Drosophila anti-nematode and antibacterial immune regulators revealed by RNA-Seq

Abstract

BackgroundDrosophila melanogaster activates a variety of immune responses against microbial infections. However, information on the Drosophila immune response to entomopathogenic nematode infections is currently limited. The nematode Heterorhabditis bacteriophora is an insect parasite that forms a mutualistic relationship with the gram-negative bacteria Photorhabdus luminescens. Following infection, the nematodes release the bacteria that quickly multiply within the insect and produce several toxins that eventually kill the host. Although we currently know that the insect immune system interacts with Photorhabdus, information on interaction with the nematode vector is scarce.ResultsHere we have used next generation RNA-sequencing to analyze the transcriptional profile of wild-type adult flies infected by axenic Heterorhabditis nematodes (lacking Photorhabdus bacteria), symbiotic Heterorhabditis nematodes (carrying Photorhabdus bacteria), and Photorhabdus bacteria alone. We have obtained approximately 54 million reads from the different infection treatments. Bioinformatic analysis shows that infection with Photorhabdus alters the transcription of a large number of Drosophila genes involved in translational repression as well in response to stress. However, Heterorhabditis infection alters the transcription of several genes that participate in lipidhomeostasis and metabolism, stress responses, DNA/protein sythesis and neuronal functions. We have also identified genes in the fly with potential roles in nematode recognition, anti-nematode activity and nociception.ConclusionsThese findings provide fundamental information on the molecular events that take place in Drosophila upon infection with the two pathogens, either separately or together. Such large-scale transcriptomic analyses set the stage for future functional studies aimed at identifying the exact role of key factors in the Drosophila immune response against nematode-bacteria complexes.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-015-1690-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Highly specific host-pathogen interactions influence Metarhizium brunneum blastospore virulence against Culex quinquefasciatus larvae

“…HSP70  has vital housekeeping functions, maintaining homeostasis and protecting cells against thermal and oxidative stress [57] and was up-regulated in Culex larvae whether they had been infected with blastospores or conidia suggesting that HSP70 played a key role in stress management in mosquito larvae. Castillo et al [58] found that up-regulation of HSP genes is evidence of increasing stress in response to pathogen infection. In this study, HSP70 in Culex larvae infected with conidia, was expressed earlier and to a greater extent than in larvae infected with blastospores, which up regulated this gene at 48 hr pi.…”

Comparison of gloverin gene expression patterns between domesticated and wild silkworms

“…Huge numbers of transcriptomes were analyzed at the whole-genome level by means of microarray. Whole-genome mRNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) technologies have been a significant advance for high-throughput transcriptome analyses, as they can generate hundreds of millions reads in a single sequencing run (Castillo et al, 2015;Ozsolak and Milos, 2011;Wang et al, 2009). This is more sensitive, quantitative and efficient, and it has higher reproducibility compared to previously use hybridizationbased microarray techniques (Castillo et al, 2015;de Klerk et al, 2014).…”

“…Whole-genome mRNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) technologies have been a significant advance for high-throughput transcriptome analyses, as they can generate hundreds of millions reads in a single sequencing run (Castillo et al, 2015;Ozsolak and Milos, 2011;Wang et al, 2009). This is more sensitive, quantitative and efficient, and it has higher reproducibility compared to previously use hybridizationbased microarray techniques (Castillo et al, 2015;de Klerk et al, 2014). RNA-Seq has already produced exciting and novel information in the study of various diseases (Costa et al, 2013;Castillo et al, 2015;Xuan et al, 2013).…”

“…This is more sensitive, quantitative and efficient, and it has higher reproducibility compared to previously use hybridizationbased microarray techniques (Castillo et al, 2015;de Klerk et al, 2014). RNA-Seq has already produced exciting and novel information in the study of various diseases (Costa et al, 2013;Castillo et al, 2015;Xuan et al, 2013). This powerful tool is becoming increasingly attractive for investigating the transcriptional profiles in model and nonmodel organisms (Castillo et al, 2015;Daines et al, 2011;Ekblom and Galindo, 2011).…”

“…RNA-Seq has already produced exciting and novel information in the study of various diseases (Costa et al, 2013;Castillo et al, 2015;Xuan et al, 2013). This powerful tool is becoming increasingly attractive for investigating the transcriptional profiles in model and nonmodel organisms (Castillo et al, 2015;Daines et al, 2011;Ekblom and Galindo, 2011). The silkworm genome contains about 14,623 genes and larvae multiple tissues transcriptional data were obtained using a 22,987 oligonucleotide probe microarray (Huang et al, 2009;Xia et al, 2004;Xia et al, 2008).…”