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Robinson K, Duffield KR, Ramirez JL, Cohnstaedt LW, Ashworth A, Jesudhasan PR, Arsi K, Morales Ramos JA, Rojas MG, Crippen TL, Shanmugasundaram R, Vaughan M, Webster C, Sealey W, Purswell JL, Oppert B, Neven L, Cook K, Donoghue AM. MINIstock: Model for INsect Inclusion in sustainable agriculture: USDA-ARS's research approach to advancing insect meal development and inclusion in animal diets. JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 2024:toae130. [PMID: 38961669 DOI: 10.1093/jee/toae130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2024] [Revised: 05/23/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024]
Abstract
Animal agriculture is under pressure to increase efficiency, sustainability, and innovation to meet the demands of a rising global population while decreasing adverse environmental effects. Feed cost and availability are 2 of the biggest hurdles to sustainable production. Current diets depend on sources of grain and animal byproduct protein for essential amino acids which have limited sustainability. Insects have arisen as an attractive, sustainable alternative protein source for animal diets due to their favorable nutrient composition, low space and water requirements, and natural role in animal diets. Additionally, insects are capable of bioremediating waste streams including agricultural and food waste, manure, and plastics helping to increase their sustainability. The insect rearing industry has grown rapidly in recent years and shows great economic potential. However, state-of-the-art research is urgently needed to overcome barriers to adoption in commercial animal diets such as regulatory restrictions, production scale issues, and food safety concerns. To address this need, the USDA Agricultural Research Service "MINIstoc: Model for INsect Inclusion" project was created to bring together diverse scientists from across the world to synergistically advance insect meal production and inclusion in animal diets. Here, we provide a short review of insects as feed while describing the MINIstock project which serves as the inspiration for the Journal of Economic Entomology Special Collection "Insects as feed: sustainable solutions for food waste and animal production practices."
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kristin R Duffield
- USDA-ARS, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Crop Bioprotection Research, Peoria, IL, USA
| | - José L Ramirez
- USDA-ARS, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Crop Bioprotection Research, Peoria, IL, USA
| | - Lee W Cohnstaedt
- USDA-ARS, National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility, Foreign Arthropod Borne Animal Disease Research, Manhattan, KS, USA
| | - Amanda Ashworth
- USDA-ARS, Poultry Production and Product Safety Research, Fayetteville, AR, USA
| | - Palmy R Jesudhasan
- USDA-ARS, Poultry Production and Product Safety Research, Fayetteville, AR, USA
| | - Komala Arsi
- USDA-ARS, Poultry Production and Product Safety Research, Fayetteville, AR, USA
| | - Juan A Morales Ramos
- USDA-ARS, National Biological Control Laboratory, Biological Control of Pests Research, Stoneville, MS, USA
| | - M Guadalupe Rojas
- USDA-ARS, National Biological Control Laboratory, Biological Control of Pests Research, Stoneville, MS, USA
| | - Tawni L Crippen
- USDA-ARS, Food and Feed Safety Research, College Station, TX, USA
| | | | - Martha Vaughan
- USDA-ARS, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Mycotoxin Prevention and Applied Microbiology Research, Peoria, IL, USA
| | - Carl Webster
- USDA-ARS, Aquatic Animal Health Research, Auburn, AL, USA
| | - Wendy Sealey
- USDA-ARS, Bozeman Fish Technology Center, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | | | - Brenda Oppert
- USDA-ARS, Center for Grain and Animal Health Research, Stored Product Insect and Engineering Research, Manhattan, KS, USA
| | - Lisa Neven
- USDA-ARS, Temperate Tree Fruit and Vegetable Research, Wapato, WA, USA
| | - Kim Cook
- USDA-ARS, Beltsville, Beltsville, MD, USA
| | - Annie M Donoghue
- USDA-ARS, Poultry Production and Product Safety Research, Fayetteville, AR, USA
