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Łukasik P, Kolasa MR. With a little help from my friends: the roles of microbial symbionts in insect populations and communities. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2024; 379:20230122. [PMID: 38705185 PMCID: PMC11070262 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2023.0122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/07/2024] Open
Abstract
To understand insect abundance, distribution and dynamics, we need to understand the relevant drivers of their populations and communities. While microbial symbionts are known to strongly affect many aspects of insect biology, we lack data on their effects on populations or community processes, or on insects' evolutionary responses at different timescales. How these effects change as the anthropogenic effects on ecosystems intensify is an area of intense research. Recent developments in sequencing and bioinformatics permit cost-effective microbial diversity surveys, tracking symbiont transmission, and identification of functions across insect populations and multi-species communities. In this review, we explore how different functional categories of symbionts can influence insect life-history traits, how these effects could affect insect populations and their interactions with other species, and how they may affect processes and patterns at the level of entire communities. We argue that insect-associated microbes should be considered important drivers of insect response and adaptation to environmental challenges and opportunities. We also outline the emerging approaches for surveying and characterizing insect-associated microbiota at population and community scales. This article is part of the theme issue 'Towards a toolkit for global insect biodiversity monitoring'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piotr Łukasik
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, 30-387 Krakow, Poland
| | - Michał R. Kolasa
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, 30-387 Krakow, Poland
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2
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Hague MTJ, Wheeler TB, Cooper BS. Comparative analysis of Wolbachia maternal transmission and localization in host ovaries. Commun Biol 2024; 7:727. [PMID: 38877196 PMCID: PMC11178894 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06431-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2024] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Many insects and other animals carry microbial endosymbionts that influence their reproduction and fitness. These relationships only persist if endosymbionts are reliably transmitted from one host generation to the next. Wolbachia are maternally transmitted endosymbionts found in most insect species, but transmission rates can vary across environments. Maternal transmission of wMel Wolbachia depends on temperature in natural Drosophila melanogaster hosts and in transinfected Aedes aegypti, where wMel is used to block pathogens that cause human disease. In D. melanogaster, wMel transmission declines in the cold as Wolbachia become less abundant in host ovaries and at the posterior pole plasm (the site of germline formation) in mature oocytes. Here, we assess how temperature affects maternal transmission and underlying patterns of Wolbachia localization across 10 Wolbachia strains diverged up to 50 million years-including strains closely related to wMel-and their natural Drosophila hosts. Many Wolbachia maintain high transmission rates across temperatures, despite highly variable (and sometimes low) levels of Wolbachia in the ovaries and at the developing germline in late-stage oocytes. Identifying strains like closely related wMel-like Wolbachia with stable transmission across variable environmental conditions may improve the efficacy of Wolbachia-based biocontrol efforts as they expand into globally diverse environments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Timothy B Wheeler
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
| | - Brandon S Cooper
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
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3
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Sosa-Jiménez VM, Kvist S, Manzano-Marín A, Oceguera-Figueroa A. Discovery of a novel symbiotic lineage associated with a hematophagous leech from the genus Haementeria. Microbiol Spectr 2024:e0428623. [PMID: 38842327 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.04286-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2023] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Similarly to other strict blood feeders, leeches from the Haementeria genus (Hirudinida: Glossiphoniidae) have established a symbiotic association with bacteria harbored intracellularly in esophageal bacteriomes. Previous genome sequence analyses of these endosymbionts revealed co-divergence with their hosts, a strong genome reduction, and a simplified metabolism largely dedicated to the production of B vitamins, which are nutrients lacking from a blood diet. 'Candidatus Providencia siddallii' has been identified as the obligate nutritional endosymbiont of a monophyletic clade of Mexican and South American Haementeria spp. However, the Haementeria genus includes a sister clade of congeners from Central and South America, where the presence or absence of the aforementioned symbiont taxon remains unknown. In this work, we report on a novel bacterial endosymbiont found in a representative from this Haementeria clade. We found that this symbiont lineage has evolved from within the Pluralibacter genus, known mainly from clinical but also environmental strains. Similarly to Ca. Providencia siddallii, the Haementeria-associated Pluralibacter symbiont displays clear signs of genome reduction, accompanied by an A+T-biased sequence composition. Genomic analysis of its metabolic potential revealed a retention of pathways related to B vitamin biosynthesis, supporting its role as a nutritional endosymbiont. Finally, comparative genomics of both Haementeria symbiont lineages suggests that an ancient Providencia symbiont was likely replaced by the novel Pluralibacter one, thus constituting the first reported case of nutritional symbiont replacement in a leech without morphological changes in the bacteriome. IMPORTANCE Obligate symbiotic associations with a nutritional base have likely evolved more than once in strict blood-feeding leeches. Unlike those symbioses found in hematophagous arthropods, the nature, identity, and evolutionary history of these remains poorly studied. In this work, we further explored obligate nutritional associations between Haementeria leeches and their microbial symbionts, which led to the unexpected discovery of a novel symbiosis with a member of the Pluralibacter genus. When compared to Providencia siddallii, an obligate nutritional symbiont of other Haementeria leeches, this novel bacterial symbiont shows convergent retention of the metabolic pathways involved in B vitamin biosynthesis. Moreover, the genomic characteristics of this Pluralibacter symbiont suggest a more recent association than that of Pr. siddallii and Haementeria. We conclude that the once-thought stable associations between blood-feeding Glossiphoniidae and their symbionts (i.e., one bacteriome structure, one symbiont lineage) can break down, mirroring symbiont turnover observed in various arthropod lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Víctor Manuel Sosa-Jiménez
- Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
- Departamento de Zoología, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Sebastian Kvist
- Department of Natural History, Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Alejandro Manzano-Marín
- Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Alejandro Oceguera-Figueroa
- Departamento de Zoología, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
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4
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Bennett GM, Kwak Y, Maynard R. Endosymbioses Have Shaped the Evolution of Biological Diversity and Complexity Time and Time Again. Genome Biol Evol 2024; 16:evae112. [PMID: 38813885 PMCID: PMC11154151 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evae112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2024] [Revised: 05/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Life on Earth comprises prokaryotes and a broad assemblage of endosymbioses. The pages of Molecular Biology and Evolution and Genome Biology and Evolution have provided an essential window into how these endosymbiotic interactions have evolved and shaped biological diversity. Here, we provide a current perspective on this knowledge by drawing on decades of revelatory research published in Molecular Biology and Evolution and Genome Biology and Evolution, and insights from the field at large. The accumulated work illustrates how endosymbioses provide hosts with novel phenotypes that allow them to transition between adaptive landscapes to access environmental resources. Such endosymbiotic relationships have shaped and reshaped life on Earth. The early serial establishment of mitochondria and chloroplasts through endosymbioses permitted massive upscaling of cellular energetics, multicellularity, and terrestrial planetary greening. These endosymbioses are also the foundation upon which all later ones are built, including everything from land-plant endosymbioses with fungi and bacteria to nutritional endosymbioses found in invertebrate animals. Common evolutionary mechanisms have shaped this broad range of interactions. Endosymbionts generally experience adaptive and stochastic genome streamlining, the extent of which depends on several key factors (e.g. mode of transmission). Hosts, in contrast, adapt complex mechanisms of resource exchange, cellular integration and regulation, and genetic support mechanisms to prop up degraded symbionts. However, there are significant differences between endosymbiotic interactions not only in how partners have evolved with each other but also in the scope of their influence on biological diversity. These differences are important considerations for predicting how endosymbioses will persist and adapt to a changing planet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gordon M Bennett
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of California, Merced, CA, USA
- National Science Foundation Biological Integration Institute—INSITE, University of California, Merced, CA, USA
| | - Younghwan Kwak
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of California, Merced, CA, USA
- National Science Foundation Biological Integration Institute—INSITE, University of California, Merced, CA, USA
| | - Reo Maynard
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of California, Merced, CA, USA
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5
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Mulio SÅ, Zwolińska A, Klejdysz T, Prus‐Frankowska M, Michalik A, Kolasa M, Łukasik P. Limited variation in microbial communities across populations of Macrosteles leafhoppers (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae). ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY REPORTS 2024; 16:e13279. [PMID: 38855918 PMCID: PMC11163331 DOI: 10.1111/1758-2229.13279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
Microbial symbionts play crucial roles in insect biology, yet their diversity, distribution, and temporal dynamics across host populations remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the spatio-temporal distribution of bacterial symbionts within the widely distributed and economically significant leafhopper genus Macrosteles, with a focus on Macrosteles laevis. Using host and symbiont marker gene amplicon sequencing, we explored the intricate relationships between these insects and their microbial partners. Our analysis of the cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) gene data revealed several intriguing findings. First, there was no strong genetic differentiation across M. laevis populations, suggesting gene flow among them. Second, we observed significant levels of heteroplasmy, indicating the presence of multiple mitochondrial haplotypes within individuals. Third, parasitoid infections were prevalent, highlighting the complex ecological interactions involving leafhoppers. The 16S rRNA data confirmed the universal presence of ancient nutritional endosymbionts-Sulcia and Nasuia-in M. laevis. Additionally, we found a high prevalence of Arsenophonus, another common symbiont. Interestingly, unlike most previously studied species, M. laevis exhibited only occasional cases of infection with known facultative endosymbionts and other bacteria. Notably, there was no significant variation in symbiont prevalence across different populations or among sampling years within the same population. Comparatively, facultative endosymbionts such as Rickettsia, Wolbachia, Cardinium and Lariskella were more common in other Macrosteles species. These findings underscore the importance of considering both host and symbiont dynamics when studying microbial associations. By simultaneously characterizing host and symbiont marker gene amplicons in large insect collections, we gain valuable insights into the intricate interplay between insects and their microbial partners. Understanding these dynamics contributes to our broader comprehension of host-microbe interactions in natural ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Åhlén Mulio
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of BiologyJagiellonian UniversityKrakówPoland
| | - Agnieszka Zwolińska
- Department of Plant Physiology, Faculty of BiologyAdam Mickiewicz UniversityPoznanPoland
| | - Tomasz Klejdysz
- Institute of Plant Protection – National Research InstituteResearch Centre for Registration of AgrochemicalsPoznańPoland
| | - Monika Prus‐Frankowska
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of BiologyJagiellonian UniversityKrakówPoland
| | - Anna Michalik
- Department of Developmental Biology and Morphology of Invertebrates, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Faculty of BiologyJagiellonian UniversityKrakówPoland
| | - Michał Kolasa
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of BiologyJagiellonian UniversityKrakówPoland
| | - Piotr Łukasik
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of BiologyJagiellonian UniversityKrakówPoland
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6
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Boyd BM, James I, Johnson KP, Weiss RB, Bush SE, Clayton DH, Dale C. Stochasticity, determinism, and contingency shape genome evolution of endosymbiotic bacteria. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4571. [PMID: 38811551 PMCID: PMC11137140 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48784-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Evolution results from the interaction of stochastic and deterministic processes that create a web of historical contingency, shaping gene content and organismal function. To understand the scope of this interaction, we examine the relative contributions of stochasticity, determinism, and contingency in shaping gene inactivation in 34 lineages of endosymbiotic bacteria, Sodalis, found in parasitic lice, Columbicola, that are independently undergoing genome degeneration. Here we show that the process of genome degeneration in this system is largely deterministic: genes involved in amino acid biosynthesis are lost while those involved in providing B-vitamins to the host are retained. In contrast, many genes encoding redundant functions, including components of the respiratory chain and DNA repair pathways, are subject to stochastic loss, yielding historical contingencies that constrain subsequent losses. Thus, while selection results in functional convergence between symbiont lineages, stochastic mutations initiate distinct evolutionary trajectories, generating diverse gene inventories that lack the functional redundancy typically found in free-living relatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bret M Boyd
- Center for Biological Data Science, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, US.
| | - Ian James
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, US
| | - Kevin P Johnson
- Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL, US
| | - Robert B Weiss
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, US
| | - Sarah E Bush
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, US
| | - Dale H Clayton
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, US
| | - Colin Dale
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, US
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7
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Oguchi K, Harumoto T, Katsuno T, Matsuura Y, Chiyoda S, Fukatsu T. Intracellularity, extracellularity, and squeezing in the symbiotic organ underpin nurturing and functioning of bacterial symbiont in leaf beetles. iScience 2024; 27:109731. [PMID: 38689638 PMCID: PMC11059521 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 02/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Cassidine leaf beetles are associated with genome-reduced symbiotic bacteria Stammera involved in pectin digestion. Stammera cells appear to be harbored in paired symbiotic organs located at the foregut-midgut junction either intracellularly or extracellularly, whereas the symbiont is extracellular in the ovary-accessory glands of adult females and during caplet transmission in eggs. However, using fluorescence and electron microscopy, an intracellular symbiotic configuration of Stammera was observed in Notosacantha species. Detailed inspection of other cassidine species revealed fragmented cell membrane and cytoplasm of the symbiotic organs, wherein Stammera cells are in an intermediate status between intracellularity and extracellularity. We also identified a mitochondria-rich region adjacent to the symbiont-filled region and well-developed muscle fibers surrounding the whole symbiotic organ. Based on these observations, we discuss why the Stammera genome has been reduced so drastically and how symbiont-derived pectinases are produced and supplied to the host's alimentary tract for plant cell wall digestion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kohei Oguchi
- Bioproducion Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Japan
- Misaki Marine Biological Station (MMBS), School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Miura, Japan
| | - Toshiyuki Harumoto
- Hakubi Center for Advanced Research, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Tatsuya Katsuno
- Center for Anatomical Studies, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- KOKORO-Biology Group, Laboratories for Integrated Biology, Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | - Yu Matsuura
- Tropical Biosphere Research Center, University of the Ryukyus, Nishihara, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Soma Chiyoda
- Misaki Marine Biological Station (MMBS), School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Miura, Japan
| | - Takema Fukatsu
- Bioproducion Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Japan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, the University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
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8
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Hoang KL, Salguero-Gómez R, Pike VL, King KC. The impacts of host association and perturbation on symbiont fitness. Symbiosis 2024; 92:439-451. [PMID: 38666134 PMCID: PMC11039428 DOI: 10.1007/s13199-024-00984-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Symbiosis can benefit hosts in numerous ways, but less is known about whether interactions with hosts benefit symbionts-the smaller species in the relationship. To determine the fitness impact of host association on symbionts in likely mutualisms, we conducted a meta-analysis across 91 unique host-symbiont pairings under a range of spatial and temporal contexts. Specifically, we assess the consequences to symbiont fitness when in and out of symbiosis, as well as when the symbiosis is under suboptimal or varying environments and biological conditions (e.g., host age). We find that some intracellular symbionts associated with protists tend to have greater fitness when the symbiosis is under stressful conditions. Symbionts of plants and animals did not exhibit this trend, suggesting that symbionts of multicellular hosts are more robust to perturbations. Symbiont fitness also generally increased with host age. Lastly, we show that symbionts able to proliferate in- and outside host cells exhibit greater fitness than those found exclusively inside or outside cells. The ability to grow in multiple locations may thus help symbionts thrive. We discuss these fitness patterns in light of host-driven factors, whereby hosts exert influence over symbionts to suit their own needs. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13199-024-00984-6.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kim L. Hoang
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA USA
| | | | | | - Kayla C. King
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
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9
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Boyd BM, House N, Carduck CW, Reed DL. Genomic Diversity in the Endosymbiotic Bacteria of Human Head Lice. Mol Biol Evol 2024; 41:msae064. [PMID: 38513084 PMCID: PMC10986857 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msae064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Insects have repeatedly forged symbioses with heritable microbes, gaining novel traits. For the microbe, the transition to symbioses can lead to the degeneration of the symbiont's genome through transmission bottlenecks, isolation, and the loss of DNA repair enzymes. However, some insect-microbial symbioses have persisted for millions of years, suggesting that natural selection slows genetic drift and maintains functional consistency between symbiont populations. By sampling in multiple countries, we examine genomic diversity within a symbiont species, a heritable symbiotic bacterium found only in human head lice. We find that human head louse symbionts contain genetic diversity that appears to have arisen contemporaneously with the appearance of anatomically modern humans within Africa and/or during the colonization of Eurasia by humans. We predict that the observed genetic diversity underlies functional differences in extant symbiont lineages, through the inactivation of genes involved in symbiont membrane construction. Furthermore, we find evidence of additional gene losses prior to the appearance of modern humans, also impacting the symbiont membrane. From this, we conclude that symbiont genome degeneration is proceeding, via gene inactivation and subsequent loss, in human head louse symbionts, while genomic diversity is maintained. Collectively, our results provide a look into the genomic diversity within a single symbiont species and highlight the shared evolutionary history of humans, lice, and bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bret M Boyd
- Center for Biological Data Science, Life Sciences, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Niyomi House
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada Reno, Reno, NV, USA
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Christopher W Carduck
- Center for Biological Data Science, Life Sciences, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - David L Reed
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
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10
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Vasquez YM, Li Z, Xue AZ, Bennett GM. Chromosome-level genome assembly of the aster leafhopper (Macrosteles quadrilineatus) reveals the role of environment and microbial symbiosis in shaping pest insect genome evolution. Mol Ecol Resour 2024; 24:e13919. [PMID: 38146900 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 11/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/27/2023]
Abstract
Leafhoppers comprise over 20,000 plant-sap feeding species, many of which are important agricultural pests. Most species rely on two ancestral bacterial symbionts, Sulcia and Nasuia, for essential nutrition lacking in their phloem and xylem plant sap diets. To understand how pest leafhopper genomes evolve and are shaped by microbial symbioses, we completed a chromosomal-level assembly of the aster leafhopper's genome (ALF; Macrosteles quadrilineatus). We compared ALF's genome to three other pest leafhoppers, Nephotettix cincticeps, Homalodisca vitripennis, and Empoasca onukii, which have distinct ecologies and symbiotic relationships. Despite diverging ~155 million years ago, leafhoppers have high levels of chromosomal synteny and gene family conservation. Conserved genes include those involved in plant chemical detoxification, resistance to various insecticides, and defence against environmental stress. Positive selection acting upon these genes further points to ongoing adaptive evolution in response to agricultural environments. In relation to leafhoppers' general dependence on symbionts, species that retain the ancestral symbiont, Sulcia, displayed gene enrichment of metabolic processes in their genomes. Leafhoppers with both Sulcia and its ancient partner, Nasuia, showed genomic enrichment in genes related to microbial population regulation and immune responses. Finally, horizontally transferred genes (HTGs) associated with symbiont support of Sulcia and Nasuia are only observed in leafhoppers that maintain symbionts. In contrast, HTGs involved in non-symbiotic functions are conserved across all species. The high-quality ALF genome provides deep insights into how host ecology and symbioses shape genome evolution and a wealth of genetic resources for pest control targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yumary M Vasquez
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of California, Merced, Merced, California, USA
| | - Zheng Li
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Allen Z Xue
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Gordon M Bennett
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of California, Merced, Merced, California, USA
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11
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Brockhurst MA, Cameron DD, Beckerman AP. Fitness trade-offs and the origins of endosymbiosis. PLoS Biol 2024; 22:e3002580. [PMID: 38607979 PMCID: PMC11014431 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Endosymbiosis drives evolutionary innovation and underpins the function of diverse ecosystems. The mechanistic origins of symbioses, however, remain unclear, in part because early evolutionary events are obscured by subsequent evolution and genetic drift. This Essay highlights how experimental studies of facultative, host-switched, and synthetic symbioses are revealing the important role of fitness trade-offs between within-host and free-living niches during the early-stage evolution of new symbiotic associations. The mutational targets underpinning such trade-offs are commonly regulatory genes, such that single mutations have major phenotypic effects on multiple traits, thus enabling and reinforcing the transition to a symbiotic lifestyle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A. Brockhurst
- Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomics, School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Duncan D. Cameron
- Department of Environmental and Earth Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew P. Beckerman
- School of Biosciences, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
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12
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Konecka E, Szymkowiak P. Wolbachia supergroup A in Enoplognatha latimana (Araneae: Theridiidae) in Poland as an example of possible horizontal transfer of bacteria. Sci Rep 2024; 14:7486. [PMID: 38553514 PMCID: PMC10980700 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-57701-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Wolbachia (phylum Pseudomonadota, class Alfaproteobacteria, order Rickettsiales, family Ehrlichiaceae) is a maternally inherited bacterial symbiont infecting more than half of arthropod species worldwide and constituting an important force in the evolution, biology, and ecology of invertebrate hosts. Our study contributes to the limited knowledge regarding the presence of intracellular symbiotic bacteria in spiders. Specifically, we investigated the occurrence of Wolbachia infection in the spider species Enoplognatha latimana Hippa and Oksala, 1982 (Araneae: Theridiidae) using a sample collected in north-western Poland. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of Wolbachia infection in E. latimana. A phylogeny based on the sequence analysis of multiple genes, including 16S rRNA, coxA, fbpA, ftsZ, gatB, gltA, groEL, hcpA, and wsp revealed that Wolbachia from the spider represented supergroup A and was related to bacterial endosymbionts discovered in other spider hosts, as well as insects of the orders Diptera and Hymenoptera. A sequence unique for Wolbachia supergroup A was detected for the ftsZ gene. The sequences of Wolbachia housekeeping genes have been deposited in publicly available databases and are an important source of molecular data for comparative studies. The etiology of Wolbachia infection in E. latimana is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edyta Konecka
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, 61-614, Poznań, Poland.
| | - Paweł Szymkowiak
- Department of Animal Taxonomy and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, 61-614, Poznań, Poland
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Wang R, Meng Q, Wang X, Xiao Y, Sun R, Zhang Z, Fu Y, Di Giuseppe G, Liang A. Comparative genomic analysis of symbiotic and free-living Fluviibacter phosphoraccumulans strains provides insights into the evolutionary origins of obligate Euplotes-bacterial endosymbioses. Appl Environ Microbiol 2024; 90:e0190023. [PMID: 38334408 PMCID: PMC10952467 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01900-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Endosymbiosis is a widespread and important phenomenon requiring diverse model systems. Ciliates are a widespread group of protists that often form symbioses with diverse microorganisms. Endosymbioses between the ciliate Euplotes and heritable bacterial symbionts are common in nature, and four essential symbionts were described: Polynucleobacter necessarius, "Candidatus Protistobacter heckmanni," "Ca. Devosia symbiotica," and "Ca. Devosia euplotis." Among them, only the genus Polynucleobacter comprises very close free-living and symbiotic representatives, which makes it an excellent model for investigating symbiont replacements and recent symbioses. In this article, we characterized a novel endosymbiont inhabiting the cytoplasm of Euplotes octocarinatus and found that it is a close relative of the free-living bacterium Fluviibacter phosphoraccumulans (Betaproteobacteria and Rhodocyclales). We present the complete genome sequence and annotation of the symbiotic Fluviibacter. Comparative analyses indicate that the genome of symbiotic Fluviibacter is small in size and rich in pseudogenes when compared with free-living strains, which seems to fit the prediction for recently established endosymbionts undergoing genome erosion. Further comparative analysis revealed reduced metabolic capacities in symbiotic Fluviibacter, which implies that the symbiont relies on the host Euplotes for carbon sources, organic nitrogen and sulfur, and some cofactors. We also estimated substitution rates between symbiotic and free-living Fluviibacter pairs for 233 genes; the results showed that symbiotic Fluviibacter displays higher dN/dS mean value than free-living relatives, which suggested that genetic drift is the main driving force behind molecular evolution in endosymbionts. IMPORTANCE In the long history of symbiosis research, most studies focused mainly on organelles or bacteria within multicellular hosts. The single-celled protists receive little attention despite harboring an immense diversity of symbiotic associations with bacteria and archaea. One subgroup of the ciliate Euplotes species is strictly dependent on essential symbionts for survival and has emerged as a valuable model for understanding symbiont replacements and recent symbioses. However, almost all of our knowledge about the evolution and functions of Euplotes symbioses comes from the Euplotes-Polynucleobacter system. In this article, we report a novel essential symbiont, which also has very close free-living relatives. Genome analysis indicated that it is a recently established endosymbiont undergoing genome erosion and relies on the Euplotes host for many essential molecules. Our results provide support for the notion that essential symbionts of the ciliate Euplotes evolve from free-living progenitors in the natural water environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruanlin Wang
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biotechnology, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Qingyao Meng
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biotechnology, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Xue Wang
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biotechnology, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Yu Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biotechnology, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Ruijuan Sun
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biotechnology, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Zhiyun Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biotechnology, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Yuejun Fu
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biotechnology, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, China
| | | | - Aihua Liang
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biotechnology, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, China
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14
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Luan JB. Insect Bacteriocytes: Adaptation, Development, and Evolution. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ENTOMOLOGY 2024; 69:81-98. [PMID: 38270981 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ento-010323-124159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
