Insects, oxygen, and iron

Coordination of host and endosymbiont gene expression governs endosymbiont growth and elimination in the cereal weevil Sitophilus spp

BACKGROUND

Insects living in nutritionally poor environments often establish long-term relationships with intracellular bacteria that supplement their diets and improve their adaptive and invasive powers. Even though these symbiotic associations have been extensively studied on physiological, ecological, and evolutionary levels, few studies have focused on the molecular dialogue between host and endosymbionts to identify genes and pathways involved in endosymbiosis control and dynamics throughout host development.

RESULTS

We simultaneously analyzed host and endosymbiont gene expression during the life cycle of the cereal weevil Sitophilus oryzae, from larval stages to adults, with a particular emphasis on emerging adults where the endosymbiont Sodalis pierantonius experiences a contrasted growth-climax-elimination dynamics. We unraveled a constant arms race in which different biological functions are intertwined and coregulated across both partners. These include immunity, metabolism, metal control, apoptosis, and bacterial stress response.

CONCLUSIONS

The study of these tightly regulated functions, which are at the center of symbiotic regulations, provides evidence on how hosts and bacteria finely tune their gene expression and respond to different physiological challenges constrained by insect development in a nutritionally limited ecological niche. Video Abstract.

Functional disruption of transferrin expression alters reproductive physiology in Anopheles culicifacies

Background

Iron metabolism is crucial to maintain optimal physiological homeostasis of every organism and any alteration of the iron concentration (i.e. deficit or excess) can have adverse consequences. Transferrins are glycoproteins that play important role in iron transportation and have been widely characterized in vertebrates and insects, but poorly studied in blood-feeding mosquitoes.

Results

We characterized a 2102 bp long transcript AcTrf1a with complete CDS of 1872bp, and 226bp UTR region, encoding putative transferrin homolog protein from mosquito An. culicifacies. A detailed in silico analysis predicts AcTrf1a encodes 624 amino acid (aa) long polypeptide that carries transferrin domain. AcTrf1a also showed a putative N-linked glycosylation site, a characteristic feature of most of the mammalian transferrins and certain non-blood feeding insects. Structure modelling prediction confirms the presence of an iron-binding site at the N-terminal lobe of the transferrin. Our spatial and temporal expression analysis under altered pathophysiological conditions showed that AcTrf1a is abundantly expressed in the fat-body, ovary, and its response is significantly altered (enhanced) after blood meal uptake, and exogenous bacterial challenge. Additionally, non-heme iron supplementation of FeCl₃ at 1 mM concentration not only augmented the AcTrf1a transcript expression in fat-body but also enhanced the reproductive fecundity of gravid adult female mosquitoes. RNAi-mediated knockdown of AcTrf1a causes a significant reduction in fecundity, confirming the important role of transferrin in oocyte maturation.

Conclusion

All together our results advocate that detailed characterization of newly identified AcTrf1a transcript may help to select it as a unique target to impair the mosquito reproductive outcome.

Western Corn Rootworm, Plant and Microbe Interactions: A Review and Prospects for New Management Tools

The western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, is resistant to four separate classes of traditional insecticides, all Bacillius thuringiensis (Bt) toxins currently registered for commercial use, crop rotation, innate plant resistance factors, and even double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) targeting essential genes via environmental RNA interference (RNAi), which has not been sold commercially to date. Clearly, additional tools are needed as management options. In this review, we discuss the state-of-the-art knowledge about biotic factors influencing herbivore success, including host location and recognition, plant defensive traits, plant-microbe interactions, and herbivore-pathogens/predator interactions. We then translate this knowledge into potential new management tools and improved biological control.

Black Soldier Fly Larvae Adapt to Different Food Substrates through Morphological and Functional Responses of the Midgut

Modulation of nutrient digestion and absorption is one of the post-ingestion mechanisms that guarantees the best exploitation of food resources, even when they are nutritionally poor or unbalanced, and plays a pivotal role in generalist feeders, which experience an extreme variability in diet composition. Among insects, the larvae of black soldier fly (BSF), Hermetia illucens, can grow on a wide range of feeding substrates with different nutrient content, suggesting that they can set in motion post-ingestion processes to match their nutritional requirements. In the present study we address this issue by investigating how the BSF larval midgut adapts to diets with different nutrient content. Two rearing substrates were compared: a nutritionally balanced diet for dipteran larvae and a nutritionally poor diet that mimics fruit and vegetable waste. Our data show that larval growth performance is only moderately affected by the nutritionally poor diet, while differences in the activity of digestive enzymes, midgut cell morphology, and accumulation of long-term storage molecules can be observed, indicating that diet-dependent adaptation processes in the midgut ensure the exploitation of poor substrates. Midgut transcriptome analysis of larvae reared on the two substrates showed that genes with important functions in digestion and absorption are differentially expressed, confirming the adaptability of this organ.

