title: Lipophorins can adhere to dsRNA, bacteria and fungi present in the hemolymph of the desert locust: a role as general scavenger for pathogens in the open body cavity.
abstract: Desert locusts are characterized by a highly sensitive and effective RNA interference (RNAi) response. Moreover, delivery of dsRNA into the open body cavity will elicit potent silencing effects throughout the body. On the other hand, many other insect species, such as Bombyx mori and Drosophila melanogaster, lack the ability to efficiently spread the RNAi-signal. In this study, we demonstrated that, in the serum of the desert locust, lipophorins adhere to dsRNA-fragments. Lipophorins can be subdivided into high density and low density lipophorins (HDLp and LDLp), according to their buoyant density, and we showed that both types of lipophorins can interact with dsRNA fragments. Furthermore, in the presence of (gram-positive) bacteria or fungi, LDLp induce the formation of pathogen aggregates, while no clear aggregation effects were detected in the presence of HDLp.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Developmental Physiology and Signal Transduction, Department of Animal Physiology and Neurobiology, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, P.O. Box 02465, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium. Electronic address: Niels.Wynant@bio.kuleuven.be.
authors.forename: Niels
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wynant
authors.affiliation: Insect Physiology and Molecular Ethology, Department of Animal Physiology and Neurobiology, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, P.O. Box 02465, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Tewodros F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Duressa
authors.affiliation: Molecular Developmental Physiology and Signal Transduction, Department of Animal Physiology and Neurobiology, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, P.O. Box 02465, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Dulce
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.affiliation: Molecular Developmental Physiology and Signal Transduction, Department of Animal Physiology and Neurobiology, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, P.O. Box 02465, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Joost
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Van Duppen
authors.affiliation: Molecular Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, KU Leuven, Minderbroedersstraat 10, P.O. Box 1030, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Proost
authors.affiliation: Insect Physiology and Molecular Ethology, Department of Animal Physiology and Neurobiology, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, P.O. Box 02465, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Roger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Huybrechts
authors.affiliation: Molecular Developmental Physiology and Signal Transduction, Department of Animal Physiology and Neurobiology, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, P.O. Box 02465, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Jozef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vanden Broeck
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003058:Cockroaches; D005658:Fungi / Q000145:classification / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006110:Grasshoppers / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D006135:Gryllidae; D006458:Hemolymph; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D034622:RNA Interference; D012330:RNA, Double-Stranded; D058493:Sarcophagidae
chemical_list: D008074:Lipoproteins; D012330:RNA, Double-Stranded; C032830:lipophorin
keywords: Double stranded RNA; HDL; Immunity; Insect; LDL; RNA interference (RNAi)