Larva of greater wax moth Galleria mellonella is a suitable alternative host for the fish pathogen Francisella noatunensis subsp. orientalis

Greater Wax Moth ◽

Important Food Source ◽

Dose Dependent ◽

Abstract Background Francisella noatunensis subsp. orientalis (Fno) is the etiological agent of francisellosis in cultured warm water fish, such as tilapia. Antibiotics are administered to treat the disease but a better understanding of Fno infection biology will inform improved treatment and prevention measures. However, studies with native hosts are costly and considerable benefits would derive from access to a practical alternative host. Here, larvae of Galleria mellonella were assessed for suitability to study Fno virulence. Results Larvae were killed by Fno in a dose-dependent manner but the insects could be rescued from lethal doses of bacteria by antibiotic therapy. Infection progression was assessed by histopathology (haematoxylin and eosin staining, Gram Twort and immunohistochemistry) and enumeration of bacteria recovered from the larval haemolymph on selective agar. Fno was phagocytosed and could survive intracellularly, which is consistent with observations in fish. Virulence of five Fno isolates showed strong agreement between G. mellonella and red Nile tilapia hosts. Conclusions This study shows that an alternative host, G. mellonella, can be applied to understand Fno infections, which will assist efforts to identify solutions to piscine francisellosis thus securing the livelihoods of tilapia farmers worldwide and ensuring the production of this important food source.

Larva of greater wax moth Galleria mellonella is a suitable alternative host for the fish pathogen Francisella noatunensis subsp. orientalis

BMC Microbiology ◽

10.1186/s12866-020-1695-0 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Winarti Achmad Sarmin Djainal ◽

Khalid Shahin ◽

Matthijs Metselaar ◽

Alexandra Adams ◽

Andrew P. Desbois

Keyword(s):

Galleria Mellonella ◽

Dependent Manner ◽

Alternative Host ◽

Prevention Measures ◽

Suitable Alternative ◽

Greater Wax Moth ◽

Important Food Source ◽

Dose Dependent ◽

Abstract Background Francisella noatunensis subsp. orientalis (Fno) is the etiological agent of francisellosis in cultured warm water fish, such as tilapia. Antibiotics are administered to treat the disease but a better understanding of Fno infection biology will inform improved treatment and prevention measures. However, studies with native hosts are costly and considerable benefits would derive from access to a practical alternative host. Here, larvae of Galleria mellonella were assessed for suitability to study Fno virulence. Results Larvae were killed by Fno in a dose-dependent manner but the insects could be rescued from lethal doses of bacteria by antibiotic therapy. Infection progression was assessed by histopathology (haematoxylin and eosin staining, Gram Twort and immunohistochemistry) and enumeration of bacteria recovered from the larval haemolymph on selective agar. Fno was phagocytosed and could survive intracellularly, which is consistent with observations in fish. Virulence of five Fno isolates showed strong agreement between G. mellonella and red Nile tilapia hosts. Conclusions This study shows that an alternative host, G. mellonella, can be applied to understand Fno infections, which will assist efforts to identify solutions to piscine francisellosis thus securing the livelihoods of tilapia farmers worldwide and ensuring the production of this important food source.

Larva of greater wax moth Galleria mellonella is a suitable alternative host for the fish pathogen Francisella noatunensis subsp. orientalis

10.21203/rs.2.9987/v3 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Winarti Achmad Sarmin Djainal ◽

Khalid Shahin ◽

Alexandra Adams ◽

Andrew Desbois

Keyword(s):

