Project description:We compare the transcriptome of gnotobiotic Ae. aegypti generated by contaminating axenic (bacteria-free) larvae with bacterial isolates found in natural mosquito breeding sites. We focused on four bacterial isolates (Lysobacter, Flavobacterium, Paenibacillus and Enterobacteriaceae) and found that different gnotobiotic treatments resulted in massive transcriptomic changes throughout the mosquito development.
Project description:Transcriptomic analysis of mosquito larvae exposed to LC50 of Cry11Aa toxin from Bti at different times was conducted to determine defense response pathways in order to better understand the toxin's mode of action and identify possible cellular targets to enhance toxin activity.
Project description:As is the case in vertebrates, successful mosquito immune responses depend on a complex and carefully orchestrated network of processes in order to defend the host from a foreign invader and to simultaneously maintain a homeostatic environment. Although commonalities exist between immune response mechanisms across phyla, invertebrates (e.g., mosquitoes) lack anticipatory, adaptive immune responses. However, a number of immune response elements, both cellular and humoral, exist to combat infection. Organisms that successfully invade the mosquito body cavity (hemocoel) potentially are subjected to a variety of mosquito defenses including: melanotic encapsulation, the production of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) or reactive oxygen and nitrogen intermediates, or to engulfment by phagocytic cells. These arrays are used to temporally compare and contrast transcriptome profiles associated with these responses, as manifest in the cells (hemocytes) that circulate in the mosquito body cavity. Hemocytes have documented association with phagocytosis and melanization reactions in mosquitoes, and these responses, to a variety of Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria, have been characterized. Inoculated Escherichia coli elicit a strong phagocytic response, and Micrococcus luteus are rapidly melanized. For transcriptome profiling, inoculated moquitoes are compared to naïve (uninoculated) mosquitoes. Data obtained will begin to clarify the interactive role of hemocyte genes and gene products in orchestrating phagocytic, melanization, and AMP responses against invading bacteria. Keywords: time course
Project description:Background. Aedes aegypti is arguably the most studied of all mosquito species in the laboratory and is the primary vector of both Dengue and Yellow Fever flaviviruses in the field. A large number of transcriptional studies have been made in the species and these usually report transcript quantities observed at a certain age or stage of development. However, circadian oscillation is an important characteristic of gene expression in many animals and plants, modulating both their physiology and behavior. Circadian gene expression in mosquito species has been previously reported but for only a few genes directly involved in the function of the molecular clock. Results. Herein we analyze the transcription profiles of 21,494 messenger RNAs using an Ae. aegypti Agilent® microarray. Transcripts were quantified in adult female heads at 24 hours and then again at 72 hours and eight subsequent time points spaced four hours apart. We document circadian rhythms in multiple molecular pathways essential for growth, development, immune response, detoxification/pesticide resistance. Circadian rhythms were also noted in ribosomal protein genes used for normalization in reverse transcribed PCR (RT-PCR) to determine transcript abundance. We report pervasive oscillations and intricate synchronization patterns relevant to all known biological pathways. Conclusion. These results argue strongly that transcriptional analyses either need to be made over time periods rather than confining analyses to a single time point or development stage or exceptional care needs to be made to synchronize all mosquitoes to be analyzed and compared among treatment groups.
Project description:Custom microarrays were used to examine global differences in female vs. male gene expression in the developing pupal head of the dengue vector mosquito Aedes aegypti.