氟化物对家蚕耐氟和氟化物敏感品种幼虫中肠羧酸酯酶及全酯酶活性的影响

为了探讨氟化物在家蚕Bombyx mori体内的代谢途径, 以家蚕耐氟品种T6和氟化物敏感品种734为研究材料, 在5龄幼虫1-7 d内分别添食经50, 100, 200和400 mg/kg NaF溶液浸泡后的新鲜桑叶, 检测家蚕中肠羧酸酯酶（CarE）和全酯酶活性的变化。结果表明： 734添氟组的CarE活性是对照组的1.21~1.98倍, 而T6添氟组约是对照组的0.72~1.10倍。734和T6添氟组的全酯酶活性数值变化规律与其各自对照组相似, 且2品种之间的酶活性数值很相近。2品种在相同浓度下, 不同天数之间的全酯酶活性差异均显著（P＜0.05）。推测氟化物对敏感家蚕中肠CarE有促进作用, 对耐氟家蚕中肠CarE有抑制作用, 但是对全酯酶活性影响不大。     

乙基多杀菌素和联苯肼酯对地熊蜂的毒性及风险评估

【目的】明确乙基多杀菌素和联苯肼酯对地熊蜂Bombus terrestris的毒性, 探讨这两种农药亚致死浓度对地熊蜂体内乙酰胆碱酯酶(AchE)、谷胱甘肽-S-转移酶(GST)和羧酸酯酶(CarE) 3种解毒酶活性的影响。【方法】采用饲喂法测定60 g a.i./L乙基多杀菌素和43%联苯肼酯对地熊蜂采集蜂的急性经口毒性,依据农药对蜜蜂生态风险的危害熵(hazard quotient, HQ)值评估这两种农药对地熊蜂的风险。同时测定了这两种农药亚致死剂量(LD₅₀和LD₈₀)处理后地熊蜂AchE, GST和CarE的活性变化。【结果】60 g a.i./L乙基多杀菌素和43%联苯肼酯对地熊蜂采集蜂的急性经口毒性测定48 h时LD₅₀值分别为3.590和1 447 μg a.i./蜂,其中60 g a.i./L乙基多杀菌素表现为中毒,43%联苯肼酯表现为低毒。两种农药对地熊蜂采集蜂的HQ值均低于50,表现为低风险。LD₅₀和LD₈₀剂量的乙基多杀菌素处理组与对照组相比,3 h时地熊蜂AchE活性被激活,显著高于对照组(P＜0.05),分别为对照组的1.45和1.23倍,24 h后活性受到抑制,两个剂量处理组AchE活性均显著低于对照组(P＜0.05);CarE活性3 h时同样被激活,显著高于对照组(P＜0.05),LD₅₀和LD₈₀剂量处理组CarE活性分别为对照组的1.24和1.53倍, 24 h后活性受到抑制,其中LD₅₀剂量处理组CarE活性显著低于对照组(P＜0.05),LD₈₀剂量处理组CarE活性与对照组差异不显著(P＞0.05);LD₅₀和LD₈₀剂量处理组GST活性3 h被激活,显著高于对照组(P＜0.05),分别为对照组的2.24和2.58倍,24 h后活性降低,但两个剂量处理组GST活性仍显著高于对照组(P＜0.05)。43%联苯肼酯处理后,与对照组相比3 h时LD₅₀和LD₈₀剂量处理组AchE活性与对照组差异不显著(P＞0.05),24 h后AchE活性降低,显著低于对照组(P＜0.05),分别是对照组的75%和80%;CarE活性3 h时被抑制,LD₅₀剂量处理组CarE活性显著低于对照组(P＜0.05),LD₈₀剂量处理组CarE活性低于对照组,但差异不显著(P＞0.05),24 h后CarE活性被激活,其中LD₅₀剂量处理组CarE活性高于对照组,但差异不显著(P＞0.05),LD₈₀剂量处理组CarE活性显著高于对照组(P＜0.05);LD₅₀剂量处理组GST活性3 h时被激活,显著高于对照组(P＜0.05),24 h后活性降低,但仍显著高于对照组(P＜0.05),3 h和24 h的活性分别为对照组的2.04和1.72倍,LD₈₀剂量处理组3 h的GST活性与对照组无显著差异(P＞0.05),24 h后活性降低,显著低于对照组(P＜0.05)。【结论】乙基多杀菌素和联苯肼酯对地熊蜂的HQ 评估均表现为低风险,其中联苯肼酯对地熊蜂的安全性较高,在熊蜂授粉过程中可以按照推荐剂量应用,但过量施用或者长期施用可能会造成熊蜂体内药剂积累引起生理或者行为的变化,乙基多杀菌素在温室及大田授粉期的使用剂量和方法有待进一步研究。     

