title: Insect Immunity to Entomopathogenic Nematodes and Their Mutualistic Bacteria.
abstract: Entomopathogenic nematodes are important organisms for the biological control of insect pests and excellent models for dissecting the molecular basis of the insect immune response against both the nematode parasites and their mutualistic bacteria. Previous research involving the use of various insects has found distinct differences in the number and nature of immune mechanisms that are activated in response to entomopathogenic nematode parasites containing or lacking their associated bacteria. Recent studies using model insects have started to reveal the identity of certain molecules with potential anti-nematode or antibacterial activity as well as the molecular components that nematodes and their bacteria employ to evade or defeat the insect immune system. Identification and characterization of the genes that regulate the insect immune response to nematode-bacteria complexes will contribute significantly to the development of improved practices to control insects of agricultural and medical importance, and potentially nematode parasites that infect mammals, perhaps even humans.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University, 800 22nd Street NW, Washington DC, 20052, USA. ioannise@gwu.edu.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Eleftherianos
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University, 800 22nd Street NW, Washington DC, 20052, USA.
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Shokal
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University, 800 22nd Street NW, Washington DC, 20052, USA.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yadav
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University, 800 22nd Street NW, Washington DC, 20052, USA.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kenney
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University, 800 22nd Street NW, Washington DC, 20052, USA.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Maldonado
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria; D061046:Biological Control Agents; D006801:Humans; D007313:Insecta / Q000276:immunology; D009348:Nematoda / Q000469:parasitology; D013559:Symbiosis
chemical_list: D061046:Biological Control Agents