In vitro differentiation of isolated stem cells from the midgut of Manduca sexta larvae

In vitro Insect Fat Cultivation for Cellular Agriculture Applications

Cell-cultured fat could provide important elements of flavor, nutrition, and texture to enhance the quality and therefore expand consumer adoption of alternative meat products. In contrast to cells from livestock animals, insect cells have been proposed as a relatively low-cost and scalable platform for tissue engineering and muscle cell-derived cultured meat production. Furthermore, insect fat cells have long been cultured and characterized for basic biology and recombinant protein production but not for food production. To develop a food-relevant approach to insect fat cell cultivation and tissue engineering, Manduca sexta cells were cultured and induced to accumulate lipids in 2D and 3D formats within decellularized mycelium scaffolding. The resultant in vitro fat tissues were characterized and compared to in vivo fat tissue data by imaging, lipidomics, and texture analyses. The cells exhibited robust lipid accumulation when treated with a 0.1 mM soybean oil emulsion and had "healthier" fat profiles, as measured by the ratio of unsaturated to saturated fatty acids. Mycelium scaffolding provided a simple, food-grade approach to support the 3D cell cultures and lipid accumulation. This approach provides a low-cost, scalable, and nutritious method for cultured fat production.

Midgut epithelium in molting silkworm: A fine balance among cell growth, differentiation, and survival

The midgut of insects has attracted great attention as a system for studying intestinal stem cells (ISCs) as well as cell death-related processes, such as apoptosis and autophagy. Among insects, Lepidoptera represent a good model to analyze these cells and processes. In particular, larva-larva molting is an interesting developmental phase since the larva must deal with nutrient starvation and its organs are subjected to rearrangements due to proliferation and differentiation events. Several studies have analyzed ISCs in vitro and characterized key factors involved in their division and differentiation during molt. However, in vivo studies performed during larva-larva transition on these cells, and on the whole midgut epithelium, are fragmentary. In the present study, we analyzed the larval midgut epithelium of the silkworm, Bombyx mori, during larva-larva molting, focusing our attention on ISCs. Moreover, we investigated the metabolic changes that occur in the epithelium and evaluated the intervention of autophagy. Our data on ISCs proliferation and differentiation, autophagy activation, and metabolic and functional activities of the midgut cells shed light on the complexity of this organ during the molting phase.

Immune and metabolic responses of Chilo suppressalis Walker (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) larvae to an insect growth regulator, hexaflumuron

Efficient control of Chilo suppressalis Walker is always controversial due to highly economic damage, resistance to insecticides and environmental pollutions. So, combination of safe pest controls e.g. biocontrol agents and insect growth regulators seems to be promising via integrated pest management program. Bioassay of hexaflumuron on 4th larval instars revealed concentrations of 44.34, 179.74 and 474.94µg/ml as LC10-50 values. Numbers of total hemocytes, plasmatocytes and granulocytes as well as phenoloxidase activity increased in the different time intervals following treatment by hexaflumuron. Combined effects of hexaflumuron and Beauveria bassiana Vuillemin also increased hemocyte numbers and phenoloxidase activity at different time intervals using all concentrations. Activities of general esterases assayed by α- and β-naphtyl acetate and glutathione S-transferase using CDNB and DCNB increased 1-12h post-treatment. Activities of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, γ-glutamyl transferase and aldolase increased in the larvae treated by hexaflumuron. However enhanced activity of lactate dehydrogenase was only obtained by treating 180 and 470µg/ml concentrations of hexaflumuron. Activities of ACP and ALP were found to be higher than control for all time intervals even 1-12h post-treatment. The amounts of HDL and LDL increased in the highest concentrations of hexaflumuron after 12-24h of post-treatment. Amount of triglyceride was higher than that of control after 1 and 3h but it was lower in other time intervals. Amounts of glycogen and protein were lower than those of control for all time intervals except for 6 and 12h of post-treatment in case of protein. Results of the current study revealed negative effects of hexaflumuron on intermediary metabolism of Chilo suppressalis but it increased the number of hemocytes and activity of phenoloxidase which are responsible for spore removal from hemolymph. It can be concluded that hexaflumuron is able to decrease survival and biological performance of C. suppressalis via intervening in intermediary metabolism but the given results showed incompatibility of the IGR with possible microbial control.