氟化物对家蚕耐氟和氟敏感品种肠道中留存产酶菌群落组成和多样性的影响

【目的】研究氟化物对家蚕Bombyx mori肠道内留存产酶菌的影响, 有助于了解家蚕耐氟和氟敏品种的耐氟力差异。【方法】分别给家蚕耐氟品种T6和氟敏品种734添食NaF溶液浸泡后的新鲜桑叶, 至5龄第3天取材。采用筛选培养基筛选产蛋白酶、 纤维素酶、 脂肪酶、 淀粉酶的菌株, 并结合16S rDNA系统发育关系, 对菌株进行分类鉴定。【结果】家蚕肠道内产消化酶细菌有芽孢杆菌属Bacillus、 葡萄球菌属Staphylococcus、 肠杆菌属Enterobacter和不动杆菌属Acinetobacter和微小杆菌属Exiguobaterium, 其中芽孢杆菌Bacillus sp.、 葡萄球菌Staphylococcus sp. 和不动杆菌Acinetobacter sp.细菌可同时产4种酶。氟中毒后T6肠道内产酶菌由5种减少到4种, 734肠道内产酶菌由2种减少到1种。【结论】家蚕肠道内留存的产酶菌与家蚕自身的耐氟能力相关。     

氟化物对家蚕肠道微生物菌群的影响

摘要:【目的】探讨氟化物对家蚕肠道微生物菌群的影响,开发具有潜在应用价值的益生菌以提高家蚕对氟化物的抗性。【方法】PCR扩增家蚕肠道内细菌16S rRNA基因并构建克隆文库;用核糖体DNA限制性分析(Amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analysis,ARDRA)方法对克隆子进行分型。从家蚕T6和734肠道样品中共获得14种分类操作单元(Operational taxonomic unit,OTUs),以16S rRNA基因为基础构建系统发育树进行分析。再经巢式PCR-DGGE技术检测家蚕肠道内优势菌群的变化。【结果】结果表明:家蚕氟中毒后肠道内肠球菌属Enterococcus和芽孢杆菌属Bacillus细菌菌群减少,而葡萄球菌属Staphylococcus的细菌增多。【结论】氟化物能通过改变家蚕肠道内细菌的多样性和比例,从而破坏家蚕肠道微生物菌群平衡,且对家蚕734的影响作用大于T6。     

草甘膦对空心莲子草叶甲Agasicles hygrophila成虫3种代谢酶活性的影响

采用不同浓度的草甘膦0.41 g/L、0.82 g/L、1.23 g/L、1.64g/L、2.05 g/L分别以胃毒和触杀法处理空心莲子草叶甲Agasicles hygrophila成虫,测定其乙酰胆碱酯酶(AChE)、羧酸酯酶(CarE)和谷胱甘肽S-转移酶(GSTs)比活力.试验结果表明:两种处理,草甘膦对AChE活力均有不同程度的抑制作用;对CarE活力影响较为显著,在2.05 g/L浓度下,胃毒处理CarE对α-乙酸萘酯(α-NA)和β-乙酸萘酯(β-NA)水解能力分别是对照组的50%和57%,触杀处理CarE对α-乙酸萘酯(α-NA)和β-乙酸荼酯(β-NA)水解能力分别是对照组的53%和59%;胃毒处理埘酶活力影响大于触杀处理,草甘膦对GSTs的活力影响不明显.     

