| Summary: | Abstract In a previous study, we identified a protein elicitor AMEP412 from Bacillus subtilis, which could trigger plant defense response and induce systemic acquired resistance. In the present study, the toxicity of AMEP412 against the whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Genn.) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) was reported. The purified protein samples at different concentrations (1, 5, 10, 20, 40, and 80 μg/ml) caused 17–96% mortality 2 days post-artificial adult feeding, where the median lethal concentration (LC50) was calculated by 15.57 μg/ml. The stability test showed that AMEP412 had a good stability against thermo and natural degradation. The fluorescence localization assay revealed that AMEP412 could be taken into the whitefly adult body and localized in the gut. Based on the feature of this protein, AMEP412 was probably digested by gut proteases and led to the release of hydrophobic fragments in the insect gut. It was deduced that these hydrophobic peptides could insert themselves into the cell membrane and form lytic pores, leading to content leakage and cell lysis, followed by insect death. This study sheds a light on the toxic effect of AMEP412, which not only enriched the function of the protein elicitor but also provided a new choice for the biocontrol of whiteflies.
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