Beneficial Bacteria in the Intestines of Housefly Larvae Promote Larval Development and Humoral Phenoloxidase Activity, While Harmful Bacteria do the Opposite

Shotgun metagenomics reveals the gut microbial diversity and functions in Vespa mandarinia (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) at multiple life stages

Wasps play important roles as predators and pollinators in the ecosystem. The Jingpo minority residing in Yunnan Province, China, has a traditional practice of using wine infused with mature wasps as a customary remedy for managing rheumatoid arthritis. The larva of the wasp is also a tasteful folk dish that has created a tremendous market. There is a paucity of survival knowledge, which has greatly restricted their potential applications in food and healthcare. Recent research has highlighted the importance of gut microbiota in insect growth. Nevertheless, there is still a lack of understanding regarding the composition, changes, and functions of the gut microbiota in Vespa mandarinia during development. In this research, the gut microbiota were investigated across three growth stages of Vespa mandarinia using a metagenomic technology. The result revealed that there are significant variations in the proportion of main gut microbes during the metamorphosis of Vespa mandarinia. Tenericutes were found to dominate during the larval stage, while Proteobacteria emerged as the dominant group post-pupation. Through a comprehensive analysis of the gut microbiota metagenome, this study revealed functional differences in the wasp gut microbiota at various growth stages. During the larval stage, the gut microbiota plays a central role in promoting metabolism. Following pupation, the gut microbiota exhibited diversified functions, likely due to the complex environments and diverse food sources encountered after metamorphosis. These functions included amino acid metabolism, compound degradation, and defense mechanisms. This research provides an extensive dataset on the gut microbiota during the metamorphosis of Vespa mandarinia, contributing to a deeper understanding of the influence of gut microbiota on wasp growth. Furthermore, this study uncovers a unique microbial treasure within insect guts, which is important for advancing the application of wasps in the fields of food and medicine.

Application of bacteria and bacteriophage cocktails for biological control of houseflies

BACKGROUND

Houseflies, Musca domestica L., are an ubiquitous pest that can transmit numerous diseases and threaten human health. Increasing insecticide resistance shown by houseflies necessitates the develop new control alternatives. The housefly gut is densely colonized with microorganisms that interact with each other dynamically and benefit the host's health. However, the impact of multiple symbiotic bacteria on the composition of housefly gut microbiota and the host's activities remains unclear.

METHODS

We isolated and cultured 12 bacterial species from the intestines of housefly larvae. We also isolated seven bacteriophages to precisely target the regulation of certain bacterial species. Using 16S rRNA high-throughput gene sequencing, we analyzed the bacterial diversity after orally administering bacteria/phage cocktails to houseflies.

RESULTS

Our results showed that larval growth was promoted, the abundance of beneficial bacteria, such as Klebsiella and Enterobacter, was increased and the abundance of harmful bacteria, such as Providencia, Morganella and Pseudomonas, was decreased in housefly larvae fed with the beneficial bacteria cocktail. However, oral administration of both beneficial and harmful bacterial phage cocktails inhibited larval growth, probably due to the drastic alteration of gut flora. Untargeted metabolomics using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry showed that disturbances in gut microbiota changed the larval metabolite profiles. Feeding experiments revealed that disrupting the intestinal flora suppressed the beneficial bacteria and increased the harmful bacteria, causing changes in the metabolites and inhibiting larval growth.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on our results, bacteria/phage cocktails are effective tools for regulating the intestinal flora of insects and have a high potential as a biological control agent for incorporation into an integrated pest management program.

Effects of Dietary Lycopene on the Growth Performance, Antioxidant Capacity, Meat Quality, Intestine Histomorphology, and Cecal Microbiota in Broiler Chickens

The experiment aimed to investigate the effects of dietary lycopene on the growth performance, antioxidant capacity, meat quality, intestine histomorphology, and cecal microbiota in broiler chickens. We randomly divided five hundred and seventy-six one-day-old male broilers into four groups each with six replicates and 24 chickens in each replicate. The control group (CG) was fed the basal diet, and the other groups were given powder lycopene of 10, 20, and 30 mg/kg lycopene (LP10, LP20, and LP30, respectively). Compared with the control group, (1) the dietary lycopene increased (p = 0.001) the average daily gain and decreased (p = 0.033) the feed conversion ratio in the experimental groups; (2) the glutathione peroxidase enzyme contents in LP20 were higher (p =< 0.001) in myocardium; (3) the crude protein contents were higher (p = 0.007) in the group treated with 30 mg/kg dietary lycopene; (4) the jejunum villous height was higher (p = 0.040) in LP20; (5) the Unclassified-f-Ruminococcaceae relative abundance was significantly higher (p = 0.043) in LP20. In this study, adding 20 mg/kg dietary lycopene to the broiler chickens' diets improved the growth performance, antioxidant capacity, meat quality, intestine histomorphology, and cecal microbiota in broiler chickens.

