Yuki Yoshida

Yuki Yoshida

I am a JSPS PD fellow at The University of Tokyo. My interests include evolutionary genomics in metazoa and synthetic genomics in bacteria.

JSPS PD Fellow at Wakamoto lab, The University of Tokyo, JAPAN.

Functionality of highly diverged Imd like genes identified in stinkbugs and bedbugs

Published in Scientific Reports, 2025

Co-author paper: The IMD pathway is a conserved innate immune signalling pathway regulating antibacterial defence in insects. Using the Plautia stali Imd sequence as a query, Imd-like genes were identified in Cimex lectularius (common bedbug) and Halyomorpha halys (brown marmorated stinkbug), both previously thought to lack Imd. RNAi experiments confirmed that these highly diverged Imd-like genes function in the IMD pathway. 3D structure predictions showed structural conservation despite extensive sequence divergence, and positive selection signatures suggest an ongoing evolutionary arms race with microbial symbionts.

Recommended citation: Nishide Y., Kageyama D., Yoshida Y., Moriyama M., and Fukatsu T. (2025) Functionality of highly diverged Imd like genes identified in stinkbugs and bedbugs. Sci Rep, 15, 1:19520.