Detrimental Effects of Induced Antibodies on Aedes aegypti Reproduction

Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus) (Diptera: Culicidae) is the main vector of viruses causing dengue, chikungunya, Zika, and yellow fever, worldwide. This report focuses on immuno-blocking four critical proteins in the female mosquito when fed on blood containing antibodies against ferritin, transferrin, one amino acid transporter (NAAT1), and acetylcholinesterase (AchE). Peptides from these proteins were selected, synthetized, conjugated to carrier proteins, and used as antigens to immunize New Zealand rabbits. After rabbits were immunized, a minimum of 20 female mosquitos were fed on each rabbit, per replicate. No effect in their viability was observed after blood-feeding; however, the number of infertile females was 20% higher than the control when fed on AchE-immunized rabbits. The oviposition period was significantly longer in females fed on immunized rabbits than those fed on control (non-immunized) rabbits. Fecundity (eggs/female) of treated mosquitoes was significantly reduced (about 50%) in all four treatments, as compared with the control. Fertility (hatched larvae) was also significantly reduced in all four treatments, as compared with the control, being the effect on AchE and transferrin the highest, by reducing hatching between 70 and 80%. Survival to the adult stage of the hatched larvae showed no significant effect, as more than 95% survival was observed in all treatments, including the control. In conclusion, immuno-blocking of these four proteins caused detrimental effects on the mosquito reproduction, being the effect on AchE the most significant.

Insect anal droplets contain diverse proteins related to gut homeostasis

BACKGROUND

Insects share similar fundamental molecular principles with mammals in innate immunity. For modulating normal gut microbiota, insects produce phenoloxidase (PO), which is absent in all vertebrates, and reactive nitrogen species (ROS) and antimicrobial proteins (AMPs). However, reports on insect gut phagocytosis are very few. Furthermore, most previous studies measure gene expression at the transcription level. In this study, we provided proteomic evidence on gut modulation of normal microorganisms by investigating the anal droplets from a weevil, Cryptorhynchus lapathi.

RESULTS

The results showed that the anal droplets contained diverse proteins related to physical barriers, epithelium renewal, pattern recognition, phenoloxidase activation, oxidative defense and phagocytosis, but AMPs were not detected. According to annotations, Scarb1, integrin βν, Dscam, spondin or Thbs2s might mediate phagocytosis. As a possible integrin βν pathway, βν activates Rho by an unknown mechanism, and Rho induces accumulation of mDia, which then promotes actin polymerization.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results well demonstrated that insect anal droplets can be used as materials to investigate the defense of a host to gut microorganisms and supported to the hypothesis that gut phagocytosis occurs in insects.

Comparative analysis of the transcriptome of the overwintering desert beetle Microdera punctipennis

The cold tolerance mechanisms of insect have been studied extensively on the model species Drosophila and a few other species at the transcriptional level. However studies on insects that inherit strong cold tolerance are limited. Cold hardy Tenebrionid beetle Microdera punctipennis is endemic to Gurbantonggut Desert, northwest of China. However, its genomic information is lacking. To investigate the overwintering mechanisms of M. punctipennis adult, RNA-seq was performed on the winter adults and the control adults that were kept in laboratory at 30 °C. A total of 175,247 unigenes were acquired with an average length of 645 bp. By using DESeq package, we identified 3367 unigenes that were up-regulated and 7988 down-regulated in the winter adults compared with the controls. To further our understanding of these differentially expressed genes (DEGs), Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses were performed. Pathway analysis showed that the "ECM-receptor interaction", "PI3K-Akt signaling pathway", "Estrogen signaling pathway", "Tight junction", and "Regulation of actin cytoskeleton", etc. might play important roles in M. punctipennis overwintering. The DEGs results from the RNA-Seq were confirmed partially by qRT-PCR for 13 DEGs, which showed high consistence with a Pearson's correlation coefficient of 0.851. Overall, the sequence data will provide basic information for subsequent bioinformatical analysis and mining of the genes responsible for cold tolerance in M. punctipennis, as well as for understanding the molecular mechanisms of desert beetle overwintering.

