Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University, 800 22nd Street NW, Washington DC, 20052, USA.
Curr Top Microbiol Immunol. 2017;402:123-156. doi: 10.1007/82_2016_52.
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.
昆虫病原线虫是防治害虫的重要生物制剂，也是解析昆虫免疫反应分子基础的优秀模型，该免疫反应既针对线虫寄生虫，也针对与其共生的细菌。先前涉及多种昆虫的研究发现，在对含有或不含有共生细菌的昆虫病原线虫寄生虫作出反应时，激活的免疫机制的数量和性质存在明显差异。最近使用模式昆虫的研究开始揭示具有潜在抗线虫或抗菌活性的某些分子，以及线虫及其细菌用来逃避或击败昆虫免疫系统的分子成分。鉴定和描述调控昆虫对线虫-细菌复合体免疫反应的基因，将极大地促进控制农业和医学重要昆虫，甚至可能是感染哺乳动物、甚至人类的线虫寄生虫的改进实践的发展。
