Akhanaev Y, Pavlushin S, Yakimova M, Lebedeva D, Kurenshchikov D, Teshebaeva Z, Toshchakov S, Vyatkin Y, Kononchuk A, Ignatieva A, Tokarev Y, Soukhovolsky V, Inoue N M, Martemyanov V
Sirius University of Science and Technology, Olympic Avenue 1, Sirius, 354340, Russia.
Institute of Systematics and Ecology of Animals, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, 630091, Russia.
Sci Rep. 2025 Aug 4;15(1):28449. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-12828-4.
The spongy moth Lymantria dispar L. is a major forest pest causing substantial economic damage in Holarctic region. Lymantria dispar multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus isolates (LdMNPVs) have demonstrated significant potential as biological control agents against this pest. In this study we evaluated the virulence of six LdMNPV isolates against five L. dispar populations (including subspecies dispar, asiatica, japonica) and L. umbrosa. Bioassay results revealed significant differences in susceptibility among the larvae, with the Krasnodar L. dispar population exhibiting notably higher susceptibility to LdMNPV infection than the Novosibirsk population, despite their shared host plant species. The non-local isolate LdMNPV-27/0 was more effective against Krasnodar larvae than the local LdMNPV-KR isolate. The LdMNPV-KG from Kyrgyzstan had minimal effect on larvae from Novosibirsk population but reduced survival in Krasnodar population. Our analyses indicated that virulence is predominantly determined by isolate-specific characteristics rather than the host population's origin or subspecies classification. Genomic analysis of novel LdMNPV sequences (LdMNPV-KR, -KG, and -BibJ) detected differences in genome sizes, gene composition, and specific mutations, including the absence of the enhancing factor-1 gene in the LdMNPV-BibJ isolate. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed the clustering of isolates into distinct clades reflecting their geographic origin and evolutionary history. Our findings suggest that LdMNPV's efficacy is primarily influenced by isolate-specific traits rather than by host origin or subspecies. The results contribute to a better understanding of genetic diversity of LdMNPV and offer valuable information for the development of more effective biological pest control strategies against L. dispar populations worldwide-irrespective of geographic or host subspecies variations-provided that the most effective isolate is selected for such an application.
舞毒蛾Lymantria dispar L.是一种主要的森林害虫，在全北区造成了巨大的经济损失。舞毒蛾多核多角体病毒分离株（LdMNPVs）已显示出作为该害虫生物防治剂的巨大潜力。在本研究中，我们评估了六种LdMNPV分离株对五个舞毒蛾种群（包括dispar、asiatica、japonica亚种）和L. umbrosa的毒力。生物测定结果显示，幼虫之间的易感性存在显著差异，尽管克拉斯诺达尔舞毒蛾种群和新西伯利亚种群共享寄主植物物种，但克拉斯诺达尔舞毒蛾种群对LdMNPV感染的易感性明显高于新西伯利亚种群。非本地分离株LdMNPV-27/0对克拉斯诺达尔幼虫的效果比本地LdMNPV-KR分离株更有效。来自吉尔吉斯斯坦的LdMNPV-KG对新西伯利亚种群的幼虫影响最小，但降低了克拉斯诺达尔种群的存活率。我们的分析表明，毒力主要由分离株特异性特征决定，而不是寄主种群的起源或亚种分类。对新型LdMNPV序列（LdMNPV-KR、-KG和-BibJ）的基因组分析检测到基因组大小、基因组成和特定突变的差异，包括LdMNPV-BibJ分离株中增强因子-1基因的缺失。系统发育分析证实，分离株聚集成不同的分支，反映了它们的地理起源和进化历史。我们的研究结果表明，LdMNPV的功效主要受分离株特异性特征影响，而不是寄主起源或亚种。这些结果有助于更好地理解LdMNPV的遗传多样性，并为开发针对全球舞毒蛾种群的更有效的生物害虫防治策略提供有价值的信息——无论地理或寄主亚种如何变化——前提是选择最有效的分离株用于此类应用。
