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Wang S, Miao S, Lu Y, Li C, Li B. A C-type lectin (CTL2) mediated both humoral and cellular immunity against bacterial infection in Tribolium castaneum. PESTICIDE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 201:105852. [PMID: 38685211 DOI: 10.1016/j.pestbp.2024.105852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
C-type lectins (CTLs) play essential roles in humoral and cellular immune responses of invertebrates. Previous studies have demonstrated the involvement of CTLs in the humoral immunity of Tribolium castaneum, a worldwide pest in stored products. However, the function of CTLs in cellular immunity remains unclear. Here, we identified a CTL gene located on chromosome X and designated it as CTL2 (TcCTL2) from T. castaneum. It encodes a protein of 305 amino acids with a secretion signal peptide and a carbohydrate-recognition domain. TcCTL2 was mainly expressed in the early pupae and primarily distributed in the hemocytes in the late larvae. It was significantly upregulated after larvae were infected with Escherichia coli or Staphylococcus aureus, while knockdown of TcCTL2 exacerbates larval mortality and bacterial colonization after infection. The purified recombinant TcCTL2 (rTcCTL2) can bind to pathogen-associated molecular patterns and microbes and promote hemocyte-mediated encapsulation, melanization and phagocytosis in vitro. rTcCTL2 also induced bacterial agglutination in a Ca2+-dependent manner. Knockdown of TcCTL2 drastically suppressed encapsulation, melanization, and phagocytosis. Furthermore, silencing of TcCTL2 followed by bacterial infection significantly decreased the expression of transcription factors in Toll and IMD pathways, antimicrobial peptides, and prophenoloxidases and phenoloxidase activity. These results unveiled that TcCTL2 mediates both humoral and cellular immunity to promote bacterial clearance and protect T. castaneum from infectious microbes, which will deepen the understanding of the interaction between CTLs and innate immunity in T. castaneum and permit the optimization of pest control strategies by a combination of RNAi technology and bacterial infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suisui Wang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Shiyuan Miao
- School of Grain Science and Technology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212100, China
| | - Yujie Lu
- School of Grain Science and Technology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212100, China
| | - Chengjun Li
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Bin Li
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, China.
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2
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Bi J, Liu P, Gao R, Jiang Y, Zhang C, Zhao T, Gao L, Wang Y. Silencing gram-negative bacteria binding protein 1 decreases the immunity of Tribolium castaneum against bacteria. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 264:130631. [PMID: 38453114 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.130631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/03/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
Gram-negative bacteria binding proteins (GNBPs) have the ability to recognize molecular patterns associated with microbial pathogens (PAMPs), leading to the activation of immune responses downstream. In the genome of Tribolium castaneum, three GNBP genes have been identified; however, their immunological roles remain unexplored. In our study, a GNBP1, designated as TcGNBP1, were identified from the cDNA library of T. castaneum. The coding sequence of TcGNBP1 consisted of 1137 bps and resulted in the synthesis of a protein comprising 378 amino acids. This protein encompasses a signal peptide, a low-complexity region, and a glycoside hydrolase 16 domain. TcGNBP1 was strongly expressed in early adult stages, and mainly distributed in hemolymph and gut. Upon being challenged with Escherichia coli or Staphylococcus aureus, the transcript levels of TcGNBP1 were significantly changed at different time points. Through molecular docking and ELISA analysis, it was observed that TcGNBP1 has the ability to interact with lipopolysaccharides, peptidoglycan, and β-1, 3-glucan. Based on these findings, it was further discovered that recombinant TcGNBP1 can directly bind to five different bacteria in a Ca2+-dependent manner. After knockdown of TcGNBP1 with RNA interference, expression of antimicrobial peptide genes and prophenoloxidase (proPO) activity were suppressed, the susceptibility of T. castaneum to E. coli or S. aureus infection was enhanced, leading to low survival rate. These results suggest a regulatory mechanism of TcGNBP1 in innate immunity of T. castaneum and provide a potential molecular target for dsRNA-based insect pest management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingxiu Bi
- Laboratory of Quality and Safety Risk Assessment for Agro-Products of the Ministry of Agriculture (Jinan), Institute of Quality Standard and Testing Technology for Agro-Products, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan 250100, China
| | - Pingxiang Liu
- Laboratory of Quality and Safety Risk Assessment for Agro-Products of the Ministry of Agriculture (Jinan), Institute of Quality Standard and Testing Technology for Agro-Products, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan 250100, China
| | - Rui Gao
- Laboratory of Quality and Safety Risk Assessment for Agro-Products of the Ministry of Agriculture (Jinan), Institute of Quality Standard and Testing Technology for Agro-Products, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan 250100, China
| | - Yuying Jiang
- Laboratory of Quality and Safety Risk Assessment for Agro-Products of the Ministry of Agriculture (Jinan), Institute of Quality Standard and Testing Technology for Agro-Products, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan 250100, China
| | - Chao Zhang
- Laboratory of Quality and Safety Risk Assessment for Agro-Products of the Ministry of Agriculture (Jinan), Institute of Quality Standard and Testing Technology for Agro-Products, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan 250100, China
| | - Tong Zhao
- Laboratory of Quality and Safety Risk Assessment for Agro-Products of the Ministry of Agriculture (Jinan), Institute of Quality Standard and Testing Technology for Agro-Products, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan 250100, China
| | - Lei Gao
- Laboratory of Quality and Safety Risk Assessment for Agro-Products of the Ministry of Agriculture (Jinan), Institute of Quality Standard and Testing Technology for Agro-Products, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan 250100, China
| | - Yutao Wang
- Laboratory of Quality and Safety Risk Assessment for Agro-Products of the Ministry of Agriculture (Jinan), Institute of Quality Standard and Testing Technology for Agro-Products, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan 250100, China; Cooperative of Vegetable and Grain Cultivation, Liaocheng Yifeng Bloc, Liaocheng, Shandong, China.
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3
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Critchlow JT, Prakash A, Zhong KY, Tate AT. Mapping the functional form of the trade-off between infection resistance and reproductive fitness under dysregulated immune signaling. PLoS Pathog 2024; 20:e1012049. [PMID: 38408106 PMCID: PMC10919860 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1012049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Immune responses benefit organismal fitness by clearing parasites but also exact costs associated with immunopathology and energetic investment. Hosts manage these costs by tightly regulating the induction of immune signaling to curtail excessive responses and restore homeostasis. Despite the theoretical importance of turning off the immune response to mitigate these costs, experimentally connecting variation in the negative regulation of immune responses to organismal fitness remains a frontier in evolutionary immunology. In this study, we used a dose-response approach to manipulate the RNAi-mediated knockdown efficiency of cactus (IκBα), a central regulator of Toll pathway signal transduction in flour beetles (Tribolium castaneum). By titrating cactus activity across four distinct levels, we derived the shape of the relationship between immune response investment and traits associated with host fitness, including infection susceptibility, lifespan, fecundity, body mass, and gut homeostasis. Cactus knock-down increased the overall magnitude of inducible immune responses and delayed their resolution in a dsRNA dose-dependent manner, promoting survival and resistance following bacterial infection. However, these benefits were counterbalanced by dsRNA dose-dependent costs to lifespan, fecundity, body mass, and gut integrity. Our results allowed us to move beyond the qualitative identification of a trade-off between immune investment and fitness to actually derive its functional form. This approach paves the way to quantitatively compare the evolution and impact of distinct regulatory elements on life-history trade-offs and fitness, filling a crucial gap in our conceptual and theoretical models of immune signaling network evolution and the maintenance of natural variation in immune systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin T Critchlow
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Arun Prakash
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Katherine Y Zhong
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Ann T Tate
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
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Böhringer AC, Deters L, Windfelder AG, Merzendorfer H. Dextran sulfate sodium and uracil induce inflammatory effects and disrupt the chitinous peritrophic matrix in the midgut of Tribolium castaneum. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2023; 163:104029. [PMID: 37907139 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2023.104029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Revised: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
Dextran sulfate sodium is used in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) mice models to trigger chronic intestinal inflammation. In this study, we have analyzed DSS effects in the genetic model and pest beetle, Tribolium castaneum, which can be easily and cost-effectively cultivated and examined in very large quantities compensating for individual variations. We fed the larvae with DSS and uracil, which is known to induce the production of reactive oxygen species by activating DUOX, a member of the NADPH oxidase family. Both chemicals induced IBD-like phenotypes, including impaired growth and development, midgut thickening, epithelial swelling, and a loss of epithelial barrier function. RNAi mediated knockdown of DUOX expression enhanced the effects of DSS and uracil on mortality. Finally, we showed that both treatments result in an altered activity of the intestinal microbiome, similar as observed in IBD patients. Our findings suggest that both chemicals impair the epithelial barrier by increasing the permeability of the peritrophic matrix. The loss of the barrier function may facilitate the entry of midgut bacteria triggering innate immune responses that also affect the intestinal microbiome. As the observed effects resemble those induced by DSS treatment in mice, T. castaneum might be suitable high-throughput invertebrate model for IBD research and preclinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lara Deters
- University of Siegen, Department of Chemistry-Biology, 57068, Siegen, Germany
| | - Anton George Windfelder
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, 35392, Gießen, Germany; Experimental Radiology, Department of Medicine, Justus Liebig University, 35392, Gießen, Germany
| | - Hans Merzendorfer
- University of Siegen, Department of Chemistry-Biology, 57068, Siegen, Germany.
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Ko HJ, Jang HA, Park KB, Kim CE, Patnaik BB, Lee YS, Han YS, Jo YH. IKKβ regulates antimicrobial innate immune responses in the yellow mealworm, Tenebrio molitor. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2023; 147:104761. [PMID: 37331676 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2023.104761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
Toll and IMD pathways regulate antimicrobial innate immune responses in insect model systems. The transcriptional activation of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) confers humoral immunity in the host against invaded pathogens. The IKK kinase complex (IKKα, IKKβ, and the regulatory subunit IKKγ/NEMO) centrally regulates the NF-κB response to various stimuli. It triggers an appropriate antimicrobial immune response in the host. In this study, a TmIKKβ (or TmIrd5) homolog was screened from the RNA-seq database of the coleopteran beetle, Tenebrio molitor. A single exon characterizes the TmIKKβ gene, and the open reading frame (ORF) comprises of 2112 bp that putatively encodes a polypeptide of 703 amino acid residues. TmIKKβ contains a serine/threonine kinase domain and is phylogenetically close to Tribolium castaneum IKKβ homolog (TcIKKβ). TmIKKβ transcripts were highly expressed in the early pupal (P1) and adult (A5) stages. Among the tissues, TmIKKβ showed higher expression in the integument of the last instar larvae and the fat body and hemocytes of 5-day-old adults. TmIKKβ mRNA was upregulated post-E. coli challenge to the host. Moreover, RNAi-based TmIKKβ mRNA silencing increased host larvae' susceptibility against E. coli, S. aureus and C. albicans. TmIKKβ RNAi in the fat body led to a downregulation in mRNA expression of ten out of fourteen AMP genes, including TmTenecin1, -2, and -4; TmDefensin, and -like; TmColeoptericinA, and -B; and TmAttacin1a, -1b, and -2, suggesting the requirement of the gene in antimicrobial innate immune responses. Further, a decrease in the mRNA expression of NF-κB factors such as TmRelish, TmDorsal1, and TmDorsal2 in the fat body of T. molitor larvae was observed post-microorganisms challenge. Thus, TmIKKβ regulates antimicrobial innate immune responses in T. molitor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hye Jin Ko
- Division of Plant Biotechnology, Institute of Environmentally-Friendly Agriculture (IEFA), College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, Republic of Korea
| | - Ho Am Jang
- Department of Biology, College of Natural Sciences, Soonchunhyang University, Asan City, 31538, Republic of Korea
| | - Ki Beom Park
- Division of Plant Biotechnology, Institute of Environmentally-Friendly Agriculture (IEFA), College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, Republic of Korea
| | - Chang Eun Kim
- Division of Plant Biotechnology, Institute of Environmentally-Friendly Agriculture (IEFA), College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, Republic of Korea
| | - Bharat Bhusan Patnaik
- Korea Native Animal Resources Utilization Convergence Research Institute (KNAR), Soonchunhyang University, Asan, Chungnam, South Korea; P.G Department of Biosciences and Biotechnology, Fakir Mohan University, Nuapadhi, Balasore, Odisha, 756089, India
| | - Yong Seok Lee
- Department of Biology, College of Natural Sciences, Soonchunhyang University, Asan City, 31538, Republic of Korea; Korea Native Animal Resources Utilization Convergence Research Institute (KNAR), Soonchunhyang University, Asan, Chungnam, South Korea
| | - Yeon Soo Han
- Division of Plant Biotechnology, Institute of Environmentally-Friendly Agriculture (IEFA), College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, Republic of Korea.
| | - Yong Hun Jo
- Department of Biology, College of Natural Sciences, Soonchunhyang University, Asan City, 31538, Republic of Korea.
