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Belikoff EJ, Davis RJ, Williamson ME, Britt JW, Scott MJ. Identification of a gene promoter active in Lucilia sericata larval salivary glands using a rapid transient expression assay. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2024; 173:104163. [PMID: 39068996 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2024.104163] [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: 03/08/2024] [Revised: 07/01/2024] [Accepted: 07/25/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
Tissue-specific gene promoters are desired as they provide the specificity needed for control of gene expression in transgenic animals. Here we describe a relatively rapid two-component transient expression assay that was used to identify a gene promoter active in the larval salivary glands of the green blow fly, Lucilia sericata. Sterile L.sericata maggots are widely used for wound debridement. A larval salivary gland gene promoter could be used to make maggots that secrete factors for enhanced wound therapy. Embryos from a line that carry a tetracycline transactivator (tTA)-activated red fluorescent protein gene were injected with plasmid DNA with the tTA gene driven by a constitutive or tissue-specific gene promoter. The hatched larvae were reared on diet and then examined for red fluorescence. A promoter from the LsCG30371 gene was active in the larval salivary glands. The tissue-specificity of the promoter was subsequently confirmed with stable transgenic lines that carried the LsCG30371-tTA gene. The relatively rapid transient expression assay could potentially be used to determine the tissue-specificity of other gene promoters. Further, the stable LsCG30371-tTA lines could be used to make sterile maggots that secrete factors from the salivary glands for enhanced wound healing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther J Belikoff
- Department of Entomology, North Carolina State University, Campus Box 7613, Raleigh, NC, 27695-7613, USA.
| | - Rebecca J Davis
- Department of Entomology, North Carolina State University, Campus Box 7613, Raleigh, NC, 27695-7613, USA.
| | - Megan E Williamson
- Department of Entomology, North Carolina State University, Campus Box 7613, Raleigh, NC, 27695-7613, USA.
| | - John W Britt
- Department of Entomology, North Carolina State University, Campus Box 7613, Raleigh, NC, 27695-7613, USA.
| | - Maxwell J Scott
- Department of Entomology, North Carolina State University, Campus Box 7613, Raleigh, NC, 27695-7613, USA.
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Wulff JP, Hickner PV, Watson DW, Denning SS, Belikoff EJ, Scott MJ. Antennal transcriptome analysis reveals sensory receptors potentially associated with host detection in the livestock pest Lucilia cuprina. Parasit Vectors 2024; 17:308. [PMID: 39026238 PMCID: PMC11256703 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-024-06391-6] [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: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lucilia cuprina (Wiedemann, 1830) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) is the main causative agent of flystrike of sheep in Australia and New Zealand. Female flies lay eggs in an open wound or natural orifice, and the developing larvae eat the host's tissues, a condition called myiasis. To improve our understanding of host-seeking behavior, we quantified gene expression in male and female antennae based on their behavior. METHODS A spatial olfactometer was used to evaluate the olfactory response of L. cuprina mated males and gravid females to fresh or rotting beef. Antennal RNA-Seq analysis was used to identify sensory receptors differentially expressed between groups. RESULTS Lucilia cuprina females were more attracted to rotten compared to fresh beef (> fivefold increase). However, males and some females did not respond to either type of beef. RNA-Seq analysis was performed on antennae dissected from attracted females, non-attracted females and males. Transcripts encoding sensory receptors from 11 gene families were identified above a threshold (≥ 5 transcript per million) including 49 ATP-binding cassette transporters (ABCs), two ammonium transporters (AMTs), 37 odorant receptors (ORs), 16 ionotropic receptors (IRs), 5 gustatory receptors (GRs), 22 odorant-binding proteins (OBPs), 9 CD36-sensory neuron membrane proteins (CD36/SNMPs), 4 chemosensory proteins (CSPs), 4 myeloid lipid-recognition (ML) and Niemann-Pick C2 disease proteins (ML/NPC2), 2 pickpocket receptors (PPKs) and 3 transient receptor potential channels (TRPs). Differential expression analyses identified sex-biased sensory receptors. CONCLUSIONS We identified sensory receptors that were differentially expressed between the antennae of both sexes and hence may be associated with host detection by female flies. The most promising for future investigations were as follows: an odorant receptor (LcupOR46) which is female-biased in L. cuprina and Cochliomyia hominivorax Coquerel, 1858; an ABC transporter (ABC G23.1) that was the sole sensory receptor upregulated in the antennae of females attracted to rotting beef compared to non-attracted females; a female-biased ammonia transporter (AMT_Rh50), which was previously associated with ammonium detection in Drosophila melanogaster Meigen, 1830. This is the first report suggesting a possible role for ABC transporters in L. cuprina olfaction and potentially in other insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan P Wulff
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA
| | - Paul V Hickner
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory, 2700 Fredericksburg Road, Kerrville, TX, 78028-9184, USA
| | - David W Watson
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA
| | - Steven S Denning
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA
| | - Esther J Belikoff
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA
| | - Maxwell J Scott
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA.
