The fungal pathogen, Cryptococcus neoformans, has been shown to undergo replicative aging. Old cells are characterized by advanced generational age and phenotypic changes that appear to mediate enhanced resistance to host and antifungal-based killing. As a consequence of this age-associated resilience, old cells accumulate during chronic infection. Based on these findings, we hypothesized that ...

The greater wax moth, Galleria mellonella Linnaeus, is a ubiquitous pest of the honeybee, Apis mellifera Linnaeus, and Apis cerana Fabricius. The greater wax moth larvae burrow into the edge of unsealed cells with pollen, bee brood, and honey through to the midrib of honeybee comb. Burrowing larvae leave behind masses of webs which causes galleriasis and later absconding of colonies. The damage...

Exposure of larvae of Galleria mellonella larvae to mild physical (i.e. shaking) or thermal stress for 24h increased their ability to survive infection with Aspergillus fumigatus conidia however larvae stressed in a similar manner but incubated for 72h prior to infection showed no elevation in their resistance to infection with A. fumigatus. Stressed larvae demonstrated an elevated haemocyte de...

Strain PA14, a human clinical isolate of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, is pathogenic in mice and insects (Galleria mellonella). Analysis of 32 different PA14 mutants in these two hosts showed a novel positive correlation in the virulence patterns. Thus, G. mellonella is a good model system for identifying mammalian virulence factors of P. aeruginosa.

the entomopathogenic-fungus-life cycle is associated with the synthesis and secretion of a number of toxic metabolites, including extracellular enzymes and the low-molecular weight compound (toxin). the potential for a successful pathogen relies on the ability to overcome the various host-defence systems. interaction between the fungus, tolypocla-dium (deuteromycetes), its secondary metabolite,...

The hemolymph juvenile hormone binding protein (JHBP) from Galleria mellonella contains two disulphide bridges/molecule and no free Cys residues. An alignment of primary structures of other Lepidopteran JHBPs indicates that Cys residues, equivalent to Cys10,17,151,195 in G. mellonella JHBP, maybe involved in -S-S- bridge formation.

The mechanism of nonself recognition by the immune system of insects is unknown. In this report the activation of the prophenoloxidase system in the wax moth Galleria mellonella by a microbial product is shown to enhance the recognition of nonself material. These results explain previous observations of the interaction of two different blood cell populations in the cellular defense reactions of...

An evolutionary war is being played out between the bat, which uses ultrasonic calls to locate insect prey, and the moth, which uses microscale ears to listen for the approaching bat. While the highest known frequency of bat echolocation calls is 212 kHz, the upper limit of moth hearing is considered much lower. Here, we show that the greater wax moth, Galleria mellonella, is capable of hearing...

Mycoviruses are a specific group of viruses that naturally infect and replicate in fungi. The importance of mycoviruses was revealed after their effects were identified not only in economically important fungi but also in the human pathogenic fungus Aspergillus fumigatus. The latter was shown recently to harbor at least three different types of mycoviruses including a chrysovirus, a partitiviru...