Tribolium castaneum immune defense genes are differentially expressed in response to Bacillus thuringiensis toxins sharing common receptor molecules and exhibiting disparate toxicity.
Dev Comp Immunol
; 50(2): 139-45, 2015 Jun.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-25684675
ABSTRACT
In Tribolium castaneum larvae we have demonstrated by RNA interference knockdown that the Bacillus thuringiensis Cry3Ba toxin receptors Cadherin-like and Sodium solute symporter proteins are also functional receptors of the less active Cry3Aa toxin. Differences in susceptibility to B. thuringiensis infection might not only rely on toxin-receptor interaction but also on host defense mechanisms. We compared the expression of the immune related genes encoding Apolipophorin-III and two antimicrobial peptides, Defensin3 and Defensin2 after B. thuringiensis challenge. All three genes were up-regulated following Cry3Ba spore-crystal intoxication whereas only Defensins gene expression was induced upon Cry3Aa spore-crystal treatment, evidencing a possible association between host immune response and larval susceptibility to B. thuringiensis. We assessed the antimicrobial activity spectra of T. castaneum defensins peptide fragments and found that a peptide fragment of Defensin3 was effective against the human microbial pathogens, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans, being S. aureus the most susceptible one.
Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Bacillus thuringiensis
/
Bacterial Proteins
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Bacterial Toxins
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Tribolium
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Defensins
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Endotoxins
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Hemolysin Proteins
Limits:
Animals
Language:
En
Journal:
Dev Comp Immunol
Year:
2015
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Spain
Country of publication:
EEUU
/
ESTADOS UNIDOS
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ESTADOS UNIDOS DA AMERICA
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EUA
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UNITED STATES
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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
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US
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USA