Japan-Systems Approaches to Addressing Food Security: Novel methodology for pest control using key regulators of insect survival against infection
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Glasgow
Department Name: College of Medical, Veterinary, Life Sci
Abstract
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People |
ORCID iD |
| Shireen Davies (Principal Investigator) | |
| Julian Dow (Co-Investigator) |
Publications
Kanoh H
(2021)
cGMP signaling pathway that modulates NF-?B activation in innate immune responses.
in iScience
Iwashita S
(2020)
A Receptor Guanylate Cyclase, Gyc76C, Mediates Humoral, and Cellular Responses in Distinct Ways in Drosophila Immunity.
in Frontiers in immunology
| Description | This joint BBSRC - Japan Science and Technology Agency programme was based around partnership and project development and knowledge exchange in the field of insect immunity and insect survival to environmental challenge. 1. The main scientific objectives were to: - Achieve novel methodology for insect crop pest control by targeting the insect immune system using two approaches: - Develop a completely new class of environmentally friendly insecticides. Screening, isolation, structural determination, in vivo testing and systems biology analysis (metabolomics) of novel immune regulators derived from microbial secondary metabolites. - identify and and functionally assess key gut regulatory genes which modulate insect host survival against oral infections via a genome wide RNAi screen The scientific objectives have been achieved. - We have shown that a derivative of microbial celastramycin A is effective against a crop pest species (M. sexta). Administration of the celastramycin A derivative increases susceptibility to infection (Dornan et al., 2016, ms in preparation). - Samples of infected Manduca gut have been analysed by metabolomic analysis (ms in preparation as above) - Transcriptomics samples of M. sexta gut regions have been prepared (awaiting effective annotation of Manduca genome - not yet released) 2. We organised and hosted several successful international collaborative and knowledge exchange events as follows: - Young Researchers' Conference, Sendai, April 18-20th April 2013 - BBSRC/JST-funded international meeting 'The insect Epithelium', at Glasgow, Scotland, UK was on epithelial stress and immune function in insects, which included world leaders in systems biology of immune function and xenobiotic handling in insect crop pest species. The conference held April 22-25, Glasgow, UK. Conference website: https://sites.google.com/site/2014epitheliome/Home A Special Issue for Insect Molecular Biology and Biochemistry followed: 'The Insect Epitheliome'. Chief Editor: Sarjeet Gill. Editors: Shireen Davies, Dmitri Boudko), during 2015. - Second Young Researchers Conference, Sendai, Japan, January 22-23rd 2015. 3. We developed high impact joint research publications: Iwashita S, Suzuki H, Goto A, Oyama T, Kanoh H, Kuraishi T, Fuse N, Yano T, Oshima Y, Dow JAT, Davies SA, Kurata S. A Receptor Guanylate Cyclase, Gyc76C, Mediates Humoral, and Cellular Responses in Distinct Ways in Drosophila Immunity. Front Immunol. 2020 Jan 28;11:35. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.00035. eCollection 2020. PubMed PMID: 32063902; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6999089. 'A novel cGMP signaling pathway that modulates NF-kB activation in innate immune responses' submitted to Cell Research, 2019 |
| Exploitation Route | - Research grant to capitalise on/extend initial findings including adding to narrative towards potential spinout development. - Suitable funding to continue this UK-Japan collaboration. |
| Sectors | Agriculture, Food and Drink |
| Description | Although this grant did not fund research work, it has resulted in publications. However, as a partnership grant, it has allowed development opportunities towards novel means for insect pest control for Food Security. It has also been instrumental for guiding and fostering new international collaborations, after a highly successful international focussed conference, which was followed by a Special Issue volume (Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 67, 2015) highlighting approaches used for novel insect control, guest edited by one of the grant PIs (Shireen Davies). Finally, the grant was very successful at fostering training and networking for young researchers in an international context and was very useful knowledge exchange towards PhD student publications (e.g., Brinzer et al., Insect Biochem. Mol. Biol., 2015; Cannell et a;l., Peptides, 2016; Gor et al., ms in preparation). |
| First Year Of Impact | 2014 |
| Sector | Agriculture, Food and Drink |
| Impact Types | Societal |
| Description | 'Innovation in Crop Protection - Developing a UK Strategy' |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to a national consultation/review |
| Description | H2020 SFS-03a - 2014 Native and Alien pests in Agriculture, Horticulture and Forestry |
| Amount | € 7,000,000 (EUR) |
| Funding ID | 634361 |
| Organisation | European Commission |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | European Union (EU) |
| Start | 05/2015 |
| End | 05/2019 |
| Title | Metabolomics for lepidopteran insects |
| Description | We have performed metabolomics on Lepidopteran insect species (Manduca sexta). |
| Type Of Material | Technology assay or reagent |
| Provided To Others? | No |
| Impact | This methodology will be used to inform work in a current H2020 programme (nEUROSTRESSPEP). |
| Title | Microbial modulators of insect immunity. |
| Description | Microbial-derived compound assayed on lepidopteran insect species in lethality assays. Compound increases insect susceptibility to infection. |
| Type Of Material | Physiological assessment or outcome measure |
| Year Produced | 2017 |
| Provided To Others? | No |
| Impact | These data will inform development of new mode-of-action, microbe-derived compounds as pest insect biocides. |
| Description | Imune modulators |
| Organisation | Tohoku University |
| Country | Japan |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | 'Omics, physiology, assays, insect pests |
| Collaborator Contribution | Multi disciplinary interactions (Chemistry), compounds |
| Impact | Multi disciplinary interactions (Chemistry) with provision of compounds as insect immune suppressors. |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | Student engagement, Tohoku University |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Bi-lateral Japa-UK research and presentation skills workshop for undergraduate and post-graduate students, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013,2015 |