title: The Effect of Protease Inhibitors on Digestive Proteolytic Activity in the Raspberry Weevil, Aegorhinus superciliosus (Guérin) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae).
abstract: The raspberry weevil, Aegorhinus superciliosus (Guérin) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is an economically important pest of blueberry in southern Chile. The digestive protease activity of adult insects was investigated using general and specific substrates and inhibitors. Enzymatic assays demonstrated the presence of trypsin- and chymotrypsin-like serine proteinases. Furthermore, in vitro assays using phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (PMSF) and soybean trypsin inhibitor (SBTI) at 0.01 and 0.1 mM showed percentages of enzymatic inhibition between 0 and 16% for PMSF and 67 to 76% for SBTI, whereas in vivo assays indicated that SBTI caused between 50 and 90% mortality in males and between 80 and 100% in females. Our data indicate the presence of serine proteases and suggest that digestive proteases could be a target for the design and development of strategies to control the raspberry weevil.
authors.affiliation: Lab de Química Ecológica, Depto de Ciencias Químicas y Recursos Naturales, Univ de La Frontera, Temuco, Araucanía, Chile.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Medel
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Palma
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mercado
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rebolledo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Quiroz
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mutis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004064:Digestive System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D011480:Protease Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D059748:Proteolysis / Q000187:drug effects*; D048889:Weevils / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D011480:Protease Inhibitors