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Brenninger FA, Zug R, Kokko H. Infection dynamics of endosymbionts that manipulate arthropod reproduction. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2025. [PMID: 40401706 DOI: 10.1111/brv.70024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2024] [Revised: 03/25/2025] [Accepted: 04/01/2025] [Indexed: 05/23/2025]
Abstract
A large proportion of arthropod species are infected with endosymbionts, some of which selfishly alter host reproduction. The currently known forms of parasitic reproductive manipulations are male-killing, feminization, cytoplasmic incompatibility, parthenogenesis induction and distortion of sex allocation. While all of these phenomena represent adaptations that enhance parasite spread, they differ in the mechanisms involved and the consequent infection dynamics. We focus here on the latter aspect, summarizing existing theoretical literature on infection dynamics of all known reproductive manipulation types, and completing the remaining knowledge gaps where dynamics have not been modelled yet. Our unified framework includes the minimal model components required to describe the effects of each manipulation. We establish invasion criteria for all potential combinations of manipulative endosymbionts, yielding predictions for an endosymbiont's increase from rarity within a host population that is initially either uninfected or infected with a different symbiont strain. We consider diplodiploid and haplodiploid hosts, as the mechanisms as well as the infection dynamics of reproductive manipulations can differ between them. Our framework reveals that endosymbionts that a priori have the best invasion prospects are not necessarily the most commonly found ones in nature; priority effects play a role too, and cytoplasmic incompatibility excels in this regard. As a whole, considerations of the ease with which a symbiont spreads have to be complemented with knowledge of how easy it is to achieve a particular manipulation, and with factors influencing the probability that interspecific host switching occurs and succeeds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska A Brenninger
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zurich, 8057, Switzerland
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 6, Bern, 3012, Switzerland
| | - Roman Zug
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution (iomE), and Institute for Quantitative and Computational Biosciences (IQCB), Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Hanna Kokko
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution (iomE), and Institute for Quantitative and Computational Biosciences (IQCB), Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
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2
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Chang CY, Zhao YN, Guo HF, Liu XD. Food nutrition and facultative endosymbiont modulate dietary breadth of a polyphagous aphid. INSECT SCIENCE 2025. [PMID: 40351112 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.70069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2024] [Revised: 03/21/2025] [Accepted: 04/12/2025] [Indexed: 05/14/2025]
Abstract
While host plants and endosymbionts have been implicated in influencing dietary breadth in polyphagous herbivores, the underlying mechanism remains vague. In this study, we focused on the food nutrition and nutrition provision of endosymbionts to elucidate the determination of dietary breadth in a polyphagous aphid Aphis gossypii. Our findings demonstrated that high sugar and riboflavin presence in food decreased aphid fitness, while Arsenophonus infections improved aphid performance. Aphids collected from cotton could not use cucumber whether they were infected with Arsenophonus or not, signifying a distinct specialization toward cotton. Further, both the Arsenophonus-infected and free aphids fed on artificial diet varying in sugar titer failed to utilize cucumber. However, Arsenophonus-free aphids attained the ability to utilize cucumber after feeding on the riboflavin-free diet, but not on the riboflavin-containing diet, indicating riboflavin and Arsenophonus-absent expansion in dietary breadth. Notably, up-regulated expression of riboflavin synthase genes of the obligated symbiont Buchnera aphidicola was detected in the Arsenophonus-infected aphids which may provide more riboflavin. Arsenophonus promoting riboflavin synthesis in the obligated symbiont B. aphidicola and riboflavin ingestion enhancing host specialization of aphids to cotton modulate dietary breadth of A. gossypii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Yan Chang
- Department of Entomology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Ya-Ni Zhao
- Department of Entomology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Hui-Fang Guo
- Department of Entomology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiang-Dong Liu
- Department of Entomology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
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3
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Hussain MD, Farooq T, Kamran A, Basit A, Wang Y, Smagghe G, Chen X. Endosymbionts as hidden players in tripartite pathosystem of interactions and potential candidates for sustainable viral disease management. Crit Rev Biotechnol 2025:1-23. [PMID: 39848650 DOI: 10.1080/07388551.2024.2449403] [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: 09/30/2024] [Revised: 11/26/2024] [Accepted: 12/02/2024] [Indexed: 01/25/2025]
