Journal of invertebrate pathology最新文献

{"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":"2026-02-01","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":"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":"2026-02-01","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":"Bmced6 enhances BmNPV infection in BmN cells by modulating autophagy and mitochondrial homeostasis","authors":"Yuanyuan Xu ,&nbsp;Jing Zhang ,&nbsp;Yan Huang ,&nbsp;Dan Zhang ,&nbsp;Qiaoling Zhao ,&nbsp;Heying Qian ,&nbsp;Dongxu Shen","doi":"10.1016/j.jip.2025.108500","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jip.2025.108500","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Autophagy is a conserved cellular process with dual roles in antiviral defense and viral utilization that plays a crucial role in host-pathogen interactions. Here, we investigated the function and related mechanisms of <em>Bmced6</em> in domestic silkworm, <em>Bombyx mori</em>, during the infestation of <em>B. mori</em> nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV). At first, immunofluorescence indicated that Bmced6 was mainly localized in the cytoplasm. And overexpression of <em>Bmced6</em> significantly enhanced the proliferation of BmNPV, as evidenced by the increased expression level of the viral capsid protein, VP39, and the enhanced viral fluorescence intensity of BmNPV-GFP. Moreover, siRNA-mediated knockdown of <em>Bmced6</em> inhibited viral infection and transmission. Furthermore, we found that the positive effect of <em>Bmced6</em> on viral infestation was associated with enhanced virus-induced autophagy , including increased autophagosome formation, ATG8 lipidation, Atg8 puncta formation and up-regulation of autophagy-related genes. Meanwhile, abnormal expression of <em>Bmced6</em> disrupted mitochondrial homeostasis, leading to ultrastructural damage, decreased mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), and dysregulated reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. These findings establish that <em>Bmced6</em> facilitates BmNPV infection through the coupling of autophagy activation and mitochondrial dysfunction, providing new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying viral infection in insects.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16296,"journal":{"name":"Journal of invertebrate pathology","volume":"214 ","pages":"Article 108500"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145620287","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":"2026-02-01","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":"Assessing the impact of gram-negative bacteria on the common octopus, in relation to rising sea temperature: a study of total protein concentration and hemolysis activity in hemolymph","authors":"Daniella-Mari White ,&nbsp;Emmanouela Karaveti ,&nbsp;Vasileios Bakopoulos","doi":"10.1016/j.jip.2025.108480","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jip.2025.108480","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Fish farming may pose a risk to adjacent octopus farms due to pathogen transmission. Moreover, the immune defense mechanisms of cephalopods are still not fully understood. This study aimed to determine changes in total protein concentration and hemolysis activity of <em>Octopus vulgaris</em> hemolymph, after intramuscular (IM) or intravenous (IV) challenges with aquaculture fish pathogens (either <em>Photobacterium damselae</em> subsp. <em>piscicida</em> or <em>damselae</em> or <em>Vibrio alginolyticus</em> or <em>anguillarum</em> O1) at two temperatures (21 ± 0.5 ℃ and 24 ± 0.5 ℃).</div><div>Results showed that <em>Octopus vulgaris</em> exhibited a mean total protein concentration of 173.93 ± 69.37 mg/mL across all experimental conditions, markedly exceeding values reported for other mollusks, such as the bivalves <em>Chamelea gallina</em> (0.75–1.66 mg/mL) and <em>Mytilus galloprovincialis</em> (0.59–1.60 mg/mL). Patterns of total protein concentration, related to the genera of the pathogen used for the challenges, were observed. Four-way ANOVA revealed significant main effects of bacterium (F(3, 144) = 54.360, p &lt; 0.001) and temperature (F(1, 144) = 10.014, p = 0.002) on total protein, along with multiple significant interaction effects, including bacterium × temperature, route × time, and bacterium × route × temperature × time (all p &lt; 0.001).