Bacteriocytes are host cells specialized to harbor symbionts in certain insect taxa. The adaptation, development, and evolution of bacteriocytes underlie insect symbiosis maintenance. Bacteriocytes carry enriched host genes of insect and bacterial origin whose transcription can be regulated by microRNAs, which are involved in host-symbiont metabolic interactions. Recognition proteins of peptidoglycan, the bacterial cell wall component, and autophagy regulate symbiont abundance in bacteriocytes. Horizontally transferred genes expressed in bacteriocytes influence the metabolism of symbiont peptidoglycan, which may affect the bacteriocyte immune response against symbionts. Bacteriocytes release or transport symbionts into ovaries for symbiont vertical transmission. Bacteriocyte development and death, regulated by transcriptional factors, are variable in different insect species. The evolutionary origin of insect bacteriocytes remains unclear. Future research should elucidate bacteriocyte cell biology, the molecular interplay between bacteriocyte metabolic and immune functions, the genetic basis of bacteriocyte origin, and the coordination between bacteriocyte function and host biology in diverse symbioses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun-Bo Luan
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Economic and Applied Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China;
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15
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Nakabachi A, Suzaki T. Ultrastructure of the bacteriome and bacterial symbionts in the Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri. Microbiol Spectr 2024; 12:e0224923. [PMID: 38047691 PMCID: PMC10783097 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02249-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Omics analyses suggested a mutually indispensable tripartite association among the host D. citri and organelle-like bacteriome associates, Carsonella and Profftella, which are vertically transmitted through host generations. This relationship is based on the metabolic complementarity among these organisms, which is partly enabled by horizontal gene transfer between partners. However, little was known about the fine morphology of the symbionts and the bacteriome, the interface among these organisms. As a first step to address this issue, the present study performed transmission electron microscopy, which revealed previously unrecognized ultrastructures, including aggregations of ribosomes in Carsonella, numerous tubes and occasional protrusions of Profftella, apparently degrading Profftella, and host organelles with different abundance and morphology in distinct cell types. These findings provide insights into the behaviors of the symbionts and host cells to maintain the symbiotic relationship in D. citri.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atsushi Nakabachi
- Research Center for Agrotechnology and Biotechnology, Toyohashi University of Technology, Toyohashi, Aichi, Japan
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16
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Zhang W, Wang J, Huang Z, He X, Wei C. Symbionts in Hodgkinia-free cicadas and their implications for co-evolution between endosymbionts and host insects. Appl Environ Microbiol 2023; 89:e0137323. [PMID: 38047686 PMCID: PMC10734483 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01373-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Obligate symbionts in sap-sucking hemipterans are harbored in either the same or different organs, which provide a unique perspective for uncovering complicated insect-microbe symbiosis. Here, we investigated the distribution of symbionts in adults of 10 Hodgkinia-free cicada species of 2 tribes (Sonatini and Polyneurini) and the co-phylogeny between 65 cicada species and related symbionts (Sulcia and YLSs). We revealed that YLSs commonly colonize the bacteriome sheath besides the fat bodies in these two tribes, which is different with that in most other Hodgkinia-free cicadas. Co-phylogeny analyses between cicadas and symbionts suggest that genetic variation of Sulcia occurred in Sonatini and some other cicada lineages and more independent replacement events in the loss of Hodgkinia/acquisition of YLS in Cicadidae. Our results provide new information on the complex relationships between auchenorrhynchans and related symbionts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenzhe Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Plant Protection Resources and Pest Management of Ministry of Education, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on the Loess Plateau of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Jiali Wang
- Key Laboratory of Plant Protection Resources and Pest Management of Ministry of Education, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on the Loess Plateau of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Zhi Huang
- Key Laboratory of Plant Protection Resources and Pest Management of Ministry of Education, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on the Loess Plateau of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Xiaohua He
- Key Laboratory of Plant Protection Resources and Pest Management of Ministry of Education, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on the Loess Plateau of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Cong Wei
- Key Laboratory of Plant Protection Resources and Pest Management of Ministry of Education, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on the Loess Plateau of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
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17
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Michalik A, Bauer E, Szklarzewicz T, Kaltenpoth M. Nutrient supplementation by genome-eroded Burkholderia symbionts of scale insects. THE ISME JOURNAL 2023; 17:2221-2231. [PMID: 37833524 PMCID: PMC10689751 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-023-01528-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023]
Abstract
Hemipterans are known as hosts to bacterial or fungal symbionts that supplement their unbalanced diet with essential nutrients. Among them, scale insects (Coccomorpha) are characterized by a particularly large diversity of symbiotic systems. Here, using microscopic and genomic approaches, we functionally characterized the symbionts of two scale insects belonging to the Eriococcidae family, Acanthococcus aceris and Gossyparia spuria. These species host Burkholderia bacteria that are localized in the cytoplasm of the fat body cells. Metagenome sequencing revealed very similar and highly reduced genomes (<900KBp) with a low GC content (~38%), making them the smallest and most AT-biased Burkholderia genomes yet sequenced. In their eroded genomes, both symbionts retain biosynthetic pathways for the essential amino acids leucine, isoleucine, valine, threonine, lysine, arginine, histidine, phenylalanine, and precursors for the semi-essential amino acid tyrosine, as well as the cobalamin-dependent methionine synthase MetH. A tryptophan biosynthesis pathway is conserved in the symbiont of G. spuria, but appeared pseudogenized in A. aceris, suggesting differential availability of tryptophan in the two host species' diets. In addition to the pathways for essential amino acid biosynthesis, both symbionts maintain biosynthetic pathways for multiple cofactors, including riboflavin, cobalamin, thiamine, and folate. The localization of Burkholderia symbionts and their genome traits indicate that the symbiosis between Burkholderia and eriococcids is younger than other hemipteran symbioses, but is functionally convergent. Our results add to the emerging picture of dynamic symbiont replacements in sap-sucking Hemiptera and highlight Burkholderia as widespread and versatile intra- and extracellular symbionts of animals, plants, and fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Michalik
- Department of Developmental Biology and Morphology of Invertebrates, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland.
| | - Eugen Bauer
- Department for Evolutionary Ecology, Institute for Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Teresa Szklarzewicz
- Department of Developmental Biology and Morphology of Invertebrates, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Martin Kaltenpoth
- Department for Evolutionary Ecology, Institute for Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
- Department of Insect Symbiosis, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany.
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18
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Amses K, Desiró A, Bryson A, Grigoriev I, Mondo S, Lipzen A, LaButti K, Riley R, Singan V, Salazar-Hamm P, King J, Ballou E, Pawlowska T, Adeleke R, Bonito G, Uehling J. Convergent reductive evolution and host adaptation in Mycoavidus bacterial endosymbionts of Mortierellaceae fungi. Fungal Genet Biol 2023; 169:103838. [PMID: 37716699 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2023.103838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/18/2023]
Abstract
Intimate associations between fungi and intracellular bacterial endosymbionts are becoming increasingly well understood. Phylogenetic analyses demonstrate that bacterial endosymbionts of Mucoromycota fungi are related either to free-living Burkholderia or Mollicutes species. The so-called Burkholderia-related endosymbionts or BRE comprise Mycoavidus, Mycetohabitans and Candidatus Glomeribacter gigasporarum. These endosymbionts are marked by genome contraction thought to be associated with intracellular selection. However, the conclusions drawn thus far are based on a very small subset of endosymbiont genomes, and the mechanisms leading to genome streamlining are not well understood. The purpose of this study was to better understand how intracellular existence shapes Mycoavidus and BRE functionally at the genome level. To this end we generated and analyzed 14 novel draft genomes for Mycoavidus living within the hyphae of Mortierellomycotina fungi. We found that our novel Mycoavidus genomes were significantly reduced compared to free-living Burkholderiales relatives. Using a genome-scale phylogenetic approach including the novel and available existing genomes of Mycoavidus, we show that the genus is an assemblage composed of two independently derived lineages including three well supported clades of Mycoavidus. Using a comparative genomic approach, we shed light on the functional implications of genome reduction, documenting shared and unique gene loss patterns between the three Mycoavidus clades. We found that many endosymbiont isolates demonstrate patterns of vertical transmission and host-specificity, but others are present in phylogenetically disparate hosts. We discuss how reductive evolution and host specificity reflect convergent adaptation to the intrahyphal selective landscape, and commonalities of eukaryotic endosymbiont genome evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Amses
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97333, USA
| | - Alessandro Desiró
- Department of Plant Soil and Microbial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing MI 48824, USA
| | - Abigail Bryson
- Department of Plant Soil and Microbial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing MI 48824, USA
| | - Igor Grigoriev
- United States Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Stephen Mondo
- United States Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Department of Agricultural Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Anna Lipzen
- United States Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Kurt LaButti
- United States Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Robert Riley
- United States Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Vasanth Singan
- United States Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Paris Salazar-Hamm
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97333, USA
| | - Jason King
- Department of Agricultural Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Elizabeth Ballou
- School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank S10 2TN, UK
| | - Teresa Pawlowska
- MRC Centre for Medical Mycology, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Rasheed Adeleke
- School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-5904, USA; Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, Private bag X6001, 2520, South Africa
| | - Gregory Bonito
- Department of Plant Soil and Microbial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing MI 48824, USA
| | - Jessie Uehling
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97333, USA.
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19
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Kolasa M, Kajtoch Ł, Michalik A, Maryańska-Nadachowska A, Łukasik P. Till evolution do us part: The diversity of symbiotic associations across populations of Philaenus spittlebugs. Environ Microbiol 2023; 25:2431-2446. [PMID: 37525959 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023]
Abstract
Symbiotic bacteria have played crucial roles in the evolution of sap-feeding insects and can strongly affect host function. However, their diversity and distribution within species are not well understood; we do not know to what extent environmental factors or associations with other species may affect microbial community profiles. We addressed this question in Philaenus spittlebugs by surveying both insect and bacterial marker gene amplicons across multiple host populations. Host mitochondrial sequence data confirmed morphology-based identification of six species and revealed two divergent clades of Philaenus spumarius. All of them hosted the primary symbiont Sulcia that was almost always accompanied by Sodalis. Interestingly, populations and individuals often differed in the presence of Sodalis sequence variants, suggestive of intra-genome 16S rRNA variant polymorphism combined with rapid genome evolution and/or recent additional infections or replacements of the co-primary symbiont. The prevalence of facultative endosymbionts, including Wolbachia, Rickettsia, and Spiroplasma, varied among populations. Notably, cytochrome I oxidase (COI) amplicon data also showed that nearly a quarter of P. spumarius were infected by parasitoid flies (Verralia aucta). One of the Wolbachia operational taxonomic units (OTUs) was exclusively present in Verralia-parasitized specimens, suggestive of parasitoids as their source and highlighting the utility of host gene amplicon sequencing in microbiome studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michał Kolasa
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
- Institute of Systematics and Evolution of Animals, Polish Academy of Sciences, Krakow, Poland
| | - Łukasz Kajtoch
- Institute of Systematics and Evolution of Animals, Polish Academy of Sciences, Krakow, Poland
| | - Anna Michalik
- Department of Developmental Biology and Morphology of Invertebrates, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | | | - Piotr Łukasik
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
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20
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Dittmer J, Corretto E, Štarhová Serbina L, Michalik A, Nováková E, Schuler H. Division of labor within psyllids: metagenomics reveals an ancient dual endosymbiosis with metabolic complementarity in the genus Cacopsylla. mSystems 2023; 8:e0057823. [PMID: 37768069 PMCID: PMC10654072 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00578-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Heritable beneficial bacterial endosymbionts have been crucial for the evolutionary success of numerous insects by enabling the exploitation of nutritionally limited food sources. Herein, we describe a previously unknown dual endosymbiosis in the psyllid genus Cacopsylla, consisting of the primary endosymbiont "Candidatus Carsonella ruddii" and a co-occurring Enterobacteriaceae bacterium for which we propose the name "Candidatus Psyllophila symbiotica." Its localization within the bacteriome and its small genome size confirm that Psyllophila is a co-primary endosymbiont widespread within the genus Cacopsylla. Despite its highly eroded genome, Psyllophila perfectly complements the tryptophan biosynthesis pathway that is incomplete in the co-occurring Carsonella. Moreover, the genome of Psyllophila is almost as small as Carsonella's, suggesting an ancient dual endosymbiosis that has now reached a precarious stage where any additional gene loss would make the system collapse. Hence, our results shed light on the dynamic interactions of psyllids and their endosymbionts over evolutionary time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Dittmer
- Faculty of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy
- UMR 1345, Université d’Angers, Institut Agro, INRAE, IRHS, SFR Quasav, Beaucouzé, France
| | - Erika Corretto
- Faculty of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Liliya Štarhová Serbina
- Faculty of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Anna Michalik
- Department of Developmental Biology and Morphology of Invertebrates, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Eva Nováková
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Hannes Schuler
- Faculty of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy
- Competence Centre for Plant Health, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy
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21
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Štarhová Serbina L, Corretto E, Enciso Garcia JS, Berta M, Giovanelli T, Dittmer J, Schuler H. Seasonal wild dance of dual endosymbionts in the pear psyllid Cacopsylla pyricola (Hemiptera: Psylloidea). Sci Rep 2023; 13:16038. [PMID: 37749181 PMCID: PMC10519999 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-43130-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Most sap-feeding insects maintain obligate relationships with endosymbiotic bacteria that provide their hosts with essential nutrients. However, knowledge about the dynamics of endosymbiont titers across seasons in natural host populations is scarce. Here, we used quantitative PCR to investigate the seasonal dynamics of the dual endosymbionts "Candidatus Carsonella ruddii" and "Ca. Psyllophila symbiotica" in a natural population of the pear psyllid Cacopsylla pyricola (Hemiptera: Psylloidea: Psyllidae). Psyllid individuals were collected across an entire year, covering both summer and overwintering generations. Immatures harboured the highest titers of both endosymbionts, while the lowest endosymbiont density was observed in males. The density of Carsonella remained high and relatively stable across the vegetative period of the pear trees, but significantly dropped during the non-vegetative period, overlapping with C. pyricola's reproductive diapause. In contrast, the titer of Psyllophila was consistently higher than Carsonella's and exhibited fluctuations throughout the sampling year, which might be related to host age. Despite a tightly integrated metabolic complementarity between Carsonella and Psyllophila, our findings highlight differences in their density dynamics throughout the year, that might be linked to their metabolic roles at different life stages of the host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liliya Štarhová Serbina
- Faculty of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, 39100, Bolzano, Italy.
