Tolerance to Bacillus thuringiensis endotoxin in immune-suppressed larvae of the flour moth Ephestia kuehniella

Lipophorin: The Lipid Shuttle

Insects need to transport lipids through the aqueous medium of the hemolymph to the organs in demand, after they are absorbed by the intestine or mobilized from the lipid-producing organs. Lipophorin is a lipoprotein present in insect hemolymph, and is responsible for this function. A single gene encodes an apolipoprotein that is cleaved to generate apolipophorin I and II. These are the essential protein constituents of lipophorin. In some physiological conditions, a third apolipoprotein of different origin may be present. In most insects, lipophorin transports mainly diacylglycerol and hydrocarbons, in addition to phospholipids. The fat body synthesizes and secretes lipophorin into the hemolymph, and several signals, such as nutritional, endocrine, or external agents, can regulate this process. However, the main characteristic of lipophorin is the fact that it acts as a reusable shuttle, distributing lipids between organs without being endocytosed or degraded in this process. Lipophorin interacts with tissues through specific receptors of the LDL receptor superfamily, although more recent results have shown that other proteins may also be involved. In this chapter, we describe the lipophorin structure in terms of proteins and lipids, in addition to reviewing what is known about lipoprotein synthesis and regulation. In addition, we reviewed the results investigating lipophorin's function in the movement of lipids between organs and the function of lipophorin receptors in this process.

Involvement of an Enhanced Immunity Mechanism in the Resistance to Bacillus thuringiensis in Lepidopteran Pests

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is the safest, economically successful entomopathogen to date. It is extensively produced in transgenic crops or used in spray formulations to control Lepidopteran pests. The most serious threat to the sustainable usage of Bt is insect resistance. The resistance mechanisms to Bt toxins depend not only on alterations in insect receptors, but also on the enhancement of insect immune responses. In this work, we review the current knowledge of the immune response and resistance of insects to Bt formulations and Bt proteins, mainly in Lepidopteran pests. We discuss the pattern recognition proteins for recognizing Bt, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and their synthetic signaling pathways, the prophenoloxidase system, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, nodulation, encapsulation, phagocytosis, and cell-free aggregates, which are involved in immune response reactions or resistance to Bt. This review also analyzes immune priming, which contributes to the evolution of insect resistance to Bt, and puts forward strategies to improve the insecticidal activity of Bt formulations and manage insect resistance, targeting the insect immune responses and resistance.

Hemocyte response to treatment of susceptible and resistant Asian corn borer (Ostrinia furnacalis) larvae with Cry1F toxin from Bacillus thuringiensis

Midgut receptors have been recognized as the major mechanism of resistance to Cry proteins in lepidopteran larvae, while there is a dearth of data on the role of hemocyte's response to Cry intoxication and resistance development. We aimed at investigating the role of circulating hemocytes in the intoxication of Cry1F toxin in larvae from susceptible (ACB-BtS) and resistant (ACB-FR) strains of the Asian corn borer (ACB), Ostrinia furnacalis. Transcriptome and proteome profiling identified genes and proteins involved in immune-related (tetraspanin and C-type lectins) and detoxification pathways as significantly up-regulated in the hemocytes of Cry1F treated ACB-FR. High-throughput in vitro assays revealed the binding affinity of Cry1F with the tetraspanin and C-type lectin family proteins. We found significant activation of MAPKinase (ERK 1/2, p38α, and JNK 1/2) in the hemocytes of Cry1F treated ACB-FR. In testing plausible crosstalk between a tetraspanin (CD63) and downstream MAPK signaling, we knocked down CD63 expression by RNAi and detected an alteration in JNK 1/2 level but a significant increase in susceptibility of ACB-FR larvae to Cry1F toxin. Information from this study advances a change in knowledge on the cellular immune response to Cry intoxication and its potential role in resistance in a lepidopteran pest.