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Zhang Y, Ai H, Wang Y, Zhang P, Du L, Wang J, Wang S, Gao H, Li B. A pattern recognition receptor C-type lectin TcCTL14 contributes to immune response and development in the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum. INSECT SCIENCE 2023; 30:1363-1377. [PMID: 36518010 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.13161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 11/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Evidence is accumulating that pattern recognition receptor (PRR) C-type lectins (CTL) play essential roles in recognition of pathogens. TcCTL14 (accession no. TC00871) contains the most domains among all CTL of Tribolium castaneum. Yet the biological function of TcCTL14 remains unclear. In this study, TcCTL14 exhibiting typical motif and domain of CTL was cloned from T. castaneum. The expression pattern analysis showed that TcCTL14 was highly expressed in late pupae and central nervous system, and was upregulated after treatment with Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, respectively. Analysis of binding affinity revealed that recombinant TcCTL14 not only could bind to lipopolysaccharide and peptidoglycan in a dose-dependent fashion, but possibly could bind to and agglutinate different bacteria in a Ca2+ -dependent fashion. Knockdown of TcCTL14 before injection with bacteria led to the downregulation of nuclear factor-κB transcription factors of Toll/IMD and 4 antimicrobial peptides. Knockdown of TcCTL14 also caused suppressed metamorphosis, reduced fecundity, and delayed embryogenesis of T. castaneum. Further observation discovered that knockdown of TcCTL14 inhibited the development of ovaries and embryos. The detection of signaling pathways revealed that TcCTL14 may be involved in metamorphosis and fecundity by impacting 20-hydroxyecdysone and vitellogenin, respectively. Overall, these results indicate that TcCTL14 may contribute to immune response by agglutination or regulating the expression of antimicrobial peptides by the Toll/IMD pathway, and is required for T. castaneum development including metamorphosis, fecundity, and embryogenesis. These findings will improve the functional cognition of PRR CTL in insects and provide the new strategy for pest control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yonglei Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
| | - Huayi Ai
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yihan Wang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
| | - Ping Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
| | - Liheng Du
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jiatao Wang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
| | - Suisui Wang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
| | - Han Gao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
| | - Bin Li
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
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Li J, Lyu B, Bi J, Shan R, Stanley D, Feng Q, Song Q. Partner of neuropeptide bursicon homodimer pburs mediates a novel antimicrobial peptide Ten3LP via Dif/Dorsal2 in Tribolium castaneum. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 247:125840. [PMID: 37454995 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.125840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Bursicon is a cystine knot family neuropeptide, composed of two subunits, bursicon (burs) and partner of burs (pburs). The subunits can form heterodimers to regulate cuticle tanning and wing maturation and homodimers to signal different biological functions in innate immunity, midgut stem cell proliferation and energy homeostasis, and reproductive physiology in the model insects Drosophila melanogaster or Tribolium castaneum. Here, we report on the role of the pburs homodimer in signaling innate immunity in T. castaneum larvae. Through transcriptome analysis we identified a set of immune-related genes that respond to pburs RNAi. Treating larvae with recombinant-pburs protein led to up-regulation of antimicrobial peptide (AMP) genes in vivo and in vitro. The upregulation of most AMP genes was dependent on the NF-κB transcription factor Relish. Most importantly, we identified a novel AMP, Tenecin 3-like peptide (Ten3LP), regulated by pburs via NF-κB transcription factor Dorsal-related immunity factor (Dif)/Dorsal2, but not Relish. We conducted Ten3LP RNAi, synthesized recombinant Ten3LP protein for microbial inhibition assays and functionally characterized Ten3LP as an AMP specific for fungi and Gram-positive bacteria. We demonstrate that expression of Ten3LP is activated by pburs via the Toll pathway. These findings identify new molecular targets for development of potential antibiotics for treating microbial infections and perhaps for RNAi based pest management technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Li
- Division of Plant Science and Technology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA.
| | - Bo Lyu
- Division of Plant Science and Technology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA.
| | - Jingxiu Bi
- Division of Plant Science and Technology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA; Institution of Quality Standard and Testing Technology for Agro-product, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Science, Jinan, Shandong 250100, China.
| | - Ruiqi Shan
- Division of Plant Science and Technology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA.
| | - David Stanley
- Division of Plant Science and Technology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA; Biological Control of Insect Research Laboratory, United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Station (USDA/ARS), Columbia, MO 65203, USA.
| | - Qili Feng
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Insect Development Regulation and Application Research, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China.
| | - Qisheng Song
- Division of Plant Science and Technology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA.
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8
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Critchlow JT, Prakash A, Zhong KY, Tate AT. Mapping the functional form of the trade-off between infection resistance and reproductive fitness under dysregulated immune signaling. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.10.552815. [PMID: 37645726 PMCID: PMC10461925 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.10.552815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Immune responses benefit organismal fitness by clearing parasites but also exact costs associated with immunopathology and energetic investment. Hosts manage these costs by tightly regulating the induction of immune signaling to curtail excessive responses and restore homeostasis. Despite the theoretical importance of turning off the immune response to mitigate these costs, experimentally connecting variation in the negative regulation of immune responses to organismal fitness remains a frontier in evolutionary immunology. In this study, we used a dose-response approach to manipulate the RNAi-mediated knockdown efficiency of cactus (IκBα), a central regulator of Toll pathway signal transduction in flour beetles (Tribolium castaneum). By titrating cactus activity along a continuous gradient, we derived the shape of the relationship between immune response investment and traits associated with host fitness, including infection susceptibility, lifespan, fecundity, body mass, and gut homeostasis. Cactus knock-down increased the overall magintude of inducible immune responses and delayed their resolution in a dsRNA dose-dependent manner, promoting survival and resistance following bacterial infection. However, these benefits were counterbalanced by dsRNA dose-dependent costs to lifespan, fecundity, body mass, and gut integrity. Our results allowed us to move beyond the qualitative identification of a trade-off between immune investment and fitness to actually derive its functional form. This approach paves the way to quantitatively compare the evolution and impact of distinct regulatory elements on life-history trade-offs and fitness, filling a crucial gap in our conceptual and theoretical models of immune signaling network evolution and the maintenance of natural variation in immune systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin T. Critchlow
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Arun Prakash
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Katherine Y. Zhong
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Ann T. Tate
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
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9
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Analysis of the Toll and Spaetzle Genes Involved in Toll Pathway-Dependent Antimicrobial Gene Induction in the Red Flour Beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Coleoptera; Tenebrionidae). Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24021523. [PMID: 36675034 PMCID: PMC9861120 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24021523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Insects rely only on their innate immune system to protect themselves from pathogens. Antimicrobial peptide (AMP) production is the main immune reaction in insects. In Drosophila melanogaster, the reaction is regulated mainly by the Toll and immune deficiency (IMD) pathways. Spaetzle proteins, activated by immune signals from upstream components, bind to Toll proteins, thus, activating the Toll pathway, which in turn, induces AMP genes. Previous studies have shown the difference in immune systems related to Toll and IMD pathways between D. melanogaster and Tribolium castaneum. In T. castaneum, nine Toll and seven spaetzle (spz) genes were identified. To extend our understanding of AMP production by T. castaneum, we conducted functional assays of Toll and spaetzle genes related to Toll-pathway-dependent AMP gene expression in T. castaneum under challenge with bacteria or budding yeast. The results revealed that Toll3 and Toll4 double-knockdown and spz7 knockdown strongly and moderately reduced the Toll-pathway-dependent expression of AMP genes, respectively. Moreover, Toll3 and Toll4 double-knockdown pupae more rapidly succumbed to entomopathogenic bacteria than the control pupae, but spz7 knockdown pupae did not. The results suggest that Toll3 and Toll4 play a large role in Toll-pathway-dependent immune reactions, whereas spz7 plays a small part.
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Yokoi K, Furukawa S, Zhou R, Jouraku A, Bono H. Reference Genome Sequences of the Oriental Armyworm, Mythimna separata (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). INSECTS 2022; 13:insects13121172. [PMID: 36555082 PMCID: PMC9853324 DOI: 10.3390/insects13121172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Lepidopteran insects are an important group of animals, including those used as biochemical and physiological model species in the insect and silk industries as well as others that are major agricultural pests. Therefore, the genome sequences of several lepidopteran insects have been reported. The oriental armyworm, Mythimna separata, is an agricultural pest commonly used to study insect immune reactions and interactions with parasitoid wasps as hosts. To improve our understanding of these research topics, reference genome sequences were constructed in the present study. Using long-read and short-read sequence data, de novo assembly and polishing were performed and haplotigs were purged. Subsequently, gene predictions and functional annotations were performed. To search for orthologs of the Toll and Immune Deficiency (IMD) pathways and for C-type lectins, annotation data analysis, BLASTp, and Hummer scans were performed. The M. separata genome is 682 Mbp; its contig N50 was 2.7 Mbp, with 21,970 genes and 24,452 coding sites predicted. All orthologs of the core components of the Toll and IMD pathways and 105 C-type lectins were identified. These results suggest that the genome data were of sufficient quality for use as reference genome data and could contribute to promoting M. separata and lepidopteran research at the molecular and genome levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kakeru Yokoi
- Insect Design Technology Group, Division of Insect Advanced Technology, Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO), 1-2 Owashi, Tsukuba 305-0901, Japan;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +81-29-838-6129
| | - Seiichi Furukawa
- Institute of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8572, Japan;
| | - Rui Zhou
- Degree Program in Agro-Bioresources Science and Technology, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8572, Japan;
| | - Akiya Jouraku
- Insect Design Technology Group, Division of Insect Advanced Technology, Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO), 1-2 Owashi, Tsukuba 305-0901, Japan;
| | - Hidemasa Bono
- Laboratory of Genome Informatics, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, 3-10-23 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima City 739-0046, Japan;
- Laboratory of BioDX, Genome Editing Innovation Center, Hiroshima University, 3-10-23 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima City 739-0046, Japan
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Petronio Petronio G, Pietrangelo L, Cutuli MA, Magnifico I, Venditti N, Guarnieri A, Abate GA, Yewhalaw D, Davinelli S, Di Marco R. Emerging Evidence on Tenebrio molitor Immunity: A Focus on Gene Expression Involved in Microbial Infection for Host-Pathogen Interaction Studies. Microorganisms 2022; 10:1983. [PMID: 36296259 PMCID: PMC9611967 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10101983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2022] [Revised: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/02/2022] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent years, the scientific community's interest in T. molitor as an insect model to investigate immunity and host-pathogen interactions has considerably increased. The reasons for this growing interest could be explained by the peculiar features of this beetle, which offers various advantages compared to other invertebrates models commonly used in laboratory studies. Thus, this review aimed at providing a broad view of the T. molitor immune system in light of the new scientific evidence on the developmental/tissue-specific gene expression studies related to microbial infection. In addition to the well-known cellular component and humoral response process, several studies investigating the factors associated with T. molitor immune response or deepening of those already known have been reported. However, various aspects remain still less understood, namely the possible crosstalk between the immune deficiency protein and Toll pathways and the role exerted by T. molitor apolipoprotein III in the expression of the antimicrobial peptides. Therefore, further research is required for T. molitor to be recommended as an alternative insect model for pathogen-host interaction and immunity studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulio Petronio Petronio
- Department of Medicine and Health Science “V. Tiberio”, Università degli Studi del Molise, 8600 Campobasso, Italy
| | - Laura Pietrangelo
- Department of Medicine and Health Science “V. Tiberio”, Università degli Studi del Molise, 8600 Campobasso, Italy
| | - Marco Alfio Cutuli
- Department of Medicine and Health Science “V. Tiberio”, Università degli Studi del Molise, 8600 Campobasso, Italy
| | - Irene Magnifico
- Department of Medicine and Health Science “V. Tiberio”, Università degli Studi del Molise, 8600 Campobasso, Italy
| | - Noemi Venditti
- Department of Medicine and Health Science “V. Tiberio”, Università degli Studi del Molise, 8600 Campobasso, Italy
| | - Antonio Guarnieri
- Department of Medicine and Health Science “V. Tiberio”, Università degli Studi del Molise, 8600 Campobasso, Italy
| | - Getnet Atinafu Abate
- Department of Biology, College of Natural Sciences, Debre Markos University, Debre Markos P.O. Box 269, Ethiopia
| | - Delenasaw Yewhalaw
- School of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Jimma University, Jimma P.O. Box 307, Ethiopia
- Tropical and Infectious Diseases Research Center, Jimma University, Jimma P.O. Box 378, Ethiopia
| | - Sergio Davinelli
- Department of Medicine and Health Science “V. Tiberio”, Università degli Studi del Molise, 8600 Campobasso, Italy
| | - Roberto Di Marco
- Department of Medicine and Health Science “V. Tiberio”, Università degli Studi del Molise, 8600 Campobasso, Italy
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Choi B, Park WR, Kim YJ, Mun S, Park SJ, Jeong JH, Choi HS, Kim DK. Nuclear receptor estrogen-related receptor modulates antimicrobial peptide expression for host innate immunity in Tribolium castaneum. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2022; 148:103816. [PMID: 35926689 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2022.103816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2022] [Revised: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are core components of innate immunity to protect insects against microbial infections. Nuclear receptors (NRs) are ligand-dependent transcription factors that can regulate the expression of genes critical for insect development including molting and metamorphosis. However, the role of NRs in host innate immune response to microbial infection remains poorly understood in Tribolium castaneum (T. castaneum). Here, we show that estrogen-related receptor (ERR), an insect ortholog of the mammalian ERR family of NRs, is a novel transcriptional regulator of AMP genes for innate immune response of T. castaneum. Tribolium ERR (TcERR) expression was induced by immune deficiency (IMD)-Relish signaling in response to infection by Escherichia coli (E. coli), a Gram-negative bacterium, as demonstrated in TcIMD-deficient beetles. Interestingly, genome-wide transcriptome analysis of TcERR-deficient old larvae using RNA-sequencing analysis showed that TcERR expression was positively correlated with gene transcription levels of AMPs including attacins, defensins, and coleoptericin. Moreover, chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis revealed that TcERR could directly bind to ERR-response elements on promoters of genes encoding defensin3 and coleoptericin, critical for innate immune response of T. castaneum. Finally, TcERR-deficient old larvae infected with E. coli displayed enhanced bacterial load and significantly less host survival. These findings suggest that TcERR can coordinate transcriptional regulation of AMPs and host innate immune response to bacterial infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Byungyoon Choi
- Department of Integrative Food, Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, Republic of Korea.
| | - Woo-Ram Park
- Department of Integrative Food, Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, Republic of Korea.
| | - Yu-Ji Kim
- Department of Integrative Food, Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, Republic of Korea.
| | - Seulgi Mun
- Department of Applied Biology, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, Republic of Korea.
| | - Su-Jin Park
- Functional Biomaterial Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Jeongeup, 56212, Republic of Korea.
| | - Jae-Ho Jeong
- Department of Microbiology, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, 61468, Republic of Korea.
| | - Hueng-Sik Choi
- School of Biological Sciences and Technology, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, Republic of Korea.
| | - Don-Kyu Kim
- Department of Integrative Food, Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, Republic of Korea.
