use of foreign virus field isolates containing defective genomes and their possible impact on the biological activity of native NPV populations may be a cause for concern where these viruses are used as agents for biological control.     

斜纹夜蛾核型多角体病毒DNA诱导同源昆虫细胞的凋亡

发现野生型斜纹夜蛾核型多角体病毒（Spodoptera litura nuclear polyhedrosis virus,SpltNPV）DNA转染SL-1细胞能诱导细胞凋亡.SpltNPV-DNA转染其同源细胞系斜纹夜蛾核SL-1细胞6 h后,光镜下即可见细胞膜表面突出或形成小泡,细胞碎裂成凋亡小体,18 h后,细胞100%碎裂成凋亡小体.DAPI荧光染色显示感染细胞核渐呈半月形,直至碎裂被凋亡小体包裹.被转染的SL-1细胞DNA琼脂糖凝胶电泳呈典型梯形谱带.野生型SpltNPV病毒粒子感染的SL-1细胞既无多角体的出现,也无凋亡现象的发生.     

Mechanism of whorl feeding resistance to fall armyworm among converted sorghum accessions

Field studies were conducted in 1989 to evaluate selected converted sorghum (Sorghum bicolor [L.] Moench) accessions for resistance to whorl-stage feeding by larvae of the fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda J. E. Smith) and to determine the mechanism of resistance. The sorghum was infested in the whorl 26 days after planting (DAP) in experiment 1 and 33 DAP in experiment 2. In experiment 1, the plant accessions IS7273C, IS7444C, IS12573C, IS12678C, and IS12679C were more resistant (rating <3) to damage by S. frugiperda larvae than the resistant check CIMMYT (CM) 1821 (rating 6.2) at 14 days after infestation (DAI). These genotypes were also more resistant (ratings 4 at 7 DAI and <3 at 14 DAI) than the resistant check CM1821 (ratings 5.6 at 7 DAI and 8 at 14 DAI) in experiment 2. The number of larvae that established/plant on IS7273C, IS7444C, IS12573C, or IS12679C was significantly less compared with establishment on the resistant check CM1821 at 14 DAI in experiment 1 and at 7 and 14 DAI in experiment 2. Resistance in IS7273C, IS7444C, IS12573C, and IS12679C was mainly due to their rapid rate of growth which induced a quick change in the plant morphology from the whorl- to the panicle-stage and did not permit a sustained colonization of larvae. This new type of resistance could be referred to as morphological non-preference as apposed to chemical non-preference where non-preference is due to plant chemical factors. These genotypes had a significantly shorter cycle than the other sorghum genotypes. Host evasion, a type of pseudoresistance, was the basis for resistance in IS7794C and IS7947C. Tolerance was the major mechanism of resistance in the resistant check CM1821.     

斜纹夜蛾核多角体病毒抑制苜蓿丫纹夜蛾核多角体病毒诱导的斜纹夜蛾细胞凋亡

野生型苜蓿丫纹夜蛾核多角体病毒(Autographa californica multicapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus, AcMNPV)感染斜纹夜蛾(Spodoptera litura)细胞系Sl-zsu-1,可引起典型的细胞凋亡;但可以在草地夜蛾(Spodoptera frugiperda)细胞Sf-9中复制并形成多角体.比较了AcMNPV p35基因在病毒感染两种细胞的复制和转录情况,认为p35在非受纳细胞中及时有效的表达能阻止细胞发生凋亡;共感染实验结果表明,斜纹夜蛾核多角体病毒(Spodoptera litura multicapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus, SpltMNPV)可以抑制AcMNPV诱导的细胞凋亡并可帮助病毒进行复制,推测SpltMNPV基因组中与p35同源的p49基因挽救了细胞的自杀行为.     

