Project description:Transcriptional profiling of different clam tissues (hemolymph, extrapallial fluid and mantle) in response to brown ring disease; Brown ring disease (BRD) is a bacterial infection affecting the economically-important clam Ruditapes philippinarum. The disease is caused by a bacterium, Vibrio tapetis, that colonizes the edge of the mantle, altering the biomineralization process and normal shell growth. Altered organic shell matrices accumulate on the inner face of the shell leading to the formation of the typical brown ring in the extrapallial space (between the mantle and the shell). Even though structural and functional changes have been described in solid (mantle) and fluid (hemolymph and extrapallial fluids) tissues from infected clams, the underlying molecular alterations and responses remain largely unknown. This study was designed to gather information on clam molecular responses to the disease and to compare focal responses at the site of the infection (mantle and extrapallial fluid) with systemic (hemolymph) responses. To do so, we designed and produced a Manila clam expression oligoarray (15K Agilent) using transcriptomic data available in public databases and used this platform to comparatively assess transcriptomic changes in mantle, hemolymph and extrapallial fluid of infected clams. Results showed significant regulation in diseased clams of molecules involved in pathogen recognition (e.g. lectins, C1q domain-containing proteins) and killing (defensin), apoptosis regulation (death-associated protein, bcl-2) and in biomineralization (shell matrix proteins, perlucin, galaxin, chitin- and calcium-binding proteins). While most changes in response to the disease were tissue-specific, systemic alterations included co-regulation in all 3 tested tissues of molecules involved in microbe recognition and killing (complement-related factors, defensin). These results provide a first glance at molecular alterations and responses caused by BRD and identify targets for future functional investigations. Two-condition experiment (healthy/diseased), 3 tissues, 6 biological replicates/tissue/condition Please note that mantle tissues from this study were labelled with Cy3 and hybridized against a set of reference samples that are not part of this study. Thus, the Cy5 data from the associated raw data files were excluded in the analysis. Please note that hemocytes are collected from hemolymph or extrapallial fluid and hybridized on the same array (i.e. technically as dual channel) but the results were processed as though they are single channel (Cy3 and Cy5 signals are calculated). The hemocytes from extrapallial fluid were labelled with Cy3, while hemocytes from hemolymph were labelled with Cy5. The raw data files that are associated with two sample records are linked as series supplementary files and are indicated in the sample description field.

Project description:Transcriptional profiling of different clam tissues (hemolymph, extrapallial fluid and mantle) in response to brown ring disease; Brown ring disease (BRD) is a bacterial infection affecting the economically-important clam Ruditapes philippinarum. The disease is caused by a bacterium, Vibrio tapetis, that colonizes the edge of the mantle, altering the biomineralization process and normal shell growth. Altered organic shell matrices accumulate on the inner face of the shell leading to the formation of the typical brown ring in the extrapallial space (between the mantle and the shell). Even though structural and functional changes have been described in solid (mantle) and fluid (hemolymph and extrapallial fluids) tissues from infected clams, the underlying molecular alterations and responses remain largely unknown. This study was designed to gather information on clam molecular responses to the disease and to compare focal responses at the site of the infection (mantle and extrapallial fluid) with systemic (hemolymph) responses. To do so, we designed and produced a Manila clam expression oligoarray (15K Agilent) using transcriptomic data available in public databases and used this platform to comparatively assess transcriptomic changes in mantle, hemolymph and extrapallial fluid of infected clams. Results showed significant regulation in diseased clams of molecules involved in pathogen recognition (e.g. lectins, C1q domain-containing proteins) and killing (defensin), apoptosis regulation (death-associated protein, bcl-2) and in biomineralization (shell matrix proteins, perlucin, galaxin, chitin- and calcium-binding proteins). While most changes in response to the disease were tissue-specific, systemic alterations included co-regulation in all 3 tested tissues of molecules involved in microbe recognition and killing (complement-related factors, defensin). These results provide a first glance at molecular alterations and responses caused by BRD and identify targets for future functional investigations.