Abstract
The convoluted relationships between plants, viruses, and arthropod vectors housing bacterial endosymbionts are pivotal in the spread of harmful plant viral diseases. Endosymbionts play key roles in: manipulating host responses, influencing insect resistance to pesticides, shaping insect evolution, and bolstering virus acquisition, retention, and transmission. This interplay presents an innovative approach for developing sustainable strategies to manage plant diseases. Recent progress in targeting specific endosymbionts through genetic modifications, biotechnological advancements, and RNA interference shows potential for curbing viral spread and disease progression. Additionally, employing synthetic biology techniques like CRISPR/Cas9 to engineer endosymbionts and disrupt crucial interactions necessary for viral transmission in arthropod vectors holds promise for effective control measures. In this review, these obligate and facultative bacterial cruxes have been discussed to elaborate on their mechanistic involvement in the regulation and/or inhibition of tripartite pathways of interactions. Furthermore, we provide an in-depth understanding of endosymbionts' synergistic and antagonistic effects on: insect biology, plant immunity, and virus acquisition and transmission. Finally, we point out open questions for future research and provide research directions concerning the deployment of genetically engineered symbionts to affect plant-virus-vector interactions for sustainable disease management. By addressing existing knowledge gaps and charting future research paths, a deeper comprehension of the role of endosymbionts in plant-virus-vector interactions can pave the way for innovative and successful disease management strategies. The exploration of antiviral therapies, paratransgenesis, and pathogen-blocking tactics using engineered endosymbionts introduces pioneering solutions for lessening the impact of plant viral diseases and green pest management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Dilshad Hussain
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Agriculture, Guizhou University, Guiyang, P.R. China
| | - Tahir Farooq
- Plant Protection Research Institute and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of High Technology for Plant Protection, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Ali Kamran
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Agriculture, Guizhou University, Guiyang, P.R. China
| | - Abdul Basit
- Institute of Entomology, Guizhou University, Guiyang, P.R. China
| | - Yong Wang
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Agriculture, Guizhou University, Guiyang, P.R. China
- Institute of Plant Health and Medicine, College of Agriculture, Guizhou University, Guiyang, P.R. China
| | - Guy Smagghe
- Institute of Entomology, Guizhou University, Guiyang, P.R. China
- Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences, Department of Biology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Plants and Crops, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Xiangru Chen
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Agriculture, Guizhou University, Guiyang, P.R. China
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Favoreto AL, Domingues MM, de Carvalho VR, Ribeiro MF, Zanuncio JC, Wilcken CF. Detection of Arsenophonus in Glycaspis brimblecombei (Hemiptera: Aphalaridae) populations in Brazil. Braz J Microbiol 2024; 55:3075-3079. [PMID: 39042246 PMCID: PMC11711745 DOI: 10.1007/s42770-024-01465-0] [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: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2024] [Indexed: 07/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Eucalyptus is the most intensively managed tree genus in the world. Different factors, including damage by insect pests, affect its growth and productivity. Among these pests is Glycaspis brimblecombei Moore (Hemiptera: Aphalaridae), an exotic insect of Australian origin. The evolutionary success of this insect depends on symbiotic associations with microorganisms. The influence of these microorganisms on insect pests and their natural enemies is important for integrated management tactics. Within this context, this work aimed to detect Arsenophonus in populations of G. brimblecombei in Brazil. Eucalyptus branches infested with G. brimblecombei nymphs were collected in commercial eucalyptus plantations in six Brazilian states. Specimens of this pest were sampled soon after emergence and frozen for molecular analysis. The genomic DNA of G. brimblecombei adults from each population was extracted and used to detect the endosymbiont Arsenophonus by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) employing specific primers that target its 23 S rRNA gene. This endosymbiont was identified in all of the studied G. brimblecombei populations. This is the first report on the association between Arsenophonus and G. brimblecombei in Brazil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Laura Favoreto
- Departamento de Proteção Vegetal, Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Avenida Universitária, 3780, Botucatu, São Paulo, 18610-034, Brasil
| | - Maurício Magalhães Domingues
- Departamento de Proteção Vegetal, Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Avenida Universitária, 3780, Botucatu, São Paulo, 18610-034, Brasil.
