Detoxifying symbionts in agriculturally important pest insects

• Published in: Microbial biotechnology Vol. 10; no. 3; pp. 531 - 540
• Main Authors: Bosch, Tijs J. M., Welte, Cornelia U.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.05.2017; John Wiley and Sons Inc
• Subjects: Agrochemicals; Agronomy; Animals; Climate change; Genomes; Inactivation, Metabolic; Insecta - metabolism; Insecta - microbiology; Insecticides; Insecticides - metabolism; Insects; Metabolism; Metabolites; Microbiota; Microorganisms; Minireview; Pest control; Pests; Roles; Symbionts; Symbiosis; Toxins
• ISSN: 1751-7915; 1751-7915
• DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.12483

Summary Pest insects lead to excessive agricultural and therefore economical losses on crops worldwide. These insects have to withstand toxic molecules that are inherent to plant defences, as well as those that are produced and introduced by humans in the form of insecticides. In recent years, research on insect–microbe symbioses has recognized that microbial symbionts may play a role protecting against these toxins, leading to a form of defensive symbiosis between the pest insect and different types of microorganisms that we term detoxifying symbioses. In this minireview, we will highlight well‐characterized and emerging insect model systems of detoxifying symbioses and assess how the microorganisms influence the host's success. Pest insects are severely impacting agriculture. Some of these insects are associated with microbial symbionts to detoxify harmful food components. This review will give an overview on emerging insect systems that harbor such detoxifying symbioses.