Biotechnology Bulletin ›› 2024, Vol. 40 ›› Issue (11): 113-124.doi: 10.13560/j.cnki.biotech.bull.1985.2024-0298

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Progress in the Mining and Utilization of Insect-associated Actinomycete Resources

ZHAO Zheng-yang1(), XIE Bing-yan2, CHENG Xin-yue3, LI Hui-xia1()   

  1. 1. College of Plant Protection, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070
    2. Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081
    3. College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875
  • Received:2024-03-27 Online:2024-11-26 Published:2024-12-19
  • Contact: LI Hui-xia E-mail:zyzhao2019@163.com;lihx@gsau.edu.cn

Abstract:

Insects are one of the most species-diverse groups of organisms in nature, and they have established close symbiotic relationships with a variety of functionally unique symbionts during their long evolutionary process. These symbiotic relationships were understood to be mutually beneficial in the early days, and recent studies have also revealed commensalism and parasitism. Among these symbionts, actinomycetes are a special group of microorganisms that can be found in the insect gut, feces, antennae, exoskeleton, and the fungus gardens of fungus-growing insects, which help host insects to defend themselves against pathogens, parasites, and predators, and they play an important role in maintaining the survival and reproduction of host insects. In recent years, a variety of novel compounds have been isolated from the metabolites produced by insect-associated actinomycetes, which can inhibit the proliferation of various plant and animal pathogens, tumor cells, and cancer cells. Therefore, the study on insect-associated actinomycetes can not only analyze the symbiotic mechanism between host and microorganisms but also provide new options for developing biopesticides and biopharmaceuticals. This paper reviews the research progress on the mining and utilization of insect-associated actinomycetes, mainly summarizes the resources and functional diversity of different species of insect-associated actinomycetes, concurrently classifies the secondary metabolites of insect-associated actinomycetes with important activities according to the structural differences, including polypeptide, quinine and polyketide, lactone, alkaloid and other compounds, as well as explores the functional diversity of these secondary metabolites, thus providing a foundation for understanding the operation of ecosystems, discovering new bioactive substances, and developing new biopesticides and pharmaceuticals.

Key words: insects, actinomycetes, secondary metabolites