Abstract
The exploration of new niches for microorganisms capable of degrading recalcitrant molecules is still required. We hypothesized the gut microbiota associated with insect-resistant lines carry pesticide degrading bacteria, and predicted they carry bacteria selected to degrade pesticides they were resistant to. We isolated and accessed the pesticide-degrading capacity of gut bacteria from the gut of fifth instars of Spodoptera frugiperda strains resistant to lambda-cyhalothrin, deltamethrin, chlorpyrifos ethyl, spinosad and lufenuron, using insecticide-selective media. Sixteen isolates belonging to 10 phylotypes were obtained, from which four were also associated with the susceptible strain. However, growth of gut bacteria associated with larvae from the susceptible strain was not obtained in any of the insecticide-based selective media tested. Growth of isolates was affected by the concentration of insecticides in the media, and all grew well up to 40 μg/ml. The insecticide-degrading capacity of selected isolates was assessed by GC or LC-MS/MS analyses. In conclusion, resistant strains of S. frugiperda are an excellent reservoir of insecticide-degrading bacteria with bioremediation potential. Moreover, gut-associated bacteria are subjected to the selection pressure imposed by insecticides on their hosts and may influence the metabolization of pesticides in insects.
Highlights
Several fitness traits of insects are heavily influenced by associated microbiota [1,2,3]
Supplementation of the basal medium medium 9 (MM9) with insecticides was very efficient to sustain the growth of gut bacteria adapted to such substrates as their nutritional resource from the gut of resistant lines of S. frugiperda, but no bacterial isolates were obtained from the gut of susceptible larvae (S1 Fig)
Phylotypes that were common to the gut microbiota of insecticide-resistant and susceptible strains of S. frugiperda only grew on insecticide-based media if coming from the gut of the resistant line
Summary
Several fitness traits of insects are heavily influenced by associated microbiota [1,2,3]. The association of insects with microbials is very important for the evolution of ecological features and/ or feeding habits in insects. Symbiotic-associated polydnavirus aids in host exploitation by parasitoids [4], and flagellates, bacteria and yeasts allow insects to feed on hard to digest and/or. Insecticide-degrading bacteria in the gut of resistant insects data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript
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