Isaria fumosorosea (syn. Paecilomyces fumosoroseus) is potentially useful for the biological control of economically important agricultural and forest insect pests. We evaluated efficacy of two strains of this entomopathogenic fungus against last instar larvae and pupae of Egyptian cotton leafworm, Spodoptera littoralis. The first strain was Apopka 97 which is an active ingredient of commercial biopesticide PreFeRal WG (Biobest, Belgium). The second strain was isolated from Cameraria ohridella and is currently deposited under number CCM 8367 as a patent culture in the Czech Collection of Microorganisms in Brno. Blastospores of both strains were obtained after 120 hours submerged cultivation in grow media using orbital shaker. The concentration of blastospores was adjusted to 5 x 10(7) spores/ml of suspension. Soaking agent Tween 80 was added to the suspension at concentration 0.02%. Lethal effects of both fungal strains on S. littoralis were evaluated using standard dip test. Treated insects were individually placed into plastic Petri dishes (diam. 9 cm) and kept at constant laboratory conditions (temperature 23 degrees C, R.H. approx. 100%, 16L:8D photoperiod). Virulence of the strains was expressed as percentages of cumulative daily mortality corrected for mortality in the control variant. Obtained results revealed higher virulence of CCM 8367 blastospores to the last instar larvae of S. littoralis (93.1% mortality) on the 7th day after the treatment compared to Apopka 97 (65.5% mortality). Even more obvious difference was found in pupae, where corrected mortality of CCM 8367-treated pupae was 80.0% while mortality in Apopka 97-treated pupae reached only 3.3% on the 8th day after the treatment. We can conclude that the strain I. fumosorosea CCM 8367 has strong insecticidal effects on S. littoralis and has a potential to be implemented as a novel biocontrol agent.

• MeSH
• biologická kontrola škůdců MeSH
• časové faktory MeSH
• Hypocreales genetika   patogenita   MeSH
• kukla mikrobiologie   fyziologie   MeSH
• larva mikrobiologie   fyziologie   MeSH
• Paecilomyces genetika   patogenita   MeSH
• Spodoptera mikrobiologie   fyziologie   MeSH
• virulence MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH

Thirty-four essential oils were tested for insecticidal activity (fumigation or topical application) against larvae Spodoptera littoralis. Twenty essential oils applied by fumigation were highly toxic to the third instar of S. littoralis larvae. Two essential oils Nepeta cataria and Thuja occidentalis were highly toxic, with LC50< or =10.0 ml/m3. Five essential oils Salvia sclarea, Thymus mastichina, Origanum majorana, Pogostemon cablin and Mentha pulegium were toxic with LC50 between 10.1 and 20.0 l ml/m3. Twenty-three essential oils were highly toxic to the third instar of S. littoralis larvae after topical application. Eight essential oils Mentha citrata, N. cataria, S. sclarea, O. vulgare, O. compactum, Melissa officinalis, T. mastichina, and Lavandula angustifolia were highly toxic with LD50 < or =0.05 microl/larvae.

• MeSH
• aplikace lokální MeSH
• financování organizované MeSH
• insekticidy farmakologie   MeSH
• larva účinky léků   MeSH
• oleje prchavé farmakologie   MeSH
• šanta MeSH
• Spodoptera MeSH
• vykuřování MeSH
• zerav MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• zvířata MeSH

The antioxidative potential of the Manduca sexta adipokinetic hormone (Manse-AKH) in the last instar larvae of Spodoptera littoralis (Noctuidae, Lepidoptera) was demonstrated after exposure to oxidative stress (OS) elicited by feeding on artificial diet containing tannic acid (TA). Determination of protein carbonyls (PCs) and reduced glutathione (GSH) levels, monitoring of activity of antioxidant enzymes catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione-S-transferases (GSTs), as well as measuring of the mRNA expression of CAT and SOD were used as markers of the OS. Injection of the Manse-AKH (5 pmol per individual) reversed the OS status by mitigation of PCs formation and by stimulation of glutathione-S-transferases (GSTs) activity. The CAT and SOD mRNA expression was significantly suppressed after the Manse-AKH injection while activity of these enzymes was not affected. These results indicate that diminishing of OS after the AKH injection might be a result of activation of specific enzymatic pathway possibly at the post-translational level rather than a direct effect on regulation of antioxidant marker genes at the transcriptional level.

