Characterization of antimicrobial activity and antimicrobial peptide expression by bed bugs in response to gram-positive and gram-negative bacterial infections

Wednesday, November 16, 2022

9:00 AM – 9:12 AM PT

Location: Vancouver Convention Centre, Meeting Room 214

Presenting Author(s)

Sam Meraj

Simon Fraser University
West Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Co-Author(s)

EM

Emerson Mohr

undergraduate student
Simon Fraser University
Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
AS

Arshvir Singh Dhari

Simon Fraser University
Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
CL

Carl Lowenberger

Simon Fraser University
Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
GG

Gerhard Gries

Professor
Simon Fraser University
Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada

Common bed bugs, Cimex lectalarius, are pests of significant public health importance. Unlike most other hematophagous insects, bed bugs are not known to transmit pathogens to humans. To help unravel the reasons for their lack of vector competence, we studied time- and tissue-dependent expression of insect innate immune factors, such as antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), immune pathway components, and general antimicrobial activity following a blood meal containing Gram-positive bacteria (Toll pathway) or Gram-negative bacteria (IMD pathway), or following injection of these bacteria into the fat body. We found time- and tissue-specific upregulation of general antimicrobial activity as well as expression of AMPs in response to bacterial infection. We also compared the bed bugs’ AMPs to those of other hematophagous insects. Unraveling the specific immune pathways that are activated in the bed bugs’ immune responses and identifying the AMPs unique to bed bugs will help us understand why bed bugs do not vector human parasites and why they are predisposed to biological control agents.