| | - Vanessa Rafaela de Carvalho
- Departamento de Proteção Vegetal, Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Avenida Universitária, 3780, Botucatu, São Paulo, 18610-034, Brasil
| | - Murilo Fonseca Ribeiro
- Departamento de Proteção Vegetal, Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Avenida Universitária, 3780, Botucatu, São Paulo, 18610-034, Brasil
| | - José Cola Zanuncio
- Departamento de Entomologia/BIOAGRO, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, José Cola Zanuncio, Viçosa, 36570-900, Minas Gerais, Brasil
| | - Carlos Frederico Wilcken
- Departamento de Proteção Vegetal, Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Avenida Universitária, 3780, Botucatu, São Paulo, 18610-034, Brasil
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Shang F, Ding BY, Niu J, Lu JM, Xie XC, Li CZ, Zhang W, Pan D, Jiang RX, Wang JJ. microRNA maintains nutrient homeostasis in the symbiont-host interaction. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2406925121. [PMID: 39196627 PMCID: PMC11388328 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2406925121] [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: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 06/30/2024] [Indexed: 08/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Endosymbionts provide essential nutrients for hosts, promoting growth, development, and reproduction. However, the molecular regulation of nutrient transport from endosymbiont to host is not well understood. Here, we used bioinformatic analysis, RNA-Sequencing, luciferase assays, RNA immunoprecipitation, and in situ hybridization to show that a bacteriocyte-distributed MRP4 gene (multidrug resistance-associated protein 4) is negatively regulated by a host (aphid)-specific microRNA (miR-3024). Targeted metabolomics, microbiome analysis, vitamin B6 (VB6) supplements, 3D modeling/molecular docking, in vitro binding assays (voltage clamp recording and microscale thermophoresis), and functional complementation of Escherichia coli were jointly used to show that the miR-3024/MRP4 axis controls endosymbiont (Serratia)-produced VB6 transport to the host. The supplementation of miR-3024 increased the mortality of aphids, but partial rescue was achieved by providing an external source of VB6. The use of miR-3024 as part of a sustainable aphid pest-control strategy was evaluated by safety assessments in nontarget organisms (pollinators, predators, and entomopathogenic fungi) using virus-induced gene silencing assays and the expression of miR-3024 in transgenic tobacco. The supplementation of miR-3024 suppresses MRP4 expression, restricting the number of membrane channels, inhibiting VB6 transport, and ultimately killing the host. Under aphids facing stress conditions, the endosymbiont titer is decreased, and the VB6 production is also down-regulated, while the aphid's autonomous inhibition of miR-3024 enhances the expression of MRP4 and then increases the VB6 transport which finally ensures the VB6 homeostasis. The results confirm that miR-3024 regulates nutrient transport in the endosymbiont-host system and is a suitable target for sustainable pest control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Shang
- Key Laboratory of Entomology and Pest Control Engineering, College of Plant Protection, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biosafety and Green Production of Upper Yangtze River (Ministry of Education), Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Bi-Yue Ding
- Key Laboratory of Entomology and Pest Control Engineering, College of Plant Protection, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biosafety and Green Production of Upper Yangtze River (Ministry of Education), Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Jinzhi Niu
- Key Laboratory of Entomology and Pest Control Engineering, College of Plant Protection, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biosafety and Green Production of Upper Yangtze River (Ministry of Education), Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Jin-Ming Lu
- Key Laboratory of Entomology and Pest Control Engineering, College of Plant Protection, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biosafety and Green Production of Upper Yangtze River (Ministry of Education), Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Xiu-Cheng Xie
- Key Laboratory of Entomology and Pest Control Engineering, College of Plant Protection, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biosafety and Green Production of Upper Yangtze River (Ministry of Education), Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Chuan-Zhen Li
- Key Laboratory of Entomology and Pest Control Engineering, College of Plant Protection, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biosafety and Green Production of Upper Yangtze River (Ministry of Education), Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Entomology and Pest Control Engineering, College of Plant Protection, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biosafety and Green Production of Upper Yangtze River (Ministry of Education), Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Deng Pan
- Key Laboratory of Entomology and Pest Control Engineering, College of Plant Protection, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biosafety and Green Production of Upper Yangtze River (Ministry of Education), Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Rui-Xu Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Entomology and Pest Control Engineering, College of Plant Protection, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biosafety and Green Production of Upper Yangtze River (Ministry of Education), Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Jin-Jun Wang
- Key Laboratory of Entomology and Pest Control Engineering, College of Plant Protection, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biosafety and Green Production of Upper Yangtze River (Ministry of Education), Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