Project description:Native host plant insect resistance in the maize inbred line Mp708 was developed by traditional plant breeding. Resistant Mp708 thwarts feeding by fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda [J.E. Smith]; Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), numerous other lepidopteran pests, and the coleopteran western corn rootworm. This broad resistance makes it an excellent model for studying native host plant resistance mechanisms. In response to caterpillar feeding, Mp708 rapidly mobilizes Mir1-CP, a unique cysteine protease that appears to translocate from roots to the maize midwhorl where it accumulates. This accumulation correlates with a significant reduction in caterpillar growth resulting from diminished food utilization. In addition, the peritrophic membrane (PM) that surrounds the food bolus in the mudgut (MG) is severely damaged in caterpillars fed on sweet corn callus transformed to express the gene encoding Mir1-CP or on midwhorl tissue from resistant Mp708 maize. Functions of the PM include assisting digestion and protecting the epithelium of the caterpillar MG from physical and chemical damage. Consequently, the reduced growth of caterpillars that feed on Mp708 is probably due to the action of Mir1-CP on PM physiology. In fact, previous in vitro studies indicated that Mir1-CP was capable of permeabilizing the PM. The present study used both targeted (qRT-PCR) and global (mRNA-seq) transcriptome analyses to explore the effect of eating Mir1-CP expressing Mp708 maize on abundance of transcripts in the MG of fall armyworm larvae in comparison to MGs from larvae fed on susceptible Tx601 maize that does not express Mir1-CP. Expression of genes encoding proteins involved in PM production is upregulated in MGs from fall armyworm fed on Mp708. Also, several digestive enzymes (endopeptidases, aminopeptidases, lipases, amylase) were more highly expressed in MGs from larvae fed on Mp708 than MGs from larvae fed on Tx601. Impaired growth of larvae fed on Mp708 probably results from metabolic costs associated with higher production of PM constituents and digestive enzymes in a compensatory attempt to maintain MG function. Beginning as neonates, fall armyworm larvae used in the mRNA-seq experiment were reared on yellow-green midwhorl foliage from resistant Mp708 maize or susceptible Tx601 maize. Old foliage and frass were removed every other day and replaced with fresh foliage. Larvae were reared in an environmental chamber at 27M-BM-0C, 14:10 (light:dark) photoperiod, and 70% relative humidity. Midguts were dissected from larvae 2 d after molting to the last instar with masses between 300 and 400 mg. Dissections were done with cold anesthetized larvae submerged in Bombyx saline. After removing Malpighian tubules, foregut anterior to the stomodial valve, hindgut and food bolus, the MG was transferred from the body cavity, rinsed well with cold saline, and preserved in RNAlaterM-BM-.. Equal amounts (3 M-BM-5g) of total RNA from an individual MG were randomly pooled into three replicates per treatment (i.e., Mp708 or Tx601) such that each treatment replicate derived from 12-13 MGs. Each pool of total RNA was separately enriched for poly(A+) RNA and submitted to the Penn State Genomics Core Facility (University Park, PA) where barcoded cDNA libraries were prepared and equimolar quantities of each library sequenced on the SOLiD 3 Plus System. Sequence reads were filtered to accept reads whose median score threshold was M-bM-^IM-%12, contained M-bM-^IM-%25 bases and contained one or more bases with a quality score M-bM-^IM-%14. The 138911 Sanger ESTs in SPODOBASE (http://bioweb.ensam.inra.fr/spodobase) were assembled into a reference transcriptome using SeqMan Pro version 8.0.2. Filtered reads from each library representing a replicate within a maize inbred treatment were mapped separately to the reference transcriptome using the Bowtie-like algorithm in NextGENeM-BM-. with the requirement that 85% of 12 or more nucleotides comprising a read must match the reference. A read was allowed to map only once (i.e., no ambiguous mapping). The number of mapped reads per contig (i.e., gene model) in each treatment replicate-library were summed by NextGENeM-BM-. as read counts per gene and subsequently used in differential expression analyses.

