Temperature stress, superoxide dismutase activity and virus acquisition in Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae)

Temperature stress induces an increased level of oxidative stress in most organisms as a result of increased metabolic activity. Oxidative stress is presented in the form of free radicals such as superoxide molecules (O2-). An increased number of these free radicals can cause substantial damage to cells by binding to macromolecules inside the cell or on the cell membrane and causing a collapse in the cellular structure. Insects, too small to use perspiratory methods, usually deal with oxidative stress at a molecular level. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) plays a vital role in the conversion of superoxide molecules to less harmful products. Our study focuses on the in vivo relationship between temperature stress, begomovirus and oxidative stress in Bemisia tabaci whiteflies. We have previously determined the presence of SOD in Bemisia tabaci whole body extracts in addition to the reaction of SOD to whiteflies fed on healthy plants and plants infected with two different begomoviruses. SOD reacted differently with each begomovirus yet showed a directly proportional relationship in whiteflies reared on healthy tomato plants. Future experiments will focus on different biotypes of whiteflies in order to determine whether SOD is biotype specific.