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Matveev S, Reingold V, Yossef E, Levy N, Kottakota C, Mechrez G, Protasov A, Belausov E, Birnbaum N, Davidovitz M, Ment D. The Dissemination of Metarhizium brunneum Conidia by Females of the Red Palm Weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus, Suggests a New Mechanism for Prevention Practices. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:jof9040458. [PMID: 37108912 PMCID: PMC10145998 DOI: 10.3390/jof9040458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 04/02/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Direct contact between the conidia of entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) and their host is a prerequisite to successful infection; the host can, therefore, be infected by both direct treatment and by transmission of fungal inoculum from infested surfaces. This unique characteristic makes EPF especially relevant for the control of cryptic insects. In the case of the red palm weevil (RPW) Rhynchophorus ferrugineus, the eggs and larvae are almost inaccessible to direct-contact treatment. The objective of the present study was to investigate the mechanism of conidia transmission from a treated surface to host eggs and larvae. Foam pieces infested with Metarhizium brunneum conidial powder, conidial suspension, or distilled water were used as a laying surface for RPW females. The number of eggs laid was not affected by the EPF treatments and ranged from 2 to 14 eggs per female. However, hatching rate and larval survival were significantly reduced in the conidial powder treatment, resulted in 1.5% hatching and no live larvae. In the conidial suspension treatment, 21% of laid eggs hatched, compared to 72% in the control treatment. In both M. brunneum treatments, females' proboscis, front legs and ovipositor were covered with conidia. The females transferred conidia in both treatments to the laying holes, reaching up to 15 mm in depth. This resulted in reduced egg-hatching rate and significant larval mortality due to fungal infection. The stronger effect on egg and larval survival using dry conidia seemed to result from better conidial adhesion to the female weevil in this formulation. In future studies, this dissemination mechanism will be examined as a prevention strategy in date plantations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabina Matveev
- Department of Plant Pathology and Weed Research, Plant Protection Institute, Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), Volcani Center, HaMaccabim Road 68, Rishon LeZion 7528809, Israel
- The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food & Environment the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Victoria Reingold
- Department of Plant Pathology and Weed Research, Plant Protection Institute, Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), Volcani Center, HaMaccabim Road 68, Rishon LeZion 7528809, Israel
- The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food & Environment the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Eden Yossef
- Department of Plant Pathology and Weed Research, Plant Protection Institute, Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), Volcani Center, HaMaccabim Road 68, Rishon LeZion 7528809, Israel
| | - Noa Levy
- Department of Plant Pathology and Weed Research, Plant Protection Institute, Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), Volcani Center, HaMaccabim Road 68, Rishon LeZion 7528809, Israel
| | - Chandrasekhar Kottakota
- Department of Plant Pathology and Weed Research, Plant Protection Institute, Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), Volcani Center, HaMaccabim Road 68, Rishon LeZion 7528809, Israel
| | - Guy Mechrez
- Department of Food Science, Institute of Postharvest and Food Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), Volcani Center, HaMaccabim Road 68, Rishon LeZion 7505101, Israel
| | - Alex Protasov
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, Plant Protection Institute, Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), Volcani Center, HaMaccabim Road 68, Rishon LeZion 7528809, Israel
| | - Eduard Belausov
- Plant Science Institute, Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), Volcani Center, HaMaccabim Road 68, Rishon LeZion 7528809, Israel
| | - Nitsan Birnbaum
- Department of Plant Pathology and Weed Research, Plant Protection Institute, Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), Volcani Center, HaMaccabim Road 68, Rishon LeZion 7528809, Israel
