Brevicoryne Brassicae Research Articles

The selective toxicity of insecticides to the cabbage aphid Brevicoryne brassica Linnaeus (Hemiptera: Aphididae) and its parasitoid, Diaeretiella rapae (McIntosh): laboratory and field studies.

The selective toxicity of insecticides to the cabbage aphid Brevicoryne brassica Linnaeus (Hemiptera: Aphididae) and its parasitoid, Diaeretiella rapae (McIntosh): laboratory and field studies.

Biología y performance del predador Hippodamia convergens, alimentado con pulgones de col Brevicoryne brassicae, Myzaphis rosarum y Myzus persicae

The Brevicoryne brassicae aphid is an important pest of several plants of the Brassicaceae family worldwide. In the Mantaro Valley-Peru, it causes economic losses in cabbage and broccoli crops. Myzus persicae is the most important pest in potato cultivation. Myzaphis rosarum colonizes both wild and cultivated rose bushes and trees. To control it, farmers use toxic chemical insecticides that cause health problems. Faced with this problem, biocontrol is an important component of sustainable production to control pests. Hippodamia convergens is a predator of aphids, so it is necessary to know its biology and predation in its different prey. The objective was to determine the duration of the development stages, longevity, fecundity and performance of the predator H. convergens reared with cabbage aphids B. barssicae, Myzaphis rosarum and Myzus persicae. The completely randomized design was used, with 10 repetitions and three treatments or species of aphids. The aphid species used as food for the predator influenced the duration of preimaginal and adult development. Egg-adult development was longer with 34.1 days with B. brassicae and shorter with M. rosarum and M. persicae with 22.8 and 22.5 days respectively. Cabbage glucosinolates absorbed by B. barssicae negatively affected the growth rate, development, weight gain, survival, fecundity and predation capacity of H. convergens.

Assessment of sublethal and transgenerational effects of spirotetramat, on population growth of cabbage aphid, Brevicoryne brassicae L. (Hemiptera: Aphididae).

The cabbage aphid (Brevicoryne brassicae L.) is a devastating pest of cruciferous crops causing economic damage worldwide and notably owing to its increasing resistance to commonly used pesticides. Such resistance prompts the development of integrated pest management (IPM) programs that include novel pesticides being effective against the aphids. Spirotetramat is a novel insecticide used against sap-sucking insect pests, particularly aphids. This study evaluated the toxicity of spirotetramat to adult apterous B. brassicae after 72h using the leaf dipping method. According to the toxicity bioassay results, the LC50 value of spirotetramat to B. brassicae was 1.304mgL-1. However, the sublethal concentrations (LC5 and LC15) and transgenerational effects of this novel insecticide on population growth parameters were estimated using the age-stage, two-sex life table theory method. The sublethal concentrations (LC5; 0.125mgL-1 and LC15; 0.298mgL-1) of spirotetramat reduced the adult longevity and fecundity of the parent generation (F0). These concentrations prolonged the preadult developmental duration while decreasing preadult survival, adult longevity and reproduction of the F1 generation. The adult pre-reproductive period was also extended by spirotetramat treatment groups. Subsequently, the population growth parameters such as the intrinsic rate of increase r, finite rate of increase λ and net reproductive rate R 0 of the F1 generation were decreased in spirotetramat treatment groups whereas, the mean generation time T of the F1 generation was not affected when compared to the control. These results indicated the negative effect of sublethal concentrations of spirotetramat on the performance of B. brassicae by reducing its nymphal survival, extending the duration of some immature stages and suppressing the population growth of B. brassicae. Overall, we demonstrated that spirotetramat is a pesticide showing both sublethal activities, and transgenerational effects on cabbage aphid; it may be useful for implementation in IPM programs against this aphid pest.

Biology, predatory potential and growth parameters of the syrphid fly, Scaeva pyrastri (L.) (Diptera: Syrphidae) feeding on the cabbage aphid, Brevicoryne brassicae (L.)

