Article
Microbiology
Ana Korsa, Lai Ka Lo, Shrey Gandhi, Corinna Bang, Joachim Kurtz
Summary: Recent studies have shown that the microbiome has a significant impact on many properties of an organism, and its composition can change under various conditions. In invertebrates, the presence of the gut microbiome has been found to be related to immune priming. This study found that the composition of the microbiome in red flour beetle changed following oral priming treatment with certain strains of bacteria, but there were no changes with injection priming treatment. This suggests that specific members of the microbiome may be involved in the oral priming response in the red flour beetle.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Fisheries
Wei Yang, Ngoc Tuan Tran, Chun-Hua Zhu, De-Fu Yao, Jude Juventus Aweya, Yi Gong, Hong-Yu Ma, Yue-Ling Zhang, Guang-Li Li, Sheng-Kang Li
Summary: Immune priming has been demonstrated as a form of immune memory in invertebrates without acquired immune systems, with implications for vaccinating economically valuable shellfish. Research on priming responses and mechanisms is necessary for the development of prophylactic strategies. Both humoral and cellular factors are involved in priming protection, but cellular immunity appears to be more important in pathogen clearance and survival.
Article
Entomology
Waheed A. A. Sayed, Reda S. Hassan, Thanaa M. Sileem, Birgit A. Rumpold
Summary: Radio frequency plasma (RFP) is a reliable and cost-effective method for controlling insect pests in stored food products. The sensitivity of Tribolium castaneum to RFP was tested using argon (Ar) and helium (He) gases, with He RFP being more efficient. The optimal exposure time for complete mortality of all stages was found to be 90 seconds with He RFP.
JOURNAL OF PEST SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Entomology
Kun Qian, Chengyun Jiang, Daojie Guan, Anxiang Zhuang, Xiangkun Meng, Jianjun Wang
Summary: In this study, three GluCl variants were cloned from Tribolium castaneum, and their sequence features, genomic structures, expression profiles, and the homology modeling of TcGluCl were investigated. These findings provide valuable information for studying the specific function of insect GluCl variants.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Johnathan C. Rylee, Alexandra Nin-Velez, Simpla Mahato, Kennedy J. Helms, Michael J. Wade, Gabriel E. Zentner, Andrew C. Zelhof
Summary: This study successfully created and tested transgenic beetles expressing Cas9, showing that these transgenic animals can induce CRISPR-mediated changes in the genome without the need for heat induction. This enhances accessibility of CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing for the Tribolium research community and serves as a benchmark for future transgenic Cas9 lines.
INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Alexandra R. Willis, Ronesh Sukhdeo, Aaron W. Reinke
Summary: Research has shown that innate immune priming can protect hosts from secondary infections and may even be passed on to future generations. Models like Caenorhabditis elegans have provided insights into the mechanisms behind innate immune priming and its implications for health and evolution.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Lai Ka Lo, R. Reshma, Lisa Johanna Tewes, Barbara Milutinovic, Caroline Mueller, Joachim Kurtz
Summary: Group-living individuals face high risks of disease transmission and parasite infection. Research has found that in social and some non-social insects, immune control is achieved not only through individual immune defenses, but also through infochemicals such as contact cues and defensive volatiles, which help mount a group-level immunity. However, it is still not well understood whether activation of the immune system leads to changes in chemical phenotypes that mediate these responses.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Yonglei Zhang, Huayi Ai, Yihan Wang, Ping Zhang, Liheng Du, Jiatao Wang, Suisui Wang, Han Gao, Bin Li
Summary: Accumulating evidence suggests that pattern recognition receptor C-type lectins (CTLs) play important roles in pathogen recognition. This study focused on TcCTL14, a CTL protein found in Tribolium castaneum, and investigated its biological function. The results showed that TcCTL14 was highly expressed in late pupae and the central nervous system, and its expression increased after exposure to Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. TcCTL14 was found to bind to lipopolysaccharide and peptidoglycan, and could agglutinate different bacteria in a calcium-dependent manner. Knockdown of TcCTL14 resulted in downregulation of Toll/IMD pathway transcription factors and antimicrobial peptides, as well as suppressed metamorphosis, reduced fecundity, and delayed embryogenesis of T. castaneum. Moreover, TcCTL14 was found to be involved in metamorphosis and fecundity through the 20-hydroxyecdysone and vitellogenin signaling pathways, respectively. These findings contribute to our understanding of PRR CTL function in insects and provide new insights for pest control strategies.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Chengjun Li, Wei Wu, Jing Tang, Fan Feng, Peng Chen, Bin Li
Summary: A study identified 883 miRNAs in Tribolium castaneum, with 102 miRNAs exhibiting stage-specific expression patterns. Knockdown of five differentially expressed miRNAs led to defects in metamorphosis and wing development. This study provides important insights into the roles of miRNAs in insect growth and development.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Kevin R. Cabrera, Duncan A. Hoard, Olivia R. Gibson, Daniel A. Martinez, Zeba R. Wunderlich
Summary: Previous non-lethal infection increases the survival ability of organisms to a second infection, but this is not due to a decrease in bacterial load. Through transcriptome analysis, it was found that a large number of genes were upregulated in only primed flies during infection, indicating different transcriptional programs in response to initial and secondary infections. The study found that infection history leads to differences in immune strategy, transcriptional program, and pathway use in the innate immune response of fruit flies.
