Hema Masarapu

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9963499697

Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati

Prof. Andreas Voloudakis

February 15 th 2018 to April 14 th 2018

Delivery of nematicides to plant parasitic nematodes using Physalis mottle virus-like particlesas a nanocarriers

In the present work, we used Physalis mottle virus (PhMV)-based VLPs as a carrier to deliver nematicides for agricultural applications. PhMV-based VLPs were purified to homogeneity from E. coli using differential ultracentrifugation. Crystal violet was added at 5000 molar excess to PhMV VLPs and kept for overnight at room temperature. Infused VLPs were purified through a 30% sucrose cushion by ultracentrifugation at 42000 rpm for 3 h. Concentration of infused VLPs in the pellet was estimated and number of cargo molecules inside the VLPs were calculated using the absorbance of CV at 590 nm and its extinction coefficient. Approximately 2500 molecules were obtained per VLP. 200 µM and 20 µM concentrations of free CV and equivalent PhMV CV were checked on the free living and root parasitic (Meloidogyne incognita) nematodes at 0, 1, 3 and 24 h time points. The results from two independent in vitro experiments indicated that infused VLPs are having significant effect on the movement of free living nematodes than on the root parasitic nematodes in 3 h. Mobility of infused VLPs and free CV were checked through two different soils (sandy loam and peat moss) and found that PhMV VLPs are facilitating the fast movement of CV through soil by eluting in the first four fractions, whereas CV found to be attached to the soil particles and remained on the top of the column. In vivo experiments were planned using M. incognita-tomato pathosystem and soil application of PhMV-based carriers will be beneficial because of its stability, non-infectious nature to plants, increased mobility in the soil particles and the bioavailability to the nematodes. Results obtained will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. Based on the in vivo results, a potential collaborative project can be proposed between AUA, Greece and SV University, India

Professor of Virology, SVUniversity, Tirupati, India