Skip to Main Content
 

Global Search Box

 
 
 
 

Files

File List


CharlesDissertation_FINAL.pdf (1.11 MB)

ETD Abstract Container

Abstract Header

Factors Regulating Insect Innate Immune Responses

Bryner Charles, Heather Marie
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7423-449X
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami149088600671424

Abstract Details

2017, Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, Cell, Molecular and Structural Biology (CMSB).
Insects rely on their immune system to combat the myriad of pathogens to which they are exposed within their environment. The insect immune system is similar to the innate immune system of vertebrates and consists of cellular and humoral immune responses. These responses are dynamic and under the influence of a variety factors, including pathogenic infection, age/gender, and changes in environmental temperature. The goal of this study was to examine how these factors affect multiple measures of cellular and humoral immune responses including total phenoloxidase activity, number of circulating hemocytes, lysozyme-like activity, and capsule formation in adult male Acheta domesticus crickets. We examined these parameters following immune challenge with one of three different treatments: injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Serratia. marcescens or Escherichia coli; injection of live S. marcescens; or insertion of a nylon filament. We observed that injection of live S. marcescens induced the strongest and most rapid immune response and that injection of LPS from E. coli induced a more rapid response than LPS from S. marcescens. Inserting a nylon filament induced a rapid immune response that was short-lived. These data suggest that the magnitude of the cricket immune response is dependent on the type of immune challenge and that a more complete view of the true immune response can only be ascertained when measuring multiple immune parameters at multiple time points after a challenge. In this study, we also assessed the effect of age and gender on the cricket immune system. We observed that female crickets had similar measures of immunity across the nymphal and young adult stages we examined. However, sexually mature adult males and females were dimorphic in immunity, causing females to succumb more quickly to a live bacterial challenge. Finally, we assessed how cold stress (CS) at 0°C could impact the immune system. We observed that CS resulted in the translocation of resident gut bacteria into the hemolymph which induced systemic immune activation. This study is the first to show bacterial translocation from the gut following CS which ultimately leads to short- and long-term effects on systemic immune function.
Kathleen Killian, Dr. (Advisor)
Lori Isaacson, Dr. (Committee Chair)
Yoshinori Tomoyasu, Dr. (Committee Member)
Paul James, Dr. (Committee Member)
Eileen Bridge, Dr. (Committee Member)
138 p.
Biology; Immunology
insect; immune; phenoloxidase; cold stress

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Bryner Charles, H. M. (2017). Factors Regulating Insect Innate Immune Responses [Doctoral dissertation, Miami University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami149088600671424

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Bryner Charles, Heather. Factors Regulating Insect Innate Immune Responses. 2017. Miami University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami149088600671424.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Bryner Charles, Heather. "Factors Regulating Insect Innate Immune Responses." Doctoral dissertation, Miami University, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami149088600671424

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

miami149088600671424
143
© 2017, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Miami University and OhioLINK.