Effect of natural and artificial diets on protease activity in the midgut of Spodoptera cosmioides and Spodoptera eridania (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) larvae

Authors

  • Francelina Aparecida Duarte Rocha Departamento de Entomologia/BIAGRO, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, 36570-900 Viçosa, Brazil
  • Yaremis Beatriz Meriño-Cabrera Universidade Federal de Viçosa
  • Eliseu José Guedes Pereira Universidade Federal de Viçosa
  • José Cola Zanuncio Universidade Federal de Viçosa
  • Wellington Garcia Campos Universidade Federal de São João del-Rei
  • José Eduardo Serrão Departamento de Biologia GeralUniversidade Federal de Viçosa36570-900, Viçosa, Brasil
  • Maria Goreti Almeida Oliveira Universidade Federal de Viçosa

Abstract

Spodoptera cosmioides Walker and Spodoptera eridania Stoll (both Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) are herbivorous insects affecting crop yield. Understanding midgut digestive enzyme properties in these caterpillars when feeding on different resources is important for control strategies of these agricultural pests. This study evaluated the activity of midgut digestive enzyme total proteases, trypsin, cysteine proteases, and chymotrypsin in S. cosmioides and S. eridania feeding on natural soybean and cotton leaves and artificial diets. The proteolytic activities of midgut digestive enzymes in S. cosmioides and S. eridania vary according to diet, suggesting adaptation of these caterpillars to different host plants in order to avoid the inhibitory effects of secondary metabolites through the overexpression of proteases. High activities occur for trypsin and total proteases in both insects indicating that these enzymes are potential targets for inhibition in pest control programs.

Resumo

Spodoptera cosmioides Walker e Spodoptera eridania Stoll (ambos Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) são insetos herbívoros que afetam o rendimento das culturas. A compreensão das propriedades das enzimas digestivas do intestino médio dessas lagartas ao se alimentarem de diferentes dietas é importante para o estabelecimento de estratégias de controle dessas pragas agrícolas. Este estudo avaliou a atividade de proteases totais, tripsina, quimotripsina e cisteíno-protease no intestino médio de S. cosmioides e S. eridania alimentadas com folhas de soja e algodão e em dietas artificiais. As atividades proteolíticas das enzimas digestivas do intestino médio em ambas as espécies variam de acordo com a dieta, sugerindo uma adaptação dessas lagartas à diferentes plantas hospedeiras para evitar os efeitos inibitórios dos metabólitos secundários com a superexpressão de proteases. Tripsina e proteases totais tem altas atividadesem ambos os insetos, indicando que essas enzimas são potenciais alvos para inibição em programas de controle de pragas.

Key Words: enzymes; pests; chymotrypsin; soybean; trypsin

View this article in BioOne

Downloads

Published

2021-01-17

Issue

Vol. 103, No. 4 (December 2020)

Section

Research Papers

License

Copyright for any article published in Florida Entomologist is held by the author(s) of the article. Florida Entomologist is an open access journal. Florida Entomologist follows terms of the Creative Commons, Attribution Non-Commercial License (cc by-nc). By submitting and publishing articles in Florida Entomologist, authors grant the FOJ and Florida Entomologist's host institutions permission to make the article available through Internet posting and electronic dissemination, and to otherwise archive the information contained both electronically and in a hard printed version. When used, information and images obtained from articles must be referenced and cited appropriately. Articles may be reproduced for personal, educational, or archival purposes, or any non-commercial use. Permission should be sought from the author(s) for multiple, non-commercial reproduction. Written permission from the author(s) is required for any commercial reproduction.