INHIBITION OF CHILO PARTELLUS (LEPIDOPTERA: PYRALIDAE) GUT PROTEASES BY COMPOUNDS FROM IPOMOEA BATATA

Balaji Panchal and Manvendra Kachole

Department of Biochemistry, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, Aurangabad, Maharashtra 431004, India

Abstract

Chilo partellus is a devastating pest of sorghum bicolor and maize all over the world. C. partellus gut proteases were isolated, purified and characterized. We analysed potential trypsin and chymotrypsin inhibitors from tuber plants to identify protease inhibitors (PIs) of C. partellus gut proteases. Enzymatic and feeding assays were revealed that non-host PIs inhibited protease activity efficiently. PIs from non-host Ipomoea batata inhibited total proease activity, retarded the growth and led to reduced weight of C. partellus larvae. One PI was purified from I. batata tubers and identified as a potent PI against C. partellus gut proteases. We propose this compound has potential for developing C. partellus-resistant transgenic plants.

Keywords: Chilo partellus insects; CPGPs; Host and non-host PIs; BApNA; GXCP.