Novel host immune evasion strategy of the endoparasitoid Drino inconspicuoides

The tachinid fly Drino inconspicuoides (Diptera: Tachinidae) is an ovolarviparous endoparasitoid whose larvae develop in the host haemocoel and avoids the host immune system. In this study, we investigated the immune evasion mechanisms of this species during infestation in the host Mythimna separata (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). We discovered a unique ‘cloak’ that surrounded D. inconspicuoides larvae that penetrated into the host and determined through genomic polymerase chain reaction analysis that this structure originated from the host rather than the tachinid. The ‘cloak’ contained both haemocytes and fat body cells from the host, with the haemocytes assembling around the larvae first and the fat body cells then covering the haemocyte layer, following which the two mixed. Living D. inconspicuoides larvae that were wrapped in the ‘cloak’ were not melanized whereas encapsulated dead larvae were melanized, suggesting that this structure contributes to the avoidance of host immune reactions.

MOLECULAR SCREENING OF FOUR CANINE HEREDITARY DISEASES IN TAIWAN

Animals that have inherited a mutant gene from their parents (father and/or mother) may acquire hereditary diseases. Most mutations are autosomal recessive. Usually, hereditary diseases go unnoticed until symptoms arise. The objective of this study is to screen four canine hereditary diseases in Taiwan. The diseases include persistent Müllerian duct syndrome (PMDS) and myotonia congenita (MC) in Miniature Schnauzers, Golden Retriever muscular dystrophy (GRMD) in Golden Retrievers and glycogen storage disease type Ia (GSD Ia) in Maltese. We collected 98 samples from Miniature Schnauzers, 57 samples from Golden Retrievers and 54 samples from Maltese. All molecular tests are based on restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP), which consists of a genomic polymerase chain reaction (PCR) plus specific restriction enzyme digestion. Results showed that the 98 samples, which were collected from Miniature Schnauzers, were all MC wild type (WT), with 78 being PMDS WT and 20 (20%) being PMDS heterozygous type. None of the samples were MC mutant type (MT) or PMDS MT; on the other hand, no GRMD mutant gene or GSD Ia mutant gene was found in Golden Retrievers and Maltese samples.