Pathogenicity and host-interacting mechanisms of enterogenic Enterobacter cancerogenus in silkworm

IntroductionEnterobacter cancerogenus (E. cancerogenus) is a facultative anaerobic, gram-negative bacterium that can be utilized for the biological control of pests. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the pathogenicity of E. cancerogenus in insect hosts remain largely unexplored.MethodsIn...

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Main Authors: Meng Luo, Linhui Lai, Zailin Wu, Xiaoli Ren, Jiacheng Zhao, Hongmei Liu, Yaohang Long
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-03-01
Series:Frontiers in Microbiology
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1548808/full
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author Meng Luo
Linhui Lai
Zailin Wu
Zailin Wu
Zailin Wu
Xiaoli Ren
Xiaoli Ren
Xiaoli Ren
Jiacheng Zhao
Jiacheng Zhao
Jiacheng Zhao
Hongmei Liu
Hongmei Liu
Hongmei Liu
Yaohang Long
Yaohang Long
Yaohang Long
author_facet Meng Luo
Linhui Lai
Zailin Wu
Zailin Wu
Zailin Wu
Xiaoli Ren
Xiaoli Ren
Xiaoli Ren
Jiacheng Zhao
Jiacheng Zhao
Jiacheng Zhao
Hongmei Liu
Hongmei Liu
Hongmei Liu
Yaohang Long
Yaohang Long
Yaohang Long
author_sort Meng Luo
collection DOAJ
description IntroductionEnterobacter cancerogenus (E. cancerogenus) is a facultative anaerobic, gram-negative bacterium that can be utilized for the biological control of pests. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the pathogenicity of E. cancerogenus in insect hosts remain largely unexplored.MethodsIn this study, the Bombyx mori model was employed to investigate the pathogenicity of E. cancerogenus strain ECL7, a bacterium pathogenic to silkworms, through whole-genome sequencing, 16S rDNA sequencing, and transcriptome analysis.ResultsThe results revealed that ECL7 harbors virulence genes associated with biofilm formation, adhesion, type III secretion system (T3SS), type VI secretion system (T6SS), and other factors, which collectively lead to damage to the peritrophic matrix (PM) and intestinal epithelial cells of the silkworm midgut following infection, and reduced silkworm larval survival rates and inhibited their growth and development. Additionally, ECL7 infection altered the composition and abundance of intestinal microorganisms, with Enterobacteriaceae and Enterobacteriales becoming dominant species. ECL7 also stimulated the expression of genes related to the Toll and IMD immune signaling pathways, resulting in the upregulation of antimicrobial peptide–related differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Furthermore, transcriptomic analysis revealed an upregulation of DEGs associated with oxidative stress in response to ECL7 infection.DiscussionThis study provides valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the interaction between E. cancerogenus and silkworms. The findings contribute to the prevention and control of infections caused by this bacterium in sericulture production and offer novel ideas for the potential application of E. cancerogenus in pest biological control.
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spelling doaj-art-4ec679ad1a5441c68cf17399ce36e20a2025-08-20T03:40:57ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Microbiology1664-302X2025-03-011610.3389/fmicb.2025.15488081548808Pathogenicity and host-interacting mechanisms of enterogenic Enterobacter cancerogenus in silkwormMeng Luo0Linhui Lai1Zailin Wu2Zailin Wu3Zailin Wu4Xiaoli Ren5Xiaoli Ren6Xiaoli Ren7Jiacheng Zhao8Jiacheng Zhao9Jiacheng Zhao10Hongmei Liu11Hongmei Liu12Hongmei Liu13Yaohang Long14Yaohang Long15Yaohang Long16Biochemistry Teaching and Research Section, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Anshun, ChinaSchool of Public Health, The Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Monitoring and Disease Control, Ministry of Education, Guizhou Medical University, Anshun, ChinaEngineering Research Center of Medical Biotechnology, School of Biology and Engineering, Guizhou Medical University, Anshun, ChinaKey Laboratory of Biology and Medical Engineering, Immune Cells and Antibody Engineering Research Center of Guizhou Province, Guizhou Medical University, Anshun, ChinaEngineering Research Center of Health Medicine Biotechnology of Institution of Higher Education of Guizhou Province, Guizhou Medical University, Anshun, ChinaEngineering Research Center of Medical Biotechnology, School of Biology and Engineering, Guizhou Medical University, Anshun, ChinaKey Laboratory of Biology and Medical Engineering, Immune Cells and Antibody Engineering Research Center of Guizhou Province, Guizhou Medical University, Anshun, ChinaEngineering Research Center of Health Medicine Biotechnology of Institution of Higher Education of Guizhou Province, Guizhou Medical University, Anshun, ChinaEngineering