RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Gene expression in <em>Lucilia sericata</em> (Diptera: Calliphoridae) larvae exposed to <em>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</em> and <em>Acinetobacter baumanii</em> identifies shared and microbe-specific induction of immune genes
JF bioRxiv
FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
SP 2021.04.02.438197
DO 10.1101/2021.04.02.438197
A1 C.H. McKenna
A1 D. Asgari
A1 T.L. Crippen
A1 L. Zheng
A1 R.A. Sherman
A1 J.K. Tomberlin
A1 R.P. Meisel
A1 A.M. Tarone
YR 2021
UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2021/04/04/2021.04.02.438197.abstract
AB Antibiotic resistance is a continuing challenge in medicine. There are various strategies for expanding antibiotic therapeutic repertoires, including the use of blow flies. Their larvae exhibit strong antibiotic and antibiofilm properties that alter microbiome communities. One species, Lucilia sericata, is used to treat problematic wounds due to its debridement capabilities and its excretions and secretions that kill some pathogenic bacteria. There is much to be learned about how L. sericata interacts with microbiomes at the molecular level. To address this deficiency, gene expression was assessed after feeding exposure (1 hour or 4 hours) to two clinically problematic pathogens: Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumanii. The results identified immunity related genes that were differentially expressed when exposed to these pathogens, as well as non-immune genes possibly involved in gut responses to bacterial infection. There was a greater response to P. aeruginosa that increased over time, while few genes responded to A. baumanii exposure and expression was not time-dependent. The response to feeding on pathogens indicates a few common responses and features distinct to each pathogen, which is useful in improving wound debridement therapy and helps develop biomimetic alternatives.Competing Interest StatementRonald A. Sherman is co-founder and Laboratory Director of Monarch Labs, which is a producer and distributor of Medical Maggots.