Transcriptome Sequencing Highlights the Regulatory Role of DNA Methylation in Immune-Related Genes’ Expression of Chinese Oak Silkworm, Antheraea pernyi

Kausar, Saima; Liu, Ruochen; Gul, Isma; Abbas, Muhammad Nadeem; Cui, Hongjuan

doi:10.3390/insects13030296

Cited by 5 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 58 publications

(64 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Given the number of tests making conclusions about this gene would be unwise. Some studies on invertebrates have found that particular genes are differentially methylated in response to infection, such as genes associated with membrane transport in A. aegypti (Ye et al, 2013) and genes associated with the spliceosome, RNA transport, and protein processing in B. mori (Huang et al, 2019; see also: Kausar et al, 2022). However, given that methylation is not consistently associated with gene expression in insects (Richard et al, 2021;Duncan et al, 2022), these might be the exceptions rather than the rule.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring changes in social spider DNA methylation profiles when succumbing to infection in CpG, CHG, and CHH contexts

Fisher,

Bechsgaard,

Bilde

2024

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Living at high density and with low genetic diversity are factors that should both increase the susceptibility of organisms to disease. Therefore, group living organisms, especially those that are inbred, should be especially vulnerable to infection and therefore have particular strategies to cope with infection. Phenotypic plasticity, underpinned by epigenetic changes, could allow group living organisms to rapidly respond to infection challenges. To explore the potential role of epigenetic modifications in the immune response to a group-living species with low genetic diversity, we compared the genome-wide DNA methylation profiles of five colonies of social spiders (Stegodyphus dumicola) in their natural habitat in Namibia at the point just before they succumbed to infection to a point at least six months previously where they were presumably healthier. We found increases in genome- and chromosome-wide methylation levels in the CpG, CHG, and CHH contexts, although the genome-wide changes were not clearly different from zero. These changes were most prominent in the CHG context, especially at a narrow region of chromosome 13, hinting at an as-of-yet unsuspected role of this DNA methylation context in phenotypic plasticity. However, there were few clear patterns of differential methylation at the base level, and genes with a known immune function in spiders had mean methylation changes close to zero. Our results suggest that DNA methylation may change with infection at large genomic scales, but that this type of epigenetic change is not necessarily integral to the immune response of social spiders.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring changes in social spider DNA methylation profiles when succumbing to infection in CpG, CHG, and CHH contexts

Fisher,

Bechsgaard,

Bilde

2024

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Our transcriptomic analysis revealed that the genes related to JAK-STAT and Toll pathways were strongly upregulated after ApSOCS-2 knockdown. Besides, the JAK-STAT pathway has been shown to play an active role in the host defense, approximately similar to that of the Toll pathway [ 11 , 35 ]. It seems that both the JAK-STAT and Toll pathways are activated simultaneously to attenuate the invaded microbial pathogen.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To analyze tissue distributions of ApSOCS-2 at the mRNA level, quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was conducted [ 35 , 39 , 46 ]. In brief, for tissue distribution, total RNA was extracted from the 5th instar at 3rd day larval tissues, such as fat body, hemocytes, integument, gut, and Malpighian tubules.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Antheraea pernyi Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling 2 Negatively Modulates the JAK/STAT Pathway to Attenuate Microbial Infection

Kausar

Gul

Liu

et al. 2022

IJMS

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The Janus kinase (JAK) signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) pathway has been shown to govern various physiological processes, including immune responses, hematopoiesis, cell growth, and differentiation. Recent studies show that suppressors of cytokine signaling (SOCS) proteins attenuate JAK-STAT signaling in mammals; however, their functions are less clear in lepidopteran insects. Here, we report a full-length sequence of SOCS-2 from the Chinese oak silkworm Antheraea pernyi (designated as ApSOCS-2) and study its biological role in immune responses via the JAK-STAT pathway. ApSOCS-2 expression was high in the fat bodies and hemocytes of A. pernyi fifth instar larvae. After pathogen infection with nucleopolyhedrovirus, Beauveria bassiana, Escherichia coli, and Microccus luteus, ApSOCS-2 mRNA was strongly increased compared to the control group. To elucidate the possible involvement in innate immunity, we measured antimicrobial peptide genes expression profiles in the fat body of A. pernyi. In contrast, recombinant ApSOCS-2 protein administration significantly reduced the AMPs transcription, while the depletion of ApSOCS-2 by RNAi increased their expression. Furthermore, we observed higher antibacterial activity and lower bacterial replication in dsApSOCS-2-treated larvae. The ApSOCS-2 transcription level was reduced in STAT depleted A. pernyi larvae challenged by M. luteus. The ApSOCS-2 RNAi data sets were also subjected to transcriptomic analysis, which suggests that ApSOCS-2 is a key regulator of immune function. Taken together, our data suggest that ApSOCS-2 is required for the negative regulation of AMPs transcripts via the JAK-STAT pathway in the insect.

show abstract

“…Few examples have been published regarding specific immune memory and epigenetics whithin generations. DNA methylation is implicated in different biological processes in insects, including host-pathogen interactions ( 31 , 32 ). In adults and larvae of T. molitor infected with Micrococcus lysodeikticus or M. anisopliae , respectivelly, a differential methylation on RNA during immune memory was identified and no evidence of methylation on DNA was supported ( 33 ).…”

Section: The Invertebrate’s Immune Memorymentioning

confidence: 99%

Metabolism and immune memory in invertebrates: are they dissociated?

Méndez-López,

Carrero,

Lanz-Mendoza

et al. 2024

Front. Immunol.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Since the discovery of specific immune memory in invertebrates, researchers have investigated its immune response to diverse microbial and environmental stimuli. Nevertheless, the extent of the immune system’s interaction with metabolism, remains relatively enigmatic. In this mini review, we propose a comprehensive investigation into the intricate interplay between metabolism and specific immune memory. Our hypothesis is that cellular endocycles and epigenetic modifications play pivotal roles in shaping this relationship. Furthermore, we underscore the importance of the crosstalk between metabolism and specific immune memory for understanding the evolutionary costs. By evaluating these costs, we can gain deeper insights into the adaptive strategies employed by invertebrates in response to pathogenic challenges. Lastly, we outline future research directions aimed at unraveling the crosstalk between metabolism and specific immune memory. These avenues of inquiry promise to illuminate fundamental principles governing host-pathogen interactions and evolutionary trade-offs, thus advancing our understanding of invertebrate immunology.

show abstract

Transcriptome Sequencing Highlights the Regulatory Role of DNA Methylation in Immune-Related Genes’ Expression of Chinese Oak Silkworm, Antheraea pernyi

Cited by 5 publications

References 58 publications

Exploring changes in social spider DNA methylation profiles when succumbing to infection in CpG, CHG, and CHH contexts

Exploring changes in social spider DNA methylation profiles when succumbing to infection in CpG, CHG, and CHH contexts

Antheraea pernyi Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling 2 Negatively Modulates the JAK/STAT Pathway to Attenuate Microbial Infection

Metabolism and immune memory in invertebrates: are they dissociated?

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About