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Ko HJ, Patnaik BB, Park KB, Kim CE, Baliarsingh S, Jang HA, Lee YS, Han YS, Jo YH. TmIKKε Is Required to Confer Protection Against Gram-Negative Bacteria, E. coli by the Regulation of Antimicrobial Peptide Production in the Tenebrio molitor Fat Body. Front Physiol 2022; 12:758862. [PMID: 35069235 PMCID: PMC8777057 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.758862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The inhibitor of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) kinase (IKK) is the core regulator of the NF-κB pathway against pathogenic invasion in vertebrates or invertebrates. IKKβ, -ε and -γ have pivotal roles in the Toll and immune deficiency (IMD) pathways. In this study, a homolog of IKKε (TmIKKε) was identified from Tenebrio molitor RNA sequence database and functionally characterized for its role in regulating immune signaling pathways in insects. The TmIKKε gene is characterized by two exons and one intron comprising an open reading frame (ORF) of 2,196 bp that putatively encodes a polypeptide of 731 amino acid residues. TmIKKε contains a serine/threonine protein kinases catalytic domain. Phylogenetic analysis established the close homology of TmIKKε to Tribolium castaneum IKKε (TcIKKε) and its proximity with other IKK-related kinases. The expression of TmIKKε mRNA was elevated in the gut, integument, and hemocytes of the last-instar larva and the fat body, Malpighian tubules, and testis of 5-day-old adults. TmIKKε expression was significantly induced by Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans challenge in whole larvae and tissues, such as hemocytes, gut, and fat body. The knockdown of the TmIKKε messenger RNA (mRNA) expression significantly reduced the survival of the larvae against microbial challenges. Further, we investigated the induction patterns of 14 T. molitor antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) genes in TmIKKε gene-silencing model after microbial challenges. While in hemocytes, the transcriptional regulation of most AMPs was negatively regulated in the gut and fat body tissue of T. molitor, AMPs, such as TmTenecin 1, TmTenecin 4, TmDefensin, TmColeoptericin A, TmColeoptericin B, TmAttacin 1a, and TmAttacin 2, were positively regulated in TmIKKε-silenced individuals after microbial challenge. Collectively, the results implicate TmIKKε as an important factor in antimicrobial innate immune responses in T. molitor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hye Jin Ko
- Department of Applied Biology, Institute of Environmentally-Friendly Agriculture, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, South Korea
| | - Bharat Bhusan Patnaik
- Department of Biosciences and Biotechnology, Fakir Mohan University, Balasore, India
| | - Ki Beom Park
- Department of Applied Biology, Institute of Environmentally-Friendly Agriculture, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, South Korea
| | - Chang Eun Kim
- Department of Applied Biology, Institute of Environmentally-Friendly Agriculture, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, South Korea
| | - Snigdha Baliarsingh
- Department of Biosciences and Biotechnology, Fakir Mohan University, Balasore, India
| | - Ho Am Jang
- Department of Applied Biology, Institute of Environmentally-Friendly Agriculture, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, South Korea
| | - Yong Seok Lee
- Department of Biology, College of Natural Sciences, Soonchunhyang University, Asan, South Korea
| | - Yeon Soo Han
- Department of Applied Biology, Institute of Environmentally-Friendly Agriculture, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, South Korea
| | - Yong Hun Jo
- Department of Applied Biology, Institute of Environmentally-Friendly Agriculture, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, South Korea
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Schröder NCH, Korša A, Wami H, Mantel O, Dobrindt U, Kurtz J. Serial passage in an insect host indicates genetic stability of the human probiotic Escherichia coli Nissle 1917. Evol Med Public Health 2022; 10:71-86. [PMID: 35186295 PMCID: PMC8853844 DOI: 10.1093/emph/eoac001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and objectives The probiotic Escherichia coli strain Nissle 1917 (EcN) has been shown to effectively prevent and alleviate intestinal diseases. Despite the widespread medical application of EcN, we still lack basic knowledge about persistence and evolution of EcN outside the human body. Such knowledge is important also for public health aspects, as in contrast to abiotic therapeutics, probiotics are living organisms that have the potential to evolve. This study made use of experimental evolution of EcN in an insect host, the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum, and its flour environment. Methodology Using a serial passage approach, we orally introduced EcN to larvae of T.castaneum as a new host, and also propagated it in the flour environment. After eight propagation cycles, we analyzed phenotypic attributes of the passaged replicate EcN lines, their effects on the host in the context of immunity and infection with the entomopathogen Bacillus thuringiensis, and potential genomic changes using WGS of three of the evolved lines. Results We observed weak phenotypic differences between the ancestral EcN and both, beetle and flour passaged EcN lines, in motility and growth at 30°C, but neither any genetic changes, nor the expected increased persistence of the beetle-passaged lines. One of these lines displayed distinct morphological and physiological characteristics. Conclusions and implications Our findings suggest that EcN remains rather stable during serial passage in an insect. Weak phenotypic changes in growth and motility combined with a lack of genetic changes indicate a certain degree of phenotypic plasticity of EcN. Lay Summary For studying adaptation of the human probiotic Escherichia coli strain Nissle 1917, we introduced it to a novel insect host system and its environment using a serial passage approach. After passage, we observed weak phenotypic changes in growth and motility but no mutations or changes in persistence inside the host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas C H Schröder
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Ana Korša
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Haleluya Wami
- Institute for Hygiene, UKM Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Olena Mantel
- Institute for Hygiene, UKM Münster, Münster, Germany
| | | | - Joachim Kurtz
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
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15
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Transcriptome of the Maize Leafhopper ( Dalbulus maidis) and Its Transcriptional Response to Maize Rayado Fino Virus (MRFV), Which It Transmits in a Persistent, Propagative Manner. Microbiol Spectr 2021; 9:e0061221. [PMID: 34817206 PMCID: PMC8612151 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00612-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The corn leafhopper (Dalbulus maidis) is an important vector of maize rayado fino virus (MRFV), a positive-strand RNA (+ssRNA) marafivirus which it transmits in a persistent propagative manner. The interaction of D. maidis with MRFV, including infection of the insect and subsequent transmission to new plants, is not well understood at the molecular level. To examine the leafhopper-virus interaction, a D. maidis transcriptome was assembled and differences in transcript abundance between virus-exposed and naive D. maidis were examined at two time points (4 h and 7 days) post exposure to MRFV. The D. maidis transcriptome contained 56,116 transcripts generated from 1,727,369,026 100-nt paired-end reads from whole adult insects. The transcriptome of D. maidis shared highest identity and most orthologs with the leafhopper Graminella nigrifrons (65% of transcripts had matches with E values of <10-5) versus planthoppers Sogatella furcifera (with 23% of transcript matches below the E value cutoff) and Peregrinus maidis (with 21% transcript matches below the E value cutoff), as expected based on taxonomy. D. maidis expressed genes in the Toll, Imd, and Jak/Stat insect immune signaling pathways, RNA interference (RNAi) pathway genes, prophenoloxidase-activating system pathways, and immune recognition protein-encoding genes such as peptidoglycan recognition proteins (PGRPs), antimicrobial peptides, and other effectors. Statistical analysis (performed by R package DESeq2) identified 72 transcripts at 4 h and 67 at 7 days that were significantly responsive to MRFV exposure. Genes expected to be favorable for virus propagation, such as protein synthesis-related genes and genes encoding superoxide dismutase, were significantly upregulated after MRFV exposure. IMPORTANCE The transcriptome of the corn leafhopper, D. maidis, revealed conserved biochemical pathways for immunity and discovered transcripts responsive to MRFV-infected plants at two time points, providing a basis for functional identification of genes that either limit or promote the virus-vector interaction. Compared to other hopper species and the propagative plant viruses they transmit, D. maidis shared 15 responsive transcripts with S. furcifera (to southern rice black-streaked dwarf virus [SRBSDV]), one with G. nigrifrons (to maize fine streak virus [MFSV]), and one with P. maidis (to maize mosaic virus [MMV]), but no virus-responsive transcripts identified were shared among all four hopper vector species.
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16
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Meraj S, Mohr E, Ketabchi N, Bogdanovic A, Lowenberger C, Gries G. Time- and tissue-specific antimicrobial activity of the common bed bug in response to blood feeding and immune activation by bacterial injection. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 135:104322. [PMID: 34644597 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2021.104322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Revised: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Unlike almost all hematophagous insects, common bed bugs, Cimex lectularius, are not known to transmit pathogens to humans. To help unravel the reasons for their lack of vector competence, we studied the time- and tissue-dependent expression of innate immune factors after blood feeding or immune activation through the intrathoracic injection of bacteria. We used minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC1) bioassays and the Kirby-Bauer protocol to evaluate antimicrobial peptide (AMP2) activity in tissue extracts from the midguts or 'rest of body' (RoB3) tissues (containing hemolymph and fat body AMPs) against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. We compared AMP activity between blood-fed female bed bugs and yellow fever mosquitoes, Aedes aegypti and determined how female and male bed bugs respond to immune challenges, and how long AMP gene expression remains elevated in bed bugs following a blood meal. Blood meal-induced AMP activity is 4-fold stronger in female bed bugs than in female mosquitoes. Male bed bugs have elevated AMP activity within 8 h of a blood meal or an intrathoracic injection with bacteria, with the strongest activity expressed in RoB tissue 24 h after the immune challenge. Female bed bugs have a stronger immune response than males within 24 h of a blood meal. The effects of blood meal-induced elevated AMP activity lasts longer against the Gram-positive bacterium, Bacillus subtilis, than against the Gram-negative bacterium Escherichia coli. Unravelling the specific immune pathways that are activated in the bed bugs' immune responses and identifying the bed bug-unique AMPs might help determine why these insects are not vectors of human parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanam Meraj
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia V5A1S6, Canada.
| | - Emerson Mohr
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia V5A1S6, Canada
| | - Negin Ketabchi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia V5A1S6, Canada
| | - Anastasia Bogdanovic
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia V5A1S6, Canada
| | - Carl Lowenberger
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia V5A1S6, Canada
| | - Gerhard Gries
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia V5A1S6, Canada
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17
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Moreira-Pinto CE, Coelho RR, Leite AGB, Silveira DA, de Souza DA, Lopes RB, Macedo LLP, Silva MCM, Ribeiro TP, Morgante CV, Antonino JD, Grossi-de-Sa MF. Increasing Anthonomus grandis susceptibility to Metarhizium anisopliae through RNAi-induced AgraRelish knockdown: a perspective to combine biocontrol and biotechnology. PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2021; 77:4054-4063. [PMID: 33896113 DOI: 10.1002/ps.6430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Revised: 03/21/2021] [Accepted: 04/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The hemolymph and insect gut together have an essential role in the immune defense against microorganisms, including the production of antimicrobial peptides (AMP). AMPs are mainly induced by two specific signaling pathways, Toll and immune deficiency (IMD). Here, we characterize the expression profile of four genes from both pathways and describe the importance of AgraRelish in the immune defense of Anthonomus grandis against the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae by RNA interference (RNAi). RESULTS To characterize the pathway that is activated early during the A. grandis-M. anisopliae interaction, we assessed the expression profiles of AgraMyD88 and AgraDorsal (Toll pathway), AgraIMD and AgraRelish (IMD pathway), and several AMP genes. Interestingly, we found that IMD pathway genes are upregulated early, and Toll pathway genes are upregulated just 3 days after inoculation (DAI). Furthermore, nine AMPs were upregulated 24 h after fungus inoculation, including attacins, cecropins, coleoptericins, and defensins. AgraRelish knockdown resulted in a reduction in median lethal time (LT50 ) for M. anisopliae-treated insects of around 2 days compared to control treatments. In addition, AgraRelish remained knocked down at 3 DAI. Finally, we identified that AgraRelish knockdown increased fungal loads at 2 DAI compared to control treatments, possibly indicating a faster infection. CONCLUSIONS Our data indicate the influence of the IMD pathway on the antifungal response in A. grandis. Combining biocontrol and RNAi could significantly improve cotton boll weevil management. Hence, AgraRelish is a potential target for the development of biotechnological tools aimed at improving the efficacy of M. anisopliae against A. grandis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clidia E Moreira-Pinto
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil
- Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, Brasilia, Brazil
| | - Roberta R Coelho
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil
- Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, Brasilia, Brazil
| | - Ana G B Leite
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil
- Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, Brasilia, Brazil
| | - Daniela A Silveira
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil
- Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, Brasilia, Brazil
| | | | - Rogerio B Lopes
- Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, Brasilia, Brazil
| | - Leonardo L P Macedo
- Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, Brasilia, Brazil
- National Institute of Science and Technology, INCT PlantStress Biotech, EMBRAPA, Brasilia, Brazil
| | - Maria C M Silva
- Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, Brasilia, Brazil
- National Institute of Science and Technology, INCT PlantStress Biotech, EMBRAPA, Brasilia, Brazil
| | - Thuanne P Ribeiro
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil
- Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, Brasilia, Brazil
| | - Carolina V Morgante
- Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, Brasilia, Brazil
- National Institute of Science and Technology, INCT PlantStress Biotech, EMBRAPA, Brasilia, Brazil
- Embrapa Semi-Arid, Petrolina, Brazil
| | - José D Antonino
- Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, Brasilia, Brazil
- National Institute of Science and Technology, INCT PlantStress Biotech, EMBRAPA, Brasilia, Brazil
- Departamento de Agronomia-Entomologia, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | - Maria F Grossi-de-Sa
- Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, Brasilia, Brazil
- National Institute of Science and Technology, INCT PlantStress Biotech, EMBRAPA, Brasilia, Brazil
- Catholic University of Brasilia, Brasília, Brazil
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Wang L, Liu C, Geng X. Identify immune-related genes of adzuki bean weevil (Callosobruchus chinensis) in response to bacteria challenge by transcriptome analysis. Microb Pathog 2021; 151:104749. [PMID: 33484809 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2021.104749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2020] [Revised: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Callosobruchus chinensis is one of the important postharvest pests in legume growing areas. Bacterial pesticide is a potential alternative method to control storage pests. However, the effect of these pathogen bacteria on storage pests, and the molecular mechanisms of insect response remain to be to investigated. RESULTS Using the next generation sequencing technology, we established a transcriptomic library for C. chinensis larvae in response to Escherichia coli. Total of 355 differential expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, which 178 DEGs were upregulated, and 177 DEGs were downregulated compared to control group. To validate the RNA-seq analysis, 20 DEGs and 14 immune-related genes were selected to perform quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). These immune-related genes were involved in recognition (peptidoglycan recognition proteins), signal transduction (fibrinogen-related proteins, serine proteinases and NF-κB), and execution effectors (phenoloxidase, defensin, attacin, and antimicrobial peptide). In addition, genes that encode digestive and respiratory enzymes were altered in C. chinensis larvae in response to infection. Some genes that involved in juvenile hormone and insulin pathway appeared to express differentially, suggesting that pathogen infection might lead to developmental arrest. Furthermore, iron homeostasis and chitin metabolism appeared significantly altered after infection. CONCLUSION In this study, we characterized the immune response of C. chinensis larvae in response to E. coli using RNA-seq, from pathogen recognition, signal transduction, to execution. Some other identified genes were involved in iron homeostasis, respiration, and digestion. A better understanding of molecular response of beetle to pathogen will facilitate us to develop an available strategy to control storage pests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Wang
- School of Grain Science and Technology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, 212100, PR China; School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, PR China.
