Publications by authors named "Fadela Benzaoui"
Cereal-feeding beetles are a major risk for cereal crop maintenance. Cereal weevils such as have symbiotic intracellular bacteria that provide essential aromatic amino acid to the host for the biosynthesis of their cuticle building blocks. Their cuticle is an important protective barrier against biotic and abiotic stresses, providing high resistance from insecticides.
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- Nutritional symbioses between insects and bacteria help beetles thrive in low-nutrient environments by producing essential aromatic amino acids, which are vital for constructing their protective cuticles.
- A specific case with the beetle Sitophilus oryzae shows that endosymbionts rapidly multiply in young adults, and their proliferation depends on the host's carbohydrate intake, while their overall levels are controlled by the host's genetics.
- Blocking the rapid growth of endosymbionts does not harm insect reproduction or the development of cuticles, but an unbalanced diet can impair these processes; additionally, having too many endosymbionts with limited nutrients can negatively affect beetle