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Konopińska N, Gmyrek R, Bylewska N, Tchórzewska S, Nowicki G, Lubawy J, Walkowiak-Nowicka K, Urbański A. The allatotropin/orexin system as an example of immunomodulatory properties of neuropeptides. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2024; 171:104149. [PMID: 38871133 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2024.104149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2024] [Revised: 05/20/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024]
Abstract
The central nervous system (CNS) plays a critical role in signal integration in animals and allows the orchestration of life processes to maintain homeostasis. Current research clearly shows that inflammatory processes can also be modulated by the CNS via the neuroendocrine system. One of the neuropeptide families that participate in vertebrates in this process is orexins (OXs). Interestingly, our previous results suggested that a similar dependency may also exist between neuropeptides and immune system activity in insects. Due to the structural homology of orexin and allatotropin receptors and the functional similarity between these two neuropeptide families, the main aim of this research was to perform a complex analysis of the relationships between allatotropin (AT) and the insect immune response. Our results revealed functional similarities between vertebrate OXs and insect ATs. Similar effects were observed in the profile of the expression level of the gene encoding the AT precursor in the Tenebrio molitor nervous system and in the general action of Tenmo-AT on selected immune parameters of the tested beetles. Moreover, for the first time in insects, we confirmed the role of cytokines in the modulation of neuroendocrine system by determining the effect of Spätzle-like protein injection on the expression of genes encoding AT precursor and receptor. All these results are important for understanding the evolutionary basis of hormonal regulation of the immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Konopińska
- Department of Animal Physiology and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
| | - Radosław Gmyrek
- Department of Animal Physiology and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
| | - Natalia Bylewska
- Department of Animal Physiology and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
| | - Sara Tchórzewska
- Department of Animal Physiology and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
| | | | - Jan Lubawy
- Department of Animal Physiology and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
| | - Karolina Walkowiak-Nowicka
- Department of Animal Physiology and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
| | - Arkadiusz Urbański
- Department of Animal Physiology and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland.
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Shahmohammadi N, Esmaeily M, Abdisa E, Mandal E, Kim Y. Enhanced baculoviral virulence by suppressing the degradation of an insect immune resolvin, epoxyoctadecamonoenoic acid, in three lepidopteran insects. J Invertebr Pathol 2024; 204:108095. [PMID: 38499284 DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2024.108095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2024] [Revised: 02/17/2024] [Accepted: 03/10/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
Epoxyoctadecamonoenoic acids (EpOMEs) are produced from linoleic acid by a cytochrome P450 monooxygenase (CYP) and play a crucial role in terminating excessive and unnecessary immune responses during the late infection stage in insects. This suggests that an increase in the EpOME level may enhance the virulence of insect pathogens against pests. This study tested this hypothesis using a specific inhibitor against soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) to degrade EpOMEs, which leads to elevated endogenous EpOME levels. A baculovirus, Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV), was used to infect three different lepidopteran insects (Spodoptera exigua, Maruca vitrata, and Plutella xylostella) by oral feeding or hemocoelic injection treatments. Within one hour, the viral infection induced the expression of three different phospholipase A2 (PLA2) genes and, after 12 h, up-regulated the expressions of CYP and sEH genes in Spodopera exigua. As expected, AcMNPV virulence was suppressed by the addition of arachidonic acid (a catalytic product of PLA2) but was enhanced by the addition of either of the EpOME regioisomers. In addition, treatment with a specific sEH inhibitor (AUDA) increased AcMNPV virulence against three different lepidopteran insects, presumably by increasing endogenous EpOME levels. This enhanced effect of EpOMEs on virulence was further supported by specific RNA interference (RNAi), in which RNAi specific to CYP expression decreased AcMNPV virulence while a specific RNAi against sEH expression significantly enhanced virulence. In response to AcMNPV infection, TUNEL assay results showed that S. exigua larvae exhibited apoptosis in the midgut, fat body, and epidermis. Inhibition of apoptosis by a pan-caspase inhibitor, Z-VAD-FMK, significantly increased virulence. Similarly, the addition of AUDA to the viral treatment suppressed the gene expression of five inducible caspases and cytochrome C to suppress apoptosis, which led to a significant increase in the tissue viral titers. These results indicate that EpOMEs play a role in terminating excessive and unnecessary immune responses against viral infection during the late stage by down-regulating antiviral apoptosis in lepidopteran insects.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mojtaba Esmaeily
- Department of Plant Medicals, Andong National University, Andong, 36720, Korea
| | - Eticha Abdisa
- Department of Plant Medicals, Andong National University, Andong, 36720, Korea
| | - Eeshita Mandal
- Department of Plant Medicals, Andong National University, Andong, 36720, Korea
| | - Yonggyun Kim
- Department of Plant Medicals, Andong National University, Andong, 36720, Korea.
