Bitter gourd proteinase inhibitors: potential growth inhibitors of Helicoverpa armigera and Spodoptera litura

Proteinase inhibitors (PIs) from the seeds of bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.) were identified as strong inhibitors of Helicoverpa armigera gut proteinases (HGP). Biochemical investigations showed that bitter gourd PIs (BGPIs) inhibited more than 80% HGP activity. Electrophoretic analysis revealed the presence of two major proteins (BGPI-1 and-2) and two minor proteins (BGPI-3 and-4) having inhibitory activity against both trypsin and HGP. The major isoforms BGPI-1 and BGPI-2 have molecular mass of 3.5 and 3.0 kDa, respectively. BGPIs inhibited HGP activity of larvae fed on different host plants, on artificial diet with or without added PIs and proteinases excreted in fecal matter. Degradation of BGPI-1 by HGP showed direct correlation with accumulation of BGPI-2-like peptide, which remained stable and active against high concentrations of HGP up to 3 h. Chemical inhibitors of serine proteinases offered partial protection to BGPI-1 from degradation by HGP, suggesting that trypsin and chymotrypsin like proteinases are involved in degradation of BGPI-1. In larval feeding studies, BGPIs were found to retard growth and development of two lepidopteran pests namely Helicoverpa armigera and Spodoptera litura. This is the first report showing that BGPIs mediated inhibition of insect gut proteinases directly affects fertility and fecundity of both H. armigera and S. litura. The results advocate use of BGPIs to introduce insect resistance in otherwise susceptible plants.     

In vivo and in vitro effect of Capsicum annum proteinase inhibitors on Helicoverpa armigera gut proteinases

Two proteinase inhibitors (PIs), CapA1 and CapA2, were purified from Capsicum annum Linn. Var. Phule Jyoti leaves and assessed for their in vitro and in vivo activity against Helicoverpa armigera gut proteinases (HGPs). Both the inhibitors exhibited molecular weights of about 12 kDa with inhibitory activity against bovine trypsin and chymotrypsin indicating presence of probable two-inhibitor repeats of PIN II family. CapA1 and CapA2 inhibited 60-80% HGP (azocaseinolytic) activity of fourth instar larvae feeding on various host plants while 45-65% inhibition of HGP activity of various instars (II to VI) larvae reared on artificial diet. The partial purification of HGP isoforms, their characterization with synthetic inhibitors and inhibition by C. annum PIs revealed that most of the trypsin-like activity (68-91%) of HGPs was sensitive to C. annum PIs while 39-85% chymotrypsin-like activity of HGPs was insensitive to these inhibitors. The feeding of C. annum leaf extracts and two purified PIs in various doses to H. armigera larvae for two successive generations through artificial diet demonstrated their potential in inhibiting larval growth and development, delay in pupation period and dramatic reduction in fecundity and fertility. This is the first report-demonstrating efficacy of C. annum PIs against insect gut proteinases as well as larval growth and development of H. armigera.     

Differential inhibition of Helicoverpa armigera gut proteinases by proteinase inhibitors of pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan) and its wild relatives

The seeds of 36 pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L) Millsp.] cultivars, resistant and susceptible to pests and pathogens and 17 of its wild relatives were analysed for inhibitors of trypsin, chymotrypsin, and insect gut proteinases to identify potential inhibitors of insect (Helicoverpa armigera) gut enzymes. Proteinase inhibitors (PIs) of pigeonpea cultivars showed total inhibition of trypsin and chymotrypsin, and moderate inhibition potential towards H. armigera proteinases (HGP). PIs of wild relatives exhibited stronger inhibition of HGP, which was up to 87% by Rhynchosia PIs. Electrophoretic detection of HGPI proteins and inhibition of HGP isoforms by few pigeonpea wild relative PIs supported our enzyme inhibitor assay results. Present results indicate that PIs exhibit wide range of genetic diversity in the wild relatives of pigeonpea whereas pigeonpea cultivars (resistant as well as susceptible to pests and pathogens) are homogeneous. The potent HGPIs identified in this study need further exploration for their use in strengthening pigeonpea defence against H. armigera.     

