The diamondback moth (DBM), Plutella xylostella (L.), is a major pest affecting cruciferous vegetables, and seriously affects the quality and yield of these vegetables. Diafenthiuron is a traditional thiourea-based insecticide , but it is rarely used to control pests on cruciferous vegetables due to its phytotoxicity on these vegetables under high temperature and light conditions. Thus, there is an ongoing need for more effective pesticides that can be used on cruciferous vegetables, possibly including new formulations of diafenthiuron. A new thiourea insecticide, methylthio-diafenthiuron, is intended to optimize the structure of diafenthiuron not only to preserve its insecticidal bioactivity but also to overcome its phytotoxicity to cruciferous vegetables, aiming to control insect pests on cruciferous vegetables. In this study, we compared the toxicity of methylthio-diafenthiuron to some frequently used insecticides on the third-instar larvae of DBM. The parental pupal duration was significantly longer under the treatment than in the control, but the pupal weight, fecundity, and hatching rate significantly decreased. By studying the changes in three detoxifying enzymes within 72 h after treatment with a sublethal concentration, the activity of CarE and ODM in the treatment group significantly increased at first and then decreased. In addition, methylthio-diafenthiuron clearly inhibited three kinds of ATPases in the DBM and significantly reduced the eclosion rate of the pupae . This research provides valuable information for the assessment and rational application of methylthio-diafenthiuron for the control of pests on cruciferous vegetables.
Mei-Mei Wang,Ming He,Hong Wang,Yun-Feng Ma,Youssef Dewer,Fan Zhang,Peng He
Insect antennae play a fundamental role in perceiving and recognizing a broad spectrum of conventional semiochemicals and host plant-derived odors. As such, genes that are tightly associated with the antennae are thought to have olfactory-related roles related to signal transduction mechanisms. Several mechanisms suggest that enzymatic inactivation could contribute to the signal termination process, such as odorant-degrading enzymes (ODEs). To date, a few ODEs have been identified and characterized in detail in insect herbivores, but little is known about aldehyde oxidases (AOXs); moreover, direct in vivo experimental evidence is needed. AOXs are a major family of metabolic enzymes that oxidize a variety of aromatic aldehydes, and they may also play a significant role in detoxification and degradation of environmental chemical cues. Here, we report on the identification and characterization of a novel cDNA encoding the putative odorant-degrading enzyme, PxylAOX3, from the antennae of the diamondback moth , (DBM), Plutella xylostella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae). The purified recombinant protein showed a wide-range of substrate zymography oxidizing both sex pheromone compounds as well as plant-derived aldehydes with distinct activities. Our data suggest PxylAOX3 might be involved in the degradation of many structurally diverse aldehyde odorants. Furthermore, PxylAOX3 could participate in olfactory neuron protection by inactivation of redundant odorants and xenobiotic detoxification, making it a potential target for pesticide development as well.