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, 60200, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Erika Corretto
- Faculty of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, 39100, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Juan Sebastian Enciso Garcia
- Faculty of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, 39100, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Michela Berta
- Faculty of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, 39100, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Tobia Giovanelli
- Faculty of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, 39100, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Jessica Dittmer
- UMR 1345, Institut Agro, INRAE, IRHS, SFR Quasav, Université d'Angers, Angers, France
| | - Hannes Schuler
- Faculty of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, 39100, Bolzano, Italy
- Competence Centre for Plant Health, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, 39100, Bolzano, Italy
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22
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Manzano-Marín A, Kvist S, Oceguera-Figueroa A. Evolution of an Alternative Genetic Code in the Providencia Symbiont of the Hematophagous Leech Haementeria acuecueyetzin. Genome Biol Evol 2023; 15:evad164. [PMID: 37690114 PMCID: PMC10540940 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evad164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Strict blood-feeding animals are confronted with a strong B-vitamin deficiency. Blood-feeding leeches from the Glossiphoniidae family, similarly to hematophagous insects, have evolved specialized organs called bacteriomes to harbor symbiotic bacteria. Leeches of the Haementeria genus have two pairs of globular bacteriomes attached to the esophagus which house intracellular "Candidatus Providencia siddallii" bacteria. Previous work analyzing a draft genome of the Providencia symbiont of the Mexican leech Haementeria officinalis showed that, in this species, the bacteria hold a reduced genome capable of synthesizing B vitamins. In this work, we aimed to expand our knowledge on the diversity and evolution of Providencia symbionts of Haementeria. For this purpose, we sequenced the symbiont genomes of three selected leech species. We found that all genomes are highly syntenic and have kept a stable genetic repertoire, mirroring ancient insect endosymbionts. Additionally, we found B-vitamin pathways to be conserved among these symbionts, pointing to a conserved symbiotic role. Lastly and most notably, we found that the symbiont of H. acuecueyetzin has evolved an alternative genetic code, affecting a portion of its proteome and showing evidence of a lineage-specific and likely intermediate stage of genetic code reassignment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Manzano-Marín
- Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sebastian Kvist
- Department of Natural History, Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Canada
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Present address: Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Alejandro Oceguera-Figueroa
- Departamento de Zoología, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de México, Ciudad de México, México
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23
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Kolo AO, Raghavan R. Impact of endosymbionts on tick physiology and fitness. Parasitology 2023; 150:859-865. [PMID: 37722758 PMCID: PMC10577665 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182023000793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023]
Abstract
Ticks transmit pathogens and harbour non-pathogenic, vertically transmitted intracellular bacteria termed endosymbionts. Almost all ticks studied to date contain 1 or more of Coxiella, Francisella, Rickettsia or Candidatus Midichloria mitochondrii endosymbionts, indicative of their importance to tick physiology. Genomic and experimental data suggest that endosymbionts promote tick development and reproductive success. Here, we review the limited information currently available on the potential roles endosymbionts play in enhancing tick metabolism and fitness. Future studies that expand on these findings are needed to better understand endosymbionts’ contributions to tick biology. This knowledge could potentially be applied to design novel strategies that target endosymbiont function to control the spread of ticks and pathogens they vector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agatha O. Kolo
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Rahul Raghavan
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
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Cornwallis CK, van 't Padje A, Ellers J, Klein M, Jackson R, Kiers ET, West SA, Henry LM. Symbioses shape feeding niches and diversification across insects. Nat Ecol Evol 2023; 7:1022-1044. [PMID: 37202501 PMCID: PMC10333129 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-02058-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
For over 300 million years, insects have relied on symbiotic microbes for nutrition and defence. However, it is unclear whether specific ecological conditions have repeatedly favoured the evolution of symbioses, and how this has influenced insect diversification. Here, using data on 1,850 microbe-insect symbioses across 402 insect families, we found that symbionts have allowed insects to specialize on a range of nutrient-imbalanced diets, including phloem, blood and wood. Across diets, the only limiting nutrient consistently associated with the evolution of obligate symbiosis was B vitamins. The shift to new diets, facilitated by symbionts, had mixed consequences for insect diversification. In some cases, such as herbivory, it resulted in spectacular species proliferation. In other niches, such as strict blood feeding, diversification has been severely constrained. Symbioses therefore appear to solve widespread nutrient deficiencies for insects, but the consequences for insect diversification depend on the feeding niche that is invaded.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anouk van 't Padje
- Amsterdam Institute for Life and Environment, section Ecology and Evolution, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Laboratory of Genetics, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Jacintha Ellers
- Amsterdam Institute for Life and Environment, section Ecology and Evolution, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Malin Klein
- Amsterdam Institute for Life and Environment, section Ecology and Evolution, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Raphaella Jackson
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - E Toby Kiers
- Amsterdam Institute for Life and Environment, section Ecology and Evolution, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Stuart A West
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Lee M Henry
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.
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Žárský V, Karnkowska A, Boscaro V, Trznadel M, Whelan TA, Hiltunen-Thorén M, Onut-Brännström I, Abbott CL, Fast NM, Burki F, Keeling PJ. Contrasting outcomes of genome reduction in mikrocytids and microsporidians. BMC Biol 2023; 21:137. [PMID: 37280585 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-023-01635-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Intracellular symbionts often undergo genome reduction, losing both coding and non-coding DNA in a process that ultimately produces small, gene-dense genomes with few genes. Among eukaryotes, an extreme example is found in microsporidians, which are anaerobic, obligate intracellular parasites related to fungi that have the smallest nuclear genomes known (except for the relic nucleomorphs of some secondary plastids). Mikrocytids are superficially similar to microsporidians: they are also small, reduced, obligate parasites; however, as they belong to a very different branch of the tree of eukaryotes, the rhizarians, such similarities must have evolved in parallel. Since little genomic data are available from mikrocytids, we assembled a draft genome of the type species, Mikrocytos mackini, and compared the genomic architecture and content of microsporidians and mikrocytids to identify common characteristics of reduction and possible convergent evolution. RESULTS At the coarsest level, the genome of M. mackini does not exhibit signs of extreme genome reduction; at 49.7 Mbp with 14,372 genes, the assembly is much larger and gene-rich than those of microsporidians. However, much of the genomic sequence and most (8075) of the protein-coding genes code for transposons, and may not contribute much of functional relevance to the parasite. Indeed, the energy and carbon metabolism of M. mackini share several similarities with those of microsporidians. Overall, the predicted proteome involved in cellular functions is quite reduced and gene sequences are extremely divergent. Microsporidians and mikrocytids also share highly reduced spliceosomes that have retained a strikingly similar subset of proteins despite having reduced independently. In contrast, the spliceosomal introns in mikrocytids are very different from those of microsporidians in that they are numerous, conserved in sequence, and constrained to an exceptionally narrow size range (all 16 or 17 nucleotides long) at the shortest extreme of known intron lengths. CONCLUSIONS Nuclear genome reduction has taken place many times and has proceeded along different routes in different lineages. Mikrocytids show a mix of similarities and differences with other extreme cases, including uncoupling the actual size of a genome with its functional reduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vojtečh Žárský
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Vancouver, 3529-6270 University Boulevard, BC, Canada
| | - Anna Karnkowska
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Vancouver, 3529-6270 University Boulevard, BC, Canada
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, 02-089, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Vittorio Boscaro
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Vancouver, 3529-6270 University Boulevard, BC, Canada.
| | - Morelia Trznadel
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Vancouver, 3529-6270 University Boulevard, BC, Canada
| | - Thomas A Whelan
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Vancouver, 3529-6270 University Boulevard, BC, Canada
| | - Markus Hiltunen-Thorén
- Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Norbyv. 18D, 752 36, Uppsala, Sweden
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ioana Onut-Brännström
- Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Norbyv. 18D, 752 36, Uppsala, Sweden
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, 752 36, Uppsala, Sweden
- Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, 0562, Oslo, Norway
| | - Cathryn L Abbott
- Pacific Biological Station, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Nanaimo, BC, V9T 6N7, Canada
| | - Naomi M Fast
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Vancouver, 3529-6270 University Boulevard, BC, Canada
| | - Fabien Burki
- Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Norbyv. 18D, 752 36, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Patrick J Keeling
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Vancouver, 3529-6270 University Boulevard, BC, Canada.
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Moore LD, Ballinger MJ. The toxins of vertically transmitted Spiroplasma. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1148263. [PMID: 37275155 PMCID: PMC10232968 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1148263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Vertically transmitted (VT) microbial symbionts play a vital role in the evolution of their insect hosts. A longstanding question in symbiont research is what genes help promote long-term stability of vertically transmitted lifestyles. Symbiont success in insect hosts is due in part to expression of beneficial or manipulative phenotypes that favor symbiont persistence in host populations. In Spiroplasma, these phenotypes have been linked to toxin and virulence domains among a few related strains. However, these domains also appear frequently in phylogenetically distant Spiroplasma, and little is known about their distribution across the Spiroplasma genus. In this study, we present the complete genome sequence of the Spiroplasma symbiont of Drosophila atripex, a non-manipulating member of the Ixodetis clade of Spiroplasma, for which genomic data are still limited. We perform a genus-wide comparative analysis of toxin domains implicated in defensive and reproductive phenotypes. From 12 VT and 31 non-VT Spiroplasma genomes, ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIPs), OTU-like cysteine proteases (OTUs), ankyrins, and ETX/MTX2 domains show high propensity for VT Spiroplasma compared to non-VT Spiroplasma. Specifically, OTU and ankyrin domains can be found only in VT-Spiroplasma, and RIP domains are found in all VT Spiroplasma and three non-VT Spiroplasma. These domains are frequently associated with Spiroplasma plasmids, suggesting a possible mechanism for dispersal and maintenance among heritable strains. Searching insect genome assemblies available on public databases uncovered uncharacterized Spiroplasma genomes from which we identified several spaid-like genes encoding RIP, OTU, and ankyrin domains, suggesting functional interactions among those domain types. Our results suggest a conserved core of symbiont domains play an important role in the evolution and persistence of VT Spiroplasma in insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Logan D. Moore
- Department of Biological Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, United States
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Suenami S, Koto A, Miyazaki R. Basic Structures of Gut Bacterial Communities in Eusocial Insects. INSECTS 2023; 14:insects14050444. [PMID: 37233072 DOI: 10.3390/insects14050444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2023] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Gut bacterial communities assist host animals with numerous functions such as food digestion, nutritional provision, or immunity. Some social mammals and insects are unique in that their gut microbial communities are stable among individuals. In this review, we focus on the gut bacterial communities of eusocial insects, including bees, ants, and termites, to provide an overview of their community structures and to gain insights into any general aspects of their structural basis. Pseudomonadota and Bacillota are prevalent bacterial phyla commonly detected in those three insect groups, but their compositions are distinct at lower taxonomic levels. Eusocial insects harbor unique gut bacterial communities that are shared within host species, while their stability varies depending on host physiology and ecology. Species with narrow dietary habits, such as eusocial bees, harbor highly stable and intraspecific microbial communities, while generalists, such as most ant species, exhibit relatively diverse community structures. Caste differences could influence the relative abundance of community members without significantly altering the taxonomic composition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shota Suenami
- Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba 305-8566, Japan
| | - Akiko Koto
- Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba 305-8566, Japan
- Computational Bio Big Data Open Innovation Laboratory (CBBD-OIL), AIST, Tokyo 169-8555, Japan
| | - Ryo Miyazaki
- Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba 305-8566, Japan
- Computational Bio Big Data Open Innovation Laboratory (CBBD-OIL), AIST, Tokyo 169-8555, Japan
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8572, Japan
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28
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Kiefer JST, Bauer E, Okude G, Fukatsu T, Kaltenpoth M, Engl T. Cuticle supplementation and nitrogen recycling by a dual bacterial symbiosis in a family of xylophagous beetles. THE ISME JOURNAL 2023:10.1038/s41396-023-01415-y. [PMID: 37085551 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-023-01415-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Revised: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 04/23/2023]
Abstract
Many insects engage in stable nutritional symbioses with bacteria that supplement limiting essential nutrients to their host. While several plant sap-feeding Hemipteran lineages are known to be simultaneously associated with two or more endosymbionts with complementary biosynthetic pathways to synthesize amino acids or vitamins, such co-obligate symbioses have not been functionally characterized in other insect orders. Here, we report on the characterization of a dual co-obligate, bacteriome-localized symbiosis in a family of xylophagous beetles using comparative genomics, fluorescence microscopy, and phylogenetic analyses. Across the beetle family Bostrichidae, most investigated species harbored the Bacteroidota symbiont Shikimatogenerans bostrichidophilus that encodes the shikimate pathway to produce tyrosine precursors in its severely reduced genome, likely supplementing the beetles' cuticle biosynthesis, sclerotisation, and melanisation. One clade of Bostrichid beetles additionally housed the co-obligate symbiont Bostrichicola ureolyticus that is inferred to complement the function of Shikimatogenerans by recycling urea and provisioning the essential amino acid lysine, thereby providing additional benefits on nitrogen-poor diets. Both symbionts represent ancient associations within the Bostrichidae that have subsequently experienced genome erosion and co-speciation with their hosts. While Bostrichicola was repeatedly lost, Shikimatogenerans has been retained throughout the family and exhibits a perfect pattern of co-speciation. Our results reveal that co-obligate symbioses with complementary metabolic capabilities occur beyond the well-known sap-feeding Hemiptera and highlight the importance of symbiont-mediated cuticle supplementation and nitrogen recycling for herbivorous beetles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Simon Thilo Kiefer
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Eugen Bauer
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Genta Okude
- Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba, 305-8566, Japan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Takema Fukatsu
- Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba, 305-8566, Japan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, 305-8571, Japan
| | - Martin Kaltenpoth
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany
- Department of Insect Symbiosis, Max-Planck-Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - Tobias Engl
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany.