</div><div>Hemolysis remained at low levels across both experimental temperatures, challenge routes, and pathogens, not exceeding 25 % in any case. Values above 15 % and up to 20 % were recorded in specific conditions, such as <em>Photobacterium damselae</em> subsp. <em>damselae</em> at 24 ± 0.5 °C on Day 3 in CIM-, IM-, and IV- control and challenged groups respectivelly; <em>V. alginolyticus</em> at 24 ± 0.5 °C on Day 3 in IM-challenged groups; and <em>Vibrio anguillarum</em> O1 at 21 ± 0.5 °C on Day 3 and Day 7 in IM-challenged groups. ANOVA for hemolytic activity showed significant main effects of bacterium (F(3, 144) = 22.032, p &lt; 0.001) and temperature (F(1, 144) = 4.083, p = 0.045), with multiple significant interactions, including bacterium × temperature, route × time, and bacterium × route × temperature × time (all p &lt; 0.001). These results indicate that the route of challenge may play a major role in hemolysis activity, with temperature and time post-challenge also exerting significant effects, possibly through a complex synergistic interaction.</div><div>Our results may assist in elucidating common octopus defense mechanisms against common fish pathogens and provide important information to the scientific community and the marine aquaculture sector.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16296,"journal":{"name":"Journal of invertebrate pathology","volume":"214 ","pages":"Article 108480"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145421971","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":"American lobster (Homarus americanus) immune gene expression during Aerococcus viridans var. homari challenge","authors":"Zohreh Fazelan ,&nbsp;Nicolas Argenta ,&nbsp;Spencer J. Greenwood ,&nbsp;K. Fraser Clark","doi":"10.1016/j.jip.2025.108455","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jip.2025.108455","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Canadian lobster (<em>Homarus americanus</em>) fishery is Canada’s most economically significant fishing industry and is a critical component of many rural Atlantic Canadian communities. <em>Aerococcus viridans</em> var<em>. homari</em> is a Gram-positive bacterium that can cause mortalities in wild and live-stocked lobsters. We used an RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) approach to examine the expression of more than 29,000 hepatopancreatic genes in <em>H. americanus</em> during an <em>A. viridans</em> var. <em>homari</em> infection challenge to determine how lobster immune gene expression changes during infection. The infection challenge identified 1,803 differentially expressed genes, of which at least 87 are related to immune or stress responses. Of particular note are several anti-lipopolysaccharide factors (ALFs), pentraxin serum amyloid A (SAA), lectins, Toll-like proteins, cytokines, relish, cactus, myeloid differentiation factor, and genes related to antioxidant defence, coagulation, and hyperglycemic hormone regulation. Compared to a previous study using microarray technology, our RNA-seq approach uncovered a broader array of immune genes that were previously undetected in <em>H. americanus</em>. This study provides additional evidence that ALFs and SAA-5-like proteins are critical players in immune defence. Differential expression of ALFs and lectin genes may indicate a tailored response specific to <em>A. viridans</em> var. <em>homari</em>, highlighting the complexity of the immune system of lobster in recognizing and responding to specific pathogens.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16296,"journal":{"name":"Journal of invertebrate pathology","volume":"214 ","pages":"Article 108455"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145080335","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":"Development of a real-time loop-mediated isothermal amplification (real-time LAMP) assay for the onsite detection of Vibrio parahaemolyticus causing acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (AHPND) in shrimp","authors":"L.G.T.G. Rajapaksha,&nbsp;C.W.R. Gunasekara,&nbsp;S.H.M.P. Wimalasena,&nbsp;H.N.K.S. Pathirana,&nbsp;Gee-wook Shin","doi":"10.1016/j.jip.2025.108501","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jip.2025.108501","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (AHPN) is a lethal shrimp disease caused by Vibrio parahaemolyticus carrying virulent <em>pir^AB</em> genes in extrachromosomal plasmids. However, the limitations of current polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods pose challenges for on-site AHPND diagnosis. This study aimed to develop a real-time Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) assay for diagnosing AHPND at shrimp farming sites. Two primer sets were designed to target a 300 bp region within the <em>pir^AB</em> gene on the pVPA3-1 plasmid of the reference strain 13–028/A3. Using a Genie II machine, an AHPND-specific primer set