Affiliation:
1. Changsha Medical University, The Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of the TCM Agricultural Biogenomics, Changsha, Hunan, China
2. Changsha Medical University, School of International Education, Changsha, Hunan, China
3. Changsha Medical University, Hunan Key Laboratory of the Research and Development of Novel Pharmaceutical Preparations, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Changsha, Hunan, China
Abstract
Background
Spodoptera litura (tobacco caterpillar, S. litura) is a pest of great economic importance due to being a polyphagous and world-distributed agricultural pest. However, agricultural practices involving chemical pesticides have caused resistance, resurgence, and residue problems, highlighting the need for new, environmentally friendly methods to control the spread of S. litura.
Aim
This study aimed to investigate the gut poisoning of grayanotoxin I, an active compound found in Pieris japonica, on S. litura, and to explore the underlying mechanisms of these effects.
Methods
S. litura was cultivated in a laboratory setting, and their survival rate, growth and development, and pupation time were recorded after grayanotoxin I treatment. RNA-Seq was utilized to screen for differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were conducted to determine the functions of these DEGs. ELISA was employed to analyze the levels of lipase, 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase (HOAD), and acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC). Hematoxylin and Eosin (H & E) staining was used to detect the development of the fat body.
Results
Grayanotoxin I treatment significantly suppressed the survival rate, growth and development, and pupation of S. litura. RNA-Seq analysis revealed 285 DEGs after grayanotoxin I exposure, with over 16 genes related to lipid metabolism. These 285 DEGs were enriched in the categories of cuticle development, larvae longevity, fat digestion and absorption. Grayanotoxin I treatment also inhibited the levels of FFA, lipase, and HOAD in the hemolymph of S. litura.
Conclusion
The results of this study demonstrated that grayanotoxin I inhibited the growth and development of S. litura. The mechanisms might, at least partly, be related to the interference of lipid synthesis, lipolysis, and fat body development. These findings provide valuable insights into a new, environmentally-friendly plant-derived insecticide, grayanotoxin I, to control the spread of S. litura.
Funder
Hunan Key Laboratory of the Research and Development of Novel Pharmaceutical Preparations; the Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of the TCM Agricultural Biogenomics
“14th Five-Year Plan” Application Characteristic Discipline of Hunan Province
The Provincial Key R & D projects of Hunan Provincial Science and Technology Department
ESI Discipline Special Project of Changsha Medical University
Subject
General Agricultural and Biological Sciences,General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology,General Medicine,General Neuroscience