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Potential of the bean α‐amylase inhibitor α AI ‐1 to inhibit α‐amylase activity in true bugs (Hemiptera)
Author(s) -
Lüthi C.,
ÁlvarezAlfageme F.,
Li Y.,
Naranjo S. E.,
Higgins T. J. V.,
Romeis J.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of applied entomology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.795
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1439-0418
pISSN - 0931-2048
DOI - 10.1111/jen.12146
Subject(s) - biology , hemiptera , amylase , lygaeidae , pentatomidae , miridae , pest analysis , heteroptera , botany , protease , enzyme , biochemistry
True bugs (Hemiptera) are an important pest complex not controlled by Bt‐transgenic crops. An alternative source of resistance includes inhibitors of digestive enzymes, such as protease or amylase inhibitors. α AI ‐1, an α‐amylase inhibitor from the common bean, inhibits gut‐associated α‐amylases of bruchid pests of grain legumes. Here we quantify the in vitro activity of α‐amylases of 12 hemipteran species from different taxonomic and functional groups and the in vitro inhibition of those α‐amylases by α AI ‐1. α‐Amylase activity was detected in all species tested. However, susceptibility to α AI ‐1 varied among the different groups. α‐Amylases of species in the Lygaeidae, Miridae and Nabidae were highly susceptible, whereas those in the Auchenorrhyncha (Cicadellidae, Membracidae) had a moderate susceptibility, and those in the Pentatomidae seemed to be tolerant to α AI ‐1. The species with α AI ‐1 susceptible α‐amylases represented families which include both important pest species but also predatory species. These findings suggest that α AI ‐1‐expressing crops have potential to control true bugs in vivo .