The red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum is a destructive insect pest of stored food and feed products, and a model organism for development, evolutionary biology and immunity. The insect innate immune system includes antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) with a wide spectrum of targets including viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites. Defensins are an evolutionarily-conserved class of AMPs and a potential new source of antimicrobial agents. In this context, we report the antimicrobial activity, phylogenetic and structural properties of three T. castaneum defensins (Def1, Def2 and Def3) and their relevance in the immunity of T. castaneum against bacterial pathogens. All three recombinant defensins showed bactericidal activity against Micrococcus luteus and Bacillus thuringiensis serovar tolworthi, but only Def1 and Def2 showed a bacteriostatic effect against Staphylococcus epidermidis. None of the defensins showed activity against the Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas entomophila or against the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. All three defensins were transcriptionally upregulated following a bacterial challenge, suggesting a key role in the immunity of T. castaneum against bacterial pathogens. Phylogenetic analysis showed that defensins from T. castaneum, mealworms, Udo longhorn beetle and houseflies cluster within a well-defined clade of insect defensins. We conclude that T. castaneum defensins are primarily active against Gram-positive bacteria and that other AMPs may play a more prominent role against Gram-negative species.

• Klíčová slova
• Antimicrobial peptides, Defensin, Gram-positive bacteria, Innate immunity, Insects, Tribolium castaneum,
• MeSH
• defensiny fyziologie   MeSH
• fylogeneze MeSH
• grampozitivní bakterie imunologie   MeSH
• hmyzí proteiny fyziologie   MeSH
• přirozená imunita MeSH
• regulace genové exprese MeSH
• Tribolium imunologie   MeSH
• výpočetní biologie MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• defensiny MeSH
• hmyzí proteiny MeSH

Insect anti-stress responses, including those induced by insecticides, are controlled by adipokinetic hormones (AKHs). We examined the physiological consequences of Pyrap-AKH application on Tribolium castaneum adults (AKH-normal and AKH-deficient prepared by the RNAi technique) treated by two insecticides, pirimiphos-methyl and deltamethrin. Co-application of pirimiphos-methyl and/or deltamethrin with AKH significantly increased beetle mortality compared with application of the insecticides alone. This co-treatment was accompanied by substantial stimulation of general metabolism, as monitored by carbon dioxide production. Further, the insecticide treatment alone affected some basic markers of oxidative stress: it lowered total antioxidative capacity as well as the activity of superoxide dismutase in the beetle body; in addition, it enhanced the activity of catalase and glutathione-S-transferase. However, these discrepancies in oxidative stress markers were eliminated/reduced by co-application with Pyrap-AKH. We suggest that the elevation of metabolism, which is probably accompanied with faster turnover of toxins, might be responsible for the higher mortality that results after AKH and insecticide co-application. Changes in oxidative stress markers are probably not included in the mechanisms responsible for increased mortality.

• Klíčová slova
• Adipokinetic hormone, Insecticide, Metabolism, Mortality, Oxidative stress, RNA interference,
• MeSH
• energetický metabolismus účinky léků   fyziologie   MeSH
• hmyzí hormony aplikace a dávkování   toxicita   MeSH
• insekticidy aplikace a dávkování   toxicita   MeSH
• kyselina pyrrolidonkarboxylová aplikace a dávkování   analogy a deriváty   toxicita   MeSH
• neuropeptidy aplikace a dávkování   toxicita   MeSH
• oxidační stres účinky léků   fyziologie   MeSH
• Tribolium účinky léků   metabolismus   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• adipokinetic hormone, beetle MeSH Prohlížeč
• hmyzí hormony MeSH
• insekticidy MeSH
• kyselina pyrrolidonkarboxylová MeSH
• neuropeptidy MeSH

We previously described the most highly expressed enzymes from the gut of the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum, as cathepsins L. In the present study, two C1 family-specific cysteine cathepsin L enzymes from the larval midgut were isolated and identified using MALDI-TOF MS analysis. The isolated T. castaneum cathepsins were characterized according to their specificity against chromogenic and fluorogenic peptide substrates, and the most efficiently hydrolyzed substrate was Z-FR-pNA with Arg in the P1 subsite. The specificity of insect digestive cathepsins was compared with human lysosomal cathepsin L, the well-studied peptidase of the C1 family cathepsins. T. castaneum digestive cathepsins efficiently hydrolyzed substrates with small and uncharged amino acid residues at P1 (Ala, Gln) more than human cathepsin L. In particular, these insect digestive cathepsins cleaved with higher efficiency the analogs of immunogenic peptides of gliadins, which contribute to autoimmune celiac disease in susceptible people, and thus insect enzymes may be useful in enzymatic treatments for this disease. A bioinformatic study supported by the proteomic analysis of the primary structures of the isolated cathepsins was used to compare tertiary models. The phylogenetic analysis of coleopteran and human cathepsins from the L subfamily indicated that insect digestive cathepsins grouped separately from lysosomal cathepsins.

