scholarly journals Robust manipulation of the behavior of Drosophila melanogaster by a fungal pathogen in the laboratory

eLife ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolyn Elya ◽  
Tin Ching Lok ◽  
Quinn E Spencer ◽  
Hayley McCausland ◽  
Ciera C Martinez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fungal Pathogen ◽  
Molecular Level ◽  
Experimental System ◽  
Behavioral Changes ◽  
Rapid Progress ◽  
Entomophthora Muscae ◽  
Host Behavior ◽  
Animal Hosts ◽  
Molecular Manipulation ◽  
New System

Many microbes induce striking behavioral changes in their animal hosts, but how they achieve this is poorly understood, especially at the molecular level. Mechanistic understanding has been largely constrained by the lack of an experimental system amenable to molecular manipulation. We recently discovered a strain of the behavior-manipulating fungal pathogen Entomophthora muscae infecting wild Drosophila, and established methods to infect D. melanogaster in the lab. Lab-infected flies manifest the moribund behaviors characteristic of E. muscae infection: hours before death, they climb upward, extend their proboscides, affixing in place, then raise their wings, clearing a path for infectious spores to launch from their abdomens. We found that E. muscae invades the nervous system, suggesting a direct means by which the fungus could induce behavioral changes. Given the vast molecular toolkit available for D. melanogaster, we believe this new system will enable rapid progress in understanding how E. muscae manipulates host behavior.

scholarly journals Robust manipulation of the behavior of Drosophila melanogaster by a fungal pathogen in the laboratory

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolyn Elya ◽  
Tin Ching Lok ◽  
Quinn E. Spencer ◽  
Hayley McCausland ◽  
Ciera C. Martinez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fungal Pathogen ◽  
Molecular Level ◽  
Model System ◽  
Behavioral Changes ◽  
Rapid Progress ◽  
Entomophthora Muscae ◽  
Animal Hosts ◽  
Mechanistic Basis ◽  
Molecular Manipulation ◽  
New System

AbstractMany microbes induce striking behavioral changes in their animal hosts, but how they achieve this is poorly understood, especially at the molecular level. Mechanistic understanding has been largely constrained by the lack of a model system with advanced tools for molecular manipulation. We recently discovered a strain of the behavior-manipulating fungal pathogen Entomophthora muscae infecting wild Drosophila, and established methods to infect D. melanogaster in the lab. Lab-infected flies manifest the moribund behaviors characteristic of E. muscae infection: hours before death, they climb upward, extend their proboscides and affix in place, then raise their wings, clearing a path for infectious spores to launch from their abdomens. We found that E. muscae invades the fly nervous system, suggesting a direct means by which the fungus could induce behavioral changes. Given the vast molecular toolkit available for D. melanogaster, we believe this new system will enable rapid progress in understanding the mechanistic basis of E. muscae’s behavioral manipulation in the fly.

scholarly journals Comparative metagenomic analysis following treatment with vancomycin in C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice to elucidate host immunity and behavior

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pratikshya Ray ◽  
Debasmita Das ◽  
Uday Pandey ◽  
Palok Aich
Keyword(s):  
Gut Microbiota ◽  
Normal Level ◽  
Significant Rise ◽  
Host Immunity ◽  
Behavioral Changes ◽  
Metagenomic Analysis ◽  
Initial Increase ◽  
Host Behavior ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
Kinetics Of

AbstractThe gut is the largest reservoir of the resident microbiota. The microbiota can affect the host behavior and immunity. While the consequence of treatment with antibiotics on the gut microbiota can be destructive but can be utilized as a tool to understand the host immunity and behavior. The magnitude of perturbation and time needed for the restoration of gut microbiota can depend on the immune bias of the host. In the current study, we therefore, observed the perturbation and restoration kinetics of gut microbiota following treatment with vancomycin and its effect on the host physiology in both Th1-(C57BL/6) and Th2-(BALB/c) biased mice. A comparative metagenomic analysis revealed that the treatment with vancomycin caused a significant decrease in the abundance of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes phyla and an initial increase in Proteobacteria. Increase in Proteobacteria decreased with continued treatment with vancomycin to result into a significant rise in Verrucomicrobia phylum. We established the patterns of gut microbiota alteration and its effect on a) the behavior of mice, b) expression of key brain molecules and b) immunity related genes. We followed the gut microbiome restoration for a period of two months following withdrawal of treatment with vancomycin. Maximum restoration (>70%) of gut microbiota happened by the 15th day of withdrawal. BALB/c mice showed a more efficient restoration of gut microbiota compared to C57BL/6 mice. The results, in general, revealed that along with the restoration of major gut microbes, important physiological and behavioral changes of both mice strains returned to the normal level.