不同地区小菜蛾种群羧酸酯酶的毒理学性质研究

在1995～1997年对湖北武汉、河北张家口地区小菜蛾Plutella xylostella(L.)种群的抗药性进行了研究。结果表明对阿维菌素的抗性和台湾敏感种群相比,武汉种群抗性为4.3倍,张家口种群抗性为1.8倍;对马拉硫磷的抗性武汉和张家口种群分别为2.2和2.9倍;对氟铃脲的抗性分别为3.2和0.5倍;对溴氰菊酯的抗性分别为2.4和1.7倍。对羧酸酯酶(Care)的研究结果表明,三个种群幼虫CarE对a-乙酸萘酯或β-乙酸萘酯(a或β-NA)水解活性差异显著,但成虫Care活性没有明显差异。武汉和张家口种群幼虫CarE对a-NA和β-NA的亲和力没有明显差异,但是武汉种群幼虫Care对底物的亲和力高于张家口种群。敏感品系Care对a—NA的亲和力明显高于对β-NA,相差约3倍。不同类型的抑制剂对小菜蛾幼虫CarE的抑制能力不同。增效磷和对氧磷对敏感品系CarE水解a-NA具有明显的抑制作用,分别比对武汉种群Care的抑制作用大4.577倍(SVl)和2.576倍(对氧磷)。     

家蚕羧酸酯酶基因克隆及差异表达

家蚕浓核病毒 (Bombyx mori densonucleosis virus,BmDNV)是蚕业生产上危害比较严重的一类病毒。用完全抗浓核病中国镇江株(BmDNV-Z)的家蚕品系秋丰、感性品系华八及以华八为轮回亲本回交8代和自交8代构建的近等基因系BC₈为材料,采用mRNA荧光差显技术首次分离克隆了家蚕羧酸酯酶（B. mori carboxylesterase,BmCarE）基因全长cDNA,并用实时荧光定量PCR检测了添毒后12 h、36 h、72 h BmCarE在感、抗BmDNV-Z家蚕品系中肠内的表达差异。结果表明： （1）添毒后12 h不同品系家蚕中肠BmCarE表达差异最大,抗性品系BC₈和秋丰分别是感性品系华八的17.714倍和3.602倍,三者彼此间的差异达到极显著水平;（2）同一品系添毒后12 h与添清水后12 h BmCarE表达也有较大差异, BC₈添毒是BC₈添清水的15.08倍, 秋丰添毒是秋丰添清水的3.39倍, 差异达到极显著水平,而华八添毒和添清水的BmCarE表达量均低,二者差异不显著;（3）同一品系添毒后不同时间BmCarE表达也有较大差异, BC₈和秋丰添毒后12 h BmCarE表达量最高,显著高于各自添毒后36 h和72 h表达水平,而添毒后36 h与72 h表达无显著差异;华八添毒后12 h、36 h和72 h,BmCarE表达无显著差异。上述结果提示羧酸酯酶基因可能与家蚕抗浓核病毒有一定关系。     

羧酸酯酶和酸性磷酸酯酶在抗有机磷和敏感淡色库蚊发育期的变化

本文研讨羧酸酯酶(CarE)和酸性磷酸酯酶(ApE)在抗马拉硫磷(RM)、抗敌百虫(RD)和敏感(s)品系淡色库蚊Culex pipiens pallens不同发育期中的变化,以及某些杀虫剂和抑制剂对α-醋酸萘酯羧酸酯酶(α-NA CarE)的抑制作用。RD和s品系不同发育期的ApE变化情况如下:(1)RD和S品系间无明显差异;(2)幼虫发育期的ApE水平较低,而在变态期的ApE活性突然上升为最高,表明ApE可能参与蚊虫的发育和分化。RM、RD和S品系的CarE水平在幼虫期随虫龄增长而增高。RM和S品系的CarE活性比维持在20—35倍,RD品系在10—25倍,但三个品系的CarE活性在变态期突然下降。新羽化成蚊的CarE活性出现一个很高的峰。羽化后十天内CarE活性有一定的波动,十天后CarE活性逐渐下降,但仍高于幼虫期和蛹期。此外还讨论了对氧磷、敌敌畏、速灭威、毒扁豆碱、TPP和异稻瘟净对RM、RD和S品系α-NA CarE的抑制作用。     