• Klíčová slova
• Celiac disease, Cysteine cathepsins, Digestive cathepsin L, Digestive enzymes, Hydrolysis of gliadin peptides, Lysosomal cathepsin L, Tribolium castaneum,
• MeSH
• brouci MeSH
• celiakie farmakoterapie   MeSH
• fylogeneze MeSH
• hmyzí proteiny chemie   metabolismus   MeSH
• kathepsin L * chemie   metabolismus   MeSH
• kathepsiny chemie   metabolismus   MeSH
• larva metabolismus   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• lyzozomy metabolismus   MeSH
• proteasy chemie   metabolismus   MeSH
• proteomika MeSH
• trávení fyziologie   MeSH
• trávicí systém metabolismus   MeSH
• Tribolium metabolismus   MeSH
• výpočetní biologie MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• hmyzí proteiny MeSH
• kathepsin L * MeSH
• kathepsiny MeSH
• proteasy MeSH

Besides being a spectacular developmental process, metamorphosis is key to insect success. Entry into metamorphosis is controlled by juvenile hormone (JH). In larvae, JH prevents pupal and adult morphogenesis, thus keeping the insect in its immature state. How JH signals to preclude metamorphosis is poorly understood, and a JH receptor remains unknown. One candidate for the JH receptor role is the Methoprene-tolerant (Met) Per-Arnt-Sim (PAS) domain protein [also called Resistance to JH, Rst (1)JH], whose loss confers tolerance to JH and its mimic methoprene in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. However, Met deficiency does not affect the larval-pupal transition, possibly because this process does not require JH absence in Drosophila. By contrast, the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum is sensitive to developmental regulation by JH, thus making an ideal system to examine the role of Met in the antimetamorphic JH action. Here we show that impaired function of the Met ortholog TcMet renders Tribolium resistant to the effects of ectopic JH and, in a striking contrast to Drosophila, causes early-stage beetle larvae to undergo precocious metamorphosis. This is evident as TcMet-deficient larvae pupate prematurely or develop specific heterochronic phenotypes such as pupal-like cuticular structures, appendages, and compound eyes. Our results demonstrate that TcMet functions in JH response and provide the critical evidence that the putative JH receptor Met mediates the antimetamorphic effect of JH.

• MeSH
• biologická proměna genetika   MeSH
• hmyzí geny * MeSH
• kukla účinky léků   růst a vývoj   ultrastruktura   MeSH
• larva účinky léků   růst a vývoj   ultrastruktura   MeSH
• messenger RNA analýza   MeSH
• methopren farmakologie   MeSH
• molekulární sekvence - údaje MeSH
• rezistence k insekticidům genetika   MeSH
• RNA interference MeSH
• Tribolium genetika   růst a vývoj   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• messenger RNA MeSH
• methopren MeSH

Juvenile hormones (JH) and ecdysteroids regulate many biological and metabolic processes. CREB-binding protein (CBP) is a transcriptional co-regulator with histone acetyltransferase (HAT) activity. Therefore, CBP is involved in activation of many transcription factors that regulate expression of genes associated with postembryonic development in insects. However, the function of CBP in JH action in insects is not well understood. Hence, we studied the role of CBP in JH action in the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum and the Tribolium cell line. CBP knockdown caused a decrease in JH induction of genes, Kr-h1, 4EBP and G13402 in T. castaneum larvae, adults and TcA cells whereas, Trichostatin A [TSA, a histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor] induced the expression of these JH-response genes. Western blot analysis with specific antibodies revealed the requirement of CBP for the acetylation of H3K18 and H3K27 in both T. castaneum and TcA cells. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (Chip) assays showed the importance of CBP-mediated acetylation of H3K27 for JH induction of Kr-h1, 4EBP, and G13402 in TcA cells. These data suggest that CBP plays an important role in JH action in the model insect, T.castaneum.

