Social immunity modulates competition between coinfecting pathogens

Coinfections with multiple pathogens can result in complex within‐host dynamics affecting virulence and transmission. While multiple infections are intensively studied in solitary hosts, it is so far unresolved how social host interactions interfere with pathogen competition, and if this depends on coinfection diversity. We studied how the collective disease defences of ants – their social immunity – influence pathogen competition in coinfections of same or different fungal pathogen species. Social immunity reduced virulence for all pathogen combinations, but interfered with spore production only in different‐species coinfections. Here, it decreased overall pathogen sporulation success while increasing co‐sporulation on individual cadavers and maintaining a higher pathogen diversity at the community level. Mathematical modelling revealed that host sanitary care alone can modulate competitive outcomes between pathogens, giving advantage to fast‐germinating, thus less grooming‐sensitive ones. Host social interactions can hence modulate infection dynamics in coinfected group members, thereby altering pathogen communities at the host level and population level.     

叠氮溴化丙锭-荧光定量PCR法实时快速检测5种乳杆菌活菌数方法的建立与应用

【背景】乳杆菌属是发酵食品中最常见的微生物之一,与食品的品质和安全密切相关,定量检测乳杆菌活菌数、解析乳杆菌群落组成对发酵乃至肠道微生物等具有重要意义。【目的】建立一种在种水平上定量检测5种乳杆菌活菌数的叠氮溴化丙锭-荧光定量PCR (propidium monoazide-quantitative PCR,PMA-qPCR)检测方法并探讨其适用性。【方法】以植物乳杆菌、发酵乳杆菌、短乳杆菌、嗜酸乳杆菌和干酪乳杆菌等发酵食品中常见的5种乳杆菌为目标菌株,查找并筛选特异性引物用于荧光定量PCR (qPCR)检测,优化叠氮溴化丙锭(PMA)处理条件,测定PMA-qPCR检测法的特异性、灵敏度及可靠性。最后利用PMA-qPCR法检测黄酒酿造过程中5种乳杆菌的活菌数。【结果】PMA最佳处理条件为：浓度20 μmol/L下暗处理15 min后曝光15 min,此时可抑制样品中99.89%的死菌DNA扩增。该方法特异性高,能够准确识别5种乳杆菌;线性关系强,R2>0.98;灵敏度高,检测限为101.8?103.2 CFU/mL;重复性好,Cq值变异系数小于1%;与平板计数相比差异不显著(统计学上),p>0.05。利用该方法检测黄酒中5种乳杆菌的活菌数,发现发酵乳杆菌、干酪乳杆菌和短乳杆菌是主要的乳杆菌(总计占比59%?89%),与已知黄酒酿造中乳杆菌群落组成相符。【结论】建立的PMA-qPCR法能够快速、准确地检测5种乳杆菌的活菌数,为解析样品中乳杆菌的实时组成及检测具有活性但不可培养(viable but nonculturable,VBNC)状态的乳杆菌提供了可靠的手段。     

实时荧光重组酶聚合酶扩增快速检测临床常见曲霉菌方法的建立

目的:针对曲霉菌属转录间隔区ITS1设计引物、探针,利用实时荧光重组酶聚合酶扩增(Real-time RPA)技术建立一种快速、准确、经济的临床常见曲霉菌检测鉴定方法。方法:利用建立的实时荧光重组酶聚合酶扩增体系对标准菌株及临床标本提取的DNA进行扩增,验证该方法的性能。结果:本研究针对曲霉菌属转录间隔区ITS1设计引物、探针利用RPA试剂盒(荧光型)建立了Real-time RPA扩增体系,在15分钟内即可检测出临床常见的四种曲霉菌;特异性试验结果显示反应体系只对烟曲霉、黄曲霉、土曲霉、黑曲霉四种曲霉呈现出明显的扩增曲线,而其它细菌和真菌均无扩增曲线。灵敏性试验显示最低检出限为10-3 ng/μL。临床验证试验的12份曲霉菌均有较高的扩增效应。结论:本研究建立的Real-time RPA方法能快速、特异、灵敏地检出烟曲霉、黄曲霉、土曲霉、黑曲霉等临床常见曲霉菌,为曲霉菌的快速、现场检测提供了一种新的思路。     

Summary of the Detection Kits for SARS-CoV-2 Approved by the National Medical Products Administration of China and Their Application for Diagnosis of COVID-19

Virologica Sinica - The on-going global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by a novel coronavirus called severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been...     

