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Pi Z, Huang J, Wang S, Xie H, Qu Y, Zhou Z, Wang S, Liu Y, Wang C, Meng F, Cai J. Intrapuparial stage aging and PMI estimation based on the developmental transcriptomes of forensically important Aldrichina grahami (Diptera: Calliphoridae) gene expression. Heliyon 2024; 10:e33319. [PMID: 39027590 PMCID: PMC11255450 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e33319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 06/14/2024] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Background The expression profiles of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) during pupal development have been demonstrated to be vital in age estimation of forensic entomological study. Here, using forensically important Aldrichina grahami (Diptera: Calliphoridae), we aimed to explore the potential of intrapuparial stage aging and postmortem interval (PMI) estimation based on characterization of successive developmental transcriptomes and gene expression patterns. Methods We collected A. grahami pupae at 11 successive intrapuparial stages at 20 °C and used the RNA-seq technique to build the transcriptome profiles of their intrapuparial stages. The DEGs were identified during the different intrapuparial stages using comparative transcriptome analysis. The selected marker DEGs were classified and clustered for intrapuparial stage aging and PMI estimation and then further verified for transcriptome data validation. Ultimately, we categorized the overall gene expression levels as the dependent variable and the age of intrapuparial A. grahami as the independent variable to conduct nonlinear regression analysis. Results We redefined the intrapuparial stages of A. grahami into five key successive substages (I, II, III, IV, and V), based on the overall gene expression patterns during pupal development. We screened 99 specific time-dependent expressed genes (stage-specific DEGs) to determine the different intrapuparial stages based on comparison of the gene expression levels during the 11 developmental intrapuparial stages of A. grahami. We observed that 55 DEGs showed persistent upregulation during the development of intrapuparial A. grahami. We then selected four DEGs (act79b, act88f, up and ninac) which presented consistent upregulation using RT-qPCR (quantitative real-time PCR) analysis, along with consideration of the maximum fold changes during the pupal development. We conducted nonlinear regression analysis to simulate the calculations of the relationships between the expression levels of the four selected DEGs and the developmental time of intrapuparial A. grahami and constructed fitting curves. The curves demonstrated that act79b and ninac showed continuous relatively increasing levels. Conclusions This study redefined the intrapuparial stages of A. grahami based on expression profiles of developmental transcriptomes for the first time. The stage-specific DEGs and those with consistent tendencies of expression were found to have potential in age estimation of intrapuparial A. grahami and could be supplementary to a more accurate prediction of PMI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiyun Pi
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Jingjing Huang
- Department of Forensic Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China
| | - Shiwen Wang
- Department of Forensic Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China
| | - Hui Xie
- Department of Forensic Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China
| | - Yihong Qu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Ziqi Zhou
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Shujuan Wang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yishu Liu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Chudong Wang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Fanming Meng
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Jifeng Cai
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Department of Forensic Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China
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Sherafati J, Dayer MS, Ghaffarifar F. Therapeutic effects of Lucilia sericata larval excretion/secretion products on Leishmania major under in vitro and in vivo conditions. Parasit Vectors 2022; 15:212. [PMID: 35710519 PMCID: PMC9204886 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-022-05322-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Leishmaniasis is a neglected infectious disease caused by protozoa of the genus Leishmania. The disease generally manifests as characteristic skin lesions which require lengthy treatment with antimonial drugs that are often associated with adverse side effects. Therefore, a number of studies have focused on natural compounds as promising drugs for its treatment. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of larval excretion/secretion products (ES) of Lucilia sericata in crude and fractionated forms on Leishmania major, by using in vitro and in vivo models. METHODS The in vitro experiments involved evaluation of ES on both promastigotes and macrophage-engulfed amastigotes, whereas the in vivo experiments included comparative treatments of skin lesions in L. major-infected mice with Eucerin-formulated ES and Glucantime. RESULTS The half maximal inhibitory concentrations of the crude ES, > 10-kDa ES fraction, < 10-kDa ES fraction, and Glucantime were 38.7 μg/ml, 47.6 μg/ml, 63.3 μg/ml, and 29.1 μg/ml, respectively. Significant differences were observed between percentage viabilities of promastigotes treated with the crude ES and its fractions compared with the negative control (P < 0.0001). The crude ES was more effective on amastigotes than the two ES fractions at 300 μg/ml. The macroscopic measurements revealed that the reduction of lesion size in mice treated with the crude ES followed quicker cascades of healing than that of mice treated with Glucantime and the ES fractions. CONCLUSIONS The present study showed that the larval ES of L. sericata in both crude and fractionated forms are effective for both intracellular and extracellular forms of L. major. Also, the ES exert both topical and systemic effects on mice experimentally infected with L. major.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jila Sherafati
