Beauveria bassiana interacts with gut and hemocytes to manipulate Aedes aegypti immunity

Parasites & Vectors

Research

Carl Lowenberger¹  Vânia Rita Elias Pinheiro Bittencourt²  Patrícia Silva Gôlo²  Huarrison Azevedo Santos³  Isabele da Costa Angelo³  Haika Victória Sales Moreira⁴  Ricardo de Oliveira Barbosa Bitencourt⁴  Thaís Almeida Corrêa⁴  Jacenir Santos-Mallet⁵ 

[1] Centre for Cell Biology, Development and Disease, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, V5A 1S6, Burnaby, BC, Canada;Department of Animal Parasitology, Veterinary Institute, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica, RJ, Brazil;Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Veterinary Institute, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica, RJ, Brazil;Graduate Program in Veterinary Sciences, Veterinary Institute, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica, RJ, Brazil;Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, IOC-FIOCRUZ-RJ, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil;FIOCRUZ-PI, Teresina, Piauí, Brazil;Iguaçu University-UNIG, Nova Iguaçu, RJ, Brazil;

关键词: Biological control;    Entomopathogenic fungi;    Hemocytes;    Antimicrobial peptides;    Mosquito;    Immune system;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s13071-023-05655-x

 received in 2022-09-29, accepted in 2023-01-05,  发布年份 2023

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundMosquito-borne diseases affect millions of people. Chemical insecticides are currently employed against mosquitoes. However, many cases of insecticide resistance have been reported. Entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) have demonstrated potential as a bioinsecticide. Here, we assessed the invasion of the EPF Beauveria bassiana into Aedes aegypti larvae and changes in the activity of phenoloxidase (PO) as a proxy for the general activation of the insect innate immune system. In addition, other cellular and humoral responses were evaluated.MethodsLarvae were exposed to blastospores or conidia of B. bassiana CG 206. After 24 and 48 h, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was conducted on the larvae. The hemolymph was collected to determine changes in total hemocyte concentration (THC), the dynamics of hemocytes, and to observe hemocyte-fungus interactions. In addition, the larvae were macerated to assess the activity of PO using L-DOPA conversion, and the expression of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) was measured using quantitative Real-Time PCR.ResultsPropagules invaded mosquitoes through the midgut, and blastopores were detected inside the hemocoel. Both propagules decreased the THC regardless of the time. By 24 h after exposure to conidia the percentage of granulocytes and oenocytoids increased while the prohemocytes decreased. By 48 h, the oenocytoid percentage increased significantly (P < 0.05) in larvae exposed to blastospores; however, the other hemocyte types did not change significantly. Regardless of the time, SEM revealed hemocytes adhering to, and nodulating, blastospores. For the larvae exposed to conidia, these interactions were observed only at 48 h. Irrespective of the propagule, the PO activity increased only at 48 h. At 24 h, cathepsin B was upregulated by infection with conidia, whereas both propagules resulted in a downregulation of cecropin and defensin A. At 48 h, blastospores and conidia increased the expression of defensin A suggesting this may be an essential AMP against EPF.ConclusionBy 24 h, B. bassiana CG 206 occluded the midgut, reduced THC, did not stimulate PO activity, and downregulated AMP expression in larvae, all of which allowed the fungus to impair the larvae to facilitate infection. Our data reports a complex interplay between Ae. aegypti larvae and B. bassiana CG 206 demonstrating how this fungus can infect, affect, and kill Ae. aegypti larvae.Graphical Abstract

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© The Author(s) 2023

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