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Kamei R, Devi OS, Singh SJ, Singh SS. Roles and Biomedical Applications of Haemolymph Lectin. Curr Pharm Biotechnol 2020; 21:1444-1450. [PMID: 32744967 DOI: 10.2174/1389201021666200730123330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2019] [Revised: 01/24/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lectins are class of proteins characterized by their ability to selectively bind carbohydrate moieties of glycoproteins. Many invertebrate lectins, especially derived from hemolymph, are being purified, and yet their functions and medical applications are subjects of major interest. METHODS Hemolymph lectins in invertebrates play a major role in protecting against many pathogens and microbes. Further, many hemolymph lectins show anticancer properties towards various cancer cell lines, which expresses globotriaosyl ceramides on their cell surface. RESULTS These vast repertoires of hemolymph lectins in recognizing and inhibiting the growth of various harmful microbes and cancerous cells have spurred the biochemist to use them in histochemical and cytochemical studies. CONCLUSION The present review will address the biological roles and biomedical applications of hemolymph lectin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rana Kamei
- Laboratory of Protein Biochemistry, Biochemistry Department, Manipur University, Canchipur, Imphal 795003, India
| | - Oinam S Devi
- Laboratory of Protein Biochemistry, Biochemistry Department, Manipur University, Canchipur, Imphal 795003, India
| | - Sorokhaibam J Singh
- Laboratory of Protein Biochemistry, Biochemistry Department, Manipur University, Canchipur, Imphal 795003, India
| | - Senjam S Singh
- Laboratory of Protein Biochemistry, Biochemistry Department, Manipur University, Canchipur, Imphal 795003, India
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Wang L, Wang C, Li H, Yang X, Wang Y, Guo X, Xu B. Isolation of
AccGalectin1
from
Apis cerana cerana
and its functions in development and adverse stress response. J Cell Biochem 2018; 120:671-684. [DOI: 10.1002/jcb.27424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2018] [Accepted: 07/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lijun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University Taian Shandong China
| | - Chen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University Taian Shandong China
| | - Han Li
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University Taian Shandong China
| | - Xinxin Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University Taian Shandong China
| | - Ying Wang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Shandong Agricultural University Taian Shandong China
| | - Xingqi Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University Taian Shandong China
| | - Baohua Xu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Shandong Agricultural University Taian Shandong China
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Rodrigues R, Lourenço J, Pereira P, Carvalho S, Mendo S. Effects of metal contamination on the gene expression profile of two benthic species: Cerastoderma edule and Ruditapes philippinarum. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2017; 125:157-165. [PMID: 28811037 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.08.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2017] [Revised: 08/03/2017] [Accepted: 08/05/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
This study aimed to identify new biomarkers for metal exposure in two bivalve species. Suppressive Subtractive Hybridization (SSH) was employed to evaluate the transcriptomic response of Cerastoderma edule and Ruditapes philippinarum to metal pollution. Protein synthesis and catalytic activity were the most affected metabolic processes in C. edule and R. philippinarum, respectively. Also, different genes responded to the effect of contamination in each species. The different response observed in both species reinforces the importance of including more than one bioindicator species in risk assessment studies. These results provide the basis for new studies, which are necessary for further validation of the use of the identified genes as molecular biomarkers for metal exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Rodrigues
- Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies and Department of Biology (CESAM), University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
| | - Joana Lourenço
- Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies and Department of Biology (CESAM), University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Patrícia Pereira
- Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies and Department of Biology (CESAM), University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal; IPMA - Portuguese Institute for the Sea and Atmosphere, Avenida Brasília, 1449-006 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Susana Carvalho
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sonia Mendo
- Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies and Department of Biology (CESAM), University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
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Wu S, Zhu X, Liu Z, Shao E, Rebeca CL, Guo Y, Xiong Y, Mou Y, Xu R, Hu X, Liang G, Zou S, Guan X, Zhang F. Identification of Genes Relevant to Pesticides and Biology from Global Transcriptome Data of Monochamus alternatus Hope (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) Larvae. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0147855. [PMID: 26815657 PMCID: PMC4729689 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0147855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2015] [Accepted: 01/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Monochamus alternatus Hope is the main vector in China of the Pine Wilt Disease caused by the pine wood nematode Bursaphelenchus xylophilus. Although chemical control is traditionally used to prevent pine wilt disease, new strategies based in biological control are promising ways for the management of the disease. However, there is no deep sequence analysis of Monochamus alternatus Hope that describes the transcriptome and no information is available about gene function of this insect vector. We used next generation sequencing technology to sequence the whole fourth instar larva transcriptome of Monochamus alternatus Hope and successfully built a Monochamus alternatus Hope transcriptome database. In total, 105,612 unigenes were assigned for Gene Ontology (GO) terms, information for 16,730 classified unigenes was obtained in the Clusters of Orthologous Groups (COGs) database, and 13,024 unigenes matched with 224 predicted pathways in the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genome (KEGG). In addition, genes related to putative insecticide resistance-related genes, RNAi, the Bt receptor, intestinal digestive enzymes, possible future insect control targets and immune-related molecules are described. This study provides valuable basic information that can be used as a gateway to develop new molecular tools for Monochamus alternatus Hope control strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Songqing Wu
