title: Tribolium castaneum Apolipophorin-III acts as an immune response protein against Bacillus thuringiensis Cry3Ba toxic activity.
abstract: In this study, a 2.1-fold Apolipophorin-III mRNA up-regulation was found in Tribolium castaneum larvae challenged with Bacillus thuringiensis Cry3Ba spore-crystal mixture. Knockdown of Apolipophorin-III by RNAi resulted in increased T. castaneum larvae susceptibility following Cry3Ba spore-crystal treatment, demonstrating Apolipophorin-III involvement in insect defense against B. thuringiensis. We showed that Apolipophorin-III participates in T. castaneum immune response to B. thuringiensis activating the prophenoloxidase cascade since: (i) phenoloxidase activity significantly increased after Cry3Ba spore-crystal treatment compared to untreated or Cry1Ac spore-crystal treated larvae and (ii) phenoloxidase activity in Cry3Ba spore-crystal treated Apolipophorin-III silenced larvae was 71±14% lower than that of non-silenced intoxicated larvae.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Valencia, Dr. Moliner 50, Burjassot 46100, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Estefanía
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Contreras
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rausell
authors.forename: M Dolores
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Real
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001053:Apolipoproteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D001413:Bacillus thuringiensis / Q000276:immunology; D000083722:Bacillus thuringiensis Toxins; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004731:Endotoxins; D006460:Hemolysin Proteins; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D007306:Insecticides; D007814:Larva / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D034622:RNA Interference; D018675:Toxicity Tests; D014231:Tribolium / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D001053:Apolipoproteins; D000083722:Bacillus thuringiensis Toxins; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004731:Endotoxins; D006460:Hemolysin Proteins; D007306:Insecticides; C042470:apolipophorin III; C030956:insecticidal crystal protein, Bacillus Thuringiensis