Parasitism by an endoparasitoid wasp, Cotesia plutellae, results in significant immunosuppression of the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella. Parasitized larvae significantly suffered higher susceptibility to a microbial biopesticide, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) than nonparasitized (NP) larvae. To find out an immunosuppressive agent causing the enhanced Bt efficacy, viral ankyrin (=vankyrin) genes encoded in C. plutellae bracovirus (CpBV) were analyzed by transient expression in NP larvae. CpBV segments containing different vankyrins were microinjected to NP larvae and expressed their encoded vankyrins. Expression of some vankyrins significantly inhibited immune response and enhanced Bt efficacy. This study suggests that expression of vankyrins suppress a cellular immune response and lose Bt tolerance of P. xylostella larvae.

• Kyusoon Kim(Department of Bioresource Sciences, Andong National University)
• Hyun Kim(Department of Bioresource Sciences, Andong National University)
• Kilha Kim(Department of Plant Medicine, Chungbuk National University)
• Yonggyun Kim(Department of Bioresource Sciences, Andong National University)