- College of Forestry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, People’s Republic of China
- Fujian-Taiwan Joint Center for Ecological Control of Crop Pests, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaoli Zhu
- Fujian-Taiwan Joint Center for Ecological Control of Crop Pests, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhaoxia Liu
- Fujian-Taiwan Joint Center for Ecological Control of Crop Pests, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ensi Shao
- Fujian-Taiwan Joint Center for Ecological Control of Crop Pests, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, People’s Republic of China
| | - Carballar-Lejarazú Rebeca
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, United States of America
| | - Yajie Guo
- College of Forestry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yueting Xiong
- College of Forestry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, People’s Republic of China
- Fujian-Taiwan Joint Center for Ecological Control of Crop Pests, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yani Mou
- College of Forestry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, People’s Republic of China
- Fujian-Taiwan Joint Center for Ecological Control of Crop Pests, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, People’s Republic of China
| | - Runxue Xu
- Fujian-Taiwan Joint Center for Ecological Control of Crop Pests, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xia Hu
- College of Forestry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, People’s Republic of China
| | - Guanghong Liang
- College of Forestry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, People’s Republic of China
| | - Shuangquan Zou
- College of Forestry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiong Guan
- Fujian-Taiwan Joint Center for Ecological Control of Crop Pests, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, People’s Republic of China
- * E-mail: (FPZ); (XG)
| | - Feiping Zhang
- College of Forestry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, People’s Republic of China
- * E-mail: (FPZ); (XG)
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Zhang W, Chen J, Keyhani NO, Zhang Z, Li S, Xia Y. Comparative transcriptomic analysis of immune responses of the migratory locust, Locusta migratoria, to challenge by the fungal insect pathogen, Metarhizium acridum. BMC Genomics 2015; 16:867. [PMID: 26503342 PMCID: PMC4624584 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-015-2089-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2015] [Accepted: 10/15/2015] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The migratory locust, Locusta migratoria manilensis, is an immensely destructive agricultural pest that forms a devastating and voracious gregarious phase. The fungal insect pathogen, Metarhizium acridum, is a specialized locust pathogen that has been used as a potent mycoinsecticide for locust control. Little, however, is known about locust immune tissue, i.e. fat body and hemocyte, responses to challenge by this fungus. Methods RNA-seq (RNA sequencing) technology were applied to comparatively examine the different roles of locust fat body and hemocytes, the two major contributors to the insect immune response, in defense against M. acridum. According to the sequence identity to homologies of other species explored immune response genes, immune related unigenes were screened in all transcriptome wide range from locust and the differential expressed genes were identified in these two tissues, respectively. Results Analysis of differentially expressed locust genes revealed 4660 and 138 up-regulated, and 1647 and 23 down-regulated transcripts in the fat body and hemocytes, respectively after inoculation with M. acridum spores. GO (Gene Ontology) enrichment analysis showed membrane biogenesis related proteins and effector proteins significantly differentially expressed in hemocytes, while the expression of energy metabolism and development related transcripts were enriched in the fat body after fungal infection. A total of 470 immune related unigenes were identified, including members of the three major insect immune pathways, i.e. Toll, Imd (immune deficiency) and JAK/STAT (janus kinase/signal transduction and activator of transcription). Of these, 58 and three were differentially expressed in the insect fat body or hemocytes after infection, respectively. Of differential expressed transcripts post challenge, 43 were found in both the fat body and hemocytes, including the LmLys4 lysozyme, representing a microbial cell wall targeting enzyme. Conclusions These data indicate that locust fat body and hemocytes adopt different strategies in response to M. acridum infection. Fat body gene expression after M. acridum challenge appears to function mainly through activation of innate immune related genes, energy metabolism and development related genes. Hemocyte responses attempt to limit fungal infection primarily through regulation of membrane related genes and activation of cellular immune responses and release of humoral immune factors. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-015-2089-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Zhang
- Genetic Engineering Research Center, School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400045, People's Republic of China.
| | - Jianhong Chen
- Genetic Engineering Research Center, School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400045, People's Republic of China.
| | - Nemat O Keyhani
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA.
| | - Zhengyi Zhang
- Genetic Engineering Research Center, School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400045, People's Republic of China.
| | - Sai Li
- Genetic Engineering Research Center, School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400045, People's Republic of China.
| | - Yuxian Xia
- Genetic Engineering Research Center, School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400045, People's Republic of China. .,Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Fungal Insecticide, Chongqing, 400045, People's Republic of China. .,Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation Technologies under Chongqing Municipal Education Commission, Chongqing, 400045, People's Republic of China.