• MeSH
• antioxidancia metabolismus   MeSH
• dieta MeSH
• glutathion metabolismus   MeSH
• glutathiontransferasa metabolismus   MeSH
• hmyzí hormony farmakologie   MeSH
• hmyzí proteiny genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• katalasa genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• kyselina pyrrolidonkarboxylová analogy a deriváty   farmakologie   MeSH
• larva účinky léků   genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• Manduca chemie   MeSH
• oligopeptidy farmakologie   MeSH
• oxidační stres účinky léků   MeSH
• polymerázová řetězová reakce s reverzní transkripcí MeSH
• regulace genové exprese enzymů účinky léků   MeSH
• Spodoptera účinky léků   genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• superoxiddismutasa genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• taniny aplikace a dávkování   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH

Four local Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) isolates that had been serologically identified as Bt var. kurstaki (Btk2, Btk3, and Btk66) and Bt var. mexicanensis (Btm27), in addition to two reference strains (4D20 and 4AC1), were laboratory assayed as microbial control agents against the Egyptian cotton leafworm Spodoptera littoralis (Boisd.). Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification analysis revealed that each of the six experimental strains carries, at least, a cry1 type gene which expresses a protein toxin active against lepidopterous insects. Additionally, PCR amplification results demonstrated that 4D20 and Btk66 contain the Lepidoptera- and Diptera-active cry2 type gene and that Btk66 contains Coleoptera-active cry7 and cry8 genes. Among the six strains, Btk66 and Btm27 were the most promising microbial control agents against S. littoralis. The present findings were the first to report that Btm27 (classified as B. thuringiensis var. mexicanensis) is a very potent microbial control agent against S. littoralis-tested larvae. For more characterization of these two isolates, the sspO gene was investigated as a molecular chronometer. The DNA sequencing results proved that Btk66 and Btm27 carry sspO open reading frames with identical nucleotide sequences, suggesting a strong phylogenetic relationship between the two strains.

• MeSH
• analýza přežití MeSH
• Bacillus thuringiensis klasifikace   genetika   izolace a purifikace   patogenita   MeSH
• bakteriální proteiny biosyntéza   genetika   toxicita   MeSH
• biotest MeSH
• DNA bakterií chemie   genetika   MeSH
• endotoxiny biosyntéza   genetika   toxicita   MeSH
• Gossypium parazitologie   MeSH
• hemolyziny biosyntéza   genetika   toxicita   MeSH
• larva účinky léků   MeSH
• molekulární sekvence - údaje MeSH
• polymerázová řetězová reakce MeSH
• sekvenční analýza DNA MeSH
• Spodoptera mikrobiologie   fyziologie   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Egypt MeSH

