大蜡螟医学真菌感染模型的研究现况

在研究真菌感染中建立合适的真菌感染动物模型非常重要,大蜡螟幼虫作为昆虫动物模型之一,相比于其他的动物模型具有多种技术优势,目前已被广泛用于新型隐球菌、小孢子菌、红色毛癣菌、念珠菌属、暗色真菌、马尔尼菲青霉菌、黄曲霉和烟曲霉等多种致病菌的毒力、发病机制、免疫学改变、抗菌药物的开发以及系统性真菌感染的治疗等各个研究领域。研究表明大蜡螟感染模型研究结果与哺乳动物的结果相似,因此可以用大蜡螟来替代哺乳动物进行相关研究,从而减少了实验对哺乳动物的依赖性。     

影响大蜡螟幼虫体色的环境因素初探

大蜡螟幼虫体色各式各样 ,通过对比实验分析了温度、湿度、密度、光照和食物等环境因素对大蜡螟幼虫体色的影响。实验结果表明 :不同温度、湿度、密度、光照条件下大蜡螟幼虫的体色均未变化。在研究食物对大蜡螟幼虫体色的影响实验中食蜂巢的白黄色幼虫身体内部发黑 ,这可能是黑色的蜂巢透射出的颜色。实验为进一步研究大蜡螟幼虫体色的遗传机制打下了基础。     

The pursuit of cryptococcal pathogenesis: heterologous hosts and the study of cryptococcal host-pathogen interactions

Analysis of the molecular mechanisms by which a pathogen interacts with the human host is most commonly performed using a mammalian model of infection. However, several virulence-related genes previously shown to be involved in mammalian infection with Cryptococcus neoformans have also been shown to play a role in the interaction of these pathogens with invertebrates, such as Acanthamoeba castellanii, Caenorhabditis elegans, Dictyostelium discoideum, Drosophila melanogaster and Galleria mellonella. The study of host-pathogen interactions using these model hosts has allowed rapid screening of mutant libraries and can be used for the study of evolutionarily preserved aspects of microbial virulence and host response.     

Efficacy of Heterorhabditis baujardi LPP7 (Nematoda: Rhabditida) applied in Galleria mellonella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) insect cadavers to Conotrachelus psidii, (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) larvae

The guava weevil, Conotrachelus psidii, is a major pest of guava in Brazil causing severe reduction in fruit quality. We assessed its susceptibility to Heterhorhabditis baujardi LPP7 infective juveniles (IJs) in the greenhouse and under field conditions applying the nematodes in cadavers of seventh instar Galleria mellonella larvae. Field persistence of these nematodes in the soil was evaluated through G. mellonella-baiting. Insect cadaver concentrations of 2, 4 and 6 applied in pots in the greenhouse experiment caused significant mortality compared to the control. Significance differences were observed in the field between control and treatments only when six cadavers per 0.25 m² were applied. Infective juveniles from the cadavers persisted 6 weeks after application in the field, but decreased greatly thereafter. Our work demonstrates that H. baujardi LPP7 IJs emerging from G. mellonella cadavers can be efficacious against guava weevil fourth instar larvae. Also, we demonstrated the long-term persistence of IJs in the soil.     

Bacillus thuringiensis serotype H34 isolated from human and insecticidal strains serotypes 3a3b and H14 can lead to death of immunocompetent mice after pulmonary infection

In 1995, we isolated a strain of Bacillus thuringiensis serotype H34 from severe human tissue necrosis. This bacterium was able to induce myonecrosis in immunosuppressed mice after cutaneous infection. Its potential pathogenicity for immunocompetent hosts was investigated in a mouse model of pulmonary infection. Mice infected intranasally by a suspension containing 10(8) spores died within 8 h in a clinical toxic-shock syndrome. In the same conditions, infection with a mutant without crystalline toxin, with the supernatant from a culture containing 10(8) bacteria ml(-1) and by the insecticidal strain serotypes 3a3b or H14 led to identical results. Lower inocula simply induced a local inflammatory reaction with bacterial persistence observed during the course of 10 days.     

Comparison of the relative efficacy of an insect baiting method and selective media for diversity studies of Metarhizium species in the soil

Metarhizium are a commonly occurring group of entomopathogenic fungi normally found in soil. The most common methods to assess the diversity of Metarhizium species in soil are (i) the use of selective media and (ii) insect baiting using Galleria mellonella larvae. We compared the recovery efficiency from soil of four common species of Metarhizium (Metarhizium anisopliae, Metarhizium pingshaense, Metarhizium brunneum and Metarhizium robertsii) using these two methods. Firstly, we compared the number of colony forming units (CFU) produced in vitro when grown on two selective media, one containing chloramphenicol, thiabendazole and cycloheximidethe (CTC) and one based on the fungicide dodine (n-dodecylguanidine acetate) (DOD). Secondly, we artificially inoculated natural/non-sterile soil with the four fungal species at a rate of 2×10² and 2×10³ conidia g^?1of soil, baited with G. mellonella, and processed for evaluation using the selective media. The in vitro results showed that the greatest number of CFUs were recorded for M. brunneum. In contrast, when inoculated into soil, more G. mellonella larvae became infected by M. anisopliae. Finally, when using selective media, most CFUs recovered were for M. robertsii. The importance of our results in selecting a method to study the natural occurrence of Metarhizium in soil are discussed.     