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Ryazansky SS, Chen C, Potters M, Naumenko AN, Lukyanchikova V, Masri RA, Brusentsov II, Karagodin DA, Yurchenko AA, Dos Anjos VL, Haba Y, Rose NH, Hoffman J, Guo R, Menna T, Kelley M, Ferrill E, Schultz KE, Qi Y, Sharma A, Deschamps S, Llaca V, Mao C, Murphy TD, Baricheva EM, Emrich S, Fritz ML, Benoit JB, Sharakhov IV, McBride CS, Tu Z, Sharakhova MV. The chromosome-scale genome assembly for the West Nile vector Culex quinquefasciatus uncovers patterns of genome evolution in mosquitoes. BMC Biol 2024; 22:16. [PMID: 38273363 PMCID: PMC10809549 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-024-01825-0] [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: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Understanding genome organization and evolution is important for species involved in transmission of human diseases, such as mosquitoes. Anophelinae and Culicinae subfamilies of mosquitoes show striking differences in genome sizes, sex chromosome arrangements, behavior, and ability to transmit pathogens. However, the genomic basis of these differences is not fully understood. METHODS In this study, we used a combination of advanced genome technologies such as Oxford Nanopore Technology sequencing, Hi-C scaffolding, Bionano, and cytogenetic mapping to develop an improved chromosome-scale genome assembly for the West Nile vector Culex quinquefasciatus. RESULTS We then used this assembly to annotate odorant receptors, odorant binding proteins, and transposable elements. A genomic region containing male-specific sequences on chromosome 1 and a polymorphic inversion on chromosome 3 were identified in the Cx. quinquefasciatus genome. In addition, the genome of Cx. quinquefasciatus was compared with the genomes of other mosquitoes such as malaria vectors An. coluzzi and An. albimanus, and the vector of arboviruses Ae. aegypti. Our work confirms significant expansion of the two chemosensory gene families in Cx. quinquefasciatus, as well as a significant increase and relocation of the transposable elements in both Cx. quinquefasciatus and Ae. aegypti relative to the Anophelines. Phylogenetic analysis clarifies the divergence time between the mosquito species. Our study provides new insights into chromosomal evolution in mosquitoes and finds that the X chromosome of Anophelinae and the sex-determining chromosome 1 of Culicinae have a significantly higher rate of evolution than autosomes. CONCLUSION The improved Cx. quinquefasciatus genome assembly uncovered new details of mosquito genome evolution and has the potential to speed up the development of novel vector control strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergei S Ryazansky
- Department of Entomology, Virginia Polytechnic and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
- Department of Molecular Genetics of Cell, NRC "Kurchatov Institute", Moscow, Russia
| | - Chujia Chen
- Genetics, Bioinformatics, Computational Biology Program, Virginia Polytechnic and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Mark Potters
- Department of Biochemistry, Virginia Polytechnic and State University, Blacksburg, USA
| | - Anastasia N Naumenko
- Department of Entomology, Virginia Polytechnic and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
- Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Varvara Lukyanchikova
- Department of Entomology, Virginia Polytechnic and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
- Group of Genomic Mechanisms of Development, Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Novosibirsk, Russia
- Laboratory of Structural and Functional Genomics, Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Reem A Masri
- Department of Entomology, Virginia Polytechnic and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Ilya I Brusentsov
- Department of Entomology, Virginia Polytechnic and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
- Laboratory of Cell Differentiation Mechanisms, Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Dmitriy A Karagodin
- Laboratory of Cell Differentiation Mechanisms, Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Andrey A Yurchenko
- Department of Entomology, Virginia Polytechnic and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Vitor L Dos Anjos
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Yuki Haba
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Noah H Rose
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Jinna Hoffman
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20894, USA
| | - Rong Guo
- Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Theresa Menna
- Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Melissa Kelley
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Emily Ferrill
- County of San Diego Vector Control Program, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Karen E Schultz