- Department of Parasitology and Medical Entomology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Jalal AleAhmad Highway, Nasr, P.O. Box 14115-111, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
| | - Mohammad Saaid Dayer
- Department of Parasitology and Medical Entomology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Jalal AleAhmad Highway, Nasr, P.O. Box 14115-111, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
| | - Fatemeh Ghaffarifar
- Department of Parasitology and Medical Entomology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Jalal AleAhmad Highway, Nasr, P.O. Box 14115-111, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
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Sellamuthu G, Amin S, Bílý J, Synek J, Modlinger R, Sen MK, Chakraborty A, Roy A. Reference Gene Selection for Normalizing Gene Expression in Ips Sexdentatus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) Under Different Experimental Conditions. Front Physiol 2021; 12:752768. [PMID: 34777015 PMCID: PMC8580292 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.752768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ips sexdentatus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) is one of the most destructive and economically important forest pests. A better understanding of molecular mechanisms underlying its adaptation to toxic host compounds may unleash the potential for future management of this pest. Gene expression studies could be considered as one of the key experimental approaches for such purposes. A suitable reference gene selection is fundamental for quantitative gene expression analysis and functional genomics studies in I. sexdentatus. Twelve commonly used reference genes in Coleopterans were screened under different experimental conditions to obtain accurate and reliable normalization of gene expression data. The majority of the 12 reference genes showed a relatively stable expression pattern among developmental stages, tissue-specific, and sex-specific stages; however, some variabilities were observed during varied temperature incubation. Under developmental conditions, the Tubulin beta-1 chain (β-Tubulin) was the most stable reference gene, followed by translation elongation factor (eEF2) and ribosomal protein S3 (RPS3). In sex-specific conditions, RPS3, β-Tubulin, and eEF2 were the most stable reference genes. In contrast, different sets of genes were shown higher stability in terms of expression under tissue-specific conditions, i.e., RPS3 and eEF2 in head tissue, V-ATPase-A and eEF2 in the fat body, V-ATPase-A and eEF2 in the gut. Under varied temperatures, β-Tubulin and V-ATPase-A were most stable, whereas ubiquitin (UbiQ) and V-ATPase-A displayed the highest expression stability after Juvenile Hormone III treatment. The findings were validated further using real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR)-based target gene expression analysis. Nevertheless, the present study delivers a catalog of reference genes under varied experimental conditions for the coleopteran forest pest I. sexdentatus and paves the way for future gene expression and functional genomic studies on this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gothandapani Sellamuthu
- Excellent Team for Mitigation (ETM), Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czechia
| | - Shan Amin
- Excellent Team for Mitigation (ETM), Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czechia.,Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Jan Bílý
- Excellent Team for Mitigation (ETM), Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czechia
| | - Jirí Synek
- Excellent Team for Mitigation (ETM), Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czechia
| | - Roman Modlinger
- Excellent Team for Mitigation (ETM), Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czechia
| | - Madhab Kumar Sen
- Department of Agroecology and Crop Production, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czechia
| | - Amrita Chakraborty
- EVA 4.0 Unit, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czechia
| | - Amit Roy
- Excellent Team for Mitigation (ETM), Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czechia.,EVA 4.0 Unit, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czechia
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Liu Z, Han H, Chen W, Wang S, Meng F, Cai J, Guo Y. Evaluation of Reference Genes and Age Estimation of Forensically Useful Aldrichina grahami (Diptera: Calliphoridae) During Intrapuparial Period. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2021; 58:47-55. [PMID: 32700732 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjaa144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The minimum postmortem interval (PMImin) could be evaluated from the developmental stage of forensically important insects colonize a corpse, such as blow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae). Unlike larvae, the developmental stage of which is well established according to their morphology, estimating the age of pupae is proven to be challenging. Recently, several studies reported the regulation of special genes during the development of blow fly pupae. However, gene regulation in Aldrichina grahami during the intrapuparial period remains to be studied. Therefore, we set out to investigate the mRNA levels of heat shock protein 23 (Hsp23), heat shock protein 24 (Hsp24), and 1_16 during the metamorphosis of A. grahami pupae. First, we examined seven candidate reference genes (ribosomal protein 49 (RP49), 18S ribosomal RNA (18S rRNA), 28S ribosomal RNA (28S rRNA), beta-tubulin at 56D (β-tubulin), Ribosomal protein L23 (RPL23), glutathione S-transferase (GST1), and Actin. Three widely used algorithms (NormFinder, BestKeeper, and geNorm) were applied to evaluate the mRNA levels of reference gene candidates in puparium at three stable temperatures (15, 22, and 27°C). Next, mRNA expression of Hsp23, Hsp24, and 1_16 during A. grahami metamorphosis was examined. We demonstrated that mRNA expression levels of Hsp23, Hsp24, and 1_16 showed time-specific regulation. In summary, our study identified three gene markers for the intrapuparial period of A. grahami and might provide a potential application in PMImin estimation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuoying Liu
- Department of Forensic Science, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Department of Anesthesiology and Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Han Han