Galleria Mellonella ◽

Dependent Manner ◽

Alternative Host ◽

Prevention Measures ◽

Suitable Alternative ◽

Greater Wax Moth ◽

Important Food Source ◽

Dose Dependent ◽

Abstract Background Francisella noatunensis subsp. orientalis (Fno) is the etiological agent of francisellosis in cultured warm water fish, such as tilapia. Antibiotics are administered to treat the disease but a better understanding of Fno infection biology will inform improved treatment and prevention measures. However, studies with native hosts are costly and considerable benefits would derive from access to a practical alternative host. Here, larvae of Galleria mellonella were assessed for suitability to study Fno virulence. Results Larvae were killed by Fno in a dose-dependent manner but the insects could be rescued from lethal doses of bacteria by antibiotic therapy. Infection progression was assessed by histopathology (haematoxylin and eosin staining, Gram Twort and immunohistochemistry) and enumeration of bacteria recovered from the larval haemolymph on selective agar. Fno was phagocytosed and could survive intracellularly, which is consistent with observations in fish. Virulence of five Fno isolates showed strong agreement between G. mellonella and red Nile tilapia hosts. Conclusions This study shows that an alternative host, G. mellonella, can be applied to understand Fno infections, which will assist efforts to identify solutions to piscine francisellosis thus securing the livelihoods of tilapia farmers worldwide and ensuring the production of this important food source.

Larva of the greater wax moth, Galleria mellonella, is a suitable alternative host for studying virulence of fish pathogenic Vibrio anguillarum

BMC Microbiology ◽

10.1186/s12866-015-0466-9 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 15 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Stuart McMillan ◽

David Verner-Jeffreys ◽

Jason Weeks ◽

Brian Austin ◽

Andrew P. Desbois

Keyword(s):

Galleria Mellonella ◽

Vibrio Anguillarum ◽

Alternative Host ◽

Suitable Alternative ◽

Pathogenic Vibrio ◽

Greater Wax Moth ◽

Wax Moth

Compound and Dose-Dependent Effects of Two Neonicotinoid Pesticides on Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) Metabolic Physiology

Insects ◽

10.3390/insects10010018 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 18 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Steven C. Cook

Keyword(s):

Honey Bee ◽

Low Dose ◽

Oral Exposure ◽

High Dose ◽

Dependent Manner ◽

Bee Colony ◽

Metabolic Physiology ◽

Neonicotinoid Pesticides ◽

Dose Dependent ◽

Use of neonicotinoid pesticides is now ubiquitous, and consequently non-targeted arthropods are exposed to their residues at sub-lethal doses. Exposure to these neurotoxins may be a major contributor to poor honey bee colony health. Few studies have explored how sub lethal exposure to neonicotinoids affects honey bee metabolic physiology, including nutritional and energetic homeostasis, both of which are important for maintaining colony health. Reported here are results from a study of chronic oral exposure of honey bees to two sub lethal concentrations of clothianidin and imidacloprid. Neonicotinoids altered important aspects of honey bee nutritional and metabolic physiology in a compound and dose-dependent manner; both compounds at low doses reduced honey bee body weight. Low-dose clothianidin exposure resulted in bees having protein, lipids, carbohydrates, and glycogen levels similar to newly emerged bees. High-dose clothianidin exposure lowered lipids and glycogen content of bees. High-dose imidacloprid exposure resulted in bees having depressed metabolic rate. Low-dose imidacloprid exposure resulted in bees consuming low and high levels of protein and carbohydrate rich foods, respectively. Results suggest neonicotinoids interfere with honey bee endocrine neurophysiological pathways. Compound and dose-dependent effects might represent respective chemical structural differences determining an observed effect, and thresholds of compound effects on honey bee physiology.

Galleria mellonella as an alternative model of Coxiella burnetii infection

Microbiology ◽

10.1099/mic.0.077230-0 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 160 (6) ◽

