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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #108654
Title: INDUCTION OF ELASTASE IN A ZOOPHYTOPHAGOUS HETEROPTERAN, LYGUS HESPERUS

Author
item Zeng, Fanrong
item Cohen, Allen

Submitted to: Annals of the Entomological Society of America
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/29/2000
Publication Date: 1/1/2001
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Interpretative Summary: Lygus bugs are very destructive pests on a wide variety of crops and have been found to be resistant to many pesticides. What is the biochemical base that allows these insect pests to have such a broad range hosts and use such a wide variety of food resource? The data from this study demonstrated that lygus bugs have the capacity of enzyme induction. Enzyme induction is one of the most important biochemical bases for organism adaptation in response to variation in the nutritional composition of foods and requirements for different activities. Enzyme induction explains why lygus bugs have broad hosts, feed on different crops, and the developing of resistance to insecticides. This is the first report induction of a digestive enzyme in lygus bugs. The results will be beneficial to other scientists and the public by enhancing the understanding of the specific biochemical bases for lygus bugs. Further, this funding will be used to develop and improve lygus diets, and it will also be useful for researchers looking for the ways to avoid enzyme induction in pesticide resistance management.

Technical Abstract: Abstract: One of the potential biochemical adaptations to mixed feeding habits, orzoophytophogy, is enzyme induction/enzyme repression. We investigated the potential of the highly polyphagous mirid Lygus hesperus Knight to be induced to increase its production of the specialized proteolytic enzyme, elastase (E. C. 3. 4. 31.36). Efforts to induce elastase production were made by feeding L. hesperus for three generations on anartificial diet spiked with elastin. Elastase activity was much greater in the salivary gland complex (SGC) of individuals fed elastin-containing diet than it was in those fed the control diet. The elevated elastase activity in the elastin treatment group indicated the inducibility of this proteolytic enzyme, especially in the SGC. The results also indicated that the SGC, rather than the gut, is the principal site of elastase production.