Abstract
In the past decade, Galleria mellonella (wax moth) larvae have become widely used as a non-mammalian infection model. However, the full potential of this infection model has yet to be realised, limited by the variable quality of larvae used and the lack of standardised procedures. Here, we review larvae suitable for research, protocols for dosing larvae, and methods for scoring illness in larvae infected with fungal pathogens. The development of standardised protocols for carrying out our experimental work will allow high throughput screens to be developed, changing the way in which we evaluate panels of mutants and strains. It will also enable the in vivo screening of potential antimicrobials at an earlier stage in the research and development cycle.
Highlights
The economy, ease of maintenance, and ethical acceptability has led to the widespread adoption of Galleria mellonella larvae, as a non-mammalian infection model
It is likely a combination of these features which has led to the widespread adoption of G. mellonella larvae as a model for infections caused by a wide range of fungi [2] including Aspergillus [3,4], Candida [5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14], and Cryptococcus species [15,16,17], notably, the larvae are reported to be resistant to Pneumoncystis murina infection [18]
These larvae are purpose bred for research without antibiotics or hormones added to feedstuff. They are age and weight defined and the cuticle of the larvae is decontaminated, reducing the problem of infections in control animals injected with PBS. The use of these larvae as an infection model, in place of pet-food grade larvae, has been seen to have a major impact on the consistency and reproducibility of experiments with bacterial pathogens [27,28], and may reduce the level of variation seen with fungal pathogens
Summary
The economy, ease of maintenance, and ethical acceptability has led to the widespread adoption of Galleria mellonella (wax moth) larvae, as a non-mammalian infection model. The similarities between neutrophils and hemocytes allow the complex interplay between G. mellonella and the pathogen to be captured in a way that is not possible in cell culture infection systems It is likely a combination of these features which has led to the widespread adoption of G. mellonella larvae as a model for infections caused by a wide range of fungi [2] including Aspergillus [3,4], Candida [5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14], and Cryptococcus species [15,16,17], notably, the larvae are reported to be resistant to Pneumoncystis murina infection [18]. Regulated Use in the UK no no yes yes yes yes no no medium high no no yes no no yes low no yes yes no no high yes (fish and older embryos) yes yes low no low yes no regulated as a crop pest
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
