Content area
Full Text
About the Authors:
Patrícia S. Golo
* E-mail: [email protected]
Affiliations Departamento de Parasitologia Animal, Instituto de Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica, RJ, Brazil, Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, United States of America
Dale R. Gardner
Affiliation: USDA, ARS, Poisonous Plants Research Laboratory, Logan, Utah, United States of America
Michelle M. Grilley
Affiliation: Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, United States of America
Jon Y. Takemoto
Affiliation: Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, United States of America
Stuart B. Krasnoff
Affiliation: Biological Integrated Pest Management Research Unit, Robert W. Holley Center for Agriculture and Health, USDA-ARS, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
Marcus S. Pires
Affiliation: Departamento de Parasitologia Animal, Instituto de Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica, RJ, Brazil
Éverton K. K. Fernandes
Affiliation: Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, GO, Brazil
Vânia R. E. P. Bittencourt
Affiliation: Departamento de Parasitologia Animal, Instituto de Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica, RJ, Brazil
Donald W. Roberts
Affiliation: Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, United States of America
Introduction
Despite concerns with negative impacts of chemical insecticides on human health, the use of these chemicals remains high. Consequently, the demand for alternatives is increased. Biological control of arthropod pests using entomopathogenic fungi is one promising alternative [1], [2], [3]. Entomopathogenic fungi from the genus Metarhizium are some of the most frequently studied biological control agents for use against insects and ticks [2], [3], [4].
Metarhizium spp. produce a wide array of small molecules including destruxins (DTXs), cyclic depsipeptides which are produced as well as by some other fungi, both insect (Aschersonia) and plant pathogens (Alternaria, Trichothecium) [5]. The effects of DTXs on insects include: tetanic paralysis [6], [7], inhibition of DNA and RNA synthesis in insect cell lines [8], inhibition of Malpighian tubule fluid secretion [9], blocking H+ ATPase activity [10], and suppression of insect defense responses [11], [12], [13], [14], [15]. DTXs also have antifeedant and repellent properties [16], [17]. The insecticidal potential of these toxins has been confirmed in numerous reports of acute toxicity [5]. Despite demonstrated insecticidal activity of DTX, Donzelli...