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Introduction
Publications
Publications (170)
Black soldier fly (BSF) larvae (Hermetia illucens) are voracious feeders that can be reared on food waste streams originating from the food industry and retailers. Because these food waste streams are automatically being unpacked in substantial amounts, they can contain microplastics, potentially jeopardising the larvae’s chemical safety when appli...
Plants generate energy flows through natural food webs, driven by competition for resources among organisms, which are part of a complex network of multitrophic interactions. Here, we demonstrate that the interaction between tomato plants and a phytophagous insect is driven by a hidden interplay between their respective microbiotas. Tomato plants c...
The various subjects covered in the present Special Issue “Silkworm and Silk: Traditional and Innovative Applications” demonstrate how sericulture, a practice deeply rooted in human history, can act as a bridge to bring together an exceptionally wide range of scientific and technical expertise in both conventional topics and cutting-edge technologi...
The Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV), a foodborne infectious virus, is the pathogen causing nuclear polyhedrosis and high lethality in the silkworm. In this study, we characterized the molecules involved in BmNPV-silkworm interaction by RNA sequencing of the fat body isolated from the virus-susceptible strain P50. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Gene...
In insects, the cell-mediated immune response involves an active role of hemocytes in phagocytosis, nodulation, and encapsulation. Although these processes have been well documented in multiple species belonging to different insect orders, information concerning the immune response, particularly the hemocyte types and their specific function in the...
The increasing number of microorganisms that are resistant to antibiotics is prompting the development of new antimicrobial compounds and strategies to fight bacterial infections. The use of insects to screen and test new drugs is increasingly considered a promising tool to accelerate the discovery phase and limit the use of mammalians. In this stu...
The demand for bio-based insecticides has significantly increased during the last decade due to the contamination of the environment following massive pesticide use. The present study aims at evaluating the insecticidal activity of rhamnolipid (RL) biosurfactant (from 0.01 to 1 %) orally administered to fifth instar larvae of the silkworm, Bombyx m...
The interest towards the black soldier fly (BSF), Hermetia illucens, has grown impressively in the last few years, fostered by the legislative changes in the European landscape that have lifted the ban regarding the use of BSF larvae as feedstuff. In addition, bioconversion mediated by the larvae of the BSF is viewed as one of the most promising te...
Research on bioconversion based on insects is intensifying as it addresses the problem of reducing and reusing food and industrial waste. To reach this goal, we need to find more means of pairing waste to insects. With this goal, brewers' spent grains (BSG)-a food waste of the brewing industry-paired with the oleaginous biomass of the thraustochytr...
Autophagy is a widely conserved process in eukaryotes that is involved in a series of physiological and pathological events, including development, immunity, neurodegenerative disease, and tumorigenesis. It is regulated by nutrient deprivation, energy stress, and other unfavorable conditions through multiple pathways. In general, autophagy is syner...
In insects, a complex and effective immune system that can be rapidly activated by a plethora of stimuli has evolved. Although the main cellular and humoral mechanisms and their activation pathways are highly conserved across insects, the timing and the efficacy of triggered immune responses can differ among different species. In this scenario, an...
The innate immune response of insects provides a robust line of defense against pathogenic microbes and eukaryotic parasites. It consists of two types of overlapping immune responses, named humoral and cellular, which share protective molecules and regulatory mechanisms that closely coordinate to prevent the spread and replication of pathogens with...
The host defense of insects includes a combination of cellular and humoral responses. The cellular arm of the insect innate immune system includes mechanisms which are directly mediated by hemocytes (e.g., phagocytosis, nodulation, and encapsulation). In addition, melanization accompanying coagulation, clot formation, and wound healing, nodulation,...
Protein acetylation plays potential roles in regulating autophagy occurrence. However, it varies greatly between yeast and mammals, and has not been thoroughly investigated in other organisms. Here, we reported that the components of BmAtg8–PE ubiquitin-like system (BmAtg3, BmAtg4, BmAtg7, and BmAtg8) in Bombyx mori were localized in the nucleus un...
