scholarly journals Expansion of the antimicrobial peptide repertoire in the invasive ladybird Harmonia axyridis

2013 ◽  
Vol 280 (1750) ◽  
pp. 20122113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Vilcinskas ◽  
Krishnendu Mukherjee ◽  
Heiko Vogel
Keyword(s):  
Immune System ◽  
Harmonia Axyridis ◽  
Invasion Biology ◽  
Gene Families ◽  
Immune Gene ◽  
Gene Repertoire ◽  
System A ◽  
Genes Encoding ◽  
Induction Ratio ◽  
Bacteria And Fungi

The harlequin ladybird beetle Harmonia axyridis has emerged as a model species in invasion biology because of its strong resistance against pathogens and remarkable capacity to outcompete native ladybirds. The invasive success of the species may reflect its well-adapted immune system, a hypothesis we tested by analysing the transcriptome and characterizing the immune gene repertoire of untreated beetles and those challenged with bacteria and fungi. We found that most H. axyridis immunity-related genes were similar in diversity to their counterparts in the reference beetle Tribolium castaneum , but there was an unprecedented expansion among genes encoding antimicrobial peptides and proteins (AMPs). We identified more than 50 putative AMPs belonging to seven different gene families, and many of the corresponding genes were shown by quantitative real-time RT–PCR to be induced in the immune-stimulated beetles. AMPs with the highest induction ratio in the challenged beetles were shown to demonstrate broad and potent activity against Gram-negative bacteria and entomopathogenic fungi. The invasive success of H. axyridis can therefore be attributed at least in part to the greater efficiency of its immune system, particularly the expansion of AMP gene families and their induction in response to pathogens.

scholarly journals Novel insights on obligate symbiont lifestyle and adaptation to chemosynthetic environment as revealed by the giant tubeworm genome

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andre Luiz de Oliveira ◽  
Jessica Mitchell ◽  
Peter Girguis ◽  
Monika Bright
Keyword(s):  
Immune System ◽  
Draft Genome ◽  
Gene Families ◽  
Gene Repertoire ◽  
Riftia Pachyptila ◽  
Intracellular Digestion ◽  
Obligate Symbiont ◽  
Highly Expressed Genes ◽  
Complete Mitogenome ◽  
Genome Information

The mutualism between the giant tubeworm Riftia pachyptila and its endosymbiont Candidatus Endoriftia persephone has been extensively researched over the past 40 years. However, the lack of the host whole genome information has impeded the full comprehension of the genotype/phenotype interface in Riftia. Here we described the high-quality draft genome of Riftia, its complete mitogenome, and tissue-specific transcriptomic data. The Riftia genome presents signs of reductive evolution, with gene family contractions exceeding expansions. Expanded gene families are related to sulphur metabolism, detoxification, anti-oxidative stress, oxygen transport, immune system, and lysosomal digestion, reflecting evolutionary adaptations to the vent environment and endosymbiosis. Despite the derived body plan, the developmental gene repertoire in the gutless tubeworm is extremely conserved with the presence of a near intact and complete Hox cluster. Gene expression analyses establishes that the trophosome is a multi-functional organ marked by intracellular digestion of endosymbionts, storage of excretory products and haematopoietic functions. Overall, the plume and gonad tissues both in contact to the environment harbour highly expressed genes involved with cell cycle, programmed cell death, and immunity indicating a high cell turnover and defence mechanisms against pathogens. We posit that the innate immune system plays a more prominent role into the establishment of the symbiosis during the infection in the larval stage, rather than maintaining the symbiostasis in the trophosome. This genome bridges four decades of physiological research in Riftia, whilst simultaneously provides new insights into the development, whole organism functions and evolution in the giant tubeworm.

scholarly journals Evolution and Expression of the Immune System of a Facultatively Anadromous Salmonid

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas J. Colgan ◽  
Peter A. Moran ◽  
Louise C. Archer ◽  
Robert Wynne ◽  
Stephen A. Hutton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Immune System ◽  
Brown Trout ◽  
Salmo Trutta ◽  
Whole Genome Duplication ◽  
Genome Duplication ◽  
Immune Gene ◽  
Whole Genome ◽  
Gene Repertoire ◽  
Immune Genes