- The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food & Environment the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Michael Davidovitz
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, Plant Protection Institute, Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), Volcani Center, HaMaccabim Road 68, Rishon LeZion 7528809, Israel
| | - Dana Ment
- Department of Plant Pathology and Weed Research, Plant Protection Institute, Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), Volcani Center, HaMaccabim Road 68, Rishon LeZion 7528809, Israel
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Yaakov N, Kottakota C, Mani KA, Naftali SM, Zelinger E, Davidovitz M, Ment D, Mechrez G. Encapsulation of Bacillus thuringiensis in an inverse Pickering emulsion for pest control applications. Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces 2022; 213:112427. [PMID: 35219966 DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2022.112427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2022] [Revised: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Here, we present an inverse Pickering emulsion-based formulation for Bacillus thuringiensis serovar aizawai (BtA) encapsulations utilized towards pest control applications. The emulsification was carried out by high shear homogenization process via ULTRA-TURRAX®. The water-in-mineral oil emulsions were stabilized by commercial hydrophobic silica. Different silica contents and water/oil ratios were studied. Stable emulsions were obtained at 2 and 3 wt% silica at 30% and 20% water volumes, respectively. The structure of the Pickering emulsions were characterized by laser scanning confocal microscopy and cryogenic scanning electron microscopy. The BtA cells, spores and crystals were encapsulated in the water droplets of the inverse Pickering emulsions. An emulsion composed of 3 wt% silica and 30% water was found to be the most suitable for encapsulation. The pest control efficiency of the encapsulated BtA against Spodoptera littoralis first instar larvae was tested. The studied BtA/emulsion system exhibited a mortality rate of 92%. However, the non-formulated BtA has shown 71% mortality, and the emulsion alone resulted in only 9% mortality. These findings confirm that an emulsion with encapsulated BtA can function as an efficient formulation for biopesticides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noga Yaakov
- Department of Food Sciences, Institute of Postharvest and Food Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), Volcani Institute, Rishon LeZion 7505101, Israel
| | - Chandrasekhar Kottakota
- Department of Plant Pathology and Weed Research, Institute of Plant Protection, Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), Volcani Institute, Rishon LeZion 7505101, Israel; Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Sri Krishnadevaraya College of Agricultural Sciences (SKCAS), Anantapurum, Andhra Pradesh, 515002, Affiliated to Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University (ANGRAU), Guntur, Andhra Pradesh 522034, India
| | - Karthik Ananth Mani
- Department of Food Sciences, Institute of Postharvest and Food Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), Volcani Institute, Rishon LeZion 7505101, Israel; Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, POB 12, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Shoham Matsrafi Naftali
- Department of Food Sciences, Institute of Postharvest and Food Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), Volcani Institute, Rishon LeZion 7505101, Israel; Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, POB 12, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Einat Zelinger
- The Interdepartmental Equipment Unit, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, POB 12, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Michael Davidovitz
- Department of Entomology, Institute of Plant Protection, Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), Volcani Institute, Rishon LeZion 7505101, Israel
| | - Dana Ment
- Department of Plant Pathology and Weed Research, Institute of Plant Protection, Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), Volcani Institute, Rishon LeZion 7505101, Israel
| | - Guy Mechrez
- Department of Food Sciences, Institute of Postharvest and Food Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), Volcani Institute, Rishon LeZion 7505101, Israel.
