Open AccessBacillus thuringiensis Suppresses the Humoral Immune System to Overcome Defense Mechanism of Plutella xylostella
Author(s) -
Shuzhong Li,
Xi Xu,
Muhammad Shakeel,
Jin Xu,
Zhihua Zheng,
Jianhua Zheng,
XiaoQiang Yu,
Qian Zhao,
Fengliang Jin
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
frontiers in physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.32
H-Index - 102
ISSN - 1664-042X
DOI - 10.3389/fphys.2018.01478
Subject(s) - plutella , bacillus thuringiensis , immune system , biology , gene , immunity , diamondback moth , humoral immunity , microbiology and biotechnology , immunology , genetics , botany , bacteria , lepidoptera genitalia
Background: Plutella xylostella has become a notorious pest of cruciferous crops all over the world. Delta-endotoxins of Bacillus thuringiensis are widely used insecticidal proteins for controlling P. xylostella . However, the interaction mechanism of B. thuringiensis with the immune system of P. xylostella , at the genomic level, is still unclear. This study explored the immune response of P. xylostella to B. thuringiensis , at different time intervals, 6 h, 12 h, 18 h, 24 h, and 36 h, by using RNA-Sequencing (RNA-Seq) and RT-qPCR. Results: In total, 167 immunity-related genes were identified and placed into different families, including pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), signal modulators, immune pathways (Toll, IMD, and JAK/STAT), and immune effectors. It is worth mentioning that the analyses of the differentially expressed immunity-related genes revealed that most of the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) (87, 56, 76, 67, and 73 genes) were downregulated in P. xylostella following B. thuringiensis oral infection at 6 h, 12 h, 18 h, 24 h, and 36 h. Interestingly, our RNA-Seq analysis also revealed reduced expression of antimicrobial peptides, that play a vital role in the humoral immune system of P. xylostella . Conclusion: This study demonstrates that B. thuringiensis plays a novel role in controlling P. xylostella , by suppressing the immune system.