Effect of entomopathogenic fungus Tolypocladium species metabolite efrapeptin on Galleria mellonella agglutinin.

In the current study it has been found that efrapeptins, secondary metabolites of entomopathogenic fungi Tolypocladium cylindrosporum, interfere with agglutinin. The effect of efrapeptins on G. mellonella agglutinin was tested using rabbit blood. The results revealed that the end point for control larvae were 12.5 whereas for treated larvae which injected with 5 microl of 5 microg efrapepins ml(-1) or 50 microg efrapepins ml(-1) the end points were 10.5 and 8.5, respectively. Considering that efrapeptins suppress agglutination this study suggest that efrapeptins may interfere with the ligand-receptor interactions that are likely to occur at the plasma membrane of specific haemocytes. It has been suggested that majority of interactions between cellular and humoral components of the insect immune system are receptor-mediated.