Higher accumulation of proteinase inhibitors in flowers than leaves and fruits as a possible basis for differential feeding preference of Helicoverpa armigera on tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill, Cv. Dhanashree)

Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum, Mill; cultivar- Dhanashree) proteinase inhibitors (PIs) were tested for their trypsin inhibitory (TI) and Helicoverpa armigera gut proteinases inhibitory (HGPI) activity in different organs of the tomato plants. Analysis of TI and HGPI distribution in various parts of the plant showed that flowers accumulated about 300 and 1000 times higher levels of TI while 700 and 400 times higher levels of HGPI as compared to those in leaves and fruits, respectively. Field observation that H. armigera larvae infest leaves and fruits but not the flowers could be at least partially attributed to the protective role-played by the higher levels of PIs in the flower tissue. Tomato PIs inhibited about 50-80% HGP activity of H. armigera larvae feeding on various host plants including tomato, of larvae exposed to non-host plant PIs and of various larval instars. Tomato PIs were found to be highly stable to insect proteinases wherein incubation of inhibitor with HGP even for 3h at optimum conditions did not affect inhibitory activity. Bioassay using H. armigera larvae fed on artificial diet containing tomato PIs revealed adverse effect on larval growth, pupae development, adult formation and fecundity.     

Complexity in specificities and expression of Helicoverpa armigera gut proteinases explains polyphagous nature of the insect pest

Helicoverpa armigera is a devastating pest of cotton and other important crop plants all over the world. A detailed biochemical investigation of H. armigera gut proteinases is essential for planning effective proteinase inhibitor (PI)-based strategies to counter the insect infestation. In this study, we report the complexity of gut proteinase composition of H. armigera fed on four different host plants, viz. chickpea, pigeonpea, cotton and okra, and during larval development. H. armigera fed on chickpea showed more than 2.5- to 3-fold proteinase activity than those fed on the other host plants. H. armigera gut proteinase composition revealed the predominance of serine proteinase activity; however, the larvae fed on pigeonpea revealed the presence of metalloproteases and low levels of aspartic and cysteine proteases as well. Gut proteinase activity increased during larval development with the highest activity seen in the fifth instar larvae which, however, declined sharply in the sixth instar. Over 90% of the gut proteinase activity of the fifth instar larvae was of the serine proteinase type, however, the second instar larvae showed the presence of proteinases of other mechanistic classes like metalloproteases, aspartic and cysteine proteases along with serine proteinase activity as evident by inhibition studies. Analysis of fecal matter of larvae showed significant increase in proteinase activity when fed on an artificial diet with or without non-host PIs than larvae fed on a natural diet. The diversity in the proteinase activity observed in H. armigera gut and the flexibility in their expression during developmental stages and depending upon the diet provides a base for selection of proper PIs for insect resistance in transgenic crop plants.     

Cry2Ab蛋白对甜菜夜蛾和斜纹夜蛾低龄幼虫的抗性

【背景】在我国,由于Bt棉的种植,棉铃虫和红铃虫等靶标害虫得到了控制,但棉田其他鳞翅目害虫如甜菜夜蛾和斜纹夜蛾的危害仍较严重。美国商业化种植的双价棉BollgardⅡ所表达的Cry2Ab蛋白不仅对棉铃虫有较好的控制效果,而且对甜菜夜蛾和草地贪夜蛾有较好的控制作用。因此,该双价棉在我国被环境释放前,有必要研究其对棉田其他鳞翅目害虫的影响。【方法】在人工饲料中分别添加质量浓度为1．25、2．5、5．0、10．0和20．0μg·g^-1的Cry2Ab蛋白,采用生物测定的方法,在室内研究了其对甜菜夜蛾和斜纹夜蛾低龄幼虫存活率和体质量抑制率的影响。【结果】随着Cry2Ab蛋白浓度的增大,甜菜夜蛾初孵幼虫和1龄幼虫的存活率逐渐降低,2龄幼虫和3龄幼虫以及斜纹夜蛾各龄期幼虫的存活率在不同浓度处理下与对照差异均不显著。但与对照相比,高浓度处理对这2种害虫各龄期幼虫的体质量均有显著影响。【结论与意义】高浓度Cry2Ab蛋白（10．0和20．0μg·g^-1）对甜菜夜蛾低龄幼虫有较好的控制作用,但对斜纹夜蛾低龄幼虫的控制效果不太理想。这为该双价基因棉花在我国的推广提供了依据。     