Vertebrates have evolved a complex immune system required for the identification of and coordinated response to harmful pathogens. Migratory species spend periods of their life-cycle in more than one environment, and their immune system consequently faces a greater diversity of pathogens residing in different environments. In facultatively anadromous salmonids, individuals may spend parts of their life-cycle in freshwater and marine environments. For species such as the brown trout Salmo trutta, sexes differ in their life-histories with females more likely to migrate to sea while males are more likely to stay and complete their life-cycle in their natal river. Salmonids have also undergone a lineage-specific whole genome duplication event, which may provide novel immune innovations but our current understanding of the differences in salmonid immune expression between the sexes is limited. We characterized the brown trout immune gene repertoire, identifying a number of canonical immune genes in non-salmonid teleosts to be duplicated in S. trutta, with genes involved in innate and adaptive immunity. Through genome-wide transcriptional profiling (“RNA-seq”) of male and female livers to investigate sex differences in gene expression amplitude and alternative splicing, we identified immune genes as being generally male-biased in expression. Our study provides important insights into the evolutionary consequences of whole genome duplication events on the salmonid immune gene repertoire and how the sexes differ in constitutive immune expression.

scholarly journals Diabetes, Immunity and Defense System: A Paradox in Treatment

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 79-84
Author(s):  
Gupta BL ◽  
Prasad G
Keyword(s):  
Immune System ◽  
Diabetic Complications ◽  
Herbal Medicines ◽  
Black Pepper ◽  
Pentose Phosphate ◽  
The Body ◽  
Defense System ◽  
System A ◽  
Bacteria And Fungi ◽  
Excess Glucose

Hyperglycemia has been the primary metabolic condition for the origin of diabetic complications. The glucose in the cell is underutilized due to diminished entry of glucose into the cell and down-regulation of the Pentose Phosphate Pathway. The PPP is the potential pathway in maintaining the defense of the cell through GPx, GR, GSH, and GSSG. Particularly, GPx and GSH levels diminish in diabetes. Constipation in diabetes also plays an important role in decreasing the immune system as the excess glucose in the gut lining enhances the number of gut bacteria and fungi. Antioxidants have not been proved to enhance the immune and defense of cells in diabetes but the exhibitory roles of herbal medicines have been potential in exaggerating the immune and defense system by their unknown modulators and enhancers molecules. Turmeric and black pepper have been proven to enhance the immune and defense of the body in diabetics.

scholarly journals The genome of the plague-resistant great gerbil reveals species-specific duplication of an MHCII gene

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pernille Nilsson ◽  
Monica H. Solbakken ◽  
Boris V. Schmid ◽  
Russell J. S. Orr ◽  
Ruichen Lv ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Adaptive Immune Response ◽  
Gene Families ◽  
Comparative Genomic ◽  
Immune Gene ◽  
Gene Repertoire ◽  
Great Gerbil ◽  
Genomic Landscape ◽  
A Genome ◽  
Natural Hosts ◽  
Species Specific

AbstractThe great gerbil (Rhombomys opimus) is a social rodent living in permanent, complex burrow systems distributed throughout Central Asia, where it serves as the main host of several important vector-borne infectious diseases and is defined as a key reservoir species for plague (Yersinia pestis). Studies from the wild have shown that the great gerbil is largely resistant to plague but the genetic basis for resistance is yet to be determined. Here, we present a highly contiguous annotated genome assembly of great gerbil, covering over 96 % of the estimated 2.47 Gb genome. Comparative genomic analyses focusing on the immune gene repertoire, reveal shared gene losses within TLR gene families (i.e. TLR8, TLR10 and all members of TLR11-subfamily) for the Gerbillinae lineage, accompanied with signs of diversifying selection of TLR7 and TLR9. Most notably, we find a great gerbil-specific duplication of the MHCII DRB locus. In silico analyses suggest that the duplicated gene provides high peptide binding affinity for Yersiniae epitopes. The great gerbil genome provides new insights into the genomic landscape that confers immunological resistance towards plague. The high affinity for Yersinia epitopes could be key in our understanding of the high resistance in great gerbils, putatively conferring a faster initiation of the adaptive immune response leading to survival of the infection. Our study demonstrates the power of studying zoonosis in natural hosts through the generation of a genome resource for further comparative and experimental work on plague survival and evolution of host-pathogen interactions.

