Identification of Diverse Toxin Complex Clusters and an eCIS Variant in Serratia proteamaculans Pathovars of the New Zealand Grass Grub (Costelytra Giveni) and Manuka Beetle (Pyronota Spp.) Larvae.

ABSTRACT: The grass grub endemic to New Zealand, Costelytra giveni (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), and the manuka beetle, Pyronota festiva and P. setosa (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), are prevalent pest species. Through assessment of bacterial strains isolated from diseased cadavers of these insect species, 19 insect-active Serratia proteamaculans variants and a single Serratia entomophila strain were isolated. When independently bioassayed, these isolates differed in host range, the rate of disease progression, and 12-day mortality rates, which ranged from 60 to 100% of the challenged larvae. A Pyronota spp.-derived S. proteamaculans isolate caused a transient disease phenotype in challenged C. giveni larvae, whereby larvae appeared diseased before recovering to a healthy state. Genome sequence ana

SUBMITTER: Hurst MRH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8528098 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature