Episodic positive selection at mitochondrial genome in an introduced biological control agent

Mitochondrion ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 28 ◽  
pp. 67-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hao-Sen Li ◽  
Xin-Yu Liang ◽  
Shang-Jun Zou ◽  
Yang Liu ◽  
Patrick De Clercq ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Mitochondrial Genome ◽  
Positive Selection ◽  
Biological Control Agent ◽  
Control Agent

scholarly journals Identification of Loci Associated with Enhanced Virulence in Spodoptera litura Nucleopolyhedrovirus Isolates Using Deep Sequencing

Viruses ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 872 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zwart ◽  
Ali ◽  
Strien ◽  
Schijlen ◽  
Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Positive Selection ◽  
Central Asia ◽  
Spodoptera Litura ◽  
Biological Control Agent ◽  
Control Agent ◽  
Chinese Isolate ◽  
Speed Of Kill ◽  
Reading Frame ◽  
Synonymous Mutations

Spodoptera litura is an emerging pest insect in cotton and arable crops in Central Asia. To explore the possibility of using baculoviruses as biological control agents instead of chemical pesticides, in a previous study we characterized a number of S. litura nucleopolyhedrovirus (SpltNPV) isolates from Pakistan. We found significant differences in speed of kill, an important property of a biological control agent. Here we set out to understand the genetic basis of these differences in speed of kill, by comparing the genome of the fast-killing SpltNPV-Pak-TAX1 isolate with that of the slow-killing SpltNPV-Pak-BNG isolate. These two isolates and the SpltNPV-G2 reference strain from China were deep sequenced with Illumina. As expected, the two Pakistani isolates were closely related with >99% sequence identity, whereas the Chinese isolate was more distantly related. We identified two loci that may be associated with the fast action of the SpltNPV-Pak-TAX1 isolate. First, an analysis of rates of synonymous and non-synonymous mutations identified neutral to positive selection on open reading frame (ORF) 122, encoding a viral fibroblast growth factor (vFGF) that is known to affect virulence in other baculoviruses. Second, the homologous repeat region hr17, a putative enhancer of transcription and origin of replication, is absent in SpltNPV-Pak-TAX1 suggesting it may also affect virulence. Additionally, we found there is little genetic variation within both Pakistani isolates, and we identified four genes under positive selection in both isolates that may have played a role in adaptation of SpltNPV to conditions in Central Asia. Our results contribute to the understanding of the enhanced activity of SpltNPV-Pak-TAX1, and may help to select better SpltNPV isolates for the control of S. litura in Pakistan and elsewhere.

The potential of Mecysolobus erro (Curculionidae) as a biological control agent for Buddleia

2002 ◽  
Vol 55 ◽  
pp. 433-433
Author(s):  
B.A. Gresham ◽  
M.K. Kay ◽  
W. Faulds ◽  
T.M. Withers
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Biological Control Agent ◽  
Control Agent

scholarly journals Limited host range in the idiobiont parasitoid Phymasticus coffea, a prospective biological control agent of the coffee pest Hypothenemus hampei in Hawaii

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fazila Yousuf ◽  
Peter A. Follett ◽  
Conrad P. D. T. Gillett ◽  
David Honsberger ◽  
Lourdes Chamorro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Biological Control Agent ◽  
Classical Biological Control ◽  
Environmental Safety ◽  
Control Agent ◽  
Hypothenemus Hampei ◽  
Parasitism Rate ◽  
Limited Host Range ◽  
Parasitoid Development

AbstractPhymastichus coffea LaSalle (Hymenoptera:Eulophidae) is an adult endoparasitoid of the coffee berry borer, Hypothenemus hampei (Ferrari) (Coleoptera:Curculionidae:Scolytinae), which has been introduced in many coffee producing countries as a biological control agent. To determine the effectiveness of P. coffea against H. hampei and environmental safety for release in Hawaii, we investigated the host selection and parasitism response of adult females to 43 different species of Coleoptera, including 23 Scolytinae (six Hypothenemus species and 17 others), and four additional Curculionidae. Non-target testing included Hawaiian endemic, exotic and beneficial coleopteran species. Using a no-choice laboratory bioassay, we demonstrated that P. coffea was only able to parasitize the target host H. hampei and four other adventive species of Hypothenemus: H. obscurus, H. seriatus, H. birmanus and H. crudiae. Hypothenemus hampei had the highest parasitism rate and shortest parasitoid development time of the five parasitized Hypothenemus spp. Parasitism and parasitoid emergence decreased with decreasing phylogenetic relatedness of the Hypothenemus spp. to H. hampei, and the most distantly related species, H. eruditus, was not parasitized. These results suggest that the risk of harmful non-target impacts is low because there are no native species of Hypothenemus in Hawaii, and P. coffea could be safely introduced for classical biological control of H. hampei in Hawaii.

scholarly journals Pathogenicity of Pakistani isolates of Steinernema bifurcatum and S. affine (Rhabditida: Steinernematidae) in management of stored grain pests Lasioderma serricorne and Tribolium castaneum (Coleoptera: Ptinidae, Tenebrionidae)

2021 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tabassum Ara Khanum ◽  
Salma Javed
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Tribolium Castaneum ◽  
Biological Control Agent ◽  
Economic Loss ◽  
Research Area ◽  
Control Agent ◽  
Lasioderma Serricorne ◽  
Stored Grain ◽  
Insect Infestations ◽  
Stored Grain Pests

Abstract Background Stored grain products suffer a considerable economic loss due to insect infestations. The resistance of pests to insecticide, and residues on crops are produced by the application of insecticide. Nowadays, incremental necessity has been occurred to find out alternatives to chemicals. As biological control agents, entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) attract attention increasingly in the research area recently. Results The aim of the study was to evaluate the pathogenicity of Pakistani isolates Steinernema bifurcatum and S. affine against the stored grain pests, Tribolium castaneum and Lasioderma serricorne, under laboratory conditions. Suspensions of nematodes were applied at 4 different concentrations 0, 50, 100, and 200 IJs/ml and 3 variable temperatures 15, 30, and 45°C. Pathogenicity rate was recorded after 48 h of application. The larval stage is found more susceptible than the adult. At 200 IJs, S. bifurcatum showed high mortality of L. serricorne larva (92%) and T. castaneum larva (93%), whereas S. affine showed 90 and 95% mortality of L. serricorne and T. castaneum larva, respectively, at 200 IJs. The results revealed that both species of EPN were able to control and reproduce on L. serricorne and T. castaneum. Maximum mortality was recorded at 45 °C from S. bifurcatum whereas S. affine at 15 °C. Conclusions Therefore, S. bifurcatum and S. affine could be suggested as a biological control agent for hot and cold climatic zones, respectively.

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