The mechanism for microsporidian parasite suppression of the hindgut bacteria of the migratory locust Locusta migratoria manilensis

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 5; no. 1; p. 17365
• Main Authors: Tan, Shu-qian, Zhang, Kai-qi, Chen, Hong-xing, Ge, Yang, Ji, Rong, Shi, Wang-peng
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 27-11-2015; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 631/326/421; 631/601/1466; Abundance; Aggregation behavior; Animals; Antibiosis; Bacteria; Bacteria - classification; Bacteria - drug effects; Bacteria - growth & development; Behavior, Animal; Biodiversity; Biological Control Agents - pharmacology; Community composition; Community structure; Gastrointestinal Microbiome - drug effects; Gastrointestinal Microbiome - physiology; Gene expression; Gene Expression Regulation; Genomes; Hindgut; Host-Pathogen Interactions; Humanities and Social Sciences; Infections; Inoculation; Insect Proteins - antagonists & inhibitors; Insect Proteins - genetics; Insect Proteins - metabolism; Locusta migratoria - genetics; Locusta migratoria - metabolism; Locusta migratoria - microbiology; Microsporidia - pathogenicity; Microsporidia - physiology; mRNA; multidisciplinary; Nymph - genetics; Nymph - metabolism; Nymph - microbiology; Parasites; Peroxidase; Peroxidase - antagonists & inhibitors; Peroxidase - genetics; Peroxidase - metabolism; Pheromones - antagonists & inhibitors; Pheromones - genetics; Pheromones - metabolism; Phylogeny; Science; Spores; Spores, Fungal - pathogenicity; Spores, Fungal - physiology; Superoxide dismutase; Swarms
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/srep17365

Locusts aggregate into bands of nymphs and swarms of adults that can pose a major threat to crop. Previous studies have shown that infection by the microsporidian parasite
Paranosema locustae
prevents locust aggregation behavior and we show that gut bacteria, which produce components of locust aggregation pheromones, are substantially reduced in locusts infected with
P. locustae
. We found that
P. locustae
could reduce the diversity, abundance and community composition of
Locusta migratoria
’s gut bacteria. The parasite infection was also shown to interrupt the peroxidase activity of locust hindgut. Genome-wide expression analysis showed that the parasite infection suppressed
peroxidase
mRNA relative expression of locust hindgut, but had no effects on
attacin
expression and superoxide dismutase at 16 d post-inoculation with 20,000
P. locustae
spores. Our findings reveal the mechanisms by which
P. locustae
impairs bacterial diversity and community structure of
Locusta migratoria
’s gut bacteria.