scholarly journals Activation of Piezo1 but not NaV1.2 Channels by Ultrasound at 43 MHz

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Loynaz Prieto ◽  
Kamyar Firouzi ◽  
Butrus T. Khuri-Yakub ◽  
Merritt Maduke
Keyword(s):  
Patch Clamp ◽  
Neural Activity ◽  
Continuous Wave ◽  
Molecular Level ◽  
Acoustic Streaming ◽  
Experimental System ◽  
Membrane Stress ◽  
Excitable Cells ◽  
Patch Clamp Recording ◽  
Voltage Gated

ABSTRACTUltrasound (US) can modulate the electrical activity of the excitable tissues but the mechanisms underlying this effect are not understood at the molecular level or in terms of the physical modality through which US exerts its effects. Here we report an experimental system that allows for stable patch-clamp recording in the presence of US at 43 MHz, a frequency known to stimulate neural activity. We describe the effects of US on two ion channels proposed to be involved in the response of excitable cells to US: the mechanosensitive Piezo1 channel and the voltage-gated sodium channel NaV1.2. Our patch-clamp recordings, together with finite-element simulations of acoustic field parameters indicate that Piezo1 channels are activated by continuous wave US at 43 MHz and 50 or 90 W/cm2 through cell membrane stress caused by acoustic streaming. NaV1.2 channels were not affected through this mechanism at these intensities, but their kinetics could be accelerated by US-induced heating.

scholarly journals Molecular Manipulation of the miR399/PHO2 Expression Module Alters the Salt Stress Response of Arabidopsis thaliana

Plants ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 73
Author(s):  
Joseph L. Pegler ◽  
Jackson M.J. Oultram ◽  
Christopher P.L. Grof ◽  
Andrew L Eamens
Keyword(s):  
Arabidopsis Thaliana ◽  
Salt Stress ◽  
Target Gene ◽  
Molecular Level ◽  
Biological Processes ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Salt Stress Response ◽  
Molecular Modification ◽  
Molecular Manipulation ◽  
Expression Module

In Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis), the microRNA399 (miR399)/PHOSPHATE2 (PHO2) expression module is central to the response of Arabidopsis to phosphate (PO4) stress. In addition, miR399 has been demonstrated to also alter in abundance in response to salt stress. We therefore used a molecular modification approach to alter miR399 abundance to investigate the requirement of altered miR399 abundance in Arabidopsis in response to salt stress. The generated transformant lines, MIM399 and MIR399 plants, with reduced and elevated miR399 abundance respectively, displayed differences in their phenotypic and physiological response to those of wild-type Arabidopsis (Col-0) plants following exposure to a 7-day period of salt stress. However, at the molecular level, elevated miR399 abundance, and therefore, altered PHO2 target gene expression in salt-stressed Col-0, MIM399 and MIR399 plants, resulted in significant changes to the expression level of the two PO4 transporter genes, PHOSPHATE TRANSPORTER1;4 (PHT1;4) and PHT1;9. Elevated PHT1;4 and PHT1;9 PO4 transporter levels in salt stressed Arabidopsis would enhance PO4 translocation from the root to the shoot tissue which would supply additional levels of this precious cellular resource that could be utilized by the aerial tissues of salt stressed Arabidopsis to either maintain essential biological processes or to mount an adaptive response to salt stress.

scholarly journals Entomophthovirus: An insect-derived iflavirus that infects a behavior manipulating fungal pathogen of dipterans

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maxwell C. Coyle ◽  
Carolyn N. Elya ◽  
Michael Bronski ◽  
Michael B. Eisen
Keyword(s):  
Fungal Pathogen ◽  
Rna Virus ◽  
Delia Radicum ◽  
Sequencing Data ◽  
Entomophthora Muscae ◽  
Positive Strand Rna Virus ◽  
Close Relatives ◽  
Positive Strand Rna