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Liu F, Ye F, Yang Y, Kang Z, Liu Y, Chen W, Wang S, Kou H, Kang L, Sun J. Gut bacteria are essential for development of an invasive bark beetle by regulating glucose transport. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2410889121. [PMID: 39110737 PMCID: PMC11331112 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2410889121] [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: 05/31/2024] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 08/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Insects and their gut bacteria form a tight and beneficial relationship, especially in utilization of host nutrients. The red turpentine beetle (RTB), a destructive and invasive pine pest, employs mutualistic microbes to facilitate its invasion success. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the utilization of nutrients remains unknown. In this study, we found that gut bacteria are crucial for the utilization of D-glucose, a main carbon source for RTB development. Downstream assays revealed that gut bacteria-induced gut hypoxia and the secretion of riboflavin are responsible for RTB development by regulating D-glucose transport via the activation of a hypoxia-induced transcription factor 1 (Hif-1α). Further functional investigations confirmed that Hif-1α mediates glucose transport by direct upregulation of two glucose transporters (ST10 and ST27), thereby promoting RTB development. Our findings reveal how gut bacteria regulate the development of RTB, and promote our understanding of the mutualistic relationship of animals and their gut bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanghua Liu
- College of Life Sciences/Hebei Basic Science Center for Biotic Interactions, Institute of Life Science and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding071002, China
| | - Fangyuan Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, Chaoyang District100101, China
| | - Yunwen Yang
- College of Life Sciences/Hebei Basic Science Center for Biotic Interactions, Institute of Life Science and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding071002, China
| | - Zhiwei Kang
- College of Life Sciences/Hebei Basic Science Center for Biotic Interactions, Institute of Life Science and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding071002, China
| | - Yang Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, Haidian District100193, China
| | - Wei Chen
- College of Life Sciences/Hebei Basic Science Center for Biotic Interactions, Institute of Life Science and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding071002, China
| | - Saige Wang
- College of Life Sciences/Hebei Basic Science Center for Biotic Interactions, Institute of Life Science and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding071002, China
| | - Hongru Kou
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, Chaoyang District100101, China
| | - Le Kang
- College of Life Sciences/Hebei Basic Science Center for Biotic Interactions, Institute of Life Science and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding071002, China
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, Chaoyang District100101, China
| | - Jianghua Sun
- College of Life Sciences/Hebei Basic Science Center for Biotic Interactions, Institute of Life Science and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding071002, China
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, Chaoyang District100101, China
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Shan HW, Xia XJ, Feng YL, Wu W, Li HJ, Sun ZT, Li JM, Chen JP. The plant-sucking insect selects assembly of the gut microbiota from environment to enhance host reproduction. NPJ Biofilms Microbiomes 2024; 10:64. [PMID: 39080326 PMCID: PMC11289440 DOI: 10.1038/s41522-024-00539-z] [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: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 07/22/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Plant-sucking insects have intricate associations with a diverse array of microorganisms to facilitate their adaptation to specific ecological niches. The midgut of phytophagous true bugs is generally structured into four distinct compartments to accommodate their microbiota. Nevertheless, there is limited understanding regarding the origins of these gut microbiomes, the mechanisms behind microbial community assembly, and the interactions between gut microbiomes and their insect hosts. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive survey of microbial communities within the midgut compartments of a bean bug Riptortus pedestris, soybean plant, and bulk soil across 12 distinct geographical fields in China, utilizing high-throughput sequencing of the 16 S rRNA gene. Our findings illuminated that gut microbiota of the plant-sucking insects predominantly originated from the surrounding soil environment, and plants also play a subordinate role in mediating microbial acquisition for the insects. Furthermore, our investigation suggested that the composition of the insect gut microbiome was probably shaped by host selection and/or microbe-microbe interactions at the gut compartment level, with marginal influence from soil and geographical factors. Additionally, we had unveiled a noteworthy dynamic in the acquisition of core bacterial taxa, particularly Burkholderia, which were initially sourced from the environment and subsequently enriched within the insect midgut compartments. This bacterial enrichment played a significant role in enhancing insect host reproduction. These findings contribute to our evolving understanding of microbiomes within the insect-plant-soil ecosystem, shedding additional light on the intricate interactions between insects and their microbiomes that underpin the ecological significance of microbial partnerships in host adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong-Wei Shan
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Key Laboratory of Biotechnology in Plant Protection of MARA and Zhejiang Province, Institute of Plant Virology, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, China.