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Raja V, Wani UM, Wani ZA, Jan N, Kottakota C, Reddy MK, Kaul T, John R. Pyramiding ascorbate-glutathione pathway in Lycopersicum esculentum confers tolerance to drought and salinity stress. Plant Cell Rep 2022; 41:619-637. [PMID: 34383122 DOI: 10.1007/s00299-021-02764-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Stacking Glutathione-Ascorbate pathway genes (PgSOD, PgAPX, PgGR, PgDHAR and PgMDHAR) under stress inducible promoter RD29A imparts significant tolerance to drought and salinity stress in Solanum lycopersicum. Although the exposure of plants to different environmental stresses results in overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS), many plants have developed some unique systems to alleviate the ROS production and mitigate its deleterious effect. One of the key pathways that gets activated in plants is ascorbate glutathione (AsA-GSH) pathway. To demonstrate the effect of this pathway in tomato, we developed the AsA-GSH overexpression lines by stacking the genes of the AsA-GSH pathway genes isolated from Pennisetum glaucoma (Pg) including PgSOD, PgAPX, PgGR, PgDHAR and PgMDHAR under stress inducible promoter RD29A. The overexpression lines have an improved germination and seedling growth with concomitant elevation in the survival rate. The exposure of transgenic seedlings to varying stress regiments exhibited escalation in the antioxidant enzyme activity and lesser membrane damage as reflected by decreased electrolytic leakage and little accumulation of malondialdehyde and H2O2. Furthermore, the transgenic lines accumulated high levels of osmoprotectants with increase in the relative water content. The increased photosynthetic activity and enhanced gaseous exchange parameters further confirmed the enhanced tolerance of AsA-GSH overexpression lines. We concluded that pyramiding of AsA-GSH pathway genes is an effective strategy for developing stress resistant crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vaseem Raja
- Plant Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, Kashmir, 190006, India
| | - Umer Majeed Wani
- Plant Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, Kashmir, 190006, India
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, 190006, India
| | - Zubair Ahmad Wani
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, 190006, India
| | - Nelofer Jan
- Plant Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, Kashmir, 190006, India
| | - Chandrasekhar Kottakota
- International Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), New Delhi, 1100067, India
| | - Malireddy K Reddy
- International Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), New Delhi, 1100067, India
| | - Tanushri Kaul
- International Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), New Delhi, 1100067, India
| | - Riffat John
- Plant Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, Kashmir, 190006, India.
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Birnbaum N, Reingold V, Matveev S, Kottakota C, Davidovitz M, Mani KA, Feldbaum R, Yaakov N, Mechrez G, Ment D. Not Only a Formulation: The Effects of Pickering Emulsion on the Entomopathogenic Action of Metarhizium brunneum. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:jof7070499. [PMID: 34201446 PMCID: PMC8307842 DOI: 10.3390/jof7070499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 06/20/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Growing global population and environmental concerns necessitate the transition from chemical to eco-friendly pest management. Entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) are rising candidates for this task due to their ease of growing, broad host range and unique disease process, allowing EPF to infect hosts directly through its cuticle. However, EPF’s requirement for high humidity negates their integration into conventional agriculture. To mitigate this problem, we formulated Metarhizium brunneum conidia in an oil-in-water Pickering emulsion. Conidia in aqueous and emulsion formulations were sprayed on Ricinus communis leaves, and Spodoptera littoralis larvae were introduced under low or high humidity. The following were examined: conidial dispersion on leaf, larval mortality, conidial acquisition by larvae, effects on larval growth and feeding, and dynamic of disease progression. Emulsion was found to disperse conidia more efficiently and caused two-fold more adhesion of conidia to host cuticle. Mortality from conidia in emulsion was significantly higher than other treatments reaching 86.5% under high humidity. Emulsion was also found to significantly reduce larval growth and feeding, while conferring faster fungal growth in-host. Results suggest that a Pickering emulsion is able to improve physical interactions between the conidia and their surroundings, while weakening the host through a plethora of mechanisms, increasing the chance of an acute infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nitsan Birnbaum
- Department of Plant Pathology and Weed Research, Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), Volcani Center, Rishon LeZion 7505101, Israel; (N.B.); (V.R.); (S.M.); (C.K.)
- The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food & Environment the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Re-hovot 7610001, Israel;
| | - Victoria Reingold
- Department of Plant Pathology and Weed Research, Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), Volcani Center, Rishon LeZion 7505101, Israel; (N.B.); (V.R.); (S.M.); (C.K.)
- The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food & Environment the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Re-hovot 7610001, Israel;
| | - Sabina Matveev
- Department of Plant Pathology and Weed Research, Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), Volcani Center, Rishon LeZion 7505101, Israel; (N.B.); (V.R.); (S.M.); (C.K.)
| | - Chandrasekhar Kottakota
- Department of Plant Pathology and Weed Research, Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), Volcani Center, Rishon LeZion 7505101, Israel; (N.B.); (V.R.); (S.M.); (C.K.)
