Journal of invertebrate pathology最新文献

{"title":"Decoding the gene expression response of Cerastoderma edule to chronic trematode infection: A comparison among host tissues","authors":"Simão Correia ,&nbsp;Andrés Blanco-Hortas ,&nbsp;Daniel Garcia-Souto ,&nbsp;Robert Poulin ,&nbsp;Manuel Vera ,&nbsp;Luísa Magalhães ,&nbsp;Sergio Fernández-Boo","doi":"10.1016/j.jip.2025.108451","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jip.2025.108451","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Parasites can induce gene expression changes in their hosts, either benefiting the parasite or the host. In particular, trematodes are not only one of the most ubiquitous groups of aquatic parasites, they also have huge impacts on individual hosts with significant ecological and economic repercussions. The trematode <em>Bucephalus minimus</em> infects <em>Cerastoderma edule</em> (the edible cockle), a socioeconomically and ecologically important bivalve, as its first intermediate host. This parasite is one of the most harmful parasites infecting cockles, affecting their ability to reproduce, grow, and survive, thereby indirectly impacting ecosystem functioning. Despite the well-documented ecological effects of <em>B. minimus</em>, its impacts at a molecular level remain poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying <em>B. minimus</em> infection in cockles by analysing tissue-specific and systemic responses to long-term parasitic infection. It compared gene expression profiles in two critical tissues of naturally infected and non-infected cockles: the digestive gland, the primary target of infection, and the haemolymph, the backbone of the bivalve immune system. Results revealed extensive tissue-specific changes in gene expression. In the haemolymph, infected cockles showed significant downregulation of pathways related to cell division, cytoskeletal organization, and DNA repair, suggesting potentially parasite-induced reduction of immune responses and host cellular functions. Contrary to expectations, immune pathways did not show significantly increased expression, likely reflecting the chronic nature of infection and energy reallocation by the host. In the digestive gland, genes associated with gametogenesis, metabolism and immune function were downregulated, with no significant upregulation observed, except in some genes related to scavenger receptor activity and inflammation, suggesting localized immune responses. Shared responses among tissues included alterations in zinc ion transport and neurotransmitter biosynthesis, suggesting management of infection-induced stress. These findings highlight how <em>B. minimus</em> may manipulate host biology to suppress immunity and disrupt critical cellular processes, providing valuable insights into chronic trematode infections and host-parasite dynamics.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16296,"journal":{"name":"Journal of invertebrate pathology","volume":"214 ","pages":"Article 108451"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145029912","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Viral load differences associated with infection outcomes and resistance to white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) infection in mud crab, Scylla serrata","authors":"Angela Camille Aguila-Toral ,&nbsp;Gardel Xyza L. Silvederio ,&nbsp;Dan Joseph Logronio ,&nbsp;Kelly S. Bateman ,&nbsp;Grant D. Stentiford ,&nbsp;Edgar C. Amar ,&nbsp;Rachel Ravago-Gotanco","doi":"10.1016/j.jip.2025.108450","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jip.2025.108450","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>White spot syndrome virus (WSSV), the causative agent of white spot disease, remains a serious threat to crustacean aquaculture. Infecting a wide range of crustaceans, host species exhibit varying susceptibility and mortality rates. Mud crabs, <em>Scylla serrata,</em> a high-value aquaculture commodity across the Indo-Pacific region, are known to be relatively resistant to WSSV. However, there is limited information on the progression of WSSV infection in the species which can provide insight into mechanisms of resistance. Employing a time course experimental challenge of <em>S. serrata</em> with WSSV, this study characterized viral load dynamics in juveniles over a period of 144 h post infection (hpi) in relation to (1) disease outcomes (survival or mortality); (2) distribution among tissue types (gills, gut, hepatopancreas, and hemolymph); and (3) variability between two different juvenile cohorts. Viral load progression suggests that WSSV resistance in mud crabs may be due to two distinct mechanisms. One mechanism involves the capability of <em>S. serrata</em> for viral clearance following active viral replication. Viral growth in <em>S. serrata</em> demonstrates three phases: early stage or onset characterized by minimal change in viral load (0 to 24-hpi), logarithmic stage of active replication with rapid increase in viral copy number (24 to 72-hpi), with the third phase (96–144 hpi), exhibiting differential patterns with infection outcome. Dead crabs exhibited a plateau phase where viral loads remained similar to peak levels, while crabs that were still alive beyond 96 hpi exhibited a resolution phase, characterized by reduction in viral load, returning to non-infected levels. Another apparent mechanism for WSSV resistance involved overall inhibition of replication, with recalcitrant individuals exhibiting markedly low viral loads at expected logarithmic infection phase timepoints (48–72 hpi). This study also revealed tissue tropism of WSSV in <em>S. serrata.