The Egyptian armyworm Spodoptera littoralis is a polyphagous insect attacking a number of plant species including those belonging to the Solanaceae and Cruciferaceae families. Its digestive physiology must therefore adapt to the food plant to ensure maximum extraction of nutrients with minimum trade-off in terms of growth retardation by pro-oxidant allelochemicals. To investigate this, the caterpillars of S. littoralis were fed on a semi-artificial diet (Manduca Premix-Heliothis Premix) and for 24 h on potato plants (Solanum tuberosum), respectively, at the mature 6th instar, and the levels of oxidative radicals and antioxidant enzymes in their guts were compared. The gut pH, standard redox potential (Eh) and electron availability (pe) revealed that oxidizing conditions prevail which promote oxidation of pro-oxidant allelochemicals in foliage. Oxidative stress in the foregut and midgut tissue and the gut contents was assessed from the generation of superoxide radical, total peroxide content and protein carbonyl content. Antioxidant defense was measured by the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APOX) and glutathione S-transferase peroxidase (GSTpx). A significant (p < 0.001) increase in the superoxide radical production (in foregut tissue, foregut and midgut contents), concomitant with an increase in total peroxide (in foregut contents) and protein carbonyl levels (in foregut and midgut tissue) were noted in larvae fed on the plants in contrast to those fed the semi-artificial diet. Similarly, a significant up-regulation of antioxidant enzymes SOD (in midgut tissues), CAT (in foregut, midgut tissue and contents), APOX (in foregut contents, midgut tissue and contents) and GSTpx (in foregut tissues) was recorded on the plant diet in comparison to the semi-artificial diet. The pro-oxidant allelochemicals in the plant diet are thus eliminated by the insect at the expense of up-regulation of antioxidative enzymes in response to increased oxidative stress from oxidizable allelochemicals. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that increased concentrations of antioxidants form an important component of the defense of herbivorous insects against both exogenous and endogenous oxidative radicals.

• MeSH
• antioxidancia metabolismus   MeSH
• financování organizované MeSH
• gastrointestinální trakt enzymologie   MeSH
• koncentrace vodíkových iontů MeSH
• larva enzymologie   MeSH
• oxidační stres genetika   MeSH
• Spodoptera enzymologie   MeSH
• superoxidy metabolismus   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• zvířata MeSH

BACKGROUND: Deciphering the molecular mechanisms mediating the chemical senses, taste, and smell has been of vital importance for understanding the nature of how insects interact with their chemical environment. Several gene families are implicated in the uptake, recognition, and termination of chemical signaling, including binding proteins, chemosensory receptors and degrading enzymes. The cotton leafworm, Spodoptera littoralis, is a phytophagous pest and current focal species for insect chemical ecology and neuroethology. RESULTS: We produced male and female Illumina-based transcriptomes from chemosensory and non-chemosensory tissues of S. littoralis, including the antennae, proboscis, brain and body carcass. We have annotated 306 gene transcripts from eight gene families with known chemosensory function, including 114 novel candidate genes. Odorant receptors responsive to floral compounds are expressed in the proboscis and may play a role in guiding proboscis probing behavior. In both males and females, expression of gene transcripts with known chemosensory function, including odorant receptors and pheromone-binding proteins, has been observed in brain tissue, suggesting internal, non-sensory function for these genes. CONCLUSIONS: A well-curated set of annotated gene transcripts with putative chemosensory function is provided. This will serve as a resource for future chemosensory and transcriptomic studies in S. littoralis and closely related species. Collectively, our results expand current understanding of the expression patterns of genes with putative chemosensory function in insect sensory and non-sensory tissues. When coupled with functional data, such as the deorphanization of odorant receptors, the gene expression data can facilitate hypothesis generation, serving as a substrate for future studies.

• MeSH
• chuťová percepce MeSH
• esterasy genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• hmyzí geny MeSH
• hmyzí proteiny genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• mozek metabolismus   MeSH
• multigenová rodina MeSH
• receptory buněčného povrchu genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• receptory pachové genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• Spodoptera enzymologie   genetika   metabolismus   fyziologie   MeSH
• stanovení celkové genové exprese MeSH
• systém (enzymů) cytochromů P-450 genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• tykadla členovců metabolismus   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