• MeSH
• acetylace MeSH
• genový knockout MeSH
• histony metabolismus   MeSH
• hmyzí proteiny genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• juvenilní hormony farmakologie   MeSH
• protein vázající CREB genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• Tribolium genetika   růst a vývoj   metabolismus   MeSH
• vývojová regulace genové exprese účinky léků   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural MeSH
• Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. MeSH
• Názvy látek
• histony MeSH
• hmyzí proteiny MeSH
• juvenilní hormony MeSH
• protein vázající CREB MeSH

Two polyclonal antibodies (Pab) were developed for the detection of Tribolium castaneum, which is a stored product pest of medical and economical importance. Selected Pab anti- T. castaneumK51 showed low cross-reactivity to other stored product arthropods but revealed high reactivity to T. destructor, T. confusum, and partly to Tenebrio molitor. PTA-ELISA was used to detect adults, larva, and feces of T. castaneum in artificially contaminated grain samples. Calibration methods were applied to determine detection limits for each type of contaminants. Anti- T.castaneumK51 enabled detection of T. castaneum in grain samples; detection limits reached 60 and 640 individuals/kg of grain for larvae and adults, respectively, and 4 mg of feces/kg of grain. After recalculation, the detection limit for feces enables detection of 30 larvae after 5 days of feeding in optimal conditions. The main advantage of the developed assay is traceability of T. castaneum contamination, especially when the adults and larvae are removed from contaminated material, based on the detection of feces that persist in the grain.

• MeSH
• ELISA metody   MeSH
• feces MeSH
• kontaminace potravin analýza   MeSH
• kontrola škůdců metody   MeSH
• konzervace potravin MeSH
• králíci MeSH
• larva MeSH
• protilátky imunologie   MeSH
• pšenice * MeSH
• semena rostlinná MeSH
• specificita protilátek MeSH
• Tribolium imunologie   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• králíci MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• protilátky MeSH

Flour beetles of the genus Tribolium Macleay (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) are important stored product pests in China and worldwide. They are often found or are intercepted in grain depots, flour mills, and entry-exit ports, etc. Traditionally, Tribolium species are identified according to the morphological characteristics of the adult. However, it is almost impossible to rapidly identify adult fragments and non-adult stages based on external morphological characteristics. Molecular techniques for the rapid and accurate identification of Tribolium species are required, particularly for pest monitoring and the quarantine of stored products pests. Here, we establish DNA barcoding, species-specific PCR, and real-time PCR techniques for the identification of six stored-product pest Tribolium species including T. castaneum, T. confusum, T. destructor, T. madens, T. freemani and T. brevicornis. We detected the mitochondrial DNA cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) barcodes for Tribolium from 18 geographic populations and 101 individuals, built a Tribolium DNA barcode library, and designed species-specific primers and TaqMan probes for the above six Tribolium species. The three techniques were applied to identify Tribolium collected from stored samples and samples captured from quarantine ports. The results demonstrated that three techniques were all able to identify the six species of Tribolium both rapidly and accurately.

• MeSH
• DNA primery metabolismus   MeSH
• DNA chemie   izolace a purifikace   metabolismus   MeSH
• druhová specificita MeSH
• fylogeneze MeSH
• kvantitativní polymerázová řetězová reakce MeSH
• respirační komplex IV chemie   genetika   MeSH
• sekvence nukleotidů MeSH
• sekvenční seřazení MeSH
• taxonomické DNA čárové kódování * MeSH
• Tribolium klasifikace   genetika   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• DNA primery MeSH
• DNA MeSH
• respirační komplex IV MeSH

The spectra of Tribolium castaneum and T. confusum larval digestive peptidases were characterized with respect to the spatial organization of protein digestion in the midgut. The pH of midgut contents in both species increased from 5.6-6.0 in the anterior to 7.0-7.5 in the posterior midgut. However, the pH optimum of the total proteolytic activity of the gut extract from either insect was pH 4.1. Approximately 80% of the total proteolytic activity was in the anterior and 20% in the posterior midgut of either insect when evaluated in buffers simulating the pH and reducing conditions characteristic for each midgut section. The general peptidase activity of gut extracts from either insect in pH 5.6 buffer was mostly due to cysteine peptidases. In the weakly alkaline conditions of the posterior midgut, the serine peptidase contribution was 31 and 41% in T. castaneum and T. confusum, respectively. A postelectrophoretic peptidase activity assay with gelatin also revealed the important contribution of cysteine peptidases in protein digestion in both Tribolium species. The use of a postelectrophoretic activity assay with p-nitroanilide substrates and specific inhibitors revealed a set of cysteine and serine endopeptidases, 8 and 10 for T. castaneum, and 7 and 9 for T. confusum, respectively. Serine peptidases included trypsin-, chymotrypsin-, and elastase-like enzymes, the latter being for the first time reported in Tenebrionid insects. These data support a complex system of protein digestion in the Tribolium midgut with the fundamental role of cysteine peptidases.