- Department of Forensic Science, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Wei Chen
- Department of Forensic Science, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Shiwen Wang
- Department of Forensic Science, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Fanming Meng
- Department of Forensic Science, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Jifeng Cai
- Department of Forensic Science, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yadong Guo
- Department of Forensic Science, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
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Zhang X, Li Y, Shang Y, Ren L, Chen W, Wang S, Guo Y. Development of Sarcophaga dux (diptera: Sarcophagidae) at constant temperatures and differential gene expression for age estimation of the pupae. J Therm Biol 2020; 93:102735. [PMID: 33077146 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2020.102735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2020] [Revised: 08/19/2020] [Accepted: 09/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Sarcophaga dux (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) is a necrophagous flesh fly species with potential forensic value for estimating minimum postmortem interval (PMImin). The basic developmental data and precise age estimates of the pupae are significant for PMImin estimation in forensic investigations. In the present study, we investigated the development data of that species at seven constant temperatures varying from 16 °C to 34 °C, including body length changes of the larve, developmental duration and accumulated degree hours of the preadults. Several reference genes for relative quantification of the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were firstly selected and evaluated in the pupae of different ages under different temperatures. The DEGs of the insects during the pupal period at different constant temperatures (34, 25 and 16 °C) were further analyzed for more precise age estimation. The results showed that the developmental durations of the preadults at 16, 19, 22, 25, 28, 31 and 34 °C were 1478.6 ± 18.3 h, 726.1 ± 15.8 h, 538.5 ± 0.9 h, 394.1 ± 9.5 h, 375.6 ± 10.8 h, 284.1 ± 7.3 h, and 252.5 ± 6.1 h, respectively. The developmental threshold temperature the flies was 12.27 ± 0.35 °C, and the thermal summation constant was 5341.71 ± 249.29° hours. The most reliable reference genes during the pupal period at different temperatures were found: GST1 and 18S rRNA for the 34 °C group, GST1 and RPL49 for 25 °C, and 18S rRNA and 28S rRNA for 16 °C. The four differential expression genes (Hsp60, A-alpha, ARP, and RPL8) have the potential to be used for more precise age estimation of pupal S. dux. This work provides important basic developmental data and a more precise age estimation method for pupal S. dux, and improves the value of this species for PMImin estimation in forensic investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangyan Zhang
- Department of Forensic Science, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China
| | - Yi Li
- Department of Forensic Science, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China
| | - Yanjie Shang
- Department of Forensic Science, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China
| | - Lipin Ren
- Department of Forensic Science, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China
| | - Wei Chen
- Department of Forensic Science, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China
| | - Shiwen Wang
- Department of Forensic Science, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China
| | - Yadong Guo
- Department of Forensic Science, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China.
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Kirfel P, Vilcinskas A, Skaljac M. Lysine Acetyltransferase p300/CBP Plays an Important Role in Reproduction, Embryogenesis and Longevity of the Pea Aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum. INSECTS 2020; 11:E265. [PMID: 32357443 PMCID: PMC7290403 DOI: 10.3390/insects11050265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2020] [Revised: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 04/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
CREB-binding protein (p300/CBP) is a universal transcriptional co-regulator with lysine acetyltransferase activity. Drosophila melanogaster p300/CBP is a well-known regulator of embryogenesis, and recent studies in beetles and cockroaches have revealed the importance of this protein during post-embryonic development and endocrine signaling. In pest insects, p300/CBP may therefore offer a useful target for control methods based on RNA interference (RNAi). We investigated the role of p300/CBP in the pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum), a notorious pest insect used as a laboratory model for the analysis of complex life-history traits. The RNAi-based attenuation of A. pisum p300/CBP significantly reduced the aphid lifespan and number of offspring, as well as shortening the reproductive phase, suggesting the manipulation of this gene contributes to accelerated senescence. Furthermore, injection of p300/CBP dsRNA also reduced the number of viable offspring and increased the number of premature nymphs, which developed in abnormally structured ovaries. Our data confirm the evolutionarily conserved function of p300/CBP during insect embryogenesis and show that the protein has a critical effect on longevity, reproduction and development in A. pisum. The potent effect of p300/CBP silencing indicates that this regulatory protein is an ideal target for RNAi-based aphid control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phillipp Kirfel
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (IME), Branch for Bioresources, Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Giessen, Germany; (P.K.); (A.V.)
| | - Andreas Vilcinskas
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (IME), Branch for Bioresources, Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Giessen, Germany; (P.K.); (A.V.)
- Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus-Liebig University of Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26–32, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Marisa Skaljac
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (IME), Branch for Bioresources, Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Giessen, Germany; (P.K.); (A.V.)