| | - Xie-Jiang Xia
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Key Laboratory of Biotechnology in Plant Protection of MARA and Zhejiang Province, Institute of Plant Virology, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, China
| | - Yi-Lu Feng
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Key Laboratory of Biotechnology in Plant Protection of MARA and Zhejiang Province, Institute of Plant Virology, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, China
| | - Wei Wu
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Key Laboratory of Biotechnology in Plant Protection of MARA and Zhejiang Province, Institute of Plant Virology, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, China
| | - Hong-Jie Li
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Key Laboratory of Biotechnology in Plant Protection of MARA and Zhejiang Province, Institute of Plant Virology, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, China
| | - Zong-Tao Sun
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Key Laboratory of Biotechnology in Plant Protection of MARA and Zhejiang Province, Institute of Plant Virology, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, China
| | - Jun-Min Li
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Key Laboratory of Biotechnology in Plant Protection of MARA and Zhejiang Province, Institute of Plant Virology, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, China
| | - Jian-Ping Chen
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Key Laboratory of Biotechnology in Plant Protection of MARA and Zhejiang Province, Institute of Plant Virology, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, China.
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Pan Q, Yu SJ, Lei S, Zhang SH, Ding LL, Liu L, Li SC, Wang XF, Lou BH, Ran C. Bacterial Symbionts Contribute to Insecticide Susceptibility of Diaphorina citri via Changing the Expression Level of Host Detoxifying Genes. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2024; 72:15164-15175. [PMID: 38938126 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.4c03049] [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: 06/29/2024]
Abstract
Insecticide susceptibility is mainly determined by the insect host, but symbiotic bacteria are also an important affecting factor. In this study, we investigate the relationship between the structure of gut bacterial symbionts and insecticide susceptibility in Diaphorina citri, the important carrier of Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas), the causal agent of Huanglongbing (HLB). Our results indicated that antibiotic treatment significantly increased the susceptibility of D. citri to bifenthrin and thiamethoxam, and significantly decreased the relative abundance of Wolbachia and Profftella, enzyme activities of CarEs, and expression level of multiple CarE genes. The relative loads of Wolbachia and Profftella were positively correlated with DcitCCE13, DcitCCE14, DcitCCE15, and DcitCCE16. RNAi and prokaryotic expression revealed that DcitCCE15 is associated with bifenthrin metabolism. These results revealed that bacterial symbionts might regulate DcitCCE15 expression, which is involved in the susceptibility of D. citri to bifenthrin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Pan
- National Engineering Research Center for Citrus, Citrus Research Institute, Southwest University/Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Chongqing 400712, China
| | - Shi-Jiang Yu
- National Engineering Research Center for Citrus, Citrus Research Institute, Southwest University/Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Chongqing 400712, China
| | - Shuang Lei
- National Engineering Research Center for Citrus, Citrus Research Institute, Southwest University/Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Chongqing 400712, China
| | - Shao-Hui Zhang
- National Engineering Research Center for Citrus, Citrus Research Institute, Southwest University/Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Chongqing 400712, China
| | - Li-Li Ding
- National Engineering Research Center for Citrus, Citrus Research Institute, Southwest University/Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Chongqing 400712, China
| | - Liu Liu
- National Engineering Research Center for Citrus, Citrus Research Institute, Southwest University/Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Chongqing 400712, China
| | - Si-Chen Li
- National Engineering Research Center for Citrus, Citrus Research Institute, Southwest University/Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Chongqing 400712, China
| | - Xue-Feng Wang
- National Engineering Research Center for Citrus, Citrus Research Institute, Southwest University/Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Chongqing 400712, China
| | - Bing-Hai Lou
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Germplasm Innovation and Utilization of Specialty Commercial Crops in North Guangxi, Guangxi Academy of Specialty Crops, Guilin 541004, Guangxi, China