Article
Fisheries
Arun Prakash, Deepa Agashe, Imroze Khan
Summary: Insects can develop either basal pathogen resistance or immune priming as mutually exclusive strategies, with resistance being consistently more beneficial in terms of post-infection reproduction and lifespan. Immune priming, on the other hand, reduces offspring early survival, development rate, and reproduction, with the transgenerational benefit not compensating for its pervasive costs. The study demonstrates an evolutionary change in transgenerational priming response and provides a detailed comparison of the complex fitness consequences of evolved priming versus resistance.
DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Byungyoon Choi, Woo -Ram Park, Yu-Ji Kim, Seulgi Mun, Su-Jin Park, Jae-Ho Jeong, Hueng-Sik Choi, Don-Kyu Kim
Summary: The study reveals that Tribolium castaneum estrogen-related receptor (TcERR) plays a crucial role in transcriptional regulation of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) during the host innate immune response against Escherichia coli infection. Knockdown of TcERR leads to decreased resistance to E. coli infection in larvae, resulting in higher bacterial load and lower survival rate.
INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Physiology
Jingjing Li, Zidan Zhu, Jingxiu Bi, Qili Feng, Brenda T. Beerntsen, Qisheng Song
Summary: Bursicon plays a crucial role in the reproductive physiology of beetles, and its knockdown leads to abnormal oocytes and reproductive impairment. Bursicon may influence Vg expression by regulating the expression of JH and IIS/TOR pathway genes, thereby modulating reproduction in T. castaneum.
FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Xu Shen, Yingchuan Peng, Huifang Song, Jinda Wang, Jun Zhao, Peian Tang, Zhaojun Han, Kangxu Wang
Summary: This study investigated the competitive inhibition characteristics of different double-stranded RNAs on insect pests' RNAi responses, and provided solutions. The results showed that conjugating different dsRNA fragments into a single molecule and utilizing carbon quantum dots for dsRNA delivery were efficient methods for knocking down multiple target genes simultaneously. In vitro assays revealed the accumulation speed of dsRNA in midgut tissues varied with the amount of dsRNA treated.
PESTICIDE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ping Zhang, Yonglei Zhang, ShiYi Yang, YuTing Hong, Ying Du, ZhangQi Hu, Jing Tang, Suisui Wang, Fan Feng, Bin Li
Summary: In this study, a CTL-X type lectin called TcCTL12 was identified and cloned from Tribolium castaneum. TcCTL12 was found to be highly expressed in late pupa and early adult stages of T. castaneum, with the highest expression level in the haemolymph and central nervous system. TcCTL12 was induced by the stimulation of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, and it showed the ability to bind pathogen-associated molecular patterns and agglutinate bacteria. RNAi of TcCTL12 resulted in defective pupation and eclosion, as well as reduced fertility and fecundity in T. castaneum.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2022)
Review
Ecology
Nicholas P. Moran, Barbara A. Caspers, Nayden Chakarov, Ulrich R. Ernst, Claudia Fricke, Joachim Kurtz, Navina D. Lilie, Lai Ka Lo, Caroline Mueller, R. Reshma, Elina Takola, Pete C. Trimmer, Koen J. van Benthem, Jamie Winternitz, Meike J. Wittmann
Summary: The role of intraspecific trait variation in determining the cooperative-antagonistic outcome of ecological interactions is significant, with trait frequency effects and systemic variance effects driving shifts in interaction outcomes. Heritable trait differences and phenotypic plasticity play important roles in determining the likelihood of short-term or persistent shifts between cooperation and antagonism. Evidence synthesis methods in ecology and evolution can help bridge knowledge gaps and divergences between empirical and theoretical literature.
Article
Biology
Barbara Milutinovic, Thomas Schmitt
Summary: Preventing infection is crucial for insect fitness, and many insects alter their behavior in response to disease. Chemical cues mediate this behavioral response, but little is known about the details of these cues. Disease cues not only modify host behavior, but also play a role in immune system activation via neuroendocrine regulation, bypassing the need for direct immunological contact with the parasite.
CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Nicolas C. H. Schroeder, Ana Korsa, Haleluya Wami, Olena Mantel, Ulrich Dobrindt, Joachim Kurtz
Summary: This study investigated the persistence and evolution of the probiotic Escherichia coli strain Nissle 1917 in an insect host and flour environment through experimental evolution. The findings suggest that EcN remains stable with weak phenotypic changes during serial passage in the insect host, indicating a certain degree of phenotypic plasticity.