| | - Chang Liu
- School of Grain Science and Technology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, 212100, PR China
| | - Xueqing Geng
- School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, PR China
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Sapin GD, Tomoda K, Tanaka S, Shinoda T, Miura K, Minakuchi C. Involvement of the transcription factor E75 in adult cuticular formation in the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2020; 126:103450. [PMID: 32818622 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2020.103450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2020] [Revised: 08/02/2020] [Accepted: 08/02/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Insect adult metamorphosis generally proceeds with undetectable levels of juvenile hormone (JH). In adult development of the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum, biosynthesis of adult cuticle followed by its pigmentation and sclerotization occurs, and dark coloration of the cuticle becomes visible in pharate adults. Here, we examined the molecular mechanism of adult cuticular formation in more detail. We noticed that an exogenous JH mimic (JHM) treatment of Day 0 pupae did not inhibit pigmentation or sclerotization, but instead, induced precocious pigmentation of adult cuticle two days in advance. Quantitative RT-PCR analyses revealed that ecdysone-induced protein 75B (E75) is downregulated in JHM-treated pupae. Meanwhile, tyrosine hydroxylase (Th), an enzyme involved in cuticular pigmentation and sclerotization, was precociously induced, whereas a structural cuticular protein CPR27 was downregulated, by exogenous JHM treatment. RNA interference-mediated knockdown of E75 resulted in precocious adult cuticular pigmentation, which resembled the phenotype caused by JHM treatment. Notably, upregulation of Th as well as suppression of CPR27 were observed with E75 knockdown. Meanwhile, JHM treatment suppressed the expression of genes involved in melanin synthesis, such as Yellow-y and Laccase 2, but E75 knockdown did not result in marked reduction in their expression. Taken together, these results provided insights into the regulatory mechanisms of adult cuticular formation; the transcription of genes involved in adult cuticular formation proceeds in a proper timing with undetectable JH, and exogenous JHM treatment disturbs their transcription. For some of these genes such as Th and CPR27, E75 is involved in transcriptional regulation. This study shed light on the molecular mode of action of JHM as insecticides; exogenous JHM treatment disturbed the expression of genes involved in the adult cuticular formation, which resulted in lethality as pharate adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gelyn D Sapin
- Applied Entomology Laboratory, Graduate School of Bio-Agricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Furocho, Chikusa, Nagoya, 464-8601, Japan
| | - Kai Tomoda
- Applied Entomology Laboratory, Graduate School of Bio-Agricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Furocho, Chikusa, Nagoya, 464-8601, Japan
| | - Sayumi Tanaka
- Applied Entomology Laboratory, Graduate School of Bio-Agricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Furocho, Chikusa, Nagoya, 464-8601, Japan
| | - Tetsuro Shinoda
- National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, 1-2 Ohwashi, Tsukuba, 305-8634, Japan; Faculty of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Fukushima University, 1 Kanayagawa, Fukushima, 960-1296, Japan
| | - Ken Miura
- Applied Entomology Laboratory, Graduate School of Bio-Agricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Furocho, Chikusa, Nagoya, 464-8601, Japan
| | - Chieka Minakuchi
- Applied Entomology Laboratory, Graduate School of Bio-Agricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Furocho, Chikusa, Nagoya, 464-8601, Japan; National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, 1-2 Ohwashi, Tsukuba, 305-8634, Japan.
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Rotenberg D, Baumann AA, Ben-Mahmoud S, Christiaens O, Dermauw W, Ioannidis P, Jacobs CGC, Vargas Jentzsch IM, Oliver JE, Poelchau MF, Rajarapu SP, Schneweis DJ, Snoeck S, Taning CNT, Wei D, Widana Gamage SMK, Hughes DST, Murali SC, Bailey ST, Bejerman NE, Holmes CJ, Jennings EC, Rosendale AJ, Rosselot A, Hervey K, Schneweis BA, Cheng S, Childers C, Simão FA, Dietzgen RG, Chao H, Dinh H, Doddapaneni HV, Dugan S, Han Y, Lee SL, Muzny DM, Qu J, Worley KC, Benoit JB, Friedrich M, Jones JW, Panfilio KA, Park Y, Robertson HM, Smagghe G, Ullman DE, van der Zee M, Van Leeuwen T, Veenstra JA, Waterhouse RM, Weirauch MT, Werren JH, Whitfield AE, Zdobnov EM, Gibbs RA, Richards S. Genome-enabled insights into the biology of thrips as crop pests. BMC Biol 2020; 18:142. [PMID: 33070780 PMCID: PMC7570057 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-020-00862-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande), is a globally invasive pest and plant virus vector on a wide array of food, fiber, and ornamental crops. The underlying genetic mechanisms of the processes governing thrips pest and vector biology, feeding behaviors, ecology, and insecticide resistance are largely unknown. To address this gap, we present the F. occidentalis draft genome assembly and official gene set. RESULTS We report on the first genome sequence for any member of the insect order Thysanoptera. Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Ortholog (BUSCO) assessments of the genome assembly (size = 415.8 Mb, scaffold N50 = 948.9 kb) revealed a relatively complete and well-annotated assembly in comparison to other insect genomes. The genome is unusually GC-rich (50%) compared to other insect genomes to date. The official gene set (OGS v1.0) contains 16,859 genes, of which ~ 10% were manually verified and corrected by our consortium. We focused on manual annotation, phylogenetic, and expression evidence analyses for gene sets centered on primary themes in the life histories and activities of plant-colonizing insects. Highlights include the following: (1) divergent clades and large expansions in genes associated with environmental sensing (chemosensory receptors) and detoxification (CYP4, CYP6, and CCE enzymes) of substances encountered in agricultural environments; (2) a comprehensive set of salivary gland genes supported by enriched expression; (3) apparent absence of members of the IMD innate immune defense pathway; and (4) developmental- and sex-specific expression analyses of genes associated with progression from larvae to adulthood through neometaboly, a distinct form of maturation differing from either incomplete or complete metamorphosis in the Insecta. CONCLUSIONS Analysis of the F. occidentalis genome offers insights into the polyphagous behavior of this insect pest that finds, colonizes, and survives on a widely diverse array of plants. The genomic resources presented here enable a more complete analysis of insect evolution and biology, providing a missing taxon for contemporary insect genomics-based analyses. Our study also offers a genomic benchmark for molecular and evolutionary investigations of other Thysanoptera species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorith Rotenberg
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA.
| | - Aaron A Baumann
- Virology Section, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, A239 VTH, 2407 River Drive, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA
| | - Sulley Ben-Mahmoud
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Olivier Christiaens
- Laboratory of Agrozoology, Department of Plants and Crops, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Wannes Dermauw
- Laboratory of Agrozoology, Department of Plants and Crops, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Panagiotis Ioannidis
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Vassilika Vouton, 70013, Heraklion, Greece
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva Medical School, and Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Chris G C Jacobs
- Institute of Biology, Leiden University, 2333 BE, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Iris M Vargas Jentzsch
- Institute for Zoology: Developmental Biology, University of Cologne, 50674, Cologne, Germany
| | - Jonathan E Oliver
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Georgia - Tifton Campus, Tifton, GA, 31793-5737, USA
| | | | - Swapna Priya Rajarapu
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA
| | - Derek J Schneweis
- Department of Plant Pathology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA
| | - Simon Snoeck
- Laboratory of Agrozoology, Department of Plants and Crops, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98105, USA
| | - Clauvis N T Taning
- Laboratory of Agrozoology, Department of Plants and Crops, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Dong Wei
- Laboratory of Agrozoology, Department of Plants and Crops, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Entomology and Pest Control Engineering, College of Plant Protection, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- International Joint Laboratory of China-Belgium on Sustainable Crop Pest Control, Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China and Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Daniel S T Hughes
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Shwetha C Murali
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Samuel T Bailey
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA
| | | | - Christopher J Holmes
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA
| | - Emily C Jennings
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA
| | - Andrew J Rosendale
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA
- Department of Biology, Mount St. Joseph University, Cincinnati, OH, 45233, USA
| | - Andrew Rosselot
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA
| | - Kaylee Hervey
- Department of Plant Pathology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA
| | - Brandi A Schneweis
- Department of Plant Pathology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA
| | - Sammy Cheng
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA
| | | | - Felipe A Simão
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva Medical School, and Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Ralf G Dietzgen
- Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Hsu Chao
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Huyen Dinh
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Harsha Vardhan Doddapaneni
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Shannon Dugan
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Yi Han
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Sandra L Lee
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Donna M Muzny
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Jiaxin Qu
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Kim C Worley
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Joshua B Benoit
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA
| | - Markus Friedrich
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, 48202, USA
| | - Jeffery W Jones
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, 48202, USA
| | - Kristen A Panfilio
- Institute for Zoology: Developmental Biology, University of Cologne, 50674, Cologne, Germany
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Campus, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK
| | - Yoonseong Park
- Department of Entomology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA
| | - Hugh M Robertson
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Guy Smagghe
- Laboratory of Agrozoology, Department of Plants and Crops, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Entomology and Pest Control Engineering, College of Plant Protection, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- International Joint Laboratory of China-Belgium on Sustainable Crop Pest Control, Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China and Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Diane E Ullman
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | | | - Thomas Van Leeuwen
- Laboratory of Agrozoology, Department of Plants and Crops, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Jan A Veenstra
- INCIA UMR 5287 CNRS, University of Bordeaux, Pessac, France
| | - Robert M Waterhouse
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Lausanne, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Matthew T Weirauch
- Center for Autoimmune Genomics and Etiology, Divisions of Biomedical Informatics and Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - John H Werren
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA
| | - Anna E Whitfield
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA
| | - Evgeny M Zdobnov
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva Medical School, and Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Richard A Gibbs
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Stephen Richards
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
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Ko HJ, Jo YH, Patnaik BB, Park KB, Kim CE, Keshavarz M, Jang HA, Lee YS, Han YS. IKKγ/NEMO Is Required to Confer Antimicrobial Innate Immune Responses in the Yellow Mealworm, Tenebrio Molitor. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21186734. [PMID: 32937897 PMCID: PMC7555931 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21186734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Revised: 08/31/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
IKKγ/NEMO is the regulatory subunit of the IκB kinase (IKK) complex, which regulates the NF-κB signaling pathway. Within the IKK complex, IKKγ/NEMO is the non-catalytic subunit, whereas IKKα and IKKβ are the structurally related catalytic subunits. In this study, TmIKKγ was screened from the Tenebrio molitor RNA-Seq database and functionally characterized using RNAi screening for its role in regulating T. molitor antimicrobial peptide (AMP) genes after microbial challenges. The TmIKKγ transcript is 1521 bp that putatively encodes a polypeptide of 506 amino acid residues. TmIKKγ contains a NF-κB essential modulator (NEMO) and a leucine zipper domain of coiled coil region 2 (LZCC2). A phylogenetic analysis confirmed its homology to the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum IKKγ (TcIKKγ). The expression of TmIKKγ mRNA showed that it might function in diverse tissues of the insect, with a higher expression in the hemocytes and the fat body of the late-instar larvae. TmIKKγ mRNA expression was induced by Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans challenges in the whole larvae and in tissues such as the hemocytes, gut and fat body. The knockdown of TmIKKγ mRNA significantly reduced the survival of the larvae after microbial challenges. Furthermore, we investigated the tissue-specific induction patterns of fourteen T. molitor AMP genes in TmIKKγ mRNA-silenced individuals after microbial challenges. In general, the mRNA expression of TmTenecin1, -2, and -4; TmDefensin1 and -2; TmColeoptericin1 and 2; and TmAttacin1a, 1b, and 2 were found to be downregulated in the hemocytes, gut, and fat body tissues in the TmIKKγ-silenced individuals after microbial challenges. Under similar conditions, TmRelish (NF-κB transcription factor) mRNA was also found to be downregulated. Thus, TmIKKγ is an important factor in the antimicrobial innate immune response of T. molitor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hye Jin Ko
- Department of Applied Biology, Institute of Environmentally-Friendly Agriculture (IEFA), College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Korea; (H.J.K.); (Y.H.J.); (K.B.P.); (C.E.K.); (M.K.); (H.A.J.)
| | - Yong Hun Jo
- Department of Applied Biology, Institute of Environmentally-Friendly Agriculture (IEFA), College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Korea; (H.J.K.); (Y.H.J.); (K.B.P.); (C.E.K.); (M.K.); (H.A.J.)
| | - Bharat Bhusan Patnaik
- School of Biotech Sciences, Trident Academy of Creative Technology (TACT), Chandrasekharpur, Bhubaneswar, Odisha 751024, India;
- P.G. Department of Bio-Sciences and Bio-Technology, Fakir Mohan University, Nuapadhi, Balasore, Odisha 756089, India
| | - Ki Beom Park
- Department of Applied Biology, Institute of Environmentally-Friendly Agriculture (IEFA), College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Korea; (H.J.K.); (Y.H.J.); (K.B.P.); (C.E.K.); (M.K.); (H.A.J.)
| | - Chang Eun Kim
- Department of Applied Biology, Institute of Environmentally-Friendly Agriculture (IEFA), College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Korea; (H.J.K.); (Y.H.J.); (K.B.P.); (C.E.K.); (M.K.); (H.A.J.)
| | - Maryam Keshavarz
- Department of Applied Biology, Institute of Environmentally-Friendly Agriculture (IEFA), College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Korea; (H.J.K.); (Y.H.J.); (K.B.P.); (C.E.K.); (M.K.); (H.A.J.)
| | - Ho Am Jang
- Department of Applied Biology, Institute of Environmentally-Friendly Agriculture (IEFA), College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Korea; (H.J.K.); (Y.H.J.); (K.B.P.); (C.E.K.); (M.K.); (H.A.J.)
| | - Yong Seok Lee
- School of Biotechnology and Life Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Soonchunhyang University, 22 Soonchunhyangro, Shinchang-Myeon, Asan, Chungchungnam-do 31538, Korea;
| | - Yeon Soo Han
- Department of Applied Biology, Institute of Environmentally-Friendly Agriculture (IEFA), College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Korea; (H.J.K.); (Y.H.J.); (K.B.P.); (C.E.K.); (M.K.); (H.A.J.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +82-62-530-2072
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22
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Gupta A, Nair S. Dynamics of Insect-Microbiome Interaction Influence Host and Microbial Symbiont. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:1357. [PMID: 32676060 PMCID: PMC7333248 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Insects share an intimate relationship with their gut microflora and this symbiotic association has developed into an essential evolutionary outcome intended for their survival through extreme environmental conditions. While it has been clearly established that insects, with very few exceptions, associate with several microbes during their life cycle, information regarding several aspects of these associations is yet to be fully unraveled. Acquisition of bacteria by insects marks the onset of microbial symbiosis, which is followed by the adaptation of these bacterial species to the gut environment for prolonged sustenance and successful transmission across generations. Although several insect-microbiome associations have been reported and each with their distinctive features, diversifications and specializations, it is still unclear as to what led to these diversifications. Recent studies have indicated the involvement of various evolutionary processes operating within an insect body that govern the transition of a free-living microbe to an obligate or facultative symbiont and eventually leading to the establishment and diversification of these symbiotic relationships. Data from various studies, summarized in this review, indicate that the symbiotic partners, i.e., the bacteria and the insect undergo several genetic, biochemical and physiological changes that have profound influence on their life cycle and biology. An interesting outcome of the insect-microbe interaction is the compliance of the microbial partner to its eventual genome reduction. Endosymbionts possess a smaller genome as compared to their free-living forms, and thus raising the question what is leading to reductive evolution in the microbial partner. This review attempts to highlight the fate of microbes within an insect body and its implications for both the bacteria and its insect host. While discussion on each specific association would be too voluminous and outside the scope of this review, we present an overview of some recent studies that contribute to a better understanding of the evolutionary trajectory and dynamics of the insect-microbe association and speculate that, in the future, a better understanding of the nature of this interaction could pave the path to a sustainable and environmentally safe way for controlling economically important pests of crop plants.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Suresh Nair
- Plant-Insect Interaction Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, New Delhi, India
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23
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Naruse S, Washidu Y, Miura K, Shinoda T, Minakuchi C. Methoprene-tolerant is essential for embryonic development of the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2020; 121:104017. [PMID: 31972216 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2020.104017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2019] [Revised: 12/27/2019] [Accepted: 01/13/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Insect juvenile hormone (JH) is well known to regulate post-embryonic development and reproduction in concert with ecdysteroids in a variety of insect species. In contrast, our knowledge on the role of JH in embryonic development is limited and inconsistent. Preceding studies indicate that JH biosynthesis or JH signaling genes are dispensable in holometabolous Drosophila melanogaster and Bombyx mori, while essential in hemimetabolous Blattella germanica. In the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum, we performed functional analyses of key factors in JH signaling, i.e. the JH receptor Methoprene-tolerant (Met) and the early JH-response gene Krüppel homolog 1 (Kr-h1) using parental RNA interference. Knockdown of Met resulted in a significant reduction in hatching rates and survival rates in the first and second larval instars. Meanwhile, knockdown of Kr-h1 caused no significant effect on hatching or survival. The unhatched embryos under Met knockdown developed up to the late embryonic stage, but their body shape was flat and tubby compared with the controls. Attempts to suppress JH biosynthesis by parental RNA interference of JH biosynthetic enzymes were unsuccessful due to insufficient knockdown efficiency. These results suggested that Met but not Kr-h1 is essential for the embryonic development of T. castaneum, although involvement of JH still remains to be examined. Taken together, the function of Met in embryonic development seems to be diverse among insect species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shouya Naruse
- Applied Entomology Laboratory, Graduate School of Bio-Agricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Furocho, Chikusa, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
| | - Yumiko Washidu
- Applied Entomology Laboratory, Graduate School of Bio-Agricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Furocho, Chikusa, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
| | - Ken Miura
- Applied Entomology Laboratory, Graduate School of Bio-Agricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Furocho, Chikusa, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
| | - Tetsuro Shinoda
- National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, 1-2 Ohwashi, Tsukuba 305-8634, Japan; Faculty of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Fukushima University, 1 Kanayagawa, Fukushima 960-1296, Japan
| | - Chieka Minakuchi
- Applied Entomology Laboratory, Graduate School of Bio-Agricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Furocho, Chikusa, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan; National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, 1-2 Ohwashi, Tsukuba 305-8634, Japan.
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24
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Sawada M, Sano T, Hanakawa K, Sirasoonthorn P, Oi T, Miura K. Benzoquinone synthesis-related genes of Tribolium castaneum confer the robust antifungal host defense to the adult beetles through the inhibition of conidial germination on the body surface. J Invertebr Pathol 2019; 169:107298. [PMID: 31805286 DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2019.107298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2019] [Revised: 11/19/2019] [Accepted: 11/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Insects fight against invading microbial pathogens through various immune-related measures that comprise 'internal', 'external' as well as 'social' immunities. The defenses by external immunity associated with the cuticular integument are supposed to be of particular importance in repelling entomopathogenic fungi that infect host insects transcutaneously. Among such integument-related defenses, external secretions of benzoquinone derivatives typical of tenebrionid beetles have been suggested to play important roles in the antimicrobial defenses. In the present study, by utilizing the experimental infection system composed of the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum and generalist ascomycete entomopathogens Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae, we performed the functional assays of the three T. castaneum genes whose involvement in benzoquinone synthesis in the adults has been reported, namely GT39, GT62 and GT63. Observations by scanning electron microcopy (SEM) revealed that the conidia of the two fungal species did not germinate on the wild-type adult body surface but did on the pupae. The expression analyses demonstrated that the levels of GT39 and GT62 mRNA increased from middle pupae and reached high in early adults while GT63 did not show a clear adult-biased expression pattern. The RNA interference-based knockdown of any of the three genes in pupae resulted in the adults compromised to the infection of the both fungal species. SEM observations revealed that the gene silencing allowed the conidial germination on the body surface of the knockdown beetles, thereby impairing the robust antifungal defense of adult beetles. Thus, we have provided direct experimental evidence for the functional importance in vivo of these benzoquinone synthesis-related genes that support the antifungal defense of tenebrionid beetles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitsuki Sawada
- Applied Entomology Laboratory, Department of Animal Sciences, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
| | - Takuma Sano
- Applied Entomology Laboratory, Department of Animal Sciences, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
| | - Kento Hanakawa
- Applied Entomology Laboratory, Department of Animal Sciences, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
| | - Patchara Sirasoonthorn
- Applied Entomology Laboratory, Department of Animal Sciences, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
| | - Takao Oi
- Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Morphology, Department of Plant Production Sciences, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
| | - Ken Miura
- Applied Entomology Laboratory, Department of Animal Sciences, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan.
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Jent D, Perry A, Critchlow J, Tate AT. Natural variation in the contribution of microbial density to inducible immune dynamics. Mol Ecol 2019; 28:5360-5372. [PMID: 31674070 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2018] [Revised: 10/13/2019] [Accepted: 10/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Immune responses evolve to balance the benefits of microbial killing against the costs of autoimmunity and energetic resource use. Models that explore the evolution of optimal immune responses generally include a term for constitutive immunity, or the level of immunological investment prior to microbial exposure, and for inducible immunity, or investment in immune function after microbial challenge. However, studies rarely consider the functional form of inducible immune responses with respect to microbial density, despite the theoretical dependence of immune system evolution on microbe- versus immune-mediated damage to the host. In this study, we analyse antimicrobial peptide (AMP) gene expression from seven wild-caught flour beetle populations (Tribolium spp.) during acute infection with the virulent bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) and Photorhabdus luminescens (P.lum) to demonstrate that inducible immune responses mediated by the humoral IMD pathway exhibit natural variation in both microbe density-dependent and independent temporal dynamics. Beetle populations that exhibited greater AMP expression sensitivity to Bt density were also more likely to die from infection, while populations that exhibited higher microbe density-independent AMP expression were more likely to survive P. luminescens infection. Reduction in pathway signalling efficiency through RNAi-mediated knockdown of the imd gene reduced the magnitude of both microbe-independent and dependent responses and reduced host resistance to Bt growth, but had no net effect on host survival. This study provides a framework for understanding natural variation in the flexibility of investment in inducible immune responses and should inform theory on the contribution of nonequilibrium host-microbe dynamics to immune system evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derrick Jent
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Abby Perry
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Justin Critchlow
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Ann T Tate
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
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26
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Critchlow JT, Norris A, Tate AT. The legacy of larval infection on immunological dynamics over metamorphosis. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 374:20190066. [PMID: 31438817 PMCID: PMC6711287 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Insect metamorphosis promotes the exploration of different ecological niches, as well as exposure to different parasites, across life stages. Adaptation should favour immune responses that are tailored to specific microbial threats, with the potential for metamorphosis to decouple the underlying genetic or physiological basis of immune responses in each stage. However, we do not have a good understanding of how early-life exposure to parasites influences immune responses in subsequent life stages. Is there a developmental legacy of larval infection in holometabolous insect hosts? To address this question, we exposed flour beetle (Tribolium castaneum) larvae to a protozoan parasite that inhabits the midgut of larvae and adults despite clearance during metamorphosis. We quantified the expression of relevant immune genes in the gut and whole body of exposed and unexposed individuals during the larval, pupal and adult stages. Our results suggest that parasite exposure induces the differential expression of several immune genes in the larval stage that persist into subsequent stages. We also demonstrate that immune gene expression covariance is partially decoupled among tissues and life stages. These results suggest that larval infection can leave a lasting imprint on immune phenotypes, with implications for the evolution of metamorphosis and immune systems. This article is part of the theme issue ‘The evolution of complete metamorphosis'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin T Critchlow
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Adriana Norris
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Ann T Tate
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
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Regulation of the expression of nine antimicrobial peptide genes by TmIMD confers resistance against Gram-negative bacteria. Sci Rep 2019; 9:10138. [PMID: 31300668 PMCID: PMC6626034 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-46222-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2018] [Accepted: 05/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Immune deficiency (IMD) is a death domain-containing protein that is essential for the IMD/NF-κB humoral and epithelial immune responses to Gram-negative bacteria and viruses in insects. In the immune signaling cascade, IMD is recruited together with FADD and the caspase DREDD after the mobilization of PGRP receptors. Activated IMD regulates the expression of effector antimicrobial peptides (AMP) that protect against invading microorganisms. To date, most studies of the IMD pathway, and the IMD gene in particular, have been restricted to Drosophila; few similar studies have been conducted in other model insects. Herein, we cloned and functionally characterized an IMD homolog from the mealworm beetle Tenebrio molitor (TmIMD) and studied its role in host survival in the context of pathogenic infections. Phylogenetic analysis revealed the conserved caspase cleavage site and inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP)-binding motif (IBM). TmIMD expression was high in the hemocytes and Malpighian tubules of Tenebrio late-instar larvae and adults. At 3 and 6 hours’ post-infection with Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, or Candida albicans, TmIMD expression significantly increased compared with mock-infected controls. Knockdown of the TmIMD transcript by RNAi significantly reduced host resistance to the Gram-negative bacterium E. coli and fungus C. albicans in a survival assay. Strikingly, the expression of nine T. molitor AMPs (TmTenecin1, TmTenecin2, TmTenecin4, TmDefensin2, TmColeoptericin1, TmColeoptericin2, TmAttacin1a, TmAttacin1b, and TmAttacin2) showed significant downregulation in TmIMD knockdown larvae challenged with E. coli. These results suggest that TmIMD is required to confer humoral immunity against the Gram-negative bacteria, E. coli by inducing the expression of critical transcripts that encode AMPs.
