Molecular and biochemical changes in Locusta migratoria (Orthoptera: Acrididae) infected with Paranosema locustae

Microsporidia are a group of eukaryotic intracellular parasitic organisms that infect almost all vertebrates and invertebrates. Paranosema locustae are specialized parasites of Orthoptera that are often used as biological controls of locusts, with slow effects of action. In this study, we found that after infection with P. locustae, changes in energy metabolism in male and female Locusta migratoria as were consistent, with no gender differences. During the first 8 days of infection, L. migratoria used sugar as a source of energy. After 8 days, lipids and proteins were consumed to provide energy when the spore load was considerably heavy, and energy supply was insufficient. With increasing infection concentration and time, energy conversion from sugar, fats, and proteins was improved, which may explain why high mortality did not occur until about 15 days after P. locustae infection. The tandem mass tag-based quantitative proteomics analysis revealed that most altered metabolism-related proteins were upregulated (27 of 29 in the metabolic pathway). This result suggests that P. locustae infection accelerated metabolism in L. migratoria, which facilitated the pathogen’s life cycle, inhibiting the growth and development of the locusts and eventually killing them. Our findings will be useful to better understand of the chronic pathogenic mechanisms of P. locustae and inform on applications of P. locustae to control locusts.