</em> Gills appear to be the primary site of WSSV replication, exhibiting the highest viral load from the early to peak stages of infection compared to other tissue types such as the gut, hepatopancreas, and hemolymph. The establishment of viral load curves to track the progression of WSSV infection, and characterization of viral abundance across different tissues through the course of infection, represents novel information that has key implications on the role of <em>S. serrata</em> as carriers/vectors of WSSV. This may have practical implications for disease mitigation measures for aquaculture facilities, and development of new strategies to prevent and reduce pathogen infection in mud crab to support sustainable aquaculture production.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16296,"journal":{"name":"Journal of invertebrate pathology","volume":"214 ","pages":"Article 108450"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145008360","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The smell of Panulirus argus virus 1 (PaV1) infection: Disease-induced changes in metabolites in urine and hemolymph of Caribbean spiny lobsters Panulirus argus","authors":"Boyu Qin ,&nbsp;Donald Behringer ,&nbsp;Abigail K. Scro ,&nbsp;Erica Ross ,&nbsp;Hajime Uchida ,&nbsp;Satoshi Yoshimura ,&nbsp;Jan Tebben ,&nbsp;Tilmann Harder ,&nbsp;Charles Derby ,&nbsp;Michiya Kamio","doi":"10.1016/j.jip.2025.108446","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jip.2025.108446","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Caribbean spiny lobster <em>Panulirus argus</em> is a social species in which individuals aggregate for protection during the day using chemicals in their urine as guiding cues. This behavior changes when animals are infected by Panulirus argus virus 1 (PaV1), such that healthy animals avoid the urine of diseased conspecifics. The aim of this study was to identify the molecules responsible for this switch in aggregation behavior. Urine and hemolymph were collected from healthy and diseased animals, and their metabolites were identified and quantified using proton nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H NMR) spectroscopy equipped with cryoprobe. Hemolymph was examined in addition to urine because it can infiltrate the urine of diseased animals and thus might be a source of the disease-specific cues. Overall differences in NMR spectra of urine and hemolymph of healthy and diseased animals were analyzed using principal component analysis of binned spectra. Differences in each chemical shift bins were identified by univariate analysis. Overall comparison of the spectra of healthy and diseased animals showed significant differences broadly across the spectra. Major compounds in the spectra were identified by NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry (MS) after high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) separation as amino acids, organic acids, nucleotides, nucleosides, amines, and betaines. Comparative analysis identified six molecules that differed quantitatively in urine of healthy and diseased animals: lactate was higher in urine of healthy animals, and citrate, homarine, 2′-deoxyadenosine, 2′-deoxycytidine, and thymidine were higher in urine of diseased animals. Earlier studies have demonstrated that these or related metabolites are sensed by the chemosensory systems of spiny lobsters or other marine crustaceans. Together, these findings suggest that these six molecules are candidate chemical cues that healthy lobsters might use to avoid diseased conspecifics and thus infection.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16296,"journal":{"name":"Journal of invertebrate pathology","volume":"214 ","pages":"Article 108446"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145006212","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Are all brachyuran crabs found in the intertidal zone intermediate hosts for digenean parasites?","authors":"Grace N. Crocker,&nbsp;Alexander T. Bedford,&nbsp;Andrew F. Rowley,&nbsp;Charlotte E. Davies","doi":"10.1016/j.jip.2025.108439","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jip.2025.108439","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Digenean trematodes with complex life cycles often use marine crabs as intermediate hosts, but their distribution across crab species is not fully understood. Previous reports of <em>Microphallus similis</em> in edible crabs (<em>Cancer pagurus</em>) relied on morphological identification, leaving potential for misidentification. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence, identity, and host range of digenean parasites in intertidal brachyuran crabs from South Wales, U.K. Over six months, crabs were collected from two rocky shore sites and examined for metacercariae in the hepatopancreas. Parasites were morphologically assessed and identified by sequencing the 28S rDNA region. Metacercariae were found exclusively in juvenile <em>C. pagurus</em>, with ∼ 30 % prevalence and low individual burdens ranging from 1 to 69 cysts. All sequenced parasites were confirmed as <em>M. similis</em>. No infections were detected in <em>Necora puber</em>, <em>Xantho pilipes</em>, or <em>X. hydrophilus</em>. Logistic regression indicated that infection prevalence in <em>C. pagurus</em> varied significantly with month and crab size. This study provides the first molecular confirmation of <em>M. similis</em> in edible crabs from the U.K. and highlights species-specific susceptibility linked to differences in ecology and feeding behaviour. The absence of infection in co-occurring crabs suggests that <em>C. pagurus</em> plays a uniquely important role in the parasite’s transmission cycle in intertidal environments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16296,"journal":{"name":"Journal of invertebrate pathology","volume":"214 ","pages":"Article 108439"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144933914","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Developing Pébrine-Resistant silkworms through targeting the transmembrane protein NbTMP1 in Nosema bombycis","authors":"Renze Zhang ,&nbsp;Shiyi Zheng ,&nbsp;Bin Yu ,&nbsp;Junhong Wei ,&nbsp;Guoqing Pan ,&nbsp;Zeyang Zhou ,&nbsp;Chunfeng Li","doi":"10.1016/j.jip.2025.108438","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jip.2025.108438","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Pébrine disease, caused by the microsporidium <em>Nosema bombycis</em>, represents a significant challenge to the sericulture industry. To enhance the resistance of silkworm, we developed a transgenic strain (designated N-F12) expressing a single-chain fragment variable antibody F12 (scFvF12), targeting the critical transmembrane protein NbTMP1 of <em>N. bombycis</em>. The antibody was fused with the ubiquitination tag, the F-box domain at the <em>N</em>-terminal of Slmb protein (NSlmb), facilitating the degradation of NbTMP1 via the host’s ubiquitin–proteasome system (UPS). Western blot analysis confirmed that the recombinant NSlmb::scFvF12 antibody can specifically recognize and label NbTMP1, leading to its degradation. Additionally, the proliferation of <em>N. bombycis</em> was significantly suppressed in N-F12 transgenic cells. Transgenic silkworms expressing N-F12 exhibited obvious resistance to <em>N. bombycis</em>, achieving higher survival rates without compromising key economic traits. This study demonstrates a novel strategy for pathogen resistance by utilizing the host’s UPS to degrade pathogen proteins, with potential applications in sericulture and broader host-pathogen systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16296,"journal":{"name":"Journal of invertebrate pathology","volume":"214 ","pages":"Article 108438"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144933917","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Post-exposure effects of Photorhabdus nematicidal secondary metabolites on the fitness of entomopathogenic nematodes","authors":"Ayako Kusakabe ,&nbsp;S.Patricia Stock","doi":"10.1016/j.jip.2025.108428","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jip.2025.108428","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Previous studies conducted by our team have shown that three secondary metabolites (SMs) from <em>Photorhabdus luminescens sonorensis, trans</em>-cinnamic acid (TCA), (4E)-5-phenyl-4-pentenoic acid (PPA), and indole, exhibit nematicidal and/or nematistatic activities against root knot and citrus nematodes, with no discernible effects on non-target entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs). To further explore the post-exposure fitness of EPNs, this study focused on the effects of these SMs on the virulence and reproductive fitness of three EPNs: <em>Heterorhabditis sonorensis</em> (the native host of <em>P. l. sonorensis)</em>, <em>H. bacteriophora</em>, and <em>Steinernema carpocapsae</em>. The results indicate that the virulence of <em>H. sonorensis</em> was not affected by the tested SMs. TCA significantly reduced virulence of <em>H. bacteriophora,</em> by 31 %, delayed mortality progression to eight days post-infection, and prolonged progeny emergence by two days. Nevertheless, none