植物次生代谢物对甜菜夜蛾生长发育及解毒酶的影响

【目的】明确植物次生代谢物对甜菜夜蛾Spodoptera exigua生长发育及解毒酶的影响,探索利用植物次生物质防控甜菜夜蛾的潜在途径。【方法】本研究选用3种含量（0.01%、0.1%和1.0%）的槲皮素、山奈酚和香豆素,分别与人工饲料混合均匀后饲养甜菜夜蛾3龄初幼虫,观察植物次生代谢物对幼虫生长发育的影响;并测定幼虫取食添加0.1%的槲皮素、山奈酚和香豆素的人工饲料24、48和72 h后,幼虫羧酸酯酶（Caboxylesterase,CarE）、谷胱甘肽-S-转移酶（Glutathione-S-transferase,GSTs）和P450解毒酶活性。【结果】添加不同次生物质的人工饲料显著影响甜菜夜蛾幼虫生长和解毒酶活性。与对照组相比,3种次生代谢物均显著提高了幼虫死亡率。幼虫取食添加1%槲皮素的人工饲料后,蛹重显著降低,发育历期明显延长。而取食添加0.1%山奈酚的人工饲料后,可诱导幼虫CarE活性显著增强,0.1%槲皮素和0.1%香豆素对幼虫CarE活性均有显著抑制作用。添加槲皮素对幼虫GSTs活性无显著性影响,添加0.1%山奈酚和0.1%香豆素可诱导幼虫GSTs活性显著升高。0.1%槲皮素和0.1%香豆素可促进幼虫P450活性增强但未达到显著水平,但0.1%山奈酚处理48h后,幼虫P450活性显著降低。【结论】植物次生代谢物种类与含量对甜菜夜蛾生长发育及解毒酶活性存在不同程度的影响。     

寄主植物对棉蚜羧酸酯酶活性的影响

不同棉花品种对棉蚜Aphis gossypii Glov.羧酸酯酶活性具有明显的影响,在试验的7个棉花品种中,取食中棉12叶片的棉蚜α-乙酸萘酯(α-NA)羧酸酯酶活性最高(2.47微摩尔/毫克蛋白质分钟),是取食泾阳鸡脚棉种群的5.74倍.β-乙酸萘酯(β-NA)羧酸酯酶的活性以取食方渑双无的棉蚜最高(3.41微摩尔/毫克蛋白质分钟),是取食BR-S-10棉蚜的4.49倍.在取食方渑双无叶片的棉蚜中,羧酸酯酶活性大于2.5(微摩尔/毫克蛋白质分钟)的个体占28.3%(α-NA)和67.1%(β-NA),而在取食BR-S-10的种群中仅占2.6%(α-NA)和1.3%(β-NA).取食中棉12的棉蚜对β-NA与α-NA活性的比值为0.79,而取食其它棉花品种的种群β-NA与α-NA活性比值均大于1.用中棉12饲养的棉蚜对α-NA和β-NA活性均低于种群平均值的个体(CE1型)占26%;均高于平均值的个体(CE2型)占19%;对α-NA活性高于平均值,对β-NA活性低于平均值的个体(CE3型)占31%;对α-NA活性低于平均值,对β-NA活性高于平均值的个体(CE4型)占24%.取食其它6个棉花品种的棉蚜中,CE1和CE2型的比例分别为49.4—64.0%和23.4—47.2%,明显高于取食中棉12的种群,而CE3和CE4型个体仅占0—7.6%和3.4—10.4%,明显低于取食中棉12的种群.说明寄主植物对棉蚜羧酸酯酶的量和质均有影响.     

A Biochemical Evidence of the Inhibitory Effect of Diflubenzuron on the Metamorphosis of the Silkworm,Bombyx mori

Diflubenzuron (DFB) has been known to prevent metamorphosis of silkworm, Bombyx mori, from larval to pupal stage at low dose exposure. To explain this inhibitory action of DFB, a hypothesis was raised that DFB acts like juvenile hormone (JH) or DFB inhibits JH esterase to increase endogenous JH titer. A JH bioassay using isolated abdomen clearly indicates that DFB does not act as JH analog because DFB did not induce vitellogenesis in the isolated female abdomen, while endogenous JHs did significantly. General esterase activities in hemolymph were lower in DFB-treated fifth instar larvae than in the control larvae, but there was no difference between fat body esterase activities in both groups. Two hemolymph esterases (‘E1’ and ‘E2’) of the fifth instar larvae were separated and visualized by α-and β-naphthyl acetate. From in vitro incubation experiment, the cathodal esterase (‘E1’) was sensitive to DFB at its nanomolar range. Considering the fact that early fifth instar larvae have high level of JH esterase in the hemolymph, these results suggest that DFB inhibit larval to pupal metamorphosis by blocking JH degradation, which increases endogenous JH titer especially at the critical period when the larvae determine metamorphic development at the following molt.     