Insecticidal and sublethal reproductive effects of Metarhizium anisopliae culture supernatant protein extract on the Mediterranean fruit fly

Because natural product‐based pesticides are thought to be more rapidly degradable than synthetic chemicals while having a lower ecotoxicological effect, the interest in these products for pest control has grown substantially. Recently, a new insecticide compound, which is the crude soluble protein extract (CSPE) from the fermentation product of the entomopathogenic fungus (EF) Metarhizium anisopliae (strain EAMa 01/58‐Su), has appeared in the literature as a promising insecticide for the control of the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata. This CSPE has a moderate acute insecticide effect against adults of C. capitata when administered per os at 1 mg of protein/ml, as an exposure time of 8.3 h is necessary to get 50% of mortality. Even though the ingestion of this compound produces serious injuries in the midgut epithelium, it has a very low antifeedant effect on the flies. The effect of sublethal challenges on reproduction of adult flies was studied, and a reduction was found on the female fecundity levels during the first days after the treatment. On the other hand, the sublethal exposure to the CSPE affected neither the egg fertility nor the mortality of the larvae. However, the CSPE did affect the mortality of the pupae from the F1 generation, which suggests that there is a hormetic response from CSPE challenged females. The described sublethal reproductive effects are as important as direct lethal effects in contributing to the total value of the CSPE of the EF M. anisopliae 01/58‐Su strain.     

The germ-free culture of desert locusts, Schistocerca gregaria

A technique is described for rearing germ-free desert locusts. Axenic insects appeared to develop and reproduce normally, therefore it is concluded that the gut bacterial flora does not contribute significantly to locust nutrition. However, it is suggested that the gut flora may benefit its host by contributing to the locust's defences against attack by pathogenic microorganisms. The results of morphometric measurements are discussed in terms of the bacterial origin of the so called phase pheromone, locustol. No evidence was found to support the hypothesis that microbial activity restricts gut carbohydrase.     

Evaluation of entomopathogenic fungi as potential biological control agents of the dengue mosquito,Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae)

Dengue is a global health concern. Growing insecticide resistance in the primary mosquito vector, Aedes aegypti, limits the effectiveness of vector control, so alternative tools are urgently needed. One approach is the use of biopesticides comprising entomopathogenic fungi, e.g., Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae. These fungi may decrease disease transmission by reducing mosquito vector longevity and also occur worldwide, although many isolates have not been tested for virulence against mosquitoes. Ninety-three isolates of entomopathogenic fungi representing six species (B. bassiana, M. anisopliae, Isaria fumosorosea, I. farinosa, I. flavovirescens, and Lecanicillium spp.) were screened as potential biological control agents of Aedes aegypti. A hierarchical, multi-criteria experimental design was undertaken to find suitable isolates. Initial screening was performed via in vitro assays measuring radial growth and spore persistence, eliminating isolates with poor growth or viability on nutrient-rich substrate. Subsequent measurements of spore persistence revealed that only nine of 30 strains tested had half-lives exceeding 3 weeks. Ten isolates were chosen for in vivo bioassays against adult Ae. aegypti. From these assays, two Australian isolates of B. bassiana, FI-277 and FI-278, appeared to be most promising. Both isolates were shown to be virulent against Ae. aegypti at 20, 26, and 32°C. Spreading spores manually onto substrate was found to be more efficacious than spraying. Ae. aegypti infected by manually-spread spores on cotton substrate were found to have an LT₅₀ of 3.7±0.3 days. These characteristics suggest that FI-277 has promise as a dengue mosquito biocontrol agent, either alone or combined with conventional chemical insecticides.     

绿僵菌侵染后东亚飞蝗营养生理参数变化研究

本文采用饵剂饲喂方法研究东亚飞蝗Locusta migratoria manilensis(Meyen)营养生理参数变化,结果表明:绿僵菌(Metarhizium anisopliae)侵染后,5个温度梯度下蝻期总取食量分别为96.4、108.3、131.9、103.2、249.5mg;21、24、27、30℃4个温度...