- Department of Insect Symbiosis, Max-Planck-Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany.
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29
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Michalik A, Franco DC, Deng J, Szklarzewicz T, Stroiński A, Kobiałka M, Łukasik P. Variable organization of symbiont-containing tissue across planthoppers hosting different heritable endosymbionts. Front Physiol 2023; 14:1135346. [PMID: 37035661 PMCID: PMC10073718 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1135346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Sap-feeding hemipteran insects live in associations with diverse heritable symbiotic microorganisms (bacteria and fungi) that provide essential nutrients deficient in their hosts' diets. These symbionts typically reside in highly specialized organs called bacteriomes (with bacterial symbionts) or mycetomes (with fungal symbionts). The organization of these organs varies between insect clades that are ancestrally associated with different microbes. As these symbioses evolve and additional microorganisms complement or replace the ancient associates, the organization of the symbiont-containing tissue becomes even more variable. Planthoppers (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha) are ancestrally associated with bacterial symbionts Sulcia and Vidania, but in many of the planthopper lineages, these symbionts are now accompanied or have been replaced by other heritable bacteria (e.g., Sodalis, Arsenophonus, Purcelliella) or fungi. We know the identity of many of these microbes, but the symbiont distribution within the host tissues and the bacteriome organization have not been systematically studied using modern microscopy techniques. Here, we combine light, fluorescence, and transmission electron microscopy with phylogenomic data to compare symbiont tissue distributions and the bacteriome organization across planthoppers representing 15 families. We identify and describe seven primary types of symbiont localization and seven types of the organization of the bacteriome. We show that Sulcia and Vidania, when present, usually occupy distinct bacteriomes distributed within the body cavity. The more recently acquired gammaproteobacterial and fungal symbionts generally occupy separate groups of cells organized into distinct bacteriomes or mycetomes, distinct from those with Sulcia and Vidania. They can also be localized in the cytoplasm of fat body cells. Alphaproteobacterial symbionts colonize a wider range of host body habitats: Asaia-like symbionts often colonize the host gut lumen, whereas Wolbachia and Rickettsia are usually scattered across insect tissues and cell types, including cells containing other symbionts, bacteriome sheath, fat body cells, gut epithelium, as well as hemolymph. However, there are exceptions, including Gammaproteobacteria that share bacteriome with Vidania, or Alphaproteobacteria that colonize Sulcia cells. We discuss how planthopper symbiont localization correlates with their acquisition and replacement patterns and the symbionts' likely functions. We also discuss the evolutionary consequences, constraints, and significance of these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Michalik
- Department of Developmental Biology and Morphology of Invertebrates, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Diego Castillo Franco
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Junchen Deng
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
- Doctoral School of Exact and Natural Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Teresa Szklarzewicz
- Department of Developmental Biology and Morphology of Invertebrates, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Adam Stroiński
- Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Michał Kobiałka
- Department of Developmental Biology and Morphology of Invertebrates, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Piotr Łukasik
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
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30
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Dittmer J, Bredon M, Moumen B, Raimond M, Grève P, Bouchon D. The terrestrial isopod symbiont 'Candidatus Hepatincola porcellionum' is a potential nutrient scavenger related to Holosporales symbionts of protists. ISME COMMUNICATIONS 2023; 3:18. [PMID: 36882494 PMCID: PMC9992710 DOI: 10.1038/s43705-023-00224-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Revised: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023]
Abstract
The order Holosporales (Alphaproteobacteria) encompasses obligate intracellular bacterial symbionts of diverse Eukaryotes. These bacteria have highly streamlined genomes and can have negative fitness effects on the host. Herein, we present a comparative analysis of the first genome sequences of 'Ca. Hepatincola porcellionum', a facultative symbiont occurring extracellularly in the midgut glands of terrestrial isopods. Using a combination of long-read and short-read sequencing, we obtained the complete circular genomes of two Hepatincola strains and an additional metagenome-assembled draft genome. Phylogenomic analysis validated its phylogenetic position as an early-branching family-level clade relative to all other established Holosporales families associated with protists. A 16S rRNA gene survey revealed that this new family encompasses diverse bacteria associated with both marine and terrestrial host species, which expands the host range of Holosporales bacteria from protists to several phyla of the Ecdysozoa (Arthropoda and Priapulida). Hepatincola has a highly streamlined genome with reduced metabolic and biosynthetic capacities as well as a large repertoire of transmembrane transporters. This suggests that this symbiont is rather a nutrient scavenger than a nutrient provider for the host, likely benefitting from a nutrient-rich environment to import all necessary metabolites and precursors. Hepatincola further possesses a different set of bacterial secretion systems compared to protist-associated Holosporales, suggesting different host-symbiont interactions depending on the host organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Dittmer
- Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Ambientali (DISAA), Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 2, 20133, Milano, Italy.
- UMR 1345, Université d'Angers, Institut Agro, INRAE, IRHS, SFR Quasav, 42 Rue Georges Morel, 49070, Beaucouzé, France.
| | - Marius Bredon
- UMR CNRS 7267, Ecologie et Biologie des Interactions, Université de Poitiers, 3 Rue Jacques Fort, 86073, Poitiers, France
- Université Paris-Sorbonne, Centre de Recherche Saint-Antoine, Equipe Microbiote, Intestin et Inflammation, 27 Rue Chaligny, 75012, Paris, France
| | - Bouziane Moumen
- UMR CNRS 7267, Ecologie et Biologie des Interactions, Université de Poitiers, 3 Rue Jacques Fort, 86073, Poitiers, France
| | - Maryline Raimond
- UMR CNRS 7267, Ecologie et Biologie des Interactions, Université de Poitiers, 3 Rue Jacques Fort, 86073, Poitiers, France
| | - Pierre Grève
- UMR CNRS 7267, Ecologie et Biologie des Interactions, Université de Poitiers, 3 Rue Jacques Fort, 86073, Poitiers, France
| | - Didier Bouchon
- UMR CNRS 7267, Ecologie et Biologie des Interactions, Université de Poitiers, 3 Rue Jacques Fort, 86073, Poitiers, France.
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Abstract
Insects are highly successful in colonizing a wide spectrum of ecological niches and in feeding on a wide diversity of diets. This is notably linked to their capacity to get from their microbiota any essential component lacking in the diet such as vitamins and amino acids. Over a century of research based on dietary analysis, antimicrobial treatment, gnotobiotic rearing, and culture-independent microbe detection progressively generated a wealth of information about the role of the microbiota in specific aspects of insect fitness. Thanks to the recent increase in sequencing capacities, whole-genome sequencing of a number of symbionts has facilitated tracing of biosynthesis pathways, validation of experimental data and evolutionary analyses. This field of research has generated a considerable set of data in a diversity of hosts harboring specific symbionts or nonspecific microbiota members. Here, we review the current knowledge on the involvement of the microbiota in insect and tick nutrition, with a particular focus on B vitamin provision. We specifically question if there is any specificity of B vitamin provision by symbionts compared to the redundant yet essential contribution of nonspecific microbes. We successively highlight the known aspects of microbial vitamin provision during three main life stages of invertebrates: postembryonic development, adulthood, and reproduction.
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Maruyama J, Inoue H, Hirose Y, Nakabachi A. 16S rRNA Gene Sequencing of Six Psyllid Species of the Family Carsidaridae Identified Various Bacteria Including Symbiopectobacterium. Microbes Environ 2023; 38:ME23045. [PMID: 37612118 PMCID: PMC10522848 DOI: 10.1264/jsme2.me23045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Psyllids (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Psylloidea) are plant sap-sucking insects that are closely associated with various microbes. To obtain a more detailed understanding of the ecological and evolutionary behaviors of microbes in Psylloidea, the bacterial populations of six psyllid species, belonging to the family Carsidaridae, were analyzed using high-throughput amplicon sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. The majority of the secondary symbionts identified in the present study were gammaproteobacteria, particularly those of the order Enterobacterales, including Arsenophonus and Sodalis, which are lineages found in a wide variety of insect hosts. Additionally, Symbiopectobacterium, another Enterobacterales lineage, which has recently been recognized and increasingly shown to be vertically transmitted and mutualistic in various invertebrates, was identified for the first time in Psylloidea. This lineage is closely related to Pectobacterium spp., which are plant pathogens, but forms a distinct clade exhibiting no pathogenicity to plants. Non-Enterobacterales gammaproteobacteria found in the present study were Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas (both Pseudomonadales), Delftia, Comamonas (both Burkholderiales), and Xanthomonas (Xanthomonadales), a putative plant pathogen. Regarding alphaproteobacteria, three Wolbachia (Rickettsiales) lineages belonging to supergroup B, the major group in insect lineages, were detected in four psyllid species. In addition, a Wolbachia lineage of supergroup O, a minor group recently found for the first time in Psylloidea, was detected in one psyllid species. These results suggest the pervasive transfer of bacterial symbionts among animals and plants, providing deeper insights into the evolution of the interactions among these organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junnosuke Maruyama
- Department of Applied Chemistry and Life Science, Toyohashi University of Technology, 1–1 Hibarigaoka, Tempaku, Toyohashi, Aichi 441–8580, Japan
| | - Hiromitsu Inoue
- Institute for Plant Protection, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Higashihiroshima, Hiroshima 739–2494, Japan
| | - Yuu Hirose
- Department of Applied Chemistry and Life Science, Toyohashi University of Technology, 1–1 Hibarigaoka, Tempaku, Toyohashi, Aichi 441–8580, Japan
| | - Atsushi Nakabachi
- Department of Applied Chemistry and Life Science, Toyohashi University of Technology, 1–1 Hibarigaoka, Tempaku, Toyohashi, Aichi 441–8580, Japan
- Research Institute for Technological Science and Innovation, Toyohashi University of Technology, 1–1 Hibarigaoka, Tempaku, Toyohashi, Aichi 441–8580, Japan
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Dharamshi JE, Köstlbacher S, Schön ME, Collingro A, Ettema TJG, Horn M. Gene gain facilitated endosymbiotic evolution of Chlamydiae. Nat Microbiol 2023; 8:40-54. [PMID: 36604515 PMCID: PMC9816063 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-022-01284-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Chlamydiae is a bacterial phylum composed of obligate animal and protist endosymbionts. However, other members of the Planctomycetes-Verrucomicrobia-Chlamydiae superphylum are primarily free living. How Chlamydiae transitioned to an endosymbiotic lifestyle is still largely unresolved. Here we reconstructed Planctomycetes-Verrucomicrobia-Chlamydiae species relationships and modelled superphylum genome evolution. Gene content reconstruction from 11,996 gene families suggests a motile and facultatively anaerobic last common Chlamydiae ancestor that had already gained characteristic endosymbiont genes. Counter to expectations for genome streamlining in strict endosymbionts, we detected substantial gene gain within Chlamydiae. We found that divergence in energy metabolism and aerobiosis observed in extant lineages emerged later during chlamydial evolution. In particular, metabolic and aerobic genes characteristic of the more metabolically versatile protist-infecting chlamydiae were gained, such as respiratory chain complexes. Our results show that metabolic complexity can increase during endosymbiont evolution, adding an additional perspective for understanding symbiont evolutionary trajectories across the tree of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennah E Dharamshi
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Stephan Köstlbacher
- University of Vienna, Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, Vienna, Austria
- University of Vienna, Doctoral School in Microbiology and Environmental Science, Vienna, Austria
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Max E Schön
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Astrid Collingro
- University of Vienna, Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, Vienna, Austria
| | - Thijs J G Ettema
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Matthias Horn
- University of Vienna, Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, Vienna, Austria.