Insects possess an immune system that protects them from attacks by various pathogenic microorganisms that would otherwise threaten their survival. Immune mechanisms may deal directly with the pathogens by eliminating them from the host organism or disarm them by suppressing the synthesis of toxins and virulence factors that promote the invasion an...
In 2008, we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, this
topic has received increasing attention, and many scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base
and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Thus, it is important to formulate on a regular
basis updated guidelines for monit...
In 2008, we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, this
topic has received increasing attention, and many scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base
and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Thus, it is important to formulate on a regular
basis updated guidelines for monit...
Several studies have recently demonstrated that the correct regeneration of damaged tissues and the maintaining of homeostasis after wounds or injuries are tightly connected to different biological events, involving immune response, fibroplasia, and angiogenetic processes, in both vertebrates and invertebrates. In this context, our previous data de...
the PDF can be download freely on pubmed.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33634751/
In 2008, we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, this topic has received increasing attention, and many scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Thus, it is important to formulate on a regular basis updated guidelines for monit...
In 2008, we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, this topic has received increasing attention, and many scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Thus, it is important to formulate on a regular basis updated guidelines for monit...
Casartelli M., Bonelli M., Bruno D., Tettamanti G., 2020. Hermetia illucens: non solo una fonte di proteine per la produzione di mangimi. Entomata Newsletter della Società Entomologica Italiana, 13: 65-74.
Recent studies performed on the invertebrate model Hirudo verbana (medicinal leech) suggest that the T2 ribonucleic enzyme HvRNASET2 modulates the leech’s innate immune response, promoting microbial agglutination and supporting phagocytic cells recruitment in challenged tissues. Indeed, following injection of both lipoteichoic acid (LTA) and Staphy...
The larvae of the black soldier fly (BSF) Hermetia illucens are increasingly being used for waste management purposes given their ability to grow on a wide range of organic decaying materials. Although significant efforts have been spent to improve the mass rearing of BSF larvae on specific substrates and their bioconversion capability, little is k...
Human breast adenocarcinoma cells (MCF7) grow in three-dimensional culture as spheroids that represent the structural complexity of avascular tumors. Therefore, spheroids offer a powerful tool for studying cancer development, aggressiveness, and drug resistance. Notwithstanding the large amount of data regarding the formation of MCF7 spheroids, a d...
Modulation of nutrient digestion and absorption is one of the post-ingestion mechanisms that guarantees the best exploitation of food resources, even when they are nutritionally poor or unbalanced, and plays a pivotal role in generalist feeders, which experience an extreme variability in diet composition. Among insects, the larvae of black soldier...
Glycopeptide antibiotics (GPAs) are drugs of last resort for treating infections by Gram-positive bacteria. They inhibit bacterial cell wall assembly by binding to the d-Ala-d-Ala terminus of peptidoglycan precursors, leading to cell lysis. Vancomycin and teicoplanin are first generation GPAs, while dalbavancin is one of the few, recently approved,...
The RNASET2 ribonuclease, belonging to the highly conserved RH/T2/s RNase gene family, has been recently shown to modulate inflammatory processes in both vertebrates and invertebrates. Indeed, the RNASET2 protein acts as a chemoattractor for macrophages in both in vitro and in vivo experimental settings and its expression significantly increases fo...
Black soldier fly larvae treatment is an emerging technology for the conversion of biowaste into potentially more sustainable and marketable high-value products, according to circular economy principles. Unknown or variable performance for different biowastes is currently one challenge that prohibits the global technology up-scaling. This study des...
The innate immune response represents a first-line defense against pathogen infection that has been widely conserved throughout evolution. Using the invertebrate Hirudo verbana (Annelida, Hirudinea) as an experimental model, we show here that the RNASET2 ribonuclease is directly involved in the immune response against Gram-positive bacteria. Inject...
