Baculovirus infection influences host protein expression in two established insect cell lines

A gut-isolated Enterococcus strain (HcM7) triggers the expression of antimicrobial peptides that aid resistance to nucleopolyhedrovirus infection of Hyphantria cunea larvae

BACKGROUND

Commensal microorganisms are widely distributed in insect gut tissues and play important roles in host nutrition, metabolism, reproductive regulation, and especially immune functioning and tolerance to pathogens. Consequently, gut microbiota represent a promising resource for the development of microbial-based products for pest control and management. However, the interactions among host immunity, entomopathogen infections, and gut microbiota remain poorly understood for many arthropod pests.

RESULTS

We previously isolated an Enterococcus strain (HcM7) from Hyphantria cunea larvae guts that increased the survival rates of larvae challenged with nucleopolyhedrovirus (NPV). Here, we further investigated whether this Enterococcus strain stimulates a protective immune response against NPV proliferation. Infection bioassays demonstrated that re-introduction of the HcM7 strain to germfree larvae preactivated the expression of several antimicrobial peptides (particularly H. cunea gloverin 1, HcGlv1), resulting in the significant repression of virus replication in host guts and hemolymph, and consequently improved host survivorship after NPV infection. Furthermore, silencing of the HcGlv1 gene by RNA interference markedly enhanced the deleterious effects of NPV infection, revealing a role of this gut symbiont-induced gene in host defenses against pathogenic infections.

CONCLUSION

These results show that some gut microorganisms can stimulate host immune systems, thereby contributing to resistance to entomopathogens. Furthermore, HcM7, as a functional symbiotic bacteria of H. cunea larvae, may be a potential target for increasing the effectiveness of biocontrol agents against this devastating pest. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Transcriptomic analysis of the interactions between the Spodoptera exigua midgut and nucleopolyhedrovirus

Spodoptera exigua nucleopolyhedrovirus (SeNPV) has been successfully applied as a bioinsecticide against S. exigua, one of the most devastating pests worldwide. However, due to limited information, the molecular mechanisms underlying interactions between S. exigua and SeNPV remain to be elucidated. In this study, RNA-Seq and differentially expressed gene (DEG) analysis of the S. exigua larva midgut were performed to explore molecular responses to SeNPV infection. A total of 1785 DEGs, including 935 upregulated and 850 downregulated genes, were identified in the midgut of SeNPV-infected S. exigua larvae. Ultrastructural observations showed that after SeNPV infection, the peritrophic matrix (PM) became a loose and highly porous surface with many clear ruptures; these changes were most likely associated with upregulation of chitin deacetylases. In addition, 124 putative innate immunity-related DEGs were identified and divided into several groups, including pattern recognition proteins, signaling pathways, signal modulation, antimicrobial peptides and detoxification. Interestingly, upregulation of some pattern recognition proteins, induction of the JAK/STAT signaling pathway and promotion of REPAT synthesis might be the main innate immunity responses occurring in the S. exigua larva midgut after SeNPV infection. According to quantitative real-time PCR, the expression profiles of 19 random DEGs were consistent with those obtained by RNA-Seq. These findings provide important basic information for understanding the molecular mechanisms of SeNPV invasion and the anti-SeNPV responses of the S. exigua midgut, promoting the utility of SeNPV as a bioinsecticide for the effective control of S. exigua and related pests.

Transcriptomic analysis of interactions between Hyphantria cunea larvae and nucleopolyhedrovirus

BACKGROUND

Hyphantria cunea is a destructive forest pest. To utilise H. cunea nucleopolyhedrovirus (HcNPV) for biological control, understanding insect-virus interactions is essential.

RESULTS

Four cDNA libraries were constructed from H. cunea larvae (two HcNPV-infected and two uninfected groups) and 76 004 expressed genes were obtained by next-generation sequencing. Compared with controls, 272 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in infected groups, including 162 up-regulated and 110 down-regulated genes. Transcription levels of 20 random DEGs were consistent with the Solexa expression profiles obtained by quantitative real-time PCR. DEGs associated with innate immunity were grouped into several categories, including pattern recognition proteins, heat-shock proteins, UDP-glycosyltransferases, cytochrome P450s, antimicrobial peptides and hormonal signalling proteins. Interestingly, up-regulated host genes included farnesoic acid O-methyltransferase, two juvenile hormone (JH) binding proteins, and a circadian clock-controlled protein related to JH regulation. Pathway enrichment analysis indicates that mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signalling pathways, key candidate genes and important biological pathways may be associated with molecular modification in H. cunea larvae in response to virus stress.