Effects of maggot antimicrobial peptides on growth performance, immune function, and cecal flora of yellow-feathered broilers

INTRODUCTION

This study investigated the effects of maggot antimicrobial peptides on growth performance, blood parameters, immune organ index, and cecum microbial diversity in yellow broilers.

METHODS

The addition of 100-300 mg/kg maggots antimicrobial peptides to the corn-soybean meal basal diet was evaluated. Two hundred and forty one-day-old yellow-feathered broilers were randomly divided into four groups (60 chickens in each group): basal diet group (BC group), basal diet group + 100, 200, 300 mg/kg maggots antimicrobial peptides (MDAL group, MDAM group, and MDAH group).

RESULTS

The result showed that the average daily feed intake (ADFI) of the BC group, MDAM group, and MDAH group was higher than that of the MDAL group (P > 0.05), the average daily gain of MDAM group and MDAH group was significantly higher than that of BC group and MDAL group (P < 0.05), but the feed-weight ratio (F/G) was significantly lower than that of BC group (P < 0.05). The total protein (TP) content in the MDAM group and MDAH group was significantly higher than that in the BC group (P < 0.05), and the albumin (ALB) content in the MDAH group was higher than that in the BC group (P > 0.05). The contents of IgA and IgG in the MDAH group were significantly higher than those in the BC group (P < 0.05). In contrast, the content of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in the MDAH group was significantly lower than that in the BC group (P < 0.05). The thymus and spleen indexes of the MDAH group were significantly higher than those of the BC group (P < 0.05). 16S rDNA sequencing results showed that Bacteroidota and Bacteroides were the dominant phylum and genus of cecal microorganisms at the phylum and genus levels, respectively. Cecum microorganisms are mainly involved in biological processes such as energy production and conversion, amino acid transport and metabolism, and carbohydrate transport and metabolism.

DISCUSSION

It was concluded that adding different doses of maggot antimicrobial peptide to the basal diet could improve yellow-feathered broilers' growth and immune performance and change the cecum flora. The appropriate dose of antimicrobial peptide addition was 300 mg/kg.

Serratia marcescens in the intestine of housefly larvae inhibits host growth by interfering with gut microbiota

BACKGROUND

The structure of gut microbiota is highly complex. Insects have ubiquitous associations with intestinal symbiotic bacteria, which play essential roles. Thus, understanding how changes in the abundance of a single bacterium interfere with bacterial interactions in the insect's gut is important.

METHODS

Here, we analyzed the effects of Serratia marcescens on the growth and development of housefly larvae using phage technology. We used 16S rRNA gene sequencing technology to explore dynamic diversity and variation in gut bacterial communities and performed plate confrontation assays to study the interaction between S. marcescens and intestinal microorganisms. Furthermore, we performed phenoloxidase activity assay, crawling assay, and trypan blue staining to explore the negative effects of S. marcescens on housefly larvae's humoral immunity, motility, and intestinal organization.

RESULTS

The growth and development of housefly larvae were inhibited after feeding on S. marcescens, and their intestinal bacterial composition changed with increasing abundance of Providencia and decreasing abundance of Enterobacter and Klebsiella. Meanwhile, the depletion of S. marcescens by phages promoted the reproduction of beneficial bacteria.

CONCLUSIONS

In our study, using phage as a tool to regulate the abundance of S. marcescens, we highlighted the mechanism by which S. marcescens inhibits the growth and development of housefly larvae and illustrated the importance of intestinal flora for larval development. Furthermore, by studying the dynamic diversity and variation in gut bacterial communities, we improved our understanding of the possible relationship between the gut microbiome and housefly larvae when houseflies are invaded by exogenous pathogenic bacteria.