Heat shock enhances thermotolerance of infective juvenile insect-parasitic nematodes Heterorhabditis bacteriophora (Rhabditida: Heterorhabditidae).
Insect-parasitic nematodes possess many of the attributes of ideal biological control agents, but intolerance to extreme temperatures can restrict their use. We examined whether heat-shock treatments could improve nematode survival and infectivity at temperatures that normally inhibit their activity (35 and 40 degrees C). Nematodes exposed to a sub-lethal temperature (35 degrees C) for 3 h with a latency period of 1-2 h at 25 degrees C killed insects at 35 and 40 degrees C. Correlative evidence was obtained between increased thermotolerance and the synthesis of 70-kDa heat-shock proteins (hsps). These results provide the first evidence of hsp synthesis in the development of thermotolerance and biological activity in the non-feeding, developmentally arrested, infective juvenile nematodes.
Selvan
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S
Ecogen Inc., Langhorne (Pennsylvania 19047-1810, USA).
Grewal
P S
PS
Leustek
T
T
Gaugler
R
R
D000818:Animals; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D006358:Hot Temperature; D007814:Larva / Q000469:parasitology; D009036:Moths / Q000469:parasitology; D017172:Rhabditoidea / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors
D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins; D004247:DNA