Arrest of oogenesis in the bug Rhodnius prolixus challenged with the fungus Aspergillus niger is mediated by immune response-derived PGE sub(2)

In this work we characterized the immune response of the insect Rhodnius prolixus to a direct injection into the hemocoel of the non-entomopathogenic fungus Aspergillus niger, and evaluated its consequences on host oogenesis. These animals were able to respond by mounting effective cellular and humo...

Full description

Saved in:

Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Journal of insect physiology Vol. 55; no. 2; pp. 150 - 157
Main Authors:	Medeiros, MNd, Belmonte, R, Soares, BCC, Medeiros, LNd, Canetti, C, Freire-de-Lima, C G, Maya-Monteiro, C M, Bozza, P T, Almeida, I C, Masuda, H, Kurtenbach, E, Machado, E A
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	01-02-2009
Subjects:	Aspergillus niger Rhodnius prolixus
Online Access:	Get full text
Tags:	Add Tag No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!

Description
Summary:	In this work we characterized the immune response of the insect Rhodnius prolixus to a direct injection into the hemocoel of the non-entomopathogenic fungus Aspergillus niger, and evaluated its consequences on host oogenesis. These animals were able to respond by mounting effective cellular and humoral responses to this fungus; these responses were shown, however, to have reproductive fitness costs, as the number of eggs laid per female was significantly reduced. The disturbance of egg formation during infectious process correlated with an elevation in the titer of hemolymph prostaglandin E sub(2) 48h post-challenge. Administration of Zymosan A as an immunogenic non-infectious challenge produced similar effects on phenoloxidase and prophenoloxidase activities, oocyte development and prostaglandin E sub(2) titer, precluding the hypothesis of an effect mediated by fungal metabolites in animals challenged with fungus. Ovaries at 48h post-challenge showed absence of vitellogenic ovarian follicles, and the in vivo administration of prostaglandin E sub(2) or its receptor agonist misoprostol, partially reproduced this phenotype. Together these data led us to hypothesize that immune-derived prostaglandin E sub(2) raised from the insect response to the fungal challenge is involved in disturbing follicle development, contributing to a reduction in host reproductive output and acting as a host-derived adaptive effector to infection.
Bibliography:	ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 content type line 23 ObjectType-Feature-2
ISSN:	0022-1910
DOI:	10.1016/j.jinsphys.2008.10.019