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Berini F, Montali A, Liguori R, Venturini G, Bonelli M, Shaltiel-Harpaz L, Reguzzoni M, Siti M, Marinelli F, Casartelli M, Tettamanti G. Production and characterization of Trichoderma asperellum chitinases and their use in synergy with Bacillus thuringiensis for lepidopteran control. PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2024; 80:3401-3411. [PMID: 38407453 DOI: 10.1002/ps.8045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite their known negative effects on ecosystems and human health, synthetic pesticides are still largely used to control crop insect pests. Currently, the biopesticide market for insect biocontrol mainly relies on the entomopathogenic bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). New biocontrol tools for crop protection might derive from fungi, in particular from Trichoderma spp., which are known producers of chitinases and other bioactive compounds able to negatively affect insect survival. RESULTS In this study, we first developed an environmentally sustainable production process for obtaining chitinases from Trichoderma asperellum ICC012. Then, we investigated the biological effects of this chitinase preparation - alone or in combination with a Bt-based product - when orally administered to two lepidopteran species. Our results demonstrate that T. asperellum efficiently produces a multi-enzymatic cocktail able to alter the chitin microfibril network of the insect peritrophic matrix, resulting in delayed development and larval death. The co-administration of T. asperellum chitinases and sublethal concentrations of Bt toxins increased larval mortality. This synergistic effect was likely due to the higher amount of Bt toxins that passed the damaged peritrophic matrix and reached the target receptors on the midgut cells of chitinase-treated insects. CONCLUSION Our findings may contribute to the development of an integrated pest management technology based on fungal chitinases that increase the efficacy of Bt-based products, mitigating the risk of Bt-resistance development. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Berini
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Sciences, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
- Interuniversity Centre for Studies on Bioinspired Agro-Environmental Technology (BAT Centre), University of Naples Federico II, Portici, Italy
| | - Aurora Montali
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Sciences, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
| | - Riccardo Liguori
- Isagro Research Centre affiliated to Gowan Crop Protection Ltd, Novara, Italy
| | - Giovanni Venturini
- Isagro Research Centre affiliated to Gowan Crop Protection Ltd, Novara, Italy
| | - Marco Bonelli
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Liora Shaltiel-Harpaz
- Integrated Pest Management Laboratory Northern R&D, MIGAL - Galilee Research Institute, Kiryat Shmona, Israel
- Environmental Sciences Department, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, Tel Hai College, Kiryat Shmona, Israel
| | - Marcella Reguzzoni
- Department of Medicine and Technological Innovation, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
| | - Moran Siti
- Luxembourg Industries Ltd, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Flavia Marinelli
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Sciences, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
- Interuniversity Centre for Studies on Bioinspired Agro-Environmental Technology (BAT Centre), University of Naples Federico II, Portici, Italy
| | - Morena Casartelli
- Interuniversity Centre for Studies on Bioinspired Agro-Environmental Technology (BAT Centre), University of Naples Federico II, Portici, Italy
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Gianluca Tettamanti
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Sciences, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
- Interuniversity Centre for Studies on Bioinspired Agro-Environmental Technology (BAT Centre), University of Naples Federico II, Portici, Italy
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Güney G, Cedden D, Hänniger S, Hegedus DD, Heckel DG, Toprak U. Peritrophins are involved in the defense against Bacillus thuringiensis and nucleopolyhedrovirus formulations in Spodoptera littoralis (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2024; 166:104073. [PMID: 38215915 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2024.104073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2023] [Revised: 01/07/2024] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/14/2024]
Abstract
The peritrophic matrix (or peritrophic membrane, PM) is present in most insects where it acts as a barrier to mechanical insults and pathogens, as well as a facilitator of digestive processes. The PM is formed by the binding of structural PM proteins, referred to as peritrophins, to chitin fibrils and spans the entire midgut in lepidopterans. To investigate the role of peritrophins in a highly polyphagous lepidopteran pest, namely the cotton leafworm (Spodoptera littoralis), we generated Insect Intestinal Mucin (IIM-) and non-mucin Peritrophin (PER-) mutant strains via CRISPR/Cas9 mutagenesis. Both strains exhibited deformed PMs and retarded developmental rates. Bioassays conducted with Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) and nucleopolyhedrovirus (SpliNPV) formulations showed that both the IIM- and PER- mutant larvae were more susceptible to these bioinsecticides compared to the wild-type (WT) larvae with intact PM. Interestingly, the provision of chitin-binding agent Calcofluor (CF) in the diet lowered the toxicity of Bt formulations in both WT and IIM- larvae and the protective effect of CF was significantly lower in PER- larvae. This suggested that the interaction of CF with PER is responsible for Bt resistance mediated by CF. In contrast, the provision of CF caused increased susceptibility to SpliNPV in both mutants and WT larvae. The study showed the importance of peritrophins in the defense against pathogens in S. littoralis and revealed novel insights into CF-mediated resistance to Cry toxin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gözde Güney
- Agricultural Entomology, Department of Crop Sciences, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Department of Entomology, Jena, Germany; Ankara University, Molecular Entomology Lab., Dept. of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Doga Cedden
- Department of Evolutionary Developmental Genetics, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute, GZMB, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany; Ankara University, Molecular Entomology Lab., Dept. of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Sabine Hänniger
- Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Department of Entomology, Jena, Germany
| | - Dwayne D Hegedus
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Saskatoon, SK, Canada; University of Saskatchewan, Department of Food and Bioproduct Sciences, College of Agriculture and Bioresources, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - David G Heckel
- Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Department of Entomology, Jena, Germany.
| | - Umut Toprak
- Ankara University, Molecular Entomology Lab., Dept. of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Ankara, Turkey.
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Norris EJ, Bloomquist JR. Co-Toxicity Factor Analysis Reveals Numerous Plant Essential Oils Are Synergists of Natural Pyrethrins against Aedes aegypti Mosquitoes. INSECTS 2021; 12:154. [PMID: 33670293 PMCID: PMC7917600 DOI: 10.3390/insects12020154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Revised: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
With insecticide-resistant mosquito populations becoming an ever-growing concern, new vector control technologies are needed. With the lack of new chemical classes of insecticides to control mosquito populations, the development of novel synergists may improve the performance of available insecticides. We screened a set of 20 plant essential oils alone and in combination with natural pyrethrins against Aedes aegypti (Orlando) female adult mosquitoes to assess their ability to synergize this natural insecticide. A co-toxicity factor analysis was used to identify whether plant oils modulated the toxicity of natural pyrethrins antagonistically, additively, or synergistically. Both knockdown at 1 h and mortality at 24 h were monitored. A majority of oils increased the toxicity of natural pyrethrins, either via an additive or synergistic profile. Many oils produced synergism at 2 µg/insect, whereas others were synergistic only at the higher dose of 10 µg/insect. Amyris, cardamom, cedarwood, and nutmeg East Indies (E.I.) oils were the most active oils for increasing the mortality of natural pyrethrins at 24 h with co-toxicity factors greater than 50 at either or both doses. A number of oils also synergized the 1 h knockdown of natural pyrethrins. Of these, fir needle oil and cypress oils were the most successful at improving the speed-of-action of natural pyrethrins at both doses, with co-toxicity factors of 130 and 62, respectively. To further assess the co-toxicity factor method, we applied selected plant essential oils with variable doses of natural pyrethrins to calculate synergism ratios. Only the oils that produced synergistic co-toxicity factors produced statistically significant synergism ratios. This analysis demonstrated that the degree of co-toxicity factor correlated well with the degree of synergism ratio observed (Pearson correlation coefficient r = 0.94 at 2 µg/insect; r = 0.64 at 10 µg/insect) and that the co-toxicity factor is a useful tool in screening for synergistic activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edmund J. Norris
- United States Department of Agriculture, Center for Medical, Agricultural, and Veterinary Entomology, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA;
| | - Jeffrey R. Bloomquist
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA;
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Vílchez S. Making 3D-Cry Toxin Mutants: Much More Than a Tool of Understanding Toxins Mechanism of Action. Toxins (Basel) 2020; 12:toxins12090600. [PMID: 32948025 PMCID: PMC7551160 DOI: 10.3390/toxins12090600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Revised: 08/15/2020] [Accepted: 08/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
3D-Cry toxins, produced by the entomopathogenic bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis, have been extensively mutated in order to elucidate their elegant and complex mechanism of action necessary to kill susceptible insects. Together with the study of the resistant insects, 3D-Cry toxin mutants represent one of the pillars to understanding how these toxins exert their activity on their host. The principle is simple, if an amino acid is involved and essential in the mechanism of action, when substituted, the activity of the toxin will be diminished. However, some of the constructed 3D-Cry toxin mutants have shown an enhanced activity against their target insects compared to the parental toxins, suggesting that it is possible to produce novel versions of the natural toxins with an improved performance in the laboratory. In this report, all mutants with an enhanced activity obtained by accident in mutagenesis studies, together with all the variants obtained by rational design or by directed mutagenesis, were compiled. A description of the improved mutants was made considering their historical context and the parallel development of the protein engineering techniques that have been used to obtain them. This report demonstrates that artificial 3D-Cry toxins made in laboratories are a real alternative to natural toxins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susana Vílchez
- Institute of Biotechnology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I, Faculty of Science, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
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Guo W, Kain W, Wang P. Effects of disruption of the peritrophic membrane on larval susceptibility to Bt toxin Cry1Ac in cabbage loopers. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2019; 117:103897. [PMID: 31199901 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2019.103897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2019] [Revised: 06/05/2019] [Accepted: 06/10/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The insect midgut peritrophic membrane (or peritrophic matrix) (PM) is an extracellular structure, lining the midgut epithelium. The PM facilitates the food digestion process and plays important roles in insect-microbe interactions as a barrier against microbial pathogens. The soil bacterium, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), and its proteinaceous toxins are widely used for insect control. To understand the protective role of PM in insects against Bt toxins, the effect of PM on larval susceptibility to Bt toxin Cry1Ac was examined in Cry1Ac-susceptible and -resistant strains of the cabbage looper, Trichoplusia ni. The PM in T. ni was disrupted, using a baculovirus enhancin (TnGV enhancin) to degrade the major PM mucin protein IIM and a chitin binding chemical, Calcofluor, to inhibit the binding of PM proteins to chitin. Bioassays of the susceptibility of T. ni larvae to Cry1Ac with treatment of TnGV enhancin showed significantly increased larval mortality in both the Cry1Ac susceptible and resistant strains, confirming that the PM is a protective barrier to the passage of Cry1Ac and plays a protective role against the toxin. However, treatment of T. ni larvae with Calcofluor significantly reduced the larval susceptibility to Cry1Ac. The level of mortality reduction by treatment with Calcofluor was more significant in the resistant T. ni strains than in the susceptible strain. The mechanism for the decrease of susceptibility to Cry1Ac in T. ni treated with Calcofluor needs to be understood. It may result from binding of the toxin to the over expressed PM proteins, preventing the Cry1Ac from reaching the midgut receptor for the toxin or from potential binding of Calcofluor to the midgut receptor for Cry1Ac, leading to inhibition of the toxicity of Cry1Ac in larvae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Guo
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Geneva, NY 14456, USA
| | - Wendy Kain
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Geneva, NY 14456, USA
| | - Ping Wang
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Geneva, NY 14456, USA.
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Erlandson MA, Toprak U, Hegedus DD. Role of the peritrophic matrix in insect-pathogen interactions. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2019; 117:103894. [PMID: 31175854 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2019.103894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2019] [Revised: 05/27/2019] [Accepted: 06/05/2019] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
The peritrophic matrix (PM) is an acellular chitin and glycoprotein layer that lines the invertebrate midgut. The PM has long been considered a physical as well as a biochemical barrier, protecting the midgut epithelium from abrasive food particles, digestive enzymes and pathogens infectious per os. This short review will focus on the latter function, as a barrier to pathogens infectious per os. We focus on the evidence confirming the role of the PM as protective barrier against pathogenic microorganisms of insects, mainly bacteria and viruses, as well as the evolution of a variety of mechanisms used by pathogens to overcome the PM barrier.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin A Erlandson
- Saskatoon Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada; Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.
| | - Umut Toprak
- Molecular Entomology Laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Dwayne D Hegedus
- Saskatoon Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada; Department of Food and Bioproduct Science, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
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Malovichko YV, Nizhnikov AA, Antonets KS. Repertoire of the Bacillus thuringiensis Virulence Factors Unrelated to Major Classes of Protein Toxins and Its Role in Specificity of Host-Pathogen Interactions. Toxins (Basel) 2019; 11:E347. [PMID: 31212976 PMCID: PMC6628457 DOI: 10.3390/toxins11060347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2019] [Revised: 05/21/2019] [Accepted: 06/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is a Gram-positive soil bacteria that infects invertebrates, predominantly of Arthropoda phylum. Due to its immense host range Bt has become a leading producer of biopesticides applied both in biotechnology and agriculture. Cytotoxic effect of Bt, as well as its host specificity, are commonly attributed either to proteinaceous crystal parasporal toxins (Cry and Cyt) produced by bacteria in a stationary phase or to soluble toxins of Vip and Sip families secreted by vegetative cells. At the same time, numerous non-toxin virulence factors of Bt have been discovered, including metalloproteases, chitinases, aminopolyol antibiotics and nucleotide-mimicking moieties. These agents act at each stage of the B. thuringiensis invasion and contribute to cytotoxic properties of Bt strains enhancing toxin activity, ensuring host immune response evasion and participating in extracellular matrix degeneration. In this review we attempt to classify Bt virulence factors unrelated to major groups of protein toxins and discuss their putative role in the establishment of Bt specificity to various groups of insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yury V Malovichko
- Laboratory for Proteomics of Supra-Organismal Systems, All-Russia Research Institute for Agricultural Microbiology (ARRIAM), St. Petersburg 196608, Russia.
- Faculty of Biology, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg 199034, Russia.
| | - Anton A Nizhnikov
- Laboratory for Proteomics of Supra-Organismal Systems, All-Russia Research Institute for Agricultural Microbiology (ARRIAM), St. Petersburg 196608, Russia.
- Faculty of Biology, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg 199034, Russia.
| | - Kirill S Antonets
- Laboratory for Proteomics of Supra-Organismal Systems, All-Russia Research Institute for Agricultural Microbiology (ARRIAM), St. Petersburg 196608, Russia.
- Faculty of Biology, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg 199034, Russia.
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