Assessment of the effects of orally administered ferrous sulfate on Oncopeltus fasciatus (Heteroptera: Lygaeidae)

Iron is an essential nutrient needed for multiple biological processes, but it is also an effective pro-oxidant in its reduced form. Environmental sources of iron toxic species include reduced soils from rice plantations, polluted natural areas from metal industry waste, or iron oxides used in soil bioremediation. Few studies have been conducted to assess the toxicity of iron species in insects. The present work aims to assess the oxidative stress effects of ferrous sulfate administered in drinking water after acute exposure (96 h) to adults of the insect model Oncopeltus fasciatus (Dallas). Mortality was higher in exposed groups and significantly associated with iron treatment (OR [95% CI]; 11.8 [6.1-22.7]). Higher levels of body iron content were found in insects exposed to ferrous sulfate, with an increase of 5-6 times with respect to controls. Catalase activity and lipid peroxidation (TBARS content), but not glutathione S-transferase activity, were significantly higher in exposed insects and significantly correlated with body iron content (Pearson coefficient of 0.68 and 0.74, respectively) and between them (0.78). The present work demonstrates that, despite the disruption in water and food intake caused by iron administration, this metal is accumulated by insect causing lipid peroxidation and eliciting an antioxidant response mediated by catalase.

Environmental temperature and stocking density effects on acute phase proteins, heat shock protein 70, circulating corticosterone and performance in broiler chickens

An experiment was conducted to determine the effect of different stocking densities on serum corticosterone (CORT), ovotransferrin (OVT), α1-acid glycoprotein (AGP) and ceruloplasmin (CP) concentrations, brain heat shock protein (HSP) 70 expression and performance in broiler chickens exposed to unheated and heated conditions. Day-old chicks were stocked at 0.100 m(2)/bird (low density (LD)) or 0.063 m(2)/bird (high density (HD)), in battery cages and housed in environmentally controlled rooms. From 21 to 35 days of age, birds from each stocking density group were exposed to either 24 or 32 °C. Growth performance was recorded during the heat treatment period, and blood and brain samples were collected to determine CORT, OVT, AGP, CP and HSP 70 levels on day 35. Heat treatment but not stocking density was detrimental to growth performance. There were significant temperature × density interactions for CORT, CP and OVT on day 35. Although HD elevated CORT, CP and OVT when compared to LD, the effects of the former were more obvious under heated condition. Both temperature and density had significant effect on AGP and HSP 70. In conclusion, irrespective of temperature, high stocking density was physiologically stressful to broiler chickens, as indicated by CORT, AGP, CP, OVT and HSP 70, but not detrimental to growth performance and survivability. As it was shown in the present study, AGP, CP and OVT could be useful biomarkers to determine the effect of overcrowding and high temperature on the welfare of broiler chickens.

Iron absorption in Drosophila melanogaster

The way in which Drosophila melanogaster acquires iron from the diet remains poorly understood despite iron absorption being of vital significance for larval growth. To describe the process of organismal iron absorption, consideration needs to be given to cellular iron import, storage, export and how intestinal epithelial cells sense and respond to iron availability. Here we review studies on the Divalent Metal Transporter-1 homolog Malvolio (iron import), the recent discovery that Multicopper Oxidase-1 has ferroxidase activity (iron export) and the role of ferritin in the process of iron acquisition (iron storage). We also describe what is known about iron regulation in insect cells. We then draw upon knowledge from mammalian iron homeostasis to identify candidate genes in flies. Questions arise from the lack of conservation in Drosophila for key mammalian players, such as ferroportin, hepcidin and all the components of the hemochromatosis-related pathway. Drosophila and other insects also lack erythropoiesis. Thus, systemic iron regulation is likely to be conveyed by different signaling pathways and tissue requirements. The significance of regulating intestinal iron uptake is inferred from reports linking Drosophila developmental, immune, heat-shock and behavioral responses to iron sequestration.

