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Enhancing insecticidal efficacy of baculovirus by early expressing an insect neurotoxin, LqhIT2, in infected Trichoplusia ni larvae

  • Applied Genetics and Molecular Biotechnology
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Abstract

LqhIT2, an insect specific neurotoxin from the venom of Leiurus quinquestriatus hebraeus, has been demonstrated to improve insecticidal efficacy of Autographa californica nuclar polyhedrosis virus (AcMNPV). A polyhedrin-positive recombinant AcMNPVvAcPhsp70EGFP/Ppag90IT2 was engineered for larvae to express the enhanced green fluorescence protein (EGFP) and LqhIT2 under the control of Phsp70 and Ppag90 promoters, respectively. This would allow a visual observation of the viral infection and an improvement of the insecticidal efficacy. The insecticidal activity of this recombinant baculovirus, a wild type AcMNPV and four other recombinant baculoviruses, was evaluated and compared in terms of mortality, body weight, median lethal time (LT50), and median lethal concentration (LC50). Insecticidal efficacy was unaltered when treated with vAcPhsp70EGFP, moderately improved when infected by vAcP10IT2 (a P10-promoted LqhIT 2 gene), and significantly elevated when treated with vAcPpag90IT2 or vAcPhsp70EGFP/Ppag90IT2. No apparent difference was observed in insecticidal efficacy when additional EGFP was expressed as a visible marker. These results suggest that recombinant AcMNPV vAcPhsp70EGFP/Ppag90IT2 may be used as an effective insecticide against Trichoplusia ni and other lepidopterous insect pests.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Dr. Meen-Lang, Lee (TACTRI, Taiwan) and Ms. L. H. Huang (TACTRI, Taiwan) for their advice with statistics analysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate Institute of Biotechnology, National Chung-Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan, 40227, Republic of China

    Tzyy-Rong Jinn & Jason T. C. Tzen

  2. Biopesticide Department, Taiwan Agriculture Chemicals and Toxic Substances Research Institute, Wufeng, Taiwan, Republic of China

    Tzyy-Rong Jinn & Cha-I Lu

  3. Department of Entomology, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan, Republic of China

    Wu-Chun Tu

Authors
  1. Tzyy-Rong Jinn
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  2. Wu-Chun Tu
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  3. Cha-I Lu
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  4. Jason T. C. Tzen
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Correspondence to Jason T. C. Tzen.

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Jinn, TR., Tu, WC., Lu, CI. et al. Enhancing insecticidal efficacy of baculovirus by early expressing an insect neurotoxin, LqhIT2, in infected Trichoplusia ni larvae. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 72, 1247–1253 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-006-0431-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-006-0431-5

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