ARS | Publication request: Regulation of Heliothis virescens Innate Immune Responses to the Endoparasitoid Campoletis sonorensis

Submitted to: Entomological Society of America Annual Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: June 10, 2008
Publication Date: November 17, 2008
Citation: Nusawardani, T., Shelby, K., Popham, H.J., Webb, B.A. 2008. Regulation of Heliothis virescens Innate Immune Responses to the Endoparasitoid Campoletis sonorensis [abstract]. Entomological Society of America Annual Meeting. p.73.

Technical Abstract: Insect immune responses play important roles in host defense against pathogens and parasitoids. In this study, we propose that the regulation of host immune responses may determine the successful parasitization of Campoletis sonorensis in the host. To investigate the regulation of innate immune responses by parasitization, a microarray approach and quantitative real time PCR experiments will be carried out. From a normalized cDNA library derived from immune-challenged Heliothis virescens hemocytes and fat body tissues, we obtained 39,495 ESTs that were assembled into putatively different transcripts. All putative transcripts were used to construct a custom microarray. As expected, we detected differential expression of some immune genes after immune challenges in our microarray and quantitative Real Time PCR studies. We also found that parasitization caused the differential expression of the H. virescens genes involved in innate immune responses. The findings of this study will provide insights into lepidopteran innate immune responses.