- Mosquito and Vector Management District of Santa Barbara County, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Yumin Qi
- Department of Biochemistry, Virginia Polytechnic and State University, Blacksburg, USA
| | - Atashi Sharma
- Department of Biochemistry, Virginia Polytechnic and State University, Blacksburg, USA
| | | | | | - Chunhong Mao
- Biocomplexity Institute & Initiative University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Terence D Murphy
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20894, USA
| | - Elina M Baricheva
- Laboratory of Cell Differentiation Mechanisms, Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Scott Emrich
- Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Megan L Fritz
- Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Joshua B Benoit
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Igor V Sharakhov
- Department of Entomology, Virginia Polytechnic and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
- Fralin Life Sciences Institute, Virginia Polytechnic and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
- Department of Genetics and Cell Biology, Tomsk State University, Tomsk, Russia
| | - Carolyn S McBride
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Zhijian Tu
- Genetics, Bioinformatics, Computational Biology Program, Virginia Polytechnic and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, Virginia Polytechnic and State University, Blacksburg, USA
- Fralin Life Sciences Institute, Virginia Polytechnic and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Maria V Sharakhova
- Department of Entomology, Virginia Polytechnic and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA.
- Laboratory of Cell Differentiation Mechanisms, Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Novosibirsk, Russia.
- Fralin Life Sciences Institute, Virginia Polytechnic and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA.
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Kapoor S, Young ND, Yang YT, Batterham P, Gasser RB, Bowles VM, Anstead CA, Perry T. Mitochondrial genomic investigation reveals a clear association between species and genotypes of Lucilia and geographic origin in Australia. Parasit Vectors 2023; 16:279. [PMID: 37573420 PMCID: PMC10423422 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-023-05902-1] [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: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/14/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lucilia cuprina and L. sericata (family Calliphoridae) are globally significant ectoparasites of sheep. Current literature suggests that only one of these blowfly subspecies, L. cuprina dorsalis, is a primary parasite causing myiasis (flystrike) in sheep in Australia. These species and subspecies are difficult to distinguish using morphological features. Hence, being able to accurately identify blowflies is critical for diagnosis and for understanding their relationships with their hosts and environment. METHODS In this study, adult blowflies (5 pools of 17 flies; n = 85) were collected from five locations in different states [New South Wales (NSW), Queensland (QLD), Tasmania (TAS), Victoria (VIC) and Western Australia (WA)] of Australia and their mitochondrial (mt) genomes were assembled. RESULTS Each mt genome assembled was ~ 15 kb in size and encoded 13 protein-coding genes, 2 ribosomal RNAs, 22 transfer RNAs and a control region. The Lucilia species mt genomes were conserved in structure, and the genes retained the same order and direction. The overall nucleotide composition was heavily biased towards As and Ts-77.7% of the whole genomes. Pairwise nucleotide diversity suggested divergence between Lucilia cuprina cuprina, L. c. dorsalis and L. sericata. Comparative analyses of these mt genomes with published data demonstrated that the blowflies collected from sheep farm in TAS clustered within a clade with L. sericata. The flies collected from an urban location in QLD were more closely related to L. sericata and represented the subspecies L. c. cuprina, whereas the flies collected from sheep farms in NSW, VIC and WA represented the subspecies L. c. dorsalis. CONCLUSIONS Phylogenetic analyses of the mt genomes representing Lucilia from the five geographic locations in Australia supported the previously demonstrated paraphyly of L. cuprina with respect to L. sericata and revealed that L. c. cuprina is distinct from L. c. dorsalis and that L. c. cuprina is more closely related to L. sericata than L. c. dorsalis. The mt genomes reported here provide an important molecular resource to develop tools for species- and subspecies-level identification of Lucilia from different geographical regions across Australia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shilpa Kapoor
- Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010 Australia