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Chowdhury M, Zhang J, Xu XX, He Z, Lu Y, Liu XS, Wang YF, Yu XQ. An in vitro study of NF-κB factors cooperatively in regulation of Drosophila melanogaster antimicrobial peptide genes. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2019; 95:50-58. [PMID: 30735676 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2019.01.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2018] [Revised: 01/30/2019] [Accepted: 01/31/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
An important innate immune response in Drosophila melanogaster is the production of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). Expression of AMP genes is mediated by the Toll and immune deficiency (IMD) pathways via NF-κB transcription factors Dorsal, DIF and Relish. Dorsal and DIF act downstream of the Toll pathway, whereas Relish acts in the IMD pathway. Dorsal and DIF are held inactive in the cytoplasm by the IκB protein Cactus, while Relish contains an IκB-like inhibitory domain at the C-terminus. NF-κB factors normally form homodimers and heterodimers to regulate gene expression, but formation of heterodimers between Relish and DIF or Dorsal and the specificity and activity of the three NF-κB homodimers and heterodimers are not well understood. In this study, we compared the activity of Rel homology domains (RHDs) of Dorsal, DIF and Relish in activation of Drosophila AMP gene promoters, demonstrated that Relish-RHD (Rel-RHD) interacted with both Dorsal-RHD and DIF-RHD, Relish-N interacted with DIF and Dorsal, and overexpression of individual RHD and co-expression of any two RHDs activated the activity of AMP gene promoters to various levels, suggesting formation of homodimers and heterodimers among Dorsal, DIF and Relish. Rel-RHD homodimers were stronger activators than heterodimers of Rel-RHD with either DIF-RHD or Dorsal-RHD, while DIF-RHD-Dorsal-RHD heterodimers were stronger activators than either DIF-RHD or Dorsal-RHD homodimers in activation of AMP gene promoters. We also identified the nucleotides at the 6th and 8th positions of the 3' half-sites of the κB motifs that are important for the specificity and activity of NF-κB transcription factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Munmun Chowdhury
- Division of Cell Biology and Biophysics, School of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri - Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, 64110, USA
| | - Jie Zhang
- Division of Cell Biology and Biophysics, School of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri - Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, 64110, USA
| | - Xiao-Xia Xu
- Division of Cell Biology and Biophysics, School of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri - Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, 64110, USA; College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Zhen He
- Division of Cell Biology and Biophysics, School of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri - Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, 64110, USA; School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, China
| | - Yuzhen Lu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China; Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Insect Development Regulation and Application Research, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China
| | - Xu-Sheng Liu
- School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, China
| | - Yu-Feng Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, China
| | - Xiao-Qiang Yu
- Division of Cell Biology and Biophysics, School of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri - Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, 64110, USA; School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China; Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Insect Development Regulation and Application Research, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China.
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Mannino MC, Paixão FRS, Pedrini N. The limpet transcription factors of Triatoma infestans regulate the response to fungal infection and modulate the expression pattern of defensin genes. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2019; 108:53-60. [PMID: 30922828 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2019.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2018] [Revised: 03/19/2019] [Accepted: 03/22/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
As part of the innate humoral response to microbial attack, insects activate the expression of antimicrobial peptides (AMP). Understanding the regulatory mechanisms of this response in the Chagas disease vector Triatoma infestans is important since biological control strategies against pyrethroid-resistant insect populations were recently addressed by using the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana. By bioinformatics, gene expression, and silencing techniques in T. infestans nymphs, we achieved sequence and functional characterization of two variants of the limpet transcription factor (Tilimpet) and studied their role as regulators of the AMP expression, particularly defensins, in fungus-infected insects. We found that Tilimpet variants may act differentially since they have divergent sequences and different relative expression ratios, suggesting that Tilimpet-2 could be the main regulator of the higher expressed defensins and Tilimpet-1 might play a complementary or more general role. Also, the six defensins (Tidef-1 to Tidef-6) exhibited different expression levels in fungus-infected nymphs, consistent with their phylogenetic clustering. This study aims to contribute to a better understanding of T. infestans immune response in which limpet is involved, after challenge by B. bassiana infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Constanza Mannino
- Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de La Plata (CONICET CCT La Plata-UNLP), Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Argentina
| | - Flávia R S Paixão
- Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de La Plata (CONICET CCT La Plata-UNLP), Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Argentina
| | - Nicolás Pedrini
- Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de La Plata (CONICET CCT La Plata-UNLP), Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Argentina.
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Kumar D, Sun Z, Cao G, Xue R, Hu X, Gong C. Bombyx mori bidensovirus infection alters the intestinal microflora of fifth instar silkworm (Bombyx mori) larvae. J Invertebr Pathol 2019; 163:48-63. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2019.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2018] [Revised: 03/08/2019] [Accepted: 03/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
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Adamski Z, Bufo SA, Chowański S, Falabella P, Lubawy J, Marciniak P, Pacholska-Bogalska J, Salvia R, Scrano L, Słocińska M, Spochacz M, Szymczak M, Urbański A, Walkowiak-Nowicka K, Rosiński G. Beetles as Model Organisms in Physiological, Biomedical and Environmental Studies - A Review. Front Physiol 2019; 10:319. [PMID: 30984018 PMCID: PMC6447812 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2019.00319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2018] [Accepted: 03/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Model organisms are often used in biological, medical and environmental research. Among insects, Drosophila melanogaster, Galleria mellonella, Apis mellifera, Bombyx mori, Periplaneta americana, and Locusta migratoria are often used. However, new model organisms still appear. In recent years, an increasing number of insect species has been suggested as model organisms in life sciences research due to their worldwide distribution and environmental significance, the possibility of extrapolating research studies to vertebrates and the relatively low cost of rearing. Beetles are the largest insect order, with their representative - Tribolium castaneum - being the first species with a completely sequenced genome, and seem to be emerging as new potential candidates for model organisms in various studies. Apart from T. castaneum, additional species representing various Coleoptera families, such as Nicrophorus vespilloides, Leptinotarsa decemlineata, Coccinella septempunctata, Poecilus cupreus, Tenebrio molitor and many others, have been used. They are increasingly often included in two major research aspects: biomedical and environmental studies. Biomedical studies focus mainly on unraveling mechanisms of basic life processes, such as feeding, neurotransmission or activity of the immune system, as well as on elucidating the mechanism of different diseases (neurodegenerative, cardiovascular, metabolic, or immunological) using beetles as models. Furthermore, pharmacological bioassays for testing novel biologically active substances in beetles have also been developed. It should be emphasized that beetles are a source of compounds with potential antimicrobial and anticancer activity. Environmental-based studies focus mainly on the development and testing of new potential pesticides of both chemical and natural origin. Additionally, beetles are used as food or for their valuable supplements. Different beetle families are also used as bioindicators. Another important research area using beetles as models is behavioral ecology studies, for instance, parental care. In this paper, we review the current knowledge regarding beetles as model organisms and their practical application in various fields of life science.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zbigniew Adamski
- Department of Animal Physiology and Development, Institute of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poznań, Poland
- Laboratory of Electron and Confocal Microscopy, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poznań, Poland
| | - Sabino A. Bufo
- Department of Sciences, University of Basilicata, Potenza, Italy
- Department of Geography, Environmental Management & Energy Studies, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Szymon Chowański
- Department of Animal Physiology and Development, Institute of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poznań, Poland
| | | | - Jan Lubawy
- Department of Animal Physiology and Development, Institute of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poznań, Poland
| | - Paweł Marciniak
- Department of Animal Physiology and Development, Institute of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poznań, Poland
| | - Joanna Pacholska-Bogalska
- Department of Animal Physiology and Development, Institute of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poznań, Poland
| | - Rosanna Salvia
- Department of Sciences, University of Basilicata, Potenza, Italy
| | - Laura Scrano
- Department of European and Mediterranean Cultures, University of Basilicata, Matera, Italy
| | - Małgorzata Słocińska
- Department of Animal Physiology and Development, Institute of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poznań, Poland
| | - Marta Spochacz
- Department of Animal Physiology and Development, Institute of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poznań, Poland
| | - Monika Szymczak
- Department of Animal Physiology and Development, Institute of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poznań, Poland
| | - Arkadiusz Urbański
- Department of Animal Physiology and Development, Institute of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poznań, Poland
| | - Karolina Walkowiak-Nowicka
- Department of Animal Physiology and Development, Institute of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poznań, Poland
| | - Grzegorz Rosiński
- Department of Animal Physiology and Development, Institute of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poznań, Poland
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Nishide Y, Kageyama D, Yokoi K, Jouraku A, Tanaka H, Futahashi R, Fukatsu T. Functional crosstalk across IMD and Toll pathways: insight into the evolution of incomplete immune cascades. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20182207. [PMID: 30963836 PMCID: PMC6408883 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.2207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2018] [Accepted: 12/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
In insects, antimicrobial humoral immunity is governed by two distinct gene cascades, IMD pathway mainly targeting Gram-negative bacteria and Toll pathway preferentially targeting Gram-positive bacteria, which are widely conserved among diverse metazoans. However, recent genomic studies uncovered that IMD pathway is exceptionally absent in some hemipteran lineages like aphids and assassin bugs. How the apparently incomplete immune pathways have evolved with functionality is of interest. Here we report the discovery that, in the hemipteran stinkbug Plautia stali, both IMD and Toll pathways are present but their functional differentiation is blurred. Injection of Gram-negative bacteria and Gram-positive bacteria upregulated effector genes of both pathways. Notably, RNAi experiments unveiled significant functional permeation and crosstalk between IMD and Toll pathways: RNAi of IMD pathway genes suppressed upregulation of effector molecules of both pathways, where the suppression was more remarkable for IMD effectors; and RNAi of Toll pathway genes reduced upregulation of effector molecules of both pathways, where the suppression was more conspicuous for Toll effectors. These results suggest the possibility that, in hemipterans and other arthropods, IMD and Toll pathways are intertwined to target wider and overlapping arrays of microbes, which might have predisposed and facilitated the evolution of incomplete immune pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yudai Nishide
- Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO), Ohwashi, Tsukuba 305-8634, Japan
| | - Daisuke Kageyama
- Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO), Ohwashi, Tsukuba 305-8634, Japan
| | - Kakeru Yokoi
- Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO), Ohwashi, Tsukuba 305-8634, Japan
| | - Akiya Jouraku
- Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO), Ohwashi, Tsukuba 305-8634, Japan
| | - Hiromitsu Tanaka
- Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO), Ohwashi, Tsukuba 305-8634, Japan
| | - Ryo Futahashi
- National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba 305-8566, Japan
| | - Takema Fukatsu
- National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba 305-8566, Japan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8572, Japan
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Maistrou S, Paris V, Jensen AB, Rolff J, Meyling NV, Zanchi C. A constitutively expressed antifungal peptide protects Tenebrio molitor during a natural infection by the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2018; 86:26-33. [PMID: 29698631 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2018.04.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2018] [Revised: 04/19/2018] [Accepted: 04/21/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides have been well studied in the context of bacterial infections. Antifungal peptides have received comparatively less attention. Fungal pathogens of insects and their hosts represent a unique opportunity to study host-pathogen interactions due to the million of years of co-evolution they share. In this study, we investigated role of a constitutively expressed thaumatin-like peptide with antifungal activity expressed by the mealworm beetle Tenebrio molitor, named Tenecin 3, during a natural infection with the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana. We monitored the effect of the expression of Tenecin 3 on the survival of infected hosts as well as on the progression of the fungal infection inside the host. Finally, we tested the activity of Tenecin 3 against B. bassiana. These findings could help improving biocontrol strategies and help understanding the evolution of antifungal peptides as a defense mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sevasti Maistrou
- University of Copenhagen, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871 Frederiksberg, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Véronique Paris
- Freie Universität Berlin, Evolutionary Biology, Königin-Luise-Straße 1-3, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Annette B Jensen
- University of Copenhagen, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871 Frederiksberg, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jens Rolff
- Freie Universität Berlin, Evolutionary Biology, Königin-Luise-Straße 1-3, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Nicolai V Meyling
- University of Copenhagen, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871 Frederiksberg, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Caroline Zanchi
- Freie Universität Berlin, Evolutionary Biology, Königin-Luise-Straße 1-3, 14195 Berlin, Germany.