pp. 1175-1181 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

I. H. Norville ◽

M. G. Hartley ◽

E. Martinez ◽

F. Cantet ◽

M. Bonazzi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Coxiella Burnetii ◽

Galleria Mellonella ◽

Q Fever ◽

Genetic Manipulation ◽

Dependent Manner ◽

Cellular Interactions ◽

Virulence Determinants ◽

Greater Wax Moth ◽

Microbe Interactions ◽

Host Microbe Interactions

Coxiella burnetii is a Gram-negative intracellular bacterium and is the causative agent of the zoonotic disease Q fever. Several rodent and non-human primate models of virulent phase I C. burnetii [Nine Mile (NM)I] have been developed, and have been used to determine the efficacy of antibiotics and vaccine candidates. However, there are several advantages to using insect models to study host–microbe interactions, such as reduced animal use, lowered cost and ease of manipulation in high containment. In addition, many laboratories use the avirulent phase II C. burnetii clone (NMII) to study cellular interactions and identify novel virulence determinants using genetic manipulation. We report that larvae of the greater wax moth, Galleria mellonella, were susceptible to infection with both C. burnetii NMI and NMII. Following subcutaneous infection, we report that intracellular bacteria were present within haemocytes and that larval death occurred in a dose-dependent manner. Additionally, we have used the model to characterize the role of the type 4 secretion system in C. burnetii NMII and to determine antibiotic efficacy in a non-mammalian model of disease.

Antiviral Activity of Germacrone against Pseudorabies Virus in Vitro

Pathogens ◽

10.3390/pathogens8040258 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 8 (4) ◽

pp. 258 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Wanting He ◽

Xiaofeng Zhai ◽

Jingyin Su ◽

Rui Ye ◽

Yuna Zheng ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Antiviral Activity ◽

Pseudorabies Virus ◽

Receptor Protein ◽

Economic Losses ◽

Dependent Manner ◽

Novel Variant ◽

Acute Infectious Disease ◽

Dose Dependent

Pseudorabies virus (PRV), a member of the Herpesviridae, is the causative agent of an acute infectious disease in a variety of animals. The emergence of a novel variant strain brought huge economic losses to the pig industry since classical vaccine strains were not completely effective against variant strains. Therefore, the development of new anti-pseudorabies virus drugs and vaccines is of great significance for the treatment and prevention of pseudorabies. In this study, we found that germacrone, one of the major components of the essential oils extracted from Rhizoma Curcuma, was able to effectively inhibit PRV replication in a dose-dependent manner in vitro. Germacrone showed antiviral activity against PRV in the early phase of the viral replication cycle. Moreover, we found that germacrone does not directly kill the virus, nor does it affect the expression of the PRV receptor protein nectin-1, nectin-2, and CD155. Our results suggest germacrone could be used as an efficient microbicide or immunomodulatory agent in the control of the emerging variant PRV.

Galleria mellonella as a novel eco-friendly in vivo approach for the assessment of the toxicity of medicinal plants

10.1101/2021.07.06.451318 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Mbarga Manga Joseph Arsene ◽

Podoprigora Irina Viktorovna ◽

Anyutoulou Kitio Linda Davares

Keyword(s):

Medicinal Plants ◽

Galleria Mellonella ◽

Plant Materials ◽

Greater Wax Moth ◽

The Sacrifice ◽

Invertebrate Models ◽

Lethal Doses ◽

Moringa Oleifera Lam ◽

Wax Moth

The evaluation of medicinal plants toxicity is a prerequisite prior their usage. The vertebrate models used for this purpose are often the object of ethical consideration. Though invertebrate models including Galleria mellonella have shown their ability to be used to assess various products toxicity, to our knowledge, G. mellonella has never been exploited to determine the toxicity of medicinal plants. In this study, the toxicity of hydroalcoholic and aqueous extracts of seven (7) Cameroonian medicinal plants namely leaves of Cymbopogon citratus (DC.) Stapf, Moringa oleifera Lam and Vernonia amygdalina Delile; barks of Cinchona officinalis and Enantia chloranta Oliv; barks and seeds of Garcinia lucida Vesque and leaves and seeds of Azadirachta indica (Neem) were evaluated using the larval form of the Greater Wax Moth (Galleria mellonella). The median lethal doses (LD50), 90% lethal doses (LD90) and 100% lethal doses were successfully determined using the spline cubic survival curves and equations from the data obtained on the survival rate of G. mellonella 24h after the injection with the extracts. The LD50 values varied from 3.90 g/kg bw to >166.67 g/kg bw and the pattern of toxicity observed was in accordance with previous investigations on the plant materials concerned. The results obtained in this study suggest that G. mellonella can be used as a sensitive, reliable, and robust eco-friendly model to gauge the toxicity of medicinal plants. Thus, avoid the sacrifice of vertebrate models often used for this purpose to limit ethical concerns.