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Park SM, Suh JW, Ju YK, Kim JY, Kim SB, Sohn JW, Yoon YK. Molecular and virulence characteristics of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii isolates: a prospective cohort study. Sci Rep 2023; 13:19536. [PMID: 37945745 PMCID: PMC10636183 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-46985-1] [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: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to characterize the molecular features and virulence profiles of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) isolates. Clinical CRAB isolates were obtained from blood cultures of adult patients with CRAB bacteremia, collected between July 2015 and July 2021 at a Korean hospital. Real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to detect 13 virulence genes, genotyping was conducted via multilocus sequence typing (MLST), and a Tenebrio molitor infection model was selected for survival analysis. Herein, 170 patients, from whom CRAB isolates were collected, showed the in-hospital mortality rate of 57.6%. All 170 clinical CRAB isolates harbored blaOXA-23 and blaOXA-51. MLST genotyping identified 11 CRAB sequence types (STs), of which ST191 was predominant (25.7%). Virulence genes were distributed as follows: basD, 58.9%; espA, 15.9%; bap, 92.4%; and ompA, 77.1%. In the T. molitor model, ST195 showed a significantly higher mortality rate (73.3% vs. 66.7%, p = 0.015) than the other groups. Our findings provide insights into the microbiological features of CRAB blood isolates associated with high mortality. We suggest a potential framework for using a T. molitor infection model to characterize CRAB virulence. Further research is warranted to elucidate the mechanisms by which virulence improves clinical outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seung Min Park
- Institute of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jin Woong Suh
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University Anam Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, 73 Inchon-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Yong Kuk Ju
- Institute of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jeong Yeon Kim
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University Anam Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, 73 Inchon-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Sun Bean Kim
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University Anam Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, 73 Inchon-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Jang Wook Sohn
- Institute of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University Anam Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, 73 Inchon-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Young Kyung Yoon
- Institute of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University Anam Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, 73 Inchon-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea.
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Malladi S, Sukkar D, Bonnefoy A, Falla-Angel J, Laval-Gilly P. Imidacloprid and acetamiprid synergistically downregulate spaetzle and myD88 of the Toll pathway in haemocytes of the European honeybee (Apis mellifera). ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND PHARMACOLOGY 2023; 104:104323. [PMID: 37995888 DOI: 10.1016/j.etap.2023.104323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Revised: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
Pollinator health has been of critical concern over the last few decades. The prevalence of the honeybee Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), changing climate, and the rise of vector-borne honeybee diseases by Varroa destructor, have played a major role in the rapid decline of global honeybee populations. Honeybees are environmentally and economically significant actors in biodiversity. The impact of agricultural practices, such as pesticide use, has exacerbated the negative effects on honeybees. We demonstrate the synergistic effect of cocktails of the neonicotinoids imidacloprid and acetamiprid on honeybee haemocytes. Two genes responsible for critical immune responses, spaetzle and myD88, are consistently dysregulated following exposure to either neonicotinoid alone or as a mixture with or without an immune challenge. The 2018 ban of neonicotinoids in Europe, followed by the 2020 reauthorisation of imidacloprid in France and the current consideration to reinstate acetamiprid underscores the need to evaluate their cumulative impact on honeybee health.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dani Sukkar
- Université de Lorraine, INRAE, LSE, F-54000 Nancy, France; Université de Lorraine, IUT Thionville-Yutz, Plateforme de Recherche, Transfert de Technologie et Innovation (PRTI), 57970 Yutz, France
| | - Antoine Bonnefoy
- Université de Lorraine, IUT Thionville-Yutz, Plateforme de Recherche, Transfert de Technologie et Innovation (PRTI), 57970 Yutz, France
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Andrade-Oliveira AL, Lacerda-Rodrigues G, Pereira MF, Bahia AC, Machado EDA, Rossi CC, Giambiagi-deMarval M. Tenebrio molitor as a model system to study Staphylococcus spp virulence and horizontal gene transfer. Microb Pathog 2023; 183:106304. [PMID: 37567328 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2023.106304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Revised: 07/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023]
Abstract
Invertebrates can provide a valuable alternative to traditional vertebrate animal models for studying bacterial and fungal infections. This study aimed to establish the larvae of the coleoptera Tenebrio molitor (mealworm) as an in vivo model for evaluating virulence and horizontal gene transfer between Staphylococcus spp. After identifying the best conditions for rearing T. molitor, larvae were infected with different Staphylococcus species, resulting in dose-dependent killing curves. All species tested killed the insects at higher doses, with S. nepalensis and S. aureus being the most and least virulent, respectively. However, only S. nepalensis was able to kill more than 50% of larvae 72 h post-infection at a low amount of 105 CFU. Staphylococcus infection also stimulated an increase in the concentration of hemocytes present in the hemolymph, which was proportional to the virulence. To investigate T. molitor's suitability as an in vivo model for plasmid transfer studies, we used S. aureus strains as donor and recipient of a plasmid containing the gentamicin resistance gene aac(6')-aph(2″). By inoculating larvae with non-lethal doses of each, we observed conjugation, and obtained transconjugant colonies with a frequency of 1.6 × 10-5 per donor cell. This study demonstrates the potential of T. molitor larvae as a reliable and cost-effective model for analyzing the virulence of Staphylococcus and, for the first time, an optimal environment for the plasmid transfer between S. aureus carrying antimicrobial resistance genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Luisa Andrade-Oliveira
- Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Geovana Lacerda-Rodrigues
- Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Monalessa Fábia Pereira
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade do Estado de Minas Gerais, Carangola, MG, Brazil
| | - Ana Cristina Bahia
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil; Instituto Nacional de Ciencia e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Ednildo de Alcântara Machado
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil; Instituto Nacional de Ciencia e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Ciro César Rossi
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, MG, Brazil
| | - Marcia Giambiagi-deMarval
- Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
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