The impact of insecticide resistance on Culex pipiens immunity

Because of their role as vectors of diseases, the evolution of insecticide resistance in mosquitoes has been intensively investigated. Insecticide resistance is associated to a wide range of pleiotropic effects on several key life-history traits of mosquitoes such as longevity and behavior. However, despite its potential implications in pathogen transmission, the effects of insecticide resistance on mosquito immunity have received little, if any, attention. Here, we investigate the impact of insecticide resistance in Culex pipiens, an epidemiologically important vector of a wide array of pathogens. Using both isogenic laboratory strains and field-caught mosquitoes, we investigate the impact of two main insecticide resistance mechanisms (metabolic detoxification and target site modification) on the relative transcription of several genes involved in the immune response to pathogens, at both their constitutive and inducible levels. Our results show a discrepancy between the isogenic laboratory lines and field-collected mosquitoes: While in the isogenic strains, insecticide-resistant mosquitoes show a drastic increase in immune gene expression, no such effect appears in the field. We speculate on the different mechanisms that may underlie this discrepancy and discuss the risks of making inferences on the pleiotropic effects of insecticide-resistant genes by using laboratory-selected insecticide-resistant lines.

First transcriptome of the testis-vas deferens-male accessory gland and proteome of the spermatophore from Dermacentor variabilis (Acari: Ixodidae)

Ticks are important vectors of numerous human diseases and animal diseases. Feeding stimulates spermatogenesis, mating and insemination of male factors that trigger female reproduction. The physiology of male reproduction and its regulation of female development are essentially a black box. Several transcriptomes have catalogued expression of tick genes in the salivary glands, synganglion and midgut but no comprehensive investigation has addressed male reproduction and mating. Consequently, a new global approach using transcriptomics, proteomics, and quantitative gene expression is needed to understand male reproduction and stimulation of female reproduction.

This first transcriptome to the reproductive biology of fed male ticks, Dermacentor variabilis, was obtained by 454 pyrosequencing (563,093 reads, 12,804 contigs). Gene Ontology (Biological Processes level III) recognized 3,866 transcripts in 73 different categories; spermiogenesis; spermatogenesis; peptidases, lipases and hydrolases; oxidative and environmental stress; immune defense; and protein binding. Reproduction-associated genes included serine/threonine kinase, metalloendoproteinases, ferritins, serine proteases, trypsin, cysteine proteases, serpins, a cystatin, GPCR and others. qRT-PCR showed significant upregulation from unfed versus fed adult male reproductive organs of zinc metalloprotease, astacin metalloprotease and serine protease, enzymes important in spermiogenesis and mating activity in insects, as well as a GPCR with the greatest similarity to a SIFamide receptor known to be important in regulating courtship behavior in Drosophila. Proteomics on these organs and the spermatophore by tryptic digestion/Liquid chromatography/Mass spectrometry/Mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) demonstrated expression of many of the same messages found by 454 sequencing, supporting their identification, and revealed differences in protein distribution in the reproductive system versus the spermatophore. We found Efα but no EF β in the transcriptome and neither of these proteins in the spermatophore. Thus, the previously described model for male regulation of female reproduction may not apply to other ticks. A new paradigm is needed to explain male stimulation of female tick reproduction.

Molecular cloning and characterization of a transferrin cDNA from the white-spotted flower chafer,Protaetia brevitarsis

A full-length cDNA clone with high homology to insect transferrin genes was cloned by screening a Protaetia brevitarsis cDNA library. This gene (PbTf) had a total length of 2338 bp with an open reading frame (ORF) of 2163 bp, and encoded a predicted peptide of 721 amino acid residues. Like known cockroach, termite, and beetle transferrins, PbTf appears to have residues comprising iron-binding sites in both N- and C-terminal lobes. The deduced amino acid sequence of the PbTf cDNA was closest in structure to the beetle Apriona germari transferrin (68% protein sequence identity). Northern blot analysis revealed that PbTf exhibited fat body-specific expression and was upregulated by wounding, bacterial or fungal infection and iron overload, suggesting a functional role for PbTf in defense and stress responses.

Expression profile of the iron-binding proteins transferrin and ferritin heavy chain subunit in the bumblebee Bombus ignitus

The iron-binding proteins, transferrin and ferritin, are involved in the processes of transport and storage in iron metabolism. Their expression is induced in response to iron overload. Here, we show the expression profile of transferrin (Bi-Tf) and the ferritin heavy chain subunit (Bi-FerHCH) of the bumblebee Bombus ignitus in response to iron overload. Bi-Tf exhibits fat body-specific expression, whereas Bi-FerHCH is ubiquitously expressed and upregulated in various tissues, though in a similar manner, by iron overload. We also demonstrate their expression regulation via reduction of Bi-Tf or Bi-FerHCH levels in the fat body via RNA interference (RNAi). Under uniform conditions in which FeCl(3) was overloaded, the RNAi-induced Bi-Tf knock-down B. ignitus worker bees showed upregulated expression of Bi-FerHCH, and reciprocally, Bi-FerHCH RNAi knockdowns showed upregulated Bi-Tf expression in the fat body. This result indicates that, in case of the loss of Bi-Tf or Bi-FerHCH, the expression of Bi-FerHCH or Bi-Tf, respectively, is upregulated in response to iron overload.

