Endocrine Interactions Of Insect Parasites And Pathogens

Endocrine Interactions of Insect Parasites and Pathogens is one of the first books to concentrate specifically on the endocrine aspects of host/parasite and host/pathogen reactions. Written by well-known researchers in the field, the book is an up-to-date compendium and provides a thorough review of the current research.

Both volumes of Parasites and Pathogens of Insects provide in-depth coverage of the interface between insect parasites and pathogens and hosts, and explore the relationships between these partners. They emphasize biochemical and molecular interactions, basic biology, and the roles of hormones, receptors, and other cellular components in modulating interactions between host insects and attacking agents. These topics also are assessed in relation to biotechnology and biological control. In the short term, these volumes fill a void in current literature by emphasizing basic interactions at the biochemical and molecular levels. In the long term, these interactions may provide avenues for exploitation to enhance the rate of "beneficial" parasitism or to reduce the rates of disease transmission and infection of vertebrate hosts. Presents the latest information on insect parasites and pathogens Describes biochemical and molecular host-parasite and host-pathogen relationships Covers mechanisms of insect pathogenicity and resistance Provides exceptional breadth of coverage and authoritative reviews Special topics Transposable elements in insect pathogens Co-evolution and gene transfer between hosts and invaders Biological control

When Nancy Beckage and I first met in Lynn Riddiford's laboratory at the University of Washington in the mid 1970s, the fields of parasitology, behavior, and endocrinology were thriving and far-flung--disciplines in no serious danger of intersecting. There were rumors that they might have some common ground: Behavioural Aspects of Parasite Transmission (Canning and Wright, 1972) had just emerged, with exciting news not only of the way parasites themselves behave, but also of Machiavellian worms that caused intermediate hosts to shift fundamental responses to light and disturbance, becoming in the process more vulnerable to predation by the next host (Holmes and Bethel, 1972). Meanwhile, biologists such as Miriam Rothschild (see Dedication), G. B. Solomon (1969), and Lynn Riddiford herself (1975) had suggested that the endocrinological rami of parasitism might be subtle and pervasive. In general, however, para fications sites were viewed as aberrant organisms, perhaps good for a few just-so stories prior to turning our attention once again to real animals. In the decade that followed, Pauline Lawrence (1986a,b), Davy Jones (Jones et al. , 1986), Nancy Beckage (Beckage, 1985; Beckage and Templeton, 1986), and others, including many in this volume, left no doubt that the host-parasite combination in insect systems was physiologically distinct from its unparasitized counterpart in ways that went beyond gross pathology.

The publication of the extensive seven-volume work Comprehensive Molecular Insect Science provided a complete reference encompassing important developments and achievements in modern insect science. One of the most swiftly moving areas in entomological and comparative research is endocrinology, and this volume, Insect Endocrinology, is designed for those who desire a comprehensive yet concise work on important aspects of this topic. Because this area has moved quickly since the original publication, articles in this new volume are revised, highlighting developments in the related area since its original publication. Insect Endocrinology covers the mechanism of action of insect hormones during growth and metamorphosis as well as the role of insect hormones in reproduction, diapause and the regulation of metabolism. Contents include articles on the juvenile hormones, circadian organization of the endocrine system, ecdysteroid chemistry and biochemistry, as well as new chapters on insulin-like peptides and the peptide hormone Bursicon. This volume will be of great value to senior investigators, graduate students, post-doctoral fellows and advanced undergraduate research students. It can also be used as a reference for graduate courses and seminars on the topic. Chapters will also be valuable to the applied biologist or entomologist, providing the requisite understanding necessary for probing the more applied research areas. Articles selected by the known and respected editor-in-chief of the original major reference work, Comprehensive Molecular Insect Science Newly revised contributions bring together the latest research in the quickly moving field of insect endocrinology Review of the literature of the past five years is now included, as well as full use of data arising from the application of molecular technologies wherever appropriate

Authored by an integrated committee of plant and animal scientists, this review of newer molecular genetic techniques and traditional research methods is presented as a compilation of high-reward opportunities for agricultural research. Directed to the Agricultural Research Service and the agricultural research community at large, the volume discusses biosciences research in genetic engineering, animal science, plant science, and plant diseases and insect pests. An optimal climate for productive research is discussed.

This work is the first book-length publication on the topic of insect immunology since 1991, complementing earlier works by offering a fresh perspective on current research. Interactions of host immune systems with both parasites and pathogens are presented in detail, as well as the genomics and proteomics, approaches which have been lacking in other publications. Beckage provides comprehensive coverage of topics important to medical researchers, including Drosophila as a model for studying cellular and humoral immune mechanisms, biochemical mediators of immunity, and insect blood cells and their functions. Encompasses the most important topics of insect immunology including mechanisms, genes, proteins, evolution and phylogeny Provides comprehensive coverage of topics important to medical researchers including Drosophila as a model for studying cellular and humoral immune mechanisms, biochemical mediators of immunity, and insect blood cells and their functions Most up-to-date information published with contributions from international leaders in the field

This volume of Parasitology examines specifically parasite-insect Interaction.

This volume summarizes current research into the physiology and molecular biology of host-parasite interactions. Brought together by leading international experts in the field, the first section outlines fundamental processes, followed by specific examples in the concluding section. Covering a wide range of organisms, Host-Parasite Interactions is essential reading for researchers in the field.

This text brings together fundamental information on insect taxa, morphology, ecology, behavior, physiology, and genetics. Close relatives of insects, such as spiders and mites, are included.

Parasitoids are parasitic insects that kill their insect hosts in immature pre-reproductive stages. Parasitoids are employed in biological control programs worldwide to kill insect pests and are environmentally safe and benign alternatives to chemical pesticides. As resistance to chemical pesticides continues to escalate in many pest populations, attention is now refocusing on biologically-based strategies to control pest species in agriculture and forestry as well as insect vector populations that transmit human and animal diseases. Parasitoids are an economically critical element in this equation and ‘integrated pest management.’ Viruses have evolved intimate associations with parasitoids, and this book features sections on both symbiotic viruses that are integrated into the wasp’s chromosomal DNA (polydnaviruses) that play critical roles in suppressing host immunity during parasitism. A separate section with additional chapters on viral pathogens that infect parasitoids to cause disease and act as detrimental agents that limit effectiveness of wasp species employed in biological control of pests is also featured. A third component is a section on parasitoid venoms, which are of interest to the pharmaceutical and medical communities as well as insect-oriented biologists. Sections focus on both virus evolution and genomics as well as proteomics and functional roles of polydnavirus-encoded gene products International researchers and emerging leaders in their fields provide readers with syntheses of the latest research Includes content on both symbiotic viruses and pathogenic viruses, plus new research on parasitoid venoms Cutting-edge section on future directions in the field covers the impacts of polydnavirus research on medicine, human health, bioengineering and the economy, increasing the value for researchers and practitioners who need to stay on top of the research in this swiftly moving field