Targeting an antimicrobial effector function in insect immunity as a pest control strategy
Name
Bulmer-2009-Targeting an antimic.pdf
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1.6 MB
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Author(s)
Raman, Rahul
Sasisekharan, Ram
Bachelet, Ido
Bulmera, Mark S.
Rosengaus, Rebeca B.
Date Issued
April 2009
Journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Publisher
United States National Academy of Sciences
Citation
Bulmer, Mark S et al. “Targeting an antimicrobial effector function in insect immunity as a pest control strategy.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 106.31 (2009): 12652-12657. © 2010 National Academy of Sciences
Version
Final published version
Abstract
Insect pests such as termites cause damages to crops and man-made structures estimated at over $30 billion per year, imposing a global challenge for the human economy. Here, we report a strategy for compromising insect immunity that might lead to the development of nontoxic, sustainable pest control methods. Gram-negative bacteria binding proteins (GNBPs) are critical for sensing pathogenic infection and triggering effector responses. We report that termite GNBP-2 (tGNBP-2) shows β(1,3)-glucanase effector activity previously unknown in animal immunity and is a pleiotropic pattern recognition receptor and an antimicrobial effector protein. Termites incorporate this protein into the nest building material, where it functions as a nest-embedded sensor that cleaves and releases pathogenic components, priming termites for improved antimicrobial defense. By means of rational design, we present an inexpensive, nontoxic small molecule glycomimetic that blocks tGNBP-2, thus exposing termites in vivo to accelerated infection and death from specific and opportunistic pathogens. Such a molecule, introduced into building materials and agricultural methods, could protect valuable assets from insect pests.
MIT Department
Harvard University--MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology
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Article is made available in accordance with the publisher's policy and may be subject to US copyright law. Please refer to the publisher's site for terms of use.
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DOI of Published Version
http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0904063106