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Lim FS, González-Cabrera J, Keilwagen J, Kleespies RG, Jehle JA, Wennmann JT. Advancing pathogen surveillance by nanopore sequencing and genotype characterization of Acheta domesticus densovirus in mass-reared house crickets. Sci Rep 2024; 14:8525. [PMID: 38609404 PMCID: PMC11014933 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-58768-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Rapid and reliable detection of pathogens is crucial to complement the growing industry of mass-reared insects, in order to safeguard the insect colonies from outbreak of diseases, which may cause significant economic loss. Current diagnostic methods are mainly based on conventional PCR and microscopic examination, requiring prior knowledge of disease symptoms and are limited to identifying known pathogens. Here, we present a rapid nanopore-based metagenomics approach for detecting entomopathogens from the European house cricket (Acheta domesticus). In this study, the Acheta domesticus densovirus (AdDV) was detected from diseased individuals using solely Nanopore sequencing. Virus reads and genome assemblies were obtained within twenty-four hours after sequencing. Subsequently, due to the length of the Nanopore reads, it was possible to reconstruct significantly large parts or even the entire AdDV genome to conduct studies for genotype identification. Variant analysis indicated the presence of three AdDV genotypes within the same house cricket population, with association to the vital status of the diseased crickets. This contrast provided compelling evidence for the existence of non-lethal AdDV genotypes. These findings demonstrated nanopore-based metagenomics sequencing as a powerful addition to the diagnostic tool kit for routine pathogen surveillance and diagnosis in the insect rearing industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Shiang Lim
- Julius Kühn Institute (JKI) - Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Biological Control, Schwabenheimer Str. 101, 69221, Dossenheim, Germany
- Department of Genetics and Institute BIOTECMED, Universitat de València, Dr Moliner 50, 46100, Burjassot, Spain
| | - Joel González-Cabrera
- Department of Genetics and Institute BIOTECMED, Universitat de València, Dr Moliner 50, 46100, Burjassot, Spain
| | - Jens Keilwagen
- Julius Kühn Institute (JKI) - Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for the Safety of Biotechnological Processes in Plants, Erwin-Baur-Str. 27, 06484, Quedlinburg, Germany
| | - Regina G Kleespies
- Julius Kühn Institute (JKI) - Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Biological Control, Schwabenheimer Str. 101, 69221, Dossenheim, Germany
| | - Johannes A Jehle
- Julius Kühn Institute (JKI) - Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Biological Control, Schwabenheimer Str. 101, 69221, Dossenheim, Germany
| | - Jörg T Wennmann
- Julius Kühn Institute (JKI) - Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Biological Control, Schwabenheimer Str. 101, 69221, Dossenheim, Germany.
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Takacs J, Bryon A, Jensen AB, van Loon JJA, Ros VID. Effects of Temperature and Density on House Cricket Survival and Growth and on the Prevalence of Acheta Domesticus Densovirus. INSECTS 2023; 14:588. [PMID: 37504594 PMCID: PMC10380462 DOI: 10.3390/insects14070588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
The house cricket, Acheta domesticus, is a commonly reared insect for food and feed purposes. In 1977, a report described a colony collapse, which was caused by the single-stranded DNA virus Acheta domesticus densovirus (AdDV). Currently, there are no confirmed A. domesticus colonies free of AdDV, and viral disease outbreaks are a continuous threat to A. domesticus mass rearing. Correlations between cricket rearing density or temperature and AdDV abundance have been hypothesized, but experimental evidence is lacking. Optimised rearing conditions, including temperature and density, are key to cost-effective cricket production. In this study, house crickets were subjected to different combinations of rearing density (10, 20, 40 crickets per box) and temperature (25, 30, 35 °C) to study the effect on cricket survival, biomass, and AdDV abundance. Rearing temperature affected had a minor effect on survival, which ranged between 80 and 83%. Total cricket biomass increased with higher temperatures and higher densities. Viral abundance in crickets at the end of the rearing period was variable; however, high rearing density seemed to result in higher AdDV abundance. At 35 °C, a temperature considered suboptimal for house cricket production, viral abundance tended to be lower than at 25 or 30 °C.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jozsef Takacs
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, DK-1871 Copenhagen, Denmark
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University and Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Laboratory of Virology, Wageningen University and Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Astrid Bryon
- Laboratory of Virology, Wageningen University and Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Annette B Jensen
