Immune Response of Drosophila suzukii Larvae to Infection with the Nematobacterial Complex Steinernema carpocapsae-Xenorhabdus nematophila.

ABSTRACT: Entomopathogenic nematodes have been proposed as biological agents for the control of Drosophila suzukii, an invasive pest of small-stone and soft-skinned fruits. Larvae of the fly are susceptible to Steinernema carpocapsae infection but the reaction of immune defenses of the host are unknown. To determine the immune response, larvae were infected with S. carpocapsae and Xenorhabdus nematophila to evaluate the effector mechanisms of both humoral and cellular processes. The symbiont bacteria presented an inhibitory effect on the phenoloxidase cascade with a low level of melanization. Besides, X. nematophila activated the synthesis of putative antimicrobial peptides on the hemolymph of infected larvae. However, those peptides presented a lower antimicrobial activity compared to hemolymph fro

SUBMITTER: Garriga A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7240654 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature