Bioscience Methods 2024, Vol.15, No.6, 302-314 http://bioscipublisher.com/index.php/bm 310 In summary, the examination of immune responses in Forficula auricularia, pathogen challenges, and the molecular analysis of immune-related gene expression provide a comprehensive understanding of the innate immune mechanisms in earwigs. These insights are crucial for developing strategies to enhance the role of earwigs in biological control and pest management. Figure 3 Level of expression of detoxification genes. Gene expression was normalized using the expression of three reference genes (actin, EF1 and GAPDH) and shown as fold-change relative to the expression of earwigs collected in no treated orchard. CYP (cytochromes P450); CCE (carboxylesterases); GST (glutathione-S-transferases). Data are mean values of three biological replicates±SEM, comparison between samples was performed using one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey test (* p<0.05), indicating significant difference between earwigs from non-treated orchards versus treated orchards (Adopted from Fricaux et al., 2023) 9 Potential Applications of Earwig Immune Studies 9.1 Development of biopesticides based on earwig immune proteins The study of earwig immune proteins, particularly antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), offers promising avenues for the development of biopesticides. AMPs are a crucial component of the innate immune response in insects, providing a robust defense against pathogenic microbes and parasites (Lin et al., 2020). These peptides can be harnessed to create environmentally friendly biopesticides that target specific agricultural pests without harming beneficial insects or the broader ecosystem. The evolutionary plasticity of insect immunity, including the expansion and functional diversification of AMPs, underscores their potential utility in pest management strategies (Vilcinskas, 2013). Additionally, the structure-activity relationships of these peptides can be optimized to enhance their efficacy and selectivity against target pests, providing a sustainable alternative to traditional chemical pesticides (Ciulla and Gelain, 2023). 9.2 Insights into evolutionary biology and immune system adaptation Research on earwig immune mechanisms contributes significantly to our understanding of evolutionary biology and the adaptation of immune systems. The innate immune response is highly conserved across different species, and studying earwigs can reveal how immune genes evolve in response to environmental pressures (Shokal and Eleftherianos, 2017; Guryanova and Ovchinnikova, 2022b). Comparative analyses of immunity-related genes across various insect species have demonstrated significant evolutionary plasticity, with the emergence of novel proteins and protein domains (Xu, 2024). These studies highlight the dynamic nature of immune system evolution and the trade-offs involved in maintaining and deploying immune responses. Insights gained from earwig immune studies can inform broader evolutionary theories and enhance our understanding of host-pathogen interactions and coevolution (Yu et al., 2022).
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