RNA Interference-Mediated Knockdown of Bombyx mori Haemocyte-Specific Cathepsin L (Cat L)-Like Cysteine Protease Gene Increases Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki Toxicity and Reproduction in Insect Cadavers

The silkworm’s Cat L-like gene, which encodes a lysosomal cathepsin L-like cysteine protease, is thought to be part of the insect’s innate immunity via an as-yet-undetermined mechanism. Assuming that the primary function of Cat L-like is microbial degradation in mature phagosomes, we hypothesise that the suppression of the Cat L-like gene expression would increase Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) bacteraemia and toxicity in knockdown insects. Here, we performed a functional analysis of Cat L-like in larvae that were fed mulberry leaves contaminated with a commercial biopesticide formulation based on Bt kurstaki (Btk) (i.e., Dipel) to investigate its role in insect defence against a known entomopathogen. Exposure to sublethal doses of Dipel resulted in overexpression of the Cat L-like gene in insect haemolymph 24 and 48 h after exposure. RNA interference (RNAi)-mediated suppression of Cat L-like expression significantly increased the toxicity of Dipel to exposed larvae. Moreover, Btk replication was higher in RNAi insects, suggesting that Cat L-like cathepsin may be involved in a bacterial killing mechanism of haemocytes. Finally, our results confirm that Cat L-like protease is part of the antimicrobial defence of insects and suggest that it could be used as a target to increase the insecticidal efficacy of Bt-based biopesticides.

Response Mechanisms of Invertebrates to Bacillus thuringiensis and Its Pesticidal Proteins

Extensive use of chemical insecticides adversely affects both environment and human health. One of the most popular biological pest control alternatives is bioinsecticides based on Bacillus thuringiensis This entomopathogenic bacterium produces different protein types which are toxic to several insect, mite, and nematode species. Currently, insecticidal proteins belonging to the Cry and Vip3 groups are widely used to control insect pests both in formulated sprays and in transgenic crops. However, the benefits of B. thuringiensis-based products are threatened by insect resistance evolution. Numerous studies have highlighted that mutations in genes coding for surrogate receptors are responsible for conferring resistance to B. thuringiensis Nevertheless, other mechanisms may also contribute to the reduction of the effectiveness of B. thuringiensis-based products for managing insect pests and even to the acquisition of resistance. Here, we review the relevant literature reporting how invertebrates (mainly insects and Caenorhabditis elegans) respond to exposure to B. thuringiensis as either whole bacteria, spores, and/or its pesticidal proteins.

The Tripartite Interaction of Host Immunity-Bacillus thuringiensis Infection-Gut Microbiota

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is an important cosmopolitan bacterial entomopathogen, which produces various protein toxins that have been expressed in transgenic crops. The evolved molecular interaction between the insect immune system and gut microbiota is changed during the Bt infection process. The host immune response, such as the expression of induced antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), the melanization response, and the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), varies with different doses of Bt infection. Moreover, B. thuringiensis infection changes the abundance and structural composition of the intestinal bacteria community. The activated immune response, together with dysbiosis of the gut microbiota, also has an important effect on Bt pathogenicity and insect resistance to Bt. In this review, we attempt to clarify this tripartite interaction of host immunity, Bt infection, and gut microbiota, especially the important role of key immune regulators and symbiotic bacteria in the Bt killing activity. Increasing the effectiveness of biocontrol agents by interfering with insect resistance and controlling symbiotic bacteria can be important steps for the successful application of microbial biopesticides.

Insecticidal Activity of Bacillus thuringiensis Strains on the Nettle Caterpillar, Euprosterna elaeasa (Lepidoptera: Limacodidae)

In the present work, we evaluated the insecticidal activity of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) strains on Euprosterna elaeasa as an alternative for the organophosphate insecticide use in oil palm plantations in the Americas. The toxic effects of four Bt-strains (HD-1 var. kurstaki, SA-12 var. kurstaki, ABTS-1857 var. aizawai, and GC-91 var. aizawai) were evaluated against E. elaeasa caterpillars for toxicity, survival, anti-feeding, and mortality in field-controlled conditions. The Bt-strains, ABTS-1857 var. aizawai (LC₅₀ = 0.84 mg mL⁻¹), GC-91 var. aizawai (LC₅₀ = 1.13 mg mL⁻¹), and HD-1 var. kurstaki (LC₅₀ = 1.25 mg mL⁻¹), were the most toxic to E. elaeasa. The caterpillar survival was 99% without exposure to Bt-strains, and decreased to 52–23% in insects treated with the LC₅₀ and 10–1% in insects exposed to LC₉₀ after 48 h. Furthermore, Bt-strains decreased significantly the consumption of oil palm leaves of E. elaeasa 3 h after exposure. Mortality of E. elaeasa caterpillars caused by Bt-strains had similar lethal effects in the laboratory and in field conditions. Our data suggest that Bt-strains have insecticidal activity against E. elaeasa and, therefore, have potential applications in oil palm pest management schemes.

Transfer of Cry1F from Bt maize to eggs of resistant Spodoptera frugiperda

The intergenerational transfer of plant defense compounds by aposematic insects is well documented, and since 2006, has been shown for Cry toxins. Cry toxins are proteins naturally produced by the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) and its genes have been expressed in plants to confer insect pest resistance. In this work we tested if non-aposematic larvae of a major maize pest, Spodoptera frugiperda, with resistance to Cry1F, could transfer Cry1F from a genetically engineered maize variety to their offspring. Resistant 10-day-old larvae that fed on Cry1F Bt maize until pupation were sexed and pair-mated to produce eggs. Using ELISA we found that Cry1F was transferred to offspring (1.47-4.42 ng Cry1F/10 eggs), a toxin concentration about 28-83 times less than that detected in Cry1F Bt maize leaves. This occurred when only one or both sexes were exposed, and more was transferred when both parents were exposed, with transitory detection in the first five egg masses. This work is an unprecedented demonstration that a non-aposematic, but resistant, species can transfer Cry1F to their offspring when exposed to Bt host plant leaves as immatures.

Interaction between Insects, Toxins, and Bacteria: Have We Been Wrong So Far?

Toxins are a major virulence factor produced by many pathogenic bacteria. In vertebrates, the response of hosts to the bacteria is inseparable from the response to the toxins, allowing a comprehensive understanding of this tripartite host-pathogen-toxin interaction. However, in invertebrates, this interaction has been investigated by two complementary but historically distinct fields of research: toxinology and immunology. In this article, I highlight how such dichotomy between these two fields led to a biased, or even erroneous view of the ecology and evolution of the interaction between insects, toxins, and bacteria. I focus on the reason behind such a dichotomy, on how to bridge the fields together, and on confounding effects that could bias the outcome of the experiments. Finally, I raise four questions at the border of the two fields on the cross-effects between toxins, bacteria, and spores that have been largely underexplored to promote a more comprehensive view of this interaction.

An Overview of Mechanisms of Cry Toxin Resistance in Lepidopteran Insects

Arthropods have the capacity to evolve resistance to insecticides and insecticidal traits in genetically modified crops. Resistance development among Lepidoptera is a common phenomenon, and a repertoire of resistance mechanisms to various Cry toxins have been identified from laboratory, greenhouse, and field studies in this insect order. Elucidation of such resistance mechanisms is crucial for developing IRM (insect resistance management) strategies to ensure sustainable use of genetically modified crops. This mini review provides a comprehensive overview of mechanisms of resistance that have been reported for lepidopteran pests. This study demonstrated that resistance mechanisms are highly complex, and the most common mechanism of resistance is altered binding sites. It is yet to be established whether all these altered binding sites are regulated by an MAPK signaling pathway, which might suggest a universal mechanism of resistance in lepidopterans.

Genetics, cross-resistance and synergism of indoxacarb resistance in Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

BACKGROUND

The cotton bollworm Helicoverpa armigera is a global pest of field and horticultural crops and has developed resistance to insecticides from many chemical classes. Indoxacarb is an important option for selective control of H. armigera in a range of crops that play host to this species. A strain of H. armigera resistant to indoxacarb (designated GY7-39) was detected from the field by F₂ screening and characterised by comparison with a near-isogenic indoxacarb-susceptible laboratory strain to determine inheritance, cross-resistance profile and synergism of indoxacarb resistance.

RESULTS

The level of indoxacarb resistance in the GY7-39 strain was 139-198-fold compared with the susceptible strain. Genetic analysis showed that resistance was autosomal, incompletely dominant and conferred by one or a few closely linked loci. Indoxacarb resistance in the GY7-39 strain did not confer cross-resistance to chlorantraniliprole. The GY7-39 strain was more susceptible to emamectin benzoate, fenvalerate, Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab compared with the susceptible strain. Indoxacarb resistance was synergised by the metabolic inhibitor PBO.

CONCLUSIONS

Rapid selection of indoxacarb resistance in the GY7-39 strain indicates the potential risk of resistance development to indoxacarb in field populations of H. armigera. Lack of cross-resistance indicates that resistance could be managed effectively by the use of rotational strategies that incorporate transgenic technologies. Synergism studies indicate the potential involvement of metabolic detoxification enzymes as the mechanism of resistance to indoxacarb. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Immune memory in invertebrates

Evidence for innate immune memory (or 'priming') in invertebrates has been accumulating over the last years. We here provide an in-depth review of the current state of evidence for immune memory in invertebrates, and in particular take a phylogenetic viewpoint. Invertebrates are a very heterogeneous group of animals and accordingly, evidence for the phenomenon of immune memory as well as the hypothesized molecular underpinnings differ largely for the diverse invertebrate taxa. The majority of research currently focuses on Arthropods, while evidence from many other groups of invertebrates is fragmentary or even lacking. We here concentrate on immune memory that is induced by pathogenic challenges, but also extent our view to a non-pathogenic context, i.e. allograft rejection, which can also show forms of memory and can inform us about general principles of specific self-nonself recognition. We discuss definitions of immune memory and a number of relevant aspects such as the type of antigens used, the route of exposure, and the kinetics of reactions following priming.

Pre-feeding of a glycolipid binding protein LEC-8 from Caenorhabditis elegans revealed enhanced tolerance to Cry1Ac toxin in Helicoverpa armigera

Crystal toxins from Bacillus thuringiensis bind to glycolipids and glycoproteins using two different lectin domains in the toxin protein. Our previous observations suggested that the sequestration of crystal toxin depends on the functional interaction of a toxin lectin with glycolipids. Given the finding that competition of a galectin LEC-8 with Cry5B for binding to glycolipids resulting in reduced Bt toxicity in nematode, it is interesting to explore the role of LEC-8 in insects. Here, we reported that the LEC-8 can also be exploited by insect for their survival when they were fed with Bt toxin food. Bioassay with LEC-8 showed that pre-feeding of Helicoverpa armigera larvae reduced the Cry1Ac susceptibility. Both LEC-8 and Cry1Ac bind to the midgut glycolipid in a similar way. Further ELISA indicated that LEC-8 interacts with glycolipid from insect midgut, thus reduce Cry1Ac binding to glycolipid. This in turn enhances insect tolerance to Cry1Ac toxin. The sugar determinants of LEC-8 were studied by using haemagglutination (HA) and haemagglutination inhibition (HAI) assay. It was suggested that the terminal sugar of LEC-8 has multiple sugar binding property.

Insect tolerance to the crystal toxins Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab is mediated by the binding of monomeric toxin to lipophorin glycolipids causing oligomerization and sequestration reactions

Endotoxins from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis are used worldwide to control insect pests and vectors of diseases. Despite extensive use of the toxins as sprays and in transgenic crops, their mode of action is still not completely known. Here we show that two crystal toxins binding to different glycoprotein receptors have similar glycolipid binding properties. The glycolipid binding domain was identified in a recombinant peptide representing the domain II of the crystal toxin Cry1Ac (M-peptide). The recombinant M-peptide was isolated from bacterial lysates as a mixture of monomers and dimers and formed tetramers upon binding to glycolipid microvesicles from gut tissues and lipid particles from hemolymph plasma. Likewise, when mature toxins and M-peptides where mixed with plasma, these peptides bind to lipid particles and can be separated with lipophorin particles on low-density gradients. When mature toxin and M-peptides are added to lipid particles in increasing amounts, the peptide-particle complexes form higher aggregates that are similar to aggregates formed in low-density gradients in the presence of the toxin. This could indicate that glycolipids on lipid particles are possible targets for toxin monomers in the gut lumen, which upon binding to the glycolipids form tetramers and aggregate particles and thereby sequester the toxin inside the gut lumen before it can interact with receptors on the brush border membrane. The implication is that domain II interacting with glycolipids mediate tolerance to the toxin that is separate from interaction of the toxin with glycoprotein receptors causing toxicity.

Developmental penalties associated with inducible tolerance in Helicoverpa armigera to insecticidal toxins from Bacillus thuringiensis

Exposure of insect larvae to sublethal concentrations of crystal toxins from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt toxins) causes the induction of immune and metabolic responses that can be transmitted to offspring by epigenetic inheritance mechanisms. Given that the elevated immune status carries significant developmental penalties, we wanted to establish the relationships between immune induction, tolerance to the toxin and developmental penalties. A laboratory culture of Helicoverpa armigera was induced by a sublethal bacterial suspension containing crystal toxin Cry1Ac in one generation and maintained in the presence of toxin, acquiring significant levels of tolerance to the toxin within 12 generations of continuous exposure. Comparing tolerant and susceptible insects, we show that the induction of larval immune response and the coincident alteration of development-related metabolic activities by elicitors in the larval gut (larval induction) differs from the elevated immune status transmitted by epigenetic mechanisms (embryonic induction). Because the damaging effects of larval induction processes are higher compared to embryonic induction, it is likely that overall developmental penalties depend on the relative contribution of the two induction processes. When insects are kept with the same amount of toxin in the diet for subsequent generations, the embryonic induction process increases its contribution compared to the larval induction, resulting in reduced overall developmental penalty, while tolerance to the toxin is maintained.

Characterizing indirect prey-quality mediated effects of a Bt crop on predatory larvae of the green lacewing, Chrysoperla carnea

There is increasing evidence that insecticidal transgenic crops can indirectly cause detrimental effects on arthropod predators or parasitoids when they prey on or parasitize sublethally affected herbivores. Our studies revealed that Chrysoperla carnea is negatively affected when fed Bt-susceptible but not Cry1Ac-resistant Helicoverpa armigera larvae that had fed Bt-transgenic cotton expressing Cry1Ac. This despite the fact that the predators ingested 3.5 times more Cry1Ac when consuming the resistant caterpillars. In order to detect potential differences in the nutrient composition of prey larvae, we evaluated the glycogen and lipid content plus the sugar and free amino acid content and composition of caterpillars fed non-Bt and Bt cotton. The only change in susceptible H. armigera larvae attributable to Bt cotton feeding were changes in sugar concentration and composition. In case of the Cry1Ac-resistant H. armigera strain, feeding on Bt cotton resulted in a reduced glycogen content in the caterpillars. The predators, however, appeared to compensate for the reduced carbohydrate content of the prey by increasing biomass uptake which caused an excess intake of the other analyzed nutritional compounds. Our study clearly proves that nutritional prey-quality factors other then the Bt protein underlie the observed negative effects when C. carnea larvae are fed with Bt cotton-fed prey. Possible factors were an altered sugar composition or fitness costs associated with the excess intake of other nutrients.

