Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

An enzyme from Myrothecium verrucaria that degrades insect cuticles for biocontrol of Aedes aegypti mosquito

  • Published:
Biotechnology Letters Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

Myrothecium verrucaria produced a high activity of extracellular insect cuticle degrading enzymes, chitinases, proteinases and lipases. Both first (I) instar and fourth (IV) instar larvae of a mosquito, Aedes aegypti, a vector of yellow fever and dengue, were susceptible to crude culture filtrate (100% mortality within 48 h at 170 mg/l) . The supplementation of purified M. verrucaria endo-chitinase with commercial lipase decreased the lethal time (LT50) from 48 h to 24 h for I instar and 120 h to 96 h for IV instar. Our results of the larvicidal activity indicate that the cuticle degrading enzyme complex of M. verrucaria has a good potential for the control of mosquitoes.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bradford, M.M. (1976) Anal. Biochem. 72, 248–254.

    Google Scholar 

  • Busvine,J.R. (1971) In: Techniques for Testing Insecticides, pp. 167–184, Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux, Farnham Royal, Slough, UK.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cohen,E. (1993) Arch. Insect Biochem. Physiol. 22, 245–261.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shaikh, S.A. and Deshpande, M.V. (1993) World J. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 9, 468–475.

    Google Scholar 

  • Venkateswara Rao,J., Makkapati,A.K. and Venkateswarlu,Y. (1995) Indian J. Exptl. Biol. 33, 399–400.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vyas,P.R. and Deshpande,M.V. (1989) J. Gen. Appl. Microbiol. 35, 343–350.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vyas, P.R. and Deshpande,M.V. (1993) J. Gen. Appl. Microbiol. 39, 91–99.

    Google Scholar 

  • Worhington,C. C. (1977) Lipase. In: Worthington Enzyme Manual, pp. 125–127, Worthington Biochemical Corporation, Freehold, New Jersey, USA.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Biochemical Sciences Division, National Chemical Laboratory, 411 008, Pune, India

    E. S. Mendonsa, P. H. Vartak, J. U. Rao & M. V. Deshpande

Authors
  1. E. S. Mendonsa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. P. H. Vartak
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. J. U. Rao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. M. V. Deshpande
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Mendonsa, E.S., Vartak, P.H., Rao, J.U. et al. An enzyme from Myrothecium verrucaria that degrades insect cuticles for biocontrol of Aedes aegypti mosquito. Biotechnol Lett 18, 373–376 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00143454

Download citation

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00143454

Keywords

Search

Navigation