Modelling biological control with wild-type and genetically modified baculoviruses in the Helicoverpa armigera–cotton system

Displaying enhancing factors on the surface of occlusion bodies improves the insecticidal efficacy of a baculovirus

BACKGROUND

Baculoviruses provide long-lasting control of crop pests and are harmless to humans and non-target animals, making them attractive bioinsecticides. Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) has a wide-host range and is one such commercial bioinsecticide, but its low infectivity to older larvae and less-sensitive species precludes its large-scale application. We sought to improve the infectivity of AcMNPV.

RESULTS

Two enhancing factors, the truncated enhancin from Agrotis segetum granulovirus and GP37 from Cydia pomonella granulovirus, were expressed in fusion with the N-terminal and middle domain of the polyhedrin envelope protein of AcMNPV. Western blotting and immunoelectron microscopy analysis indicated that the enhancing factors were expressed on the occlusion bodies of the resulting AcMNPV variants. Bioassays showed that the median lethal doses of the recombinant viruses were 3.9-fold to 7.4-fold lower than those of the wild-type virus against the second and fourth instar of Spodoptera exigua larvae. The yields of occlusion bodies from the two recombinants in S. exigua larvae were comparable with those of the wild-type virus both in vitro and in vivo. Further bioassays showed that the AcMNPV variants fusing the enhancing factors were incapable of infecting the second instar larvae of S. litura, Helicoverpa armigera, and Pyrausta nubilalis, which were not sensitive to the wild-type AcMNPV.

CONCLUSION

These genetically modified AcMNPV variants exhibited an enhanced infectivity and may offer better baculovirus control of crop pests. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

History and current status of development and use of viral insecticides in China

The use of insect viruses as biological control agents started in the early 1960s in China. To date, more than 32 viruses have been used to control insect pests in agriculture, forestry, pastures, and domestic gardens in China. In 2014, 57 products from 11 viruses were authorized as commercial viral insecticides by the Ministry of Agriculture of China. Approximately 1600 tons of viral insecticidal formulations have been produced annually in recent years, accounting for about 0.2% of the total insecticide output of China. The development and use of Helicoverpa armigera nucleopolyhedrovirus, Mamestra brassicae nucleopolyhedrovirus, Spodoptera litura nucleopolyhedrovirus, and Periplaneta fuliginosa densovirus are discussed as case studies. Additionally, some baculoviruses have been genetically modified to improve their killing rate, infectivity, and ultraviolet resistance. In this context, the biosafety assessment of a genetically modified Helicoverpa armigera nucleopolyhedrovirus is discussed.

The biological control of disease vectors

Vector-borne diseases are common in nature and can have a large impact on humans, livestock and crops. Biological control of vectors using natural enemies or competitors can reduce vector density and hence disease transmission. However, the indirect interactions inherent in host-vector disease systems make it difficult to use traditional pest control theory to guide biological control of disease vectors. This necessitates a conceptual framework that explicitly considers a range of indirect interactions between the host-vector disease system and the vector's biological control agent. Here we conduct a comparative analysis of the efficacy of different types of biological control agents in controlling vector-borne diseases. We report three key findings. First, highly efficient predators and parasitoids of the vector prove to be effective biological control agents, but highly virulent pathogens of the vector also require a high transmission rate to be effective. Second, biocontrol agents can successfully reduce long-term host disease incidence even though they may fail to reduce long-term vector densities. Third, inundating a host-vector disease system with a natural enemy of the vector has little or no effect on reducing disease incidence, but inundating the system with a competitor of the vector has a large effect on reducing disease incidence. The comparative framework yields predictions that are useful in developing biological control strategies for vector-borne diseases. We discuss how these predictions can inform ongoing biological control efforts for host-vector disease systems.