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Hawlitschek O, Sadílek D, Dey LS, Buchholz K, Noori S, Baez IL, Wehrt T, Brozio J, Trávníček P, Seidel M, Husemann M. New estimates of genome size in Orthoptera and their evolutionary implications. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0275551. [PMID: 36920952 PMCID: PMC10016648 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0275551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Animal genomes vary widely in size, and much of their architecture and content remains poorly understood. Even among related groups, such as orders of insects, genomes may vary in size by orders of magnitude-for reasons unknown. The largest known insect genomes were repeatedly found in Orthoptera, e.g., Podisma pedestris (1C = 16.93 pg), Stethophyma grossum (1C = 18.48 pg) and Bryodemella holdereri (1C = 18.64 pg). While all these species belong to the suborder of Caelifera, the ensiferan Deracantha onos (1C = 19.60 pg) was recently found to have the largest genome. Here, we present new genome size estimates of 50 further species of Ensifera (superfamilies Gryllidea, Tettigoniidea) and Caelifera (Acrididae, Tetrigidae) based on flow cytometric measurements. We found that Bryodemella tuberculata (Caelifera: Acrididae) has the so far largest measured genome of all insects with 1C = 21.96 pg (21.48 gBp). Species of Orthoptera with 2n = 16 and 2n = 22 chromosomes have significantly larger genomes than species with other chromosome counts. Gryllidea genomes vary between 1C = 0.95 and 2.88 pg, and Tetrigidae between 1C = 2.18 and 2.41, while the genomes of all other studied Orthoptera range in size from 1C = 1.37 to 21.96 pg. Reconstructing ancestral genome sizes based on a phylogenetic tree of mitochondrial genomic data, we found genome size values of >15.84 pg only for the nodes of Bryodemella holdereri / B. tuberculata and Chrysochraon dispar / Euthystira brachyptera. The predicted values of ancestral genome sizes are 6.19 pg for Orthoptera, 5.37 pg for Ensifera, and 7.28 pg for Caelifera. The reasons for the large genomes in Orthoptera remain largely unknown, but a duplication or polyploidization seems unlikely as chromosome numbers do not differ much. Sequence-based genomic studies may shed light on the underlying evolutionary mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Hawlitschek
- Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change (LIB), Museum of Nature, Hamburg, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - David Sadílek
- Institute of Medical Biochemistry and Laboratory Diagnostics, Centre of Oncocytogenomics, General University Hospital in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Lara-Sophie Dey
- Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change (LIB), Museum of Nature, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Katharina Buchholz
- Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change (LIB), Museum of Nature, Hamburg, Germany
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Sajad Noori
- Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change (LIB), Museum of Nature, Hamburg, Germany
- Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Inci Livia Baez
- Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change (LIB), Museum of Nature, Hamburg, Germany
- Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change (LIB), Museum Koenig, Bonn, Germany
| | - Timo Wehrt
- Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change (LIB), Museum of Nature, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jason Brozio
- Zoologische Staatssammlung München (ZSM-SNSB), München, Germany
| | - Pavel Trávníček
- Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Botany, Průhonice, Czech Republic
| | | | - Martin Husemann
- Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change (LIB), Museum of Nature, Hamburg, Germany
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Ganesan R, Wierz JC, Kaltenpoth M, Flórez LV. How It All Begins: Bacterial Factors Mediating the Colonization of Invertebrate Hosts by Beneficial Symbionts. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 2022; 86:e0012621. [PMID: 36301103 PMCID: PMC9769632 DOI: 10.1128/mmbr.00126-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Beneficial associations with bacteria are widespread across animals, spanning a range of symbiont localizations, transmission routes, and functions. While some of these associations have evolved into obligate relationships with permanent symbiont localization within the host, the majority require colonization of every host generation from the environment or via maternal provisions. Across the broad diversity of host species and tissue types that beneficial bacteria can colonize, there are some highly specialized strategies for establishment yet also some common patterns in the molecular basis of colonization. This review focuses on the mechanisms underlying the early stage of beneficial bacterium-invertebrate associations, from initial contact to the establishment of the symbionts in a specific location of the host's body. We first reflect on general selective pressures that can drive the transition from a free-living to a host-associated lifestyle in bacteria. We then cover bacterial molecular factors for colonization in symbioses from both model and nonmodel invertebrate systems where these have been studied, including terrestrial and aquatic host taxa. Finally, we discuss how interactions between multiple colonizing bacteria and priority effects can influence colonization. Taking the bacterial perspective, we emphasize the importance of developing new experimentally tractable systems to derive general insights into the ecological factors and molecular adaptations underlying the origin and establishment of beneficial symbioses in animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramya Ganesan
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
- Department of Insect Symbiosis, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - Jürgen C. Wierz
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
- Department of Insect Symbiosis, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - Martin Kaltenpoth
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
- Department of Insect Symbiosis, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - Laura V. Flórez
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Section for Organismal Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Giannotti D, Boscaro V, Husnik F, Vannini C, Keeling PJ. At the threshold of symbiosis: the genome of obligately endosymbiotic ' Candidatus Nebulobacter yamunensis' is almost indistinguishable from that of a cultivable strain. Microb Genom 2022; 8:mgen000909. [PMID: 36748607 PMCID: PMC9837558 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.000909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Comparing obligate endosymbionts with their free-living relatives is a powerful approach to investigate the evolution of symbioses, and it has led to the identification of several genomic traits consistently associated with the establishment of symbiosis. 'Candidatus Nebulobacter yamunensis' is an obligate bacterial endosymbiont of the ciliate Euplotes that seemingly depends on its host for survival. A subsequently characterized bacterial strain with an identical 16S rRNA gene sequence, named Fastidiosibacter lacustris, can instead be maintained in pure culture. We analysed the genomes of 'Candidatus Nebulobacter' and Fastidiosibacter seeking to identify key differences between their functional traits and genomic structure that might shed light on a recent transition to obligate endosymbiosis. Surprisingly, we found almost no such differences: the two genomes share a high level of sequence identity, the same overall structure, and largely overlapping sets of genes. The similarities between the genomes of the two strains are at odds with their different ecological niches, confirmed here with a parallel growth experiment. Although other pairs of closely related symbiotic/free-living bacteria have been compared in the past, 'Candidatus Nebulobacter' and Fastidiosibacter represent an extreme example proving that a small number of (unknown) factors might play a pivotal role in the earliest stages of obligate endosymbiosis establishment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniele Giannotti
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy,Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Vittorio Boscaro
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada,*Correspondence: Vittorio Boscaro,
| | - Filip Husnik
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada,Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Okinawa, Japan
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Díaz-Escandón D, Tagirdzhanova G, Vanderpool D, Allen CCG, Aptroot A, Češka O, Hawksworth DL, Huereca A, Knudsen K, Kocourková J, Lücking R, Resl P, Spribille T. Genome-level analyses resolve an ancient lineage of symbiotic ascomycetes. Curr Biol 2022; 32:5209-5218.e5. [PMID: 36423639 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Ascomycota account for about two-thirds of named fungal species.1 Over 98% of known Ascomycota belong to the Pezizomycotina, including many economically important species as well as diverse pathogens, decomposers, and mutualistic symbionts.2 Our understanding of Pezizomycotina evolution has until now been based on sampling traditionally well-defined taxonomic classes.3,4,5 However, considerable diversity exists in undersampled and uncultured, putatively early-diverging lineages, and the effect of these on evolutionary models has seldom been tested. We obtained genomes from 30 putative early-diverging lineages not included in recent phylogenomic analyses and analyzed these together with 451 genomes covering all available ascomycete genera. We show that 22 of these lineages, collectively representing over 600 species, trace back to a single origin that diverged from the common ancestor of Eurotiomycetes and Lecanoromycetes over 300 million years BP. The new clade, which we recognize as a more broadly defined Lichinomycetes, includes lichen and insect symbionts, endophytes, and putative mycorrhizae and encompasses a range of morphologies so disparate that they have recently been placed in six different taxonomic classes. To test for shared hidden features within this group, we analyzed genome content and compared gene repertoires to related groups in Ascomycota. Regardless of their lifestyle, Lichinomycetes have smaller genomes than most filamentous Ascomycota, with reduced arsenals of carbohydrate-degrading enzymes and secondary metabolite gene clusters. Our expanded genome sample resolves the relationships of numerous "orphan" ascomycetes and establishes the independent evolutionary origins of multiple mutualistic lifestyles within a single, morphologically hyperdiverse clade of fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Díaz-Escandón
- Department of Biological Sciences CW405, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada
| | - Gulnara Tagirdzhanova
- Department of Biological Sciences CW405, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada
| | - Dan Vanderpool
- National Genomics Center for Wildlife and Fish Conservation, Rocky Mountain Research Station, 800 E Beckwith, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
| | - Carmen C G Allen
- Department of Biological Sciences CW405, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada
| | - André Aptroot
- Laboratório de Botânica / Liquenologia, Instituto de Biociências Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Avenida Costa e Silva s/n Bairro Universitário, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul CEP 79070-900, Brazil
| | | | - David L Hawksworth
- Comparative Fungal Biology, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Surrey TW9 3DS, UK; Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK; Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, Jilin Province 130118, China
| | - Alejandro Huereca
- Department of Biological Sciences CW405, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada
| | - Kerry Knudsen
- Czech University of Life Sciences, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Department of Ecology, Kamýcká 129, Praha-Suchdol 165 00, Czech Republic
| | - Jana Kocourková
- Czech University of Life Sciences, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Department of Ecology, Kamýcká 129, Praha-Suchdol 165 00, Czech Republic
| | - Robert Lücking
- Botanischer Garten, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Straße 6-8, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Philipp Resl
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Toby Spribille
- Department of Biological Sciences CW405, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada.
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Štarhová Serbina L, Gajski D, Pafčo B, Zurek L, Malenovský I, Nováková E, Schuler H, Dittmer J. Microbiome of pear psyllids: A tale about closely related species sharing their endosymbionts. Environ Microbiol 2022; 24:5788-5808. [PMID: 36054322 PMCID: PMC10086859 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Psyllids are phloem-feeding insects that can transmit plant pathogens such as phytoplasmas, intracellular bacteria causing numerous plant diseases worldwide. Their microbiomes are essential for insect physiology and may also influence the capacity of vectors to transmit pathogens. Using 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding, we compared the microbiomes of three sympatric psyllid species associated with pear trees in Central Europe. All three species are able to transmit 'Candidatus Phytoplasma pyri', albeit with different efficiencies. Our results revealed potential relationships between insect biology and microbiome composition that varied during psyllid ontogeny and between generations in Cacopsylla pyri and C. pyricola, as well as between localities in C. pyri. In contrast, no variations related to psyllid life cycle and geography were detected in C. pyrisuga. In addition to the primary endosymbiont Carsonella ruddii, we detected another highly abundant endosymbiont (unclassified Enterobacteriaceae). C. pyri and C. pyricola shared the same taxon of Enterobacteriaceae which is related to endosymbionts harboured by other psyllid species from various families. In contrast, C. pyrisuga carried a different Enterobacteriaceae taxon related to the genus Sodalis. Our study provides new insights into host-symbiont interactions in psyllids and highlights the importance of host biology and geography in shaping microbiome structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liliya Štarhová Serbina
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy.,Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Domagoj Gajski
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Barbora Pafčo
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Ludek Zurek
- Central European Institute of Technology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic.,Department of Microbiology, Nutrition and Dietetics/CINeZ, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Igor Malenovský
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Eva Nováková
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Hannes Schuler
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy.,Competence Centre for Plant Health, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Jessica Dittmer
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy.,Université d'Angers, Institut Agro, INRAE, IRHS, SFR Quasav, Angers, France
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Abstract
The social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum is a predatory soil protist frequently used for studying host-pathogen interactions. A subset of D. discoideum strains isolated from soil persistently carry symbiotic Paraburkholderia, recently formally described as P. agricolaris, P. bonniea, and P. hayleyella. The three facultative symbiont species of D. discoideum present a unique opportunity to study a naturally occurring symbiosis in a laboratory model protist. There is a large difference in genome size between P. agricolaris (8.7 million base pairs [Mbp]) versus P. hayleyella and P. bonniea (4.1 Mbp). We took a comparative genomics approach and compared the three genomes of D. discoideum symbionts to 12 additional Paraburkholderia genomes to test for genome evolution patterns that frequently accompany host adaptation. Overall, P. agricolaris is difficult to distinguish from other Paraburkholderia based on its genome size and content, but the reduced genomes of P. bonniea and P. hayleyella display characteristics indicative of genome streamlining rather than deterioration during adaptation to their protist hosts. In addition, D. discoideum-symbiont genomes have increased secretion system and motility genes that may mediate interactions with their host. Specifically, adjacent BurBor-like type 3 and T6SS-5-like type 6 secretion system operons shared among all three D. discoideum-symbiont genomes may be important for host interaction. Horizontal transfer of these secretion system operons within the amoeba host environment may have contributed to the unique ability of these symbionts to establish and maintain a symbiotic relationship with D. discoideum. IMPORTANCE Protists are a diverse group of typically single cell eukaryotes. Bacteria and archaea that form long-term symbiotic relationships with protists may evolve in additional ways than those in relationships with multicellular eukaryotes such as plants, animals, or fungi. Social amoebas are a predatory soil protist sometimes found with symbiotic bacteria living inside their cells. They present a unique opportunity to explore a naturally occurring symbiosis in a protist frequently used for studying host-pathogen interactions. We show that one amoeba-symbiont species is similar to other related bacteria in genome size and content, while the two reduced-genome-symbiont species show characteristics of genome streamlining rather than deterioration during adaptation to their host. We also identify sets of genes present in all three amoeba-symbiont genomes that are potentially used for host-symbiont interactions. Because the amoeba symbionts are distantly related, the amoeba host environment may be where these genes were shared among symbionts.