was selected to optimize a LAMP reaction mixture (LAMP-mixture I) and reaction conditions. The LAMP-mixture I provided clear and accurate results at 65 °C within approximately 50 min. The detection limit (100 fg) was comparable to that of duplex PCR developed for AHPND detection and was 100 times more sensitive than conventional PCR with existing LAMP primers (10 pg), though less sensitive than AP4 nested PCR. To enhance the feasibility of the LAMP assay in shrimp farms, a portable real-time LAMP machine developed by SMTION (Daejeon, Korea) was employed. The LAMP products were analyzed using SYBR Green I and calcein detection methods. Both methods produced positive results and showed no cross-reactivity with non-AHPND strains. The real-time LAMP calcein method demonstrated high diagnostic specificity, positive predictive value, and 78 % accuracy when evaluated with field samples. Hence, the real-time LAMP calcein method developed here offers potential for rapid and reliable AHPND diagnosis in shrimp farming sites, in comparison to other PCR-based strategies in simplicity and specificity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16296,"journal":{"name":"Journal of invertebrate pathology","volume":"214 ","pages":"Article 108501"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145648811","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":"Argentine Metarhizium spp. isolates: Molecular identification, blastospores production, and its pathogenicity against Blattella germanica adults","authors":"Francisco Lozano ,&nbsp;Romina Guadalupe Manfrino ,&nbsp;Andreas Leclerque ,&nbsp;Christina Schuster ,&nbsp;Federico Rivas-Franco ,&nbsp;Alejandra Concepción Gutierrez","doi":"10.1016/j.jip.2025.108471","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jip.2025.108471","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Blattella germanica</em> is the most prevalent synanthropic pest and negatively impacts human health, as do the synthetic chemical insecticides used to control them. In contrast, <em>Metarhizium</em> spp. is a well known fungus that can infect insects and other arthropods, causing death to their hosts. When cultivated in liquid medium it produces blastospores. This propagule has the potential to be used as a biological control agent for cockroaches. The aim of this study was to identify eleven native <em>Metarhizium</em> strains from Argentina through molecular taxonomy, evaluate blastospores and biomass production in submerged fermentation, and assess the pathogenicity of the blastospores against adult <em>B. germanica</em> cockroaches. For the molecular identification of the strains, diagnostic PCR amplification was performed using previously developed primers for region markers EF1A, RPB1, RPB2, 5TEF, MzIGS3, and rIGS-ID800. In order to elucidate blastospores production, a conidia suspension was inoculated into Adamek liquid medium. Samples were taken at 48 h, 72 h, and 96 h to quantify blastospore production, and at 96 h blastospores were harvested, dry biomass was weighted and the pH of the liquid medium was assessed. The strains showed blastospores production at 96 h or earlier, except for two strains, and statistically significant maximum blastospores production was reached at 48 h for most strains. A blastospore suspension of 1E + 07 blastospore/mL was applied by spray to <em>B. germanica</em> adults, and mortality was assessed every two days for 20 days after application. Dead cockroaches were placed in a humid chamber and periodically observed for <em>Metarhizium</em> growth. Blastospores significantly reduced the survivorship of <em>B. germanica</em> adults. Species-discriminating diagnostic PCR and phylogenetic reconstruction was successful in assigning ten of the strains to different species within the <em>Metarhizium</em> PARB clade: four strains to <em>Metarhizium brunneum</em> and three strains each to <em>Metarhizium hybridum</em> and <em>Metarhizium robertsii</em>. One strain had previously been shown to belong to the distantly related species <em>Metarhizium argentinense</em>.</div><div>This study, therefore, constitutes the first description of <em>M. hybridum</em> from Argentina and provides the first report of direct contact application of fungal blastospores as a pathogenic approach against cockroaches, reducing <em>B. germanica</em> adult survivorship.