BackgroundScaeva pyrastri (L.) (Diptera: Syrphidae) is a large-size Palaearctic region syrphid fly. The larval stage of S. pyrastri is aphidophagous in nature, while the adults are efficient pollinators of various crops. Therefore, this study was carried out to investigate the predation efficacy, biology and population growth parameters of S. pyrastri on the cabbage aphid, Brevicoryne brassicae (L.) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) as prey using age–stage-specific two-sex fertility table.ResultsThe results showed that the mean total larval development duration was 8.31 days and the pre-adult stage was 19.82 ± 0.25 days long. In the adult stage, the mean longevity of female (18.57 ± 0.37 days) was longer than that of the male (15.50 ± 0.17 days). The adult pre-ovipositional, ovipositional and post-ovipositional periods were 4.25 ± 0.25, 8.50 ± 0.46 and 3.25 ± 0.31 days, respectively, and the mean female’s fecundity was 37.75 ± 1.16 eggs per female. The two-sex fertility table indicated that the age-specific fecundity (mx) increased gradually peaking at the 27th day of pivotal age (2.71 eggs per day) and decreased thereafter. The life expectancy of female was observed on the 18th (20.25 days) and 19th day (16.44 days) in the female and male flies, respectively. The female attained the maximum reproductive value (vxj) on the 25th day, which was 26.05 eggs needed to produce one individual. The population growth parameters indicated that the population had a net reproduction rate of 15.10 ± 4.19 offspring per individual and a true generation time of 28.86 ± 0.28 days. The intrinsic rate of increase was greater than zero (0.093 ± 0.011) and the finite rate of increase (λ) was greater than one (1.098 ± 0.012), which indicated that B. brassicae was the suitable prey for S. pyrastri. The values related to the number of aphids consumed by the larvae were: a net predation rate (Co) of 377.06 ± 26.54 nymphs and finite predation rate (ω) of 19.58 ± 0.78.ConclusionsScaeva pyrastri had a considerable predatory potential and fitted well for the biological control of aphids, especially B. brassicae. However the field potential is still unknown; thus, this study will be helpful in determining the field efficacy of S. pyrastri against B. brassicae.

Amending soil with insect exuviae improves herbivore tolerance, pollinator attraction and seed yield of Brassica nigra plants

To promote circularity in agriculture, the residual –streams from the production of insects as feed and food, such as insect exuviae (moulted skins), can be a sustainable novel organic soil amendment for crop production. Organic soil amendments can influence soil composition by providing nutrients and stimulating the growth of beneficial microorganisms. Soil composition significantly impacts plant growth and resistance against herbivores. However, little is known about the effect of soil composition on flower visitors and seed production. Here, black soldier fly (BSF; Hermetia illucens) exuviae was added to soil to investigate the effects on plant growth, plant resistance against two insect herbivores, and the consequences for attraction of pollinators and seed yield. Brassica nigra seeds were sown in field soil or in field soil mixed with powdered BSF exuviae. Three-week-old plants and the soil of each pot were planted in a common garden. The effects on vegetative and flower traits, interactions with flower visitors and seed yield were quantified. In addition, the performance of the leaf-chewing larvae of Pieris brassicae and the piercing-sucking aphid Brevicoryne brassicae were assessed. Brassica nigra plants grown on soil amended with BSF exuviae showed increased growth, had more flowers and flower visitors, and higher seed production. Herbivory neither affected number of flowers nor seed production, suggesting tolerance and compensatory growth responses to herbivory compared to plants growing in soil without the addition of BSF exuviae. After five weeks fewer aphids were found on plants growing in amended soil. Our findings show that BSF exuviae added to soil can positively affect tolerance to herbivory and seed production of B. nigra, an insect-pollinated plant species. Moreover, adding insect exuviae as soil amendment in the field benefits plant-pollinator mutualism and seed yield even during herbivore attack in the field. Use of by-products from insect production as soil amendment can contribute to sustainable agricultural practices along with the conservation of ecosystem services.

Management of Myzus persicae with leaves of Jatropha curcas and Ricinus communis in different vegetative stages

Although chemical insecticides are successfully used in agriculture, several problems may be related to their indiscriminate use. This has encouraged the development of alternative methods for pest insect control and societal pressure for pesticide-free products. The jatropha (J. curcas) and castor bean (Ricinus communis) are plants that have shown insecticidal potential. Thus, the objective of this work was to study the effects of leaves of R. communis and J. curcas of different ages on the cabbage aphid (Myzus persicae). Five solution concentrations and five leaf types were used. Each treatment consisted of ten individuals M. persicae, kept in Petri dishes (10.0 x 1.2 cm), about kale leaf discs. Each Petri dish was considered a repeat, totaling ten. An airbrush connected to a compressor calibrated at constant pressure and 5 mL of solution per repetition was used for direct application. The cabbage discs were immersed in the different treatments for five seconds and offered to aphids in the indirect application. For both tests, evaluations were performed 72 hours after application. Data were submitted to linear regression analysis and means test. There was an interaction between the application type, leaf type, and concentrations for both plants. We argue that at their different ages, jatropha and castor bean leaves have insecticidal potential in the management of M. persicae.