Evolutionary History of Major Chemosensory Gene Families across Panarthropoda

2020 ◽  
Vol 37 (12) ◽  
pp. 3601-3615
Author(s):  
Joel Vizueta ◽  
Paula Escuer ◽  
Cristina Frías-López ◽  
Sara Guirao-Rico ◽  
Lars Hering ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Families ◽  
Gene Repertoire ◽  
Chemosensory Gene ◽  
Chemosensory Perception ◽  
Genes Encoding ◽  
Velvet Worms ◽  
Fundamental Biological Process ◽  
History Of ◽  
Velvet Worm ◽  
Npc2 Gene

Abstract Chemosensory perception is a fundamental biological process of particular relevance in basic and applied arthropod research. However, apart from insects, there is little knowledge of specific molecules involved in this system, which is restricted to a few taxa with uneven phylogenetic sampling across lineages. From an evolutionary perspective, onychophorans (velvet worms) and tardigrades (water bears) are of special interest since they represent the closest living relatives of arthropods, altogether comprising the Panarthropoda. To get insights into the evolutionary origin and diversification of the chemosensory gene repertoire in panarthropods, we sequenced the antenna- and head-specific transcriptomes of the velvet worm Euperipatoides rowelli and analyzed members of all major chemosensory families in representative genomes of onychophorans, tardigrades, and arthropods. Our results suggest that the NPC2 gene family was the only family encoding soluble proteins in the panarthropod ancestor and that onychophorans might have lost many arthropod-like chemoreceptors, including the highly conserved IR25a receptor of protostomes. On the other hand, the eutardigrade genomes lack genes encoding the DEG-ENaC and CD36-sensory neuron membrane proteins, the chemosensory members of which have been retained in arthropods; these losses might be related to lineage-specific adaptive strategies of tardigrades to survive extreme environmental conditions. Although the results of this study need to be further substantiated by an increased taxon sampling, our findings shed light on the diversification of chemosensory gene families in Panarthropoda and contribute to a better understanding of the evolution of animal chemical senses.

scholarly journals Evolution of male pregnancy associated with remodeling of canonical vertebrate immunity in seahorses and pipefishes

2020 ◽  
Vol 117 (17) ◽  
pp. 9431-9439 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olivia Roth ◽  
Monica Hongrø Solbakken ◽  
Ole Kristian Tørresen ◽  
Till Bayer ◽  
Michael Matschiner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Immune System ◽  
Fundamental Problem ◽  
Expression Patterns ◽  
Immunological Tolerance ◽  
Immune Defense ◽  
Immune Gene ◽  
Gene Repertoire ◽  
Mhc Ii ◽  
Adaptive Immune ◽  
Male Pregnancy

A fundamental problem for the evolution of pregnancy, the most specialized form of parental investment among vertebrates, is the rejection of the nonself-embryo. Mammals achieve immunological tolerance by down-regulating both major histocompatibility complex pathways (MHC I and II). Although pregnancy has evolved multiple times independently among vertebrates, knowledge of associated immune system adjustments is restricted to mammals. All of them (except monotremata) display full internal pregnancy, making evolutionary reconstructions within the class mammalia meaningless. Here, we study the seahorse and pipefish family (syngnathids) that have evolved male pregnancy across a gradient from external oviparity to internal gestation. We assess how immunological tolerance is achieved by reconstruction of the immune gene repertoire in a comprehensive sample of 12 seahorse and pipefish genomes along the “male pregnancy” gradient together with expression patterns of key immune and pregnancy genes in reproductive tissues. We found that the evolution of pregnancy coincided with a modification of the adaptive immune system. Divergent genomic rearrangements of the MHC II pathway among fully pregnant species were identified in both genera of the syngnathids: The pipefishes (Syngnathus) displayed loss of several genes of the MHC II pathway while seahorses (Hippocampus) featured a highly divergent invariant chain (CD74). Our findings suggest that a trade-off between immunological tolerance and embryo rejection accompanied the evolution of unique male pregnancy. That pipefishes survive in an ocean of microbes without one arm of the adaptive immune defense suggests a high degree of immunological flexibility among vertebrates, which may advance our understanding of immune-deficiency diseases.

Hatching time for monotreme immunology

2009 ◽  
Vol 57 (4) ◽  
pp. 185 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily S. W. Wong ◽  
Anthony T. Papenfuss ◽  
Robert D. Miller ◽  
Katherine Belov
Keyword(s):  
T Cell ◽  
Gene Families ◽  
Cell Receptor ◽  
Immune Gene ◽  
Gene Repertoire ◽  
Anatomy And Physiology ◽  
Hatching Time ◽  
Platypus Genome ◽  
History Of ◽  
Health And Disease