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, DK-1871 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Joop J A van Loon
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University and Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Vera I D Ros
- Laboratory of Virology, Wageningen University and Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
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Dossey AT, Oppert B, Chu FC, Lorenzen MD, Scheffler B, Simpson S, Koren S, Johnston JS, Kataoka K, Ide K. Genome and Genetic Engineering of the House Cricket (Acheta domesticus): A Resource for Sustainable Agriculture. Biomolecules 2023; 13:biom13040589. [PMID: 37189337 DOI: 10.3390/biom13040589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: The house cricket, Acheta domesticus, is one of the most farmed insects worldwide and the foundation of an emerging industry using insects as a sustainable food source. Edible insects present a promising alternative for protein production amid a plethora of reports on climate change and biodiversity loss largely driven by agriculture. As with other crops, genetic resources are needed to improve crickets for food and other applications. Methods: We present the first high quality annotated genome assembly of A. domesticus from long read data and scaffolded to chromosome level, providing information needed for genetic manipulation. Results: Gene groups related to immunity were annotated and will be useful for improving value to insect farmers. Metagenome scaffolds in the A. domesticus assembly, including Invertebrate Iridescent Virus 6 (IIV6), were submitted as host-associated sequences. We demonstrate both CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knock-in and knock-out of A. domesticus and discuss implications for the food, pharmaceutical, and other industries. RNAi was demonstrated to disrupt the function of the vermilion eye-color gene producing a useful white-eye biomarker phenotype. Conclusions: We are utilizing these data to develop technologies for downstream commercial applications, including more nutritious and disease-resistant crickets, as well as lines producing valuable bioproducts, such as vaccines and antibiotics.
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Duffield KR, Foquet B, Stasko JA, Hunt J, Sadd BM, Sakaluk SK, Ramirez JL. Induction of Multiple Immune Signaling Pathways in Gryllodes sigillatus Crickets during Overt Viral Infections. Viruses 2022; 14:v14122712. [PMID: 36560716 PMCID: PMC9786821 DOI: 10.3390/v14122712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Revised: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite decades of focus on crickets (family: Gryllidae) as a popular commodity and model organism, we still know very little about their immune responses to microbial pathogens. Previous studies have measured downstream immune effects (e.g., encapsulation response, circulating hemocytes) following an immune challenge in crickets, but almost none have identified and quantified the expression of immune genes during an active pathogenic infection. Furthermore, the prevalence of covert (i.e., asymptomatic) infections within insect populations is becoming increasingly apparent, yet we do not fully understand the mechanisms that maintain low viral loads. In the present study, we measured the expression of several genes across multiple immune pathways in Gryllodes sigillatus crickets with an overt or covert infection of cricket iridovirus (CrIV). Crickets with overt infections had higher relative expression of key pathway component genes across the Toll, Imd, Jak/STAT, and RNAi pathways. These results suggests that crickets can tolerate low viral infections but can mount a robust immune response during an overt CrIV infection. Moreover, this study provides insight into the immune strategy of crickets following viral infection and will aid future studies looking to quantify immune investment and improve resistance to pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin R. Duffield
- National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Crop BioProtection Research Unit, USDA-ARS, 1815 N. University St., Peoria, IL 61604, USA
- Correspondence:
| | - Bert Foquet
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61761, USA
| | - Judith A. Stasko
- Microscopy Services Laboratory, National Animal Disease Center, USDA-ARS, Ames, IA 50010, USA
| | - John Hunt
- School of Science, Western Sydney University, Hawkesbury Campus, Richmond, NSW 2753, Australia
| | - Ben M. Sadd
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61761, USA
| | - Scott K. Sakaluk
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61761, USA
| | - José L. Ramirez