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Chen G, den Braver MW, van Gestel CAM, van Straalen NM, Roelofs D. Ecotoxicogenomic assessment of diclofenac toxicity in soil. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2015; 199:253-260. [PMID: 25697405 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2015.01.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2014] [Revised: 01/27/2015] [Accepted: 01/29/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Diclofenac is widely used as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug leaving residues in the environment. To investigate effects on terrestrial ecosystems, we measured dissipation rate in soil and investigated ecotoxicological and transcriptome-wide responses in Folsomia candida. Exposure for 4 weeks to diclofenac reduced both survival and reproduction of F. candida in a dose-dependent manner. At concentrations ≥ 200 mg/kg soil diclofenac remained stable in the soil during a 21-day incubation period. Microarrays examined transcriptional changes at low and high diclofenac exposure concentrations. The results indicated that development and growth were severely hampered and immunity-related genes, mainly directed against bacteria and fungi, were significantly up-regulated. Furthermore, neural metabolic processes were significantly affected only at the high concentration. We conclude that diclofenac is toxic to non-target soil invertebrates, although its mode of action is different from the mammalian toxicity. The genetic markers proposed in this study may be promising early markers for diclofenac ecotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangquan Chen
- Department of Ecological Science, Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, VU University, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Michiel W den Braver
- AIMMS-Division of Molecular Toxicology, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, VU University, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Cornelis A M van Gestel
- Department of Ecological Science, Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, VU University, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Nico M van Straalen
- Department of Ecological Science, Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, VU University, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Dick Roelofs
- Department of Ecological Science, Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, VU University, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Rider MA, Zou J, Vanlandingham D, Nuckols JT, Higgs S, Zhang Q, Lacey M, Kim J, Wang G, Hong YS. Quantitative proteomic analysis of the Anopheles gambiae (Diptera: Culicidae) midgut infected with o'nyong-nyong virus. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2013; 50:1077-1088. [PMID: 24180113 DOI: 10.1603/me12155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Alphaviruses are arthropod-borne pathogens that infect a range of hosts. In humans and other mammals, alphavirus infection can cause severe disease. In mosquito hosts, however, there are generally few symptoms. Little is known about the cellular responses of mosquitoes that allow them to cope with infection. In this investigation, a six-plex tandem mass tagging proteomic approach was used to study protein accumulation changes in the midgut of Anopheles gambiae (Giles) (Diptera: Culicidae) mosquitoes infected with o'nyong-nyong virus (Togaviridae, Alphavirus). Five hundred thirty-six nonredundant proteins were identified. Twenty-two were found in significantly different quantities in infected midguts compared with controls. Of interest, analysis revealed molecular pathways possibly targeted by virus proteins, such as those involving TAF4 and DNA polymerase phi proteins. Also identified was an FK506-binding protein. FK506-binding protein orthologs have been described as conserved host resistance factors, which suppress dengue and West Nile virus infection in human HeLa cells. This investigation constitutes the first study of the midgut-specific proteome of An. gambiae in relation to alphavirus infection. Our findings offer insight into mosquito immunity, including factors that possibly contribute to the different pathological outcomes observed in vertebrate and insect hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark A Rider
- Department of Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, 1430 Tulane Ave, SL-17, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
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JebaMercy G, Balamurugan K. Effects of sequential infections of Caenorhabditis elegans with Staphylococcus aureus and Proteus mirabilis. Microbiol Immunol 2013; 56:825-35. [PMID: 22957781 DOI: 10.1111/j.1348-0421.2012.00509.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Caenorhabditis elegans can be used to study the dynamics of polymicrobial infections, specifically those between Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. With C. elegans, Proteus mirabilis acts as an opportunistic pathogen and does not kill this host. Hence, in the present study, C. elegans was immunochallenged by pre-infecting it with the pathogen Staphylococcus aureus in order to study the subsequent effect of P. mirabilis on the host. It was found that 12 hrs of S. aureus and 80 hrs of subsequent P. mirabilis infection significantly reduced the life span of exposed C. elegans by 80%. However, preinfection with S. aureus for 8 and 4 hrs reduced the life span of C. elegans by only 60 and 30%, respectively. Further, there was greater production of reactive oxygen species in the sequentially infected samples than in the S. aureus and P. mirabilis controls. Real time PCR analysis indicated regulation of candidate immune regulatory genes, lysozyme (lys-7), CUB-like proteins (F08G5.6), neuropeptide-like factors (nlp-29), transcription factors of mitogen-activated protein kinase (ATF-7) and daf-2-daf-16 (daf-16), insulin-like signaling pathways and C-type lectin (clec-60 and clec-87) family members during S. aureus and subsequent P. mirabilis-mediated infections, indicating possible roles of, and contributions by, the above factors during host immune responses against these sequential infections. The present findings demonstrate that S. aureus infections increase the vulnerability of the C. elegans host by subverting its immune system, which then permits the opportunistic pathogen P. mirabilis to be pathogenic to this host.
