Search results for "Host"
showing 10 items of 1982 documents
The gut microbiota of larvae of Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Oliver (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)
2014
Background: The red palm weevil (RPW) Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Olivier (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is one of the major pests of palms. The larvae bore into the palm trunk and feed on the palm tender tissues and sap, leading the host tree to death. The gut microbiota of insects plays a remarkable role in the host life and understanding the relationship dynamics between insects and their microbiota may improve the biological control of insect pests. The purpose of this study was to analyse the diversity of the gut microbiota of field-caught RPW larvae sampled in Sicily (Italy). Results: The 16S rRNA gene-based Temporal Thermal Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (TTGE) of the gut microbiota of RPW …
2021
Lyme borreliosis is a multisystemic disease caused by the pleomorphic bacteria of theBorrelia burgdorferi sensu latocomplex. The exact mechanisms for the infection to progress into a prolonged sequelae of the disease are currently unknown, although immune evasion and persistence of the bacteria in the host are thought to be major contributors. The current study investigatedB. burgdorferiinfection processes in two human cell lines, both non-immune and non-phagocytic, to further understand the mechanisms of infection of this bacterium. By utilizing light, confocal, helium ion, and transmission electron microscopy, borrelial infection of chondrosarcoma (SW1353) and dermal fibroblast (BJ) cells…
New methods of delivery of amphotericin B.
1993
Fungal infections continue to be a major problem in the management of immunocompromised patients. Despite its formidable toxicity and treatment failures, amphotericin B is still the drug of choice for most of these infections. One strategy for reducing the toxicity of amphotericin B and thus permitting administration of higher doses is that of using less toxic formulations. Entrapping amphotericin B into liposomes or binding it to other substances reduces its toxicity to host cells, whereas the selective binding of amphotericin B to ergosterol preserves its toxicity to fungal cells. Adding fungus-specific antibodies to such liposomes may further increase the efficiency of drug targeting. Th…
Opportunities and Challenges to Microbial Symbiosis Research in the Microbiome Era
2020
Peer reviewed
Relative reproductive success of co-infecting parasite genotypes under intensified within-host competition.
2015
In nature, host individuals are commonly simultaneously infected with more than one genotype of the same parasite species. These co-infecting parasites often interact, which can affect their fitness and shape host-parasite ecology and evolution. Many of such interactions take place through competition for limited host resources. Therefore, variation in ecological factors modifying the host resource level could be important in determining the intensity of competition and the outcome of co-infections. We tested this hypothesis by measuring the relative reproductive success of co-infecting genotypes of the trematode parasite Diplostomum pseudospathaceum in its snail host Lymnaea stagnalis whil…
Between a rock and a soft place: the role of viruses in lithification of modern microbial mats.
2021
10 pages; International audience; Stromatolites are geobiological systems formed by complex microbial communities, and fossilized stromatolites provide a record of some of the oldest life on Earth. Microbial mats are precursors of extant stromatolites; however, the mechanisms of transition from mat to stromatolite are controversial and are still not well understood. To fully recognize the profound impact that these ecosystems have had on the evolution of the biosphere requires an understanding of modern lithification mechanisms and how they relate to the geological record. We propose here viral mechanisms in carbonate precipitation, leading to stromatolite formation, whereby viruses directl…
The Tsetse Fly Displays an Attenuated Immune Response to Its Secondary Symbiont, Sodalis glossinidius
2019
Sodalis glossinidius, a vertically transmitted facultative symbiont of the tsetse fly, is a bacterium in the early/intermediate state of its transition toward symbiosis, representing an important model for investigating how the insect host immune defense response is regulated to allow endosymbionts to establish a chronic infection within their hosts without being eliminated. In this study, we report on the establishment of a tsetse fly line devoid of S. glossinidius only, allowing us to experimentally investigate (i) the complex immunological interactions between a single bacterial species and its host, (ii) how the symbiont population is kept under control, and (iii) the impact of the symb…
Anti-plant Defense Response Strategies Mediated by the Secondary Symbiont
2019
Bacterial symbionts are omnipresent in insects, particularly aphids, and often exert important effects on the host ecology; however, examples of symbionts that mediate herbivore-plant interactions remain limited. Here, three clones with identical genetic backgrounds were established: a Hamiltonella defensa-free clone, H. defensa-infected clone and H. defensa-cured clone. H. defensa infection was found to increase the fitness of Sitobion miscanthi by increasing the total number of offspring and decreasing the age of first reproduction. Furthermore, gene expression studies and phytohormone measurement showed that feeding by the Hamiltonella-infected clone suppressed the salicylic acid (SA)- a…
[NO TITLE AVAILABLE]
2014
Malaria is still a primary health problem in Colombia. The locality of Tierradentro is situated in the municipality of Montelibano, Cordoba, in the northwest of Colombia, and has one of the highest annual parasite index of malaria nationwide. However, the vectors involved in malaria transmission in this locality have not yet been identified. In this study, the local anthropophilic Anopheles composition and natural infectivity with Plasmodium were investigated. In August 2009, 927 female Anopheles mosquitoes were collected in eight localities using the human landing catch method and identified based on their morphology. Cryptic species were determined by restriction fragment length polymorph…
Genomics of intracellular symbionts in insects
2010
Endosymbiotic bacteria play a vital role in the evolution of many insect species. For instance, endosymbionts have evolved metabolically to complement their host's natural diet, thereby enabling them to explore new habitats. In this paper, we will review and give some examples of the nature of the metabolic coupling of different primary and secondary endosymbionts that have evolved in hosts with different nutritional diets (i.e., phloem, xylem, blood, omnivores, and grain). Particular emphasis is given to the evolutionary functional convergence of phylogenetically distant endosymbionts, which are evolving in hosts with similar diets.