title: The effects of dietary nickel on the detoxification enzymes, innate immunity and resistance to the fungus Beauveria bassiana in the larvae of the greater wax moth Galleria mellonella.
abstract: In this study, we tested the effects of dietary nickel on the activity of glutathione S-transferase (GST), esterases, phenoloxidase, and encapsulation in the haemolymph of larvae of the greater wax moth Galleria mellonella. We also explored the effects of dietary nickel on larval resistance to infection by the fungus Beauveria bassiana. Larvae fed a low dose of nickel (10 μg g(-1)) had significantly higher GST, phenoloxidase activity and encapsulation responses than controls fed on a nickel-free diet. We also found that larvae fed a sublethal dose of nickel (50 μg g(-1)) had increased GST, esterase activity and encapsulation rates but decreased phenoloxidase activity. Although, a sublethal dose of dietary nickel enhanced innate immunity, we found that this reduced resistance against the real pathogen. Our results suggest that enhanced immunity and detoxification enzyme activity of insects may not be beneficial to resistance to fungal infection. It appears that there is a trade off between different resistance mechanisms in insects under different metal treatments.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Systematics and Ecology of Animals, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Frunze Str. 11, Novosibirsk 630091, Russia. dubovskiy2000@yahoo.com
authors.forename: I M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Dubovskiy
authors.forename: E V
authors.initials: EV
authors.lastname: Grizanova
authors.forename: N S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Ershova
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Rantala
authors.forename: V V
authors.initials: VV
authors.lastname: Glupov
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D052982:Beauveria / Q000502:physiology*; D004950:Esterases / Q000378:metabolism; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000378:metabolism; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D007814:Larva / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D014442:Monophenol Monooxygenase / Q000378:metabolism; D009036:Moths / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D009532:Nickel / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D009532:Nickel; D014442:Monophenol Monooxygenase; D005982:Glutathione Transferase; D004950:Esterases