Water celery (Helosciadium nodiflorum, Apiaceae) is a common and invasive hydrophyte occurring in rivers and slow waters of Europe. In the past, it was consumed as a vegetable and spices, but currently it has mostly been abandoned. As a result, this plant produces an unexploited biomass occluding rivers and slow waters. With the aim to valorise water celery as an important biomass source for the development of botanical insecticides, in this work, we investigated the inhibitory effects of the essential oil hydrodistilled from its aerial parts against larvae of the filariasis vector Culex quinquefasciatus, adults of the housefly Musca domestica, and larvae of the African cotton leafworm Spodoptera littoralis. The essential oil, which was characterized by the insecticidal limonene (39.8%) and myristicin (35.3%), exerted important toxic effects on 3rd instar larvae of C. quinquefasciatus and S. littoralis and on adults of M. domestica, with LD50of 50.4 μl l-1, 116.7 μg larva-1, and 45.1 (male) and 70.1 (female) μg adult-1, respectively. The oil did not show any noticeable inhibitory activity on the acetylcholinesterase enzyme. Our findings add scientific evidences highlighting water celery as an important biomass source to be used for the control of insect pests and vectors of high economic importance.

• MeSH
• acetylcholinesterasa chemie   metabolismus   MeSH
• Apiaceae chemie   metabolismus   MeSH
• Culex účinky léků   růst a vývoj   MeSH
• insekticidy chemie   toxicita   MeSH
• larva účinky léků   MeSH
• LD50 MeSH
• moucha domácí účinky léků   růst a vývoj   MeSH
• oleje prchavé analýza   chemie   farmakologie   MeSH
• plynová chromatografie s hmotnostně spektrometrickou detekcí MeSH
• Spodoptera účinky léků   růst a vývoj   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

Phagocytosis is an important function of both insect haemocytes and mammalian blood cells. Linden bugs and cotton leaf worms have been suggested as new alternative models for ecological and drug toxicology but no data on their haemocyte physiology have been published. Our assays with particle ingestion of the NBT test were carried out on prohaemocytes, granulocytes, plasmatocytes and spherulocytes of adult linden bug and cotton leaf worm larvae. We found that phagocytic activity is on average 10% in the linden bug, and 50% in cotton leaf worm haemocytes: the phagocytic index is 3.5 in both species and nitroblue tetrazolium reduction is 0.5 in the linden bug and 3.2 in the cotton leaf worm. Phagocytic charactersitics of the prohaemocytes and granulocytes in the cotton leaf worm are closed to mammalian neutrophil physiology. Our data suggest that cotton leaf worm haemocytes may be a new potential alternative model for screening of phagocytosis.

• Klíčová slova
• Spodoptera littoralis, Pyrrhocoris apterus, NBT test,
• MeSH
• fagocytóza fyziologie   MeSH
• financování organizované MeSH
• hemocyty fyziologie   imunologie   MeSH
• Heteroptera fyziologie   imunologie   MeSH
• hmyz fyziologie   imunologie   MeSH
• krevní buňky fyziologie   imunologie   MeSH
• modely u zvířat MeSH
• Spodoptera fyziologie   imunologie   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH

• Publikační typ
• abstrakt z konference MeSH

Spores of Trachipleistophora extenrec, originally isolated from the muscles of the Madagascan insectivore Hemicentetes semispinosus and maintained by serial passage in severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice, were fed to larvae of the Egyptian cotton leafworm Spodoptera littoralis. Extensive infection of larval tissues ensued and caused larval and pupal mortality. The development of T. extenrec in the insect host, studied both by light and electron microscopy, followed generally the same life cycle as in the mammalian host. However, some differences in the fine structure of the parasite grown in both types of hosts were found. Spores isolated from the insect host caused infection of SCID mice when injected intramuscularly. Our results suggest that T. extenrec may be originally an insect microsporidian. This likelihood is corroborated by its structural similarity and phylogenetic relationship to two other microsporidia having insects either as unique hosts (Vavraia culicis) or being able to infect both mammalian and insect host (Trachipleistophora hominis).

• MeSH
• elektronová mikroskopie MeSH
• hmyzožravci mikrobiologie   MeSH
• larva mikrobiologie   MeSH
• Microsporidia fyziologie   ultrastruktura   MeSH
• mikrosporidióza mikrobiologie   MeSH
• myši SCID MeSH
• myši MeSH
• Spodoptera mikrobiologie   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• myši MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH