title: Identification of immunological expressed sequence tags in the mealworm beetle Tenebrio molitor.
abstract: Understanding the evolutionary ecology of immune responses to persistent infection could provide fundamental insight into temporal dynamics or interactive mechanisms that could be co-opted for antibiotic treatment regimes. Additionally, identification of novel molecules involved in these processes could provide novel compounds for biotechnological development. The beetle Tenebrio molitor displays a high level of induced antimicrobial activity coincident with persistent immuno-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and is the first invertebrate model for persistent infection. Here we present expressed sequence tags (ESTs) detected by suppression-subtraction hybridization of Tenebrio larvae after infection with S. aureus. Amongst others, we identified mRNAs coding for various oxidative enzymes and two antimicrobial peptides. These ESTs provide a foundation for mechanistic study of Tenebrio's immune system.
authors.affiliation: Animal & Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK.
authors.forename: Adam J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Dobson
authors.forename: Paul R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Johnston
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vilcinskas
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rolff
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000378:metabolism; D001517:Coleoptera / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D020224:Expressed Sequence Tags; D015723:Gene Library; D017344:Genes, Insect; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus
chemical_list: D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D007501:Iron