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Temperature and Ca 2+ ion as modulators in cellular immunity of the Sunn pest Eurygaster integriceps Puton (Heteroptera: Scutelleridae)
Author(s) -
ZIBAEE Arash,
BANDANI Ali Reza,
TALAEIHASSANLOUEI Reza,
MALAGOLI Davide
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
entomological research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.421
H-Index - 20
eISSN - 1748-5967
pISSN - 1738-2297
DOI - 10.1111/j.1748-5967.2009.00251.x
Subject(s) - biology , beauveria bassiana , immune system , insect , pest analysis , botany , zoology , immunology , biological pest control
Environmental conditions in addition to divalent cations may affect the interactions between pathogens and insects. Elucidation of factors which modulate insect immune responses could be a significant part of investigations in this area. In this study, adults of Eurygaster integriceps , as the destructive pest of wheat, were kept at different temperatures in addition to injection with different concentrations of Ca 2+ to find the effect on cellular immune reactions against Beauveria bassiana . Results showed that total and differentiate hemocyte numbers, nodule formation and phenoloxidase activity increased with elevation of temperature so that the higher values were obtained at 30 and 40°C at various intervals. Higher concentrations of Ca 2+ ion (5 mM) caused an increase in plasmatocyte length and width especially after 60 min. Similar results were observed for nodule formation and phenoloxidase activity of E. integriceps adults after injection by B. bassiana spores and phenoloxidase activity. It is clear from the current study that thermoregulation and Ca 2+ ion can positively affect the hemocyte numbers especially plasmatocytes and granulocytes, nodule formation and phenoloxidase activity in E. integriceps . The understanding of modulators of the insect immune response may directly influence novel approaches to obtain safe and effective biological control agents.