Turnip Mosaic Virus Infection Differentially Modifies Cabbage Aphid Probing Behavior in Spring and Winter Oilseed Rape (Brassica napus).

Simple SummaryWinter oilseed rape accounts for about 90% of total oilseed rape planting area in China, with the majority of it concentrated in the Yangtze River basin. The remaining 10% is mostly found in the provinces of China’s northwest plateau. Winter oilseed rape areas in China have gradually expanded to the north in the last decade, resulting in cabbage aphids and turnip mosaic virus (TuMV). The aphid is a vector for TuMV and is gradually increasing on winter and spring oilseed rape. Quantifying the probing behaviors of the aphids on spring oilseed rape and winter oilseed rape helps us to understand TuMV regulation of the aphids. We found that compared to mock-inoculated plants, cabbage aphids on infected plants increased brief probing frequency, cell penetration frequency, intracellular probing time, decreased time to first probe and pathway duration, potentially promoting viral acquisition and minimizing viral loss and plant damage. Viruliferous aphids had reduced pathway duration, increased cell penetration frequency, increased intracellular probing time, increased salivation frequency, and ingested less sap compared with non-viruliferous aphids, primed for viral infection. TuMV infection also differentially modified aphid feeding behavior on winter and spring oilseed rape cultivars, primarily on uninfected plants.Direct and indirect effects of plant virus infection on vector behavior have been discovered to improve virus transmission efficiency, but the impact of plant cultivars in virus–vector–plant interactions has received little attention. Electropenetrography (EPG) allows real-time tracking and quantification of stylet penetration behaviors, pathogen transmission, and plant resistance mechanisms. Quantitative probing behaviors on a spring oilseed rape cultivar, ‘Xinyou17’, and a winter oilseed rape cultivar, ‘Zheping4’, were investigated using EPG to compare turnip mosaic virus (TuMV) regulation of cabbage aphid probing behavior. Results for indirect effects showed that compared to mock-inoculated plants, cabbage aphids on infected plants increased brief probing frequency, cell penetration frequency, intracellular probing time, and decreased time to first probe and pathway time, potentially promoting viral acquisition. TuMV also directly influences aphid probing behavior. Viruliferous aphids had reduced pathway time, increased cell penetration frequency, increased intracellular probing time, increased salivation frequency, and ingested less sap than non-viruliferous aphids, primed for viral infection. Although oilseed rape cultivars can also influence aphid behavior, the main effect of cultivars was not significant on TuMV-infected plants.

Diversity of Aphids and Their Predatory Coccinellids from West Bengal

The terai agroclimatic region of West Bengal has been surveyed in this study for the diversity of aphids and their predatory coccinellids during 2017-19. The collected specimens were studied in the laboratory of Department of Entomology, Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Pundibari, Cooch Behar. A total of 29 plant hosts were observed which revealed that Brevicoryne brassicae (L), Myzus persicae (Sulzer), Lipaphis erysimi (Kalt), Aphis gossypii (Glover) and Sitobion avenae (F) are the important species. Many coccinellids were observed predating on these, of which the dominant ones were Coccinella septempunctata (L), C. transversalis (F), Micraspis discolor (F), and Cheilomenes sexmaculata (F).

Combined Effect of Planting Date, Organic Fertilization and Cabbage Varieties on Cabbage and Turnip Aphids and their Natural Enemies in Dschang, Cameroon

A study was carried out to evaluate the combined effect of planting date, organic fertilization and cabbage varieties on cabbage and turnip aphids. The randomized complete blocks design with three replications and two varieties were used. Three organic fertilizers; compost (10 t.ha-1); the mixture: poultry manure 25% and compost 75% (10 t.ha-1); poultry manure (10 t.ha-1); the positive control, the mineral fertilizer NPK 20-10-10 (300 kg. ha-1) and the negative control. Aphid and syrphids counting was weekly done from the second week after transplantation to two weeks before harvest. The results obtained showed that Brevicoryne brassicae, Lipaphis pseudobrassicae, are present in all plots. Infestation peaks ranged from 21 to 28 DAT for B. brassicae and between 21 and 35 DAT for L. pseudobrassicae. The abundance of aphids of both species was significantly lower (P=0.0001) in plots with poultry manure compared to plots without fertilization. The dry season was more favourable than the rainy season for both species. B. brassicae was more important in compost plots and mixing on the other hand L. pseudobrassicae was more common in mixing plots. Green Coronet hosted more aphids in both growing seasons than Green Boy, 10.80±2.13 to 23.97±3.13 and 11.13±1.66 to 39.04±2.83 respectively for B. brassicae and L. pseudobrassicae in the dry season and 0.00±0.00 to 2.28±0.97 and 0.06±0.04 to 4.19±0.90 respectively in the rainy season. For average cabbage yields, Green Coronet recorded 15.38 t.ha-1 and Green Boy 16.16 t.ha-1 in the dry and in the rainy seasons, Green Coronet recorded 12.00 t.ha-1 and Green Boy 12.35 t.ha-1. In summary, poultry manure and mixture are recommended because they give the highest yields for both cabbage varieties.

