Academic Journal
Ecdysone signaling acts as a regulator of immunity and microbiota balance, shaping Leishmania infantum infection in Phlebotomus perniciosus.
| Τίτλος: | Ecdysone signaling acts as a regulator of immunity and microbiota balance, shaping Leishmania infantum infection in Phlebotomus perniciosus. |
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| Συγγραφείς: | Vieira CS; Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia.; Department of General Biology, Institute of Biology, Fluminense Federal University, Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil., Salvemini M; Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy., Volf P; Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia., Telleria EL; Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia. |
| Πηγή: | Frontiers in immunology [Front Immunol] 2026 Aug 11; Vol. 17, pp. 1904500. Date of Electronic Publication: 2026 Aug 11 (Print Publication: 2026). |
| Τύπος έκδοσης: | Journal Article |
| Γλώσσα: | English |
| Στοιχεία περιοδικού: | Publisher: Frontiers Research Foundation] Country of Publication: Switzerland NLM ID: 101560960 Publication Model: eCollection Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1664-3224 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 16643224 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Front Immunol Subsets: MEDLINE |
| Imprint Name(s): | Original Publication: [Lausanne : Frontiers Research Foundation] |
| Ιατρικοί όροι (MeSH): | Leishmania infantum*/immunology , Phlebotomus*/immunology , Phlebotomus*/parasitology , Phlebotomus*/microbiology , Phlebotomus*/metabolism , Ecdysone*/metabolism , Ecdysone*/immunology , Leishmaniasis, Visceral*/immunology , Gastrointestinal Microbiome*/immunology , Signal Transduction*, Insect Vectors/immunology ; Insect Vectors/parasitology ; Receptors, Steroid/genetics ; Receptors, Steroid/metabolism ; Animals ; Female ; RNA Interference |
| Περίληψη: | Background: The steroid hormone ecdysone, acting through its nuclear receptor (EcR), is a key regulator of insect development and reproduction and also contributes to immune regulation and gut microbiota homeostasis. In sand flies, both immunity and the gut microbiota are critical determinants for Leishmania establishment in the midgut. Phlebotomus perniciosus is the principal vector of Leishmania infantum in the western Mediterranean basin; however, the mechanisms affecting interactions among parasite, vector immune system, and resident microbiota remain poorly understood in this species. Methods: Using RNA interference-mediated silencing of EcR, we assessed how disruption of ecdysone signaling affects vector immunity, gut bacteria, and parasite development. Double-stranded RNA targeting EcR or a control sequence was microinjected into L. infantum-infected females, and gene expression was analyzed by RT-qPCR. Parasite load was quantified via Leishmania actin expression, while gut bacterial relative abundance was assessed using universal 16S rRNA primers. Results: L. infantum infection induced expression of the sand fly ecdysone signaling-related genes, immune pathway transcription factors, and antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), while significantly reducing gut bacterial load during the late phase of parasite infection. In contrast, EcR silencing suppressed downstream ecdysone-related genes, impaired activation of the immune deficiency (Imd) and JAK/STAT pathways, and disrupted AMPs expression. This was associated with a marked increase in bacterial relative abundance in sugar-fed sand flies and altered microbial and parasite loads in Leishmania-infected sand flies. Discussion: Collectively, our results indicate that ecdysone signaling regulates the Imd and JAK/STAT transcription factors, thereby modulating P. perniciosus immune responses and suppressing the gut microbiota. Disruption of ecdysone signaling reveals an inverse correlation between parasite burden and bacterial abundance. Conclusion: These findings identify ecdysone signaling as a central regulator coordinating immune responses and maintaining the balance between Leishmania and the gut microbiota in sand flies. (Copyright © 2026 Vieira, Salvemini, Volf and Telleria.) |
| Competing Interests: | The author(s) declared that this work was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The author CV declared that they were an editorial board member of Frontiers, at the time of submission. This had no impact on the peer review process and the final decision. |
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| Contributed Indexing: | Keywords: Leishmania infantum; Phlebotomus perniciosus; RNA interference (gene silencing); antimicrobial peptides (AMPs); ecdysone signaling; immune signaling pathways; microbiota; sand flies |
| Substance Nomenclature: | 3604-87-3 (Ecdysone) 0 (Receptors, Steroid) 0 (ecdysone receptor) |
| Entry Date(s): | Date Created: 20260826 Date Completed: 20260826 Latest Revision: 20260827 |
| Update Code: | 20260827 |
| PubMed Central ID: | PMC13503605 |
| DOI: | 10.3389/fimmu.2026.1904500 |
| PMID: | 42643431 |
| Βάση Δεδομένων: | MEDLINE |
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