Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-nmvwc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-27T03:53:07.216Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Digestive proteinases of the larger black flour beetle, Cynaeus angustus (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

B. Oppert ,
P. Walters  and
M. Zuercher
B. Oppert*
Affiliation:
USDA Agricultural Research Service, Grain Marketing and Production Research Center, 1515 College Avenue, Manhattan, KS 66502, USA
P. Walters
Affiliation:
USDA Agricultural Research Service, Grain Marketing and Production Research Center, 1515 College Avenue, Manhattan, KS 66502, USA
M. Zuercher
Affiliation:
USDA Agricultural Research Service, Grain Marketing and Production Research Center, 1515 College Avenue, Manhattan, KS 66502, USA
*
*Fax: 785 537 5584 E-mail: bso@ksu.edu
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Digestion in the larger black flour beetle, Cynaeus angustus (LeConte), was studied to identify new control methods for this pest of stored grains and grain products. The physiological pH of the larval gut, as measured with extracts in water, was approximately 6.1, and the pH for optimal hydrolysis of casein by gut extracts was 6.2 when buffers were reducing. However, under non-reducing conditions, hydrolysis of casein and synthetic serine proteinase substrates was optimal in alkaline buffer. Three major proteinase activities were observed in zymograms using casein or gelatin. Caseinolytic activity of C. angustus gut extracts was inhibited by inhibitors that target aspartic and serine proteinase classes, with minor inhibition by a cysteine proteinase inhibitor. In particular, soybean trypsin and trypsin/chymotrypsin inhibitors were most effective in reducing the in vitro caseinolytic activity of gut extracts. Based on these data, further studies are suggested on the effects of dietary soybean inhibitors of serine proteinases, singly and in combination with aspartic and cysteine proteinase inhibitors, on C. angustus larvae. Results from these studies can be used to develop new control strategies to prevent damage to grains and stored products by C. angustus and similar coleopteran pests.

Keywords

Cynaeus angustusdigestive proteinasescontrolstored products
Type
Review Article
Information
Bulletin of Entomological Research , Volume 96 , Issue 2 , April 2006 , pp. 167 - 172
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2006