Homeopathic solutions induce production of winged forms in aphid

The aphids control (Brevicoryne brassicae L.) in kale (Brassica oleracea L. var. acephala) is one of the main challenges for its production. This obstacle becomes greater in agroecological production systems. Thus, the objective of this study was to verify the formation of winged individuals in colonies of B. brassicae aphids, when exposed to kale treated with homeopathic solutions. The treatments were resistant 5CH, susceptible attacked 5CH, aphid nosode 30CH, and the controls that are water (without dynamization) and distilled water + 70% ethanol 5CH, being applied every day for 15 days. Kale plants were inoculated with aphids and irrigated using homeopathic solutions. After 15 days of inoculation, the plants were removed from the bag and the number of winged forms and nymphs of B. brassicae was counted. Homeopathic preparation Resistant 5CH provided a smaller number of winged individuals and a larger number of nymphs per colony. The plants treated with the susceptible attacked 5CH homeopathy showed a higher number of winged aphids, but a reduced number of nymphs. Aphid nosode 30CH treatment was promising to Brevicoryne brassicae control in kale plants, as it induced polymorphism, presenting a greater number of winged aphids and a reduced number of nymphs per colony.

Feeding behaviour of Coccinella septempunctata and Coccinella transversalis

The mass production of coccinellids at the Biocontrol Laboratory of Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur included laboratory studies on the predatory behaviour of Coccinella septempunctata L. and C. transversalis (f.) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). The study was done with the natural food, Lipaphis erysimi and Brevicoryne brassicae (Hemiptera: Aphididae). The predatory efficiency of the larvae and adults was determined by quantitative method of aphids consumed. The results revealed that the feeding rate increased gradually from the first to fourth larval instar, irrespective of the aphid host, with the first instars being less voracious than later ones.

Effect of temperature on biology of Brevicoryne brassicae L. and Myzus persicae Sulzer of cabbage

Knowing the effect of temperatures on growth and development of crop pests is essential. In this study, effect of six temperature regimes on the cabbage aphids Brevicoryne brassicae L., and Myzus persicae Sulzer was studied in Manipur, India. For both the species, 25˚C was found to be the optimal in relation to the most of the parameters studied; B. brassicae could not tolerate the extreme temperatures and died in its 2nd nymphal stage. A decrease in reproductive periods with increase in temperature may accommodate 1-2 additional brood(s) a year, consequently will lead to increased damage to cabbage, more particularly, under staggered transplanting.

Mortality, Enzymatic Antioxidant Activity and Gene Expression of Cabbage Aphid (Brevicoryne brassicae L.) in Response to Trichoderma longibrachiatum T6.

Aphids are one of the most common insect pests in greenhouse and field crops worldwide, causing significant crop yields and economic losses. The objective of this study was to determine the mortality, enzymatic antioxidant activity and gene expression of cabbage aphids (Brevicoryne brassicae L.) in response to Trichoderma longibrachiatum T6 (T6) at different time points from Day 1 to 7 after inoculation. Our results showed that the highest mortality of B. brassicae was observed on Day 7 at a concentration of 1 × 108 spores ml−1 (73.31%) after inoculation with T6 compared with the control on Day 7 (11.51%). The activities of the enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) were increased by 52.98%, 44.77%, 48.26%, 49.39%, 45.13% and 39.67%, respectively on Day 3 after inoculation with T6 compared to the control. Howerver increased days post treatment (dpt) decreased the activities of SOD, POD, CAT, APX, GPX and GST enzymes by 20.79%, 21.05%, 13.75%, 20.45%, 25.38%, and 19.76% repectively on Day 7 compared to control. The transcript levels of SOD, POD, CAT, GPX, and GST genes were increased by 10.87, 9.87, 12.77, 6.22 and 4.07 respectively at Day 3 after inoculation with T6 in comparison to the control. However, the SOD, POD, CAT, GPX, and GST transcription levels decreased by 0.43, 0.44, 0.35, 0.52 and 0.47 respectively, compared to control at Day 7. Our results suggest that the T6 strain has a potential effect on the antioxidant activity and mortality of B. brassicae and therefore could be used as a natural biocontrol agent against B. brassicae in the future.

