title: Effects of soybean Kunitz trypsin inhibitor on the cotton boll weevil (Anthonomus grandis).
abstract: The cotton boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis, is an economically important pest of cotton in tropical and subtropical areas of several countries in the Americas, causing severe losses due to their damage in cotton floral buds. Enzymatic assays using gut extracts from larval and adult boll weevil have demonstrated the presence of digestive serine proteinase-like activities. Furthermore, in vitro assays showed that soybean Kunitz trypsin inhibitor (SKTI) was able to inhibit these enzymes. Previously, in vivo effects of black-eyed pea trypsin chymotrypsin inhibitor (BTCI) have been demonstrated towards the boll weevil pest. Here, when neonate larvae were reared on an artificial diet containing SKTI at three different concentrations, a reduction of larval weight of up to 64% was observed for highest SKTI concentration 500 microM. The presence of SKTI caused an increase in mortality and severe deformities of larvae, pupae and adult insects. This work therefore represents the first observation of a Kunitz trypsin inhibitor active in vivo and in vitro against A. grandis. Bioassays suggested that SKTI could be used as a tool in engineering crop plants, which might exhibit increased resistance against cotton boll weevil.
authors.affiliation: Embrapa Recursos Genéticos e Biotecnologia, S.A.I.N. Parque Rural, Final W5, Asa Norte, 70770-900, Brasilia-DF, Brazil.
authors.forename: Octávio L
authors.initials: OL
authors.lastname: Franco
authors.forename: Simoni C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Dias
authors.forename: Claudio P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Magalhães
authors.forename: Ana C S
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Monteiro
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bloch
authors.forename: Francislete R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Melo
authors.forename: Osmundo B
authors.initials: OB
authors.lastname: Oliveira-Neto
authors.forename: Rose G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Monnerat
authors.forename: Maria Fátima
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Grossi-de-Sá
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D001517:Coleoptera / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology*; D004064:Digestive System / Q000201:enzymology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D007814:Larva / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D011679:Pupa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014357:Trypsin / Q000378:metabolism; D014360:Trypsin Inhibitor, Kunitz Soybean / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014361:Trypsin Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D014361:Trypsin Inhibitors; D014360:Trypsin Inhibitor, Kunitz Soybean; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; D014357:Trypsin