青蒿琥酯抗蜡螟烟曲霉感染自噬机制初步研究

目的 探究青蒿琥酯在蜡螟感染烟曲霉后,对蜡螟的自噬相关蛋白的表达影响。方法 用一定量的烟曲霉的活化孢子感染蜡螟,经过1 h,用青蒿琥酯注射一组蜡螟,两性霉素B注射一组蜡螟,剩余的作为感染组。12 h后,取各组蜡螟进行病理切片染色,观察各组的病理情况;取各组的蜡螟的淋巴液,收集各组的孢子,用真菌活性检测试剂盒检测孢子活性并将淋巴细胞分离、裂解,离心取上清,用Western-blot法检测上清液中的Dectin-1、ROS、LC3Ⅱ的表达水平。结果 青蒿琥酯注射组的蜡螟病理切片中的孢子比感染组数量少且聚集在一起,未长出菌丝,而体外分离的真菌孢子,青蒿琥酯组的活性明显受到抑制。经Western-blot显示青蒿琥酯能增强淋巴细胞Dectin-1、ROS、LC3Ⅱ的表达。结论 青蒿琥酯可通过抑制烟曲霉的活性和增强蜡螟淋巴细胞的自噬水平,对抗蜡螟烟曲霉感染。     

苏云金芽胞杆菌clpP基因缺失对碱刺激敏感性的影响

[目的]比较苏云金芽胞杆菌与枯草芽胞杆菌在碱性培养条件下生长情况,明确clpp基因在碱刺激条件下的作用.[方法]采用同源重组技术敲除苏云金芽胞杆菌HD73菌株clpP基因,通过在不同pH下生长曲线的测定明确了clpP基因缺失突变体对碱性环境的敏感性,测定clpp基因的缺失对芽胞形成率、芽胞萌发效率和盐胁迫的影响.[结果]苏云金芽胞杆菌在碱刺激后,当培养基pH值为8.9-9.1时可以恢复生长,而枯草芽胞杆菌在pH值为8.2-8.4时可以恢复生长,说明苏云金芽胞杆菌对碱性环境适应能力更强,这有助于作为病原菌的Bt适应昆虫中肠的碱性环境.clpp基因缺失对芽胞形成率和萌发效率没有明显的影响.在将培养基中NaOH终浓度调节至30 mmol/L NaOH时,clpp基因缺失突变体的生长较出发菌株慢.说明ClpP在苏云金芽胞杆菌对碱性环境的适应过程中具有重要作用.     

温度对大蜡螟生长发育和繁殖的影响

为明确不同温度对大蜡螟(Galleria mellonella L.)生长发育和繁殖的影响,在24℃、28℃和31℃三个温度条件下,采用人工饲料饲养观察了大蜡螟的生长发育和繁殖状况。结果表明,温度对大蜡螟发育历期、生长发育速率以及繁殖具有显著影响(P0. 05)。在24～31℃范围内,随着温度升高,各虫态发育历期缩短,幼虫体长增长加快,发育速率加快。在24℃下世代历期最长(47. 96 d),31℃下世代历期最短(33. 68 d)。在同一温度下,雄蛾的寿命明显较雌蛾的寿命长,但成虫寿命、产卵前期和产卵期均随着温度升高而缩短。在24℃下产卵量最高为2 781. 50粒/雌,而在31℃下产卵量最低为1 943. 17粒/雌。     

Lipophorin uptake by the larval fat body and adult ovary in the wax moth Galleria mellonella

Lipophorin (Lp) acts in the circulation of insects to selectively deliver lipids to target tissues. In the present study, we wanted to show that Lp is taken up into larval fat body cells and the adult ovary in Galleria mellonella. Larval fat body and adult ovary tissues were incubated at room temperature for 30 min with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)‐labeled Lp. Fluorescence microscopy and sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS)–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) revealed that fat body and ovary tissues internalize fluorescence‐labeled Lp. The results suggest that both lipids and proteins are taken up by fat body cells and the ovary and also that large amounts of proteins and lipids taken up can serve as building blocks and as a source of energy. Immunological relationships with other insects were investigated using western blotting. The data showed that the Lp of Galleria mellonella is related to that of Hyphantria cunea.     

Improvement of bioinsecticides production through adaptation of Bacillus thuringiensis cells to heat treatment and NaCl addition

AIMS: The present work aimed to increase yields of delta-endotoxin production through adaptation of Bacillus thuringiensis cells to heat shock and sodium chloride and to investigate their involvements in bioinsecticides production improvement. METHODS AND RESULTS: Growing B. thuringiensis cells were heat treated after different incubation times to study the response of the adaptative surviving cells in terms of delta-endotoxin synthesis. Similarly, adaptation of B. thuringiensis cells to sodium chloride was investigated. Adaptation to combined stressors was also evaluated. When applied separately in the glucose-based medium, 20-min heat treatment of 6-h-old cultures and addition of 7 g l(-1) NaCl at the beginning of the incubation gave respectively 38 and 27% delta-endotoxin production improvements. Heat shock improved toxin synthesis yields, while NaCl addition improved delta-endotoxin production by increasing the spore titres without significant effect on toxin synthesis yields. Cumulative improvements (66%) were obtained by combination of the two stressors at the conditions previously established for each one. Interestingly, when the similar approach was conducted by using the large scale production medium based on gruel and fish meal, 17, 8 and 29% delta-endotoxin production improvements were respectively, obtained with heat shock, NaCl and combined stressors. CONCLUSIONS: Heat treatment of vegetative B. thuringiensis cells and NaCl addition to the culture media improved bioinsecticides production. Heat treatment increased toxin synthesis yields, while addition of NaCl increased biomass production yields. Cumulative improvements of 66 and 29% were obtained in glucose and economic production media, respectively. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Overproduction of bioinsecticides by B. thuringiensis could be obtained by the combination of heat treatment of vegetative cells and addition of NaCl to the culture medium. This should contribute to a significant reduction of the cost of B. thuringiensis bioinsecticides production and utilization, and also manage for higher toxin content in the bioinsecticides, which is very interesting from a practical point of view because fewer spores would be disseminated into the ecosystem.