Compensatory proteolytic responses to dietary proteinase inhibitors from Albizia lebbeck seeds in the Helicoverpa armigera larvae

Plant proteinase inhibitors (PIs) have been shown to reduce the growth rates in larvae of numerous insect species. On the other hand, insects can also regulate their proteinases against plant PIs. In the present study, we report the compensatory activities of Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) gut proteinases against the PIs of Albizia lebbeck seeds. Total of ten proteinase inhibitor bands were detected in the seed extract of A. lebbeck. Bioassays were conducted by feeding H. armigera larvae on diet containing partially purified PIs from A. lebbeck seeds. Results show that larval growth and survival was significantly reduced by A. lebbeck PIs. We found that higher activity H. armigera gut proteinase (HGP) isoforms observed in the midgut of control larvae were inhibited in the midgut of larvae fed on test diet. Some HGP isoforms were induced in the larvae fed on PI containing test diet; however, these isoforms showed lower activity in the larvae fed on control diet. Aminopeptidase activities were significantly increased in the midgut of larvae fed on test diet. A population of susceptible and resistant enzymes was observed in the midgut of H. armigera, when fed on diet containing PIs from A. lebbeck seeds. Our initial observations indicate that H. armigera can regulate its digestive proteinase activity against non-host plant PIs, too. It is important to study the exact biochemical and molecular mechanisms underlying this phenomenon in order to develop PI-based insect control strategies.     

Bioinsecticidal activity of Archidendron ellipticum trypsin inhibitor on growth and serine digestive enzymes during larval development of Spodoptera litura

The roles of serine proteases involved in the digestion mechanism of the cutworm Spodoptera litura (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) were examined (in vitro and in vivo) following feeding of plant protease inhibitors. A trypsin inhibitor from Archidendron ellipticum (AeTI) was purified by ammonium sulfate fractionation, ion-exchange chromatography and size-exclusion chromatography (HPLC) and its bioinsecticidal properties against S. litura were compared with Soybean Kunitz trypsin inhibitor (SBTI). AeTI inhibited the trypsin-like activities of the midgut proteases of fifth instar larvae of S. litura by over 70%. Dixon plot analysis revealed competitive inhibition of larval midgut trypsin and chymotrypsin by AeTI, with an inhibition constant (K(i)) of 3.5x10(-9) M and 1.5x10(-9) M, respectively. However, inhibitor kinetics using double reciprocal plots for both trypsin and chymotrypsin inhibitions demonstrated a mixed inhibition pattern. Feeding experiments conducted on different (neonate to ultimate) instars suggested a dose-dependent decrease for both the larval body weight as well as % survival of larva fed on diet containing 50, 100 and 150 microM AeTI. Influence of AeTI on the larval gut physiology indicated a 7-fold decrease of trypsin-like protease activity and a 5-fold increase of chymotrypsin-like protease activity, after being fed with a diet supplemented with 150 microM AeTI. This study suggests that although the early (1st to 3rd) larval instars of S. litura are susceptible to the trypsin inhibitory action of AeTI, the later instars may facilitate the development of new serine proteases, insensitive to the inhibitor.     

Growth inhibitory and antifeedant activity of extracts from Melia dubia to Spodoptera litura and Helicoverpa armigera larvae

The growth inhibitory activity and deterrency of Melia dubia (Meliaceae) extracts to Spodoptera litura and Helicoverpa armigera were investigated. Artificial diet bioassays using neonate larvae of both S. litura and H. armigera indicated that dichloroethane (DCE) and methanol (Me) extracts of M. dubia inhibited growth in a dose dependent manner. DCE and Me-5II fractions also resulted in 50% deterrency at concentrations of 22.5 and 16.8 micrograms/cm2 respectively against S. litura larvae in a leaf disc-choice test. The DCE-5 fraction was found to be more toxic to larvae (LC50 of 0.65%) than the Me-5II (LC50 of 0.8%), 72 hr after topical application. Both fractions lack contact toxicity, but the deterrent effect persisted for at least 60 hr under laboratory conditions. Although salannin was isolated from the DCE fraction to show antifeedant activity, the physico-chemical characteristics of the active fractions DCE-5 and Me-5II were not identical with either salannin or azadirachtin.     

