Tetracycline has no long-term effects on gut physiology and microbiome of the new world screwworm, Cochliomyia hominivorax, which has positive implications for transgenic male-only rearing systems.

ABSTRACT: Tetracycline repressible (Tet-Off) male-only sexing systems have great potential for improving the efficacy of sterile insect control programs in addition to reducing rearing cost. The relationship between insects and their microbial symbionts, as well as potential physiological stress caused by tetracycline class antibiotics, pose concerns that Tet-Off strains could have reduced fitness in nature. Here, we evaluated the biological performance, midgut microbiome, and midgut transcriptomes of wild-type screwworm, Cochliomyia hominivorax, reared in diet without Tc (control), with Tc (on-Tc), or a pseudo "male-only" condition where offspring of the Tc fed line were reared without Tc (post-Tc), like Tet-Off strains previously developed for this species. Biological performance was not significa

SUBMITTER: Arp AP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12060240 | biostudies-literature | 2025 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature