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Andreas Vilcinskas
Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany

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Journal article
Published: 27 August 2021 in Molecules
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The ‘core’ metabolome of the Bacteroidetes genus Chitinophaga was recently discovered to consist of only seven metabolites. A structural relationship in terms of shared lipid moieties among four of them was postulated. Here, structure elucidation and characterization via ultra-high resolution mass spectrometry (UHR-MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy of those four lipids (two lipoamino acids (LAAs), two lysophosphatidylethanolamines (LPEs)), as well as several other undescribed LAAs and N-acyl amino acids (NAAAs), identified during isolation were carried out. The LAAs represent closely related analogs of the literature-known LAAs, such as the glycine-serine dipeptide lipids 430 (2) and 654. Most of the here characterized LAAs (1, 5–11) are members of a so far undescribed glycine-serine-ornithine tripeptide lipid family. Moreover, this study reports three novel NAAAs (N-(5-methyl)hexanoyl tyrosine (14) and N-(7-methyl)octanoyl tyrosine (15) or phenylalanine (16)) from Olivibacter sp. FHG000416, another Bacteroidetes strain initially selected as best in-house producer for isolation of lipid 430. Antimicrobial profiling revealed most isolated LAAs (1–3) and the two LPE ‘core’ metabolites (12, 13) active against the Gram-negative pathogen M. catarrhalis ATCC 25238 and the Gram-positive bacterium M. luteus DSM 20030. For LAA 1, additional growth inhibition activity against B. subtilis DSM 10 was observed.

ACS Style

Mona-Katharina Bill; Stephan Brinkmann; Markus Oberpaul; Maria A. Patras; Benedikt Leis; Michael Marner; Marc-Philippe Maitre; Peter E. Hammann; Andreas Vilcinskas; Sören M. M. Schuler; Till F. Schäberle. Novel Glycerophospholipid, Lipo- and N-acyl Amino Acids from Bacteroidetes: Isolation, Structure Elucidation and Bioactivity. Molecules 2021, 26, 5195 .

AMA Style

Mona-Katharina Bill, Stephan Brinkmann, Markus Oberpaul, Maria A. Patras, Benedikt Leis, Michael Marner, Marc-Philippe Maitre, Peter E. Hammann, Andreas Vilcinskas, Sören M. M. Schuler, Till F. Schäberle. Novel Glycerophospholipid, Lipo- and N-acyl Amino Acids from Bacteroidetes: Isolation, Structure Elucidation and Bioactivity. Molecules. 2021; 26 (17):5195.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mona-Katharina Bill; Stephan Brinkmann; Markus Oberpaul; Maria A. Patras; Benedikt Leis; Michael Marner; Marc-Philippe Maitre; Peter E. Hammann; Andreas Vilcinskas; Sören M. M. Schuler; Till F. Schäberle. 2021. "Novel Glycerophospholipid, Lipo- and N-acyl Amino Acids from Bacteroidetes: Isolation, Structure Elucidation and Bioactivity." Molecules 26, no. 17: 5195.

Journal article
Published: 18 August 2021 in International Journal of Molecular Sciences
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Arthropod antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) offer a promising source of new leads to address the declining number of novel antibiotics and the increasing prevalence of multidrug-resistant bacterial pathogens. AMPs with potent activity against Gram-negative bacteria and distinct modes of action have been identified in insects and scorpions, allowing the discovery of AMP combinations with additive and/or synergistic effects. Here, we tested the synergistic activity of two AMPs, from the dung beetle Copris tripartitus (CopA3) and the scorpion Heterometrus petersii (Hp1090), against two strains of Escherichia coli. We also tested the antibacterial activity of two hybrid peptides generated by joining CopA3 and Hp1090 with linkers comprising two (InSco2) or six (InSco6) glycine residues. We found that CopA3 and Hp1090 acted synergistically against both bacterial strains, and the hybrid peptide InSco2 showed more potent bactericidal activity than the parental AMPs or InSco6. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed that the short linker stabilizes an N-terminal 310-helix in the hybrid peptide InSco2. This secondary structure forms from a coil region that interacts with phosphatidylethanolamine in the membrane bilayer model. The highest concentration of the hybrid peptides used in this study was associated with stronger hemolytic activity than equivalent concentrations of the parental AMPs. As observed for CopA3, the increasing concentration of InSco2 was also cytotoxic to BHK-21 cells. We conclude that AMP hybrids linked by glycine spacers display potent antibacterial activity and that the cytotoxic activity can be modulated by adjusting the nature of the linker peptide, thus offering a strategy to produce hybrid peptides as safe replacements or adjuncts for conventional antibiotic therapy.

ACS Style

Miray Tonk; James J. Valdés; Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz; Andreas Vilcinskas. Potent Activity of Hybrid Arthropod Antimicrobial Peptides Linked by Glycine Spacers. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 2021, 22, 8919 .

AMA Style

Miray Tonk, James J. Valdés, Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz, Andreas Vilcinskas. Potent Activity of Hybrid Arthropod Antimicrobial Peptides Linked by Glycine Spacers. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2021; 22 (16):8919.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Miray Tonk; James J. Valdés; Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz; Andreas Vilcinskas. 2021. "Potent Activity of Hybrid Arthropod Antimicrobial Peptides Linked by Glycine Spacers." International Journal of Molecular Sciences 22, no. 16: 8919.

Journal article
Published: 18 August 2021 in Toxins
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Arthropod venoms offer a promising resource for the discovery of novel bioactive peptides and proteins, but the limited size of most species translates into minuscule venom yields. Bioactivity studies based on traditional fractionation are therefore challenging, so alternative strategies are needed. Cell-free synthesis based on synthetic gene fragments is one of the most promising emerging technologies, theoretically allowing the rapid, laboratory-scale production of specific venom components, but this approach has yet to be applied in venom biodiscovery. Here, we tested the ability of three commercially available cell-free protein expression systems to produce venom components from small arthropods, using U2-sicaritoxin-Sdo1a from the six-eyed sand spider Hexophtalma dolichocephala as a case study. We found that only one of the systems was able to produce an active product in low amounts, as demonstrated by SDS-PAGE, mass spectrometry, and bioactivity screening on murine neuroblasts. We discuss our findings in relation to the promises and limitations of cell-free synthesis for venom biodiscovery programs in smaller invertebrates.

ACS Style

Tim Lüddecke; Anne Paas; Lea Talmann; Kim N. Kirchhoff; Björn M. von Reumont; André Billion; Thomas Timm; Günter Lochnit; Andreas Vilcinskas. A Spider Toxin Exemplifies the Promises and Pitfalls of Cell-Free Protein Production for Venom Biodiscovery. Toxins 2021, 13, 575 .

AMA Style

Tim Lüddecke, Anne Paas, Lea Talmann, Kim N. Kirchhoff, Björn M. von Reumont, André Billion, Thomas Timm, Günter Lochnit, Andreas Vilcinskas. A Spider Toxin Exemplifies the Promises and Pitfalls of Cell-Free Protein Production for Venom Biodiscovery. Toxins. 2021; 13 (8):575.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Tim Lüddecke; Anne Paas; Lea Talmann; Kim N. Kirchhoff; Björn M. von Reumont; André Billion; Thomas Timm; Günter Lochnit; Andreas Vilcinskas. 2021. "A Spider Toxin Exemplifies the Promises and Pitfalls of Cell-Free Protein Production for Venom Biodiscovery." Toxins 13, no. 8: 575.

Journal article
Published: 31 July 2021 in Microorganisms
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Black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) are fast-growing, resilient insects that can break down a variety of organic substrates and convert them into valuable proteins and lipids for applications in the feed industry. Decomposition is mediated by an abundant and versatile gut microbiome, which has been studied for more than a decade. However, little is known about the phylogeny, properties and functions of bacterial isolates from the BSFL gut. We therefore characterized the BSFL gut microbiome in detail, evaluating bacterial diversity by culture-dependent methods and amplicon sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. Redundant strains were identified by genomic fingerprinting and 105 non-redundant isolates were then tested for their ability to inhibit pathogens. We cultivated representatives of 26 genera, covering 47% of the families and 33% of the genera detected by amplicon sequencing. Among these isolates, we found several representatives of the most abundant genera: Morganella, Enterococcus, Proteus and Providencia. We also isolated diverse members of the less-abundant phylum Actinobacteria, and a novel genus of the order Clostridiales. We found that 15 of the isolates inhibited at least one of the tested pathogens, suggesting a role in helping to prevent colonization by pathogens in the gut. The resulting culture collection of unique BSFL gut bacteria provides a promising resource for multiple industrial applications.

ACS Style

Dorothee Tegtmeier; Sabine Hurka; Sanja Mihajlovic; Maren Bodenschatz; Stephanie Schlimbach; Andreas Vilcinskas. Culture-Independent and Culture-Dependent Characterization of the Black Soldier Fly Gut Microbiome Reveals a Large Proportion of Culturable Bacteria with Potential for Industrial Applications. Microorganisms 2021, 9, 1642 .

AMA Style

Dorothee Tegtmeier, Sabine Hurka, Sanja Mihajlovic, Maren Bodenschatz, Stephanie Schlimbach, Andreas Vilcinskas. Culture-Independent and Culture-Dependent Characterization of the Black Soldier Fly Gut Microbiome Reveals a Large Proportion of Culturable Bacteria with Potential for Industrial Applications. Microorganisms. 2021; 9 (8):1642.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Dorothee Tegtmeier; Sabine Hurka; Sanja Mihajlovic; Maren Bodenschatz; Stephanie Schlimbach; Andreas Vilcinskas. 2021. "Culture-Independent and Culture-Dependent Characterization of the Black Soldier Fly Gut Microbiome Reveals a Large Proportion of Culturable Bacteria with Potential for Industrial Applications." Microorganisms 9, no. 8: 1642.

Journal article
Published: 31 July 2021 in Insects
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Natural history collections provide an invaluable basis for systematics, ecology, and conservation. Besides being an important source of DNA, museum specimens may also contain a plethora of natural products. Especially, dried insect collections represent a global repository with billions of inventoried vouchers. Due to their vast diversity, insects possess a great variety of defensive compounds, which they either produce autogenously or derive from the environment. Here, we present a case study on fireflies (Coleoptera: Lampyridae), which produce bufadienolides as a defense against predators. These toxins belong to the cardiotonic steroids, which are used for the treatment of cardiac diseases and specifically inhibit the animal enzyme Na+/K+-ATPase. Bufadienolides have been reported from only seven out of approximately 2000 described firefly species. Using a non-destructive approach, we screened 72 dry coleopteran specimens for bufadienolides using HPLC-DAD and HPLC-MS. We found bufadienolides including five novel compounds in 21 species of the subfamily Lampyrinae. The absence of bufadienolides in the phylogenetically related net-winged beetles (Lycidae) and the lampyrid subfamilies Luciolinae and Lamprohizinae indicates a phylogenetic pattern of bufadienolide synthesis. Our results emphasize the value of natural history collections as an archive of chemical information for ecological and evolutionary basic research and as an untapped source for novel bioactive compounds.

ACS Style

Andreas Berger; Georg Petschenka; Thomas Degenkolb; Michael Geisthardt; Andreas Vilcinskas. Insect Collections as an Untapped Source of Bioactive Compounds—Fireflies (Coleoptera: Lampyridae) and Cardiotonic Steroids as a Proof of Concept. Insects 2021, 12, 689 .

AMA Style

Andreas Berger, Georg Petschenka, Thomas Degenkolb, Michael Geisthardt, Andreas Vilcinskas. Insect Collections as an Untapped Source of Bioactive Compounds—Fireflies (Coleoptera: Lampyridae) and Cardiotonic Steroids as a Proof of Concept. Insects. 2021; 12 (8):689.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Andreas Berger; Georg Petschenka; Thomas Degenkolb; Michael Geisthardt; Andreas Vilcinskas. 2021. "Insect Collections as an Untapped Source of Bioactive Compounds—Fireflies (Coleoptera: Lampyridae) and Cardiotonic Steroids as a Proof of Concept." Insects 12, no. 8: 689.

Article
Published: 30 July 2021
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With progress in genome sequencing and data sharing, 1000s of bacterial genomes are publicly available. Genome mining – using bioinformatics tools in terms of biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC) identification, analysis and rating – has become a key technology to explore the capabilities for natural product (NP) biosynthesis. Comprehensively, analyzing the genetic potential of the phylum Bacteroidetes revealed Chitinophaga as the most talented genus in terms of BGC abundance and diversity. Guided by the computational predictions, we conducted a metabolomics and bioactivity driven NP discovery program on 25 Chitinophaga strains. High numbers of peerless strain-specific metabolite buckets confirmed the upfront predicted biosynthetic potential and revealed a tremendous uncharted chemical space. Sourcing this dataset, we isolated the new iron chelating nonribosomally synthesized cyclic tetradeca- and pentadecalipodepsipeptide antibiotics chitinopeptins with activity against Candida, produced by C. eiseniae DSM 22224 and C. flava KCTC 62435, respectively.

ACS Style

Stephan Brinkmann; Michael Kurz; Maria A. Patras; Christoph Hartwig; Michael Marner; Benedikt Leis; Andre Billion; Yolanda Kleiner; Armin Bauer; Luigi Toti; Christoph Poeverlein; Peter E. Hammann; Andreas Vilcinskas; Jens Glaeser; Marius S. Spohn; Till F Schaeberle. Genomic and chemical decryption of the Bacteroidetes phylum for its potential to biosynthesize natural products. 2021, 1 .

AMA Style

Stephan Brinkmann, Michael Kurz, Maria A. Patras, Christoph Hartwig, Michael Marner, Benedikt Leis, Andre Billion, Yolanda Kleiner, Armin Bauer, Luigi Toti, Christoph Poeverlein, Peter E. Hammann, Andreas Vilcinskas, Jens Glaeser, Marius S. Spohn, Till F Schaeberle. Genomic and chemical decryption of the Bacteroidetes phylum for its potential to biosynthesize natural products. . 2021; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Stephan Brinkmann; Michael Kurz; Maria A. Patras; Christoph Hartwig; Michael Marner; Benedikt Leis; Andre Billion; Yolanda Kleiner; Armin Bauer; Luigi Toti; Christoph Poeverlein; Peter E. Hammann; Andreas Vilcinskas; Jens Glaeser; Marius S. Spohn; Till F Schaeberle. 2021. "Genomic and chemical decryption of the Bacteroidetes phylum for its potential to biosynthesize natural products." , no. : 1.

Journal article
Published: 22 July 2021 in Genes
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The clothes moth Tineola bisselliella is one of a few insects that can digest keratin, leading to the destruction of clothing, textiles and artwork. The mechanism of keratin digestion is not yet fully understood, partly reflecting the lack of publicly available genomic and transcriptomic data. Here we present a high-quality gut transcriptome of T. bisselliella generated from larvae reared on keratin-rich and keratin-free diets. The overall transcriptome consists of 428,221 contigs that were functionally annotated and screened for candidate enzymes involved in keratin utilization. As a mechanism for keratin digestion, we identified cysteine synthases, cystathionine β-synthases and cystathionine γ-lyases. These enzymes release hydrogen sulfite, which may reduce the disulfide bonds in keratin. The dataset also included 27 differentially expressed contigs with trypsin domains, among which 20 were associated with keratin feeding. Finally, we identified seven collagenases that were upregulated on the keratin-rich diet. In addition to this enzymatic repertoire potentially involved in breaking down keratin, our analysis of poly(A)-enriched and poly(A)-depleted transcripts suggested that T. bisselliella larvae possess an unstable intestinal microbiome that may nevertheless contribute to keratin digestion.

ACS Style

Michael Schwabe; Sven Griep; Henrike Schmidtberg; Rudy Plarre; Alexander Goesmann; Andreas Vilcinskas; Heiko Vogel; Karina Brinkrolf. Next-Generation Sequencing Analysis of the Tineola bisselliella Larval Gut Transcriptome Reveals Candidate Enzymes for Keratin Digestion. Genes 2021, 12, 1113 .

AMA Style

Michael Schwabe, Sven Griep, Henrike Schmidtberg, Rudy Plarre, Alexander Goesmann, Andreas Vilcinskas, Heiko Vogel, Karina Brinkrolf. Next-Generation Sequencing Analysis of the Tineola bisselliella Larval Gut Transcriptome Reveals Candidate Enzymes for Keratin Digestion. Genes. 2021; 12 (8):1113.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Michael Schwabe; Sven Griep; Henrike Schmidtberg; Rudy Plarre; Alexander Goesmann; Andreas Vilcinskas; Heiko Vogel; Karina Brinkrolf. 2021. "Next-Generation Sequencing Analysis of the Tineola bisselliella Larval Gut Transcriptome Reveals Candidate Enzymes for Keratin Digestion." Genes 12, no. 8: 1113.

Journal article
Published: 14 July 2021 in Biomedicines
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Assassin bug venoms are potent and exert diverse biological functions, making them potential biomedical goldmines. Besides feeding functions on arthropods, assassin bugs also use their venom for defense purposes causing localized and systemic reactions in vertebrates. However, assassin bug venoms remain poorly characterized. We collected the venom from the assassin bug Rhynocoris iracundus and investigated its composition and bioactivity in vitro and in vivo. It caused lysis of murine neuroblastoma, hepatoma cells, and healthy murine myoblasts. We demonstrated, for the first time, that assassin bug venom induces neurolysis and suggest that it counteracts paralysis locally via the destruction of neural networks, contributing to tissue digestion. Furthermore, the venom caused paralysis and melanization of Galleria mellonella larvae and pupae, whilst also possessing specific antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, but not Listeria grayi and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. A combinatorial proteo-transcriptomic approach was performed to identify potential toxins responsible for the observed effects. We identified neurotoxic Ptu1, an inhibitory cystin knot (ICK) toxin homologous to ω-conotoxins from cone snails, cytolytic redulysins homologous to trialysins from hematophagous kissing bugs, and pore-forming hemolysins. Additionally, chitinases and kininogens were found and may be responsible for insecticidal and cytolytic activities. We demonstrate the multifunctionality and complexity of assassin bug venom, which renders its molecular components interesting for potential biomedical applications.

ACS Style

Nicolai Rügen; Timothy Jenkins; Natalie Wielsch; Heiko Vogel; Benjamin-Florian Hempel; Roderich Süssmuth; Stuart Ainsworth; Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz; Andreas Vilcinskas; Miray Tonk. Hexapod Assassins’ Potion: Venom Composition and Bioactivity from the Eurasian Assassin Bug Rhynocoris iracundus. Biomedicines 2021, 9, 819 .

AMA Style

Nicolai Rügen, Timothy Jenkins, Natalie Wielsch, Heiko Vogel, Benjamin-Florian Hempel, Roderich Süssmuth, Stuart Ainsworth, Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz, Andreas Vilcinskas, Miray Tonk. Hexapod Assassins’ Potion: Venom Composition and Bioactivity from the Eurasian Assassin Bug Rhynocoris iracundus. Biomedicines. 2021; 9 (7):819.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Nicolai Rügen; Timothy Jenkins; Natalie Wielsch; Heiko Vogel; Benjamin-Florian Hempel; Roderich Süssmuth; Stuart Ainsworth; Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz; Andreas Vilcinskas; Miray Tonk. 2021. "Hexapod Assassins’ Potion: Venom Composition and Bioactivity from the Eurasian Assassin Bug Rhynocoris iracundus." Biomedicines 9, no. 7: 819.

Journal article
Published: 11 July 2021 in Developmental & Comparative Immunology
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Parents invest in their offspring by preparing them for defense against pathogens and parasites that only the parents have encountered, a phenomenon known as transgenerational immune priming (TGIP). The priming effect can be passed maternally or paternally to the next generation, thus increasing the survival of offspring exposed to the same pathogen. The scope of the resulting immune response can be narrow (primarily targeting the triggering pathogen) or much more general, depending on the underlying mechanism. Maternal TGIP is often narrowly focused because the major mechanism is the transfer of microbes or fragments thereof, encountered by mothers at the larval stage, to the developing eggs along with the uptake of lipophorins and vitellogenins. This induces the expression of zygotic defense genes, including those encoding antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), comparable to the defenses observed in the larvae and adults. Maternal TGIP does not appear to involve the direct vertical transmission of immunity-related effectors such as AMPs (or the corresponding mRNAs) to the eggs. Parental investment in offspring is also mediated by epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation, histone acetylation and microRNA expression, which can be imprinted on the gametes by either parent without changes in the DNA sequence. Epigenetic inheritance is the only known mechanism of paternal TGIP, and results in a more general fortification of the immune response. This review considers the mechanistic basis of TGIP, its role in evolutionary processes such as the establishment of resistance against pathogens, and the impact of pathogens and parasites on the epigenetic machinery of host insects.

ACS Style

Andreas Vilcinskas. Mechanisms of transgenerational immune priming in insects. Developmental & Comparative Immunology 2021, 124, 104205 .

AMA Style

Andreas Vilcinskas. Mechanisms of transgenerational immune priming in insects. Developmental & Comparative Immunology. 2021; 124 ():104205.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Andreas Vilcinskas. 2021. "Mechanisms of transgenerational immune priming in insects." Developmental & Comparative Immunology 124, no. : 104205.

Research article
Published: 24 June 2021 in Microbial Biotechnology
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High-throughput platforms facilitating screening campaigns of environmental samples are needed to discover new products of natural origin counteracting the spreading of antimicrobial resistances constantly threatening human and agricultural health. We applied a combination of droplet microfluidics and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS)-based technologies to access and assess a microbial environmental sample. The cultivation performance of our microfluidics workflow was evaluated in respect to the utilized cultivation media by Illumina amplicon sequencing of a pool of millions of droplets, respectively. This enabled the rational selection of a growth medium supporting the isolation of microbial diversity from soil (five phyla affiliated to 57 genera) including a member of the acidobacterial subgroup 1 (genus Edaphobacter). In a second phase, the entire diversity covered by 1071 cultures was used for an arrayed bioprospecting campaign, resulting in > 6000 extracts tested against human pathogens and agricultural pests. After redundancy curation by using a combinatorial chemical and genomic fingerprinting approach, we assigned the causative agents present in the extracts. Utilizing UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS-guided fractionation and microplate-based screening assays in combination with molecular networking the production of bioactive ionophorous macrotetrolides, phospholipids, the cyclic lipopetides massetolides E, F, H and serratamolide A and many derivatives thereof was shown.

ACS Style

Markus Oberpaul; Stephan Brinkmann; Michael Marner; Sanja Mihajlovic; Benedikt Leis; Maria A. Patras; Christoph Hartwig; Andreas Vilcinskas; Peter E. Hammann; Till F. Schäberle; Marius Spohn; Jens Glaeser. Combination of high‐throughput microfluidics and FACS technologies to leverage the numbers game in natural product discovery. Microbial Biotechnology 2021, 1 .

AMA Style

Markus Oberpaul, Stephan Brinkmann, Michael Marner, Sanja Mihajlovic, Benedikt Leis, Maria A. Patras, Christoph Hartwig, Andreas Vilcinskas, Peter E. Hammann, Till F. Schäberle, Marius Spohn, Jens Glaeser. Combination of high‐throughput microfluidics and FACS technologies to leverage the numbers game in natural product discovery. Microbial Biotechnology. 2021; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Markus Oberpaul; Stephan Brinkmann; Michael Marner; Sanja Mihajlovic; Benedikt Leis; Maria A. Patras; Christoph Hartwig; Andreas Vilcinskas; Peter E. Hammann; Till F. Schäberle; Marius Spohn; Jens Glaeser. 2021. "Combination of high‐throughput microfluidics and FACS technologies to leverage the numbers game in natural product discovery." Microbial Biotechnology , no. : 1.

Opinion
Published: 14 May 2021 in Viruses
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Multiple outbreaks of epidemic and pandemic viral diseases have occurred in the last 20 years, including those caused by Ebola virus, Zika virus, and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The emergence or re-emergence of such diseases has revealed the deficiency in our pipeline for the discovery and development of antiviral drugs. One promising solution is the extensive library of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) produced by all eukaryotic organisms. AMPs are widely known for their activity against bacteria, but many possess additional antifungal, antiparasitic, insecticidal, anticancer, or antiviral activities. AMPs could therefore be suitable as leads for the development of new peptide-based antiviral drugs. Sixty therapeutic peptides had been approved by the end of 2018, with at least another 150 in preclinical or clinical development. Peptides undergoing clinical trials include analogs, mimetics, and natural AMPs. The advantages of AMPs include novel mechanisms of action that hinder the evolution of resistance, low molecular weight, low toxicity toward human cells but high specificity and efficacy, the latter enhanced by the optimization of AMP sequences. In this opinion article, we summarize the evidence supporting the efficacy of antiviral AMPs and discuss their potential to treat emerging viral diseases including COVID-19.

ACS Style

Miray Tonk; Daniel Růžek; Andreas Vilcinskas. Compelling Evidence for the Activity of Antiviral Peptides against SARS-CoV-2. Viruses 2021, 13, 912 .

AMA Style

Miray Tonk, Daniel Růžek, Andreas Vilcinskas. Compelling Evidence for the Activity of Antiviral Peptides against SARS-CoV-2. Viruses. 2021; 13 (5):912.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Miray Tonk; Daniel Růžek; Andreas Vilcinskas. 2021. "Compelling Evidence for the Activity of Antiviral Peptides against SARS-CoV-2." Viruses 13, no. 5: 912.

Journal article
Published: 23 April 2021 in Viruses
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Drosophila suzukii (Ds) is an invasive pest insect that infests ripening fruit, causing severe economic losses. Control measures based on chemical pesticides are inefficient and undesirable, so biological alternatives have been considered, including native Ds viruses. We previously isolated a strain of La Jolla virus (LJV-Ds-OS20) from Ds in Germany as a candidate biopesticide. Here we characterized the new strain in detail, focusing on the processing of its capsid proteins. We tested LJV growth during Ds development to optimize virus production, and established a laboratory production system using adult flies. This system was suitable for the preparation of virions for detailed analysis. The LJV-Ds-OS20 isolate was cloned by limiting dilution and the complete nucleotide sequence was determined as a basis for protein analysis. The terminal segments of the virus genome were completed by RACE-PCR. LJV virions were also purified by CsCl gradient centrifugation and analyzed by SDS-PAGE and electron microscopy. The capsid proteins of purified LJV virions were resolved by two-dimensional SDS-PAGE for N-terminal sequencing and peptide mass fingerprinting. The N-terminal sequences of VP1 and VP2, together with MS data representing several capsid proteins, allowed us to develop a model for the organization of the LJV structural protein region. This may facilitate the development of new viral strains as biopesticides.

ACS Style

Tessa Carrau; Benjamin Lamp; Carina Reuscher; Andreas Vilcinskas; Kwang-Zin Lee. Organization of the Structural Protein Region of La Jolla Virus Isolated from the Invasive Pest Insect Drosophila suzukii. Viruses 2021, 13, 740 .

AMA Style

Tessa Carrau, Benjamin Lamp, Carina Reuscher, Andreas Vilcinskas, Kwang-Zin Lee. Organization of the Structural Protein Region of La Jolla Virus Isolated from the Invasive Pest Insect Drosophila suzukii. Viruses. 2021; 13 (5):740.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Tessa Carrau; Benjamin Lamp; Carina Reuscher; Andreas Vilcinskas; Kwang-Zin Lee. 2021. "Organization of the Structural Protein Region of La Jolla Virus Isolated from the Invasive Pest Insect Drosophila suzukii." Viruses 13, no. 5: 740.

Journal article
Published: 09 April 2021 in Toxins
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Spiders are one of the most successful groups of venomous animals, but surprisingly few species have been examined in sufficient detail to determine the structure of their venom systems. To learn more about the venom system of the family Araneidae (orb-weavers), we selected the wasp spider (Argiope bruennichi) and examined the general structure and morphology of the venom apparatus by light microscopy. This revealed morphological features broadly similar to those reported in the small number of other spiders subject to similar investigations. However, detailed evaluation of the venom duct revealed the presence of four structurally distinct compartments. We propose that these subunits facilitate the expression and secretion of venom components, as previously reported for similar substructures in pit vipers and cone snails.

ACS Style

Henrike Schmidtberg; Björn von Reumont; Sarah Lemke; Andreas Vilcinskas; Tim Lüddecke. Morphological Analysis Reveals a Compartmentalized Duct in the Venom Apparatus of the Wasp Spider (Argiope bruennichi). Toxins 2021, 13, 270 .

AMA Style

Henrike Schmidtberg, Björn von Reumont, Sarah Lemke, Andreas Vilcinskas, Tim Lüddecke. Morphological Analysis Reveals a Compartmentalized Duct in the Venom Apparatus of the Wasp Spider (Argiope bruennichi). Toxins. 2021; 13 (4):270.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Henrike Schmidtberg; Björn von Reumont; Sarah Lemke; Andreas Vilcinskas; Tim Lüddecke. 2021. "Morphological Analysis Reveals a Compartmentalized Duct in the Venom Apparatus of the Wasp Spider (Argiope bruennichi)." Toxins 13, no. 4: 270.

Review
Published: 06 April 2021 in Insects
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The European map butterfly Araschnia levana is a well-known example of seasonal polyphenism. Spring and summer imagoes exhibit distinct morphological phenotypes. Key environmental factors responsible for the expression of different morphs are day length and temperature. Larval exposure to light for more than 16 h per day entails direct development and results in the adult f. prorsa summer phenotype. Less than 15.5 h per day increasingly promotes diapause and the adult f. levana spring phenotype. The phenotype depends on the timing of the release of 20-hydroxyecdysone in pupae. Release within the first days after pupation potentially inhibits the default “levana-gene-expression-profile” because pre-pupae destined for diapause or subitaneous development have unique transcriptomic programs. Moreover, multiple microRNAs and their targets are differentially regulated during the larval and pupal stages, and candidates for diapause maintenance, duration, and phenotype determination have been identified. However, the complete pathway from photoreception to timekeeping and diapause or subitaneous development remains unclear. Beside the wing polyphenism, the hormonal and epigenetic modifications of the two phenotypes also include differences in biomechanical design and immunocompetence. Here, we discuss research on the physiological and molecular basis of polyphenism in A. levana, including hormonal control, epigenetic regulation, and the effect of ecological parameters on developmental fate.

ACS Style

Arne Baudach; Andreas Vilcinskas. The European Map Butterfly Araschnia levana as a Model to Study the Molecular Basis and Evolutionary Ecology of Seasonal Polyphenism. Insects 2021, 12, 325 .

AMA Style

Arne Baudach, Andreas Vilcinskas. The European Map Butterfly Araschnia levana as a Model to Study the Molecular Basis and Evolutionary Ecology of Seasonal Polyphenism. Insects. 2021; 12 (4):325.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Arne Baudach; Andreas Vilcinskas. 2021. "The European Map Butterfly Araschnia levana as a Model to Study the Molecular Basis and Evolutionary Ecology of Seasonal Polyphenism." Insects 12, no. 4: 325.

Microbiology
Published: 06 November 2020 in Frontiers in Microbiology
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Microbial communities in the immediate environment of socialized invertebrates can help to suppress pathogens, in part by synthesizing bioactive natural products. Here we characterized the core microbiomes of three termite species (genus Coptotermes) and their nest material to gain more insight into the diversity of termite-associated bacteria. Sampling a healthy termite colony over time implicated a consolidated and highly stable microbiome, pointing toward the fact that beneficial bacterial phyla play a major role in termite fitness. In contrast, there was a significant shift in the composition of the core microbiome in one nest during a fungal infection, affecting the abundance of well-characterized Streptomyces species (phylum Actinobacteria) as well as less-studied bacterial phyla such as Acidobacteria. High-throughput cultivation in microplates was implemented to isolate and identify these less-studied bacterial phylogenetic group. Amplicon sequencing confirmed that our method maintained the bacterial diversity of the environmental samples, enabling the isolation of novel Acidobacteriaceae and expanding the list of cultivated species to include two strains that may define new species within the genera Terracidiphilus and Acidobacterium.

ACS Style

Markus Oberpaul; Celine M. Zumkeller; Tanja Culver; Marius Spohn; Sanja Mihajlovic; Benedikt Leis; Stefanie P. Glaeser; Rudy Plarre; Dino P. McMahon; Peter Hammann; Till F. Schäberle; Jens Glaeser; Andreas Vilcinskas. High-Throughput Cultivation for the Selective Isolation of Acidobacteria From Termite Nests. Frontiers in Microbiology 2020, 11, 1 .

AMA Style

Markus Oberpaul, Celine M. Zumkeller, Tanja Culver, Marius Spohn, Sanja Mihajlovic, Benedikt Leis, Stefanie P. Glaeser, Rudy Plarre, Dino P. McMahon, Peter Hammann, Till F. Schäberle, Jens Glaeser, Andreas Vilcinskas. High-Throughput Cultivation for the Selective Isolation of Acidobacteria From Termite Nests. Frontiers in Microbiology. 2020; 11 ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Markus Oberpaul; Celine M. Zumkeller; Tanja Culver; Marius Spohn; Sanja Mihajlovic; Benedikt Leis; Stefanie P. Glaeser; Rudy Plarre; Dino P. McMahon; Peter Hammann; Till F. Schäberle; Jens Glaeser; Andreas Vilcinskas. 2020. "High-Throughput Cultivation for the Selective Isolation of Acidobacteria From Termite Nests." Frontiers in Microbiology 11, no. : 1.

Mini review
Published: 31 October 2020 in Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology
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Cockroaches have existed for 300 million years and more than 4600 extant species have been described. Throughout their evolution, cockroaches have been associated with bacteria, and today Blattabacterium species flourish within specialized bacteriocytes, recycling nitrogen from host waste products. Cockroaches can disseminate potentially pathogenic bacteria via feces and other deposits, particularly members of the family Enterobacteriaceae, but also Staphylococcus and Mycobacterium species, and thus, they should be cleared from sites where hygiene is essential, such as hospitals and kitchens. On the other hand, cockroaches also carry bacteria that may produce metabolites or proteins with potential industrial applications. For example, an antibiotic-producing Streptomyces strain was isolated from the gut of the American cockroach Periplaneta americana. Other cockroach-associated bacteria, including but not limited to Bacillus, Enterococcus, and Pseudomonas species, can also produce bioactive metabolites that may be suitable for development as pharmaceuticals or plant protection products. Enzymes that degrade industrially relevant substrates, or that convert biomasses into useful chemical precursors, are also expressed in cockroach-derived bacteria and could be deployed for use in the food/feed, paper, oil, or cosmetics industries. The analysis of cockroach gut microbiomes has revealed a number of lesser-studied bacteria that may form the basis of novel taxonomic groups. Bacteria associated with cockroaches can therefore be dangerous or useful, and this review explores the bacterial clades that may provide opportunities for biotechnological exploitation. Key points • Members of the Enterobacteriaceae are the most frequently cultivated bacteria from cockroaches. • Cultivation-independent studies have revealed a diverse community, led by the phyla Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes. • Although cockroaches may carry pathogenic bacteria, most strains are innocuous and may be useful for biotechnological applications.

ACS Style

Juan Guzman; Andreas Vilcinskas. Bacteria associated with cockroaches: health risk or biotechnological opportunity? Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology 2020, 104, 10369 -10387.

AMA Style

Juan Guzman, Andreas Vilcinskas. Bacteria associated with cockroaches: health risk or biotechnological opportunity? Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology. 2020; 104 (24):10369-10387.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Juan Guzman; Andreas Vilcinskas. 2020. "Bacteria associated with cockroaches: health risk or biotechnological opportunity?" Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology 104, no. 24: 10369-10387.

Journal article
Published: 01 October 2020 in Antibiotics
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Helminths such as the blood fluke Schistosoma mansoni represent a major global health challenge due to limited availability of drugs. Most anthelminthic drug candidates are derived from plants, whereas insect-derived compounds have received little attention. This includes venom from assassin bugs, which contains numerous bioactive compounds. Here, we investigated whether venom from the European predatory assassin bug Rhynocoris iracundus has antischistosomal activity. Venom concentrations of 10–50 µg/mL inhibited the motility and pairing of S. mansoni adult worms in vitro and their capacity to produce eggs. We used EdU-proliferation assays to measure the effect of venom against parasite stem cells, which are essential for survival and reproduction. We found that venom depleted proliferating stem cells in different tissues of the male parasite, including neoblasts in the parenchyma and gonadal stem cells. Certain insect venoms are known to lyse eukaryotic cells, thus limiting their therapeutic potential. We therefore carried out hemolytic activity assays using porcine red blood cells, revealing that the venom had no significant effect at a concentration of 43 µg/mL. The observed anthelminthic activity and absence of hemolytic side effects suggest that the components of R. iracundus venom should be investigated in more detail as potential antischistosomal leads.

ACS Style

Miray Tonk; Andreas Vilcinskas; Christoph G. Grevelding; Simone Haeberlein. Anthelminthic Activity of Assassin Bug Venom against the Blood Fluke Schistosoma mansoni. Antibiotics 2020, 9, 664 .

AMA Style

Miray Tonk, Andreas Vilcinskas, Christoph G. Grevelding, Simone Haeberlein. Anthelminthic Activity of Assassin Bug Venom against the Blood Fluke Schistosoma mansoni. Antibiotics. 2020; 9 (10):664.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Miray Tonk; Andreas Vilcinskas; Christoph G. Grevelding; Simone Haeberlein. 2020. "Anthelminthic Activity of Assassin Bug Venom against the Blood Fluke Schistosoma mansoni." Antibiotics 9, no. 10: 664.

Journal article
Published: 14 September 2020 in Microorganisms
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The evolutionary success of insects is promoted by their association with beneficial microbes that enable the utilization of unusual diets. The synanthropic clothing moth Tineola bisselliella provides an intriguing example of this phenomenon. The caterpillars of this species have adapted to feed on keratin-rich diets such as feathers and wool, which cannot be digested by most other animals and are resistant to common digestive enzymes. Inspired by the hypothesis that this ability may be conferred by symbiotic microbes, we utilized a simple assay to detect keratinase activity and a method to screen gut bacteria for candidate enzymes, which were isolated from feather-fed larvae. The isolation of DNA from keratin-degrading bacterial strains followed by de novo genome sequencing resulted in the identification of a novel bacterial strain related to Bacillus sp. FDAARGOS_235. Genome annotation identified 20 genes with keratinase domains. Proteomic analysis of the culture supernatant from this gut bacterium grown in non-nutrient buffer supplemented with feathers revealed several candidate enzymes potentially responsible for keratin degradation, including a thiol-disulfide oxidoreductase and multiple proteases. Our results suggest that the unusual diet of T. bisselliella larvae promotes their association with keratinolytic microorganisms and that the ability of larvae to feed on keratin can at least partially be attributed to bacteria that produce a cocktail of keratin-degrading enzymes.

ACS Style

Andreas Vilcinskas; Michael Schwabe; Karina Brinkrolf; Rudy Plarre; Natalie Wielsch; Heiko Vogel. Larvae of the Clothing Moth Tineola bisselliella Maintain Gut Bacteria that Secrete Enzyme Cocktails to Facilitate the Digestion of Keratin. Microorganisms 2020, 8, 1415 .