AbstractWe discovered a virus infecting Entomophthora muscae, a behavior-manipulating fungal pathogen of dipterans. The virus, which we name Entomophthovirus, is a capsid-forming, positive-strand RNA virus in the viral family iflaviridae, whose known members almost exclusively infect insects. We show that the virus RNA is expressed at high levels in fungal cells in vitro and during in vivo infections of Drosophila melanogaster, and that virus particles are present in E. muscae. Two close relatives of the virus had been previously described as insect viruses based on the presence of viral genomes in transcriptomes assembled from RNA extracted from wild dipterans. By analyzing sequencing data from these earlier reports, we show that both dipteran samples were co-infected with E. muscae. We also find the virus in RNA sequencing data from samples of two other species of dipterans, Musca domestica and Delia radicum, known to be infected with E. muscae. These data establish that Entomophthovirus is widely, and seemingly obligately, associated with E. muscae. As other members of the iflaviridae cause behavioral changes in insects, we speculate on the possibility that Entomophthovirus plays a role in E. muscae involved host manipulation.

The Adoption of Internet-Based Stock Trading: A Conceptual Framework and Empirical Results

1998 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 81-94 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lawrence Loh ◽  
Yee-Shyuan Ong
Keyword(s):  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Experimental System ◽  
User Acceptance ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Perceived Ease Of Use ◽  
Stock Trading ◽  
Systems Research ◽  
Adoption And Diffusion ◽  
New System

The adoption and diffusion of innovative technologies have remained critical concerns in information systems research. With the recent advent of electronic commerce, issues in system deployment and user acceptance have become even more crucial. An experimental system, Stocknet, which is a departure from normal practice in the local stock exchange which still uses conventional methods for share transactions, was developed and subjected to a pilot test through a stock trading competition using live stock data. A research framework was developed with the main emphasis on the adoption and deployment of a broad-based Internet stock-trading platform in Singapore. A logistic regression analysis was conducted to predict user acceptance of a new system from a measure of their perceptions, beliefs and attitudes and usage behaviour. The study reveals that users’ concerns, expectations, perceived ease of use and the real value added of a new system as well as their trading behaviour are critical determinants to the ultimate adoption of Internet stock trading. In fact, the probability of users accepting a new system is highly dependent on their perceptions of system evaluations and subsequently their usage behaviour. The primary focus of this paper is on users’ perspectives with a view towards a subsequent examination of policy as well as regulatory issues. Based on the results, some broad recommendations and implications are subsequently drawn with regard to the future adoption and deployment of real-time, Internet-based stock trading.

scholarly journals Potential of Mycovirus in the Biological Control of Fungal Plant Pathogens: A Review

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (03) ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Yimjenjang Longkumer ◽  
Md. Abbas Ahmad
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Fungal Pathogen ◽  
Plant Pathogens ◽  
Molecular Level ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Severe Infection ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Yield Losses ◽  
Formidable Challenge ◽  
Fungal Plant Pathogens

Fungal pathogenic populations such as Sclerotinia, Rhizoctonia and Fusarium are ubiquitous and have broad range of host enabling them to cause a severe infection resulting in huge yield losses. Albeit the various tactics such as cultural, mechanical implemented to counteract the havoc, it still creates a formidable challenge to the researchers to keep the pathogenic population below threshold. From Eco-friendly sustenance perspective, Biological control can play a vital role in combination along with the other efficient tactics. In field condition various strains are available having two characters namely virulent and hypovirulent, the latter may exhibit hypovirulent nature genetically or due to the invasion of mycoviruses becomes hypovirulent. In both the cases are of interest to the researchers in studying the biological control exhibited by the mycoviruses. The biocontrol agents include Mycoviruses, which plays a significant role in infecting the virulent fungal pathogen by reducing their virulence giving to a phenomenon known as Hypovirulence. Their genome consist of mostly dsRNA and others include +ssRNA, -ssRNA and dsDNA. These studies in fungal and viral interaction can lead to the development of novel biological control strategies and help us to explore upto the molecular level.