The sequencing of the platypus genome has spurred investigations into the characterisation of the monotreme immune response. As the most divergent of extant mammals, the characterisation of the monotreme immune repertoire allows us to trace the evolutionary history of immunity in mammals and provide insights into the immune gene complement of ancestral mammals. The immune system of monotremes has remained largely uncharacterised due to the lack of specific immunological reagents and limited access to animals for experimentation. Early immunological studies focussed on the anatomy and physiology of the lymphoid system in the platypus. More recent molecular studies have focussed on characterisation of individual immunoglobulin, T-cell receptor and MHC genes in both the platypus and short-beaked echidna. Here, we review the published literature on the monotreme immune gene repertoire and provide new data generated from genome analysis on cytokines, Fc receptors and immunoglobulins. We present an overview of key gene families responsible for innate and adaptive immunity including the cathelicidins, defensins, T-cell receptors and the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) Class I and Class II antigens. We comment on the usefulness of these sequences for future studies into immunity, health and disease in monotremes.

scholarly journals Protective microbe enhances colonisation of a novel host species by modifying immune gene expression

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suzanne A. Ford ◽  
Kayla C. King
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Staphylococcus Aureus ◽  
Immune Response ◽  
Immune System ◽  
Host Species ◽  
Gene Families ◽  
Host Immune Response ◽  
Host Immune System ◽  
Immune Gene ◽  
New Host

AbstractMicrobes that protect against infection inhabit hosts across the tree of life. It is unclear whether many protective microbes use or reduce the need for a host immune response, or how the immune system reacts when these microbes newly encounter a host species naturally and as part of a biocontrol strategy. We sequenced the transcriptome of a host (Caenorhabditis elegans) following its interaction with a non-native bacterium (Enterococcus faecalis) that has protective traits against the pathogen, Staphylococcus aureus. We show that microbe-mediated protection caused the differential expression of 1,557 genes, including the upregulation of many immune gene families conserved across the animal kingdom (e.g. lysozymes and c-type lectins). We found that this modulation of the host’s immune response was beneficial for both the protective microbe and the host. Given E. faecalis’ increased ability to resist lysozyme activity compared to S. aureus, our results indicate that the protective microbe could more easily invade and protect infected hosts by upregulating lysozyme genes. These results suggest that a protective microbe can exploit the host immune system even when introduced into a novel species. Microbes that protect via the host immune response in this way should favour continued investment into host immunity and avoid the evolution of host dependence.Author summaryOrganisms can be protected from infectious disease by the microbes they house. It is unclear, however, whether protective microbes affect the host immune response to infection, particularly in the early stages of symbiosis. In this study, we investigated the role of the host immune system in a novel protective interaction. We examined gene expression in a nematode after colonisation by a non-native microbe capable of suppressing the pathogen Staphylococcus aureus. The protective microbe altered the host immune response to infection in a way that it could exploit. By causing the host to increase the production of antimicrobials to which it itself is relatively resistant, the protective microbe was better able to colonise and defend infected hosts. These results indicate that protective microbes introduced into new host species can take advantage of the host immune system. Such a mechanism at the beginning of a protective symbiosis, formed either naturally or as part of a biocontrol strategy, could ensure continued investment in host-based defences over evolutionary time.

scholarly journals The innate immune systems of malacostracan crustaceans exhibit both conserved and evolutionarily distinct components

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alvina G. Lai ◽  
A. Aziz Aboobaker
Keyword(s):  
Immune System ◽  
Innate Immune System ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Gene Families ◽  
Innate Immune ◽  
Divergent Evolution ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Immune Gene ◽  
Scale Production ◽  
Imd Pathway

AbstractGrowing demands for aquatic sources of animal proteins have attracted significant investments in aquaculture research in recent years. The crustacean aquaculture industry has undergone substantial growth to accommodate a rising global demand, however such large-scale production is susceptible to pathogen-mediated destruction. It is clear that a thorough understanding of the crustacean innate immune system is imperative for future research into combating current and future pathogens of the main food crop species. Through a comparative genomics approach utilising extant data from 55 species, we describe the innate immune system of crustaceans from the Malacostraca class. We identify 7407 malacostracan genes from 39 gene families implicated in different aspects of host defence and demonstrate dynamic evolution of innate immunity components within this group. Malacostracans have achieved flexibility in recognising infectious agents through divergent evolution and expansion of pathogen recognition receptors genes. Antiviral RNAi, Toll and JAK-STAT signal transduction pathways have remained conserved within Malacostraca, although the Imd pathway appears to lack several key components. Immune effectors such as the antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have unique evolutionary profiles, with many malacostracan AMPs not found in other arthropod groups. Lastly, we describe four putative novel immune gene families, characterised by distinct protein domains, potentially representing important evolutionary novelties of the malacostracan immune system.

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