title: Termiticidal lectins from Myracrodruon urundeuva (Anacardiaceae) cause midgut damage when ingested by Nasutitermes corniger (Isoptera: Termitidae) workers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Myracrodruon urundeuva is a hardwood tree, and its bark, heartwood and leaf contain lectins (MuBL, MuHL and MuLL respectively) with termiticidal activity against Nasutitermes corniger. In this work, the effects of these lectins on the midgut of N. corniger workers were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The insects were supplied with an artificial diet containing the lectins at their respective LC50(previously determined). At 48 h after treatment, the midguts were dissected and fixed for histopathology analyses. Toluidine-blue-stained midguts from lectin-treated workers showed disorganisation, with the presence of debris in the lumen and the absence of brush border. Fluorescence microscopy revealed that the numbers of digestive and proliferating cells were lower in lectin-treated individuals than in the control, and caspase-3 staining confirmed the occurrence of cell apoptosis. Enteroendocrine cells were not seen in the treated individuals. The midguts from treated insects showed greater staining for peroxidase than the control, suggesting that the lectins caused oxidative stress. Staining with wheat germ agglutinin conjugated to FITC revealed that the lectins interfered with the integrity of the peritrophic matrix.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study showed that termiticidal lectins from M. urundeuva cause severe injuries, oxidative stress and cell death in the midgut of N. corniger workers. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Bioquímica, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Cidade Universitária, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.
authors.forename: Thâmarah A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Lima
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Kenner M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Bioquímica, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Cidade Universitária, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana Patrícia S
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Bioquímica, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Cidade Universitária, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.
authors.forename: Leonardo P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Dornelles
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Gustavo F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Bioquímica, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Cidade Universitária, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.
authors.forename: Thiago H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Napoleão
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Bioquímica, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Cidade Universitária, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.
authors.forename: Patrícia Mg
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Paiva
mesh_terms: D027926:Anacardiaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D000818:Animals; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004435:Eating; D007306:Insecticides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects*; D020049:Isoptera / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D037121:Plant Lectins / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D007306:Insecticides; D037121:Plant Lectins
keywords: apoptosis; hardwood tree; insecticidal activity; midgut epithelium; peritrophic matrix