Molecular characterization of iron binding proteins, transferrin and ferritin heavy chain subunit, from the bumblebee Bombus ignitus

Transferrin and ferritin are iron-binding proteins involved in transport and storage of iron as part of iron metabolism. Here, we describe the cDNA cloning and characterization of transferrin (Bi-Tf) and the ferritin heavy chain subunit (Bi-FerHCH), from the bumblebee Bombus ignitus. Bi-Tf cDNA spans 2340 bp and encodes a protein of 706 amino acids and Bi-FerHCH cDNA spans 1393 bp and encodes a protein of 217 amino acids. Comparative analysis revealed that Bi-Tf appears to have residues comprising iron-binding sites in the N-terminal lobe, and Bi-FerHCH contains a 5'UTR iron-responsive element and seven conserved amino acid residues associated with a ferroxidase center. The Bi-Tf and Bi-FerHCH cDNAs were expressed as 79 kDa and 27 kDa polypeptides, respectively, in baculovirus-infected insect Sf9 cells. Northern blot analysis revealed that Bi-Tf exhibits fat body-specific expression and Bi-FerHCH shows ubiquitous expression. The expression profiles of the Bi-Tf and Bi-FerHCH in the fat body of B. ignitus worker bees revealed that Bi-Tf and Bi-FerHCH are differentially induced in a time-dependent manner in a single insect by wounding, bacterial challenge, and iron overload.

Insect transferrin functions as an antioxidant protein in a beetle larva

In insects transferrin is known as an iron transporter, an antibiotic agent, a vitellogenin, and a juvenile hormone regulated protein. Here, a novel functional role for insect transferrin as an antioxidant protein is demonstrated. Stressors, such as heat shock, fungal challenge, and H(2)O(2) exposure, cause upregulation of the white-spotted flower chafer Protaetia brevitarsis (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) transferrin (PbTf) mRNA in the fat body and increases PbTf protein levels in the hemolymph. RNA interference (RNAi) treated PbTf reduction causes increased iron and H(2)O(2) levels in the hemolymph and results in induction of apoptotic cell death in the fat body during exposure to stress. The observed effects of PbTf RNAi suggest that PbTf inhibits stress-induced apoptosis by diminishing the Fenton reaction via the binding of iron, thus supporting an antioxidant role for PbTf in stress responses.

Biglutaminyl-biliverdin IX alpha as a heme degradation product in the dengue fever insect-vector Aedes aegypti

Hemoglobin digestion in the midgut of hematophagous animals results in the release of its prosthetic group, heme, which is a pro-oxidant molecule. Heme enzymatic degradation is a protective mechanism that has been described in several organisms, including plants, bacteria, and mammals. This reaction is catalyzed by heme oxygenase and results in formation of carbon monoxide, ferrous ion, and biliverdin IXalpha. During digestion, a large amount of a green pigment is produced and secreted into the intestinal lumen of Aedes aegypti adult females. In the case of another blood-sucking insect, the kissing-bug Rhodnius prolixus, we have recently shown that heme degradation involves a complex pathway that generates dicysteinyl-biliverdin IX gamma. The light absorption spectrum of the Aedes purified pigment was similar to that of biliverdin, but its mobility on a reverse-phase chromatography column suggested a compound less hydrophobic than biliverdin IXalpha. Structural characterization by ESI-MS revealed that the mosquito pigment is the alpha isomer of biliverdin bound to two glutamine residues by an amide bond. This biglutaminyl-biliverdin is formed by oxidative cleavage of the heme porphyrin ring followed by two subsequent additions of glutamine residues to the biliverdin IXalpha. The role of this pathway in the adaptation of this insect vector to a blood-feeding habit is discussed.