AMA Style

Andreas Vilcinskas, Michael Schwabe, Karina Brinkrolf, Rudy Plarre, Natalie Wielsch, Heiko Vogel. Larvae of the Clothing Moth Tineola bisselliella Maintain Gut Bacteria that Secrete Enzyme Cocktails to Facilitate the Digestion of Keratin. Microorganisms. 2020; 8 (9):1415.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Andreas Vilcinskas; Michael Schwabe; Karina Brinkrolf; Rudy Plarre; Natalie Wielsch; Heiko Vogel. 2020. "Larvae of the Clothing Moth Tineola bisselliella Maintain Gut Bacteria that Secrete Enzyme Cocktails to Facilitate the Digestion of Keratin." Microorganisms 8, no. 9: 1415.

Original research
Published: 17 August 2020 in Ecology and Evolution
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The Heteroptera are a diverse suborder of phytophagous, hematophagous, and zoophagous insects. The shift to zoophagy can be traced back to the transformation of salivary glands into venom glands, but the venom is used not only to kill and digest invertebrate prey but also as a defense strategy, mainly against vertebrates. In this study, we used an integrated transcriptomics and proteomics approach to compare the composition of venoms from the anterior main gland (AMG) and posterior main gland (PMG) of the reduviid bugs Platymeris biguttatus L. and Psytalla horrida Stål. In both species, the AMG and PMG secreted distinct protein mixtures with few interspecific differences. PMG venom consisted mostly of S1 proteases, redulysins, Ptu1‐like peptides, and uncharacterized proteins, whereas AMG venom contained hemolysins and cystatins. There was a remarkable difference in biological activity between the AMG and PMG venoms, with only PMG venom conferring digestive, neurotoxic, hemolytic, antibacterial, and cytotoxic effects. Proteomic analysis of venom samples revealed the context‐dependent use of AMG and PMG venom. Although both species secreted PMG venom alone to overwhelm their prey and facilitate digestion, the deployment of defensive venom was species‐dependent. P. biguttatus almost exclusively used PMG venom for defense, whereas P. horrida secreted PMG venom in response to mild harassment but AMG venom in response to more intense harassment. This intriguing context‐dependent use of defensive venom indicates that future research should focus on species‐dependent differences in venom composition and defense strategies among predatory Heteroptera.

ACS Style

Maike L. Fischer; Natalie Wielsch; David G. Heckel; Andreas Vilcinskas; Heiko Vogel. Context‐dependent venom deployment and protein composition in two assassin bugs. Ecology and Evolution 2020, 10, 9932 -9947.

AMA Style

Maike L. Fischer, Natalie Wielsch, David G. Heckel, Andreas Vilcinskas, Heiko Vogel. Context‐dependent venom deployment and protein composition in two assassin bugs. Ecology and Evolution. 2020; 10 (18):9932-9947.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Maike L. Fischer; Natalie Wielsch; David G. Heckel; Andreas Vilcinskas; Heiko Vogel. 2020. "Context‐dependent venom deployment and protein composition in two assassin bugs." Ecology and Evolution 10, no. 18: 9932-9947.

Journal article
Published: 01 August 2020 in Marine Drugs
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Nemerteans (ribbon worms) employ toxins to subdue their prey, but research thus far has focused on the small-molecule components of mucus secretions and few protein toxins have been characterized. We carried out a preliminary proteotranscriptomic analysis of putative toxins produced by the hoplonemertean Amphiporus lactifloreus (Hoplonemertea, Amphiporidae). No variants were found of known nemertean-specific toxin proteins (neurotoxins, cytotoxins, parbolysins or nemertides) but several toxin-like transcripts were discovered, expressed strongly in the proboscis, including putative metalloproteinases and sequences resembling sea anemone actitoxins, crown-of-thorn sea star plancitoxins, and multiple classes of inhibitor cystine knot/knottin family proteins. Some of these products were also directly identified in the mucus proteome, supporting their preliminary identification as secreted toxin components. Two new nemertean-typical toxin candidates could be described and were named U-nemertotoxin-1 and U-nemertotoxin-2. Our findings provide insight into the largely overlooked venom system of nemerteans and support a hypothesis in which the nemertean proboscis evolved in several steps from a flesh-melting organ in scavenging nemerteans to a flesh-melting and toxin-secreting venom apparatus in hunting hoplonemerteans.

ACS Style

Björn Marcus Von Reumont; Tim Lüddecke; Thomas Timm; Günter Lochnit; Andreas Vilcinskas; Jörn Von Döhren; Maria A. Nilsson. Proteo-Transcriptomic Analysis Identifies Potential Novel Toxins Secreted by the Predatory, Prey-Piercing Ribbon Worm Amphiporus lactifloreus. Marine Drugs 2020, 18, 407 .

AMA Style

Björn Marcus Von Reumont, Tim Lüddecke, Thomas Timm, Günter Lochnit, Andreas Vilcinskas, Jörn Von Döhren, Maria A. Nilsson. Proteo-Transcriptomic Analysis Identifies Potential Novel Toxins Secreted by the Predatory, Prey-Piercing Ribbon Worm Amphiporus lactifloreus. Marine Drugs. 2020; 18 (8):407.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Björn Marcus Von Reumont; Tim Lüddecke; Thomas Timm; Günter Lochnit; Andreas Vilcinskas; Jörn Von Döhren; Maria A. Nilsson. 2020. "Proteo-Transcriptomic Analysis Identifies Potential Novel Toxins Secreted by the Predatory, Prey-Piercing Ribbon Worm Amphiporus lactifloreus." Marine Drugs 18, no. 8: 407.