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WERTHEIM BREGJE, KRAAIJEVELD ALEXR, HOPKINS MEIRIONG, WALTHER BOER MARK, GODFRAY HCHARLESJ. Functional genomics of the evolution of increased resistance to parasitism in Drosophila. Mol Ecol 2010; 20:932-49. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2010.04911.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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11
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Filipiak M, Bilska E, Tylko G, Pyza E. Effects of zinc on programmed cell death of Musca domestica and Drosophila melanogaster blood cells. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2010; 56:383-390. [PMID: 19941868 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2009.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2009] [Revised: 11/12/2009] [Accepted: 11/16/2009] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Programmed cell death (PCD) and phagocytotic activity of immune cells play a pivotal role in insect development. We examined the influence of Zn(2+), an important element to fundamental biological processes, on phagocytosis and apoptosis of hemocytes in two fly species: Musca domestica and Drosophila melanogaster. Hemocytes were isolated from the third instar larvae of both species and treated for 3h with zinc chloride solutions, containing 0.35 mM or 1.7 mM of Zn(2+), and untreated as control. Phagocytotic activity of hemocytes was examined by flow cytometry after adding latex fluorescent beads to the medium, while apoptosis was evaluated by application of annexinV-FITC and pan-caspase-FITC inhibitor. Mitochondrial viability was determined by measuring resazurin absorbancy in the cell medium. The obtained results showed that Zn(2+) increases phagocytosis and affects PCD of both species hemocytes but each in a different way. Zinc decreases fraction of annexin-positive hemocytes in M. domestica but increases it in D. melanogaster. The pan-caspase analysis revealed low and high activity of caspases in hemocytes of M. domestica and D. melanogaster, respectively. Zn(2+) also decreased the viability of hemocyte mitochondria but only in D. melanogaster. It suggests that flies use different pathways of PCD, or that Zn plays a different role in this process in M. domestica than in D. melanogaster.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Filipiak
- Department of Cytology and Histology, Institute of Zoology, Jagiellonian University, Ingardena 6, 30-060 Kraków, Poland
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Nota B, Bosse M, Ylstra B, van Straalen NM, Roelofs D. Transcriptomics reveals extensive inducible biotransformation in the soil-dwelling invertebrate Folsomia candida exposed to phenanthrene. BMC Genomics 2009; 10:236. [PMID: 19457238 PMCID: PMC2688526 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-10-236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2009] [Accepted: 05/20/2009] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are common pollutants in soil, have negative effects on soil ecosystems, and are potentially carcinogenic. The Springtail (Collembola) Folsomia candida is often used as an indicator species for soil toxicity. Here we report a toxicogenomic study that translates the ecological effects of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon phenanthrene in soil to the early transcriptomic responses in Folsomia candida. RESULTS Microarrays were used to examine two different exposure concentrations of phenanthrene, namely the EC10 (24.95 mg kg-1 soil) and EC50 (45.80 mg kg-1 soil) on reproduction of this springtail, which evoked 405 and 251 differentially expressed transcripts, respectively. Fifty transcripts were differential in response to either concentration. Many transcripts encoding xenobiotic detoxification and biotransformation enzymes (phases I, II, and III) were upregulated in response to either concentration. Furthermore, indications of general and oxidative stress were found in response to phenanthrene. Chitin metabolism appeared to be disrupted particularly at the low concentration, and protein translation appeared suppressed at the high concentration of phenanthrene; most likely in order to reallocate energy budgets for the detoxification process. Finally, an immune response was evoked especially in response to the high effect concentration, which was also described in a previous transcriptomic study using the same effect concentration (EC50) of cadmium. CONCLUSION Our study provides new insights in the molecular mode of action of the important polluting class of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in soil animals. Furthermore, we present a fast, sensitive, and specific soil toxicity test which enhances traditional tests and may help to improve current environmental risk assessments and monitoring of potentially polluted sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Nota
- VU University Amsterdam, Institute of Ecological Science, Department of Animal Ecology, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Mirte Bosse
- VU University Amsterdam, Institute of Ecological Science, Department of Animal Ecology, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Bauke Ylstra
- VU University Medical Center, Department of Pathology, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Nico M van Straalen
- VU University Amsterdam, Institute of Ecological Science, Department of Animal Ecology, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Dick Roelofs
- VU University Amsterdam, Institute of Ecological Science, Department of Animal Ecology, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Nota B, Timmermans MJTN, Franken O, Montagne-Wajer K, Mariën J, De Boer ME, De Boer TE, Ylstra B, Van Straalen NM, Roelofs D. Gene expression analysis of collembola in cadmium containing soil. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2008; 42:8152-7. [PMID: 19031917 DOI: 10.1021/es801472r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Increasing concern about pollution of our environment calls for advanced and rapid methods to estimate ecological toxicity. The use of gene expression microarrays in environmental studies can potentially meet this challenge. We present a novel method to examine soil toxicity. We exposed the collembolan Folsomia candida to soil containing an ecologically relevant cadmium concentration, and found a cumulative total of 1586 differentially expressed transcripts across three exposure durations, including transcripts involved in stress response, detoxification, and hypoxia. Additional enrichment analysis of gene ontology (GO) terms revealed that antibiotic biosynthesis is important at all time points examined. Interestingly, genes involved in the "penicillin and cephalosporin biosynthesis pathway" have never been identified in animals before, but are expressed in F. candida's tissue. The synthesis of antibiotics can possibly be a response to increased cadmium-induced susceptibility to invading pathogens, which might be caused by repression of genes involved in the immune-system (C-type lectins and Toll receptor). This study presents a first global view on the environmental stress response of an arthropod species exposed to contaminated soil, and provides a mechanistic basis for the development of a gene expression soil quality test.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Nota
- Department of Animal Ecology, Institute of Ecological Science, VU Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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Man P, Kovár V, Sterba J, Strohalm M, Kavan D, Kopácek P, Grubhoffer L, Havlícek V. Deciphering Dorin M glycosylation by mass spectrometry. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF MASS SPECTROMETRY (CHICHESTER, ENGLAND) 2008; 14:345-354. [PMID: 19136723 DOI: 10.1255/ejms.979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
The soft tick, Ornithodoros moubata, is a vector of several bacterial and viral pathogens including Borrelia duttoni, a causative agent of relapsing fever and African swine fever virus. Previously, a sialic acid-specific lectin Dorin M was isolated from its hemolymph. Here, we report on the complete characterization of the primary sequence of Dorin M. Using liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry, we identified three different glycopeptides in the tryptic digest of Dorin M. The peptide, as well as the glycan part of all glycopeptides, were further fully sequenced by means of tandem mass spectrometry (MS2) and multiple-stage mass spectrometry (MS3). Two classical N-glycosylation sites were modified by high-mannose-type glycans containing up to nine mannose residues. The third site bore a glycan with four to five mannose residues and a deoxyhexose (fucose) attached to the proximal N-acetylglycosamine. The microheterogeneity at each site was estimated based on chromatographic behavior of different glycoforms. The fourth, a non-classical N-glycosylation site (Asn-Asn-Cys), was not glycosylated, probably due to the involvement of the cysteine residue in a disulfide bridge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petr Man
- Institute of Microbiology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, v.v.i., Vídenská 1083, 142 20 Praha 4, Czech Republic.
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15
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O’Rourke D, Baban D, Demidova M, Mott R, Hodgkin J. Genomic clusters, putative pathogen recognition molecules, and antimicrobial genes are induced by infection of C. elegans with M. nematophilum. Genome Res 2006; 16:1005-16. [PMID: 16809667 PMCID: PMC1524860 DOI: 10.1101/gr.50823006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 199] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The interaction between the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans and a Gram-positive bacterial pathogen, Microbacterium nematophilum, provides a model for an innate immune response in nematodes. This pathogen adheres to the rectal and post-anal cuticle of the worm, causing slowed growth, constipation, and a defensive swelling response of rectal hypodermal cells. To explore the genomic responses that the worm activates after pathogenic attack we used microarray analysis of transcriptional changes induced after 6-h infection, comparing virulent with avirulent infection. We defined 89 genes with statistically significant expression changes of at least twofold, of which 68 were up-regulated and 21 were down-regulated. Among the former, those encoding C-type lectin domains were the most abundant class. Many of the 89 genes exhibit genomic clustering, and we identified one large cluster of 62 genes, of which most were induced in response to infection. We tested 41 of the induced genes for involvement in immunity using mutants or RNAi, finding that six of these are required for the swelling response and five are required more generally for defense. Our results indicate that C-type lectins and other putative pathogen-recognition molecules are important for innate immune defense in C. elegans. We also found significant induction of genes encoding lysozymes, proteases, and defense-related proteins, as well as various domains of unknown function. The genes induced during infection by M. nematophilum appear largely distinct from genes induced by other pathogens, suggesting that C. elegans mounts pathogen-specific responses to infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Delia O’Rourke
- Genetics Unit, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, United Kingdom
| | - Dilair Baban
- MRC Functional Genetics Unit, Department of Human Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, United Kingdom
| | - Maria Demidova
- Genetics Unit, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, United Kingdom
| | - Richard Mott
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7BN, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan Hodgkin
- Genetics Unit, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, United Kingdom
- Corresponding author.E-mail ; fax 44-1865-275318
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16
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Tanji T, Ohashi-Kobayashi A, Natori S. Participation of a galactose-specific C-type lectin in Drosophila immunity. Biochem J 2006; 396:127-38. [PMID: 16475980 PMCID: PMC1450005 DOI: 10.1042/bj20051921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
A galactose-specific C-type lectin has been purified from a pupal extract of Drosophila melanogaster. This lectin gene, named DL1 (Drosophila lectin 1), is part of a gene cluster with the other two galactose-specific C-type lectin genes, named DL2 (Drosophila lectin 2) and DL3 (Drosophila lectin 3). These three genes are expressed differentially in fruit fly, but show similar haemagglutinating activities. The present study characterized the biochemical and biological properties of the DL1 protein. The recombinant DL1 protein bound to Escherichia coli and Erwinia chrysanthemi, but not to other Gram-negative or any other kinds of microbial strains that have been investigated. In addition, DL1 agglutinated E. coli and markedly intensified the association of a Drosophila haemocytes-derived cell line with E. coli. For in vivo genetic analysis of the lectin genes, we also established a null-mutant Drosophila. The induction of inducible antibacterial peptide genes was not impaired in the DL1 mutant, suggesting that the galactose-specific C-type lectin does not participate in the induction of antibacterial peptides, but possibly participates in the immune response via the haemocyte-mediated mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takahiro Tanji
- *Department of Cell Biochemistry, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ayako Ohashi-Kobayashi
- †Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
- To whom correspondence should be addressed (email )
| | - Shunji Natori
- ‡The Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (RIKEN), Saitama, Japan
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Ong ST, Ho JZS, Ho B, Ding JL. Iron-withholding strategy in innate immunity. Immunobiology 2006; 211:295-314. [PMID: 16697921 DOI: 10.1016/j.imbio.2006.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 185] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2006] [Accepted: 02/14/2006] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
The knowledge of how organisms fight infections has largely been built upon the ability of host innate immune molecules to recognize microbial determinants. Although of overwhelming importance, pathogen recognition is but only one of the facets of innate immunity. A primitive yet effective antimicrobial mechanism which operates by depriving microbial organisms of their nutrients has been brought into the forefront of innate immunity once again. Such a tactic is commonly referred to as the iron-withholding strategy of innate immunity. In this review, we introduce various vertebrate iron-binding proteins and their invertebrate homologues, so as to impress upon readers an obscured arm of innate immune defense. An excellent comprehension of the mechanics of innate immunity paves the way for the possibility that novel antimicrobial therapeutics may emerge one day to overcome the prevalent antibiotic resistance in bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sek Tong Ong
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543
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Sanders HR, Foy BD, Evans AM, Ross LS, Beaty BJ, Olson KE, Gill SS. Sindbis virus induces transport processes and alters expression of innate immunity pathway genes in the midgut of the disease vector, Aedes aegypti. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2005; 35:1293-307. [PMID: 16203210 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2005.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2005] [Revised: 07/14/2005] [Accepted: 07/15/2005] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
The midgut of hematophagous insects is the initial site of infection by arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) and plays a crucial role in vector competence. To further understand processes that occur in the midgut in response to infection by an arbovirus, DNA microarrays were used to analyze gene expression changes following infection by the alphavirus, Sindbis (MRE16 Malaysian strain). Midgut transcription profiles from mosquitoes fed blood containing 10(8)pfu/ml of virus were compared with those from mosquitoes ingesting blood meals having no virus. Transcription profiles from both experimental groups were analyzed at 1, 4, and 8 days post-feeding. Among the many transcription changes observed by microarray analysis, the most dramatic involved three genes that had 25-40-fold increases in transcript levels in virus infected mosquitoes at 4 days post-infection. These genes were synaptic vesicle protein-2 (SV2), potassium-dependent sodium/calcium exchanger (NCKX), and a homologue of Caenorhabditis elegans Unc-93, a putative component of a two-pore potassium channel. We speculate that these changes represent changes in vesicle transport processes. In addition to these observations, transcript changes were observed in infected mosquitoes that suggested involvement of Toll and c-jun amino terminal kinase immune cascades as a response to viral infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather R Sanders
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, USA
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19
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20
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Abstract
As evidenced by the reviews in this special issue of Glycoconjugate Journal, much research is focused on determining functions for mammalian galectins. However, the identification of precise functions for mammalian galectins may be complicated by redundancy in tissue expression and in target cell recognition of the many mammalian galectins. Therefore, lower organisms may be useful in deciphering precise functions for galectins. Unfortunately, some genetically manipulable model systems such as Caenorhabditis elegans may have more galectins than mammals. Recently, galectins were identified in two well-studied insect systems, Drosophila melanogaster and Anopheles gambiae. In addition to the powerful genetic manipulation available in these insect models, there is a sophisticated understanding of many biological processes in these organisms that can be directly compared and applied to mammalian systems. Understanding the roles of galectins in insects may provide insight into precise functions of galectins in mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen E Pace
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1732, USA
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Alarco AM, Marcil A, Chen J, Suter B, Thomas D, Whiteway M. Immune-deficient Drosophila melanogaster: a model for the innate immune response to human fungal pathogens. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2004; 172:5622-8. [PMID: 15100306 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.172.9.5622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
We explored the host-pathogen interactions of the human opportunistic fungus Candida albicans using Drosophila melanogaster. We established that a Drosophila strain devoid of functional Toll receptor is highly susceptible to the human pathogen C. albicans. Using this sensitive strain, we have been able to show that a set of specific C. albicans mutants of different virulence in mammalian infection models are also impaired in virulence in Drosophila and remarkably display the same rank order of virulence. This immunodeficient insect model also revealed virulence properties undetected in an immunocompetent murine model of infection. The genetic systems available in both host and pathogen will enable the identification of host-specific components and C. albicans genes involved in the host-fungal interplay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne-Marie Alarco
- Genetics Group, Biotechnology Research Institute/National Research Council, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
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Brückner K, Kockel L, Duchek P, Luque CM, Rørth P, Perrimon N. The PDGF/VEGF Receptor Controls Blood Cell Survival in Drosophila. Dev Cell 2004; 7:73-84. [PMID: 15239955 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2004.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 201] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2004] [Revised: 04/22/2004] [Accepted: 04/28/2004] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The Drosophila PDGF/VEGF receptor (PVR) has known functions in the guidance of cell migration. We now demonstrate that during embryonic hematopoiesis, PVR has a role in the control of antiapoptotic cell survival. In Pvr mutants, a large fraction of the embryonic hemocyte population undergoes apoptosis, and the remaining blood cells cannibalistically phagocytose their dying peers. Consequently, total hemocyte numbers drop dramatically during embryogenesis, and large aggregates of engorged macrophages carrying multiple apoptotic corpses form. Hemocyte-specific expression of the pan-caspase inhibitor p35 in Pvr mutants eliminates hemocyte aggregates and restores blood cell counts and morphology. Additional rescue experiments suggest involvement of the Ras pathway in PVR-mediated blood cell survival. In cell culture, we demonstrate that PVR directly controls survival of a hemocyte cell line. This function of PVR shows striking conservation with mammalian hematopoiesis and establishes Drosophila as a model to study hematopoietic cell survival in development and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katja Brückner
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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23
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Abstract
Simple model organisms that are amenable to comprehensive experimental analysis can be used to elucidate the molecular genetic architecture of complex traits. They can thereby enhance our understanding of these traits in other organisms, including humans. Here, we describe the use of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as a tractable model system to study innate immunity. We detail our current understanding of the worm's immune system, which seems to be characterized by four main signaling cascades: a p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase, a transforming growth factor-beta-like, a programed cell death, and an insulin-like receptor pathway. Many details, especially regarding pathogen recognition and immune effectors, are only poorly characterized and clearly warrant further investigation. We additionally speculate on the evolution of the C. elegans immune system, taking into special consideration the relationship between immunity, stress responses and digestion, the diversification of the different parts of the immune system in response to multiple and/or coevolving pathogens, and the trade-off between immunity and host life history traits. Using C. elegans to address these different facets of host-pathogen interactions provides a fresh perspective on our understanding of the structure and complexity of innate immune systems in animals and plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hinrich Schulenburg
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Institute for Animal Evolution and Ecology, Westphalian Wilhelms-University, Muenster, Germany.
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24
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Abstract
Despite its relative anatomic simplicity, the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) is a complex multicellular organism. In this review, we describe studies that have contributed to a better understanding of certain aspects of the worm's physiology. We focus on the cellular and molecular basis of the interaction between C. elegans and its environment, including its sensory capacities, the intrinsic biological clock that governs the speed of its life, and on some of the factors that control its life span. We also outline very recent findings that have demonstrated the existence of an innate immune system in C. elegans. Finally, we highlight a number of novel techniques that are transforming the worm from a largely genetic model system into an attractive organism for functional genomic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalie Pujol
- Centre d'Immunologie de Marseille Luminy, Cnrs UMR 6102, Inserm U. 136, Université de la Méditerranée, Case 906, 13288 Marseille 09, France
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25
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Mallo GV, Kurz CL, Couillault C, Pujol N, Granjeaud S, Kohara Y, Ewbank JJ. Inducible antibacterial defense system in C. elegans. Curr Biol 2002; 12:1209-14. [PMID: 12176330 DOI: 10.1016/s0960-9822(02)00928-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 330] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
The term innate immunity refers to a number of evolutionary ancient mechanisms that serve to defend animals and plants against infection. Genetically tractable model organisms, especially Drosophila, have contributed greatly to advances in our understanding of mammalian innate immunity. Essentially, nothing is known about immune responses in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Using high-density cDNA microarrays, we show here that infection of C. elegans by the Gram-negative bacterium Serratia marcescens provokes a marked upregulation of the expression of many genes. Among the most robustly induced are genes encoding lectins and lysozymes, known to be involved in immune responses in other organisms. Certain infection-inducible genes are under the control of the DBL-1/TGFbeta pathway. We found that dbl-1 mutants exhibit increased susceptibility to infection. Conversely, overexpression of the lysozyme gene lys-1 augments the resistance of C. elegans to S. marcescens. These results constitute the first demonstration of inducible antibacterial defenses in C. elegans and open new avenues for the investigation of evolutionary conserved mechanisms of innate immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gustavo V Mallo
- Centre d'Immunologie de Marseille-Luminy, INSERM/CNRS/Université de la Mediterranée, Case 906, France
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Kurtz J. Phagocytosis by invertebrate hemocytes: causes of individual variation in Panorpa vulgaris scorpionflies. Microsc Res Tech 2002; 57:456-68. [PMID: 12112428 DOI: 10.1002/jemt.10099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
An in vitro phagocytosis assay, adjusted to as little as 1 microL of insect hemolymph, enables the microscopic determination of phagocytosis for single individuals of small insects. Even repeated determination over the lifetime of individuals is possible. This method makes it feasible to study individual variation in invertebrate phagocytic capacity. Possible sources of such variation are reviewed in this article: genetic differences, development, aging, reproduction, presence of parasites, and diverse environmental influences are natural sources of individual variation in phagocytosis. However, the methods used for phagocytosis and microscopic evaluation are also (unwelcome) sources of variation. To optimize incubation time for in vitro phagocytosis, time courses were determined. Furthermore, the reliability of visual counting and image analysis for the microscopic quantification of phagocytosis are compared. The influences of larval development and adult aging on phagocytosis by Panorpa vulgaris hemocytes are subsequently demonstrated. During development, a decrease in hemocyte numbers but a simultaneous increase in the proportion of phagocytosing hemocytes was observed when larvae reached pupation. On the other hand, adults showed a dramatic decrease in phagocytic capacity with age, while cell numbers remained fairly constant. The results show that individual variation in phagocytosis can be determined accurately in small invertebrates and related to its causes. This might be especially interesting in the context of studies relating individual immunocompetence to ecology, life history variation, and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joachim Kurtz
- Institut für Evolutionsbiologie und Okologie, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität, 53121 Bonn, Germany.
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28
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Pace KE, Lebestky T, Hummel T, Arnoux P, Kwan K, Baum LG. Characterization of a novel Drosophila melanogaster galectin. Expression in developing immune, neural, and muscle tissues. J Biol Chem 2002; 277:13091-8. [PMID: 11809773 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m112105200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
We have cloned and characterized the first galectin to be identified in Drosophila melanogaster. The amino acid sequence of Drosophila galectin showed striking sequence similarity to invertebrate and vertebrate galectins and contained amino acids that are crucial for binding beta-galactoside sugars. Confirming its identity as a galectin family member, the Drosophila galectin bound beta-galactoside sugars. Structurally, the Drosophila galectin was a tandem repeat galectin containing two carbohydrate recognition domains connected by a unique peptide link. This divalent structure suggests that like mammalian galectins, Drosophila galectin may mediate cell-cell communication or facilitate cross-linking of receptors to trigger signal transduction events. The Drosophila galectin was very abundant in embryonic, larval, and adult Drosophila. During embryogenesis, Drosophila galectin had a unique and specific tissue distribution. Drosophila galectin expression was concentrated in somatic and visceral musculature and in the central nervous system. Similar to other insect lectins, Drosophila galectin may function in both embryogenesis and in host defense. Drosophila galectin was expressed by hemocytes, circulating phagocytic cells, suggesting a role for Drosophila galectin in the innate immune system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen E Pace
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
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29
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Abstract
If one is interested in dissecting the complex interactions that exist between host and pathogen, the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans is perhaps not the first model host that comes to mind. In this review I will introduce 'the worm' and try to show how it is, in fact, well suited to the identification of universal virulence factors and holds great promise for the study of conserved mechanisms of innate immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan J Ewbank
- Centre d'immunologie de Marseille-Luminy, INSERM/CNRS/université de la Méditerranée, Case 906, 13288 cedex 9, Marseille, France.
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Abstract
Scavenger receptors (SR) are expressed by myeloid cells (macrophages and dendritic cells) and certain endothelial cells. They play an important role in uptake and clearance of effete components, such as modified host molecules and apoptotic cells. They bind and internalise micro-organisms and their products including Gram-positive bacteria (lipoteichoic acid), Gram-negative bacteria (lipopolysaccharide), intracellular bacteria and CpG DNA. SR can alter cell morphology and their expression is affected by various cytokines. SR are involved in lipid metabolism and bind modified low-density lipoproteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leanne Peiser
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, ox1 3RE, Oxford, UK
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Michel T, Reichhart JM, Hoffmann JA, Royet J. Drosophila Toll is activated by Gram-positive bacteria through a circulating peptidoglycan recognition protein. Nature 2001; 414:756-9. [PMID: 11742401 DOI: 10.1038/414756a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 564] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Microbial infection activates two distinct intracellular signalling cascades in the immune-responsive fat body of Drosophila. Gram-positive bacteria and fungi predominantly induce the Toll signalling pathway, whereas Gram-negative bacteria activate the Imd pathway. Loss-of-function mutants in either pathway reduce the resistance to corresponding infections. Genetic screens have identified a range of genes involved in these intracellular signalling cascades, but how they are activated by microbial infection is largely unknown. Activation of the transmembrane receptor Toll requires a proteolytically cleaved form of an extracellular cytokine-like polypeptide, Spätzle, suggesting that Toll does not itself function as a bona fide recognition receptor of microbial patterns. This is in apparent contrast with the mammalian Toll-like receptors and raises the question of which host molecules actually recognize microbial patterns to activate Toll through Spätzle. Here we present a mutation that blocks Toll activation by Gram-positive bacteria and significantly decreases resistance to this type of infection. The mutation semmelweis (seml) inactivates the gene encoding a peptidoglycan recognition protein (PGRP-SA). Interestingly, seml does not affect Toll activation by fungal infection, indicating the existence of a distinct recognition system for fungi to activate the Toll pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Michel
- Institut de Biologie Moleculaire et Cellulaire, UPR 9022 du CNRS, 15 rue Rene Descartes, 67084 Strasbourg Cedex, France
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