Effects of Microbes on Insect Host Physiology and Behavior Mediated by the Host Immune System

Shan Zhang; Zhengyan Wang; Qiong Luo; Lizhen Zhou; Xin Du; Yonglin Ren

doi:10.3390/insects16010082

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Effects of Microbes on Insect Host Physiology and Behavior Mediated by the Host Immune System

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Effects of Microbes on Insect Host Physiology and Behavior Mediated by the Host Immune System

Shan Zhang, Zhengyan Wang, Qiong Luo, Lizhen Zhou, Xin Du and Yonglin Ren

Insects (Basel, Switzerland), Vol.16(1), 82

2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/insects16010082

PMID: 39859663

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Abstract

Review

Innate immunity is critical for insects to adjust to complicated environments. Studying the insect immune system can aid in identifying novel insecticide targets and provide insights for developing novel pest control strategies. Insects recognize environmental pathogens through pattern recognition receptors, thus activating the innate immune system to eliminate pathogens. The innate immune system of insects primarily comprises cellular immunity and humoral immunity. Toll, immune deficiency, and Janus kinase/signal transducers and activators of transcription are the main signaling pathways regulating insect humoral immunity. Nevertheless, increasing research has revealed that immune signaling activated by microbes also performs non-immune roles while exerting immune roles, and insulin signaling performs a key role in mediating the connection between the immune system and non-immune physiological activities. Therefore, this paper first briefly reviews the main innate immune signaling and insulin signaling of insects, then summarizes the relationship between immune signaling activated by microbes and insect growth and development, reproduction, pesticide resistance, chemical communication, cell turnover, lifespan, sleep, energy generation pathways and their possible underlying mechanisms. Future research directions and methodologies are also proposed, aiming to provide insights into further study on the physiological mechanism linking microbes and insect hosts.

Details

Title: Effects of Microbes on Insect Host Physiology and Behavior Mediated by the Host Immune System
Authors/Creators: Shan Zhang - Henan University of Technology
Zhengyan Wang - Henan University of Technology
Qiong Luo - Henan University of Technology
Lizhen Zhou
Xin Du - Murdoch University
Yonglin Ren - Murdoch University, Centre for Biosecurity and One Health
Publication Details: Insects (Basel, Switzerland), Vol.16(1), 82
Publisher: MDPI
Number of pages: 15
Grant note: 32272531 / National Natural Science Foundation of China
Identifiers: 991005738245407891
Copyright: © 2025 by the authors.
Murdoch Affiliation: College of Environmental and Life Sciences
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article

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Collaboration types: Domestic collaboration; International collaboration
Citation topics: 3 Agriculture, Environment & Ecology; 3.32 Entomology; 3.32.1508 Invertebrate Immunity
Web Of Science research areas: Entomology
ESI research areas: Plant & Animal Science