七氟菊酯和溴氰菊酯对棉铃虫肠道菌群的影响

【目的】本研究旨在探究拟除虫菊酯类杀虫剂对棉铃虫Helicoverpa armigera幼虫肠道菌群结构及代谢的影响,丰富对杀虫剂作用机理的认识。【方法】分别对棉铃虫2和3龄幼虫饲喂普通人工饲料(对照组, SS)、含2%七氟菊酯(Ⅰ型拟除虫菊酯)粉剂饲料(七氟菊酯处理组,Te)和含2.5%溴氰菊酯(Ⅱ型拟除虫菊酯)乳油饲料(溴氰菊酯处理组, DM),然后提取3龄幼虫肠道菌群基因组DNA;利用Illumina MiSeq二代高通量测序技术对肠道细菌的16S rDNA的V3-V4变异区进行测序,分析其肠道细菌的多样性和丰富度;利用qPCR验证16S rDNA测序分析结果。取2和3龄幼虫肠道,匀浆后进行Biolog-Eco实验,分析肠道细菌对Eco板上31种碳源的代谢情况。【结果】16S rDNA测序结果表明,棉铃虫3龄幼虫肠道细菌主要是厚壁菌门(Firmicutes)、变形菌门(Proteobacteria)、拟杆菌门(Bacteroidetes)和蓝藻菌门(Cyanobacteria)。与对照组相比,溴氰菊酯处理组和七氟菊酯处理组的棉铃虫幼虫肠道细菌的α多样性指数没有显著性改变,但是菌群结构发生了变化：在门水平,拟杆菌门的相对丰度减少,厚壁菌门和蓝藻菌门的相对丰度增加,qPCR验证结果亦支持16S rDNA测序分析的这个结果;在属水平,拟杆菌属Bacteroides、普氏菌属Prevotella和假单胞菌属Pseudomonas等的相对丰度降低,狭义梭菌属Clostridium sensu stricto 1、埃希菌属-志贺氏菌属Escherichia-Shigella和盐单胞菌属Halomonas等的相对丰度增加,其中盐单胞菌属Halomonas的相对丰度显著增加。Biolog-Eco结果表明,与对照组相比,溴氰菊酯处理组中2龄幼虫对羧酸类碳源的代谢能力下降;溴氰菊酯处理组和七氟菊酯处理组中3龄幼虫对DL-α-磷酸甘油、肝糖和L-苯丙氨酸等碳源的利用能力下降。【结论】结果显示,拟除虫菊酯类杀虫剂对棉铃虫肠道菌群的结构和代谢能力有明显影响,拟除虫菊酯类杀虫剂使棉铃虫肠道有益菌的相对丰度下降,而使致病菌的相对丰度增加。短时间拟除虫菊酯处理未造成抗药性菌群的丰度增加。qPCR检测结果与16S rDNA测序分析结果相似。Ⅰ型和Ⅱ型拟除虫菊酯类杀虫剂对棉铃虫肠道菌群结构和代谢功能的影响不同。     

Momordica charantia trypsin inhibitor II inhibits growth and development of Helicoverpa armigera

Abstract  Bitter gourd ( Momordica charantia L.) seeds contain several squash-type serine proteinase inhibitors (PIs), which inhibit the digestive proteinases of the polyphagous insect pest Helicoverpa armigera . In the present work isolation of a DNA sequence encoding the mature peptide of a trypsin inhibitor McTI-II, its cloning and expression as a recombinant protein using Pichia pastoris have been reported. Recombinant McTI-II inhibited bovine trypsin at 1: 1 molar ratio, as expected, but did not inhibit chymotrypsin or elastase. McTI-II also strongly inhibited trypsin-like proteinases (81% inhibition) as well as the total proteolytic activity of digestive proteinases (70% inhibition) from the midgut of H. armigera larvae. The insect larvae fed with McTI-II-incorporated artificial diet suffered over 70% reduction in the average larval weight after 12 days of feeding. Moreover, ingestion of McTI-II resulted in 23% mortality in the larval population. The strong antimetabolic activity of McTI-II toward H. armigera indicates its probable use in developing insect tolerance in susceptible plants.     

Baculovirus studies in new,indigenous lepidopteran cell lines

Eight lepidopteran cell lines were established recently and their susceptibility to different insect viruses was studied. Two Spodoptera litura cell lines from the larval and pupal ovaries, were found highly susceptible to S. litura nuclear polyhedrosis virus (SLNPV, 5-6 x 10(6) NPV/ml). The Helicoverpa armigera cell line from the embryonic tissue was highly susceptible to H. armigera NPV (HaNPV, 6.3 x 10(6) NPV/ml). These in vitro grown SLNPV and HaNPV caused 100% mortality to respective 2nd instar larvae. The susceptibility of the cryo-preserved cell lines to respective baculoviruses (SLNPV/HaNPV) was studied and no significant difference in their susceptibility status was observed. The cultures could grow as suspension culture on shakers and may find application for in vitro production of wild type/recombinant baculoviruses as bio-insecticides. S. litura and Bombyx mori cell lines from larval ovaries, were highly susceptible to Autographa californica NPV (5.5 x 10(6) NPV/ml) and Bombyx mori NPV (BmNPV, 6.1 x 10(6) NPV/ml) respectively. These cell lines may find application in baculovirus expression vector studies for the production of recombinant proteins, useful in the development of diagnostic kits or as vaccines.     

Mechanisms and diversity of resistance to insect pests in wild relatives of groundnut

The levels of resistance to insect pests in cultivated groundnut (Arachis hypogaea) germplasm are quite low, and therefore, we screened 30 accessions of Arachis spp. and 12 derived lines for resistance to insect pests under field and greenhouse conditions. Accessions belonging to Arachis cardenasii, Arachis duranensis, Arachis kempff-mercadoi, Arachis monticola, Arachis stenosperma, Arachis paraguariensis, Arachis pusilla, and Arachis triseminata showed multiple resistance to the leaf miner Aproaerema modicella, Helicoverpa armigera, Empoasca kerri, and to rust, Puccnia arachidis Speg., and late leaf spot, Cercosporidium personatum (Berk. et Curt.). Arachis cardenasii (ICG 8216), Arachis ipaensis (ICG 8206), A. paraguariensis (ICG 8130), and Arachis appressipila (ICG 8946) showed resistance to leaf feeding and antibiosis to Spodoptera litura under no-choice conditions. Six lines, derived from wild relatives, showed resistance to H. armigera and S. litura, and/or leaf miner. Plant morphological characteristics such as main stem thickness, hypanthium length, leaflet shape and length, leaf hairiness, standard petal length and petal markings, basal leaflet width, main stem thickness and hairiness, stipule adnation length and width, and peg length showed significant correlation and/or regression coefficients with damage by H. armigera, S. litura, and leafhoppers, and these traits can possibly be used as markers to select for resistance to these insect pests. Principal component analysis placed the Arachis spp. accessions into five groups, and these differences can be exploited to diversify resistance to the target insect pests in groundnut.     

Transgenic rice established to express corn cystatin exhibits strong inhibitory activity against insect gut proteinases

Corn cystatin (CC), a phytocystatin, shows a wide inhibitory spectrum against various cysteine proteinases. We produced transgenic rice plants by introducing CC cDNA under CaMV 35S promoter as a first step to obtain a rice plant with insecticidal activity. This attempt was based on the observation that many insect pests, especially Coleoptera, have cysteine proteinases, probably digestive enzymes, and also that oryzacystatin, an intrinsic rice cystatin, shows a narrow inhibition spectrum and is present in ordinary rice seeds in insufficient amounts to inhibit the cysteine proteinases of rice insect pests. The transgenic rice plants generated contained high levels of CC mRNA and CC protein in both seeds and leaves, the CC protein content of the seed reaching ca. 2% of the total heat soluble protein. We also recovered CC activity from seeds and found that the CC fraction efficiently inhibited both papain and cathepsin H, whereas the corresponding fraction from non-transformed rice seeds showed much lower or undetectable inhibitory activities against these cysteine proteinases. Furthermore, CC prepared from transgenic rice plants showed potent inhibitory activity against proteinases that occur in the gut of the insect pest, Sitophilus zeamais.     

