Activation of immune pathways in common bed bugs, Cimex lectularius, in response to bacterial immune challenges - a transcriptomics analysis
The common bed bug, Cimex lectularius, is an urban pest of global health significance, severely affecting the physical and mental health of humans. In contrast to most other blood-feeding arthropods, bed bugs are not major vectors of pathogens, but the underlying mechanisms for this phenomenon are largely unexplored. Here, we present the first transcriptomics study of bed bugs in response to immune challenges. To study transcriptional variations in bed begs following ingestion of bacteria, we extracted and processed mRNA from immune-related tissues of adult male bed bugs after ingestion of sterile blood or blood laced with the Gram-positive (Gr+) bacterium Bacillus subtilis or the Gram-negative (Gr–) bacterium Escherichia coli. We analyzed mRNA from the bed bugs' midgut (the primary tissue involved in blood ingestion) and from the rest of their bodies (RoB; body minus head and midgut tissues). Overall design: To study transcriptional variations in bed begs following ingestion of bacteria, we extracted and processed mRNA from immune-related tissues of adult male bed bugs after ingestion of sterile blood or blood laced with the Gram-positive (Gr+) bacterium Bacillus subtilis or the Gram-negative (Gr–) bacterium Escherichia coli. We analyzed mRNA from the bed bugs' midgut (the primary tissue involved in blood ingestion) and from the rest of their bodies (RoB; body minus head and midgut tissues) 12 hours after immunization.