Pathogenicity of microsclerotia from Metarhizium robertsii against Aedes aegypti larvae and antimicrobial peptides expression by mosquitoes during fungal-host interaction.
Acta Trop
; 249: 107061, 2024 Jan.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-37918505
ABSTRACT
Aedes aegypti is a vector of various disease-causing arboviruses. Chemical insecticide-based methods for mosquito control have increased resistance in different parts of the world. Thus, alternative control agents such as the entomopathogenic fungi are excellent candidates to control mosquitoes as part of an ecofriendly strategy. There is evidence of the potential of entomopathogenic fungal conidia and blastospores for biological control of eggs, larval and adult stages, as well as the pathogenicity of fungal microsclerotia against adults and eggs. However, there are no studies on the pathogenicity of microsclerotia against either aquatic insects or insects that develop part of their life cycle in the water, such as the A. aegypti larvae. In this study, we assayed the production of microsclerotia and their pathogenicity against A. aegypti larvae of two isolates of Metarhizium robertsii, i.e., CEP 423 isolated in La Plata, Argentina, and the model ARSEF 2575. Both isolates significantly reduced the survival of A. aegypti exposed to their microsclerotia. The fungus-larva interaction resulted in a delayed response in the host. This was evidenced by the expression of some humoral immune system genes such as defensins and cecropin on the 9th day post-infection, when the fungal infection was consolidated as a successful process that culminates in larvae mortality. In conclusion, M. robertsii microsclerotia are promising propagules to be applied as biological control agents against mosquitoes since they produce pathogenic conidia against A. aegypti larvae.
Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Controle Biológico de Vetores
/
Aedes
Limite:
Animals
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Acta Trop
Ano de publicação:
2024
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Argentina
País de publicação:
Holanda