| | - Michael Davidovitz
- Department of Entomology, Nematology and Chemistry Units, Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, Rishon LeZion 7505101, Israel;
| | - Karthik Ananth Mani
- The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food & Environment the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Re-hovot 7610001, Israel;
- Department of Food Sciences, Institute of Postharvest and Food Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), Volcani Center, Rishon LeZion 7505101, Israel; (R.F.); (N.Y.); (G.M.)
| | - Reut Feldbaum
- Department of Food Sciences, Institute of Postharvest and Food Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), Volcani Center, Rishon LeZion 7505101, Israel; (R.F.); (N.Y.); (G.M.)
| | - Noga Yaakov
- Department of Food Sciences, Institute of Postharvest and Food Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), Volcani Center, Rishon LeZion 7505101, Israel; (R.F.); (N.Y.); (G.M.)
| | - Guy Mechrez
- Department of Food Sciences, Institute of Postharvest and Food Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), Volcani Center, Rishon LeZion 7505101, Israel; (R.F.); (N.Y.); (G.M.)
| | - Dana Ment
- Department of Plant Pathology and Weed Research, Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), Volcani Center, Rishon LeZion 7505101, Israel; (N.B.); (V.R.); (S.M.); (C.K.)
- Correspondence:
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Reingold V, Kottakota C, Birnbaum N, Goldenberg M, Lebedev G, Ghanim M, Ment D. Intraspecies variation of Metarhizium brunneum against the green peach aphid, Myzus persicae, provides insight into the complexity of disease progression. Pest Manag Sci 2021; 77:2557-2567. [PMID: 33486866 DOI: 10.1002/ps.6294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Revised: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 01/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Intensive application of chemical insecticides is required for aphid pest control. Among the biorational alternatives, entomopathogenic fungi are the most sustainable biocontrol agents; those of the order Hypocreales attack and cause fungal disease in arthropod hosts, with variations in host susceptibility attributed to both fungal and host characteristics. We evaluated inter- and intraspecies variations in Metarhizium spp. virulence and differences in fungal disease progression on adult and nymph stages of the green peach aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulzer), a parthenogenetically reproducing insect species. RESULTS Minor interspecies diversity was detected between the generalist Metarhizium species examined. Interestingly, significant intraspecies diversity was observed between Metarhizium brunneum isolates Mb7 and MbK. Infected adult aphids demonstrated similar disease progression for both isolates, mortality rates of more than 80% and fivefold reduction in fecundity. However, nymph mortality was detected only following MbK infection, with 50% mortality and significant reduction in molting rates. Confocal laser scanning microscopy demonstrated the variation in the disease stages of conidial adhesion and hemocoel colonization on each examined day post inoculation for each isolate. Significantly faster disease progression was observed in MbK-infected versus Mb7-infected nymphs, the latter demonstrating a higher percentage of uninfected nymphs accompanied with aphid molting. CONCLUSIONS The observed intraspecies variation suggests that altered conidial adhesion to the nymph cuticle is a major factor affecting virulence. We prove the role of nymph ecdysis as a defense mechanism disrupting fungal infection. Because significant differences were observed between closely related isolates, this study emphasizes the importance of appropriate isolate selection for biological control. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Reingold
- Department of Plant Pathology and Weed Research, Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, Rishon LeZion, Israel
- Department of Entomology, Nematology and Chemistry Units, Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, Rishon LeZion, Israel
- The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food & Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Chandrasekhar Kottakota
- Department of Plant Pathology and Weed Research, Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, Rishon LeZion, Israel
| | - Nitsan Birnbaum
- Department of Plant Pathology and Weed Research, Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, Rishon LeZion, Israel
- Department of Entomology, Nematology and Chemistry Units, Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, Rishon LeZion, Israel
- The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food & Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Malka Goldenberg
- Department of Plant Pathology and Weed Research, Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, Rishon LeZion, Israel
| | - Galina Lebedev
- Department of Entomology, Nematology and Chemistry Units, Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, Rishon LeZion, Israel
| | - Murad Ghanim
- Department of Entomology, Nematology and Chemistry Units, Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, Rishon LeZion, Israel
| | - Dana Ment
- Department of Plant Pathology and Weed Research, Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, Rishon LeZion, Israel
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