Crop Centre in Print
Please find the latest journal publications from the Crop Centre listed below.
For a full list of publications from the School of Life Sciences please visit the Latest Journal Publications
Cordycepin, a metabolite of Cordyceps militaris, reduces immune-related gene expression in insects
Victoria C Woolley, Graham R Teakle, Gillian Prince, Cornelia Moor, David Chandler
Hypocrealean entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) are natural regulators of insect populations in terrestrial environments. Their obligately-killing life-cycle means that there is likely to be strong selection pressure for traits that allow them to evade the effects of the host immune system. In this study, we quantified the effects of cordycepin on insect susceptibility to EPF infection and on insect immune gene expression. The results suggest that cordycepin has potential to act as a suppressor of the immune response during fungal infection of insect hosts.