CONCLUSION

These findings provide insight for future research on the molecular mechanisms of HcNPV invasion and anti-HcNPV mechanisms in H. cunea. A better understanding of gene regulation following HcNPV invasion could help to develop the virus as a bio-insecticide. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

Proteomics as a tool for tapping potential of entomopathogens as microbial insecticides

Biopesticides are collective pest control harnessing the knowledge of the target pest and its natural enemies that minimize the risks of synthetic pesticides. A subset of biopesticides; bioinsecticides, are specifically used in controlling insect pests. Entomopathogens (EPMs) are micro-organisms sought after as subject for bioinsecticide development. However, lack of understanding of EPM mechanism of toxicity and pathogenicity slowed the progress of bioinsecticide development. Proteomics is a useful tool in elucidating the interaction of entomopathogenic fungi, entomopathogenic bacteria, and entomopathogenic virus with their target host. Collectively, proteomics shed light onto insect host response to EPM infection, mechanism of action of EPM's toxic proteins and secondary metabolites besides characterizing secreted and membrane-bound proteins of EPM that more precisely describe relevant proteins for host recognition and mediating pathogenesis. However, proteomics requires optimized protein extraction methods to maximize the number of proteins for analysis and availability of organism's genome for a more precise protein identification.

Developmental proteome dynamics of silk glands in the 5th instar larval stage of Bombyx mori L (CSR2×CSR4)

Bivoltine breed of Bombyx mori (B. mori), CSR2×CSR4 is an Indian high yielding silkworm strain. Silk gland proteome of this strain was not studied till now. Methods of improving silk production by chemical approaches have reached saturation and transgenic methods are needed in further to boost silk production. An understanding of proteomic changes during silk gland development helps in designing experiments to enhance silk production by transgenic approaches. The present study reports comprehensive developmental proteomic analysis of CSR2×CSR4, 5th instar whole silk glands. Eighty six unique protein IDs were obtained from the analysis of one hundred and twenty protein spots. Among the identified proteins, majority of the proteins were involved in metabolism (41%) followed by proteins involved in protein homeostasis (30%). Sixty percent of the identified proteins showed dynamic nature by expression analysis from day 1, day 3, day 5 and day 7 gels. In comparison to the published data till now on silk gland proteomics this study reports identification of 20 new proteins from the silk glands for the first time.

SIGNIFICANCE

The paper reports for the first time proteomic analysis of high yielding silkworm strain of India. The study analyzes whole silk glands to understand the tissue in total during 5th instar development. Lowering fibroin content made us to identify a large number of new proteins which were not reported till now in the silk gland proteome. Proteins which are involved in silk synthesis and release were found to be developmentally regulated. The study identified alanine, serine and glycine tRNA ligases for the first time and also showed their up-regulation on day 7 of 5th instar larval stage. The amino acid repeat of fibroin protein is enriched with the three amino acids, glycine, serine and alanine. The identified proteins could be studied further to understand their functional role in-depth.

Digital gene expression analysis of Helicoverpa armigera in the early stage of infection with Helicoverpa armigera nucleopolyhedrovirus

Helicoverpa armigera single nucleocapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus (HearNPV) is an obligatory and lethal parasite of the cotton bollworm and has been extensively used in China for the control of this notorious pest. Digital gene expression (DGE) analysis was adopted for an overall comparison of transcriptome profiling between HearNPV-infected and control healthy Helicoverpa armigera larvae during an early stage post-inoculation. A total of 908 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, of which 136 were up-regulated and 597 were down-regulated. GO category and KEGG pathway analysis demonstrated that the identified DEGs involved in ribosome biogenesis, aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis, protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum, biosynthesis of valine, leucine, isoleucine and the spliceosome were significantly down-regulated, whereas genes involved in pancreatic secretion, protein digestion and absorption and salivary secretion showed obviously up-regulated transcription. The DEGs were verified by quantitative real-time PCR, and genes that participated in defensive response, nutritional digestion and developmental regulation exhibited specific expression patterns in a continuous time-course assessment. These results provide basic data for future research on the molecular mechanism of HearNPV infection and the interactions between lepidopteran hosts and their specific NPV parasites.

