Abstract

A germ-free rearing system is a crucial method for host–microbiota interactions using Nasonia as a model system. The previous rearing media in 2012 introduced toxic factors like bleach and antibiotics, required significant effort and volume of media preparation, and the rearing protocols in 2012 and 2016 often resulted in embryos, larvae, and enclosing pupae drowning, underfed, or desiccating. In this work, we optimize the germ-free rearing media that excludes the toxic factors and provide a substrate for the developing animals to have constant access to media without the risk of drowning or desiccation. The new process resulted in an increase in full maturation of larvae to adults from 33 to 65%, with no effect on the rate of growth or final adult size. This significantly improves the applicability of germ-free rearing of Nasonia and potentially other parasitoids.

Details

Title
An optimized method for Nasonia germ-free rearing
Author
Guan-Hong, Wang 1 ; Brucker, Robert M 2 

 Chinese Academy of Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Beijing, China (GRID:grid.9227.e) (ISNI:0000000119573309); Rowland Institute at Harvard University, Cambridge, USA (GRID:grid.38142.3c) (ISNI:000000041936754X) 
 Rowland Institute at Harvard University, Cambridge, USA (GRID:grid.38142.3c) (ISNI:000000041936754X) 
Publication year
2022
Publication date
2022
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
e-ISSN
20452322
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2619581365
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2022. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.