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Faculty of Science, Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Building 400, Parkville, VIC 3010 Australia
| | - Neil D. Young
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Faculty of Science, Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Building 400, Parkville, VIC 3010 Australia
| | - Ying Ting Yang
- Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010 Australia
| | - Philip Batterham
- Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010 Australia
| | - Robin B. Gasser
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Faculty of Science, Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Building 400, Parkville, VIC 3010 Australia
| | - Vernon M. Bowles
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Faculty of Science, Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Building 400, Parkville, VIC 3010 Australia
| | - Clare A. Anstead
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Faculty of Science, Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Building 400, Parkville, VIC 3010 Australia
| | - Trent Perry
- Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010 Australia
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Jia Z, Hasi S, Zhan D, Hou B, Vogl C, Burger PA. Genome and Transcriptome Analyses Facilitate Genetic Control of Wohlfahrtia magnifica, a Myiasis-Causing Flesh Fly. INSECTS 2023; 14:620. [PMID: 37504626 PMCID: PMC10380434 DOI: 10.3390/insects14070620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Myiasis caused by Wohlfahrtia magnifica is a widespread parasitic infestation in mammals. The infested host suffers from damage as the developing larvae feed on its tissues. For the control of myiasis infestation, genetic methods have been shown to be effective and promising as an alternative to insecticides. Combining genome, isoform sequencing (Iso-Seq), and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data, we isolated and characterized two sex-determination genes, W. magnifica transformer (Wmtra) and W. magnifica transformer2 (Wmtra2), whose orthologs in a number of insect pests have been utilized to develop genetic control approaches. Wmtra transcripts are sex-specifically spliced; only the female transcript encodes a full-length functional protein, while the male transcript encodes a truncated and non-functional polypeptide due to the presence of the male-specific exon containing multiple in-frame stop codons. The existence of five predicted TRA/TRA2 binding sites in the male-specific exon and the surrounding intron of Wmtra, as well as the presence of an RNA-recognition motif in WmTRA2 may suggest the auto-regulation of Wmtra by its own protein interacting with WmTRA2. This results in the skipping of the male-specific exon and translation of the full-length functional protein only in females. Our comparative study in dipteran species showed that both the WmTRA and WmTRA2 proteins exhibit a high degree of similarity to their orthologs in the myiasis-causing blow flies. Additionally, transcriptome profiling performed between adult females and adult males reported 657 upregulated and 365 downregulated genes. Functional analysis showed that among upregulated genes those related to meiosis and mitosis Gene Ontology (GO) terms were enriched, while, among downregulated genes, those related to muscle cell development and aerobic metabolic processes were enriched. Among the female-biased gene set, we detected five candidate genes, vasa (vas), nanos (nanos), bicoid (bcd), Bicaudal C (BicC), and innexin5 (inx5). The promoters of these genes may be able to upregulate Cas9 expression in the germline in Cas9-based homing gene drive systems as established in some flies and mosquitoes. The isolation and characterization of these genes is an important step toward the development of genetic control programs against W. magnifica infestation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhipeng Jia
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Savoyenstrasse 1, 1160 Vienna, Austria
| | - Surong Hasi
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment Technology in Animal Disease, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China
| | - Deng Zhan
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment Technology in Animal Disease, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China
| | - Bin Hou
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment Technology in Animal Disease, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China
| | - Claus Vogl
- Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinaerplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Pamela A Burger
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Savoyenstrasse 1, 1160 Vienna, Austria
