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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Fort Pierce, Florida » U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory » Subtropical Insects and Horticulture Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #224179
Title: Superoxide Dismutase activity in temperature stressed viruliferous whiteflies (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae)

Author
item ROSELL, ROSEMARIE - UNIV ST THOMAS, HOUSTON
item SHAH, ARSALAN - UNIV ST THOMAS, HOUSTON
item KHAN, MUDASSER - UNIV ST THOMAS, HOUSTON
item AGHAKASIRI, NILOUFAR - UNIV ST THOMAS, HOUSTON
item Shatters, Robert - Bob
item McKenzie, Cindy

Submitted to: XXI International Congress of Entomology, Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/6/2008
Publication Date: 7/6/2008
Citation: Rosell, R.C., Shah, A., Khan, M., Aghakasiri, N., Shatters, R.G., McKenzie, C.L. 2008. Superoxide dismutase activity in temperature stressed viruliferous whiteflies (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae). XXIII International Congress of Entomology. 23:XX.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Whiteflies’ remarkable ability to transmit and spread begomovirus diseases has had an immense impact on global food production and thus they have become one of the most serious crop pests throughout much of the world. Our hypothesis is that the ability of the whitefly to survive under extreme temperature conditions is related to the regulation of the enzyme, superoxide dismutase (SOD). The purpose of our study is to determine the relationship between stress, virus infection and SOD activity. SOD functions in the conversion of O2 - free radicals to less toxic products. Superoxide free radicals bind to macromolecules in cells and may lead to breakdown of cellular membranes. Previously, we have shown under normal metabolic conditions the presence of superoxide dismutase in Bemisia tabaci whole body extracts. In this study, we determined the effects of temperature stress on whiteflies fed on either begomovirus-infected tomato or healthy tomato plants. Two begomoviruses, tomato mottle virus (ToMoV) and tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) were used in the study. We characterized and quantified SOD activity using a commercially available spectrophotometric assay combined with an electrophoretic assay. Our data showed that SOD activity was directly proportional to an increase in temperature in non-viruliferous whiteflies. However, the SOD activity in whiteflies reared on virus-infected plants was varied. These data were supported by the SOD isozymes observed in the electrophoretic assay. The roles of SOD activity and temperature stress in relation to whitefly interactions with begomovirus in whitefly are discussed.