Experimental evolution of a fungal pathogen into a gut symbiont

Science ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 362 (6414) ◽  
pp. 589-595 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gloria Hoi Wan Tso ◽  
Jose Antonio Reales-Calderon ◽  
Alrina Shin Min Tan ◽  
XiaoHui Sem ◽  
Giang Thi Thu Le ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Evolution ◽  
Fungal Pathogen ◽  
Experimental System ◽  
New Host ◽  
Evolutionary Forces ◽  
Cytokine Responses ◽  
Microbe Interactions ◽  
New Hosts ◽  
Opportunistic Fungal Pathogen ◽  
Systemic Infections

Gut microbes live in symbiosis with their hosts, but how mutualistic animal-microbe interactions emerge is not understood. By adaptively evolving the opportunistic fungal pathogenCandida albicansin the mouse gastrointestinal tract, we selected strains that not only had lost their main virulence program but also protected their new hosts against a variety of systemic infections. This protection was independent of adaptive immunity, arose as early as a single day postpriming, was dependent on increased innate cytokine responses, and was thus reminiscent of “trained immunity.” Because both the microbe and its new host gain some advantages from their interaction, this experimental system might allow direct study of the evolutionary forces that govern the emergence of mutualism between a mammal and a fungus.

scholarly journals Comparative Transcriptomics of Infectious Spores from the Fungal Pathogen Histoplasma capsulatum Reveals a Core Set of Transcripts That Specify Infectious and Pathogenic States

2013 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 828-852 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diane O. Inglis ◽  
Mark Voorhies ◽  
Davina R. Hocking Murray ◽  
Anita Sil
Keyword(s):  
Fungal Pathogen ◽  
Histoplasma Capsulatum ◽  
Molecular Level ◽  
Systemic Disease ◽  
Protein Domain ◽  
Host Cells ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Yeast Form ◽  
Resultant Data

ABSTRACTHistoplasma capsulatumis a fungal pathogen that infects both healthy and immunocompromised hosts. In regions where it is endemic,H. capsulatumgrows in the soil and causes respiratory and systemic disease when inhaled by humans. An interesting aspect ofH. capsulatumbiology is that it adopts specialized developmental programs in response to its environment. In the soil, it grows as filamentous chains of cells (mycelia) that produce asexual spores (conidia). When the soil is disrupted, conidia aerosolize and are inhaled by mammalian hosts. Inside a host, conidia germinate into yeast-form cells that colonize immune cells and cause disease. Despite the ability of conidia to initiate infection and disease, they have not been explored on a molecular level. We developed methods to purifyH. capsulatumconidia, and we show here that these cells germinate into filaments at room temperature and into yeast-form cells at 37°C. Conidia internalized by macrophages germinate into the yeast form and proliferate within macrophages, ultimately lysing the host cells. Similarly, infection of mice with purified conidia is sufficient to establish infection and yield viable yeast-form cellsin vivo. To characterize conidia on a molecular level, we performed whole-genome expression profiling of conidia, yeast, and mycelia from two highly divergentH. capsulatumstrains. In parallel, we used homology and protein domain analysis to manually annotate the predicted genes of both strains. Analyses of the resultant data defined sets of transcripts that reflect the unique molecular states ofH. capsulatumconidia, yeast, and mycelia.

Neurotropic enteroviruses co-opt “fair-weather-friend” commensal gut microbiota to drive host infection and central nervous system disturbances

2019 ◽  
Vol 42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin B. Clark
Keyword(s):  
Central Nervous System ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Gut Bacteria ◽  
Infection Cycle ◽  
Fair Weather ◽  
Host Health ◽  
Microbe Interactions ◽  
Animal Hosts ◽  
Host Infection ◽  
Neuropsychiatric Conditions

Abstract Some neurotropic enteroviruses hijack Trojan horse/raft commensal gut bacteria to render devastating biomimicking cryptic attacks on human/animal hosts. Such virus-microbe interactions manipulate hosts’ gut-brain axes with accompanying infection-cycle-optimizing central nervous system (CNS) disturbances, including severe neurodevelopmental, neuromotor, and neuropsychiatric conditions. Co-opted bacteria thus indirectly influence host health, development, behavior, and mind as possible “fair-weather-friend” symbionts, switching from commensal to context-dependent pathogen-like strategies benefiting gut-bacteria fitness.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document