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Pathogenic fungi synergistically cooperate with Serratia marcescens to increase cockroach mortality

Haizheng Zhao1, Meng Jiang2, Xuejun Wang3

  • 1Dongying Key Laboratory of Salt Tolerance Mechanism and Application of Halophytes, Dongying Institute, Shandong Normal University, Dongying 257000, China; The Zhongke-Ji'an Institute for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Ji'an 343000, China; Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology of Shandong Province, College of Life Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China.

Pesticide Biochemistry and Physiology
|June 15, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Combining Serratia marcescens and Metarhizium anisopliae enhances biopesticide effectiveness against German cockroaches by disrupting gut health and immune pathways, accelerating pest control.

Area of Science:

  • Entomology
  • Microbial Pest Control
  • Insect Pathology

Background:

  • Insecticide resistance in cockroaches necessitates novel pest management strategies.
  • Biopesticides offer a promising alternative, but their slow action requires optimization.
  • Understanding synergistic interactions between insect pathogens is crucial for enhancing efficacy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the synergistic effect of Serratia marcescens and Metarhizium anisopliae against Blattella germanica.
  • To elucidate the mechanisms underlying the enhanced virulence of the combined pathogens.
  • To explore the impact on cockroach gut microbiota and immune pathways.

Main Methods:

  • Co-infection assays with S. marcescens and M. anisopliae on B. germanica.
  • High-throughput sequencing to analyze gut microbiota composition.
  • Gene expression analysis of the IMD pathway and antimicrobial peptide production.
  • Assessment of tissue damage and pathogen proliferation.

Main Results:

  • Synergistic virulence and accelerated mortality in German cockroaches treated with the combined pathogens.
  • Dysbiosis of gut microbiota, with increased abundance of opportunistic pathogen Weissella cibaria.
  • Downregulation of the IMD pathway (Imd and Akirin) and reduced antimicrobial peptide expression.
  • Disruption of gut homeostasis by S. marcescens prodigiosin and organ damage by M. anisopliae destruxin.

Conclusions:

  • The combination of S. marcescens and M. anisopliae presents a potent biopesticide strategy against German cockroaches.
  • Pathogen synergy involves gut barrier disruption, opportunistic pathogen proliferation, and immune suppression.
  • These findings pave the way for developing more effective microbial control agents for pest management.
Keywords:
CombinationGerman cockroachGut microbiotaImmunityMetarhizium anisopliaeSerratia marcescens

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