Rearing zombie flies: Laboratory culturing of the behaviourally manipulating fungal pathogen Entomophthora muscae

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Insect pathogenic fungi (IPF) and insects have ubiquitous interactions in nature. The extent of these interkingdom host-pathogen interactions are both complex and diverse. Some IPF, notably of the order Entomophthorales, manipulate their species-specific host before death. The fungus-induced altered insect behaviours are sequential and can accurately be repeatedly characterised temporally, making them a valuable model for understanding the molecular and chemical underpinnings of behaviour and host-pathogen co-evolutionary biology. Here, we present methods for the isolation and laboratory culturing of the emerging behaviourally manipulating model IPF Entomophthora muscae for experimentation. • E. muscae isolation and culturing in vitro. • Establishing and maintaining an E. muscae culture in vivo in houseflies (Musca domestica). • Controlled E. muscae infections for virulence experiments and quantification of conidia discharge per cadaver.

OriginalsprogEngelsk
Artikelnummer102523
TidsskriftMethodsX
Vol/bind12
Antal sider9
ISSN2215-0161
DOI
StatusUdgivet - 2024

Bibliografisk note

Funding Information:
We would like to thank Jørgen Eilenberg, Annette Bruun Jensen and Andreas Naundrup for passing on their knowledge and skills of working with E. muscae to us. This work was supported by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme Insect Doctors under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant (859850), and by a Sapere Aude grant (8049–00086A) from the Independent Research Fund Denmark, and a Semper Ardens: Accelerate grant (CF20–0609) from the Carlsberg Foundation, Denmark.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2023

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