Mode of action of insect growth regulators in lepidopteran tissue culture

• Published in: Pesticide Science 1998-11, Vol.54 (3), p.300-302
• Main Authors: Oberlander, H, Silhacek, D.L
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: amino sugars; bioassays; Biological and medical sciences; cellular proliferation; Chemical control; chitin synthesis inhibitors; chlorfluazuron; Control; diflubenzuron; fenoxycarb; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; insect growth regulators; juvenile hormone mimics; mechanism of action; methoprene; Noctuidae; Phytopathology. Animal pests. Plant and forest protection; Plodia interpunctella; Protozoa. Invertebrates; Spodoptera frugiperda; tebufenozide; tissue culture
• ISSN: 0031-613X; 1526-498X; 1096-9063
• DOI: 10.1002/(SICI)1096-9063(1998110)54:3<300::AID-PS830>3.0.CO;2-8

Insect growth regulators (IGRs) have been proposed as agents for the control of insect pests. These compounds disrupt the normal development of insects by mimicking juvenile hormone and the molting hormone, 20-hydroxyecdsyone, or by interfering with chitin synthesis. The effectiveness and selectivity of IGRs provide new tools for integrated pest management. The simultaneous advances in the chemistry of IGRs and the ability to study insect tissues in culture, have led to research on the mode of action of IGRs in vitro. Plodia interpunctella and Spodoptera frugiperda have been used to examine the effects of IGRs on wing imaginal discs in organ culture, as well as in hormonally responsive cell lines established from wing imaginal discs of these species. Our research has focused on the action of ecdysteroid mimics, chitin synthesis inhibitors and juvenile hormone mimics. The effects of the IGRs on chitin synthesis, uptake of amino-sugars, and cellular proliferation were studied in tissue culture. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of using organ cultures and hormonally responsive cell lines for investigating IGRs at the cellular and tissue level.