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Adade NE, Aniweh Y, Mosi L, Valvano MA, Duodu S, Ahator SD. Comparative analysis of Vibrio cholerae isolates from Ghana reveals variations in genome architecture and adaptation of outbreak and environmental strains. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:998182. [PMID: 36312941 PMCID: PMC9608740 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.998182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Recurrent epidemics of cholera denote robust adaptive mechanisms of Vibrio cholerae for ecological shifting and persistence despite variable stress conditions. Tracking the evolution of pathobiological traits requires comparative genomic studies of isolates from endemic areas. Here, we investigated the genetic differentiation among V. cholerae clinical and environmental isolates by highlighting the genomic divergence associated with gene decay, genome plasticity, and the acquisition of virulence and adaptive traits. The clinical isolates showed high phylogenetic relatedness due to a higher frequency of shared orthologs and fewer gene variants in contrast to the evolutionarily divergent environmental strains. Divergence of the environmental isolates is linked to extensive genomic rearrangements in regions containing mobile genetic elements resulting in numerous breakpoints, relocations, and insertions coupled with the loss of virulence determinants acf, zot, tcp, and ctx in the genomic islands. Also, four isolates possessed the CRISPR-Cas systems with spacers specific for Vibrio phages and plasmids. Genome synteny and homology analysis of the CRISPR-Cas systems suggest horizontal acquisition. The marked differences in the distribution of other phage and plasmid defense systems such as Zorya, DdmABC, DdmDE, and type-I Restriction Modification systems among the isolates indicated a higher propensity for plasmid or phage disseminated traits in the environmental isolates. Our results reveal that V. cholerae strains undergo extensive genomic rearrangements coupled with gene acquisition, reflecting their adaptation during ecological shifts and pathogenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nana Eghele Adade
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
- Department of Biochemistry, Cell, and Molecular Biology, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
- Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
- Department of Microbiology, Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, Ghana
| | - Yaw Aniweh
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Lydia Mosi
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
- Department of Biochemistry, Cell, and Molecular Biology, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Miguel A. Valvano
- Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Samuel Duodu
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
- Department of Biochemistry, Cell, and Molecular Biology, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
- Samuel Duodu,
| | - Stephen Dela Ahator
- Centre for New Antibacterial Strategies (CANS) and Research Group for Host-Microbe Interactions, Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT- The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
- *Correspondence: Stephen Dela Ahator,
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Su Y, Lin HC, Teh LS, Chevance F, James I, Mayfield C, Golic KG, Gagnon JA, Rog O, Dale C. Rational engineering of a synthetic insect-bacterial mutualism. Curr Biol 2022; 32:3925-3938.e6. [PMID: 35963240 PMCID: PMC10080585 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.07.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Revised: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Abstract
Many insects maintain mutualistic associations with bacterial endosymbionts, but little is known about how they originate in nature. In this study, we describe the establishment and manipulation of a synthetic insect-bacterial symbiosis in a weevil host. Following egg injection, the nascent symbiont colonized many tissues, including prototypical somatic and germinal bacteriomes, yielding maternal transmission over many generations. We then engineered the nascent symbiont to overproduce the aromatic amino acids tyrosine and phenylalanine, which facilitate weevil cuticle strengthening and accelerated larval development, replicating the function of mutualistic symbionts that are widely distributed among weevils and other beetles in nature. Our work provides empirical support for the notion that mutualistic symbioses can be initiated in insects by the acquisition of environmental bacteria. It also shows that certain bacterial genera, including the Sodalis spp. used in our study, are predisposed to develop these associations due to their ability to maintain benign infections and undergo vertical transmission in diverse insect hosts, facilitating the partner-fidelity feedback that is critical for the evolution of obligate mutualism. These experimental advances provide a new platform for laboratory studies focusing on the molecular mechanisms and evolutionary processes underlying insect-bacterial symbiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinghua Su
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.
| | - Ho-Chen Lin
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Li Szhen Teh
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Fabienne Chevance
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Ian James
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Clara Mayfield
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Kent G Golic
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - James A Gagnon
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Ofer Rog
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Colin Dale
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.
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42
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Fast track to mutualism. Nat Microbiol 2022; 7:1104-1105. [PMID: 35927447 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-022-01188-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Říhová J, Bell KC, Nováková E, Hypša V. Lightella neohaematopini: A new lineage of highly reduced endosymbionts coevolving with chipmunk lice of the genus Neohaematopinus. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:900312. [PMID: 35979496 PMCID: PMC9376444 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.900312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Sucking lice (Anoplura) are known to have established symbiotic associations multiple times with different groups of bacteria as diverse as Enterobacteriales, Legionellales, and Neisseriales. This diversity, together with absence of a common coevolving symbiont (such as Buchnera, in aphids), indicates that sucking lice underwent a series of symbiont acquisitions, losses, and replacements. To better understand evolution and significance of louse symbionts, genomic and phylogenetic data are needed from a broader taxonomic diversity of lice and their symbiotic bacteria. In this study, we extend the known spectrum of the louse symbionts with a new lineage associated with Neohaematopinus pacificus, a louse species that commonly parasitizes North American chipmunks. The recent coevolutionary analysis showed that rather than a single species, these lice form a cluster of unique phylogenetic lineages specific to separate chipmunk species (or group of closely related species). Using metagenomic assemblies, we show that the lice harbor a bacterium which mirrors their phylogeny and displays traits typical for obligate mutualists. Phylogenetic analyses place this bacterium within Enterobacteriaceae on a long branch related to another louse symbiont, “Candidatus Puchtella pedicinophila.” We propose for this symbiotic lineage the name “Candidatus Lightella neohaematopini.” Based on the reconstruction of metabolic pathways, we suggest that like other louse symbionts, L. neohaematopini provides its host with at least some B vitamins. In addition, several samples harbored another symbiotic bacterium phylogenetically affiliated with the Neisseriales-related symbionts described previously from the lice Polyplax serrata and Hoplopleura acanthopus. Characterizing these bacteria further extend the known diversity of the symbiotic associations in lice and show unique complexity and dynamics of the system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Říhová
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czechia
| | - Kayce C. Bell
- Department of Mammalogy, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Biology, Museum of Southwestern Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States
- Department of Zoology, Denver Museum of Nature and Science, Denver, CO, United States
| | - Eva Nováková
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czechia
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, ASCR, v.v.i., České Budějovice, Czechia
| | - Václav Hypša
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czechia
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, ASCR, v.v.i., České Budějovice, Czechia
- *Correspondence: Václav Hypša,
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44
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Koga R, Moriyama M, Onodera-Tanifuji N, Ishii Y, Takai H, Mizutani M, Oguchi K, Okura R, Suzuki S, Gotoh Y, Hayashi T, Seki M, Suzuki Y, Nishide Y, Hosokawa T, Wakamoto Y, Furusawa C, Fukatsu T. Single mutation makes Escherichia coli an insect mutualist. Nat Microbiol 2022; 7:1141-1150. [PMID: 35927448 PMCID: PMC9352592 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-022-01179-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Microorganisms often live in symbiosis with their hosts, and some are considered mutualists, where all species involved benefit from the interaction. How free-living microorganisms have evolved to become mutualists is unclear. Here we report an experimental system in which non-symbiotic Escherichia coli evolves into an insect mutualist. The stinkbug Plautia stali is typically associated with its essential gut symbiont, Pantoea sp., which colonizes a specialized symbiotic organ. When sterilized newborn nymphs were infected with E. coli rather than Pantoea sp., only a few insects survived, in which E. coli exhibited specific localization to the symbiotic organ and vertical transmission to the offspring. Through transgenerational maintenance with P. stali, several hypermutating E. coli lines independently evolved to support the host's high adult emergence and improved body colour; these were called 'mutualistic' E. coli. These mutants exhibited slower bacterial growth, smaller size, loss of flagellar motility and lack of an extracellular matrix. Transcriptomic and genomic analyses of 'mutualistic' E. coli lines revealed independent mutations that disrupted the carbon catabolite repression global transcriptional regulator system. Each mutation reproduced the mutualistic phenotypes when introduced into wild-type E. coli, confirming that single carbon catabolite repression mutations can make E. coli an insect mutualist. These findings provide an experimental system for future work on host-microbe symbioses and may explain why microbial mutualisms are omnipresent in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryuichi Koga
- Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba, Japan.
| | - Minoru Moriyama
- Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Naoko Onodera-Tanifuji
- Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Yoshiko Ishii
- Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Hiroki Takai
- Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Masaki Mizutani
- Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Kohei Oguchi
- Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Reiko Okura
- Department of Basic Science, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shingo Suzuki
- Center for Biosystem Dynamics Research, RIKEN, Osaka, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Gotoh
- Department of Bacteriology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Hayashi
- Department of Bacteriology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Masahide Seki
- Laboratory of Systems Genomics, Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan
| | - Yutaka Suzuki
- Laboratory of Systems Genomics, Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan
| | - Yudai Nishide
- Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba, Japan.,National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Takahiro Hosokawa
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Yuichi Wakamoto
- Department of Basic Science, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,Universal Biology Institute, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Chikara Furusawa
- Center for Biosystem Dynamics Research, RIKEN, Osaka, Japan.,Universal Biology Institute, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takema Fukatsu
- Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba, Japan. .,Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan. .,Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan.
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45
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Vasquez YM, Bennett GM. A complex interplay of evolutionary forces continues to shape ancient co-occurring symbiont genomes. iScience 2022; 25:104786. [PMID: 35982793 PMCID: PMC9379567 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2022] [Revised: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Many insects depend on ancient associations with intracellular bacteria for essential nutrition. The genomes of these bacteria are often highly reduced. Although drift is a major driver of symbiont evolution, other evolutionary forces continue to influence them. To understand how ongoing molecular evolution and gene loss shape symbiont genomes, we sequenced two of the most ancient symbionts known, Sulcia and Nasuia, from 20 Hawaiian Nesophrosyne leafhoppers. We leveraged the parallel divergence of Nesophrosyne lineages throughout Hawaii as a natural experimental framework. Sulcia and Nasuia experience ongoing-but divergent-gene loss, often in a convergent fashion. Although some genes are under relaxed selection, purifying and positive selection are also important drivers of genome evolution, particularly in maintaining certain nutritional and cellular functions. Our results further demonstrate that symbionts experience dramatically different evolutionary environments, as evidenced by the finding that Sulcia and Nasuia have one of the slowest and fastest rates of molecular evolution known.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yumary M. Vasquez
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of California, Merced, CA, USA,Corresponding author
| | - Gordon M. Bennett
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of California, Merced, CA, USA,Corresponding author
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46
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Boscaro V, Syberg-Olsen MJ, Irwin NAT, George EE, Vannini C, Husnik F, Keeling PJ. All essential endosymbionts of the ciliate Euplotes are cyclically replaced. Curr Biol 2022; 32:R826-R827. [PMID: 35839761 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.06.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Symbiotic systems vary in the degree to which the partners are bound to each other1. At one extreme, there are intracellular endosymbionts in mutually obligate relationships with their host, often interpreted as mutualistic. The symbiosis between the betaproteobacterium Polynucleobacter and the ciliate Euplotes (clade B) challenges this view2: although freshwater Euplotes species long ago became dependent on endosymbionts, the many extant Polynucleobacter lineages they harbour arose recently and in parallel from different free-living ancestors2. The host requires the endosymbionts for reproduction and survival3, but each newly established symbiont is ultimately driven to extinction in a cycle of establishment, degeneration, and replacement. Similar replacement events have been observed in sap-feeding insects4-6, a model for bacteria-eukaryote symbioses7, but usually only affect a small subset of the host populations. Most insects retain an ancient coevolving symbiont, suggesting that long-term mutualism and permanent integration remains the rule and symbiont turnovers are mere evolutionary side-stories. Here we show that this is not the case for Euplotes. We examined all known essential Euplotes symbionts and found that none are ancient or coevolving; rather, all are recently established and continuously replaced over relatively short evolutionary time spans, making the symbiosis ancient for the host but not for any bacterial lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vittorio Boscaro
- University of British Columbia, Department of Botany, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada.
| | | | - Nicholas A T Irwin
- University of British Columbia, Department of Botany, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada; University of Oxford, Merton College, Oxford, OX1 4JD, UK
| | - Emma E George
- University of British Columbia, Department of Botany, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Claudia Vannini
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa, 56126, Italy
| | - Filip Husnik
- University of British Columbia, Department of Botany, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada; Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Okinawa, 904-0495, Japan
| | - Patrick J Keeling
- University of British Columbia, Department of Botany, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada
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47
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Renoz F, Ambroise J, Bearzatto B, Fakhour S, Parisot N, Ribeiro Lopes M, Gala JL, Calevro F, Hance T. The Di-Symbiotic Systems in the Aphids Sipha maydis and Periphyllus lyropictus Provide a Contrasting Picture of Recent Co-Obligate Nutritional Endosymbiosis in Aphids. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10071360. [PMID: 35889078 PMCID: PMC9317480 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10071360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Revised: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Dependence on multiple nutritional bacterial symbionts forming a metabolic unit has repeatedly evolved in many insect species that feed on nutritionally unbalanced diets such as plant sap. This is the case for aphids of the subfamilies Lachninae and Chaitophorinae, which have evolved di-symbiotic systems in which the ancient obligate nutritional symbiont Buchnera aphidicola is metabolically complemented by an additional nutritional symbiont acquired more recently. Deciphering how different symbionts integrate both metabolically and anatomically in such systems is crucial to understanding how complex nutritional symbiotic systems function and evolve. In this study, we sequenced and analyzed the genomes of the symbionts B. aphidicola and Serratia symbiotica associated with the Chaitophorinae aphids Sipha maydis and Periphyllus lyropictus. Our results show that, in these two species, B. aphidicola and S. symbiotica complement each other metabolically (and their hosts) for the biosynthesis of essential amino acids and vitamins, but with distinct metabolic reactions supported by each symbiont depending on the host species. Furthermore, the S. symbiotica symbiont associated with S. maydis appears to be strictly compartmentalized into the specialized host cells housing symbionts in aphids, the bacteriocytes, whereas the S. symbiotica symbiont associated with P. lyropictus exhibits a highly invasive phenotype, presumably because it is capable of expressing a larger set of virulence factors, including a complete flagellum for bacterial motility. Such contrasting levels of metabolic and anatomical integration for two S. symbiotica symbionts that were recently acquired as nutritional co-obligate partners reflect distinct coevolutionary processes specific to each association.
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Affiliation(s)
- François Renoz
- Biodiversity Research Centre, Earth and Life Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium;
- Univ Lyon, INSA Lyon, INRAE, BF2I, UMR203, F-69621 Villeurbanne, France; (N.P.); (M.R.L.); (F.C.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Jérôme Ambroise
- Center for Applied Molecular Technologies, Institute of Experimental and Clinical Research, Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), 1200 Woluwe-Saint-Lambert, Belgium; (J.A.); (B.B.); (J.-L.G.)
| | - Bertrand Bearzatto
- Center for Applied Molecular Technologies, Institute of Experimental and Clinical Research, Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), 1200 Woluwe-Saint-Lambert, Belgium; (J.A.); (B.B.); (J.-L.G.)
| | - Samir Fakhour
- Department of Plant Protection, National Institute of Agricultural Research, Avenue Ennasr, BP 415 Rabat Principale, Rabat 10090, Morocco;
| | - Nicolas Parisot
- Univ Lyon, INSA Lyon, INRAE, BF2I, UMR203, F-69621 Villeurbanne, France; (N.P.); (M.R.L.); (F.C.)
| | - Mélanie Ribeiro Lopes
- Univ Lyon, INSA Lyon, INRAE, BF2I, UMR203, F-69621 Villeurbanne, France; (N.P.); (M.R.L.); (F.C.)
| | - Jean-Luc Gala
- Center for Applied Molecular Technologies, Institute of Experimental and Clinical Research, Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), 1200 Woluwe-Saint-Lambert, Belgium; (J.A.); (B.B.); (J.-L.G.)
| | - Federica Calevro
- Univ Lyon, INSA Lyon, INRAE, BF2I, UMR203, F-69621 Villeurbanne, France; (N.P.); (M.R.L.); (F.C.)
| | - Thierry Hance
- Biodiversity Research Centre, Earth and Life Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium;
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48
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Renoz F, Lopes MR, Gaget K, Duport G, Eloy MC, Geelhand de Merxem B, Hance T, Calevro F. Compartmentalized into Bacteriocytes but Highly Invasive: the Puzzling Case of the Co-Obligate Symbiont Serratia symbiotica in the Aphid Periphyllus lyropictus. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0045722. [PMID: 35647657 PMCID: PMC9241954 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00457-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Dependence on multiple nutritional symbionts that form a metabolic unit has evolved many times in insects. Although it has been postulated that host dependence on these metabolically interconnected symbionts is sustained by their high degree of anatomical integration (these symbionts are often housed in distinct symbiotic cells, the bacteriocytes, assembled into a common symbiotic organ, the bacteriome), the developmental aspects of such multipartner systems have received little attention. Aphids of the subfamilies Chaitophorinae and Lachninae typically harbor disymbiotic systems in which the metabolic capabilities of the ancient obligate symbiont Buchnera aphidicola are complemented by those of a more recently acquired nutritional symbiont, often belonging to the species Serratia symbiotica. Here, we used microscopy approaches to finely characterize the tissue tropism and infection dynamics of the disymbiotic system formed by B. aphidicola and S. symbiotica in the Norway maple aphid Periphyllus lyropictus (Chaitophorinae). Our observations show that, in this aphid, the co-obligate symbiont S. symbiotica exhibits a dual lifestyle: intracellular by being housed in large syncytial bacteriocytes embedded between B. aphidicola-containing bacteriocytes in a well-organized compartmentalization pattern, and extracellular by massively invading the digestive tract and other tissues during embryogenesis. This is the first reported case of an obligate aphid symbiont that is internalized in bacteriocytes but simultaneously adopts an extracellular lifestyle. This unusual infection pattern for an obligate insect symbiont suggests that some bacteriocyte-associated obligate symbionts, despite their integration into a cooperative partnership, still exhibit invasive behavior and escape strict compartmentalization in bacteriocytes. IMPORTANCE Multipartner nutritional endosymbioses have evolved many times in insects. In Chaitophorinae aphids, the eroded metabolic capabilities of the ancient obligate symbiont B. aphidicola are complemented by those of more recently acquired symbionts. Here, we report the atypical case of the co-obligate S. symbiotica symbiont associated with P. lyropictus. This bacterium is compartmentalized into bacteriocytes nested into the ones harboring the more ancient symbiont B. aphidicola, reflecting metabolic convergences between the two symbionts. At the same time, S. symbiotica exhibits highly invasive behavior by colonizing various host tissues, including the digestive tract during embryogenesis. The discovery of this unusual phenotype for a co-obligate symbiont reveals a new face of multipartner nutritional endosymbiosis in insects. In particular, it shows that co-obligate symbionts can retain highly invasive traits and suggests that host dependence on these bacterial partners may evolve prior to their strict compartmentalization into specialized host structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- François Renoz
- Biodiversity Research Centre, Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
- Université de Lyon, INSA Lyon, INRAE, BF2I, UMR203, Villeurbanne, France
| | | | - Karen Gaget
- Université de Lyon, INSA Lyon, INRAE, BF2I, UMR203, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Gabrielle Duport
- Université de Lyon, INSA Lyon, INRAE, BF2I, UMR203, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Marie-Christine Eloy
- Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | | | - Thierry Hance
- Biodiversity Research Centre, Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Federica Calevro
- Université de Lyon, INSA Lyon, INRAE, BF2I, UMR203, Villeurbanne, France
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49
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Shropshire JD, Hamant E, Conner WR, Cooper BS. cifB-transcript levels largely explain cytoplasmic incompatibility variation across divergent Wolbachia. PNAS NEXUS 2022; 1:pgac099. [PMID: 35967981 PMCID: PMC9364212 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgac099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Divergent hosts often associate with intracellular microbes that influence their fitness. Maternally transmitted Wolbachia bacteria are the most common of these endosymbionts, due largely to cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) that kills uninfected embryos fertilized by Wolbachia-infected males. Closely related infections in females rescue CI, providing a relative fitness advantage that drives Wolbachia to high frequencies. One prophage-associated gene (cifA) governs rescue, and two contribute to CI (cifA and cifB), but CI strength ranges from very strong to very weak for unknown reasons. Here, we investigate CI-strength variation and its mechanistic underpinnings in a phylogenetic context across 20 million years (MY) of Wolbachia evolution in Drosophila hosts diverged up to 50 MY. These Wolbachia encode diverse Cif proteins (100% to 7.4% pairwise similarity), and AlphaFold structural analyses suggest that CifB sequence similarities do not predict structural similarities. We demonstrate that cifB-transcript levels in testes explain CI strength across all but two focal systems. Despite phylogenetic discordance among cifs and the bulk of the Wolbachia genome, closely related Wolbachia tend to cause similar CI strengths and transcribe cifB at similar levels. This indicates that other non-cif regions of the Wolbachia genome modulate cif-transcript levels. CI strength also increases with the length of the host's larval life stage, presumably due to prolonged cif action. Our findings reveal that cifB-transcript levels largely explain CI strength, while highlighting other covariates. Elucidating CI's mechanism contributes to our understanding of Wolbachia spread in natural systems and to improving the efficacy of CI-based biocontrol of arboviruses and agricultural pests globally.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Emily Hamant
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
| | - William R Conner
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
| | - Brandon S Cooper
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
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50
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Smith G, Manzano-Marín A, Reyes-Prieto M, Antunes CSR, Ashworth V, Goselle ON, Jan AAA, Moya A, Latorre A, Perotti MA, Braig HR. Human follicular mites: Ectoparasites becoming symbionts. Mol Biol Evol 2022; 39:msac125. [PMID: 35724423 PMCID: PMC9218549 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msac125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Revised: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Most humans carry mites in the hair follicles of their skin for their entire lives. Follicular mites are the only metazoans tha continuously live on humans. We propose that Demodex folliculorum (Acari) represents a transitional stage from a host-injuring obligate parasite to an obligate symbiont. Here, we describe the profound impact of this transition on the genome and physiology of the mite. Genome sequencing revealed that the permanent host association of D. folliculorum led to an extensive genome reduction through relaxed selection and genetic drift, resulting in the smallest number of protein-coding genes yet identified among panarthropods. Confocal microscopy revealed that this gene loss coincided with an extreme reduction in the number of cells. Single uninucleate muscle cells are sufficient to operate each of the three segments that form each walking leg. While it has been assumed that the reduction of the cell number in parasites starts early in development, we identified a greater total number of cells in the last developmental stage (nymph) than in the terminal adult stage, suggesting that reduction starts at the adult or ultimate stage of development. This is the first evolutionary step in an arthropod species adopting a reductive, parasitic or endosymbiotic lifestyle. Somatic nuclei show underreplication at the diploid stage. Novel eye structures or photoreceptors as well as a unique human host melatonin-guided day/night rhythm are proposed for the first time. The loss of DNA repair genes coupled with extreme endogamy might have set this mite species on an evolutionary dead-end trajectory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gilbert Smith
- School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, Wales, United Kingdom
| | - Alejandro Manzano-Marín
- Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science (CMESS), University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Mariana Reyes-Prieto
- Institute of Integrative Systems Biology (I2Sysbio), Universitat de València and Spanish Research Council (CSIC), València, Spain
- Foundation for the Promotion of Health and Biomedical Research of the Valencian Community (FISABIO), València, Spain
| | | | - Victoria Ashworth
- School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, Wales, United Kingdom
| | - Obed Nanjul Goselle
- School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, Wales, United Kingdom
| | | | - Andrés Moya
- Institute of Integrative Systems Biology (I2Sysbio), Universitat de València and Spanish Research Council (CSIC), València, Spain
- Foundation for the Promotion of Health and Biomedical Research of the Valencian Community (FISABIO), València, Spain
- Center for Networked Biomedical Research in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBEResp), Madrid, Spain
| | - Amparo Latorre
- Institute of Integrative Systems Biology (I2Sysbio), Universitat de València and Spanish Research Council (CSIC), València, Spain
- Foundation for the Promotion of Health and Biomedical Research of the Valencian Community (FISABIO), València, Spain
- Center for Networked Biomedical Research in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBEResp), Madrid, Spain
| | - M Alejandra Perotti
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, United Kingdom
| | - Henk R Braig
- School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, Wales, United Kingdom
- Institute and Museum of Natural Sciences, National University of San Juan, San Juan, Argentina
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