Fig. 1
TCT and desiccation stress induce multiple AMP genes in Malpighian tubules (MTs). a Nanostring nCounter analysis of AMP transcripts from isolated MTs of wDah females (7 days old) exposed to TCT for 4 h compared to unstimulated tubules. The mean of four independent biological replicates, harvested on separate days, is shown, and error bars represent standard error of the mean. Statistical significance was calculated by two-way ANOVA and Sidak’s multiple comparison test; **p < 0.01. b mRNA expression (means with SEM) for Defensin and Cecropin-A2 (Cec-A2) measured by qRT-PCR relative to control (time 0, no TCT). TCT induces Defensin (Likelihood ratio test, DF = 1, χ2 = 9.32, p = 0.0023) and Cec-A2 (Likelihood ratio test, DF = 1, χ2 = 6.15, p = 0.013). Generalized Linear Model estimated by maximum likelihood with TCT and desiccation as main effects and TCT x desiccation as interaction effect, N = 12; desiccation and TCT significantly interact to amplify Defensin mRNA (TCT x desiccation χ2 = 3.96 p = 0.046). The desiccation-induced increase for Cec-A2 did not reach significance (TCT x desiccation χ2 = 1.03, p = 0.31). c qRT-PCR analysis of PGRP-LC and PGRP-LE expression from MTs, normalized to PBS-treated control. *p < 0.05; means with SEM, N = 6; t test; PGRP-LC p = 0.038, PGRP-LE p = 0.27