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Janssen R, Lionel L. Embryonic expression of a Long Toll (Loto) gene in the onychophorans Euperipatoides kanangrensis and Cephalofovea clandestina. Dev Genes Evol 2018; 228:171-178. [PMID: 29802495 PMCID: PMC6013529 DOI: 10.1007/s00427-018-0609-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2017] [Accepted: 03/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Recent research has shown that Toll genes, and in particular a newly defined class of Toll genes, the so-called Long Toll Genes (Loto genes), are crucial factors in embryogenesis. In arthropods, they are involved in axis formation via a process called convergent extension (CE). A hallmark of Loto genes is their relatively (compared to other Toll genes) high number of leucine-rich repeat elements (LRRs) coupled with the fact that they are expressed in transverse stripes in all segments, or a subset of segments, patterns that are reminiscent of classical segmentation genes such as the pair-rule genes. Onychophorans represent a close outgroup to the arthropods; however, their embryonic development differs substantially. It is unclear if convergent extension contributes to onychophoran germ band formation and, if so, whether Loto genes are involved in governing this process. This study identifies a single onychophoran Toll gene from a sequenced embryonic transcriptome in two onychophoran species. The identified gene shows sequence and expression pattern characteristics of Loto genes. However, its expression pattern also comprises some general differences to arthropod Loto genes that are involved in CE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ralf Janssen
- Department of Earth Sciences, Palaeobiology, Uppsala University, Villavägen 16, 75236, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Linushiya Lionel
- Department of Earth Sciences, Palaeobiology, Uppsala University, Villavägen 16, 75236, Uppsala, Sweden
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Zumaya-Estrada FA, Martínez-Barnetche J, Lavore A, Rivera-Pomar R, Rodríguez MH. Comparative genomics analysis of triatomines reveals common first line and inducible immunity-related genes and the absence of Imd canonical components among hemimetabolous arthropods. Parasit Vectors 2018; 11:48. [PMID: 29357911 PMCID: PMC5778769 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-017-2561-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2017] [Accepted: 11/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Insects operate complex humoral and cellular immune strategies to fend against invading microorganisms. The majority of these have been characterized in Drosophila and other dipterans. Information on hemipterans, including Triatominae vectors of Chagas disease remains incomplete and fractionated. Results We identified putative immune-related homologs of three Triatominae vectors of Chagas disease, Triatoma pallidipennis, T. dimidiata and T. infestans (TTTs), using comparative transcriptomics based on established immune response gene references, in conjunction with the predicted proteomes of Rhodnius prolixus, Cimex lecticularis and Acyrthosiphon pisum hemimetabolous. We present a compressive description of the humoral and cellular innate immune components of these TTTs and extend the immune information of other related hemipterans. Key homologs of the constitutive and induced immunity genes were identified in all the studied hemipterans. Conclusions Our results in the TTTs extend previous observations in other hemipterans lacking several components of the Imd signaling pathway. Comparison with other hexapods, using published data, revealed that the absence of various Imd canonical components is common in several hemimetabolous species. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13071-017-2561-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jesús Martínez-Barnetche
- Centro de Investigación Sobre Enfermedades Infecciosas (CISEI), Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Cuernavaca, México
| | - Andrés Lavore
- Centro de Bioinvestigaciones (CeBio) and Centro de Investigación y Transferencia del Noroeste de Buenos Aires (CITNOBA-CONICET), Universidad Nacional del Noroeste de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, Pergamino, Argentina
| | - Rolando Rivera-Pomar
- Centro de Bioinvestigaciones (CeBio) and Centro de Investigación y Transferencia del Noroeste de Buenos Aires (CITNOBA-CONICET), Universidad Nacional del Noroeste de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, Pergamino, Argentina.,Laboratorio de Genética y Genómica Funcional. Centro Regional de Estudios Genómicos. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata, Argentina
| | - Mario Henry Rodríguez
- Centro de Investigación Sobre Enfermedades Infecciosas (CISEI), Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Cuernavaca, México.
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Maire J, Vincent-Monégat C, Masson F, Zaidman-Rémy A, Heddi A. An IMD-like pathway mediates both endosymbiont control and host immunity in the cereal weevil Sitophilus spp. MICROBIOME 2018; 6:6. [PMID: 29310713 PMCID: PMC5759881 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-017-0397-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2017] [Accepted: 12/28/2017] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Many insects developing on nutritionally unbalanced diets have evolved symbiotic associations with vertically transmitted intracellular bacteria (endosymbionts) that provide them with metabolic components, thereby improving the host's abilities to thrive on such poor ecological niches. While host-endosymbiont coevolutionary constraints are known to entail massive genomic changes in the microbial partner, host's genomic evolution remains elusive, particularly with regard to the immune system. In the cereal weevil Sitophilus spp., which houses Sodalis pierantonius, endosymbionts are secluded in specialized host cells, the bacteriocytes that group together as an organ, the bacteriome. We previously reported that at standard conditions, the bacteriome highly expresses the coleoptericin A (colA) antimicrobial peptide (AMP), which was shown to prevent endosymbiont escape from the bacteriocytes. However, following the insect systemic infection by pathogens, the bacteriome upregulates a cocktail of AMP encoding genes, including colA. The regulations that allow these contrasted immune responses remain unknown. In this short report, we provide evidence that an IMD-like pathway is conserved in two sibling species of cereal weevils, Sitophilus oryzae and Sitophilus zeamais. RNA interference (RNAi) experiments showed that imd and relish genes are essential for (i) colA expression in the bacteriome under standard conditions, (ii) AMP up-regulation in the bacteriome following a systemic immune challenge, and (iii) AMP systemic induction following an immune challenge. Histological analyses also showed that relish inhibition by RNAi resulted in endosymbiont escape from the bacteriome, strengthening the involvement of an IMD-like pathway in endosymbiont control. We conclude that Sitophilus' IMD-like pathway mediates both the bacteriome immune program involved in endosymbiont seclusion within the bacteriocytes and the systemic and local immune responses to exogenous challenges. This work provides a striking example of how a conserved immune pathway, initially described as essential in pathogen clearance, also functions in the control of mutualistic associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin Maire
- Univ Lyon, INSA-Lyon, INRA, BF2i, UMR0203, F-69621, Villeurbanne, France
| | | | - Florent Masson
- Univ Lyon, INSA-Lyon, INRA, BF2i, UMR0203, F-69621, Villeurbanne, France
- Present address: Global Health Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Station 19, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Anna Zaidman-Rémy
- Univ Lyon, INSA-Lyon, INRA, BF2i, UMR0203, F-69621, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Abdelaziz Heddi
- Univ Lyon, INSA-Lyon, INRA, BF2i, UMR0203, F-69621, Villeurbanne, France.
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Hayakawa Y, Sawada M, Seki M, Sirasoonthorn P, Shiga S, Kamiya K, Minakuchi C, Miura K. Involvement of laccase2 and yellow-e genes in antifungal host defense of the model beetle, Tribolium castaneum. J Invertebr Pathol 2018; 151:41-49. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2017.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2017] [Revised: 10/26/2017] [Accepted: 10/31/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
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Grau T, Vilcinskas A, Joop G. Probiotic Enterococcus mundtii Isolate Protects the Model Insect Tribolium castaneum against Bacillus thuringiensis. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:1261. [PMID: 28736550 PMCID: PMC5500611 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.01261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2017] [Accepted: 06/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Enterococcus mundtii strains isolated from the larval feces of the Mediterranean flour moth Ephestia kuehniella show antimicrobial activity against a broad spectrum of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The in vitro probiotic characterization of one isolate revealed a high auto-aggregation score, a hydrophilic cell surface, tolerance for low pH, no hemolytic activity, and susceptibility to all tested antibiotics. We used the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum, an established model organism, for the in vivo characterization of one probiotic E. mundtii isolate from E. kuehniella larvae. Tribolium castaneum larvae were fed orally with the probiotic isolate or the corresponding supernatant and then infected with either the entomopathogen Bacillus thuringiensis or Pseudomonas entomophila. Larvae exposed to the isolate or the supernatant showed increased survival following infection with B. thuringiensis but not P. entomophila. Heat treatment or treatment with proteinase K reduced the probiotic effect of the supernatant. However, the increased resistance attracts a fitness penalty manifested as a shorter lifespan and reduced fertility. T. castaneum has, pending on further research, the potential as an alternative model for the pre-screening of probiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thorben Grau
- Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus-Liebig-University GiessenGiessen, Germany
| | - Andreas Vilcinskas
- Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus-Liebig-University GiessenGiessen, Germany
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied EcologyGiessen, Germany
| | - Gerrit Joop
- Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus-Liebig-University GiessenGiessen, Germany
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Greenwood JM, Milutinović B, Peuß R, Behrens S, Esser D, Rosenstiel P, Schulenburg H, Kurtz J. Oral immune priming with Bacillus thuringiensis induces a shift in the gene expression of Tribolium castaneum larvae. BMC Genomics 2017; 18:329. [PMID: 28446171 PMCID: PMC5405463 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-017-3705-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2016] [Accepted: 04/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The phenomenon of immune priming, i.e. enhanced protection following a secondary exposure to a pathogen, has now been demonstrated in a wide range of invertebrate species. Despite accumulating phenotypic evidence, knowledge of its mechanistic underpinnings is currently very limited. Here we used the system of the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum and the insect pathogen Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) to further our molecular understanding of the oral immune priming phenomenon. We addressed how ingestion of bacterial cues (derived from spore supernatants) of an orally pathogenic and non-pathogenic Bt strain affects gene expression upon later challenge exposure, using a whole-transcriptome sequencing approach. Results Whereas gene expression of individuals primed with the orally non-pathogenic strain showed minor changes to controls, we found that priming with the pathogenic strain induced regulation of a large set of distinct genes, many of which are known immune candidates. Intriguingly, the immune repertoire activated upon priming and subsequent challenge qualitatively differed from the one mounted upon infection with Bt without previous priming. Moreover, a large subset of priming-specific genes showed an inverse regulation compared to their regulation upon challenge only. Conclusions Our data demonstrate that gene expression upon infection is strongly affected by previous immune priming. We hypothesise that this shift in gene expression indicates activation of a more targeted and efficient response towards a previously encountered pathogen, in anticipation of potential secondary encounter. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-017-3705-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenny M Greenwood
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, Hüfferstrasse 1, 48149, Münster, Germany
| | - Barbara Milutinović
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, Hüfferstrasse 1, 48149, Münster, Germany.,Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Am Campus 1, 3400, Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Robert Peuß
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, Hüfferstrasse 1, 48149, Münster, Germany.,Current Address: Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000 East 50th Street, Kansas City, MO, 64110, USA
| | - Sarah Behrens
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, Hüfferstrasse 1, 48149, Münster, Germany
| | - Daniela Esser
- Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Christian-Albrechts University Kiel, Schittenhelmstr. 12, 24105, Kiel, Germany
| | - Philip Rosenstiel
- Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Christian-Albrechts University Kiel, Schittenhelmstr. 12, 24105, Kiel, Germany
| | - Hinrich Schulenburg
- Zoological Institute, Christian-Albrechts University Kiel, Am Botanischen Garten 1-9, 24118, Kiel, Germany
| | - Joachim Kurtz
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, Hüfferstrasse 1, 48149, Münster, Germany.
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Hayakawa Y, Kato D, Kamiya K, Minakuchi C, Miura K. Chitin synthase 1 gene is crucial to antifungal host defense of the model beetle, Tribolium castaneum. J Invertebr Pathol 2016; 143:26-34. [PMID: 27867018 DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2016.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2016] [Revised: 11/14/2016] [Accepted: 11/16/2016] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The importance of the insect cuticle as a primary protective barrier against entomopathogens has long been noted. In the present study, we addressed this issue by utilizing an experimental infection system composed of the model beetle T. castaneum and two entomopathogenic fungal species, Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae. The pupae were relatively susceptible to these fungi by the natural route of infection, with some refractoriness developed with age, while the adults exhibited much higher refractoriness. Whereas M. anisopliae exhibited seemingly higher infectivity to the pupae compared to B. bassiana when the natural conidium infection was employed, direct inoculation of cultured hyphal body cells into the hemocoel was found highly and equally virulent in the pupae for the both fungal species. These results collectively suggest an important role of the cuticular integument in antifungal host defense, and we subsequently conducted the knockdown of chitin synthase 1 gene (CHS1). We targeted the prepupal and mid-pupal peaks of its expression respectively by using injection of the dsRNA at very low dosages to avoid lethality. The resulting pupae looked normal, but the adults showed a mild phenotype with dimpled/wrinkled elytra. The CHS1 gene knockdown compromised significantly host defense against the fungal infection via the natural route, except the configuration of knockdown pupae and M. anisopliae, suggesting an indispensable role of CHS1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuuki Hayakawa
- Applied Entomology Laboratory, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
| | - Daiki Kato
- Applied Entomology Laboratory, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
| | - Katsumi Kamiya
- Applied Entomology Laboratory, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
| | - Chieka Minakuchi
- Applied Entomology Laboratory, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
| | - Ken Miura
- Applied Entomology Laboratory, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan.
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Peuß R, Wensing KU, Woestmann L, Eggert H, Milutinović B, Sroka MGU, Scharsack JP, Kurtz J, Armitage SAO. Down syndrome cell adhesion molecule 1: testing for a role in insect immunity, behaviour and reproduction. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2016; 3:160138. [PMID: 27152227 PMCID: PMC4852650 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.160138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2016] [Accepted: 03/22/2016] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Down syndrome cell adhesion molecule 1 (Dscam1) has wide-reaching and vital neuronal functions although the role it plays in insect and crustacean immunity is less well understood. In this study, we combine different approaches to understand the roles that Dscam1 plays in fitness-related contexts in two model insect species. Contrary to our expectations, we found no short-term modulation of Dscam1 gene expression after haemocoelic or oral bacterial exposure in Tribolium castaneum, or after haemocoelic bacterial exposure in Drosophila melanogaster. Furthermore, RNAi-mediated Dscam1 knockdown and subsequent bacterial exposure did not reduce T. castaneum survival. However, Dscam1 knockdown in larvae resulted in adult locomotion defects, as well as dramatically reduced fecundity in males and females. We suggest that Dscam1 does not always play a straightforward role in immunity, but strongly influences behaviour and fecundity. This study takes a step towards understanding more about the role of this intriguing gene from different phenotypic perspectives.
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Yokoi K, Hayakawa Y, Kato D, Minakuchi C, Tanaka T, Ochiai M, Kamiya K, Miura K. Prophenoloxidase genes and antimicrobial host defense of the model beetle, Tribolium castaneum. J Invertebr Pathol 2015; 132:190-200. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2015.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2015] [Revised: 10/26/2015] [Accepted: 10/27/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Koyama H, Kato D, Minakuchi C, Tanaka T, Yokoi K, Miura K. Peptidoglycan recognition protein genes and their roles in the innate immune pathways of the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum. J Invertebr Pathol 2015; 132:86-100. [PMID: 26385528 DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2015.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2015] [Revised: 08/11/2015] [Accepted: 09/15/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
We have previously demonstrated that the functional Toll and IMD innate immune pathways indeed exist in the model beetle, Tribolium castaneum while the beetle's pathways have broader specificity in terms of microbial activation than that of Drosophila. To elucidate the molecular basis of this broad microbial activation, we here focused on potential upstream sensors of the T. castaneum innate immune pathways, peptidoglycan recognition proteins (PGRPs). Our phenotype analyses utilizing RNA interference-based comprehensive gene knockdown followed by bacterial challenge suggested: PGRP-LA functions as a pivotal sensor of the IMD pathway for both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria; PGRP-LC acts as an IMD pathway-associated sensor mainly for Gram-negative bacteria; PGRP-LE also has some roles in Gram-negative bacterial recognition of the IMD pathway. On the other hand, we did not obtain clear phenotype changes by gene knockdown of short-type PGRP genes, probably because of highly inducible nature of these genes. Our results may collectively account for the promiscuous bacterial activation of the T. castaneum innate immune pathways at least in part.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroaki Koyama
- Applied Entomology Laboratory, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
| | - Daiki Kato
- Applied Entomology Laboratory, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
| | - Chieka Minakuchi
- Applied Entomology Laboratory, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
| | - Toshiharu Tanaka
- Applied Entomology Laboratory, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
| | - Kakeru Yokoi
- Applied Entomology Laboratory, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
| | - Ken Miura
- Applied Entomology Laboratory, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan.
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44
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Minakuchi C, Ishii F, Washidu Y, Ichikawa A, Tanaka T, Miura K, Shinoda T. Expressional and functional analysis of CYP15A1, a juvenile hormone epoxidase, in the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2015; 80:61-70. [PMID: 25921675 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2015.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2014] [Revised: 04/23/2015] [Accepted: 04/24/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Juvenile hormone (JH) is synthesized and secreted by the corpora allata. In the final two steps of JH biosynthesis, farnesoic acid (FA) is converted to JH through methylation by JH acid O-methyltransferase (JHAMT) and epoxidation by the cytochrome P450 enzyme CYP15. In the present study, we identified a homolog of CYP15 from the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum (TcCYP15A1), and analyzed its expression as well as its role in JH biosynthesis. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis showed that the level of TcCYP15A1 mRNA was high in the embryonic stage as well as in the middle of the final larval instar. In the embryonic stage, the transcript level of TcCYP15A1 started to increase 30h after egg laying (AEL), peaked 54-60h AEL, and was followed by an increase of TcJHAMT mRNA, suggesting that JH biosynthesis started at this time point. TcCYP15A1 mRNA was present, but not exclusively so in the larval corpora allata. The recombinant TcCYP15A1 protein epoxidized both FA and methyl farnesoate (MF) in highly stereo-specific manners. These results confirmed that TcCYP15A1 is involved in JH biosynthesis. The RNAi-mediated knockdown of TcCYP15A1 in the pre-final larval instar did not result in precocious metamorphosis to pupa, indicating that MF may exhibit JH-like activity in order to maintain the larval status. The double knockdown of TcJHAMT and TcCYP15A1 resulted in pupae and adults with shorter wings, suggesting that the precursors of JH, JH acid and MF, may be essential for wing expansion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chieka Minakuchi
- Graduate School of Bio-Agricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Furocho, Chikusa, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan.
| | - Fumika Ishii
- Graduate School of Bio-Agricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Furocho, Chikusa, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
| | - Yumiko Washidu
- Graduate School of Bio-Agricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Furocho, Chikusa, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
| | - Akio Ichikawa
- National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, 1-2 Ohwashi, Tsukuba 305-8634, Japan
| | - Toshiharu Tanaka
- Graduate School of Bio-Agricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Furocho, Chikusa, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
| | - Ken Miura
- Graduate School of Bio-Agricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Furocho, Chikusa, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
| | - Tetsuro Shinoda
- National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, 1-2 Ohwashi, Tsukuba 305-8634, Japan
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Eggert H, Kurtz J, Diddens-de Buhr MF. Different effects of paternal trans-generational immune priming on survival and immunity in step and genetic offspring. Proc Biol Sci 2015; 281:rspb.2014.2089. [PMID: 25355479 PMCID: PMC4240996 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2014.2089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Paternal trans-generational immune priming, whereby fathers provide immune protection to offspring, has been demonstrated in the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum exposed to the insect pathogen Bacillus thuringiensis. It is currently unclear how such protection is transferred, as in contrast to mothers, fathers do not directly provide offspring with a large amount of substances. In addition to sperm, male flour beetles transfer seminal fluids in a spermatophore to females during copulation. Depending on whether paternal trans-generational immune priming is mediated by sperm or seminal fluids, it is expected to either affect only the genetic offspring of a male, or also their step offspring that are sired by another male. We therefore conducted a double-mating experiment and found that only the genetic offspring of an immune primed male show enhanced survival upon bacterial challenge, while phenoloxidase activity, an important insect immune trait, and the expression of the immune receptor PGRP were increased in all offspring. This indicates that information leading to enhanced survival upon pathogen exposure is transferred via sperm, and thus potentially constitutes an epigenetic effect, whereas substances transferred with the seminal fluid could have an additional influence on offspring immune traits and immunological alertness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hendrik Eggert
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Hüfferstraße 1, Münster 48149, Germany
| | - Joachim Kurtz
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Hüfferstraße 1, Münster 48149, Germany
| | - Maike F Diddens-de Buhr
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Hüfferstraße 1, Münster 48149, Germany
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Fisher JJ, Hajek AE. Maternal Exposure of a Beetle to Pathogens Protects Offspring against Fungal Disease. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0125197. [PMID: 25938586 PMCID: PMC4418818 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0125197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2014] [Accepted: 03/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Maternal exposure to an immune challenge can convey enhanced immunity to invertebrate offspring in the next generation. We investigated whether maternal exposure of the Asian longhorned beetle, Anoplophora glabripennis, to two species of the fungus Metarhizium or the bacterium Serratia marcescens elicited transgenerational immune priming (TGIP). We tested specificity of this protection and whether occurrence of TGIP was dependent on maternal exposure to living versus dead pathogens. Our results show that TGIP occurred and protected offspring against Metarhizium brunneum. Maternal exposure to S. marcescens provided non-specific protection to offspring against a fungal pathogen, but TGIP in response to Metarhizium only occurred when offspring were exposed to the same fungal species that was used to prime mothers. Moreover, TGIP in response to M. brunneum occurred only after maternal exposure to living rather than dead fungus. Our findings suggest that occurrence of TGIP could be both specific and dependent on whether the pathogen was alive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna J. Fisher
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Ann E. Hajek
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
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Pulpitel T, Pernice M, Simpson SJ, Ponton F. Tissue-Specific Immune Gene Expression in the Migratory Locust, Locusta Migratoria. INSECTS 2015; 6:368-80. [PMID: 26463191 PMCID: PMC4553485 DOI: 10.3390/insects6020368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2015] [Revised: 04/02/2015] [Accepted: 04/08/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The ability of hosts to respond to infection involves several complex immune recognition pathways. Broadly conserved pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) allow individuals to target a range of invading microbes. Recently, studies on insect innate immunity have found evidence that a single pathogen can activate different immune pathways across species. In this study, expression changes in immune genes encoding peptidoglycan-recognition protein SA (PGRP-SA), gram-negative binding protein 1 (GNBP1) and prophenoloxidase (ProPO) were investigated in Locusta migratoria, following an immune challenge using injected lipopolysaccharide (LPS) solution from Escherichia coli. Since immune activation might also be tissue-specific, gene expression levels were followed across a range of tissue types. For PGRP-SA, expression increased in response to LPS within all seven of the tissue-types assayed and differed significantly between tissues. Expression of GNBP1 similarly varied across tissue types, yet showed no clear expression difference between LPS-injected and uninfected locusts. Increases in ProPO expression in response to LPS, however, could only be detected in the gut sections. This study has revealed tissue-specific immune response to add a new level of complexity to insect immune studies. In addition to variation in recognition pathways identified in previous works, tissue-specificity should be carefully considered in similar works.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamara Pulpitel
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
| | - Mathieu Pernice
- Plant Functional Biology and Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, New South Wales 2007, Australia.
| | - Stephen J Simpson
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
- The Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
| | - Fleur Ponton
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
- The Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
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Jacobs CGC, Spaink HP, van der Zee M. The extraembryonic serosa is a frontier epithelium providing the insect egg with a full-range innate immune response. eLife 2014; 3:e04111. [PMID: 25487990 PMCID: PMC4358341 DOI: 10.7554/elife.04111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2014] [Accepted: 11/10/2014] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Drosophila larvae and adults possess a potent innate immune response, but the response of Drosophila eggs is poor. In contrast to Drosophila, eggs of the beetle Tribolium are protected by a serosa, an extraembryonic epithelium that is present in all insects except higher flies. In this study, we test a possible immune function of this frontier epithelium using Tc-zen1 RNAi-mediated deletion. First, we show that bacteria propagate twice as fast in serosa-less eggs. Then, we compare the complete transcriptomes of wild-type, control RNAi, and Tc-zen1 RNAi eggs before and after sterile or septic injury. Infection induces genes involved in Toll and IMD-signaling, melanisation, production of reactive oxygen species and antimicrobial peptides in wild-type eggs but not in serosa-less eggs. Finally, we demonstrate constitutive and induced immune gene expression in the serosal epithelium using in situ hybridization. We conclude that the serosa provides insect eggs with a full-range innate immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Herman P Spaink
- Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
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Patnaik BB, Patnaik HH, Seo GW, Jo YH, Lee YS, Lee BL, Han YS. Gene structure, cDNA characterization and RNAi-based functional analysis of a myeloid differentiation factor 88 homolog in Tenebrio molitor larvae exposed to Staphylococcus aureus infection. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2014; 46:208-221. [PMID: 24755285 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2014.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2014] [Revised: 04/13/2014] [Accepted: 04/14/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88), an intracellular adaptor protein involved in Toll/Toll-like receptor (TLR) signal processing, triggers activation of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB) transcription factors. In the present study, we analyzed the gene structure and biological function of MyD88 in a coleopteran insect, Tenebrio molitor (TmMyD88). The TmMyD88 gene was 1380 bp in length and consisted of five exons and four introns. The 5'-flanking sequence revealed several putative transcription factor binding sites, such as STAT-4, AP-1, cJun, cfos, NF-1 and many heat shock factor binding elements. The cDNA contained a typical death domain, a conservative Toll-like interleukin-1 receptor (TIR) domain, and a C-terminal extension (CTE). The TmMyD88 TIR domain showed three significantly conserved motifs for interacting with the TIR domain of TLRs. TmMyD88 was grouped within the invertebrate cluster of the phylogenetic tree and shared 75% sequence identity with the TIR domain of Tribolium castaneum MyD88. Homology modeling of the TmMyD88 TIR domain revealed five parallel β-strands surrounded by five α-helices that adopted loop conformations to function as an adaptor. TmMyD88 expression was upregulated 7.3- and 4.79-fold after 12 and 6h, respectively, of challenge with Staphylococcus aureus and fungal β-1,3 glucan. Silencing of the TmMyD88 transcript by RNA interference led to reduced resistance of the host to infection by S. aureus. These results indicate that TmMyD88 is required for survival against Staphylococcus infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bharat Bhusan Patnaik
- Division of Plant Biotechnology, Institute of Environmentally-Friendly Agriculture (IEFA), College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 500-757, Republic of Korea
| | - Hongray Howrelia Patnaik
- Division of Plant Biotechnology, Institute of Environmentally-Friendly Agriculture (IEFA), College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 500-757, Republic of Korea
| | - Gi Won Seo
- Division of Plant Biotechnology, Institute of Environmentally-Friendly Agriculture (IEFA), College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 500-757, Republic of Korea
| | - Yong Hun Jo
- Division of Plant Biotechnology, Institute of Environmentally-Friendly Agriculture (IEFA), College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 500-757, Republic of Korea
| | - Yong Seok Lee
- Department of Life Science and Biotechnology, College of Natural Sciences, Soonchunhyang University, Asan City 336-745, Republic of Korea
| | - Bok Luel Lee
- National Research Laboratory of Defense Proteins, College of Pharmacy, Pusan National University, Jangjeon Dong, Kumjeong Ku, Busan 609-735, Republic of Korea
| | - Yeon Soo Han
- Division of Plant Biotechnology, Institute of Environmentally-Friendly Agriculture (IEFA), College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 500-757, Republic of Korea.
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50
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Tang XS, Li NH. Future view and development of immunology: exploring the immunology based on Chinese medicine and culture. Chin J Integr Med 2014; 20:563-9. [PMID: 25087602 DOI: 10.1007/s11655-014-1757-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2012] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
The immunologically mediated disease is a big family which affects many people in the world, since the cures are not yet available for most immune diseases, the patients face a lifetime of illness and treatment. Chinese medicine inspires us to develop new methods for the treatment of immune diseases. Previous researches of immune system have revealed that an immune network exists. The immune system is like a complex highway; if we travel on these highways, we must have a map to avoid travelling in the wrong direction. Drawing the map of immune network will provide new tools for us to look directly at the basis of the immune system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-shan Tang
- Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Göttingen, 3400, Germany
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