Use of Symbiotic Bacteria to Reduce Mass-rearing Costs and Increase Mating Success in Selected Fruit Pests in Support of SIT Application
Closed for Proposals
Project Type
Coordinated Research ProjectProject Code
D41024
CRP
1816
Approved Date
14 March 2011Project Status
ClosedStart Date
10 February 2012Expected End Date
26 January 2018Completed Date
26 January 2018Description
The sterile insect technique (SIT) is a sustainable and environment-friendly control method against some major pests of fruits and vegetables world wide. One of the main obstacles to the widespread implementation of the SIT is the cost relative to other, less sustainable alternatives. In recent years there has been a major paradigm shift in understanding the intimate relationship between microorganisms and their hosts, be they humans, animals or plants. Specifically, studies on insects have revealed seminal contributions of microorganisms to the nutrition, health and reproductive success of their hosts. ?Furthermore, there is evidence that during the mass-rearing and radiation processes, the native microflora of the insects is disrupted and its contribution to the host diminished. Accordingly, the objective of this CRP is to characterize the microorganisms associated with the major fruit pests targeted by the SIT and to harness these symbionts to decrease production costs and increase sterile insect quality.
Objectives
The objective of the project is to understand and harness the role that microorganisms play in the larval and adult biology of selected key fruit and vegetable pests to improve the SIT component as part of area-wide integrated pest management programmes applied against such pests.
Specific Objectives
To determine the effect of radiation on the symbiotic communities in target species.
To develop methods of using beneficial bacteria to replace costly ingredients in larval diets in SIT applications.
To explore the use of symbionts as probiotics provided to adult sterile males before their release to significantly improve sterile male performance.
To harness symbiotic microorganisms as reproductive manipulators and determine their ability to suppress target populations.
Impact
The systematic study of the symbionts associated with pest Tephritid species has resulted in several important breakthroughs:
1. The bacteria associated with most of the Tephritid pests have been identified for the first time.
2. The role of bacteria in mass rearing facilities has been elucidated for several key pest species.
3. The effect of sterilizing radiation on the microbiota of several mass reared species has been documented.
4. The use of symbionts as probiotic supplements to improve larval rearing and adult quality has been studied in several species of Anastrepha, Bactrocera, and Ceratitis capitata.
5. The utility of harnessing symbiotic associations towards the reproductive manipulation and suppression of target populations has been investigated. Specifically, the effect of Wolbachia infection on Ceratitis capitata has been studied, revealing the practical potential for introducing this bacterium into mass reared and wild populations.
6. An online portal has been established describing protocols and techniques for culture-dependent and independent approaches (PCR protocols, symbiont screening etc).
7. An online tool for calculating distribution of operational taxonomic units generated from new generation sequencing approaches has been developed (Rbplot).
8. Electronic version of a database of all microorganisms identified during the CRP has been established and is available online
Overall, the research performed under this CRP has resulted in 22 publications in peer reviewed publications, numerous presentations in international and national scientific meetings, and several theses written by undergraduate and graduate students. Outcomes from the CRP sponsored research are implemented in the major mass rearing facilities worldwide. Finally, the collaborative research undertaken has forged lasting interdisciplinary working groups, bridging basic and applied approaches, engaged in furthering the research initiated during the CRP.
Relevance
The CRP pioneered the study of symbiotic bacteria associated with pest Tephritids. The results of the research undertaken during the CRP have provided novel information regarding the symbiotic bacteria of Tephritid flies, and the role of these and other bacteria in the mass rearing facilities has been revealed and investigated. Furthermore the utility of providing bacteria as probiotic supplements has been examined critically, with specific recommendations tailored to the needs and constraints of the varied species targeted for SIT. Finally, introducing Wolbachia to mass rearing colonies has proven to be an additional strategy to be deployed against pest tephritids.
CRP Publications
China/ Huazhong Agricultural University
Scientific Article
2016
Dong, Y.C., Wang, Z., Chen, Z.Z., Clarke A.R. & C.Y. Niu. 2016. Bactrocera dorsalis male sterilization by targeted RNA interference of spermatogenesis: empowering sterile insect technique programs. Scientific Reports. 6:35750. Hyperlink doi: 10.1038/srep35750.
Bangladesh/ IFRB, AERE, Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission
Scientific Article
2014
Pramanik, K., A-Al-Mahin, Khan, M. & A.B. Miah. 2014. Isolation and identification of mid-gut bacterial community of Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) (Diptera: Tephritidae). Research Journal of Microbiology. 9(6):278-286
China/ Huazhong Agricultural University
Scientific Article
2017
Kanjana, K., Andongma, A.A., Akami, M., Souliyanonh, B., Zhu, J., Patcharin, K. & C.Y. Niu.. 2017. Assessing the effects of gut bacteria manipulation on the development of the oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Diptera; Tephritidae). Symbiosis. Hyperlink doi: 10.1007/s13199-017-0493-4
Israel/ Hebrew University
Scientific Article
2015
Ben-Yosef, M., Pasternak, Z., Jurkevitch, E., & B. Yuval. 2015. Symbiotic bacteria enable olive fly larvae to overcome host defences. Royal Society Open Science. 2: 150170.
Bangladesh/ IFRB, AERE, Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission
Scientific Article
2014
Khan, M., Mahin, M. A-A., Pramanik, M.K. & H. Akter. 2014. Identification of gut bacterial community and their effect on the fecundity of Pumpkin fly, Bactrocera tau (Walker). Journal of Entomology. 11(2):68-77.
BMC Part of Springer Nature
Scientific Journal
2019
Carlos Cáceres, George Tsiamis, Boaz Yuval, Edouard Jurkevitch and Kostas Bourtzis. Proceedings of an FAO/IAEA Coordinated Research Project on Use of Symbiotic Bacteria to Reduce Mass-rearing Costs and Increase Mating Success in Selected Fruit Pests in Support of SIT Application
Greece, University of Thessaly , Vólos · Department of Agriculture Crop Production and Rural Environment/IAEA
Scientific Article
2014
Augustinos A.A., A.K. Asimakopoulou, C.A. Moraiti, P. Mavragani-Tsipidou, N. T. Papadopoulos, K. Bourtzis. 2014. Microsatellite and Wolbachia analysis in Rhagoletis cerasi natural populations: population structuring and multiple infections. Ecology and Evolution. 4(10): 1943–1962. Hyperlink doi: 10.1002/ece3.553
Country/Org. Italy/ University of Florence
Scientific Article
2013
Liscia A., Angioni P., Sacchetti P., Poddighe S., Granchietti A., Setzu M.D. & A. Belcari. 2013. Characterization of olfactory sensilla of the olive fly: behavioral and electrophysiological responses to volatile organic compounds from the host plant and bacterial filtrate. Journal of Insect Physiology. 59 (7): 705-716.
Israel/ Hebrew Univeristy
Scientific Article
2016
Hadapad, A.B., Prabhakar, C.S., Chandekar, S.C., Tripathi, J., & R.S. Hire. 2016. Diversity of bacterial communities in the midgut of Bactrocera cucurbitae (Diptera: Tephritidae) populations and their potential use as attractants. Pest Management Science. 72(6):1222-30. .
Country/Org. Bangladesh/ IFRB, AERE, Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission
Scientific Article
2014
Pramanik, K., A-Al-Mahin, Khan, M. & A.B. Miah. 2014. Isolation and identification of mid-gut bacterial community of Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) (Diptera: Tephritidae). Research Journal of Microbiology. 9(6):278-286.
India/ Bhabha Atomic Research Centre
Scientific Article
2017
Hadapad, A. B., Prabhakar, C. S., & R.S. Hire. 2017. Detection and phylogeny of Wolbachia prevalence in melon fly, Bactrocera cucurbitae (Coquillett) (Diptera: Tephritidae) populations (Submitted, under review).
China/ Huazhong Agricultural University
Scientific Article
2015
Andongma, A. A., Wan, L., Dong, Y.C., Li, P., Desneux N., White, J.A. & C.Y. Niu. 2015. Pyrosequencing reveals a shift in symbiotic bacteria populations across life stages of Bactrocera dorsalis. Scientific Reports. 5: 9470. Hyperlink doi: 10.1038/srep09470
Australia/NSW Department of Primary Industries
Scientific Article
2016
Deutscher, A., Reynolds, O.L., & T. Chapman. 2016. Yeast: an overlooked component of Bactrocera tryoni (Diptera: Tephritidae) larval gut microbiota. Journal of Economic Entomology. 110 (1): 298-300
Greece, University of Thessaly , Vólos · Department of Agriculture Crop Production and Rural Environment/IAEA
Scientific Article
2016
Augustinos, A.A., Kyritsis, G.A., Papadopoulos, N.T. Abd-Alla, AA-M., Cáceres, C. & K. Bourtzis. 2015. Exploitation of the medfly gut microbiota for the enhancement of sterile insect technique: use of Enterobacter sp. in larval diet-based probiotic applications. PlosOne: 10:9. Hyperlink https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0136459