• MeSH
• brouci fyziologie   MeSH
• elektroforéza MeSH
• gastrointestinální trakt enzymologie   MeSH
• koncentrace vodíkových iontů MeSH
• larva fyziologie   MeSH
• proteasy metabolismus   MeSH
• regulace genové exprese enzymů fyziologie   MeSH
• stanovení celkové genové exprese MeSH
• trávení fyziologie   MeSH
• želatina metabolismus   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• proteasy MeSH
• želatina MeSH

BACKGROUND: Juvenile hormones (JH) and ecdysteroids control postembryonic development in insects. They serve as valuable targets for pest management. Hence, understanding the molecular mechanisms of their action is of crucial importance. CREB-binding protein (CBP) is a universal transcriptional co-regulator. It controls the expression of several genes including those from hormone signaling pathways through co-activation of many transcription factors. However, the role of CBP during postembryonic development in insects is not well understood. Therefore, we have studied the role of CBP in postembryonic development in Tribolium, a model coleopteran insect. RESULTS: CBP is ubiquitously expressed in the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum. RNA interference (RNAi) mediated knockdown of CBP resulted in a decrease in JH induction of Kr-h1 gene expression in Tribolium larvae and led to a block in their development. Moreover, the injection of CBP double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) showed lethal phenotypes within 8 days of injection. RNA-seq and subsequent differential gene expression analysis identified CBP target genes in Tribolium. Knockdown of CBP caused a decrease in the expression of 1306 genes coding for transcription factors and other proteins associated with growth and development. Depletion of CBP impaired the expression of several JH response genes (e.g., Kr-h1, Hairy, early trypsin) and ecdysone response genes (EcR, E74, E75, and broad complex). Further, GO enrichment analyses of the downregulated genes showed enrichment in different functions including developmental processes, pigmentation, anatomical structure development, regulation of biological and cellular processes, etc. CONCLUSION: These data suggest diverse but crucial roles for CBP during postembryonic development in the coleopteran model insect, Tribolium. It can serve as a target for RNAi mediated pest management of this stored product pest.

• Klíčová slova
• CBP, Ecdysone, Juvenile hormone, Kr-h1, RNA seq, RNAi, Tribolium,
• MeSH
• exprese genu MeSH
• hmyzí proteiny antagonisté a inhibitory   genetika   metabolismus   fyziologie   MeSH
• juvenilní hormony farmakologie   MeSH
• larva genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• protein vázající CREB antagonisté a inhibitory   genetika   metabolismus   fyziologie   MeSH
• RNA interference MeSH
• Tribolium genetika   růst a vývoj   metabolismus   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural MeSH
• Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. MeSH
• Názvy látek
• hmyzí proteiny MeSH
• juvenilní hormony MeSH
• protein vázající CREB MeSH

In this study, we evaluated phosphine efficacy against two strains of the confused flour beetle, Tribolium confusum Jacquelin du Val (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), one laboratory strain, with no previous exposure to phosphine, and one field strain, originated from the flour mill on which we performed the fumigation. The standard Detia Degesh Phosphine Resistance Kit showed that the adults of the field strain of T. confusum required 4.4 × longer time to be knocked down than the laboratory strain. In order to assess the efficacy of phosphine in the field against these strains, aluminium phosphide (AlP) was applied in a flour mill in Czech Republic, in 2014. In this application, temperature among the six floors of the flour mill varied between 20 and 30°C, relative humidity (RH) between 44 and 78%, and phosphine concentration-time-products (CtP) between 24 and 38 g.m(-3).h(-1). Moreover, the insects were bioassayed in dishes that contained either no commodity or 1, 3, and 5 cm of flour. Nevertheless, despite these variations, all adults and larvae from both strains were dead, regardless of the floor, the quantity of the commodity, and the conditions prevailing. However, larval emergence from eggs that were used in the bioassays for both strains was recorded in some of the locations tested. In addition, larval emergence was negatively correlated with both temperature and RH. At the same time, emergence was generally similar between strains. The results of the present study illustrate that highly visible dead adults and larvae after the application of phosphine falsely imply good fumigation efficacy, given that a considerable number of eggs are very likely to survive in a wider range of conditions, and the concomitant larval emergence may result in rapid population grown right after the fumigation.

• Klíčová slova
• Tribolium confusum, flour, fumigation, mill, phosphine,
• MeSH
• fosfiny * MeSH
• insekticidy * MeSH
• larva MeSH
• ovum MeSH
• teplota MeSH
• testy toxicity MeSH
• Tribolium * MeSH
• vykuřování * MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• hodnotící studie MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• fosfiny * MeSH
• insekticidy * MeSH
• phosphine MeSH Prohlížeč