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16296,"journal":{"name":"Journal of invertebrate pathology","volume":"214 ","pages":"Article 108471"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145308336","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":"When a mosquito ingests blood, the phagocytic activity of hemocytes increases with warmer environmental temperature and aging","authors":"Jordyn S. Barr,&nbsp;Saksham R. Saksena,&nbsp;Abby Callahan-Muller,&nbsp;Edith Simpson,&nbsp;Julián F. Hillyer","doi":"10.1016/j.jip.2025.108459","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jip.2025.108459","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Most female mosquitoes feed on blood to gain the nutrients needed for oogenesis, but the process of blood feeding often exposes mosquitoes to pathogens. Blood feeding and infection both activate the hemocytes that drive cellular immune responses, and the efficacy of immune responses like phagocytosis varies with environmental temperature, aging, and their interaction. Here, we quantified the hemocyte-mediated phagocytosis response in the hemocoel of adult female mosquitoes during the digestion of a blood meal and thereafter, focusing on mosquitoes that had been reared at 27 °C, 30 °C or 32 °C, and were 3, 5 or 10 days old at the time of blood feeding. We discovered that, in blood-fed mosquitoes, phagocytic activity generally increases when the temperature is warmer and when the mosquito is older. Moreover, within the first three days after a blood meal, warmer temperature does not accelerate the senescence of the phagocytosis response. Altogether, these findings demonstrate that ingesting blood changes how warmer temperature, aging, and their interaction alters the phagocytic response of hemocytes, which has implications for how mosquitoes respond to infection and survive in their environment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16296,"journal":{"name":"Journal of invertebrate pathology","volume":"214 ","pages":"Article 108459"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145119021","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":"Observations on morphological, physiological, and behavioural changes induced by protozoan infections in certain storage insect pests","authors":"Ahlam Ahmed Alfazairy ,&nbsp;Yasien Mohamed Gamal El-Abed ,&nbsp;Hanan Mohamed Ramadan ,&nbsp;Hedaya Hamza Karam ,&nbsp;Esmat Mohamed Hegazi","doi":"10.1016/j.jip.2025.108498","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jip.2025.108498","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Entomopathogenic protozoans are, to a large extent, host specific, and through acute or chronic infections they negatively alter host reproductive fitness, metabolism, immune response, juvenile hormonal balance, and host development. Hence, these entomopathogens are well-suited to reduce populations of stored product insect pests. The first step towards achieving successful suppression, natural or applied, of storage insect pest populations is the detection for these entomopathogenic protozoans in their habitats. Therefore, a preliminary survey of naturally occurring protozoan infections in stored-grain insect pests was carried out across some Governorates in Lower and Upper Egypt. The protozoan-natural mortality rates among the subject insect pests were recorded. Based on morphological characteristics, particularly spore or oocyst morphology, five entomopathogenic protozoans were taxonomically identified, at the genus level (i.e.<em>,</em> four apicomplexans, <em>Adelina</em> sp., <em>Farinocystis</em> sp., <em>Mattesia</em> sp., and <em>Gregarina</em> sp., as well as one microsporidian or fungal pathogen, <em>Nosema</em> sp.). Observations on the morpho-pathological, physio-pathological, and behavioural changes induced by protozoan infections in beetles of <em>Cryptolestes turcicus, Rhyzopertha dominica, Tribolium castaneum,</em> and moths of <em>Plodia interpunctella</em> were recorded, as well. Among the interesting findings, a behavioural abnormality was induced by <em>Nosema</em> infection in <em>P. interpunctella</em> moths; viz., the complete failure of copulated pairs to be separated after copulation (i.e., frequent occurrence of ca., 66.70–73.70 %). Additionally, an increased abundance, by <em>ca</em>., 2.40-fold, of the total protein content has been quantified in <em>Adelina</em>-infected or <em>Farinocystis</em>-infected <em>T. castaneum</em> beetles compared to the uninfected beetles. The pathological changes observed in this study may provide new insights into the interaction between the subject entomopathogenic protozoans and their insect hosts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16296,"journal":{"name":"Journal of invertebrate pathology","volume":"214 ","pages":"Article 108498"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145573698","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}