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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Columbia, Missouri » Biological Control of Insects Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #305821

Title: Roles of Peroxinectin in PGE2-mediated cellular immunity in Spodoptera exigua

Author
item PARK, JIYEONG - Andong National University
item Stanley, David
item KIM, YONGGYUN - Andong National University

Submitted to: PLOS ONE
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/25/2014
Publication Date: 9/5/2014
Citation: Park, J., Stanley, D.W., Kim, Y. 2014. Roles of Peroxinectin in PGE2-mediated cellular immunity in Spodoptera exigua. PLoS One. 9(9):e105717.

Interpretive Summary: Application of classical insecticides has introduced severe problems in agricultural sustainability. The concept of biological control of insects is a potentially powerful alternative to classical insecticides. Biological control is based on the idea that direct application of insect-specific pathogens and parasites can reduce pest insect populations and the economic damage due to pest insects. The problem, however, is the efficiency of these organisms in biological control programs is limited by insect immune defense reactions to challenge. One approach to improving the efficiency of biocontrol agents would be to somehow disable insect immune reactions to viral, bacterial, fungal and parasitic infections. With this goal, we are investigating how insect immune reactions to infection are signaled. In this paper we report on identification of the enzymes that are responsible for stimulating insect defenses to infection. This new research will be directly useful to scientists who are working to improve the efficacy of biological control methods. The ensuing improved biological control methods will benefit a wide range of agricultural producers by supporting the long-term sustainability of agriculture.

Technical Abstract: Prostaglandins (PGs) mediate insect immune responses to infections and invasions. Although the presence of PGs has been confirmed in several insect species, their biosynthesis in insects remains a conundrum because orthologs of the mammalian cyclooxygenases (COXs) have not been found in the known insect genomes. PG-mediated immune reactions have been documented in the beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua. The purpose of this research is to identify the source of PGs in S. exigua. Peroxidases (POXs) are a sister group of COX genes. Ten putative POXs (SePOX-A ~ SePOX-J) were expressed in S. exigua. Expressions of SePOX-F and -H were induced by bacterial challenge and expressed in the hemocytes and the fat body. RNAi of each POX was performed by hemocoelic injection of their specific double-stranded RNAs. dsPOX-F or, separately, dsPOX-H, but not the other eight dsRNA constructs, specifically suppressed hemocyte-spreading behavior and nodule formation; these two reactions were also inhibited by aspirin, a COX inhibitor. PGE2, but not arachidonic acid, treatments rescued the immunosuppression. Sequence analysis indicated that both POX genes were clustered with peroxinectin (Pxt) and their cognate proteins shared some conserved domains corresponding to the Pxt of Drosophila melanogaster. SePOX-F and -H are Pxt-like genes associated with PG biosynthesis in S. exigua.