Cannibalism Affects Core Metabolic Processes in Helicoverpa armigera Larvae-A 2D NMR Metabolomics Study.
Cannibalism is known in many insect species, yet its impact on insect metabolism has not been investigated in detail. This study assessed the effects of cannibalism on the metabolism of fourth-instar larvae of the non-predatory insect Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidotera: Noctuidea). Two groups of larvae were analyzed: one group fed with fourth-instar larvae of H. armigera (cannibal), the other group fed with an artificial plant diet. Water-soluble small organic compounds present in the larvae were analyzed using two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and principal component analysis (PCA). Cannibalism negatively affected larval growth. PCA of NMR spectra showed that the metabolic profiles of cannibal and herbivore larvae were statistically different with monomeric sugars, fatty acid- and amino acid-related metabolites as the most variable compounds. Quantitation of ¹H-(13)C HSQC (Heteronuclear Single Quantum Coherence) signals revealed that the concentrations of glucose, glucono-1,5-lactone, glycerol phosphate, glutamine, glycine, leucine, isoleucine, lysine, ornithine, proline, threonine and valine were higher in the herbivore larvae.
RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan. fredd@unam.mx.
Fredd
F
Vergara
RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan. amiu.shino@riken.jp.
Amiu
A
Shino
RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan. jun.kikuchi@riken.jp.|Graduate School of Medical Life Science, Yokohama City University, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan. jun.kikuchi@riken.jp.|Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan. jun.kikuchi@riken.jp.
Jun
J
Kikuchi
D000818:Animals; D002190:Cannibalism; D007814:Larva / Q000378:metabolism; D007915:Lepidoptera / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D055442:Metabolome
HSQC; Helicoverpa armigera; NMR; cannibalism; metabolomics