- National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Crop BioProtection Research Unit, USDA-ARS, 1815 N. University St., Peoria, IL 61604, USA
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Buhlke EG, Hobbs AM, Rajput S, Rokusek B, Carlson DJ, Gillan C, Carlson KA. Characterization of Cross-Species Transmission of Drosophila melanogaster Nora Virus. Life (Basel) 2022; 12:1913. [PMID: 36431048 PMCID: PMC9697521 DOI: 10.3390/life12111913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Revised: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Drosophila melanogaster Nora virus (DmNV) is a novel picorna-like virus first characterized in 2006. Since then, Nora virus has been detected in several non-Drosophila species, including insects in the Orders Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, and Orthoptera. The objective of this study was to determine if DmNV could infect individuals of other species of invertebrates besides D. melanogaster. The presence of DmNV in native invertebrates and commercially available stocks was determined. Laboratory-reared D. yakuba, D. mercatorum, Gryllodes sigillatus, Tenebrio molitor, Galleria mellonella, and Musca domestica were intentionally infected with DmNV. In addition, native invertebrates were collected and D. melanogaster stocks were purchased and screened for DmNV presence using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) before being intentionally infected for study. All Drosophila species and other invertebrates, except M. domestica, that were intentionally infected with DmNV ended up scoring positive for the virus via RT-PCR. DmNV infection was also detected in three native invertebrates (Spilosoma virginica, Diplopoda, and Odontotaenius disjunctus) and all commercially available stocks tested. These findings suggest that DmNV readily infects individuals of other species of invertebrates, while also appearing to be an endemic virus in both wild and laboratory D. melanogaster populations. The detection of DmNV in commercially available stocks presents a cautionary message for scientists using these stocks in studies of virology and immunology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ella G. Buhlke
- Central City Senior High School, 1510 28th Street, Central City, NE 68826, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Nebraska at Kearney, 2401 11th Ave, Kearney, NE 68849, USA
| | - Alexis M. Hobbs
- Department of Biology, University of Nebraska at Kearney, 2401 11th Ave, Kearney, NE 68849, USA
| | - Sunanda Rajput
- Department of Biology, University of Nebraska at Kearney, 2401 11th Ave, Kearney, NE 68849, USA
| | - Blase Rokusek
- Department of Biology, University of Nebraska at Kearney, 2401 11th Ave, Kearney, NE 68849, USA
| | - Darby J. Carlson
- Department of Biology, University of Nebraska at Kearney, 2401 11th Ave, Kearney, NE 68849, USA
| | - Chelle Gillan
- Central City Senior High School, 1510 28th Street, Central City, NE 68826, USA
| | - Kimberly A. Carlson
- Department of Biology, University of Nebraska at Kearney, 2401 11th Ave, Kearney, NE 68849, USA
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First Evidence of Past and Present Interactions between Viruses and the Black Soldier Fly, Hermetia illucens. Viruses 2022; 14:v14061274. [PMID: 35746744 PMCID: PMC9231314 DOI: 10.3390/v14061274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2022] [Revised: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Black soldier flies (BSFs, Hermetia illucens) are becoming a prominent research model encouraged by the insect as food and feed and waste bioconversion industries. Insect mass-rearing facilities are at risk from the spread of viruses, but so far, none have been described in BSFs. To fill this knowledge gap, a bioinformatic approach was undertaken to discover viruses specifically associated with BSFs. First, BSF genomes were screened for the presence of endogenous viral elements (EVEs). This led to the discovery and mapping of seven orthologous EVEs integrated into three BSF genomes originating from five viral families. Secondly, a virus discovery pipeline was used to screen BSF transcriptomes. This led to detecting a new exogenous totivirus that we named hermetia illucens totivirus 1 (HiTV1). Phylogenetic analyses showed this virus belongs to a clade of insect-specific totiviruses and is closely related to the largest EVE located on chromosome 1 of the BSF genome. Lastly, this EVE was found to express a small transcript in some BSFs infected by HiTV1. Altogether, this data mining study showed that far from being unscathed from viruses, BSFs bear traces of past interactions with several viral families and of present interactions with the exogenous HiTV1.
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