Project description:Host-pathogen interactions result in complex relationship, many aspects of which are not completely understood. Vip proteins, which are Bacillus thuringensis (Bt) insecticidal toxins produced during the vegetative stage, are selectively effective against specific insect pests. This new group of Bt proteins represents an interesting alternative to the classical Bt Cry toxins because current data suggests that they do not share the same mode of action. We have designed and developed a genome-wide microarray for the beet armyworm Spodoptera exigua, a serious lepidopteran pest of many agricultural crops, and used it to better understand how Lepidopteran larvae respond to the treatment with the insecticidal protein Vip3Aa. With this approach, the goal of our study was to evaluate the changes in gene expression levels caused by treatment with sublethal doses (causing 99% growth inhibition) of Vip3Aa at 8 and 24 h after treatment. Results indicated that the toxin provoked a wide transcriptional response, with 19% of unigenes in the microarray responding significantly to treatment. The number of up- and down-regulated unigenes was very similar.. The number of genes whose expression was regulated at 8 h was similar to the number of genes whose expression was regulated after 24 h of treatment. The up-regulated sequences were enriched for genes involved in innate immune response and in pathogen response such as antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and repat genes. The down-regulated sequences were mainly unigenes with homology to genes involved in metabolism. Genes related to the mode of action of Bt Cry proteins were found, in general, to be slightly overexpressed. The present study is the first genome-wide analysis of the response of lepidopteran insects to Vip3Aa intoxication. An insight into the molecular mechanisms and components related to Vip intoxication will allow designing of more effective management strategies for pest control. Changes in gene expression levels caused by treatment with sublethal doses (causing 99% growth inhibition) of Vip3Aa were measured at 8 and 24 h after treatment by means of custom Spodoptera exigua microarray. Six to seven larvae were used for each time point and three independent experiments were performed at each time point.

Project description:Native host plant insect resistance in the maize inbred line Mp708 was developed by traditional plant breeding. Resistant Mp708 thwarts feeding by fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda [J.E. Smith]; Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), numerous other lepidopteran pests, and the coleopteran western corn rootworm. This broad resistance makes it an excellent model for studying native host plant resistance mechanisms. In response to caterpillar feeding, Mp708 rapidly mobilizes Mir1-CP, a unique cysteine protease that appears to translocate from roots to the maize midwhorl where it accumulates. This accumulation correlates with a significant reduction in caterpillar growth resulting from diminished food utilization. In addition, the peritrophic membrane (PM) that surrounds the food bolus in the mudgut (MG) is severely damaged in caterpillars fed on sweet corn callus transformed to express the gene encoding Mir1-CP or on midwhorl tissue from resistant Mp708 maize. Functions of the PM include assisting digestion and protecting the epithelium of the caterpillar MG from physical and chemical damage. Consequently, the reduced growth of caterpillars that feed on Mp708 is probably due to the action of Mir1-CP on PM physiology. In fact, previous in vitro studies indicated that Mir1-CP was capable of permeabilizing the PM. The present study used both targeted (qRT-PCR) and global (mRNA-seq) transcriptome analyses to explore the effect of eating Mir1-CP expressing Mp708 maize on abundance of transcripts in the MG of fall armyworm larvae in comparison to MGs from larvae fed on susceptible Tx601 maize that does not express Mir1-CP. Expression of genes encoding proteins involved in PM production is upregulated in MGs from fall armyworm fed on Mp708. Also, several digestive enzymes (endopeptidases, aminopeptidases, lipases, amylase) were more highly expressed in MGs from larvae fed on Mp708 than MGs from larvae fed on Tx601. Impaired growth of larvae fed on Mp708 probably results from metabolic costs associated with higher production of PM constituents and digestive enzymes in a compensatory attempt to maintain MG function.

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Verson’s glands contribute to molting and antimicrobial response in the Fall armyworm

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