Intra- and trans-generational effects of larval diet on susceptibility to an entomopathogenic fungus, Beauveria bassiana, in the greater wax moth, Galleria mellonella

In addition to nutritional conditions experienced by individuals themselves, those experienced by their parents can affect their immune function. Here, we studied the intra- and trans-generational effects of larval diet on susceptibility to an entomopathogenic fungus, Beauveria bassiana, in the greater wax moth, Galleria mellonella. In the first part of the study, a split-brood design was used to compare the susceptibility of full sibs raised either on low- or on high-nutrition larval diet. In the second part of the study, a similar experimental design was employed to investigate the effects of maternal and paternal diet as well as their interaction on offspring's susceptibility. In the first part of the study, we found that individuals fed with high-nutrition diet had higher mortality from infection than individuals fed with low-nutrition diet. However, diet did not affect post-infection survival time. Conversely, in the second part of the study, maternal diet was found to have no sign...

除个体自身经历的营养条件外，其父母所经历的营养条件也会影响个体的免疫功能。本研究以大蜡螟（Galleria mellonella）为对象，探究了幼虫饮食对其感染昆虫病原真菌（entomopathogenic fungus）球孢白僵菌（Beauveria bassiana）易感性的代内（intra-generational）及跨代（trans-generational）效应。研究第一部分采用分巢设计（split-brood design），比较了饲喂低营养或高营养幼虫饮食的同窝全同胞（full sibs）的感染易感性。研究第二部分采用类似实验设计，探究母本与父本饮食及其交互作用对后代易感性的影响。第一部分研究结果显示，饲喂高营养饮食的个体感染死亡率显著高于低营养饮食组；但饮食对感染后的存活时间无显著影响。相反，在研究第二部分中，母本饮食未发现显著...