Parasitization by Cotesia plutellae enhances detoxifying enzyme activity in Plutella xylostella

Insecticidal tests using diazinon showed that the mortality of Plutella xylostella larvae parasitized by Cotesia plutellae was reduced by 4.6-fold compared to that of the nonparasitized hosts. The use of chemicals with synergistic effect to insecticides in toxicity assay helps to elucidate the kind of enzyme involved in lowering insect mortality. Synergism of diethyl maleate and piperonyl butoxide with diazinon resulted to 2.4- and 1.9-fold increase, respectively, in susceptibility of parasitized larvae compared to those of nonparasitized larvae. These results indicated the possibility that the decrease in susceptibility to diazinon was due to the elevated activities of glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and cytochrome P450 monooxygenase (CYP), respectively. The GST activities in parasitized larvae were significantly higher than those of nonparasitized ones starting from three days post-parasitization until emergence of parasitoid larva. High GST activities during late parasitism could be attributed to both enzyme activities toward diazinon of parasitized P. xylostella larva itself and C. plutellae larva inside larval host. High GST activity one day after parasitization, although statistical significance was not detected, was caused by polydnavirus (PDV) and the venom of C. plutellae not by parasitoid larvae. Artificial injection of PDV plus venom demonstrated that the resulting increase in GST activity is similar to the increase brought by parasitization. High CYP activity after 3 days post-parasitization in parasitized larva was attributed mainly to the activity of parasitoid larva. Carboxylesterase activity in the parasitized host remained at a high level, while that in the nonparasitized host decreased slightly as pupation approaches. On the other hand, acetylcholinesterase activity also remained constant after parasitization until larval emergence, while that of the nonparasitized hosts decreased gradually as the host larvae approach pupation. These results were supported by inhibition tests using diazoxon in vitro.