Identification of Virulent Isolates of the Entomopathogenic Fungus Nomuraea Rileyi (F) Samson for the Management of Helicoverpa Armigera and Spodoptera Litura

Eleven geographical isolates of the entomopathogenic fungus Nomuraea rileyi (Farlow) Samson of Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner)/Spodoptera litura (Fabricius) origin were studied for efficacy against the two host insects. Laboratory bioassays at a concentration of 2 x 10(8) conidia ml(-1) indicated that N. rileyi isolates of S. litura origin were better in terms of time taken for mycosis and mortality in both the test larvae: S. litura (77-80% mortality in 7 days) and H. armigera (79-85% in 8 days). Among the isolates of S. litura origin, geographical isolates from Hyderabad and Karimnagar were superior in terms of high percent kill as well as 100% germination of conidia within 48 h. Fastest germination was observed with Karimnagar isolate followed by Hyderabad isolate. Conidial yield was highest on barley-carrot extract-yeast extract medium. However in terms of material cost, barley-yeast extract medium was the lowest. The Karimnagar isolate of S. litura origin gave the highest conidial yield on barley-yeast extract medium. Chitinolytic enzyme profiles of different isolates revealed polymorphism in all the isolates from S. litura origin. Overall among the parameters studied the best traits were found in the Karimnagar isolate of S. litura origin.     

KINETIC ASSESSMENT AND EFFECT ON DEVELOPMENTAL PHYSIOLOGY OF A TRYPSIN INHIBITOR FROM Eugenia jambolana (JAMBUL) SEEDS ON Helicoverpa armigera (HÜBNER)

A trypsin inhibitor was purified from the seeds of Eugenia jambolana (Jambul) with a fold purification of 14.28 and a yield recovery of 2.8%. Electrophoretic analysis of E. jambolana trypsin inhibitor (EjTI) revealed a molecular weight of approximately 17.4 kDa on 12% denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with or without reduction. EjTI exhibited high stability over a wide range of temperatures (4–80 °C for 30 min) and pH (3.0–10.0) and inhibited trypsin‐like activities of the midgut proteinases of fourth instar Helicoverpa armigera larvae by approximately 86%. Feeding assays containing 0.05, 0.15, and 0.45 (% w/w) EjTI on functionally important fourth‐instar larvae indicated a dose‐dependent downfall in the larval body weight as well as on extent of survival. The nutritional analysis suggests that EjTI exerts toxic effects on H. armigera. Dixon plot analysis revealed competitive inhibition of larval midgut proteinases by EjTI, with an inhibition constant (K_i) of approximately 3.1 × 10^?9 M. However, inhibitor kinetics using double reciprocal plots for trypsin inhibition demonstrated a mixed inhibition pattern. These observations suggest the potential of E. jambolana trypsin inhibitor protein in insect pest management.     

Survival and development of Campoletis chlorideae on various insect and crop hosts: implications for Bt-transgenic crops

Abstract:  The parasitic wasp, Campoletis chlorideae is an important larval parasitoid of Helicoverpa armigera a serious pest of cotton, grain legumes and cereals. Large-scale deployment of Bt -transgenic crops with resistance to H. armigera may have potential consequences for the development and survival of C. chlorideae . Therefore, we studied the tritrophic interactions of C. chlorideae involving eight insect host species and six host crops under laboratory conditions. The recovery of H. armigera larvae following release was greater on pigeonpea and chickpea when compared with cotton, groundnut and pearl millet. The parasitism by C. chlorideae females was least with reduction in cocoon formation and adult emergence on H. armigera larvae released on chickpea. Host insects also had significant effect on the development and survival of C. chlorideae . The larval period of C. chlorideae was prolonged by 2–3 days on Spodoptera exigua , Mythimna separata and Achaea janata when compared with H. armigera , Helicoverpa assulta and Spodoptera litura . Maximum cocoon formation and adult emergence were recorded on H. armigera (82.4% and 70.5%, respectively) than on other insect hosts. These studies have important implications on development and survival of C. chlorideae on alternate insect hosts on non-transgenic crop plants, when there is paucity of H. armigera larvae on transgenic crops expressing Bt -toxins.     

Characterization of Serine Proteinase Inhibitor from Subabul (Leucaena leucocephala Lam) Seeds

Partially purified subabul trypsin inhibitor (STI) showed high level of thermotolerance and pH stability with a molecular weight of -15 kD. Bioassay results showed that STI is a strong inhibitor of Helicoverpa armigera larval gut proteinases. In vitro feeding experiments revealed 40% mortality in inhibitor fed larvae followed by 12 days extension in larval growth period and significant reduction in pupal weight. Differential activity staining for the larval gut proteolytic enzymes did not show any difference in the isoprotease pattern between the control and the larvae fed with STI.