Histone deacetylases (HDACs) are important for global gene expression and contribute to numerous physiological events. Deacetylase Rpd3 in yeast and its conserved homolog HDAC1 in mammals oppositely regulate autophagy; however, how Rpd3/HDAC1 is regulated to mediate autophagy remains unclear. Here, we showed autophagy occurrence in silkworm (Bombyx...
Pathogens of the silkworm Bombyx mori reduce silk crop quality and quantity, causing significant economic losses to silkworm rearers and the silk industry globally. In order to combat microbial diseases at the agricultural level, it is informative to characterize the host immune responses activated during infection in environmentally controlled con...
This volume details methods and protocols necessary to further the study of insect immunity. Chapters guide readers through up-to-date genomic and transcriptomic approaches, insect samples for proteomic analysis, hemocytes in Drosophila, cellular response in Lepidoptera, insect AMPs, manipulate the composition of mosquito microbiota, viral infectio...
The larvae of the black soldier fly (BSF), Hermetia illucens (Linnaeus, 1758) (Diptera: Stratiomyidae), are considered an efficient system for the bioconversion of organic waste into usable products, such as insect protein for animal feed and bioactive molecules. Despite the great interest toward H. illucens and its biotechnological applications, i...
In insects that undergo complete metamorphosis, cell death is essential for reshaping or removing larval tissues and organs, thus contributing to formation of the adult's body structure. In the last few decades, the study of metamorphosis in Lepidoptera and Diptera has provided broad information on the tissue remodelling processes that occur during...
The insect midgut epithelium represents an interface between the internal and the external environment and it is the almost unique epithelial tissue by which these arthropods acquire nutrients. This epithelium is indeed able to produce digestive enzymes and to support vectorial transport of small organic nutrients, ions, and water. Moreover, it pla...
Despite extensive investigation focused on both the molecular characteristics and the expression level of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) during the inflammatory response in vertebrates, few data are available in the literature on the role of these proteins in invertebrate’s immune response. Here, we propose the medicinal leech as a valuable model to be...
Microbial chitinases are gaining interest as promising candidates for controlling plant pests. These enzymes can be used directly as biocontrol agents as well as in combination with chemical pesticides or other biopesticides, reducing their environmental impact and/or enhancing their efficacy. Chitinolytic enzymes can target two different structure...
The worldwide growing consumption of proteins to feed humans and animals has drawn a considerable amount of attention to insect rearing. Insects reared on organic wastes and used as feed for monogastric animals can reduce the environmental impact and increase the sustainability of meat/fish production. In this study, we designed an environmentally...
Morphogenetic events that occur during development and regeneration are energy demanding processes requiring profound rearrangements in cell architecture, which need to be coordinated in timely fashion with other cellular activities, such as proliferation, migration and differentiation. In the last 15 years, it has become evident that autophagy, an...
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic bacterium causing severe infections in hospitalised and immunosuppressed patients, particularly individuals affected by cystic fibrosis. Several clinically isolated P. aeruginosa strains were found to be resistant to three or more antimicrobial classes indicating the importance of identifying new antimicro...
The larvae of Hermetia illucens are among the most promising agents for the bioconversion of low-quality biomass, such as organic waste, into sustainable and nutritionally valuable proteins for the production of animal feed. Despite the great interest in this insect, the current literature provides information limited to the optimization of rearing...
Due to increased use of agrochemicals and growing concerns about ecotoxicology, the development of new insecticides, moving away from those with neurotoxic and broad spectrum effects towards insecticides that are safer for the environment and nontarget beneficial species, has been a research priority. Novaluron stands out among these newer insectic...
The larva of the black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) has emerged as an efficient system for the bioconversion of organic waste. Although many research efforts are devoted to the optimization of rearing conditions to increase the yield of the bioconversion process, microbiological aspects related to this insect are still neglected. Here, we descri...
