@article{Böhringer2025,
title = {A G-protein coupled receptor is involved in the DUOX pathway in Tribolium castaneum},
author = {AC Böhringer and CC Constanze and M Burghaus and H Merzendorfer},
year = {2025},
date = {2025-03-31},
journal = {Insect Biochem. Mol. Biol.},
pages = {in press},
abstract = {Activation of the dual oxidase (DUOX) pathway is an important intestinal defense mechanism against enteric infection triggering the formation of radical oxygen species by stimulating DUOX enzyme activity and/or gene expression. In insects, several studies have suggested that uracil released by pathogenic bacteria functions as a major trigger molecule for the activation of DUOX, which leads to the formation of antimicrobial hypochlorous acid (HOCl). While the recognition of pathogen-associated molecular patterns of microbes by pattern recognition receptors is well understood, the detection of uracil is still elusive. It has been postulated that a G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) binds the pyrimidine uracil, which activates PLCβ signalling and further downstream events. So far, no pyrimidinergic receptor has been identified in insects, particularly none that binds uracil nucleotides or sugar derivatives. To identify potential candidates for insect pyrimidine receptors, we used a human P2Y4 receptor as a template to screen the Tribolium castaneum reference proteome. Four promising receptor candidates were identified, of which two were analyzed using RNA interference to determine their influence on uracil-induced TcDUOX expression, HOCl formation and development in control larvae and larvae that were challenged with the enteric pathogen Bacillus thuringiensis. Silencing TcGPCR41 resulted in a loss of uracil-induced TcDUOX expression and HOCl formation. Furthermore, the development of challenged larvae was affected in a manner like that observed in a TcDUOX knockdown. We conclude that the identified receptor may play a role in the uracil-dependent activation of the DUOX-pathways.},
keywords = {RNA interference, Tribolium castaneum},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}

@article{RN13761,
title = {Analyses of ecdysteroid transporters in the fat body of Tribolium castaneum},
author = {B Wellmeyer and A C Böhringer and J Rösner and H Merzendorfer},
doi = {10.1111/imb.12839},
issn = {0962-1075},
year = {2023},
date = {2023-01-01},
journal = {Insect Mol Biol},
keywords = {Tribolium castaneum},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}

@article{Qu2021,
title = {Bioinsecticides as future mainstream pest control agents: Opportunities and challenges},
author = {Mingbo Qu and Hans Merzendorfer and Bernard Moussian and Qing Yang},
editor = {Front J},
url = { https://doi.org/10.15302/J-FASE-2021404 },
doi = {10.15302/J-FASE-2021404 },
isbn = {2095-7505},
year = {2021},
date = {2021-06-04},
journal = {Front. Agr. Sci. Eng.},
volume = {404},
number = {0},
pages = {1-17},
abstract = {Bioinsecticides are naturally occurring substances from different sources that control insect pests. Ideal bioinsecticides should exhibit low toxicity to non-target organisms. Further, they should be easily degraded in sewage plants and natural environments, highly effective in small quantities and only affect target pests. Public concerns about possible side-effects of conventional pesticides has accelerated bioinsecticide research and development. However, to develop bioinsecticides into a mainstream product line, the high production costs, short shelflife and uncertain acting modes of many bioinsecticides need to be considered. In this review, we summarize current progress on bioinsecticides, which are categorized into three classes, i.e. biochemical insecticides and their derivatives, plant-incorparated protectants (PIPs), and microbial bioinsecticides. The shortcomings that prevent bioinsecticides from being widely applied are discussed, and the future research direction in the field is proposed.},
note = {na},
keywords = {Tribolium castaneum},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}

@article{https://doi.org/10.1002/ps.6332,
title = {Functional analysis of ABCG and ABCH transporters from the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum},
author = {Janin Rösner and Johanne Tietmeyer and Hans Merzendorfer},
url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ps.6332},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.1002/ps.6332},
year = {2021},
date = {2021-01-01},
journal = {Pest Management Science},
volume = {77},
number = {6},
pages = {2955-2963},
abstract = {Abstract BACKGROUND ATP-binding cassette transporter (ABC transporter) subfamilies ABCA–C and ABCG–H have been implicated in insecticide detoxification, mostly based on findings of elevated gene expression in response to insecticide treatment. We previously characterized TcABCA–C genes from the model beetle and pest Tribolium castaneum and demonstrated that TcABCA and TcABCC genes are involved in the elimination of diflubenzuron, because RNA interference (RNAi)-mediated gene silencing increased susceptibility. In this study, we focused on the potential functions of TcABCG and TcABCH genes in insecticide detoxification. RESULTS When we silenced the expression of TcABCG–H genes using RNAi, we noticed a previously unreported developmental RNAi phenotype for TcABCG-4F, which is characterized by 50% mortality and ecdysial arrest during adult moult. When we knocked down the Drosophila brown orthologue TcABCG-XC, we did not obtain apparent eye colour phenotypes but did observe a loss of riboflavin uptake by Malpighian tubules. Next, we determined the expression profiles of all TcABCG–H genes in different tissues and developmental stages and analysed transcript levels in response to treatment with four chemically unrelated insecticides. We found that some genes were specifically upregulated after insecticide treatment. However, when we determined insecticide-induced mortalities in larvae that were treated by double-stranded RNA injection to silence those TcABCG–H genes that were upregulated, we did not observe a significant increase in susceptibility to insecticides. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that the observed insecticide-dependent induction of TcABCG–H gene expression reflects an unspecific stress response, and hence underlines the significance of functional studies on insecticide detoxification. © 2021 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.},
keywords = {ATP-binding cassette transporters (ABC transporter), diflubenzuron, insecticide detoxification, malathion, tebufenozide, Tribolium castaneum, β-cyfluthrin},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}