Project description:The larvae of black soldier fly (BSF), Hermetia illucens L., are of economic importance due to their potential as livestock feed. However, the knowledge on their immune response to infection and wounding remains limited. In this study, we uncover the transcriptomic response of BSF larvae to wounding as well as infection with Gram-negative pathogen, Pseudomonas protegens Pf-5 at multiple timepoints. We observed that initially the BSF larvae generated a common immune response to both wounding and infection. However, the immune response is only upregulated in infected larvae over time, while the gene expression in response to wounding reduced over time. Genes encoding for signalling molecules such as PGRP-SA, Relish as well as genes encoding antimicrobial peptides like cecropin, defensin and attacin contributed primarily to BSF larvae's immune responses to both wounding as well as infection.
Project description:Contamination of food products with mycotoxins such as aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) poses a severe risk to human health. Larvae of the black soldier fly (BSFL), Hermetia illucens (Diptera: Stratiomyidae), can successfully metabolize AFB1 without any negative consequences on their survival or growth. However, the underlying mechanisms that allow BSFL to metabolize AFB1 are unknown. In this study, five-day-old BSFL were fed with either a control or an AFB1-spiked (20 µg/kg) diet to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. Larval samples were collected at three timepoints (6 h, 24 h, and 72 h) and subjected to RNA-Seq analysis to determine gene expression patterns. Provision of an AFB1-spiked diet resulted in an up-regulation of 357 and a down-regulation of 929 unique genes. Upregulated genes include multiple genes involved in AFB1 metabolism in other (insect) species. Downregulated genes were generally involved in the insects' growth, development, and immunity. BSFL possesses a diverse genetic arsenal that encodes for enzymes capable of metabolizing AFB1 without trade-offs on larval survival.