[compost_tea] Another new biocontrol critter
This just in from SANET:
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 10.1073/pnas.0403853101 oct. 6 ,2004
Wolbachia-induced cytoplasmic incompatibility as a means for insect pest
population control
Sofia Zabalou *, Markus Riegler , Marianna Theodorakopoulou ¶, Christian=
Stauffer , Charalambos Savakis *||, and Kostas Bourtzis ||**
Biological control is the purposeful introduction of parasites,
predators, and pathogens to reduce or suppress pest populations.
Wolbachia are inherited bacteria of arthropods that have recently
attracted attention for their potential as new biocontrol agents.
Wolbachia manipulate host reproduction by using several strategies, one
of which is cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) [Stouthamer, R., Breeuwer,
J. A. J. & Hurst, G. D. D. (1999) Annu. Rev. Microbiol. 53, 71-102]. We
established Wolbachia-infected lines of the medfly Ceratitis capitata
using the infected cherry fruit fly Rhagoletis cerasi as donor.
Wolbachia induced complete CI in the novel host. Laboratory cage
populations were completely suppressed by single releases of infected
males, suggesting that Wolbachia-induced CI could be used as a novel
environmentally friendly tool for the control of medfly populations. The
results also encourage the introduction of Wolbachia into pest and
vector species of economic and hygenic relevance to suppress or modify
natural populations.
Elaine R. Ingham
Soil Foodweb Inc., Corvallis, Oregon
Soil Foodweb Inc., Port Jefferson, New York
Soil Foodweb Institute, Lismore Australia
Soil Foodweb Institute Cambridge, New Zealand
Soil Foodweb Inc., Oosterbeck, The Netherlands
Laboratorios de Soil Foodweb, Culiacan, Mexico
Soil Foodweb Inc., Jerome, Idaho
Soil Foodweb Inc., South Africa
Received on Wed Oct 06 2004 - 15:10:37 EDT
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