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Applebaum, S.W. (1985) Biochemistry of digestion. pp. 279–311 in Kerkut, G.A. & Gilbert, L.I. (Eds) Comprehensive insect physiology, biochemistry, and pharmacology. Oxford, Pergamon Press.Google Scholar
Applebaum, S.W., Birk, Y., Harpaz, I. & Bondi, A. (1964) Comparative studies on proteolytic enzymes of Tenebrio molitor L. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology 11, 85–103CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bolognesi, R., Ribeiro, A.F., Terra, W.R. & Ferreira, C. (2001) The peritrophic membrane of Spodoptera frugiperda: secretion of peritrophins and role in immobilization and recycling digestive enzymes. Archives of Insect Biochemistry and Physiology 47, 62–75CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cristofoletti, P.T., Ribeiro, A.F. & Terra, W.R. (2001) Apocrine secretion of amylase and exocytosis of trypsin along the midgut of Tenebrio molitor larvae. Journal of Insect Physiology 47, 143–155CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cristofoletti, P.T., Ribeiro, A.F. & Terra, W.R. (2005) The cathepsin L-like proteinases from the midgut of Tenebrio molitor larvae: sequence, properties, immunocytochemical localization and function. Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 35, 883–901CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dunkel, F.V., Barak, A.V. & Harein, P.K. (1982) Geographical distribution of Cynaeus angustus (LeConte) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) and its association with stored products. Journal of Biogeography 9, 345–352CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Elpidina, E.N., Tsybina, T.A., Dunaevsky, Y.E., Belozersky, M.A., Zhuzhikov, D.P. & Oppert, B. (2005) A chymotrypsin-like proteinase from the midgut of Tenebrio molitor larvae. Biochimie 87, 771–779CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ferreira, C., Bellinello, G.L., Ribeiro, A.F. & Terra, W.R. (1990) Digestive enzymes associated with the glycocalyx, microvillar membranes and secretory vesicles from midgut cells of Tenebrio molitor larvae. Insect Biochemistry 20, 839–847CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Frugoni, J.A.C. (1957) Tampone universale di Britton e Robinson a forza ionica costante. Gazzetta Chimica Italiana 87, 403–407Google Scholar
Krall, J.L & Decker, G.C. (1944) The biology of Cynaeus angustus Lec., a new stored grain pest. Iowa State College Journal of Science 20, 385–402Google Scholar
Levinsky, H., Birk, Y. & Applebaum, S.W. (1977) Isolation and characterization of a new trypsin-like enzyme from Tenebrio molitor L. larvae. International Journal of Peptide and Protein Research 10, 252–264CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McIntyre, N.E. & Porter, P. (2004) Field trial of diatomaceous earth in cotton gin trash against the larger black flour beetle, Cynaeus angustus (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae). Journal of Economic Entomology 97, 588–592CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Morrison, W.P. & Dunkel, F.V. (1983) Cynaeus angustus (LeConte) as a nuisance pest associated with cotton gin waste. Southwestern Entomologist 8, 90–93Google Scholar
Oppert, B. (2000) Transgenic plants expressing enzyme inhibitors and the prospects for biopesticide development. pp. 83–95 in Koul, O. & Dhaliwal, G.S. (Eds) Phytochemical biopesticides. The Netherlands, Harwood Academic.Google Scholar
Oppert, B. & Kramer, K.J. (1998) Economical proteinase activity blot. American Biotechnology Laboratory 16, 20Google Scholar
Oppert, B., Morgan, T.D., Culbertson, C. & Kramer, K.J. (1993) Dietary mixtures of cysteine and serine proteinase inhibitors exhibit synergistic toxicity toward the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology 105, 379–385Google Scholar
Oppert, B., Kramer, K.J. & McGaughey, W.H. (1997) Rapid microplate assay of proteinase mixtures. BioTechniques 23, 70–72CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Oppert, B., Morgan, T.D., Hartzer, K., Lenarcic, B., Galesa, K., Brzin, J., Turk, V., Yoza, K., Ohtsubo, K. & Kramer, K.J. (2003) Effects of proteinase inhibitors on growth and digestive proteolysis of the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae). Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology 134, 481–490Google Scholar
Oppert, B., Morgan, T.D. & Kramer, K.J. (2004) Inhibitor strategies to control coleopteran pests. Vol. 1275, pp. 149–156 in Morris, S. & Vosloo, A. (Eds) International Congress Series, Animals and Environments. Proceedings of the Third International Conference of Comparative Physiology and Biochemistry. Amsterdam, Elsevier.Google Scholar
Oppert, B., Morgan, T.D., Hartzer, K. & Kramer, K.J. (2005) Tenebrionidae and its association with stored products. Journal of Biogeography 9, 345–352. Elpidina, E.N., Tsybina, T.A., Dunaevsky, Y.E., Belozersky, Compensatory proteolytic responses to dietary proteinase inhibitors in the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae). Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part C, in press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sinha, R.N. (1973) Ecology of storage. Annals of Technology of Agriculture 22, 351–369Google Scholar
Terra, W.R. & Cristofoletti, P.T. (1996) Midgut proteinases in three divergent species of Coleoptera. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology 113, 725–730CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Terra, W.R., Ferreira, C. & Bastos, F. (1985) Phylogenetic consideration of insect digestion. Disaccharidases and the spatial organization of digestion in the Tenebrio molitor larvae. Insect Biochemistry 15, 443–449CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thie, N.M.R. & Houseman, J.G. (1990) Cysteine and serine proteolytic activities in larval midgut of yellow mealworm, Tenebrio molitor L. (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae). Insect Biochemistry 20, 741–744CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tsybina, T.A., Dunaevsky, Y.E., Belozersky, M.A., Zhuzhikov, D.P., Oppert, B. & Elpidina, E.N. (2005) Digestive proteinases of yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) larvae: purification and characterization of a trypsin-like proteinase. Biochemistry (Moscow) 70, 300–305CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
White, N.D.G. & Sinha, R.N. (1987) Bioenergetics of Cynaeus angustus (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) feeding on stored corn. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 80, 184–190CrossRefGoogle Scholar