scholarly journals Influence of Serratia marcescens and Rhodococcus rhodnii on the Humoral Immunity of Rhodnius prolixus

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (20) ◽  
pp. 10901
Author(s):  
Kate K. S. Batista ◽  
Cecília S. Vieira ◽  
Marcela B. Figueiredo ◽  
Samara G. Costa-Latgé ◽  
Patrícia Azambuja ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antibacterial Activity ◽  
Trypanosoma Cruzi ◽  
Serratia Marcescens ◽  
Immune Modulation ◽  
Fat Body ◽  
Bacterial Load ◽  
Rhodnius Prolixus ◽  
Limiting Factor ◽  
Phenoloxidase Activity ◽  
Anterior Midgut

Chagas disease is a human infectious disease caused by Trypanosoma cruzi and can be transmitted by triatomine vectors, such as Rhodnius prolixus. One limiting factor for T. cruzi development is the composition of the bacterial gut microbiota in the triatomine. Herein, we analyzed the humoral immune responses of R. prolixus nymphs treated with antibiotics and subsequently recolonized with either Serratia marcescens or Rhodococcus rhodnii. The treatment with antibiotics reduced the bacterial load in the digestive tract, and the recolonization with each bacterium was successfully detected seven days after treatment. The antibiotic-treated insects, recolonized with S. marcescens, presented reduced antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and phenoloxidase activity in hemolymph, and lower nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and higher defensin C gene (DefC) gene expression in the fat body. These insects also presented a higher expression of DefC, lower prolixicin (Prol), and lower NOS levels in the anterior midgut. However, the antibiotic-treated insects recolonized with R. rhodnii had increased antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and lower activity against S. aureus, higher phenoloxidase activity in hemolymph, and lower NOS expression in the fat body. In the anterior midgut, these insects presented higher NOS, defensin A (DefA) and DefC expression, and lower Prol expression. The R. prolixus immune modulation by these two bacteria was observed not only in the midgut, but also systemically in the fat body, and may be crucial for the development and transmission of the parasites Trypanosoma cruzi and Trypanosoma rangeli.

A Kazal-type inhibitor is modulated by Trypanosoma cruzi to control microbiota inside the anterior midgut of Rhodnius prolixus

Biochimie ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 112 ◽  
pp. 41-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tatiane S. Soares ◽  
Diego S. Buarque ◽  
Bruna R. Queiroz ◽  
Cícera M. Gomes ◽  
Glória R.C. Braz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Trypanosoma Cruzi ◽  
Rhodnius Prolixus ◽  
Anterior Midgut

scholarly journals The Fate of Dietary Cholesterol in the Kissing Bug Rhodnius prolixus

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Petter F. Entringer ◽  
David Majerowicz ◽  
Katia C. Gondim
Keyword(s):  
Fat Body ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Dietary Cholesterol ◽  
Cholesterol Absorption ◽  
Rhodnius Prolixus ◽  
Free Form ◽  
Cholesterol Transport ◽  
Membrane Composition ◽  
Hormone Production ◽  
Anterior Midgut

Insects are unable to synthesize cholesterol and depend on the presence of sterols in the diet for cell membrane composition and hormone production. Thus, cholesterol absorption, transport, and metabolism are potential targets for vector and pest control strategies. Here, we investigate the dietary cholesterol absorption and tissue distribution in the kissing bug Rhodnius prolixus using radiolabeled cholesterol. Both the anterior and posterior midguts absorbed cholesterol from the ingested blood, although the anterior midgut absorbed more. We also observed esterified cholesterol labeling in the epithelium, indicating that midgut cells can metabolize and store cholesterol. Only a small amount of labeled cholesterol was found in the hemolymph, where it was mainly in the free form and associated with lipophorin (Lp). The fat body transiently accumulated cholesterol, showing a labeled cholesterol peak on the fifth day after the blood meal. The ovaries also incorporated cholesterol, but cumulatively. The insects did not absorb almost half of the ingested labeled cholesterol, and radioactivity was present in the feces. After injection of 3H-cholesterol-labeled Lp into females, a half-life of 5.5 ± 0.7 h in the hemolymph was determined. Both the fat body and ovaries incorporated Lp-associated cholesterol, which was inhibited at low temperature, indicating the participation of active cholesterol transport. These results help describe an unexplored part of R. prolixus lipid metabolism.