Recent studies demonstrated that allograft inflammatory factor-1 (AIF-1) and RNASET2 act as chemoattractants for macrophages and modulate the inflammatory processes in both vertebrates and invertebrates. The expression of these proteins significantly increases after bacterial infection; however, the mechanisms by which they regulate the innate immu...
Autophagy, the cellular process responsible for degradation and recycling of cytoplasmic components through the autophagosomal–lysosomal pathway, is fundamental for neuronal homeostasis and its deregulation has been identified as a hallmark of neurodegeneration. Retinal hypoxic–ischemic events occur in several sight-treating disorders, such as cent...
This chapter provides a comprehensive picture of some of the most significant information on the type of cells and mechanisms involved in the regulation of the inflammation, immune response, and tissue regeneration processes in the medicinal leech. This annelid represents a useful experimental model for investigating the immune system, being cost e...
In holometabolous insects, various larval organs are remodeled by autophagy during metamorphosis. Although moths and butterflies are among the first animal models in which this self-eating process was described, only in recent years autophagy has been analyzed in detail in these insects. In particular, the silkworm Bombyx mori, which represents a w...
The domesticated silkworm, Bombyx mori, is a fundamental insect for silk industry. Silk is obtained from cocoons, protective envelopes produced during pupation and composed of single raw silk filaments secreted by the insect silk glands. Currently, silk is used as a textile fibre and to produce new materials for technical and biomedical application...
Telocytes, a peculiar cell type, were recently found in vertebrates. Hence this cell system has been reported as ubiquitous in the bodies of mammals and interpreted as an important player in innate immunity and tissue regeneration, it is reasonable to look for it also in invertebrates, that rely their integrity solely by innate immunity. Here we de...
The black soldier fly (BSF), Hermetia illucens, has great economic importance because of its ability to degrade a wide variety of organic products, including vegetable waste. The conversion of organic waste into valuable nutrients, that can be isolated from larvae and prepupae, is a widely exploited strategy to produce protein for animal feed and,...
The core characteristics of multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) are impressive and attractive for technology however, since their production and use is steadily increasing, their environmental dispersion could be potentially hazardous to animal and human health. For this reason, the identification of new methods and of reliable models to better un...
Over the years, the silkworm, Bombyx mori, has been manipulated by means of chemical and genetic approaches to improve silk production both quantitatively and qualitatively. The silk is produced by the silk gland, which degenerates quickly once the larva has finished spinning the cocoon. Thus, interfering with this degeneration process could help d...
In recent years, several studies have demonstrated that the RNASET2 gene is involved in the control of tumorigenicity in ovarian cancer cells. Furthermore, a role in establishing a functional cross-talk between cancer cells and the surrounding tumor microenvironment has been unveiled for this gene, based on its ability to act as an inducer of the i...
The domesticated silkworm Bombyx mori has an innate immune system, whose main effectors are the antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). Silkworm strains are commonly grouped into four geographical types (Japanese, Chinese, European and Tropical) and are generally characterised by a variable susceptibility to infections. To clarify the genetic and molecular...
E' ampiamente accettato che entro il 2050 il mondo ospiterà 9 miliardi di persone. Per accogliere questo numero, la produzione alimentare attuale dovrà quasi raddoppiare. La terra è insufficiente ed ampliare l'area dedicata all'agricoltura è difficilmente una soluzione valida o sostenibile. Gli oceani sono sovrasfruttati e il cambiamento climatico...
In metazoans, foreign molecules from bacteria or fungi, pathogens, parasites, or chemicals can generate serious stress stimuli, activating multiple humoral and cellular responses of innate immunity, which is the first line of defense for organisms. In invertebrates, the presence of an ancestral defense, based on a mix of combined immune-neuroendocr...
Phenotype definition is controlled by epigenetic regulations that allow cells to acquire their differentiated state. The process is reversible and attractive for therapeutic intervention and for the reactivation of hypermethylated pluripotency genes that facilitate transition to a higher plasticity state. We report the results obtained in human fib...