The Use of Dietary Antifungal Agent Terbinafine in Artificial Diet and Its Effects on Some Biological and Biochemical Parameters of the Model Organism Galleria mellonella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

Journal of Economic Entomology ◽

10.1093/jee/toaa039 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 113 (3) ◽

pp. 1110-1117 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Suzan Kastamonuluoğlu ◽

Kemal Büyükgüzel ◽

Ender Büyükgüzel

Keyword(s):

Antifungal Agent ◽

Artificial Diet ◽

Galleria Mellonella ◽

Control Diet ◽

Protein Carbonyl ◽

Egg Laying ◽

Biological Traits ◽

Dependent Manner ◽

Greater Wax Moth ◽

Wax Moth

Abstract Diet quality widely affects the survival, development, fecundity, longevity, and hatchability of insects. We used the greater wax moth Galleria mellonella (Linnaeus) to determine the effects of the antifungal, antibiotic terbinafine on some of its’ biological parameters. The effects of terbinafine on malondialdehyde (MDA) and protein carbonyl (PCO) contents and the activity of the detoxification enzyme, glutathione S-transferase (GST), in the midgut of seventh-instar larvae of G. mellonella were also investigated. The insects were reared on an artificial diet containing terbinafine at concentrations of 0.001, 0.01, 0.1, and 1 g. The survival rates at all development stages of G. mellonella were significantly decreased at all terbinafine concentrations. The females from a control diet produced 82.9 ± 18.1 eggs; however, this number was significantly reduced to 51.4 ± 9.6 in females given a 0.1 g terbinafine diet. The highest concentration of terbinafine (1 g) completely inhibited egg laying. Terbinafine significantly increased MDA content and GST activity in the midgut tissue of seventh-instar larvae in a dose-dependent manner. Relative to controls, these low dietary concentrations of terbinafine significantly increased midgut PCO content; a 0.1 g terbinafine concentration raised PCO content from 155.19 ± 21.8 to 737.17 ± 36.4 nmol/mg protein. This study shows concentration-dependent effects on the biological traits of the greater wax moth G. mellonella, including the oxidative status and detoxification capacity of the midgut. Low terbinafine concentrations may be possible for use as an antifungal agent in insect-rearing diets.

DNA Blocks the Lethal Effect of Human Beta-Defensin 2 Against Neisseria meningitidis

Frontiers in Microbiology ◽

10.3389/fmicb.2021.697232 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Gabriela M. Wassing ◽

Kenny Lidberg ◽

Sara Sigurlásdóttir ◽

Jonas Frey ◽

Kristen Schroeder ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Neisseria Meningitidis ◽

Membrane Integrity ◽

Lethal Effect ◽

Extracellular Dna ◽

Dependent Manner ◽

Mobility Shift ◽

Planktonic Bacteria ◽

Life Threatening ◽

Dose Dependent ◽

Neisseria meningitidis is a gram-negative bacterium that often asymptomatically colonizes the human nasopharyngeal tract. These bacteria cross the epithelial barrier can cause life-threatening sepsis and/or meningitis. Antimicrobial peptides are one of the first lines of defense against invading bacterial pathogens. Human beta-defensin 2 (hBD2) is an antimicrobial peptide with broad antibacterial activity, although its mechanism of action is poorly understood. Here, we investigated the effect of hBD2 on N. meningitidis. We showed that hBD2 binds to and kills actively growing meningococcal cells. The lethal effect was evident after 2 h incubation with the peptide, which suggests a slow killing mechanism. Further, the membrane integrity was not changed during hBD2 treatment. Incubation with lethal doses of hBD2 decreased the presence of diplococci; the number and size of bacterial microcolonies/aggregates remained constant, indicating that planktonic bacteria may be more susceptible to the peptide. Meningococcal DNA bound hBD2 in mobility shift assays and inhibited the lethal effect of hBD2 in a dose-dependent manner both in suspension and biofilms, supporting the interaction between hBD2 and DNA. Taken together, the ability of meningococcal DNA to bind hBD2 opens the possibility that extracellular DNA due to bacterial lysis may be a means of N. meningitidis to evade immune defenses.