scholarly journals Trypanosoma cruzi Affects Rhodnius prolixus Lipid Metabolism During Acute Infection

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Géssica Sousa ◽  
Stephanie Serafim de Carvalho ◽  
Georgia Correa Atella
Keyword(s):  
Lipid Metabolism ◽  
Trypanosoma Cruzi ◽  
Fat Body ◽  
Acute Infection ◽  
Sterol Composition ◽  
Rhodnius Prolixus ◽  
Lipid Classes ◽  
Protein Coding ◽  
Protein Coding Genes ◽  
Interaction Field

The interaction between Rhodnius prolixus and Trypanosoma cruzi has huge medical importance because it responds to the transmission of Chagas disease, a neglected tropical disease that affects about eight million people worldwide. It is known that trypanosomatid pathogens depend on active lipid endocytosis from the insect host to meet growth and differentiation requirements. However, until now, knowledge on how the parasite affects the lipid physiology of individual insect organs was largely unknown. Herein, the biochemical and molecular dynamics of the triatomine R. prolixus lipid metabolism in response to T. cruzi acute infection were investigated. A qRT-PCR approach was used to determine the expression profile of 12 protein-coding genes involved in R. prolixus lipid physiology. In addition, microscopic and biochemical assays revealed the lipid droplet profile and the levels of the different identified lipid classes. Finally, spectrometry analyses were used to determine fatty acid and sterol composition and their modulation towards the infection. T. cruzi infection downregulated the transcript levels of protein-coding genes for lipid biosynthetic and degrading pathways in individual triatomine organs. On the other hand, upregulation of lipid receptor transcripts indicates an attempt to capture more lipids from hemolymphatic lipoproteins. Consequently, several lipid classes (such as monoacylglycerol, diacylglycerol, triacylglycerol, cholesteryl ester, phosphatidylcholine, and phosphatidylethanolamine) were involved in the response to the parasite challenge, although modulating only the insect fat body. T. cruzi never leaves the insect gut and yet it modulates non-infected tissues, suggesting that the association between the parasite and the vector organs is reached by cell signaling molecules. This hypothesis raises several intriguing issues to inspire future studies in the parasite-vector interaction field.

Colonization of Rhodnius prolixus gut by Trypanosoma cruzi involves an extensive parasite killing

Parasitology ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 143 (4) ◽  
pp. 434-443 ◽  
Author(s):  
ROBERTA CARVALHO FERREIRA ◽  
RAFAEL LUIS KESSLER ◽  
MARCELO GUSTAVO LORENZO ◽  
RAFAELA MAGALHÃES MACEDO PAIM ◽  
LUCIANA DE LIMA FERREIRA ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Trypanosoma Cruzi ◽  
Population Size ◽  
Chagas Disease ◽  
Intestinal Tract ◽  
Parasite Load ◽  
Rhodnius Prolixus ◽  
Insect Vector ◽  
Posterior Midgut ◽  
Development And Differentiation ◽  
Anterior Midgut

SUMMARYTrypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of Chagas disease, is ingested by triatomines during their bloodmeal on an infected mammal. Aiming to investigate the development and differentiation of T. cruzi inside the intestinal tract of Rhodnius prolixus at the beginning of infection we fed insects with cultured epimastigotes and blood trypomastigotes from infected mice to determine the amount of recovered parasites after ingestion. Approximately 20% of the ingested parasites was found in the insect anterior midgut (AM) 3 h after feeding. Interestingly, a significant reduction (80%) in the numbers of trypomastigotes was observed after 24 h of infection suggesting that parasites were killed in the AM. Moreover, few parasites were found in that intestinal portion after 96 h of infection. The evaluation of the numbers of parasites in the posterior midgut (PM) at the same periods showed a reduced parasite load, indicating that parasites were not moving from the AM. Additionally, incubation of blood trypomastigotes with extracts from R. prolixus AMs revealed that components of this tissue could induce significant death of T. cruzi. Finally, we observed that differentiation from trypomastigotes to epimastigotes is not completed in the AM; instead we suggest that trypomastigotes change to intermediary forms before their migration to the PM, where differentiation to epimastigotes takes place. The present work clarifies controversial points concerning T. cruzi development in insect vector, showing that parasite suffers a drastic decrease in population size before epimastigonesis accomplishment in PM.

