昆虫共生微生物在病虫害和疾病控制上的应用前景

昆虫与微生物之间的互利共生关系是自然界中一种常见的互作形式。昆虫的种类丰富多样并且在自然界中分布广泛,在一定程度上得益于共生微生物的帮助。随着生物技术的不断发展,越来越多的共生微生物和互利共生模式得以发现并深入研究。微生物不仅能够为昆虫的生长发育提供营养,还能合成很多生物活性物质、调节宿主的免疫、对抗捕食者和抵御病原微生物感染,成为宿主昆虫健康和适应的守护者。鉴于共生微生物与昆虫生理生态的密切联系,以及昆虫对人类经济与健康的重要影响,利用共生微生物对昆虫及虫媒病进行生物控制已经成为一个热点研究方向,并展现了良好的应用前景。本文对昆虫共生微生物的多样性、生物学功能、与宿主相互作用机制及其在病虫害和虫媒病防治中的研究进展进行综述和展望。

Insect microbiome and their potential application in the insect pest and vector-borne disease control

Insect-microbe symbiosis is a common type of interaction in nature. Insects are the most diverse and abundant group of species with a wide range of distribution. The evolutionary success of insects and their diversification into a wide range of ecological niches are partly due to the beneficial interaction with their associated microbiome. With the development and application of omics, numbers of symbionts have been discovered and novel symbiotic relationships were revealed. Symbionts play important roles on insect hosts in many ways, including provision of nutrients, production of bioactive components, modulation of host immune hemeostasis, protection from predators and pathogens. Therefore, symbionts serve as guardian of the insect health and adaptation Considering the important relationship of insect symbionts and hosts, insect symbionts have become promising in the development of novel tools for the biological control of insect pests, and blocking the transmission of insect-borne diseases. In this paper, we provide an overview on diversity of insect symbionts, the latest advance in the understanding of biological functions of insect symbionts, interactions between insect hosts and symbionts, and the novel strategies for the control of insect pest and vetor-borne diseases. Finally, we will discuss the directions for future study.