Boina, Dhana Raj2014-03-142014-03-142008-01-03etd-01092008-154304http://hdl.handle.net/10919/25975In this study, four anion transporter (AT) blockers, DIDS (4, 4′-diisothiocyanatostilbene-2, 2′-disulfonic acid), 9-AC (anthracene-9-carboxylic acid), NPPB (5-nitro-2-(3-phenylpropylamino) benzoic acid), and IAA-94 (indanyloxy acetic acid) were selected to evaluate ATs as potential target sites for insect and nematode control. All the AT blockers showed slowly developing toxicity against second-stage larvae of <i>Meloidogyne incognita</i> (Kofoid and White 1919) Chitwood 1949 and adults of <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i> Maupas 1900 but not against third-stage larvae of <i>Heterorhabditis bacteriophora</i> Poinar 1975 even at 200 ppm. Symptoms of AT blocker toxicity observed in <i>C. elegans</i> adults were increased pharyngeal muscle contractions and decreased locomotion. Exposure of <i>C. elegans</i> as fourth-stage larvae to double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) of <i>ceclc-1</i> and <i>ceclc-2</i> (VGCC genes coding for CeClC-1 and CeClC-2, respectively) either alone or together for 24 h decreased their expression in F1 progeny in a time-dependent manner. Reduction in expression of <i>ceclc-2</i> alone or together with <i>ceclc-1</i> significantly increased pharyngeal contractions and decreased locomotion in significantly higher percentage of F1 progeny. The above findings suggested AT blockers nematicidal activity primarily comes from inhibition of CeClC-2 channels, while inhibition of CeClC-1 channels may enhance this activity. All the AT blockers showed slowly developing toxicity against adults of a susceptible strain (Oregon-R) of <i>Drosophila melanogaster</i> Meigen 1830, while DIDS, was equally toxic to dieldrin-resistant rdl flies. All AT blockers, except 9-AC, at 100 µM showed significant excitatory effect on desheathed central nervous system (CNS) of third-instar larvae of <i>Drosophila</i>, while DIDS showed a modest excitatory effect on ascending peripheral nerves. Feeding adult flies on 10% sugar solution mixed with 100 ppm of DIDS for 6 h decreased the midgut pH by 2 units approximately. All the AT blockers inhibited the growth of larvae (in weight), increased the developmental time, and decreased survival when <i>Ostrinia nubilalis</i> (Hübner 1796) second-instar larvae were fed for seven days. All the AT blockers decreased the midgut alkalinity and inhibited chloride ion transport from midgut lumen into epithelia in fifth-instar larvae when fed for 3 h on treated diet. Positive correlations observed among growth, midgut alkalinity, and midgut chloride transport in AT blocker-fed larvae suggested that inhibition of chloride/bicarbonate exchangers by AT blockers may have contributed to midgut alkalinity decrease affecting the digestion and resulting in observed lethal and sublethal effects.In Copyrightneurophysiological activityIAA-949-ACNPPBDIDSchloride/bicarbonate exchangersVoltage-gated chloride channelsRNA interferenceDissertationhttp://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-01092008-154304/