Molecular characterization and RNA interference of three midgut aminopeptidase N isozymes from Bacillus thuringiensis-susceptible and -resistant strains of sugarcane borer, Diatraea saccharalis

Aminopeptidase N (APN) proteins located at the midgut epithelium of some lepidopteran species have been implicated as receptors for insecticidal proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis. cDNAs of three APN isoforms, DsAPN1, DsAPN2, and DsAPN3, from Cry1Ab-susceptible (Cry1Ab-SS) and -resistant (Cry1Ab-RR) strains of the sugarcane borer, Diatraea saccharalis (F.) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), were identified and sequenced using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and 5' rapid amplification of cDNA end (5' RACE). The characteristic APN sequence features were derived from deduced amino acid sequences of the cloned cDNAs. cDNA sequences of the three APN genes were identical between the Cry1Ab-SS and -RR strains. However, total APN proteolytic activity and gene expression of the three APNs from Cry1Ab-RR larvae were significantly lower than those of the Cry1Ab-SS strain. RNA interference (RNAi) was employed using an oral droplet feeding technique for the three APNs of the Cry1Ab-SS strain. Down-regulating expressions of the three APN genes by RNAi were corresponding to the reductions in the specific APN activity. In addition, silencing of all three APNs in D. saccharalis in vivo by RNAi resulted in a decrease in Cry1Ab susceptibility. Our results showed that reduction in expression of the three APNs is functionally associated with the Cry1Ab resistance in D. saccharalis.

Induction and transmission of tolerance to the synthetic pesticide emamectin benzoate in field and laboratory populations of diamondback moth

Field surveys of pest insect pest populations in agroecosystems reveal low but significant levels of tolerance to synthetic and biological pesticides but fail to uncover resistance alleles in test crosses. To study the potential of inducible mechanisms to generate tolerance to synthetic pesticides, we performed baseline susceptibility studies in field and laboratory populations of diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.), to commercial formulations of emamectin benzoate. Pesticide exposure in the field caused elevated levels of tolerance, which decreased in field-collected populations after maintaining insects with pesticide-free diet in the laboratory. Because no significant resistance alleles were identified in back-crossed individuals, the observed increase in tolerance was probably not based on preexisting recessive resistance mechanisms in the population. Instead, the genetic analysis after five and 12 generations is compatible with a transient up-regulation of an immune and metabolic status in tolerant insects that can be transmitted to offspring by a maternal effect. Although the epigenetic effects contributed to incremental increases in tolerance in the first five generations, other resistance mechanisms that are transmitted genetically predominate after 12 generations of increased exposure to the pesticide.

A recombinant immunosuppressive protein from Pimpla hypochondriaca (rVPr1) increases the susceptibility of Lacanobia oleracea and Mamestra brassicae larvae to Bacillus thuringiensis

The precise mechanisms underlying Bacillus thuringiensis-mediated killing of pest insects are not clear. In some cases, death may be due to septicaemia caused by Bt and/or gut bacteria gaining access to the insect haemocoel. Since insects protect themselves from microbes using an array of cellular and humoral immune defences, we aimed to determine if a recombinant immunosuppressive wasp venom protein (rVPr1) could increase the susceptibility of two pest Lepidoptera (Lacanobia oleracea and Mamestra brassicae) to Bt. Bio-assays indicated that injection of 6 microl of rVPr1 into the haemocoel of both larvae caused similar levels of mortality (less than 38%). On the other hand, the LD(30-40) of Bt for M. brassicae larvae was approximately 20 times higher than that for L. oleracea larvae. Furthermore, in bio-assays where larvae were injected with rVPr1, then fed Bt, a significant reduction in survival of larvae for both species occurred compared to each treatment on its own (P<0.001); and for L. oleracea larvae, this effect was more than additive. The results are discussed within the context of insect immunity and protection against Bt.

