Differential immune responses of Monochamus alternatus against symbiotic and entomopathogenic fungi

Monochamus alternatus, the main vector beetles of invasive pinewood nematode, has established a symbiotic relationship with a native ectotrophic fungal symbiont, Sporothrix sp. 1, in China. The immune response ofM. alternatus to S. sp. 1 in the coexistence of beetles and fungi is, however, unknown. Here, we report that immune responses ofM. alternatus pupae to infection caused by ectotrophic symbiotic fungus S. sp. 1 and entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana differ significantly. The S. sp. 1 did not kill the beetles while B. bassiana killed all upon injection. The transcriptome results showed that the numbers of differentially expressed genes in M. aIternatus infected with S. sp. 1 were 2-fold less than those infected with B. bassiana at 48 hours post infection. It was noticed that Toll and IMD pathways played a leading role in the beetle＇s immune system when infected by symbiotic fungus, but upon infection by entomopathogenic fimgus, only the Toll pathway gets triggered actively. Furthermore, the beetles could tolerate the infection of symbiotic fungi by retracing their Toll and IMD pathways at 48 h. This study provided a comprehensive sequence resource ofM. alternatus transcriptome for further study of the immune interactions between host and associated fungi.

An overview of probiotic health booster-kombucha tea

Traditional herbal medicine(THM)is a significant division of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)that plays an important role in maintaining health and disease prevention.WHO has consistently highlighted the significance of traditional,complementary,and alternative medicine in human healthcare.Most people in Eastern Asia will start their day with a cup of tea.The tea provides a nourishing effect,and it has become an inevitable part of life.There are several types of tea,like black tea,green tea,oolong tea,white tea,and herbal tea.Besides the refreshments,it is important to consume beverages that benefit health.One such alternative is a healthy probiotic drink called kombucha,a fermented tea.Kombucha tea is aerobically fermented by infusing sweetened tea with a cellulose mat/pellicle called SCOBY(symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast).Kombucha is a source of bioactive compounds that include organic acids and amino acids,vitamins,probiotics,sugars,polyphenols,and antioxidants.Currently,studies on kombucha tea and SCOBY are gaining attention for their remarkable properties and applications in the food and health industries.The review gives an overview of the production,fermentation,microbial diversity,and metabolic products of kombucha.The possible implications for human health are also discussed.