scholarly journals Antibacterial Titanium Implants Biofunctionalized by Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation with Silver, Zinc, and Copper: A Systematic Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (7) ◽  
pp. 3800
Author(s):  
Ingmar A. J. van Hengel ◽  
Melissa W. A. M. Tierolf ◽  
Lidy E. Fratila-Apachitei ◽  
Iulian Apachitei ◽  
Amir A. Zadpoor
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Antibacterial Activity ◽  
Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation ◽  
Bacterial Load ◽  
Titanium Implants ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Electrolytic Oxidation ◽  
Plasma Electrolytic ◽  
Cu And Zn

Patients receiving orthopedic implants are at risk of implant-associated infections (IAI). A growing number of antibiotic-resistant bacteria threaten to hamper the treatment of IAI. The focus has, therefore, shifted towards the development of implants with intrinsic antibacterial activity to prevent the occurrence of infection. The use of Ag, Cu, and Zn has gained momentum as these elements display strong antibacterial behavior and target a wide spectrum of bacteria. In order to incorporate these elements into the surface of titanium-based bone implants, plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) has been widely investigated as a single-step process that can biofunctionalize these (highly porous) implant surfaces. Here, we present a systematic review of the studies published between 2009 until 2020 on the biomaterial properties, antibacterial behavior, and biocompatibility of titanium implants biofunctionalized by PEO using Ag, Cu, and Zn. We observed that 100% of surfaces bearing Ag (Ag-surfaces), 93% of surfaces bearing Cu (Cu-surfaces), 73% of surfaces bearing Zn (Zn-surfaces), and 100% of surfaces combining Ag, Cu, and Zn resulted in a significant (i.e., >50%) reduction of bacterial load, while 13% of Ag-surfaces, 10% of Cu-surfaces, and none of Zn or combined Ag, Cu, and Zn surfaces reported cytotoxicity against osteoblasts, stem cells, and immune cells. A majority of the studies investigated the antibacterial activity against S. aureus. Important areas for future research include the biofunctionalization of additively manufactured porous implants and surfaces combining Ag, Cu, and Zn. Furthermore, the antibacterial activity of such implants should be determined in assays focused on prevention, rather than the treatment of IAIs. These implants should be tested using appropriate in vivo bone infection models capable of assessing whether titanium implants biofunctionalized by PEO with Ag, Cu, and Zn can contribute to protect patients against IAI.

scholarly journals In Vitro Anti-Biofilm and Antibacterial Properties of Streptococcus downii sp. nov.

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 450
Author(s):  
Maigualida Cuenca ◽  
María Carmen Sánchez ◽  
Pedro Diz ◽  
Lucía Martínez-Lamas ◽  
Maximiliano Álvarez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antibacterial Activity ◽  
Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction ◽  
Bacterial Load ◽  
Antibacterial Properties ◽  
Antibacterial Activities ◽  
Oral Bacteria ◽  
Periodontal Pathogens ◽  
Biofilm Model ◽  
Biofilm Development

The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential anti-biofilm and antibacterial activities of Streptococcus downii sp. nov. To test anti-biofilm properties, Streptococcus mutans, Actinomyces naeslundii, Veillonella parvula, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Porphyromonas gingivalis, and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans were grown in a biofilm model in the presence or not of S. downii sp. nov. for up to 120 h. For the potential antibacterial activity, 24 h-biofilms were exposed to S. downii sp. nov for 24 and 48 h. Biofilms structures and bacterial viability were studied by microscopy, and the effect in bacterial load by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. A generalized linear model was constructed, and results were considered as statistically significant at p < 0.05. The presence of S. downii sp. nov. during biofilm development did not affect the structure of the community, but an anti-biofilm effect against S. mutans was observed (p < 0.001, after 96 and 120 h). For antibacterial activity, after 24 h of exposure to S. downii sp. nov., counts of S. mutans (p = 0.019) and A. actinomycetemcomitans (p = 0.020) were significantly reduced in well-structured biofilms. Although moderate, anti-biofilm and antibacterial activities of S. downii sp. nov. against oral bacteria, including some periodontal pathogens, were demonstrated in an in vitro biofilm model.

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