Toll and IMD Immune Pathways Are Important Antifungal Defense Components in a Pupal Parasitoid, Pteromalus puparum.
Int J Mol Sci
; 24(18)2023 Sep 14.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-37762389
ABSTRACT
Insects employ multifaceted strategies to combat invading fungi, with immunity being a promising mechanism. Immune pathways function in signal transduction and amplification, ultimately leading to the activation of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). Although several studies have shown that immune pathways are responsible for defending against fungi, the roles of parasitoid immune pathways involved in antifungal responses remain unknown. In this study, we evaluated the roles of the Toll and IMD pathways of a pupal parasitoid, Pteromalus puparum (Hymenoptera Pteromalidae), in fighting against Beauveria bassiana (Hypocreales Cordycipitaceae). Successful colonization of B. bassiana on P. puparum adults was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). AMPs were induced upon B. bassiana infection. The knockdown of key genes, PpTollA and PpIMD, in Toll and IMD signaling pathways, respectively, significantly compromised insect defense against fungal infection. The knockdown of either PpTollA or PpIMD in P. puparum dramatically promoted the proliferation of B. bassiana, resulting in a decreased survival rate and downregulated expression levels of AMPs against B. bassiana compared to controls. These data indicated that PpTollA and PpIMD participate in Toll and IMD-mediated activation of antifungal responses, respectively. In summary, this study has greatly broadened our knowledge of the parasitoid antifungal immunity against fungi.
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Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Beauveria
/
Himenópteros
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Hypocreales
Limite:
Animals
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Int J Mol Sci
Ano de publicação:
2023
Tipo de documento:
Article