Specialist root herbivore modulates plant transcriptome and downregulates defensive secondary metabolites in a brassicaceous plant.

Summary Plants face attackers aboveground and belowground. Insect root herbivores can lead to severe crop losses, yet the underlying transcriptomic responses have rarely been studied.We studied the dynamics of the transcriptomic response of Brussels sprouts (Brassica oleracea var. gemmifera) primary roots to feeding damage by cabbage root fly larvae (Delia radicum), alone or in combination with aboveground herbivory by cabbage aphids (Brevicoryne brassicae) or diamondback moth caterpillars (Plutella xylostella). This was supplemented with analyses of phytohormones and the main classes of secondary metabolites; aromatic, indole and aliphatic glucosinolates.Root herbivory leads to major transcriptomic rearrangement that is modulated by aboveground feeding caterpillars, but not aphids, through priming soon after root feeding starts. The root herbivore downregulates aliphatic glucosinolates. Knocking out aliphatic glucosinolate biosynthesis with CRISPR‐Cas9 results in enhanced performance of the specialist root herbivore, indicating that the herbivore downregulates an effective defence.This study advances our understanding of how plants cope with root herbivory and highlights several novel aspects of insect–plant interactions for future research. Further, our findings may help breeders develop a sustainable solution to a devastating root pest.

Biological Control Services from Parasitic Hymenoptera in Urban Agriculture.

Simple SummaryOur findings support the enemies hypothesis in urban agroecosystems. Local factors, including increased mulch coverage, crop richness, and percent of non-crop areas, are predictors of increased PH abundance and aphid parasitism rates. Our findings support and strengthen previous findings in UA research. Urban farmers should be encouraged to diversify urban agroecosystem spatial composition and implement APM practices to reduce pest impacts.Urban agriculture is practiced in spatially fragmented landscapes with unique characteristics that can impact species occurrence in time and space. As a result, biological control services, an ecosystem service from naturally occurring arthropod natural enemies, can be negatively impacted. Many urban farms forgo pesticides and utilize agroecological pest-management strategies that rely on natural enemies to help regulate pest populations. Understanding how these enemies are affected by landscape composition and on-farm management practices is critical to understanding agroecological pest management in UA and furthering our understanding of landscape-mediated population dynamics. Over two growing seasons, we sampled brassica crops in urban agriculture sites occurring on a spectrum of surrounding landscape imperviousness, spatial composition, size, and management practices to better understand parasitic Hymenoptera abundance, richness, and parasitism rates on the common cabbage aphid (Brevicoryne brassicae). We found that on-farm agroecological pest-management practices such as mulch coverage, floral richness, and overall crop-plant richness impacted parasitic Hymenoptera abundance. Larger proportions of on-farm noncrop area increased parasitoid abundance on urban farms. Aphid parasitism increased in relation to on-farm management practices, including increased crop-plant richness. These findings add to a growing understanding of urban agroecosystem function and support the enemies hypothesis in urban agroecosystems.

Soil‐dwelling Bacillus spp. affects aphid infestation of calabrese and natural enemy responses in a context‐specific manner

Abstract Plant growth‐promoting rhizobacteria in the genus Bacillus have been shown to reduce growth and increase parasitism of some aphids, but the generality of these interactions is unknown. All previous studies have taken place in temperate conditions. We studied the effects of seed application of three Bacillus species, singly and in mixture, on three aphid pests and their natural enemies, on field‐grown calabrese (green sprouting broccoli) in the subtropical climate of South West India. All three bacteria reduced populations of Brevicoryne brassicae and Myzus persicae, but had no effect on numbers of Lipaphis erysimi. Chewing insects (flea beetles and diamondback moth larvae) were also unaffected by the treatments. However, parasitism rates of aphids were higher on plants treated with the bacteria. We conclude that Bacillus spp. shape above ground interactions in a context‐specific manner, directly via altered field infestations of some pests and indirectly via natural enemy responses.