Histochemistry and ultrastructure of urocytes in the pupae of the stingless bee Melipona quadrifasciata (Hymenoptera: Meliponini)

The main cell types of the adult bee fat body are trophocytes and oenocytes; however, in pupae of some newly emerged bees, trophocytes are modified into cells called urocytes, which possibly function as a substitute for Malpighian tubules during metamorphosis when larval tubules are not functional and/or storage of urate salts is required. This study evaluated the morphology of urocytes in the stingless bee Melipona quadrifasciata and the possibility of maintaining these cells in primary culture. The urocytes M. quadrifasciata are white spherical cells with an irregular surface as observed by stereomicroscopy. They may be found individually or in groups associated with tracheae. Urocytes have a single, small, and spherical nucleus and cytoplasm rich in neutral polysaccharides, lipid droplets, protein, and granules containing calcium and urate salts. Our findings suggest that urocytes play a role in storage of neutral polysaccharides and calcium in M. quadrifasciata pupae and that these cells can be cultured for 72 h.

Densovirus crosses the insect midgut by transcytosis and disturbs the epithelial barrier function

Densoviruses are parvoviruses that can be lethal for insects of different orders at larval stages. Although the horizontal transmission mechanisms are poorly known, densoviral pathogenesis usually starts with the ingestion of contaminated food by the host. Depending on the virus, this leads to replication restricted to the midgut or excluding it. In both cases the success of infection depends on the virus capacity to enter the intestinal epithelium. Using the Junonia coenia densovirus (JcDNV) as the prototype virus and the lepidopteran host Spodoptera frugiperda as an interaction model, we focused on the early mechanisms of infection during which JcDNV crosses the intestinal epithelium to reach and replicate in underlying target tissues. We studied the kinetics of interaction of JcDNV with the midgut epithelium and the transport mechanisms involved. Using several approaches, in vivo, ex vivo, and in vitro, at molecular and cellular levels, we show that JcDNV is specifically internalized by endocytosis in absorptive cells and then crosses the epithelium by transcytosis. As a consequence, viral entry disturbs the midgut function. Finally, we showed that four mutations on the capsid of JcDNV affect specific recognition by the epithelial cells but not their binding.

A honey bee hexamerin, HEX 70a, is likely to play an intranuclear role in developing and mature ovarioles and testioles

Insect hexamerins have long been known as storage proteins that are massively synthesized by the larval fat body and secreted into hemolymph. Following the larval-to-pupal molt, hexamerins are sequestered by the fat body via receptor-mediated endocytosis, broken up, and used as amino acid resources for metamorphosis. In the honey bee, the transcript and protein subunit of a hexamerin, HEX 70a, were also detected in ovaries and testes. Aiming to identify the subcellular localization of HEX 70a in the female and male gonads, we used a specific antibody in whole mount preparations of ovaries and testes for analysis by confocal laser-scanning microscopy. Intranuclear HEX 70a foci were evidenced in germ and somatic cells of ovarioles and testioles of pharate-adult workers and drones, suggesting a regulatory or structural role. Following injection of the thymidine analog EdU we observed co-labeling with HEX 70a in ovariole cell nuclei, inferring possible HEX 70a involvement in cell proliferation. Further support to this hypothesis came from an injection of anti-HEX 70a into newly ecdysed queen pupae where it had a negative effect on ovariole thickening. HEX 70a foci were also detected in ovarioles of egg laying queens, particularly in the nuclei of the highly polyploid nurse cells and in proliferating follicle cells. Additional roles for this storage protein are indicated by the detection of nuclear HEX 70a foci in post-meiotic spermatids and spermatozoa. Taken together, these results imply undescribed roles for HEX 70a in the developing gonads of the honey bee and raise the possibility that other hexamerins may also have tissue specific functions.

Monitoring stem cell proliferation and differentiation in primary midgut cell cultures from Heliothis virescens larvae using flow cytometry

In the midgut of Heliothis virescens larvae, proliferation and differentiation of stem cell populations allow for midgut growth and regeneration. Basic epithelial regenerative function can be assessed in vitro by purifying these two cell type populations, yet efficient high throughput methods to monitor midgut stem cell proliferation and differentiation are not available. We describe a flow cytometry method to differentiate stem from mature midgut cells and use it to monitor proliferation, differentiation and death in primary midgut stem cell cultures from H. virescens larvae. Our method is based on differential light scattering and vital stain fluorescence properties to distinguish between stem and mature midgut cells. Using this method, we monitored proliferation and differentiation of H. virescens midgut cells cultured in the presence of fetal bovine serum (FBS) or AlbuMAX II. Supplementation with FBS resulted in increased stem cell differentiation after 5 days of culture, while AlbuMAX II-supplemented medium promoted stem cell proliferation. These data demonstrate utility of our flow cytometry method for studying stem cell-based epithelial regeneration, and indicate that AlbuMAX II-supplemented medium may be used to maintain pluripotency in primary midgut stem cell cultures.

Factors affecting proliferation and differentiation of Lepidopteran midgut stem cells

Midgut stem cells of last instar larvae and pupae of Heliothis virescens, Lymantria dispar and several other Lepidopteran species have been cultured in vitro and have been induced to proliferate using low titers of ecdysteroids and the 77-Kda peptide fragment, alpha-arylphorin, isolated and identified from pupal fat body tissue. The insulin-related hormone, Bombyxin, also induced mitosis in cultured midgut stem cells; it appeared to be fast-acting and quickly inactivated, while alpha-arylphorin was slower to act and had a longer lasting effect in vitro, indicating different functions for these proliferation agents. Changes in Calcium ion concentration within or outside the cells discretely affected stem cell differentiation, indicating a role for second messenger participation in peptide regulation of this process. Four different peptides (MDFs 1-4) that induced midgut stem cells to differentiate to mature midgut cell types in vitro were isolated and characterized from conditioned media and hemolymph of H. virescens and L. dispar. However, platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), epidermal growth factor (EGF), and all-trans retinoic acid (RA) from vertebrate sources induced differentiation to non-midgut cell types as well. MDF1 was located in basal areas of columnar cells of midgut epithelium, although MDF2 was observed in all of the cytoplasm of columnar cells and in droplets of antibody positive material in the midgut lumen, suggesting a digestive function as well for this peptide. Anti-MDF-3 stained the central areas of cultured midgut columnar cells and the bases of columnar cells of midgut epithelium in vivo. Midgut secretory cells stained with anti-MDF-4; streams of MFD-4-positive material were observed extending from secretory cells facing the epithelial lumen, and as a layer on the hemolymph-facing side, suggesting an endocrine or paracrine function for this or an immunologically similar peptide.

Ultrastructural changes in the midgut epithelium in Podura aquatica L. (Insecta, Collembola, Arthropleona) during regeneration

Data considering the degeneration and regeneration of the midgut epithelium in the primitive wingless insects, such as Collembola, are rather poor. Also information, which treats the regenerative cells as the primordial cells, is poorly known. The midgut epithelium of Podura aquatica L. (Insecta, Collembola, Arthropleona) is formed by the epithelial and regenerative cells. The epithelial cells show distinct regionalisation in the organelles distribution. The ultrastructure of the basal, perinuclear and apical regions of the epithelial cells is described. As in insects without Malpighian tubules, structures which resemble urospherites occur in the cytoplasm of the epithelial cells. After degeneration of the entire midgut epithelium, a new epithelium is formed from regenerative cells. During the process of regeneration, the degenerated epithelium gradually is separated from the basal lamina by the newly formed one. Finally, the detached epithelium is moved into the midgut lumen. Regenerative cells play a role of primordial cells during epithelial regeneration.