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Preparing and Rearing Axenic Insects with Tissue Cultured Seedlings for Host-Gut Microbiota Interaction Studies of the Leaf Beetle
Published on: October 8, 2021
How the insect immune system interacts with an obligate symbiotic bacterium
A E Douglas1, S Bouvaine, R R Russell
1Department of Biology, University of York, York YO10 5YW, UK. aes326@cornell.edu
Proceedings. Biological Sciences
|August 20, 2010
Summary
The pea aphid
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary immunology
- Microbial symbiosis
- Insect immunity
Background:
- Animal immune systems evolve to defend against pathogens.
- Animal-microbial symbioses may drive host immune system adaptations.
- Pea aphids (Acyrthosiphon pisum) exhibit a reduced immune system, potentially linked to Buchnera aphidicola symbiosis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the interaction between Buchnera and non-host cells.
- To test the hypothesis that aphid immune system reduction is an adaptation for Buchnera symbiosis.
- To elucidate the immune response triggered by Buchnera in a non-host system.
Main Methods:
- Gene expression analysis using microarrays.
- Utilizing cultured Drosophila S2 cells as a non-host model.
- Observing cellular uptake and elimination of Buchnera cells.
Main Results:
- Buchnera triggered an immune response in Drosophila S2 cells.
- Upregulated expression of antimicrobial peptide genes via the IMD pathway.
- Buchnera cells were taken up but subsequently eliminated by S2 cells within 1-2 days.
Conclusions:
- Buchnera induces a defensive immune response in non-host cells.
- This response appears deficient in the aphid host, Acyrthosiphon pisum.
- The findings support the role of Buchnera symbiosis in the evolution of reduced aphid immunity.
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