of the tested SMs adversely affected progeny production in <em>H. bacteriophora</em>. In contrast, the virulence and reproductive fitness of <em>S. carpocapsae</em> were not affected by any of the tested SMs. PPA did not adversely affect the virulence and reproductive fitness of any of the tested EPN species. However, TCA showed some effects, particularly for <em>H. bacteriophora</em>. These results suggest that PPA and indole may be a more suitable option for managing plant-parasitic nematodes among the tested SMs, as it showed no negative effects on the tested beneficial nematode species. In contrast, TCA may require caution due to the observed species-specific effects, particularly at the high concentration used, which underscores the need for careful consideration of its application concentration.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16296,"journal":{"name":"Journal of invertebrate pathology","volume":"214 ","pages":"Article 108428"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144957510","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Oxidative stress and antioxidant responses in Galleria mellonella following Candida albicans infection","authors":"Serkan Sugeçti","doi":"10.1016/j.jip.2025.108437","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jip.2025.108437","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Candida albicans</em> is one of the most common human fungal pathogens. <em>C. albicans</em> infections can range from superficial conditions, such as oral and vaginal candidiasis, to more severe, invasive infections, which can lead to life-threatening systemic diseases, particularly in immunocompromised individuals. In this study, the oxidative effects of <em>C. albicans</em> infection on the non-vertebrate model <em>Galleria mellonella</em>, were investigated. Levels of oxidative damage indicators, lipid peroxidation product, malondialdehyde (MDA), and antioxidant enzymes, including glutathione S-transferase (GST), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT), were determined in <em>C. albicans</em>-infected <em>G. mellonella</em> larvae. Initially, CAT activity decreased at 2–4 h post-infection, followed by an increase at 6–8 h, while levels of MDA, GST, and SOD were elevated at 8 h, reflecting a dynamic antioxidant response. Furthermore, this study examines the interaction of gliotoxin, a mycotoxin, with antioxidant enzymes GST, SOD and CAT using molecular docking studies. Molecular docking revealed gliotoxin and β-glucan binding affinities of −6.8 kcal/mol with GST and SOD, and −6.5 and −7.2 kcal/mol with CAT, respectively. These findings indicate that <em>G. mellonella</em> provides an effective model for studying the interactions between <em>C. albicans</em> and the host.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16296,"journal":{"name":"Journal of invertebrate pathology","volume":"214 ","pages":"Article 108437"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144926793","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of Vairimorpha (Nosema) ceranae and Lotmaria passim on antimicrobial peptide expression in the digestive tract of honey bees (Apis mellifera L.)","authors":"Courtney I. MacInnis ,&nbsp;Lien T. Luong ,&nbsp;Stephen F. Pernal","doi":"10.1016/j.jip.2025.108435","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jip.2025.108435","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Vairimorpha</em> (<em>Nosema</em>) <em>ceranae</em> and <em>Lotmaria passim</em> are two commonly encountered digestive tract parasites of the Western honey bee (<em>Apis mellifera</em> L.). Although these parasites are associated with colony losses, little is known regarding how they affect the bee humoral defense response, particularly at the level of the digestive tract where the parasites are found. Using locally-obtained parasite isolates, the effects of both single and mixed <em>V. ceranae</em> and <em>L. passim</em> infections on the bee humoral defense response were evaluated at the digestive tract level by quantifying the expression of three antimicrobial peptides (apidaecin, defensin-1, hymenoptaecin) at five timepoints post-infection. Parasite density was also monitored in digestive tract tissues at these five timepoints to determine if the parasites, particularly <em>L. passim</em>, have distinct host tissue preferences. In general, it was found that bees do not elicit distinct humoral defense responses within the digestive tract in response to infection with either single or mixed <em>V. ceranae</em> and <em>L. passim</em> infections. Increased <em>L. passim</em> density in hindgut tissues compared to midgut tissues at each of the five timepoints suggests a hindgut preference for the parasite. Interestingly, for bees that received mixed infections, both <em>L. passim</em> and <em>V. ceranae</em> densities were elevated in hindgut tissues, suggesting that there could be an interaction occurring between the two parasites.