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Shang Y, Ren L, Yang L, Wang S, Chen W, Dong J, Ma H, Qi X, Guo Y. Differential Gene Expression for Age Estimation of Forensically Important Sarcophaga peregrina (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) Intrapuparial. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2020; 57:65-77. [PMID: 31504655 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjz137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Sarcophaga peregrina is an important flesh fly species for estimating the minimum postmortem interval (PMImin) in forensic entomology. The accurate determination of the developmental age is a crucial task for using necrophagous sarcophagids to estimate PMImin. During larval development, the age determination is straight forward by the morphological changes and variation of length, weight, and width; however, the age estimation of sarcophagid intrapuparial is more difficult due to anatomical and morphological changes not being visible. The analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) during sarcophagid metamorphosis is a potential method for age estimation of intrapuparial. In the present study, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was used to analyze the differential gene expression level of S. peregrina intrapuparial in different constant temperatures (35°C, 25°C, and 15°C). In addition, the appropriate reference genes of S. peregrina were selected in the intrapuparial and at different temperatures to obtain reliable and valid gene expression profiles. The results indicated that two candidate genes (18S rRNA and 28S rRNA) were the most reliable reference genes, and four DEGs (Hsp90, A-alpha, AFP, AFBP) have the potential to be used to more accuracy estimate the age of S. peregrina intrapuparial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanjie Shang
- Department of Forensic Science, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Lipin Ren
- Department of Forensic Science, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Li Yang
- Department of Forensic Science, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Shiwen Wang
- Department of Forensic Science, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Department of Forensic Science, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinjiang Medical University, Ürümqi, China
| | - Wei Chen
- Department of Forensic Science, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Jianan Dong
- XiangYa school of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Hongming Ma
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Xiangya Medical School, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Xuan Qi
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Xiangya Medical School, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yadong Guo
- Department of Forensic Science, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
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Liang Z, Li G, Mai B, An T. Biodegradation of typical BFRs 2,4,6-tribromophenol by an indigenous strain Bacillus sp. GZT isolated from e-waste dismantling area through functional heterologous expression. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 697:134159. [PMID: 31491624 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2019] [Revised: 08/22/2019] [Accepted: 08/27/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Legacy wastewater contaminants from e-waste dismantling process such as 2,4,6-tribromophenol (TBP), one of the most widely used brominated flame retardants (BFRs), have raised concern owing to their toxicity and recalcitrance. Our previously isolated Bacillus sp. GZT from river sludge in e-waste dismantling area is a good candidate for bioremediation of BFRs contaminated sites considering its remarkable degradability of TBP and its intermediates. However, there exists a new challenge because bio-degrader cannot produce enough biomass or metabolic activity to cleanup TBP in practice complex environment. Here, we heterologously expressed and functionally characterized the genes and enzymes responsible for TBP degradation to examine the feasibility of enhancing the ability of this microorganism to detoxify TBP. Results demonstrated that five recombinant strains containing functional genes, designated tbpA, tbpB, tbpC, tbpD, and tbpE, become more tolerant toward a wide range of brominated compounds than the nontransgenic strain. Cytochrome P450 reductase encoded by tbpA gene could greatly increase efficiency to remove TBP (98.8%), as compared to wild-type strain GZT (93.2%). Its debromination intermediates 2,4-dibromophenol, 2,6-dibromo-4-methylphenol and 2-bromophenol were significantly metabolized by halophenol dehalogenases encoded by tbpB, tbpC, and tbpD, respectively. Finally, under the function of tbpE gene encoding enzyme, further debrominated product (phenol) was dramatically detoxified. To reduce the risk of these xenobiotics, the expression of these genes can be induced and significantly up-regulated during exposure to them. These results open broad scope for future study in developing genetic engineering technologies for more efficient remediation wastewater of e-waste recycling sites contaminated with TBP, which would certainly be important steps to lower TBP exposures and prevent potential health effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhishu Liang
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Environmental Catalysis and Pollution Control, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Catalysis and Health Risk Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Institute of Environmental Health and Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Guiying Li
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Environmental Catalysis and Pollution Control, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Catalysis and Health Risk Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Institute of Environmental Health and Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China.
| | - Bixian Mai
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Taicheng An
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Environmental Catalysis and Pollution Control, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Catalysis and Health Risk Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Institute of Environmental Health and Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
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Kaihanfar M, Momeni-Moghaddam M, Moghaddam MJM, Hajar T, Pak VD, Bidi JO. Investigation of antimicrobial effects of treated Lucilia sericata larvae extract on bacteria. IRANIAN JOURNAL OF MICROBIOLOGY 2018; 10:409-416. [PMID: 30873269 PMCID: PMC6414746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Larval therapy refers to the use of Lucilia sericata larvae on chronic wounds, which is a successful method of chronic wounds treatment. The secretions of these larvae contain antibacterial compounds and lead to death or inhibition of bacterial growth. MATERIALS AND METHODS In this study, we investigated the antibacterial effects of Lucilia sericata larvae secretions which were in sterilized and multi antibiotic-resistant bacteria-treated forms on Gram-positive Bacillus subtilis bacteria and Gram-negative Escherichia coli bacteria. In the following, we evaluated changes in gene expression of lucifensin and attacin during treatment with multi antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Investigation of the antibacterial effect was carried out using optical absorption and antibiotic disk diffusion in order to study the expression of the aforementioned genes. RESULTS The results of this study showed that E. coli-treated larvae were able to inhibit the growth of E. coli and secretions of B. subtilis-treated larvae and were also able to inhibit the growth of B. subtilis. Gene expression of antibacterial peptides in multi antibiotic-resistant bacteria-treated larvae was increased in comparison to non-treated larvae. CONCLUSION Due to the significant antibacterial potency of bacteria-treated larvae secretions, the secretions can be a suitable candidate as a drug against antibiotic resistant bacteria, but additional tests are required. Since the antimicrobial peptides of insects have not yet produced any resistance in human pathogenic bacteria, they can be considered as a promising strategy for dealing with resistant infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Kaihanfar
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Hakim Sabzevari University, Sabzevar, Iran,Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran
| | - Madjid Momeni-Moghaddam
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Hakim Sabzevari University, Sabzevar, Iran,Corresponding author: Madjid Momeni-Moghaddam, PhD, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Hakim Sabzevari University, Sabzevar, Iran. Tel: 05144013336, Fax: 05144013336,
| | | | - Toktam Hajar
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Hakim Sabzevari University, Sabzevar, Iran
| | - Vahab Dast Pak
- Pharmaceutical Technology Development Center, Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Jalal Omrani Bidi
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Hakim Sabzevari University, Sabzevar, Iran
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Lü J, Yang C, Zhang Y, Pan H. Selection of Reference Genes for the Normalization of RT-qPCR Data in Gene Expression Studies in Insects: A Systematic Review. Front Physiol 2018; 9:1560. [PMID: 30459641 PMCID: PMC6232608 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2018.01560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2018] [Accepted: 10/18/2018] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Reverse transcriptase-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) is a reliable technique for quantifying expression levels of targeted genes during various biological processes in numerous areas of clinical and biological research. Selection of appropriate reference genes for RT-qPCR normalization is an elementary prerequisite for reliable measurements of gene expression levels. Here, by analyzing datasets published between 2008 and 2017, we summarized the current trends in reference gene selection for insect gene expression studies that employed the most widely used SYBR Green method for RT-qPCR normalization. We curated 90 representative papers, mainly published in 2013–2017, in which a total of 78 insect species were investigated in 100 experiments. Furthermore, top five journals, top 10 frequently used reference genes, and top 10 experimental factors have been determined. The relationships between the numbers of the reference genes, experimental factors, analysis tools on the one hand and publication date (year) on the other hand was investigated by linear regression. We found that the more recently the paper was published, the more experimental factors it tended to explore, and more analysis tools it used. However, linear regression analysis did not reveal a significant correlation between the number of reference genes and the study publication date. Taken together, this meta-analysis will be of great help to researchers that plan gene expression studies in insects, especially the non-model ones, as it provides a summary of appropriate reference genes for expression studies, considers the optimal number of reference genes, and reviews the average number of experimental factors and analysis tools per study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Lü
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Pesticide Innovation and Application of Guangdong Province, Department of Entomology, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chunxiao Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Youjun Zhang
- Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Huipeng Pan
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Pesticide Innovation and Application of Guangdong Province, Department of Entomology, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
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Selection and evaluation of reference genes for expression analysis using quantitative real-time PCR in the Asian Ladybird Harmonia axyridis (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). PLoS One 2018; 13:e0192521. [PMID: 29889877 PMCID: PMC5995347 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0192521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2017] [Accepted: 12/28/2017] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Harmonia axyridis (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) is a polyphagous insect that is an important biological agent used to control agricultural and forestry pests. The role of functional genes in H. axyridis based on quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) is increasingly well understood to investigate biology, physiology, feeding behavior and the role of important genes in physiological processes. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) is a powerful and reliable technique to quantify gene expression. Using qRT-PCR, expression levels of target genes are determined based on the levels of internal reference genes; therefore, reference genes need to be stably expressed under specific experimental conditions. However, there have been no studies on the stability of reference genes used in H. axyridis. In this study, we systematically investigated expression profiles of nine candidate reference genes from H. axyridis, including β-actin (ACTIN); elongation factor 1 α (EF1A); ribosomal proteins L10, L18, L28, S13, and S15 (RPL10, RPL18, RPL28, RPS13 and RPS15); glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH); and superoxide dismutase (SOD). Four analytical methods (geNorm, BestKeeper, NormFinder, and the ΔCt method) were used to evaluate the suitability of these genes as internal reference genes for three biotic factors (developmental stage, tissue, and sex) and two abiotic treatments (temperature and photoperiod). RefFinder, a comprehensive evaluation platform integrating the four analytical methods, was used to rank the overall stability of these reference genes. Among the nine candidate genes, different reference genes were identified as having the most stable expression across biotic and abiotic factors. Genes encoding ribosomal proteins typically had the most stable expression, though EF1A was the most stable across developmental stages and photoperiods. To validate the suitability of these reference genes, heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) was chosen as a target. Significant up-regulation in HSP90 expression level in response to both low and high temperature was observed when using the most suitable reference genes but not when using an arbitrarily selected reference gene. The reference genes identified in this study will provide the basis for future functional genomics research in H. axyridis and will also facilitate the establishment of a standardized qRT-PCR program for other related insects.