Arsenic interactions with lipid particles containing iron

While arsenic is toxic to all multicellular organisms, some organisms become tolerant by an unknown mechanism. We have recently uncovered an inducible tolerance mechanism in insects, which is based on a sequestration of toxins and pathogens by lipid particles. To examine whether arsenic interacts with lipid particles from mammals we compared binding of arsenic to lipid particles from insect and pig plasma after separation of lipid particles by low-density gradient centrifugation. Arsenic was found in both organisms in an area of the gradient, which corresponds to lipid-rich lipid particles. Since iron is known to affect arsenic toxicity in some organisms, we asked whether iron may be present in lipid particles. When low density cell (LDC) gradient fractions were analysed for the presence of iron we detected a peak in very low-density fractions similar to those that carried arsenic. This could indicate that arsenic interacts with lipid particles that contain iron and, if arsenic is removed from the plasma by lipid particles, that would also reduce iron-containing lipid particles at the time of arsenic emergence in the plasma. To test this assumption we measured the iron content in plasma at various time periods after the toxin ingestion. This time course revealed that iron is depleted in plasma fractions when arsenic shows a peak. Our data suggest that arsenic interacts with invertebrate and vertebrate lipid particles that are associated with proteins that may lead to detoxification by cell-free or cellular sequestration mechanisms.

Contributions of gut bacteria to Bacillus thuringiensis-induced mortality vary across a range of Lepidoptera

Background

Gut microbiota contribute to the health of their hosts, and alterations in the composition of this microbiota can lead to disease. Previously, we demonstrated that indigenous gut bacteria were required for the insecticidal toxin of Bacillus thuringiensis to kill the gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar. B. thuringiensis and its associated insecticidal toxins are commonly used for the control of lepidopteran pests. A variety of factors associated with the insect host, B. thuringiensis strain, and environment affect the wide range of susceptibilities among Lepidoptera, but the interaction of gut bacteria with these factors is not understood. To assess the contribution of gut bacteria to B. thuringiensis susceptibility across a range of Lepidoptera we examined larval mortality of six species in the presence and absence of their indigenous gut bacteria. We then assessed the effect of feeding an enteric bacterium isolated from L. dispar on larval mortality following ingestion of B. thuringiensis toxin.

Results

Oral administration of antibiotics reduced larval mortality due to B. thuringiensis in five of six species tested. These included Vanessa cardui (L.), Manduca sexta (L.), Pieris rapae (L.) and Heliothis virescens (F.) treated with a formulation composed of B. thuringiensis cells and toxins (DiPel), and Lymantria dispar (L.) treated with a cell-free formulation of B. thuringiensis toxin (MVPII). Antibiotics eliminated populations of gut bacteria below detectable levels in each of the insects, with the exception of H. virescens, which did not have detectable gut bacteria prior to treatment. Oral administration of the Gram-negative Enterobacter sp. NAB3, an indigenous gut resident of L. dispar, restored larval mortality in all four of the species in which antibiotics both reduced susceptibility to B. thuringiensis and eliminated gut bacteria, but not in H. virescens. In contrast, ingestion of B. thuringiensis toxin (MVPII) following antibiotic treatment significantly increased mortality of Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders), which was also the only species with detectable gut bacteria that lacked a Gram-negative component. Further, mortality of P. gossypiella larvae reared on diet amended with B. thuringiensis toxin and Enterobacter sp. NAB3 was generally faster than with B. thuringiensis toxin alone.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates that in some larval species, indigenous gut bacteria contribute to B. thuringiensis susceptibility. Moreover, the contribution of enteric bacteria to host mortality suggests that perturbations caused by toxin feeding induce otherwise benign gut bacteria to exert pathogenic effects. The interaction between B. thuringiensis and the gut microbiota of Lepidoptera may provide a useful model with which to identify the factors involved in such transitions.