Mao_2025_Bioresour.Technol__132914

Tenebrio molitor demonstrates an excellence ability to biodegrade lignocellulosic waste rapidly, though the specific mechanisms behind this process remain largely unknown. Among the eight types of antibiotics, levofloxacin had the most significant inhibitory effect on gut microorganisms of Tenebrio molitor. Following inhibition of gut microorganisms, notable reductions were observed in larval growth, triglyceride content, and lignocellulose degradation efficiency, suggesting a synergistic role between the gut tissue and gut microorganisms in lignocellulose biodegradation. Transcriptome and lipidome analysis revealed that the expression of lignocellulose genes partial compensatory response after the inhibition of gut microbes, and 41 lipids were specifically down-regulated. Co-expression networks revealed that triglyceride and phosphatidylethanolamine were significantly associated with the module, and the core regulatory genes within the module were glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase, phospholipase B and acetylcholinesterase. This study provides new insights into the effect and mechanism of gut microbiota inhibition of Tenebrio molitor on lignocellulose biodegradation.