Concanavalin A Toxicity Towards Potato Psyllid and Apoptosis Induction in Midgut Cells
Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
Current address: Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of Florida, Lake Alfred, FL 33850, USA.
Insects 2020, 11(4), 243; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects11040243
Received: 18 March 2020
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Revised: 8 April 2020
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Accepted: 9 April 2020
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Published: 14 April 2020
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insect Vectors of Plant Pathogens)
Concanavalin A (ConA), a legume lectin, has been drawing increasing attention in recent years concerning its toxicity against insects and its potential application in pest management. In an attempt to evaluate the effect of ConA on potato psyllid (Bactericera cockerelli), an economically important pest of solanaceous crops, the effect of ConA on potato psyllid survival, psyllid gut nuclear morphology, and expression of psyllid caspase genes were evaluated. Our results determined that artificial diet-feeding assays using ConA had deleterious effects on potato psyllids, resulting in significant psyllid mortality following ingestion. We also found that an apoptotic response was induced by ConA in psyllid midgut cells, which was demonstrated by the DNA fragmentation and abnormal nuclear architecture in the midgut cells. Following ConA ingestion, there was also upregulation of caspase genes in the psyllid midguts. Therefore, a key mechanism behind ConA toxicity towards potato psyllid probably involves the induction of apoptosis in midgut cells. This study could provide a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying ConA toxicity in insects and be a stepping stone towards the development of new psyllid control strategies based on plant lectins.
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Keywords:
concanavalin A; lectin; toxicity; potato psyllid; midgut; apoptosis
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MDPI and ACS Style
Tang, X.-T.; Ibanez, F.; Tamborindeguy, C. Concanavalin A Toxicity Towards Potato Psyllid and Apoptosis Induction in Midgut Cells. Insects 2020, 11, 243. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects11040243
AMA Style
Tang X-T, Ibanez F, Tamborindeguy C. Concanavalin A Toxicity Towards Potato Psyllid and Apoptosis Induction in Midgut Cells. Insects. 2020; 11(4):243. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects11040243
Chicago/Turabian StyleTang, Xiao-Tian, Freddy Ibanez, and Cecilia Tamborindeguy. 2020. "Concanavalin A Toxicity Towards Potato Psyllid and Apoptosis Induction in Midgut Cells" Insects 11, no. 4: 243. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects11040243
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