Hyalophora gloveri gloverin is a glycine-rich and heat stable antimicrobial protein with activity mainly against Escherichia coli. However, Spodoptera exigua gloverin is active against a Gram-positive bacterium but inactive against E. coli. In this study, we investigated expression profile, binding ability and antimicrobial activity of Manduca sexta gloverin (MsGlv). Msglv transcript was detected in several tissues of naïve larvae with higher levels in the midgut and testis. Expression of Msglv mRNA in larvae was up-regulated by active Spätzle-C108 and peptidoglycans (PGs) of E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus, and the activation was blocked by pre-injection of antibody to M. sexta Toll, suggesting that Msglv expression is regulated by the Toll-Spätzle pathway. Recombinant MsGlv bound to the O-specific antigen and outer core carbohydrate of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), Gram-positive lipoteichoic acid (LTA) and PG, and laminarin, but not to E. coli PG or mannan. MsGlv was active against Bacillus cereus, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Cryptococcus neoformans, but was almost inactive against E. coli and S. aureus. Our results suggest that gloverins are active against some bacteria and fungi.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.dci.2012.06.012 | DOI Listing |
The larval tobacco hornworm, , has been used in a laboratory setting for physiological studies and for pathogen virulence studies. This moth offers a much larger size than the commonly used wax moth ( ), and it can thus be used for a greater variety of assays, such as repeated sampling of the same individual, growth measurements, and tissue sampling. Yet their occasional use in research has led to a minimally documented set of rearing methods.
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December 2024
Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, B3H 4R2, Canada.
The parasitic wasp, Cotesia congregata, manipulates the behaviour of its host, the caterpillar Manduca sexta. The female wasp injects her eggs and a symbiotic virus (i.e.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProg Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry
December 2024
Dept. Science, Roma Tre University, Rome, Italy; Neuroendocrinology, Metabolism and Neuropharmacology Unit, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy. Electronic address:
β-Caryophyllene (BCP) is a naturally occurring sesquiterpene found in numerous plant species, including Cannabis sativa. BCP has shown a high safety profile and a wide range of biological functions, including beneficial effects in neurodegenerative and inflammatory diseases. Here, we used behavioral, pharmacological, and in-silico docking analyses to investigate the effects and mechanism of action of BCP in Fragile X Syndrome (FXS), the most common inherited cause of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and intellectual disability.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPlant Cell Environ
December 2024
Department of Plant and Soil Sciences and Kentucky Tobacco Research and Development Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA.
The evolutionary arms race between plants and insects has led to key adaptive innovations that drive diversification. Alkaloids are well-documented anti-herbivory compounds in plant chemical defences, but how these specialized metabolites are allocated to cope with both biotic and abiotic stresses concomitantly is largely unknown. To examine how plants prioritize their metabolic resources responding to herbivory and cold, we integrated dietary toxicity bioassay in insects with co-expression analysis, hierarchical clustering, promoter assay, and protein-protein interaction in plants.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProg Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry
December 2024
Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Rd. E., Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada. Electronic address:
There are substantial differences in the characteristics of males and females with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), yet there is little knowledge surrounding the mechanistic underpinnings of these differences. The valproic acid (VPA) rodent model is based upon the human fetal valproate spectrum disorder, which is associated with increased risk of developing ASD. This model, which displays significant social, learning, and memory alterations, has therefore been widely used to further our understanding of specific biological features of ASD.
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