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Tandonnet S, Krsticevic F, Basika T, Papathanos PA, Torres TT, Scott MJ. A chromosomal-scale reference genome of the New World Screwworm, Cochliomyia hominivorax. DNA Res 2022; 30:6825375. [PMID: 36370138 PMCID: PMC9835758 DOI: 10.1093/dnares/dsac042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2022] [Revised: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The New World Screwworm, Cochliomyia hominivorax (Calliphoridae), is the most important myiasis-causing species in America. Screwworm myiasis is a zoonosis that can cause severe lesions in livestock, domesticated and wild animals, and occasionally in people. Beyond the sanitary problems associated with this species, these infestations negatively impact economic sectors, such as the cattle industry. Here, we present a chromosome-scale assembly of C. hominivorax's genome, organized in 6 chromosome-length and 515 unplaced scaffolds spanning 534 Mb. There was a clear correspondence between the D. melanogaster linkage groups A-E and the chromosomal-scale scaffolds. Chromosome quotient (CQ) analysis identified a single scaffold from the X chromosome that contains most of the orthologs of genes that are on the D. melanogaster fourth chromosome (linkage group F or dot chromosome). CQ analysis also identified potential X and Y unplaced scaffolds and genes. Y-linkage for selected regions was confirmed by PCR with male and female DNA. Some of the long chromosome-scale scaffolds include Y-linked sequences, suggesting misassembly of these regions. These resources will provide a basis for future studies aiming at understanding the biology and evolution of this devastating obligate parasite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Tandonnet
- Departamento de Genética e Biologia Evolutiva, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, SP 05508-090, Brazil
| | - Flavia Krsticevic
- Department of Entomology, Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Tatiana Basika
- Present address: Pasteur+INIA Joint Unit, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Mataojo 2020, CP 11400 Montevideo Uruguay
| | - Philippos A Papathanos
- Department of Entomology, Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Tatiana T Torres
- Departamento de Genética e Biologia Evolutiva, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, SP 05508-090, Brazil
| | - Maxwell J Scott
- To whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel: +1 919 515 0275; Fax: +1 919 515 7716.
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McKenna CH, Asgari D, Crippen TL, Zheng L, Sherman RA, Tomberlin JK, Meisel RP, Tarone AM. Gene expression in Lucilia sericata (Diptera: Calliphoridae) larvae exposed to Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii identifies shared and microbe-specific induction of immune genes. INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2022; 31:85-100. [PMID: 34613655 DOI: 10.1111/imb.12740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Revised: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance is a continuing challenge in medicine. There are various strategies for expanding antibiotic therapeutic repertoires, including the use of blow flies. Their larvae exhibit strong antibiotic and antibiofilm properties that alter microbiome communities. One species, Lucilia sericata, is used to treat problematic wounds due to its debridement capabilities and its excretions and secretions that kill some pathogenic bacteria. There is much to be learned about how L. sericata interacts with microbiomes at the molecular level. To address this deficiency, gene expression was assessed after feeding exposure (1 h or 4 h) to two clinically problematic pathogens: Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii. The results identified immunity-related genes that were differentially expressed when exposed to these pathogens, as well as non-immune genes possibly involved in gut responses to bacterial infection. There was a greater response to P. aeruginosa that increased over time, while few genes responded to A. baumannii exposure, and expression was not time-dependent. The response to feeding on pathogens indicates a few common responses and features distinct to each pathogen, which is useful in improving the wound debridement therapy and helps to develop biomimetic alternatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- C H McKenna
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - D Asgari
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - T L Crippen
- Southern Plains Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture, College Station, TX, USA
| | - L Zheng
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - R A Sherman
- BioTherapeutics, Education and Research (BTER) Foundation, Irvine, CA, USA
- Monarch Labs, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - J K Tomberlin
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - R P Meisel
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - A M Tarone
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
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