Entomopathogens as insecticides

Screening and Production of Recombinant Human Proteins: Protein Production in Insect Cells

This chapter describes the step-by-step methods employed by the Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC) for screening and producing proteins in the baculovirus expression vector system (BEVS). This eukaryotic expression system was selected and a screening process established in 2007 as a measure to tackle the more challenging kinase, RNA-DNA processing, and integral membrane protein families on our target list. Here, we discuss our platform for identifying soluble proteins from 3 mL of insect cell culture and describe the procedures involved in producing protein from liter-scale cultures.

New Viral Sequences Identified in the Flavescence Dorée Phytoplasma Vector Scaphoideus titanus

(1) Background: The leafhopper Scaphoideus titanus is the primary vector of Flavescence dorée phytoplasma (FDp) in European vineyards. Flavescence dorée is one of the most severely damaging diseases of Vitis vinifera and, consequently, a major threat to grape and wine production in several European countries. Control measures are compulsory, but they mainly involve large-scale insecticide treatments, with detrimental impacts on the environment. One possible solution is to exploit the largely unexplored genetic diversity of viruses infecting S. titanus as highly specific and environmentally benign tools for biological control. (2) Methods: A metatranscriptomic approach was adopted to identify viruses that may infect individuals caught in the wild in both its native (United States) and invasive (Europe) areas. Reverse transcription PCR was used to confirm their presence in RNA pools and explore their prevalence. (3) Results: We described nine new RNA viruses, including members of “Picorna-Calici”, “Permutotetra”, “Bunya-Arena”, “Reo”, “Partiti-Picobirna”, “Luteo-Sobemo” and “Toti-Chryso” clades. A marked difference in the diversity and abundance of the viral species was observed between the USA population and the European ones. (4) Conclusions: This work represents the first survey to assess the viral community of a phytoplasma insect vector. The possibility to exploit these naturally occurring viruses as specific and targeted biocontrol agents of S. titanus could be the answer to increasing demand for a more sustainable viticulture.

Evaluation of toxicity of biorational insecticides against larvae of the alfalfa weevil

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Six commercially available bioinsecticides were tested against larvae of alfalfa weevil.

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Mortality percentage, lethal time and lethal concentration of products were determined.

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Entrust^® was the most effective, causing 100% mortality within 3 days of the treatment.

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Results strongly indicate that biorational insecticides could be used for weevil control.

The alfalfa weevil, Hypera postica (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is a major pest of alfalfa Medicago sativa L. (Fabaceae). While H. postica usually causes the most damage before the first cutting, in summer of 2015 damaging levels of the pest persisted in Montana well after the first harvest of alfalfa. Although conventional insecticides can control H. postica, these chemicals have adverse effects on non-target organisms including pollinators and natural enemy insects. In this context, use of biorational insecticides would be the best alternative options, as they are known to pose less risk to non-target organisms. We therefore examined the six commercially available biorational insecticides against H. postica under laboratory condition: Mycotrol^® ESO (Beauveria bassiana GHA), Aza-Direct^® (Azadirachtin), Met52^® EC (Metarhizium brunneum F52), Xpectro OD^® (B. bassiana GHA + pyrethrins), Xpulse OD^® (B. bassiana GHA + Azadirachtin) and Entrust WP^® (spinosad 80%). Concentrations of 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 times the lowest labelled rates were tested for all products. However, in the case of Entrust WP, additional concentrations of 0.001 and 0.01 times the lowest label rate were also assessed. Mortality rates were determined at 1–9 days post treatment. Based on lethal concentrations and relative potencies, this study clearly showed that Entrust was the most effective, causing 100% mortality within 3 days after treatment among all the tested materials. With regard to other biorational, Xpectro was the second most effective insecticide followed by Xpulse, Aza-Direct, Met52, and Mycotrol. Our results strongly suggested that these biorational insecticides could potentially be applied for H. postica control.

Medium-throughput production of recombinant human proteins: protein production in insect cells

This chapter describes the step-by-step methods employed by the Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC) for screening and producing proteins in the baculovirus expression vector system (BEVS). This eukaryotic expression system was selected and a screening process established in 2007 as a measure to tackle the more challenging kinase, RNA-DNA processing and integral membrane protein families on our target list. Here, we discuss our platform for identifying soluble proteins from 3 ml of insect cell culture and describe the procedures involved in producing protein from liter-scale cultures. Although not discussed in this chapter, the same process can also be applied to integral membrane proteins (IMPs) with slight adaptations to the purification procedure.

EFEITO DE AGROTÓXICOS UTILIZADOS NA CULTURA DA GOIABA SOBRE O FUNGO ENTOMOPATOGÊNICO BEAUVERIA BASSIANA (BALS.) VUILL

RESUMO O efeito de oito inseticidas e doze fungicidas, utilizados na cultura da goiaba, foi avaliado sobre o fungo Beauveria bassiana sob condições in vitro e de semi-campo. Em laboratório, o efeito foi verificado misturando-se os agrotóxicos ao meio de cultura BDA, nas concentrações recomendadas, e os parâmetros avaliados foram o diâmetro médio das colônias, o número de conídios produzidos e a virulência sobre Galleria mellonella. Em condições de semi-campo, preparações dos produtos químicos e do entomopatógeno foram pulverizadas em mudas de goiaba de três diferentes formas, a saber: primeiramente os produtos químicos e depois o fungo; primeiro o fungo e posteriormente o produto químico e os dois simultaneamente. Após a aplicação, folhas foram coletadas e lavadas obtendo-se uma suspensão que foi plaqueada em BDA para avaliação da esporulação, viabilidade e virulência dos conídios dos fungos. Os resultados mostraram que, in vitro, somente o inseticida Actara 250 WG foi compatível com o fungo e os demais produtos foram classificados como moderadamente compatível, tóxicos e muito tóxicos. Para os testes de semicampo, a forma de aplicação interferiu no desenvolvimento do fungo e, além disso, Cuprozeb PM, Manzate 800 PM e Cerconil PM não afetaram o entomopatógeno em nenhum dos parâmetros avaliados, portanto são indicados para serem utilizados num programa de manejo integrado de pragas. Nos testes de virulência, os conídios não tiveram sua viabilidade afetada, mostrando-se patogênicos a traça-dos-favos, G. mellonella.

Human deep tissue infection with an entomopathogenic Beauveria species

Beauveria spp. are ubiquitous fungal entomopathogens that are commercially distributed as biological insecticides worldwide. In this paper we describe the clinical manifestation, diagnosis, and therapy of the first documented human deep tissue infection with an entomopathogenic Beauveria species in a patient receiving immunosuppressive therapy and describe the morphological and molecular characterization of the mold.

Applied and molecular aspects of insect granulosis viruses

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Insect control of the future: operational and policy aspects

uman and insect population control have several features in common, all of them indicating that the lag times in converting laboratory discoveries into practical agents are increasing greatly and that ROI calculations are becoming more and more significant in decisions related to the development of new agents. ROI calculations are particularly important in the field of insect control because, by being more specific, the agents of the future are likely to cover smaller markets. Several recommendations for stimulating the development of new methods of insect control are proposed which are addressed primarily to policy-makers. If they are not implemented, then our suggestions should at least stimulate others to make alternative proposals. If neither event occurs, then it is unlikely that there will be any fundamentally new approaches to practical insect control in this decade; a similar prediction (6) that was made 4 years ago in the field of human birth control is rapidly proving to be correct.