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Li HB, Dai CG, Zhang CR, He YF, Ran HY, Chen SH. Screening potential reference genes for quantitative real-time PCR analysis in the oriental armyworm, Mythimna separata. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0195096. [PMID: 29617430 PMCID: PMC5884543 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0195096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2017] [Accepted: 03/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The oriental armyworm, Mythimna separata, is a major insect pest in China and other Asian countries. Unfortunately, suitable reference genes for quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) have not been previously identified in M. separata for normalizing target gene expression. In this study, we evaluated the expression stability of eight candidate genes (18S, ACT, EF1-α, GAPDH, RPS7, RPS13, RPL32 and TUB) in M. separata using the comparative ΔCt method, BestKeeper, Normfinder geNorm and ReFinder, a comprehensive software platform. The results indicated that the appropriate reference gene varied depending on the experimental conditions. We found that ACTIN, EF1-α and TUB were optimal for different developmental stages; TUB, RPS13 and EF1-α showed the most stable expresssion in different tissues; RPS13 and 18S were the best reference genes for monitoring expression under high temperature conditions; TUB, RPS13 and RPS7 exhibited the most stable expression under larval-crowding conditions; RPS7, EF1-α, RPL32 and GAPDH were the best for pesticide exposure experiments. This study provides tools for reliable normalization of qRT-PCR data and forms a foundation for functional studies of target gene expression in M. separata.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong-Bo Li
- Institute of Plant Protection, Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Science, Guiyang, China
- * E-mail: (HBL); (YFH)
| | - Chang-Geng Dai
- Institute of Plant Protection, Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Science, Guiyang, China
| | - Chang-Rong Zhang
- Institute of Plant Protection, Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Science, Guiyang, China
| | - Yong-Fu He
- Institute of Plant Protection, Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Science, Guiyang, China
- * E-mail: (HBL); (YFH)
| | - Hai-Yan Ran
- Institute of Plant Protection, Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Science, Guiyang, China
| | - Shi-Hong Chen
- Institute of Plant Protection, Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Science, Guiyang, China
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Anstead CA, Perry T, Richards S, Korhonen PK, Young ND, Bowles VM, Batterham P, Gasser RB. The Battle Against Flystrike - Past Research and New Prospects Through Genomics. ADVANCES IN PARASITOLOGY 2017; 98:227-281. [PMID: 28942770 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apar.2017.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Flystrike, or cutaneous myiasis, is caused by blow fly larvae of the genus Lucilia. This disease is a major problem in countries with large sheep populations. In Australia, Lucilia cuprina (Wiedemann, 1830) is the principal fly involved in flystrike. While much research has been conducted on L. cuprina, including physical, chemical, immunological, genetic and biological investigations, the molecular biology of this fly is still poorly understood. The recent sequencing, assembly and annotation of the draft genome and analyses of selected transcriptomes of L. cuprina have given a first global glimpse of its molecular biology and insights into host-fly interactions, insecticide resistance genes and intervention targets. The present article introduces L. cuprina, flystrike and associated issues, details past control efforts and research foci, reviews salient aspects of the L. cuprina genome project and discusses how the new genomic and transcriptomic resources for this fly might accelerate fundamental molecular research of L. cuprina towards developing new methods for the treatment and control of flystrike.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Trent Perry
- The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | | | | | - Neil D Young
- The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
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Baumann A, Skaljac M, Lehmann R, Vilcinskas A, Franta Z. Urate Oxidase produced by Lucilia sericata medical maggots is localized in Malpighian tubes and facilitates allantoin production. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2017; 83:44-53. [PMID: 28235562 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2017.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2016] [Revised: 02/20/2017] [Accepted: 02/20/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Lucilia sericata maggots are the only species currently approved for maggot debridement therapy (MDT), an alternative treatment for chronic and recalcitrant wounds. Maggots promote wound debridement, disinfection and healing by producing a complex mixture of proteins, peptides and low-molecular-weight compounds in their secretions and excretions, but the individual components are not well characterized at the molecular level. Here we investigated the purine catabolism pathway in L. sericata, focusing on the production of allantoin by Urate Oxidase (UO), which is thought to promote wound healing. We produced recombinant L. sericata UO in Escherichia coli, and characterized the properties of the pure enzyme in terms of the optimum pH (7-10) and temperature (20-25 °C), its stability, sensitivity to inhibition and ion dependency. We used quantitative RT-PCR and RNA in situ hybridization to monitor the expression of the UO gene, and we used a guinea pig anti-UO antibody to detect the native enzyme by western blot and by florescence immunohistochemistry in larval tissues. We found that L. sericata UO is exclusively present in the larval excretion organ (the Malpighian tubes) and is freely available in the cytoplasm rather than restricted to a specific subcellular compartment. Allantoin is a final product of L. sericata purine catabolism. It is produced by UO in the Malpighian tubes to remove uric acid from the hemolymph and is consequently excreted via the hindgut. Our findings confirm the hypothesis that both actively secreted molecules and excretion products contribute to the beneficial effects of MDT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andre Baumann
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Winchesterstraße 2, 35394 Giessen, Germany
| | - Marisa Skaljac
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Winchesterstraße 2, 35394 Giessen, Germany
| | - Rüdiger Lehmann
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Winchesterstraße 2, 35394 Giessen, Germany
| | - Andreas Vilcinskas
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Winchesterstraße 2, 35394 Giessen, Germany; Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen, Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Zdenӗk Franta
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Winchesterstraße 2, 35394 Giessen, Germany.
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Will T, Schmidtberg H, Skaljac M, Vilcinskas A. Heat shock protein 83 plays pleiotropic roles in embryogenesis, longevity, and fecundity of the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum. Dev Genes Evol 2016; 227:1-9. [PMID: 27743033 PMCID: PMC5203865 DOI: 10.1007/s00427-016-0564-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2016] [Accepted: 09/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Heat shock protein 83 (HSP83) is homologous to the chaperone HSP90. It has pleiotropic functions in Drosophila melanogaster, including the control of longevity and fecundity, and facilitates morphological evolution by buffering cryptic deleterious mutations in wild populations. In the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum, HSP83 expression is moderately induced by bacterial infection but upregulated more strongly in response to heat stress and fungal infection. Stress-inducible heat shock proteins are of considerable evolutionary and ecological importance because they are known to buffer environmental variation and to influence fitness under non-optimal conditions. To investigate the functions of HSP83 in viviparous aphids, we used RNA interference to attenuate its expression and studied the impact on complex parameters. The RNA interference (RNAi)-mediated depletion of HSP83 expression in A. pisum reduced both longevity and fecundity, suggesting this chaperone has an evolutionarily conserved function in insects. Surprisingly, HSP83 depletion reduced the number of viviparous offspring while simultaneously increasing the number of premature nymphs developing in the ovaries, suggesting an unexpected role in aphid embryogenesis and eclosion. The present study indicates that reduced HSP83 expression in A. pisum reveals both functional similarities and differences compared with its reported roles in holometabolous insects. Its impact on aphid lifespan, fecundity, and embryogenesis suggests a function that determines their fitness. This could be achieved by targeting different client proteins, recruiting distinct co-chaperones or transposon activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Torsten Will
- Institute of Insect Biotechnology, Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, 35392, Giessen, Germany.,Institute of Phytopathology, Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, 35392, Giessen, Germany
| | - Henrike Schmidtberg
- Institute of Insect Biotechnology, Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, 35392, Giessen, Germany
| | - Marisa Skaljac
- Fraunhofer-Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (IME) Project Group 'Bioresources', Winchesterstraße 2, 35394, Giessen, Germany
| | - Andreas Vilcinskas
- Institute of Insect Biotechnology, Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, 35392, Giessen, Germany. .,Fraunhofer-Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (IME) Project Group 'Bioresources', Winchesterstraße 2, 35394, Giessen, Germany.
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Anstead CA, Batterham P, Korhonen PK, Young ND, Hall RS, Bowles VM, Richards S, Scott MJ, Gasser RB. A blow to the fly — Lucilia cuprina draft genome and transcriptome to support advances in biology and biotechnology. Biotechnol Adv 2016; 34:605-620. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2016.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2015] [Revised: 02/08/2016] [Accepted: 02/20/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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17
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Vilcinskas A, Vogel H. Seasonal phenotype-specific transcriptional reprogramming during metamorphosis in the European map butterfly Araschnia levana. Ecol Evol 2016; 6:3476-3485. [PMID: 27127610 PMCID: PMC4842023 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2016] [Revised: 03/12/2016] [Accepted: 03/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The European map butterfly (Araschnia levana) is a classic example of seasonal polyphenism because the spring and summer imagoes display two distinct morphological phenotypes. The light regime and temperature during larval and prepupal development determine whether or not the pupae commit to diapause and overwintering and thus whether spring or summer imagoes emerge. We used suppression subtractive hybridization to experimentally screen for genes that are differentially expressed in prepupae committed either to accelerated metamorphosis and egg production or diapause and overwintering. The range and ontology of the differentially expressed genes in prepupae developing from larvae exposed either to long‐day (LD) or short‐day (SD) conditions revealed fundamental differences. The SD prepupae preferentially expressed genes related to cuticle formation and immunity, reflecting the formation of a robust pupal exoskeleton and the upregulation of antimicrobial peptides as preparations for overwintering. One protein preferentially expressed in SD prepupae has a counterpart in Bombyx mori that functions as a diapause duration clock. The differentially expressed genes in LD prepupae included several members of the dusky and osiris families. We also observed the strong induction of different yellow‐like genes under SD and LD conditions which suggest a role in the developmental choice between seasonal phenotypes. Our transcriptomic data will facilitate the more detailed analysis of molecular mechanisms underlying seasonal polyphenism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Vilcinskas
- Institute for Insect Biotechnology Justus Liebig University Heinrich Buff Ring 26-32 35392 Giessen Germany
| | - Heiko Vogel
- Max-Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology Hans Knoell Strasse 8 07749 Jena Germany
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Next Generation Sequencing Identifies Five Major Classes of Potentially Therapeutic Enzymes Secreted by Lucilia sericata Medical Maggots. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2016; 2016:8285428. [PMID: 27119084 PMCID: PMC4826915 DOI: 10.1155/2016/8285428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2016] [Accepted: 03/07/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Lucilia sericata larvae are used as an alternative treatment for recalcitrant and chronic wounds. Their excretions/secretions contain molecules that facilitate tissue debridement, disinfect, or accelerate wound healing and have therefore been recognized as a potential source of novel therapeutic compounds. Among the substances present in excretions/secretions various peptidase activities promoting the wound healing processes have been detected but the peptidases responsible for these activities remain mostly unidentified. To explore these enzymes we applied next generation sequencing to analyze the transcriptomes of different maggot tissues (salivary glands, gut, and crop) associated with the production of excretions/secretions and/or with digestion as well as the rest of the larval body. As a result we obtained more than 123.8 million paired-end reads, which were assembled de novo using Trinity and Oases assemblers, yielding 41,421 contigs with an N50 contig length of 2.22 kb and a total length of 67.79 Mb. BLASTp analysis against the MEROPS database identified 1729 contigs in 577 clusters encoding five peptidase classes (serine, cysteine, aspartic, threonine, and metallopeptidases), which were assigned to 26 clans, 48 families, and 185 peptidase species. The individual enzymes were differentially expressed among maggot tissues and included peptidase activities related to the therapeutic effects of maggot excretions/secretions.
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Pöppel AK, Kahl M, Baumann A, Wiesner J, Gökçen A, Beckert A, Preissner KT, Vilcinskas A, Franta Z. A Jonah-like chymotrypsin from the therapeutic maggot Lucilia sericata plays a role in wound debridement and coagulation. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2016; 70:138-147. [PMID: 26773746 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2015.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2015] [Revised: 11/27/2015] [Accepted: 11/27/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Lucilia sericata larvae are used in maggot debridement therapy, a traditional wound healing approach that has recently been approved for the treatment of chronic wounds. Maggot excretion products (MEP) contain many different proteases that promote disinfection, debridement and the acceleration of wound healing, e.g. by activating the host contact phase/intrinsic pathway of coagulation. In order to characterise relevant procoagulant proteases, we analysed MEP and identified a chymotrypsin-like serine protease with similarities to Jonah proteases from Drosophila melanogaster and a chymotrypsin from Lucilia cuprina. A recombinant form of the L. sericata Jonah chymotrypsin was produced in Escherichia coli. The activated enzyme (Jonahm) had a pH optimum of 8.0 and a temperature optimum of 37 °C, based on the cleavage of the chromogenic peptide s-7388 and casein. Jonahm reduced the clotting time of human plasma even in the absence of the endogenous protease kallikrein, factor XI or factor XII and digested the extracellular matrix proteins fibronectin, laminin and collagen IV, suggesting a potential mechanism of wound debridement. Based on these characteristics, the novel L. sericata chymotrypsin-like serine protease appears to be an ideal candidate for the development of topical drugs for wound healing applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne-Kathrin Pöppel
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Winchesterstrasse 2, 35394, Giessen, Germany
| | - Mareike Kahl
- Institute for Biochemistry, Medical School, Justus-Liebig-University, Friedrichstrasse 24, 35392, Giessen, Germany
| | - Andre Baumann
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Winchesterstrasse 2, 35394, Giessen, Germany
| | - Jochen Wiesner
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Winchesterstrasse 2, 35394, Giessen, Germany
| | - Anke Gökçen
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Winchesterstrasse 2, 35394, Giessen, Germany
| | - Annika Beckert
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Winchesterstrasse 2, 35394, Giessen, Germany
| | - Klaus T Preissner
- Institute for Biochemistry, Medical School, Justus-Liebig-University, Friedrichstrasse 24, 35392, Giessen, Germany
| | - Andreas Vilcinskas
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Winchesterstrasse 2, 35394, Giessen, Germany; Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus-Liebig-University, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, 35392, Giessen, Germany
| | - Zdeněk Franta
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Winchesterstrasse 2, 35394, Giessen, Germany.
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Díaz-Roa A, Gaona MA, Segura NA, Ramírez-Hernández A, Cortés-Vecino JA, Patarroyo MA, Bello F. Evaluating Sarconesiopsis magellanica blowfly-derived larval therapy and comparing it to Lucilia sericata-derived therapy in an animal model. Acta Trop 2016; 154:34-41. [PMID: 26546725 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2015.10.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2015] [Revised: 10/29/2015] [Accepted: 10/31/2015] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Larval therapy is used as alternative treatment for hard-to-heal chronic and infected wounds. Lucilia sericata is the most used blowfly species. However, it has been shown recently that Sarconesiopsis magellanica larval excretions and secretions have potent antibacterial activity; this blowfly belongs to the Calliphoridae family. The present work has dealt with evaluating larval therapy using S. magellanica on wounds induced in diabetic rabbits and its action was compared to the effect induced by L. sericata. Twelve New Zealand White rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) were used; they were divided into 4 groups, the first two being treated with larval therapy derived from both aforementioned necrophagous blowflies, an antibiotic was used in the third and the fourth was used as control. All the animals were wounded on the back and infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. Samples of the secretion from each animal's infected wound were taken and sown on blood agar. The colony forming units were then counted. The PUSH scale was used for the macroscopic evaluation of the wounds. Bacterial control was encountered 48 h post-treatment in the treatments involving larval therapy and to a lesser extent with the antibiotic. Likewise, wound debridement was quicker and more efficient with larval therapy compared to the antibiotic group; however, wound closing time was 23 days in all treatments. The group treated with S. magellanica larvae had relatively quicker evolution until the proliferation phase and the start of maturation, even though there were no significant differences between both blowfly species evaluated here regarding treatments by the end of the treatment period. The present study has validated the diabetic rabbit model for inducing chronic wounds regarding larval therapy and has likewise confirmed the effectiveness of S. magellanica-derived larval therapy as an alternative for curing and healing wounds.
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