@article{belikoff_davis_williamson_britt_scott_2024, title={Identification of a gene promoter active in<i> Lucilia</i><i> sericata</i> larval salivary glands using a rapid transient expression assay}, volume={173}, ISSN={["1879-0240"]}, url={https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibmb.2024.104163}, DOI={10.1016/j.ibmb.2024.104163}, abstractNote={Tissue-specific gene promoters are desired as they provide the specificity needed for control of gene expression in transgenic animals. Here we describe a relatively rapid two-component transient expression assay that was used to identify a gene promoter active in the larval salivary glands of the green blow fly, Lucilia sericata. Sterile L.sericata maggots are widely used for wound debridement. A larval salivary gland gene promoter could be used to make maggots that secrete factors for enhanced wound therapy. Embryos from a line that carry a tetracycline transactivator (tTA)-activated red fluorescent protein gene were injected with plasmid DNA with the tTA gene driven by a constitutive or tissue-specific gene promoter. The hatched larvae were reared on diet and then examined for red fluorescence. A promoter from the LsCG30371 gene was active in the larval salivary glands. The tissue-specificity of the promoter was subsequently confirmed with stable transgenic lines that carried the LsCG30371-tTA gene. The relatively rapid transient expression assay could potentially be used to determine the tissue-specificity of other gene promoters. Further, the stable LsCG30371-tTA lines could be used to make sterile maggots that secrete factors from the salivary glands for enhanced wound healing.}, journal={INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY}, author={Belikoff, Esther J. and Davis, Rebecca J. and Williamson, Megan E. and Britt, John W. and Scott, Maxwell J.}, year={2024}, month={Oct} }
 @article{davis_belikoff_dickey_scholl_benoit_scott_2021, title={Genome and transcriptome sequencing of the green bottle fly, Lucilia sericata, reveals underlying factors of sheep flystrike and maggot debridement therapy}, volume={113}, ISSN={0888-7543}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ygeno.2021.10.003}, DOI={10.1016/j.ygeno.2021.10.003}, abstractNote={The common green bottle blow fly Lucilia sericata (family, Calliphoridae) is widely used for maggot debridement therapy, which involves the application of sterile maggots to wounds. The larval excretions and secretions are important for consuming necrotic tissue and inhibiting bacterial growth in wounds of patients. Lucilia sericata is also of importance as a pest of sheep and in forensic studies to estimate a postmortem interval. Here we report the assembly of a 565.3 Mb genome from long read PacBio DNA sequencing of genomic DNA. The genome contains 14,704 predicted protein coding genes and 1709 non-coding genes. Targeted annotation and transcriptional analyses identified genes that are highly expressed in the larval salivary glands (secretions) and Malpighian tubules (excretions) under normal growth conditions and following heat stress. The genomic resources will underpin future genetic studies and in development of engineered strains for genetic control of L. sericata and for biotechnology-enhanced maggot therapy.}, number={6}, journal={Genomics}, publisher={Elsevier BV}, author={Davis, Rebecca J. and Belikoff, Esther J. and Dickey, Allison N. and Scholl, Elizabeth H. and Benoit, Joshua B. and Scott, Maxwell J.}, year={2021}, month={Nov}, pages={3978–3988} }