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16296,"journal":{"name":"Journal of invertebrate pathology","volume":"214 ","pages":"Article 108435"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144957485","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Landscape-scale virome analysis uncovers endemic and emerging honey bee viruses in the Silk-Road hub of Uzbekistan","authors":"Minhyeok Kwon,&nbsp;Sun-Ho Kwon,&nbsp;Hyeonjeong Jang,&nbsp;Hyunha Oh,&nbsp;Sukjun Sun,&nbsp;Chuleui Jung,&nbsp;Eui-Joon Kil","doi":"10.1016/j.jip.2025.108436","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jip.2025.108436","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Honey bee health is increasingly threatened worldwide by a complex and evolving viral landscape; however, this aspect in Central Asia remains understudied despite the region being strategically positioned along historic and modern trade routes. In 2024, we conducted a nationwide virome survey of <em>Apis mellifera</em> across 32 cities in 11 regions of Uzbekistan, combining the metagenomic data of 14 pooled RNA-seq libraries with RT-PCR validation and phylogenetic analyses. High-quality sequencing yielded an average of approximately 60 million reads per pool. We recovered 30 viral species from 162 genomic sequences (131 complete sequences), including 11 honey bee-associated and 19 plant-infecting viruses. All samples harbored deformed wing virus type A (DWV-A), and co-infection with DWV-B predominated. Our findings provided the first full-length DWV-B genomes from Central Asia, revealing that it had &gt; 97 % identity to European strains. New variants of the Sacbrood virus (partial sequence, approximately 4.7 kb) and Lake Sinai virus UZB were also detected. The chronic bee paralysis virus was sequenced in full for the first time in Uzbekistan, and varroa orthomyxovirus-1 exhibited segment-specific divergence. Additionally, we identified two novel plant viruses: Gulistan nepovirus 1 and Arpa carmo-like virus 1. Phylogenetic patterns of the identified viruses indicate that Uzbekistan serves as a genetic corridor connecting European and Asian virus populations. These findings fill critical geographical gaps, underscore the need for transboundary surveillance, and provide a genomic baseline for future diagnostics, epidemiology, and control strategies aimed at safeguarding pollinator and ecosystem health.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16296,"journal":{"name":"Journal of invertebrate pathology","volume":"214 ","pages":"Article 108436"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144933916","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dissecting multitrophic interactions: The relationships among Entomophthora, their dipteran hosts, and associated bacteria","authors":"Zuzanna Płoszka ,&nbsp;Karol H. Nowak ,&nbsp;Marta Tischer ,&nbsp;Anna Michalik ,&nbsp;Michał R. Kolasa ,&nbsp;Piotr Łukasik","doi":"10.1016/j.jip.2025.108425","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jip.2025.108425","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Interactions with microorganisms across the parasite–mutualist continuum shape the biology of insects at all levels − from individual traits to populations to communities. However, the understanding of pathogens infecting non-model insect species in natural ecosystems, or their interactions with other insect-associated microorganisms, is fragmentary.</div><div>Here, we tested a conceptually novel approach − the simultaneous sequencing of insect, fungal, and bacterial marker gene amplicons − as a means of dissecting interactions among entomopathogenic fungi in the genus <em>Entomophthora</em> and their dipteran hosts in South Greenland. We aimed to describe the taxonomic diversity of <em>Entomophthora</em>, their dipteran hosts, and the bacterial diversity within a set of field-collected dead insects exhibiting signs of <em>Entomophthora</em> infection.</div><div>Across nine collected dipteran species, we identified multiple <em>Entomophthora</em> genotypes, with strong but not perfect patterns of host-specificity across the five targeted marker regions. Additionally, we found consistent differences in bacterial community composition among fungus-killed fly species and sampling sites. Our results substantially expand the knowledge of <em>Entomopthora</em> diversity and host associations while providing the very first insights into associated bacteria and their potential roles. We also conclude that multi-target amplicon sequencing can be a powerful tool for addressing broad questions about biological interactions in diverse natural communities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16296,"journal":{"name":"Journal of invertebrate pathology","volume":"213 ","pages":"Article 108425"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144892837","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}