EVOLUTION MEDICINE AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Biology
Rose Trappes, Behzad Nematipour, Marie Kaiser, Ulrich Krohs, Koen J. van Benthem, Ulrich R. Ernst, Jurgen Gadau, Peter Korsten, Joachim Kurtz, Holger Schielzeth, Tim Schmoll, Elina Takola
Summary: This study presents a conceptual framework that distinguishes three mechanisms of organism-environment interaction and their impacts on individual differences and adaptation. It highlights niche construction and other processes as evolved mechanisms.
Article
Microbiology
Ana Korsa, Lai Ka Lo, Shrey Gandhi, Corinna Bang, Joachim Kurtz
Summary: Recent studies have shown that the microbiome has a significant impact on many properties of an organism, and its composition can change under various conditions. In invertebrates, the presence of the gut microbiome has been found to be related to immune priming. This study found that the composition of the microbiome in red flour beetle changed following oral priming treatment with certain strains of bacteria, but there were no changes with injection priming treatment. This suggests that specific members of the microbiome may be involved in the oral priming response in the red flour beetle.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Nora K. E. Schulz, Fakry F. Mohamed, Lai Ka Lo, Robert Peuss, Maike F. de Buhr, Joachim Kurtz
Summary: The study finds that non-infectious bacterial exposure of fathers in the red flour beetle can protect their offspring against infectious challenges, and this paternal effect may be related to the Dnmt2 gene.
INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Tobias Hesse, Milen Nachev, Shaista Khaliq, Maik A. Jochmann, Frederik Franke, Joern P. Scharsack, Joachim Kurtz, Bernd Sures, Torsten C. Schmidt
Summary: Interpretation of stable isotope data is crucial in ecology for studying animal diets, migration patterns, and physiology. This study analyzed the delta C-13 values of individual amino acids in muscle and liver tissue of three-spined sticklebacks on a high protein diet. The results showed fast response of liver amino acids to small shifts in dietary stable isotope compositions. Trophic fractionation of specific amino acids was observed and discussed, suggesting the potential use of certain amino acids as dietary proxies.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Lai Ka Lo, R. Reshma, Lisa Johanna Tewes, Barbara Milutinovic, Caroline Mueller, Joachim Kurtz
Summary: Group-living individuals face high risks of disease transmission and parasite infection. Research has found that in social and some non-social insects, immune control is achieved not only through individual immune defenses, but also through infochemicals such as contact cues and defensive volatiles, which help mount a group-level immunity. However, it is still not well understood whether activation of the immune system leads to changes in chemical phenotypes that mediate these responses.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Tobias Hesse, Milen Nachev, Shaista Khaliq, Maik A. Jochmann, Frederik Franke, Joern P. Scharsack, Joachim Kurtz, Bernd Sures, Torsten C. Schmidt
Summary: Stable isotope analysis is a powerful tool for studying nutrient origin and conversion in host-parasite systems. In a controlled infection experiment, the carbon isotope composition of amino acids and glucose in the cestode Schistocephalus solidus and in its second intermediate host was measured over a period of 90 days. The results provide insights into the nutrient assimilation and metabolism of the parasite.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Miriam Stock, Barbara Milutinovic, Michaela Hoenigsberger, Anna V. V. Grasse, Florian Wiesenhofer, Niklas Kampleitner, Madhumitha Narasimhan, Thomas Schmitt, Sylvia Cremer
Summary: Social insects groom nestmates as a defense against pathogens. In this study, researchers found that this grooming behavior selects for fungi to produce more spores, but with lower virulence and detectability, suggesting pathogen adaptation to social immunity.
NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Monika Trienens, Joachim Kurtz, Bregje Wertheim
Summary: Insects have adapted to various environmental conditions, including the presence of toxic substances. Environmental microorganisms use these toxins in chemical warfare against predators and competitors, leading to co-evolutionary adaptations. In this study, we experimentally evolved fruit fly populations by exposing them to a toxin-producing mould and analyzed the changes in gene expression due to the selection regimes and mould confrontation.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Maria Luigia Vommaro, Caroline Zanchi, Tommaso Angelone, Anita Giglio, Joachim Kurtz
Summary: This study evaluated the effects of a commercial herbicide residue on the biological interaction between mealworm beetle and entomopathogenic fungus. The results showed that the herbicide residue had no significant effect on the survival of the beetles, but it may temporarily affect fungal germination. These findings raise questions about the compatibility of bioinsecticides with synthetic pesticides and the effects of herbicide residues on host-pathogen interactions.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2023)
Article
Biology
Zoe Marie Laenger, Moritz Baur, Ana Korsa, Juergen Eirich, Ana Sofia Lindeza, Caroline Zanchi, Iris Finkemeier, Joachim Kurtz
Summary: Most organisms have developed immune strategies to protect themselves from symbionts and pathogens. Insects lack adaptive immunity but exhibit immune priming, which enhances their survival upon subsequent infection. This study explores the proteomes of two closely related strains of the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis, and identifies the Cry3Aa toxin as a potential immunostimulatory protein in the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum. These findings provide insights into the mechanisms and evolution of immune priming.