Proteomic analysis of nucleopolyhedrovirus infection resistance in the silkworm, Bombyx mori (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae)

Silkworm hemolymph is an important defense tissue to resist bacteria and virus infections. To study the response of silkworm hemolymph in the resistance of Bombyx mori L. nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV), we constructed a near-isogenic silkworm line with BmNPV resistance using highly resistant and highly susceptible parental strains. In this paper, two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) and Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization (MALDI)-mass spectrometry were employed to investigate the differences of protein patterns in the hemolymph of the highly resistant, highly susceptible and near-isogenic silkworm strains after BmNPV was administrated to the larvae. A comparison between the proteomes of these three silkworm strains led us to identify two differentially expressed proteins, beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase 2 and aminoacylase. The expression levels of these proteins were higher in the BmNPV resistant strains.     

Protective effects of pretreatment with Fe2+, Cu2+, and Rb+ on phoxim poisoning in silkworm,Bombyx mori

BackgroundPhoxim is a widely used organophosphorus pesticide in agriculture. People are paying more and more attention to its toxicity. At present, there is no appropriate way to solve the phoxim poisoning of silkworm, which severely affected the development of sericulture. Fe²⁺, Cu²⁺, Rb⁺ exerted their biological effects through various forms in vivo.MethodsTo evaluate the effect of Fe²⁺/Cu²⁺/Rb⁺ on phoxim poisoning in silkworm, Bombyx mori were treated with fresh mulberry leaves soaked in 2.5 mg/L phoxim for 2 min with 50 mg/L FeCl₂, 150 mg/L CuCl₂, or 0.5 mg/L RbCl from 5 days of the fifth-instar silkworm.ResultsFe²⁺, Cu²⁺, and Rb⁺ pretreatments significantly inhibited the phoxim-induced reduction of survival rate and alleviated the phoxim-induced poisoning symptoms. The protective effects of Fe²⁺, Cu²⁺, and Rb⁺ on phoxim poisoning might be due to their enhancement of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and carboxylesterase (CarE) in the hemolymph and fat body of silkworm. This enhancement might reduce reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and oxidative stress (OS) caused by phoxim poisoning. Thereby it reduced the damage to silkworm tissues and cells.ConclusionsThese results showed that Fe²⁺, Cu²⁺, and Rb⁺ treatments protected the silkworm from phoxim poisoning by directly enhancing the activity of SOD, CAT, and CarE enzymes and reducing oxidative stress, but not dependent on the high expression of CYP genes. The use of Fe²⁺, Cu²⁺, and Rb⁺ to enhance the activity of SOD, CAT, and CarE enzymes may be an underlying effective way to solve phoxim poisoning in the silkworm industry.     

Porphyromonas gingivalis Peptidoglycans Induce Excessive Activation of the Innate Immune System in Silkworm Larvae

Porphyromonas gingivalis, a pathogen that causes inflammation in human periodontal tissue, killed silkworm (Bombyx mori, Lepidoptera) larvae when injected into the blood (hemolymph). Silkworm lethality was not rescued by antibiotic treatment, and heat-killed bacteria were also lethal. Heat-killed bacteria of mutant P. gingivalis strains lacking virulence factors also killed silkworms. Silkworms died after injection of peptidoglycans purified from P. gingivalis (pPG), and pPG toxicity was blocked by treatment with mutanolysin, a peptidoglycan-degrading enzyme. pPG induced silkworm hemolymph melanization at the same dose as that required to kill the animal. pPG injection increased caspase activity in silkworm tissues. pPG-induced silkworm death was delayed by injecting melanization-inhibiting reagents (a serine protease inhibitor and 1-phenyl-2-thiourea), antioxidants (N-acetyl-l-cysteine, glutathione, and catalase), and a caspase inhibitor (Ac-DEVD-CHO). Thus, pPG induces excessive activation of the innate immune response, which leads to the generation of reactive oxygen species and apoptotic cell death in the host tissue.     

