THE ROLE OF FUMONISINS IN THE BIOLOGICAL INTERACTION BETWEEN Fusarium verticillioides AND Sitophilus zeamais

USSEGLIO V.L.; DAMBOLENA J.S.; MARTINEZ M.J.; ZUNINO M.P.

JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL ECOLOGY

SPRINGER

Lugar: Berlin; Año: 2020 vol. 46 p. 1059 - 1068

0098-0331

The aim of the current study was to investigate the entomopathogenic capacity of the mold Fusarium verticillioides and the effect of its mycotoxins fumonisins, on the grain beetle Sitophilus zeamais. We evaluated the capacity of this fungus to infect live insects, the antifungal activity of constituents of the insect´s epicuticle, and the effect of a fumonisin extract on the insect?s fitness. It was found that F. verticillioides was unable to penetrate the S. zeamais cuticle and that the FB extract had no negative effects on the insect´s fitness. Nevertheless, its progeny increased and the FB extract had repellent effects. This is the first report about the effects of fumonisins on the relationship between F. verticillioides and S. zeamais, which provides possibly useful information about interactions between pathogenic microorganisms and insects, especially on stored product pests.