Research Center of Medical Biotechnology, School of Biology and Engineering, Guizhou Medical University, Anshun, ChinaKey Laboratory of Biology and Medical Engineering, Immune Cells and Antibody Engineering Research Center of Guizhou Province, Guizhou Medical University, Anshun, ChinaEngineering Research Center of Health Medicine Biotechnology of Institution of Higher Education of Guizhou Province, Guizhou Medical University, Anshun, ChinaEngineering Research Center of Medical Biotechnology, School of Biology and Engineering, Guizhou Medical University, Anshun, ChinaKey Laboratory of Biology and Medical Engineering, Immune Cells and Antibody Engineering Research Center of Guizhou Province, Guizhou Medical University, Anshun, ChinaEngineering Research Center of Health Medicine Biotechnology of Institution of Higher Education of Guizhou Province, Guizhou Medical University, Anshun, ChinaEngineering Research Center of Medical Biotechnology, School of Biology and Engineering, Guizhou Medical University, Anshun, ChinaKey Laboratory of Biology and Medical Engineering, Immune Cells and Antibody Engineering Research Center of Guizhou Province, Guizhou Medical University, Anshun, ChinaEngineering Research Center of Health Medicine Biotechnology of Institution of Higher Education of Guizhou Province, Guizhou Medical University, Anshun, ChinaIntroductionEnterobacter cancerogenus (E. cancerogenus) is a facultative anaerobic, gram-negative bacterium that can be utilized for the biological control of pests. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the pathogenicity of E. cancerogenus in insect hosts remain largely unexplored.MethodsIn this study, the Bombyx mori model was employed to investigate the pathogenicity of E. cancerogenus strain ECL7, a bacterium pathogenic to silkworms, through whole-genome sequencing, 16S rDNA sequencing, and transcriptome analysis.ResultsThe results revealed that ECL7 harbors virulence genes associated with biofilm formation, adhesion, type III secretion system (T3SS), type VI secretion system (T6SS), and other factors, which collectively lead to damage to the peritrophic matrix (PM) and intestinal epithelial cells of the silkworm midgut following infection, and reduced silkworm larval survival rates and inhibited their growth and development. Additionally, ECL7 infection altered the composition and abundance of intestinal microorganisms, with Enterobacteriaceae and Enterobacteriales becoming dominant species. ECL7 also stimulated the expression of genes related to the Toll and IMD immune signaling pathways, resulting in the upregulation of antimicrobial peptide–related differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Furthermore, transcriptomic analysis revealed an upregulation of DEGs associated with oxidative stress in response to ECL7 infection.DiscussionThis study provides valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the interaction between E. cancerogenus and silkworms. The findings contribute to the prevention and control of infections caused by this bacterium in sericulture production and offer novel ideas for the potential application of E. cancerogenus in pest biological control.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1548808/fullEnterobacter cancerogenusBombyx moriPMintestinal microorganismstranscriptomic analysisinteraction between E. cancerogenus and silkworms
spellingShingle Meng Luo
Linhui Lai
Zailin Wu
Zailin Wu
Zailin Wu
Xiaoli Ren
Xiaoli Ren
Xiaoli Ren
Jiacheng Zhao
Jiacheng Zhao
Jiacheng Zhao
Hongmei Liu
Hongmei Liu
Hongmei Liu
Yaohang Long
Yaohang Long
Yaohang Long
Pathogenicity and host-interacting mechanisms of enterogenic Enterobacter cancerogenus in silkworm
Frontiers in Microbiology
Enterobacter cancerogenus
Bombyx mori
PM
intestinal microorganisms
transcriptomic analysis
interaction between E. cancerogenus and silkworms
title Pathogenicity and host-interacting mechanisms of enterogenic Enterobacter cancerogenus in silkworm
title_full Pathogenicity and host-interacting mechanisms of enterogenic Enterobacter cancerogenus in silkworm
title_fullStr Pathogenicity and host-interacting mechanisms of enterogenic Enterobacter cancerogenus in silkworm
title_full_unstemmed Pathogenicity and host-interacting mechanisms of enterogenic Enterobacter cancerogenus in silkworm
title_short Pathogenicity and host-interacting mechanisms of enterogenic Enterobacter cancerogenus in silkworm
title_sort pathogenicity and host interacting mechanisms of enterogenic enterobacter cancerogenus in silkworm
topic Enterobacter cancerogenus
Bombyx mori
PM
intestinal microorganisms
transcriptomic analysis
interaction between E. cancerogenus and silkworms
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1548808/full
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