昆虫共生菌及其在病虫害防控中的应用前景

Insect Symbionts and Their Potential Application in Pest and Vector-borne Disease Control

        王四宝(中国科学院上海生命科学研究院 植物生理生态研究所 上海 200032)
        曲爽(中国科学院上海生命科学研究院 植物生理生态研究所 上海 200032)

         协同进化;肠道菌群;共生菌;昆虫-微生物互作;共生控制

        coevolution;gut microbiota;symbiosis;insect-microbe interaction;symbiotic control

        昆虫的种类丰富多样，其体内栖息着大量的微生物。这些微生物与宿主昆虫在长期协同进化过程中形成了相互依存的共生关系。共生菌在昆虫的营养、代谢、免疫和生殖等诸多生理功能上发挥着重要作用，因此，昆虫共生菌是昆虫个体的重要组成部分，全面了解昆虫生命活动必须兼顾昆虫共生菌的作用和影响。同时，昆虫共生菌在开发害虫新型生物防治、废弃物生物降解和虫媒传染病的阻断控制手段中具有重要的应用前景。文章综述了昆虫共生菌的多样性、生物学功能、与宿主相互作用的机制及其在病虫害和虫媒传染病防治上的应用，并对未来研究提出展望。

        Insects are the most diverse and abundant group of organisms dominating terrestrial habitats, in terms of numbers of species. The evolutionary success of insects and their diversification into a wide range of ecological niches depends in part on the beneficial members of their associated microbiome. The insect is colonized by a complex population of microorganisms in a symbiotic relationship, which vary from bacteria to viruses, yeasts, and protists. These diverse microbial communities provide important physiological functions for the insect hosts in many ways, including provision of nutritional supplements, enhancement of digestive mechanism, tolerance of environmental perturbations, modulation of host immune homeostasis, protection from parasites and pathogens, modulation of vector competence, contribution to inter-and intra-specific communication, and influence of insect mating and reproduction. Conversely, the insect host can affect the microbial community. Therefore, the insect symbionts can no longer be ignored when studying insect biology and host-pathogen interactions. Insect symbionts have become promising in the development of novel tools for the biological control of insect pests, biodegradation of wastes and blocking the transmission of insect-borne diseases. Here, we provide an overview on diversity of insect symbionts, the latest advance in the understanding of symbiotic relationships, interactions between insect and symbionts, and in developing novel strategies for controlling insect pests and vectorborne diseases. Finally, directions for future work are discussed.