基于mtDNA Cytb基因序列的我国北方地区甜菜夜蛾遗传多样性与种群历史分析

为了明确我国北方不同地理种群甜菜夜蛾Spodoptera exigua遗传多样性与种群遗传结构,阐明该种害虫的种群历史动态,首次对采自我国北方8省17县(市)304头甜菜夜蛾样品进行mt DNA Cytb基因序列测定与分析,利用Dna SP 5.0和Arlequin 3.0软件分析种群遗传多样性、遗传结构、遗传分化与分子变异,基于MP、ML与贝叶斯法构建单倍型系统发育树,与此同时,基于Median-joining法对所有个体构建单倍型网络关系图。结果表明,在所分析的304个序列样本中,共检测出19个单倍型,其中,包括9个共享单倍型,单倍型Hap6为所有种群所共享。总群体具有较低的遗传多样性(Hd=0.422±0.035,π=0.00119±0.00011)与较小的遗传分化(F_(ST)=0.108,P0.001)。单倍型系统发育分析与网络关系图结果表明,虽然19个单倍型被分为2个分支,但各单倍型相互散布在不同种群中,未形成明显谱系地理格局。AMOVA分析表明,甜菜夜蛾遗传变异主要来自种群内(89.18%),种群间变异水平较低(10.82%)。中性检验(Tajima's D=-1.897,P0.05;Fu's FS=-4.424,P0.05)与错配分布分析表明,我国北方地区甜菜夜蛾种群曾经历过种群的近期扩张。     

Oxygen transport by Apium nodiflorum

Apium nodiflorum is a partially submerged aquatic plant able to oxygenate its substrate. This work focuses on the elucidation of the process by which A. nodiflorum oxygenates the substrate, and whether this ability differs during ontogenesis. Young, mature and aged whole plants were examined for the pattern of their process. The contribution of the various plant organs to the increase of the dissolved oxygen concentration in the substrate under hypoxic conditions was also evaluated.Young, mature and aged plants required different amounts of oxygen. When facing hypoxia, young and mature plants elevated their substrate dissolved oxygen concentration. In contrast, aged plants oxygenated their substrate poorly. Changes in dissolved oxygen concentration, both under light and dark conditions, presented no statistical differences at any plant age. An internal oxygen transfer may take place within the plant, apparently without the release of oxygen into the substrate. Thus, it is the existence in petioles of an outer air transport pathway, similar to that of rice, that makes A. nodiflorum plants capable of facing hypoxic conditions in their substrate. This pathway is absent in stems. This fact explains the phenomenon of aged plants poorly oxygenating their substrate, since it is their stems that are inserted into the medium and not their petioles.     

草地贪夜蛾成虫触角感器超微结构观察

[目的]草地贪夜蛾是一种严重危害农业生产的迁飞性害虫,本研究旨在了解草地贪夜蛾成虫触角感器的类型、超微结构和分布.[方法]采用扫描电镜对其雌雄成虫触角感器类型及分布进行观察.[结果]草地贪夜蛾雌雄成虫触角由柄节、梗节及鞭节3部分组成,雄蛾触角稍长于雌蛾,且触角表面覆有大量鳞片.共观察到7种类型的感受器,分别为B?hm氏...     

斜纹夜蛾核多角体病毒gp37及其邻近序列的克隆及分析

从斜纹夜蛾核多角体病毒(Spodoptera litura nucleopolyhedrovirus, SpltMNPV)基因组中克隆了gp37基因.分子生物学软件分析表明,在gp37基因内部存在糖基化位点.含有晚期表达基因的启动子序列(ATAAG),推测为晚期表达的病毒膜糖蛋白基因.通过GP37蛋白的同源性比较,绘制了以gp37基因为基础的杆状病毒进化树, 发现与以多角体蛋白基因（polyhedrin）为基础所绘制的杆状病毒分子进化树有较大差异.以polyhedrin基因为基础绘制的杆状病毒分子进化树将家蚕核多角体病毒（Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus, BmNPV）与杆状病毒代表种——苜蓿丫纹夜蛾核多角体病毒（Autographa californica multinucleocapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus, AcMNPV）分开,根据gp37基因分析则将二者归到同一分枝,这与以egt基因为基础绘制的杆状病毒分子进化树结果一致.     

金龟子绿僵菌对斜纹夜蛾幼虫的生防效果、抗氧化酶活性和肠道细菌群落的影响

【目的】测定金龟子绿僵菌(Metarhizium anisopliae)对斜纹夜蛾(Spodoptera litura) 2龄幼虫的毒力,研究金龟子绿僵菌侵染后寄主体内抗氧化酶活性和肠道内细菌群落的变化,探讨斜纹夜蛾对金龟子绿僵菌侵染的防御机制。【方法】采用浸渍法测定不同浓度金龟子绿僵菌对斜纹夜蛾2龄幼虫的毒力;应用IlluminaMiSeq高通量测序技术测定肠道细菌群落。【结果】不同浓度的孢悬液对斜纹夜蛾2龄幼虫均有一定的毒力,处理7 d时半致死浓度(LC₅₀)为3.944 107个孢子/mL;浓度为1.0×10⁹个孢子/mL时,半致死时间最短(LT₅₀)为4.6 d,校正后的死亡率为81.03%。处理后未致死的斜纹夜蛾幼虫体内抗氧化酶活性显著高于对照组。处理后致死的斜纹夜蛾幼虫肠道细菌群落多样性显著高于对照组;且处理后致死的斜纹夜蛾幼虫肠道细菌群落组成与对照组差异显著。【结论】金龟子绿僵菌对斜纹夜蛾幼虫的致死率和致死效率与金龟子绿僵菌的浓度呈正相关;斜纹夜蛾幼虫体内的抗氧化酶可能在抵抗金龟子绿僵菌侵染的过程中起重要作...     

Biological activity of maize leaf extracts against the African armyworm,Spodoptera exempta

Maize (Zea mays L.) leaf tissue of cv Bastille and cv Michoacan 12 was extracted with n-hexane. The extracts were bioassayed against 5th instar African armyworm,Spodoptera exempta (Walker)(Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), by feeding the larvae on agar based media or sucrose impregnated glass fibre discs. The hexane extract of the ‘resistant’ cv Bastille exhibited feeding deterrency and toxicity which were not shown by the ‘susceptible’ cv Michoacan 12. The hexane extract of cv Bastille was adsorbed onto silica gel, the solution filtered off and the adsorbed component taken up into ethyl acetate. Bioassay of these fractions indicated that the toxic and deterrent action was retained in the ethyl acetate fraction. Preparative thin layer chromatography of the ethyl acetate fraction isolated two biologically active constituents. These were both growth inhibitors and lethal by ingestion to the 5th instar African armyworm. Implications for resistance in maize varieties to insect pests are discussed.     

Detoxification of naturally occurring chromenes in larvae of the generalist herbivore Spodoptera littoralis (Noctuidae)

Five naturally occurring chromenes from the Asteraceae including the insecticidal compounds precocene II (1) and encecalin (2) were administered to last instar larvae of Spodoptera littoralis via the food or by topical contact. Metabolites formed and excreted via the frass were analysed by GC-MS and by direct comparison with reference compounds obtained by partial synthesis. In total 28 different metabolites were identified, many of them reported here for the first time. All metabolites detected originated from phase I reactions (most probably catalysed by Cytochrom P-450-dependent monooxygenases) by hydroxylation, demethylation or reduction of the parent chromenes. The resulting metabolites can be regarded as detoxification products based on previous structure-activity studies. The increased polarity of the metabolites will furthermore facilitate their excretion by the larvae compared to the more apolar parent chromenes. The largest number of metabolites (eight for each compound) was detected following oral treatment with precocene II and encecalin respectively. 3-Monool as well as 3,4-trans-diol derivatives predominated in the frass of larvae treated with the latter compounds whereas the 6-hydroxyethyl derivatives were the major metabolites of the other chromenes investigated. The patterns of metabolites originating from precocene II or encecalin were the same following oral application or topical treatment.     

Greenhouse Evaluation of Dose– and Time–Mortality Relationships of Two Nucleopolyhedroviruses for the Control of Beet Armyworm, Spodoptera exigua, on Chrysanthemum

Dose– and time–mortality relationships of baculoviruses in pest insects are important for the determination of effective spraying regimes. A series of experiments with Autographa californica multicapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) and Spodoptera exigua MNPV (SeMNPV) against synchronized populations of S. exigua larvae in greenhouse chrysanthemum was conducted. Dose– and time–mortality relationships of different virus concentrations and S. exigua target stages were determined and the area foliage consumption was measured. Crop injury was greatly reduced when S. exigua were controlled as second or third instar larvae, whereas virus applications against fourth instar larvae could not prevent considerable crop injury, even at high concentrations. SeMNPV was approximately 10 times as infectious as AcMNPV when applied on greenhouse chrysanthemum. The relative virulence of AcMNPV and SeMNPV corresponded reasonably well with previously published laboratory bioassay data. SeMNPV killed second and fourth instar S. exigua larvae approximately 12 h faster than did AcMNPV in chrysanthemum, but no difference in speed of action was found for third instar larvae. The relative speed of action of AcMNPV and SeMNPV determined in chrysanthemum and in laboratory bioassays did not correspond for third instar S. exigua larvae; laboratory bioassay data can therefore not simply be extrapolated to the crop level.     

Effects of genetic and environmental host plant variation on the susceptibility of two noctuids toBacillus thuringiensis

TwoApium graveolens var.rapaceum (L.) cultivars that differ in their suitability for the survival and growth ofSpodoptera exigua (Hübner) andTrichoplusia ni (Hübner) were used to examine the effect of genetic and seasonal environmental variation in host plant suitability on the efficacy ofBacillus thuringiensis subsp.kurstaki (Berliner). The effects of host plant genotype andB. thuringiensis were generally independent, so thatB. thuringiensis efficacy was greatest on the resistant host plant cultivar. Host plant suitability varied within growing season for both insect species but, while host plant suitability decreased with increasing plant age forT. ni, the response ofS. exigua to plant age was not as clear. Within season variation in host plant suitability affectedB. thuringiensis efficacy and the interaction betweenB. thuringiensis and host plant cultivar forS. exigua but not forT. ni. Soluble protein and Folin-Denis phenolic concentrations of host plant tissue were not correlated with changes in host plant suitability to either insect species.     

飞机草浸提液对斜纹夜蛾生长发育及种群参数的影响

[目的]明确飞机草浸提液对斜纹夜蛾生长发育和繁殖的影响。[方法]在实验室内利用不同浓度的飞机草水浸提液处理香蕉叶后喂养斜纹夜蛾幼虫,并观察记录斜纹夜蛾的生长发育情况。[结果]随着飞机草浸提液浓度的升高,斜纹夜蛾幼虫和蛹的发育历期逐渐延长,蛹重逐渐降低;母液处理下的幼虫和蛹发育历期最长,分别比对照处理延长了7.92和2.88 d,母液处理下的蛹重最轻,较对照降低了25.4%;飞机草浸提液处理降低了斜纹夜蛾低龄幼虫的存活率,对高龄幼虫和蛹的存活率影响不显著。随着飞机草浸提液浓度的升高,斜纹夜蛾种群净增值率R₀、内禀增长率r_m和周限增长率λ均逐渐降低,种群平均世代周期T和种群加倍时间t逐渐延长。[结论]飞机草对斜纹夜蛾具有一定的生防潜力,可应用于斜纹夜蛾的生物源农药开发研究。     

Insecticidal compound isolated from Syzygium lineare Wall. (Myrtaceae) against Spodoptera litura (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

A new crystal compound 2,5-diacetoxy-2-benzyl-4,4,6,6-tetramethyl-1,3-cyclohexanedione was isolated from the leaves of Syzygium lineare. The insecticidal activity of the compound was assessed against fourth instar larvae of Spodoptera litura. Its activity was better than the positive control azadirachtin. The compound was responsible for growth inhibition on S. litura. It induced larval, pupal and adult deformities even at low concentration. The compound may be useful as a botanical pesticide.     

基于集合模型的草地贪夜蛾的潜在分布预测

[目的]探讨世界范围和我国草地贪夜蛾对玉米等作物的危害.[方法]采用生态位模型集合预测方案,结合基于中分辨率成像光谱仪(MODIS)的玉米种植密度模拟,对世界范围和我国草地贪夜蛾潜在分布进行了分析.[结果]世界范围内玉米的密集种植区已完全被草地贪夜蛾的潜在分布区所覆盖,这些适生区内的玉米受到草地贪夜蛾的威胁,需重点防控...     

Construction of a Tn5 derivative encoding bioluminescence and its introduction in Pseudomonas, Agrobacterium and Rhizobium

Summary A simple method based upon the use of a Tn5 derivative, Tn5-Lux, has been devised for the introduction and stable expression of the character of bioluminescence in a variety of gram-negative bacteria. In Tn5-Lux, the luxAB genes of Vibrio harveyi encoding luciferase are inserted on a SalI-BglII fragment between the kanamycin resistance (Km^r) gene and the right insertion sequence. The transposon derivative was placed on a transposition suicide vehicle by in situ recombination with the Tn5 suicide vector pGS9, to yield pDB30. Mating between Escherichia coli WA803 (pDB30) and a strain from our laboratory, Pseudomonas sp. RB100C, gave a Km^r transfer frequency of 10^-6 per recipient, a value 10 times lower than that obtained with the original suicide vehicle pGS9. Tn5-Lux was also introduced by insertion mutagenesis in other strains of gram-negative soil bacteria. The bioluminescence marker was expressed in the presence of n-decanal, and was monitored as chemiluminescence in a liquid scintillation counter. The recorded light intensities were fairly comparable among the strains, and ranged between 0.2 to 1.8x10⁶ cpm for a cell density of 10³ colony forming units/ml. Nodules initiated by bioluminescent strains of Rhizobium leguminosarum on two different hosts were compared for intensity of the bioluminescence they produced.