Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Tri-trophic effect on predator feeding: consumption by the carabid Harpalus affinis of Heliothis armigera caterpillars fed on proteinase inhibitor-containing diet

Bracht Jörgensen, Helene LU and Lövei, Garbor (1999) In Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 93(1). p.113-116
Abstract
During the breeding of our major crop plants for high

yield and edibility, several desirable traits, including

resistance to pest insects, have been lost (Gatehouse

et al., 1991). Genetic engineering is now vigorously

seeking to reinsert such genes into crop plants, making

them toxic or less palatable for herbivorous pests. One

class of inhibitors under study are protease/proteinase

inhibitors. The major digestive proteolytic enzymes in

many insects are serine proteinases such as trypsin and

chymotrypsin (Broadway & Duffey, 1986; Terra et al.,

1996), therefore numerous trypsin and chymotrypsin

inhibitors have been investigated. The... (More)
During the breeding of our major crop plants for high

yield and edibility, several desirable traits, including

resistance to pest insects, have been lost (Gatehouse

et al., 1991). Genetic engineering is now vigorously

seeking to reinsert such genes into crop plants, making

them toxic or less palatable for herbivorous pests. One

class of inhibitors under study are protease/proteinase

inhibitors. The major digestive proteolytic enzymes in

many insects are serine proteinases such as trypsin and

chymotrypsin (Broadway & Duffey, 1986; Terra et al.,

1996), therefore numerous trypsin and chymotrypsin

inhibitors have been investigated. The effects on different

herbivores of both genetically engineered plant

material (Johnson et al., 1989; Gatehouse et al., 1991;

McManus et al., 1994) and artificial diets containing

the inhibitors (Burgess et al., 1991, 1994) have been

studied. The effects are species- and inhibitor-specific

but generally the negative effect on the growth and

survival of the herbivores is significant.

However, as the experience with pesticides indicates

very well, it is short-sighted to look at the

pest damage problem in isolation. Agricultural fields,

even if often impoverished with respect to ‘natural’

habitats, contain many species participating in ecological

interactions that are vital for the productive

functioning of these systems (Thomas&Waage, 1996;

Gould, 1998). Pest control provided by naturally occurring

predatory arthropods is one of those important

functions.

Biological control by predatory arthropods and

control by gene manipulation can interfere with each

other. As a first step to study the existence and significance

of such interactions, we examined whether

a specific proteinase inhibitor in the food of a herbivore

can affect the consumption of this herbivore by

a polyphagous predator. We also studied if this effect

lasts longer in the predator than the actual exposure to

the proteinase inhibitor fed prey. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
predators, herbivores, feeding, tritrophic interactions, proteinase inhibitor, genetic manipulations
in
Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata
volume
93
issue
1
pages
113 - 116
publisher
Wiley
external identifiers
  • scopus:0344339164
ISSN
1570-7458
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
7c345355-8888-4a6c-9227-730ae7126d1f (old id 1397815)
alternative location
http://www.springerlink.com/content/h7171243272p4kh9/fulltext.pdf
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 11:56:21
date last changed
2022-01-26 20:27:17
@article{7c345355-8888-4a6c-9227-730ae7126d1f,
  abstract     = {{During the breeding of our major crop plants for high<br/><br>
yield and edibility, several desirable traits, including<br/><br>
resistance to pest insects, have been lost (Gatehouse<br/><br>
et al., 1991). Genetic engineering is now vigorously<br/><br>
seeking to reinsert such genes into crop plants, making<br/><br>
them toxic or less palatable for herbivorous pests. One<br/><br>
class of inhibitors under study are protease/proteinase<br/><br>
inhibitors. The major digestive proteolytic enzymes in<br/><br>
many insects are serine proteinases such as trypsin and<br/><br>
chymotrypsin (Broadway &amp; Duffey, 1986; Terra et al.,<br/><br>
1996), therefore numerous trypsin and chymotrypsin<br/><br>
inhibitors have been investigated. The effects on different<br/><br>
herbivores of both genetically engineered plant<br/><br>
material (Johnson et al., 1989; Gatehouse et al., 1991;<br/><br>
McManus et al., 1994) and artificial diets containing<br/><br>
the inhibitors (Burgess et al., 1991, 1994) have been<br/><br>
studied. The effects are species- and inhibitor-specific<br/><br>
but generally the negative effect on the growth and<br/><br>
survival of the herbivores is significant.<br/><br>
However, as the experience with pesticides indicates<br/><br>
very well, it is short-sighted to look at the<br/><br>
pest damage problem in isolation. Agricultural fields,<br/><br>
even if often impoverished with respect to ‘natural’<br/><br>
habitats, contain many species participating in ecological<br/><br>
interactions that are vital for the productive<br/><br>
functioning of these systems (Thomas&amp;Waage, 1996;<br/><br>
Gould, 1998). Pest control provided by naturally occurring<br/><br>
predatory arthropods is one of those important<br/><br>
functions.<br/><br>
Biological control by predatory arthropods and<br/><br>
control by gene manipulation can interfere with each<br/><br>
other. As a first step to study the existence and significance<br/><br>
of such interactions, we examined whether<br/><br>
a specific proteinase inhibitor in the food of a herbivore<br/><br>
can affect the consumption of this herbivore by<br/><br>
a polyphagous predator. We also studied if this effect<br/><br>
lasts longer in the predator than the actual exposure to<br/><br>
the proteinase inhibitor fed prey.}},
  author       = {{Bracht Jörgensen, Helene and Lövei, Garbor}},
  issn         = {{1570-7458}},
  keywords     = {{predators; herbivores; feeding; tritrophic interactions; proteinase inhibitor; genetic manipulations}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{113--116}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley}},
  series       = {{Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata}},
  title        = {{Tri-trophic effect on predator feeding: consumption by the carabid Harpalus affinis of Heliothis armigera caterpillars fed on proteinase inhibitor-containing diet}},
  url          = {{http://www.springerlink.com/content/h7171243272p4kh9/fulltext.pdf}},
  volume       = {{93}},
  year         = {{1999}},
}