Studies on Pest Complex of Broad Leaf Mustard, Brassica juncea var. rugosa Roxb. Tsen and Lee in the Valley of Manipur

A experiment was conducted at Entomological Research Farm, Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture, Central Agricultural University, Imphal. Total eleven insect pest species were found to infest the crop viz. Large cabbage white butterfly, Pieris brassicae; Asian cabbage white butterfly, Pieris canidia; mustard aphid, Lipaphis erysymi and striped flea beetle, Phyllotreta striolata were observed frequently while, Cabbage aphid, Brevicoryne brassicae; green peach aphid, Myzus persicae; crucifer flea beetle, Phyllotreta cruciferae; mustard sawfly, Athalia lugens proxima; cabbage semilooper, Trichoplusia ni; fungus beetle, Monolepta signata and tobacco grasshopper, Atractomorpha crenulata were observed rarely.

Potential of storage of the jatropha oil for the management of the cabbage aphis

The use of oils obtained from plants has been an alternative to pest management, because they are selective, biodegradable and have little effect on non-target organisms. The objective of this work was to evaluate the storage effect on jatropha oil ( Jatropha curcas L), for a period of 150 days, and its potential on the cabbage aphis ( Brevicoryne brassicae (L.) (Hemiptera: Aphididae)). Mortality was evaluated in relation to the time after application. The solution was sprayed onto discs of kale leaves containing aphids, with the help of Potter's Tower. Seven oil concentrations were tested, with 10 replicates per treatment. There was no statistical difference between the storage time and the different concentrations of J. curcas on B. brassicae mortality, all treatments being efficient in the management of cabbage aphis.

Foliar and Soil Treatments of Brassica napus That Elicit Antibiosis in Brevicoryne brassicae

In screenhouses, foliar and soil applications of induced resistance (IR), nutrient deterrence (ND), and soil amendment (SAM) treatments to canola, Brassica napus L., reduced fitness in an aphid pest, Brevicoryne brassicae L. Effects of different combinations and doses of IR, ND, and SAM on aphids were compared with those of labeled doses of Carbosulfan and a control. Dose differences between treatments and the control were found for several measures of B. brassicae fitness, including Kaplan–Meier functions, reproduction time, effective fecundity (Md), intrinsic rates of natural increase (rm), relative growth rate (RGR), and generation time. Progeny, development/pre-reproductive period, and percent progeny nymph survival were also significantly different from the control. Carbosulfan was the most rapidly acting treatment; however, 1 mM salicylic acid (SA) produced statistically significant reductions in aphid fitness compared to the control, followed by 1 mM citric acid (CA), 0.5 mM SA, and 0.5 mM CA. Silicon (Si) at 50 kg/ha was the most effective ND approach. Ammonium sulfate (AS) only decreased fitness at 25 kg/ha. The SAM combinations of both elemental sulfur (ES) and bio-sulfur (BS) treatments with compost (Cp) also yielded statistically significant aphid fitness reductions. These results provide context for future exploration of IR, ND, and SAM approaches to improve canola yield and reduce aphid damage.

In-silico Studies Calculated a New Chitin Oligomer Binding Site Inside Vicilin: A Potent Antifungal and Insecticidal Agent.

Vicilins are major seed storage proteins and show differential binding affinities toward sugar moieties of fungal cell wall and insect gut epithelium. Hence, purpose of study is the thorough in-silico characterization of interactions between vicilin and chitin oligomer followed by fungal and insecticidal bioassays. This work covers the molecular simulation studies explaining the interactions between Pisum sativum vicilin (PsV) and chitin oligomer followed by protein bioassay against different pathogens. LC-MS/MS of purified PsV (∼50 kDa) generated residual data along high pea vicilin homology (UniProtKB ID; P13918). Predicted model (PsV) indicated the characteristic homotrimer joined through head-to-tail association and each monomer is containing a bicupin domain. PsV site map analysis showed a new site (Site 4) into which molecular docking confirmed the strong binding of chitin oligomer (GlcNAc)4. Molecular dynamics simulation data (50 ns) indicated that chitin-binding site was comprised of 8 residues (DKEDRNEN). However, aspartate and glutamate significantly contributed in the stability of ligand binding. Computational findings were further verified via significant growth inhibition of Aspergillus flavus, A. niger, and Fusarium oxysporum against PsV. Additionally, the substantial adult population of Brevicoryne brassicae was reduced and different life stages of Tribolium castaneum also showed significant mortality.