Fitness costs of sublethal exposure to Bacillus thuringiensis in Helicoverpa armigera : a carryover study on offspring

2012 ◽  
Vol 137 (7) ◽  
pp. 540-549 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Sedaratian ◽  
Y. Fathipour ◽  
R. Talaei-Hassanloui ◽  
J. L. Jurat-Fuentes
Keyword(s):  
Bacillus Thuringiensis ◽  
Helicoverpa Armigera ◽  
Fitness Costs ◽  
Sublethal Exposure ◽  
Helicoverpa Armígera

scholarly journals Effectiveness of Bacillus thuringiensis-Transgenic Chickpeas and the Entomopathogenic Fungus Metarhizium anisopliae in Controlling Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

2008 ◽  
Vol 74 (14) ◽  
pp. 4381-4389 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. C. Lawo ◽  
R. J. Mahon ◽  
R. J. Milner ◽  
B. K. Sarmah ◽  
T. J. V. Higgins ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bacillus Thuringiensis ◽  
Helicoverpa Armigera ◽  
Metarhizium Anisopliae ◽  
Entomopathogenic Fungus ◽  
Fitness Costs ◽  
Cry Proteins ◽  
Bt Crops ◽  
Helicoverpa Armígera ◽  
Lepidoptera Noctuidae ◽  
Increased Susceptibility

ABSTRACT The use of genetically modified (Bt) crops expressing lepidopteran-specific Cry proteins derived from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis is an effective method to control the polyphagous pest Helicoverpa armigera. As H. armigera potentially develops resistance to Cry proteins, Bt crops should be regarded as one tool in integrated pest management. Therefore, they should be compatible with biological control. Bioassays were conducted to understand the interactions between a Cry2Aa-expressing chickpea line, either a susceptible or a Cry2A-resistant H. armigera strain, and the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae. In a first concentration-response assay, Cry2A-resistant larvae were more tolerant of M. anisopliae than susceptible larvae, while in a second bioassay, the fungus caused similar mortalities in the two strains fed control chickpea leaves. Thus, resistance to Cry2A did not cause any fitness costs that became visible as increased susceptibility to the fungus. On Bt chickpea leaves, susceptible H. armigera larvae were more sensitive to M. anisopliae than on control leaves. It appeared that sublethal damage induced by the B. thuringiensis toxin enhanced the effectiveness of M. anisopliae. For Cry2A-resistant larvae, the mortalities caused by the fungus were similar when they were fed either food source. To examine which strain would be more likely to be exposed to the fungus, their movements on control and Bt chickpea plants were compared. Movement did not appear to differ among larvae on Bt or conventional chickpeas, as indicated by the number of leaflets damaged per leaf. The findings suggest that Bt chickpeas and M. anisopliae are compatible to control H. armigera.

scholarly journals Bacillus thuringiensis Bel Protein Enhances the Toxicity of Cry1Ac Protein to Helicoverpa armigera Larvae by Degrading Insect Intestinal Mucin

2009 ◽  
Vol 75 (16) ◽  
pp. 5237-5243 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shangling Fang ◽  
Li Wang ◽  
Wei Guo ◽  
Xia Zhang ◽  
Donghai Peng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bacillus Thuringiensis ◽  
Helicoverpa Armigera ◽  
Trichoplusia Ni ◽  
Knockout Mutant ◽  
Gene Encoding ◽  
In Vitro Degradation ◽  
Intestinal Mucin ◽  
Helicoverpa Armígera ◽  
Cry1ac Protein

ABSTRACT Bacillus thuringiensis has been used as a bioinsecticide to control agricultural insects. Bacillus cereus group genomes were found to have a Bacillus enhancin-like (bel) gene, encoding a peptide with 20 to 30% identity to viral enhancin protein, which can enhance viral infection by degradation of the peritrophic matrix (PM) of the insect midgut. In this study, the bel gene was found to have an activity similar to that of the viral enhancin gene. A bel knockout mutant was constructed by using a plasmid-free B. thuringiensis derivative, BMB171. The 50% lethal concentrations of this mutant plus the cry1Ac insecticidal protein gene were about 5.8-fold higher than those of the BMB171 strain. When purified Bel was mixed with the Cry1Ac protein and fed to Helicoverpa armigera larvae, 3 μg/ml Cry1Ac alone induced 34.2% mortality. Meanwhile, the mortality rate rose to 74.4% when the same amount of Cry1Ac was mixed with 0.8 μg/ml of Bel. Microscopic observation showed a significant disruption detected on the midgut PM of H. armigera larvae after they were fed Bel. In vitro degradation assays showed that Bel digested the intestinal mucin (IIM) of Trichoplusia ni and H. armigera larvae to various degrading products, similar to findings for viral enhancin. These results imply Bel toxicity enhancement depends on the destruction of midgut PM and IIM, similar to the case with viral enhancin. This discovery showed that Bel has the potential to enhance insecticidal activity of B. thuringiensis-based biopesticides and transgenic crops.

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