Regulatory role of the LIMPET transcription factor in Triatoma infestans immune response

PEDRINI, NICOLÁS; MANNINO, M. CONSTANZA

CABA

Congreso; Reunión Conjunta de Sociedades de Biociencias; 2017

As a part of the innate humoral response to a microbial attack, insects activate the expression of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). Understanding the regulatory mechanisms of the immune response in Triatoma infestans (Hemiptera: Reduviidae)In the case of it is of interest to know the regulatory mechanisms of the immune response since it is the main vector of Tripanosoma cruzi in south Latin America and pest control strategies including insect pathogens as the fungus Beauveria bassiana (Ascomycota: Hypocreales). For a molecular and functional characterization of the LIMPET transcription factor, potentially involved in the regulation of AMPs expression, primers were designed to complete its sequence and alignments with related species were made to determine its sequence homology. Functional characterization was performed through dsRNA silencing and qPCR assessment of limpet and a group of AMPs called defensins. Multiple reference genes method and Student t-Test were used to analyze the data. After a 94% silencing of the limpet mRNA at 24 and 72hs after injection, an initial decrease in expression in AMPs (24hs) was detected and after 72hs an increase of expression and even overexpression was observed. As a conclusion, it could be said that LIMPET is involved in the molecular regulation pathway of the immune response including AMPs, although it would not be the only regulator. Currently, there is ongoing work on this system which includes infection with B. bassiana to assess the response of limpet and the involved defensins when confronted to a real microbial attack. This work would lead to a better understanding of how the regulation pathway of T. infestans immune response in which limpet is involved works.