Generation of a Transcriptome in a Model Lepidopteran Pest, Heliothis virescens, Using Multiple Sequencing Strategies for Profiling Midgut Gene Expression

Heliothine pests such as the tobacco budworm, Heliothis virescens (F.), pose a significant threat to production of a variety of crops and ornamental plants and are models for developmental and physiological studies. The efforts to develop new control measures for H. virescens, as well as its use as a relevant biological model, are hampered by a lack of molecular resources. The present work demonstrates the utility of next-generation sequencing technologies for rapid molecular resource generation from this species for which lacks a sequenced genome. In order to amass a de novo transcriptome for this moth, transcript sequences generated from Illumina, Roche 454, and Sanger sequencing platforms were merged into a single de novo transcriptome assembly. This pooling strategy allowed a thorough sampling of transcripts produced under diverse environmental conditions, developmental stages, tissues, and infections with entomopathogens used for biological control, to provide the most complete transcriptome to date for this species. Over 138 million reads from the three platforms were assembled into the final set of 63,648 contigs. Of these, 29,978 had significant BLAST scores indicating orthologous relationships to transcripts of other insect species, with the top-hit species being the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) and silkworm (Bombyx mori). Among identified H. virescens orthologs were immune effectors, signal transduction pathways, olfactory receptors, hormone biosynthetic pathways, peptide hormones and their receptors, digestive enzymes, and insecticide resistance enzymes. As an example, we demonstrate the utility of this transcriptomic resource to study gene expression profiling of larval midguts and detect transcripts of putative Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Cry toxin receptors. The substantial molecular resources described in this study will facilitate development of H. virescens as a relevant biological model for functional genomics and for new biological experimentation needed to develop efficient control efforts for this and related Noctuid pest moths.

Genome scale transcriptomics of baculovirus-insect interactions

Baculovirus-insect cell technologies are applied in the production of complex proteins, veterinary and human vaccines, gene delivery vectors' and biopesticides. Better understanding of how baculoviruses and insect cells interact would facilitate baculovirus-based production. While complete genomic sequences are available for over 58 baculovirus species, little insect genomic information is known. The release of the Bombyx mori and Plutella xylostella genomes, the accumulation of EST sequences for several Lepidopteran species, and especially the availability of two genome-scale analysis tools, namely oligonucleotide microarrays and next generation sequencing (NGS), have facilitated expression studies to generate a rich picture of insect gene responses to baculovirus infections. This review presents current knowledge on the interaction dynamics of the baculovirus-insect system' which is relatively well studied in relation to nucleocapsid transportation, apoptosis, and heat shock responses, but is still poorly understood regarding responses involved in pro-survival pathways, DNA damage pathways, protein degradation, translation, signaling pathways, RNAi pathways, and importantly metabolic pathways for energy, nucleotide and amino acid production. We discuss how the two genome-scale transcriptomic tools can be applied for studying such pathways and suggest that proteomics and metabolomics can produce complementary findings to transcriptomic studies.

MicroRNAome of Spodoptera frugiperda cells (Sf9) and its alteration following baculovirus infection

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) as small non-coding RNAs play important roles in many biological processes such as development, cell signalling and immune response. Studies also suggest that miRNAs are important in host–virus interactions where the host limits virus infection by differentially expressing miRNAs that target essential viral genes. Here, we identified conserved and new miRNAs from Spodoptera frugiperda cells (Sf9) using a combination of deep sequencing and bioinformatics as well as experimental approaches. S. frugiperda miRNAs share common features of miRNAs in other organisms, such as uracil (U) at the 5′ end of miRNA. The 5′ ends of the miRNAs were more conserved than the 3′ ends, revealing evolutionary protection of the seed region in miRNAs. The predominant miRNAs were found to be conserved among arthropods. The majority of homologous miRNAs were found in Bombyx mori, with 76 of the 90 identified miRNAs. We found that seed shifting and arm switching have happened in this insect's miRNAs. Expression levels of the majority of miRNAs changed following baculovirus infection. Results revealed that baculovirus infection mainly led to an overall suppression of cellular miRNAs. We found four different genes being regulated by sfr-miR-184 at the post-transcriptional level. The data presented here further support conservation of miRNAs in insects and other organisms. In addition, the results reveal a differential expression of host miRNAs upon baculovirus infection, suggesting their potential roles in host–virus interactions. Seed shifting and arm switching happened during evolution of miRNAs in different insects and caused miRNA diversification, which led to changes in the target repository of miRNAs.

Increase in gut microbiota after immune suppression in baculovirus-infected larvae

Spodoptera exigua microarray was used to determine genes differentially expressed in S. exigua cells challenged with the species-specific baculovirus SeMNPV as well as with a generalist baculovirus, AcMNPV. Microarray results revealed that, in contrast to the host transcriptional shut-off that is expected during baculovirus infection, S. exigua cells showed a balanced number of up- and down-regulated genes during the first 36 hours following the infection. Many immune-related genes, including pattern recognition proteins, genes involved in signalling and immune pathways as well as immune effectors and genes coding for proteins involved in the melanization cascade were found to be down-regulated after baculovirus infection. The down-regulation of immune-related genes was confirmed in the larval gut. The expression of immune-related genes in the gut is known to affect the status of gut microorganisms, many of which are responsible for growth and development functions. We therefore asked whether the down-regulation that occurs after baculovirus infection affects the amount of gut microbiota. An increase in the gut bacterial load was observed and we hypothesize this to be as a consequence of viral infection. Subsequent experiments on virus performance in the presence and absence of gut microbiota revealed that gut bacteria enhanced baculovirus virulence, pathogenicity and dispersion. We discuss the host immune response processes and pathways affected by baculoviruses, as well as the role of gut microbiota in viral infection.

Baculoviruses are large DNA viruses that infect invertebrates, mainly insects from the order Lepidoptera. They were first discovered to cause insects' epizootics and are now used worldwide as biocontrol agents. Extensive studies on baculovirus biology led to the discovery that they can serve as expression vectors in insect cells; recently they have also been considered as vectors for gene therapy. Baculovirus infection, like many other oral infections, starts with the invasion of the gut by viruses; the gut is a compartment colonized by a community of resident microbiota. In this study, we observed that baculovirus infection leads to the decreased expression of immune-related genes in a Spodoptera exigua cell culture as well as in the larval gut. Gut microbial loads were found to increase after baculovirus infection. A series of bioassays showed that the baculovirus performs better in the presence of microbiota in the gut. Our study shows that baculovirus infection leads to increase of microbiota loads in the gut and that the gut microbiota play a significant role in insect immunity and susceptibility to viral infections. These findings suggest that gut microbiota can be manipulated to improve biocontrol strategies that employ baculoviruses.

Baculovirus replication induces the expression of heat shock proteins in vivo and in vitro

A recent handful of studies have linked baculovirus infection with the induction of heat shock proteins, a highly conserved family of cytoprotective proteins. Here, we demonstrate baculovirus-stimulated upregulation of hsp70 transcription in the natural host, Helicoverpa zea. Larvae lethally infected with Helicoverpa zea single nucleopolyhedrovirus (HzSNPV) accumulated hsp70 transcripts throughout the 72-hour course of infection in the midgut, hemocytes, and fat body. While a maximal 17- or 15-fold induction of hsp70 was noted in the midgut and hemocytes, respectively, by 72 hours postinfection, the level of hsp70 transcription in the fat body of larvae was greater than two orders of magnitude higher than in mock-infected larvae. These results were largely mirrored in cultures of infected cells, and a potentiation effect was observed in cells that were both heat shocked and infected. In contrast, Spodoptera frugiperda multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus and ultraviolet-inactivated HzSNPV did not stimulate hsp70 transcription in these non-permissive larvae and in cell culture, respectively. Taken together, this report documents baculovirus-mediated upregulation of hsp70 in the host and demonstrates the requirement for productive infection for hsp70 induction in vitro and in vivo.

Toward system-level understanding of baculovirus-host cell interactions: from molecular fundamental studies to large-scale proteomics approaches

Baculoviruses are insect viruses extensively exploited as eukaryotic protein expression vectors. Molecular biology studies have provided exciting discoveries on virus-host interactions, but the application of omic high-throughput techniques on the baculovirus-insect cell system has been hampered by the lack of host genome sequencing. While a broader, systems-level analysis of biological responses to infection is urgently needed, recent advances on proteomic studies have yielded new insights on the impact of infection on the host cell. These works are reviewed and critically assessed in the light of current biological knowledge of the molecular biology of baculoviruses and insect cells.

Enhanced recombinant protein production and differential expression of molecular chaperones in sf-caspase-1-repressed stable cells after baculovirus infection

Background

There are few studies that have examined the potential of RNA inference (RNAi) to increase protein production in the baculovirus expression vector system (BEVS). Spodoptera frugiperda (fall armyworm) (Sf)-caspase-1-repressed stable cells exhibit resistance to apoptosis and enhancement of recombinant protein production. However, the mechanism of recombinant protein augmentation in baculovirus-infected Caspase-repressed insect cells has not been elucidated.

Results

In the current study, we utilized RNAi-mediated Sf-caspase-1-repressed stable cells to clarify how the resistance to apoptosis can enhance both intracellular (firefly luciferase) and extracellular (secreted alkaline phosphatase [SEAP]) recombinant protein production in BEVS. Since the expression of molecular chaperones is strongly associated with the maximal production of exogenous proteins in BEVS, the differential expression of molecular chaperones in baculovirus-infected stable cells was also analyzed in this study.

Conclusion

The data indicated that the retention of expression of molecular chaperones in baculovirus-infected Sf-caspase-1-repressed stable cells give the higher recombinant protein accumulation.

Baculovirus induced transcripts in hemocytes from the larvae of Heliothis virescens

Using RNA-seq digital difference expression profiling methods, we have assessed the gene expression profiles of hemocytes harvested from Heliothis virescens that were challenged with Helicoverpa zea single nucleopolyhedrovirus (HzSNPV). A reference transcriptome of hemocyte-expressed transcripts was assembled from 202 million 42-base tags by combining the sequence data of all samples, and the assembled sequences were then subject to BLASTx analysis to determine gene identities. We used the fully sequenced HzSNPV reference genome to align 477,264 Illumina sequence tags from infected hemocytes in order to document expression of HzSNPV genes at early points during infection. A comparison of expression profiles of control insects to those lethally infected with HzSNPV revealed differential expression of key cellular stress response genes and genes involved in lipid metabolism. Transcriptional regulation of specific insect hormones in baculovirus-infected insects was also altered. A number of transcripts bearing homology to retroviral elements that were detected add to a growing body of evidence for extensive invasion of errantiviruses into the insect genome. Using this method, we completed the first and most comprehensive gene expression survey of both baculoviral infection and host immune defense in lepidopteran larvae.

Quantitative proteomics of Spodoptera frugiperda cells during growth and baculovirus infection

Baculovirus infection of Spodoptera frugiperda cells is a system of choice to produce a range of recombinant proteins, vaccines and, potentially, gene therapy vectors. While baculovirus genomes are well characterized, the genome of S. frugiperda is not sequenced and the virus-host molecular interplay is sparsely known. Herein, we describe the application of stable isotope labeling by amino acids in cell culture (SILAC) to obtain the first comparative proteome quantitation of S. frugiperda cells during growth and early baculovirus infection. The proteome coverage was maximized by compiling a search database with protein annotations from insect species. Of interest were differentially proteins related to energy metabolism, endoplasmic reticulum and oxidative stress, yet not investigated in the scope of baculovirus infection. Further, the reduced expression of key viral-encoded proteins early in the infection cycle is suggested to be related with decreased viral replication at high cell density culture. These findings have implications for virological research and improvement of baculovirus-based bioprocesses.

New insights into the induction of the heat shock proteins in baculovirus infected insect cells

Eight members of the HSP/HSC70 family were identified in Spodoptera frugiperda Sf9 cells infected with Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) by 2D electrophoresis followed by mass spectrometry (MALDI/TOF) and a Mascot search. The family includes five HSP70s induced by AcMNPV-infection and three constitutive cognate HSC70s that remained abundant in infected cells. Confocal microscopy revealed dynamic changes in subcellular localization of HSP/HSC70s in the course of infection. At the early stages (4 to 10 hpi), a fraction of HSPs is localized in distinct speckles in cytoplasm. The speckles contained ubiquitinylated proteins suggesting that they may be aggresomes where proteins targeted by ubiquitin are sequestered or processed for proteolysis. S. frugiperda HSP90 was identified in the 2D gels by Western blotting. Its amount was unchanged during infection. A selective inhibitor of HSP90, 17-AAG, decreased the rate of viral DNA synthesis in infected cells suggesting a supportive role of HSP90 in virus replication.

Comprehensive analysis of host gene expression in Autographa californica nucleopolyhedrovirus-infected Spodoptera frugiperda cells

Autographa californica multicapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) is the best-studied baculovirus and most commonly used virus vector for baculovirus expression vector systems. The effect of AcMNPV infection on host cells is incompletely understood. A microarray based on Spodoptera frugiperda ESTs was used to investigate the impact of AcMNPV on host gene expression in cultured S. frugiperda, Sf21 cells. Most host genes were down-regulated over the time course of infection, although a small number were up-regulated. The most highly up-regulated genes encoded heat shock protein 70s and several poorly characterized proteins. Regulated genes with the highest score identified by functional annotation clustering included primarily products required for protein expression and trafficking in the ER and golgi. All were significantly down-regulated by approximately 12h post-infection. Microarray data were validated by qRT-PCR. This study provides the first comprehensive host transcriptome overview of Sf21 cells during AcMNPV infection.