Analysis of the immune-inducible genes of Plutella xylostella using expressed sequence tags and cDNA microarray

In the present study, the complex gene expression responses of Plutella xylostella to microbial challenges and injury were surveyed using a newly constructed expressed sequence tag (EST) clone collection and cDNA microarray analysis. A total of 1132 P. xylostella ESTs were cloned, annotated and categorized by their putative functions; these included proteases, protease inhibitors, recognition molecules and anti-microbial peptides. GeneOntology revealed that 4% of the P. xylostella ESTs corresponded to immunity-related genes potentially involved in innate immunity. We then used microarray analysis to identify 44 genes that were differentially expressed with at least a two-fold expression difference in P. xylostella before and after pathogen challenge. Together, our EST categorization and microarray profiling analyses allowed us to identify 70 genes that should be considered candidate immune response genes, providing important new insights into the molecular events that occur during the innate immune response in P. xylostella.

Molecular characterization of iron binding proteins from Glossina morsitans morsitans (Diptera: Glossinidae)

The regulation of iron is critical for maintaining homeostasis in the tsetse fly (Diptera: Glossinidae), in which both adult sexes are strict blood feeders. We have characterized the cDNAs for two putative iron-binding proteins (IBPs) involved in transport and storage; transferrin (GmmTsf1) and ferritin from Glossina morsitans morsitans. GmmTsf1 transcripts are detected in the female fat body and in adult reproductive tissues, and only in the adult developmental stage in a bloodmeal independent manner. In contrast, the ferritin heavy chain (GmmFer1HCH) and light chain (GmmFer2LCH) transcripts are expressed ubiquitously, suggesting a more general role for these proteins in iron transport and storage. Protein domain predictions for each IBP suggest both the conservation and loss of several motifs present in their vertebrate homologues. In concert with many other described insect transferrins (Tfs), putative secreted GmmTsf1 maintains 3 of the 5 residues necessary for iron-binding in the N-terminal lobe, but exhibits a loss of this iron-binding ability in the C-terminal lobe as well as a loss of large sequence blocks. Both putative GmmFer1HCH and GmmFer2LCH proteins have signal peptides, similar to other insect ferritins. GmmFer2LCH has lost the 5'UTR iron-responsive element (IRE) and, thus, translation is no longer regulated by cellular iron levels. On the other hand, GmmFer1HCH maintains both the conserved ferroxidase center and the 5'UTR IRE; however, transcript variants suggest a more extensive regulatory mechanism for this subunit.

Transferrin inhibits stress-induced apoptosis in a beetle

Transferrin in insects is known as an iron transporter, an antibiotic agent, a vitellogenin, and a juvenile hormone-regulated protein. We show here a novel functional role for insect transferrin. Stresses, such as iron overload, bacterial or fungal challenge, cold or heat shock, wounding, and H2O2 or paraquat exposure, cause upregulation of the beetle Apriona germari transferrin (AgTf) gene in the fat body and epidermis, and they cause increased AgTf protein levels. RNA interference (RNAi)-mediated AgTf reduction results in rapid induction of apoptotic cell death in the fat body during exposure to heat stress. The observed effect of AgTf RNAi indicates that AgTf inhibits heat stress-induced apoptotic cell death, suggesting a functional role for AgTf in defense and stress responses in the beetle.

Current research on acute phase proteins in veterinary diagnosis: an overview

The acute phase proteins (APP) are a group of blood proteins that contribute to restoring homeostasis and limiting microbial growth in an antibody-independent manner in animals subjected to infection, inflammation, surgical trauma or stress. In the last two decades, many advances have been made in monitoring APP in both farm and companion animals for clinical and experimental purposes. Also, the mechanism of the APP response is receiving attention in veterinary science in connection with the innate immune systems of animals. This review describes the results of recent research on animal APP, with special reference to their induction and regulatory mechanisms, their biological functions, and their current and future applications to veterinary diagnosis and animal production.

Description of the transcriptomes of immune response-activated hemocytes from the mosquito vectors Aedes aegypti and Armigeres subalbatus

Mosquito-borne diseases, including dengue, malaria, and lymphatic filariasis, exact a devastating toll on global health and economics, killing or debilitating millions every year (54). Mosquito innate immune responses are at the forefront of concerted research efforts aimed at defining potential target genes that could be manipulated to engineer pathogen resistance in vector populations. We aimed to describe the pivotal role that circulating blood cells (called hemocytes) play in immunity by generating a total of 11,952 Aedes aegypti and 12,790 Armigeres subalbatus expressed sequence tag (EST) sequences from immune response-activated hemocyte libraries. These ESTs collapsed into 2,686 and 2,107 EST clusters, respectively. The clusters were used to adapt the web-based interface for annotating bacterial genomes called A Systematic Annotation Package for Community Analysis of Genomes (ASAP) for analysis of ESTs. Each cluster was categorically characterized and annotated in ASAP based on sequence similarity to five sequence databases. The sequence data and annotations can be viewed in ASAP at https://asap.ahabs.wisc.edu/annotation/php/ASAP1.htm. The data presented here represent the results of the first high-throughput in vivo analysis of the transcriptome of immunocytes from an invertebrate. Among the sequences are those for numerous immunity-related genes, many of which parallel those employed in vertebrate innate immunity, that have never been described for these mosquitoes. The sequences and annotations presented in this paper have been submitted to GenBank under accession numbers AY 431103 to AY 433788 (Aedes aegypti) and AY 439334 to AY 441440 (Armigeres subalbatus).

Honey bee (Apis mellifera) transferrin-gene structure and the role of ecdysteroids in the developmental regulation of its expression

Social life is prone to invasion by microorganisms, and binding of ferric ions by transferrin is an efficient strategy to restrict their access to iron. In this study, we isolated cDNA and genomic clones encoding an Apis mellifera transferrin (AmTRF) gene. It has an open reading frame (ORF) of 2136 bp spread over nine exons. The deduced protein sequence comprises 686 amino acid residues plus a 26 residues signal sequence, giving a predicted molecular mass of 76 kDa. Comparison of the deduced AmTRF amino acid sequence with known insect transferrins revealed significant similarity extending over the entire sequence. It clusters with monoferric transferrins, with which it shares putative iron-binding residues in the N-terminal lobe. In a functional analysis of AmTRF expression in honey bee development, we monitored its expression profile in the larval and pupal stages. The negative regulation of AmTRF by ecdysteroids deduced from the developmental expression profile was confirmed by experimental treatment of spinning-stage honey bee larvae with 20-hydroxyecdysone, and of fourth instar-larvae with juvenile hormone. A juvenile hormone application to spinning-stage larvae, in contrast, had only a minor effect on AmTRF transcript levels. This is the first study implicating ecdysteroids in the developmental regulation of transferrin expression in an insect species.

Blood meal induces global changes in midgut gene expression in the disease vector, Aedes aegypti

Blood feeding is an essential developmental process for many arthropods and plays a significant role in disease transmission. Understanding physiological responses in the midgut is important because it is the primary site of blood meal digestion and pathogenic infection. Processes that occur in the midgut in response to a blood meal have been studied but are poorly understood. Here, we use cDNA microarrays to examine midgut gene expression on a global level in response to blood feeding to assist in unraveling these processes. We have developed Aedes aegypti microarrays consisting of clones obtained from an expressed sequence tag project. Individual clones were amplified by polymerase chain reaction and printed onto glass slides. These microarrays were used to study the effects of a blood meal on midgut gene expression over a 72-h time course. As a result, a number of genes involved in processes such as nutrient uptake and metabolism, cellular stress responses, ion balance, and PM formation, as well as a number of unknown genes were induced or repressed in response to a blood meal based on this microarray data.

Identification by subtractive suppression hybridization of bacteria-induced genes expressed in Manduca sexta fat body

Insect immune processes are mediated by programs of differential gene expression. To understand the molecular regulation of the immune response in the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta, the relevant subset of differentially expressed genes of interest must be identified, cloned and studied in detail. In this study, suppression subtractive hybridization, a PCR-based method for cDNA subtraction was performed to identify mRNAs from fat body of immunized larvae that are not present (or present at a low level) in control larvae. A subtracted cDNA library enriched in immune-inducible genes was constructed. Northern blot analysis of a sample of clones from our subtracted library indicated that >90% of the clones randomly selected from the subtracted library are immune inducible. Sequence analysis of 238 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) revealed that 120 ESTs, representing 54 distinct genes or gene families, had sequences identical or similar to previously characterized genes, some of which have been confirmed to be involved in innate immunity. These ESTs were categorized into seven groups, including pattern recognition proteins, serine proteinases and their inhibitors, and antimicrobial proteins. 112 ESTs, about 47.5% of the library, showed no significant similarity to any known genes. The sequences identified in this M. sexta library reflect our knowledge of insect immune strategies and may facilitate better understanding of insect immune responses.