Enhanced cephalotaxine production in Cephalotaxus mannii suspension cultures by combining glycometabolic regulation and elicitation

To study the combination effects of glycometabolic regulator NaF and elicitor methyl jasmonate (MJ) on cephalotaxine production in Cephalotaxus mannii suspension cultures, NaF of 10 mg/L, MJ of 100 μmol/L or both of them (NaF + MJ for short below) were added to the shake-flask cultures of C. mannii cell. It was found that NaF increased the activity of glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH), but had no significant effects on phenylalanine ammonium-lyase (PAL) activity and phenols formation. In contrast, MJ could activate PAL activity and led to phenols accumulation, but had no significant effects on G6PDH activity. To explore the effects of NaF and MJ on cephalotaxine biosynthesis, harringtonine and homoharringtonine, the two cephalotaxines, were analyzed in this work. The results obtained indicated that NaF + MJ treatment showed the strongest promotion of production in all tests. Harringtonine yield in NaF + MJ treated cells (7.245 mg/L) was 4.8-fold higher than that in control cells (1.506 mg/L), 1.7-fold that in NaF-treated cells (4.12 mg/L) and 1.6-fold that in MJ-treated cells (4.458 mg/L), respectively. No homoharringtonine was found besides in NaF + MJ treated cells (0.491 mg/L). With respect of the product release rates, they were 0%, 78%, 24% and 62% in control, NaF, MJ and NaF + MJ treatment, respectively. These results suggest that the combination of NaF and MJ had contributed to the synthesis and secretion of cephalotaxine in C. mannii cells.     

Correlation of Calcium and Magnesium Levels in the Biological Samples of Different Types of Acute Leukemia Children

We aimed to investigate the effect of maternal exposure to NaF on mandibular bone microarchitecture and phosphocalcic plasma parameters of the offspring. For this purpose, 10-, 15-, and 21-day-old pups (n?=?6–8 per group) from two groups of mothers, control and NaF 50mg/L treated dams, were used. Plasma calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) levels and alkaline phosphatase activity (ALP) were measured. Fluoride concentration (F^?) in bone and in stomach content was measured using potentiometry after isothermal distillation. Morphometric, histological, and histomorphometric analyses of the jaw bones were performed. Plasma Ca and P levels and ALP activity increased in 10-day and decreased in 21-day-old pups from NaF-treated mothers. Fluoride concentration in stomach content samples of 15- and 21-day-old nursing pups from mothers exposed to NaF in their drinking water was higher compared to that observed in control dam offspring. Mandibular F^? content was higher in 21-day-old pups born to F^?-exposed dams compared to those observed in age-matched control pups. Mandibular area increased in 21-day-old pups born to treated mothers as compared to controls. Mandibular bone volume BV/TV (%) was higher in offspring from NaF-exposed dams than in controls at all the studied times. The increase in bone volume after exposure to F^? was concomitant with the increase in trabecular thickness and the decrease in trabecular separation. Altogether, our results showed that exposure to NaF during gestation and lactation increased mandibular area and bone volume of pups, with concomitant changes in phosphocalcic parameters associated with the bone modeling process.     

Is decreased generalized immunity a cost of Bt resistance in cabbage loopers Trichoplusia ni?

We studied the immune response to Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki (Btk) in susceptible (Bt-RS) and resistant (Bt-R) Trichoplusia ni after exposure to low doses of Btk and injection with Escherichia coli. We measured the levels of resistance, the expression profiles of hemolymph proteins, the phenoloxidase (PO) activity, and the differential number of circulating hemocytes in resistant and susceptible individuals. Individuals from the Bt-RS line became more resistant following a previous exposure to sub lethal concentrations of Btk, but the resistance to Btk of the Bt-R line did not change significantly. Similarly the Bt-R strain showed no significant changes in any of the potential immune responses, hemolymph protein levels or PO activity. The number of circulating hemocytes was significantly lower in the Bt-R strain than in the Bt-RS strain. Exposure to Btk decreased the hemocyte counts and reduced PO activity of Bt-RS larvae. Hemolymph protein concentrations also declined significantly in the susceptible larvae continually exposed to Btk. Seven peptides with antibacterial activity were identified in the hemolymph of Bt-RS larvae after exposure to Btk and five were found in the Bt-R larvae. When exposed to a low level Bt challenge the susceptible strain increases in tolerance and there are concomitant reductions in hemolymph protein concentrations, PO activity and the number of circulating hemocytes.