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Silkworm as an experimental animal for research on fungal infections
Author(s) -
Matsumoto Yasuhiko,
Sekimizu Kazuhisa
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
microbiology and immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.664
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1348-0421
pISSN - 0385-5600
DOI - 10.1111/1348-0421.12668
Subject(s) - biology , microbiology and biotechnology , cryptococcus neoformans , candida albicans , virulence , trichophyton , bombyx mori , candida glabrata , candida tropicalis , yeast , gene , genetics , antifungal
Silkworm, Bombyx mori , has various advantages as an experimental animal, such as the low cost for rearing and fewer ethical problems. Models utilizing silkworms of infection with pathogenic bacteria have been established for identification of genes encoding virulence factors by large‐scale in vivo screening. In this review, we describe recent progress in the study of silkworm infection models for elucidating the mechanisms of fungi infection. Silkworm infection models have been established for Candida albicans , Candida tropicalis , Candida glabrata and Cryptococcus neoformans , which are yeast type fungi, and Aspergillus fumigatus , Arthroderma vanbreuseghemii , Arthroderma benhamiae , Microsporum canis , Trichophyton rubrum , and Rhizopus oryzae , which are filamentous fungi. Novel genes encoding virulence factors in C. albicans and C. glabrata have been identified by using the silkworm infection models. We here outline the benefits of using silkworm infection models and a strategy for identifying the genes responsible for pathogenicity of microorganisms such as fungi. © 2019 The Authors. Microbiology and Immunology Published by The Societies and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.