Effects of Entomopathogenic Bacterium Photorhabdus temperata Infection on the Digestive Enzymes of Diatraea saccharalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) Larvae

Title: Effects of Entomopathogenic Bacterium Photorhabdus temperata Infection on the Digestive Enzymes of Diatraea saccharalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) Larvae

Volume: 15 Issue: 7

Author(s): C. N.B. Carneiro, R. A. DaMatta, R. I. Samuels and C. P. Silva

Affiliation:

Keywords: Diatraea saccharalis, Photorhabdus temperate, infection, intestinal microbiota, insect digestion

Abstract: This study investigated the effects of Photorhabdus temperata infection on the activities of digestive enzymes of the sugarcane stalk borer Diatraea saccharalis. Non-infected D. saccharalis larvae present a major α-amylase, several proteinases, three sucrose hydrolases and two α-glucosidases in their midgut. Analysis of these hydrolases by electrophoresis and “in gel” assays showed that the activities of all enzymes decreased following infection, with an initial decline observed 12 h after infection. The activities of α-glucosidases decreased by 50% twelve hours after infection, whereas, at this time, the α-galactosidase activities decreased by 70%. Interestingly, the animals died 48 h after infection, but approximately 5% of all the enzymes tested remained active in the midgut following host death. At this time, most of the cultivable native intestinal bacteria had died.

Cite this article as:

Carneiro N.B. C., DaMatta A. R., Samuels I. R. and Silva P. C., Effects of Entomopathogenic Bacterium Photorhabdus temperata Infection on the Digestive Enzymes of Diatraea saccharalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) Larvae, Protein & Peptide Letters 2008; 15 (7) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/092986608785133618