- Guangxi Citrus Breeding and Cultivation Technology Innovation Center, Guangxi Academy of Specialty Crops, Guilin 541004, Guangxi, China
| | - Chun Ran
- National Engineering Research Center for Citrus, Citrus Research Institute, Southwest University/Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Chongqing 400712, China
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9
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Li C, Li CQ, Chen ZB, Liu BQ, Sun X, Wei KH, Li CY, Luan JB. Wolbachia symbionts control sex in a parasitoid wasp using a horizontally acquired gene. Curr Biol 2024; 34:2359-2372.e9. [PMID: 38692276 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.04.035] [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: 02/15/2024] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024]
Abstract
Host reproduction can be manipulated by bacterial symbionts in various ways. Parthenogenesis induction is the most effective type of reproduction manipulation by symbionts for their transmission. Insect sex is determined by regulation of doublesex (dsx) splicing through transformer2 (tra2) and transformer (tra) interaction. Although parthenogenesis induction by symbionts has been studied since the 1970s, its underlying molecular mechanism is unknown. Here we identify a Wolbachia parthenogenesis-induction feminization factor gene (piff) that targets sex-determining genes and causes female-producing parthenogenesis in the haplodiploid parasitoid Encarsia formosa. We found that Wolbachia elimination repressed expression of female-specific dsx and enhanced expression of male-specific dsx, which led to the production of wasp haploid male offspring. Furthermore, we found that E. formosa tra is truncated and non-functional, and Wolbachia has a functional tra homolog, termed piff, with an insect origin. Wolbachia PIFF can colocalize and interact with wasp TRA2. Moreover, Wolbachia piff has coordinated expression with tra2 and dsx of E. formosa. Our results demonstrate the bacterial symbiont Wolbachia has acquired an insect gene to manipulate the host sex determination cascade and induce parthenogenesis in wasps. This study reveals insect-to-bacteria horizontal gene transfer drives the evolution of animal sex determination systems, elucidating a striking mechanism of insect-microbe symbiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ce Li
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Economic and Applied Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China
| | - Chu-Qiao Li
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Economic and Applied Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China
| | - Zhan-Bo Chen
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Economic and Applied Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China
| | - Bing-Qi Liu
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Economic and Applied Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China
| | - Xiang Sun
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Economic and Applied Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China
| | - Kai-Heng Wei
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Economic and Applied Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China
| | - Chen-Yi Li
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Economic and Applied Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China
| | - Jun-Bo Luan
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Economic and Applied Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China.
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Wang X, Zafar J, Yang X, De Mandal S, Hong Y, Jin F, Xu X. Gut bacterium Burkholderia cepacia (BsNLG8) and immune gene Defensin A contribute to the resistance against Nicotine-induced stress in Nilaparvata lugens (Stål). ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2024; 277:116371. [PMID: 38663196 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2024.116371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024]
Abstract
Nicotine, a naturally occurring alkaloid found in tobacco, is a potent neurotoxin extensively used to control Nilaparvata lugens (Stål), a destructive insect pest of rice crops. The insect gut harbors a wide array of resident microorganisms that profoundly influence several biological processes, including host immunity. Maintaining an optimal gut microbiota and immune homeostasis requires a complex network of reciprocal regulatory interactions. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms driving these symbiotic exchanges, particularly between specific gut microbe and immunity, remain largely unknown in insects. Our previous investigations identified and isolated a nicotine-degrading Burkholderia cepacia strain (BsNLG8) with antifungal properties. Building on those findings, we found that nicotine intake significantly increased the abundance of a symbiotic bacteria BsNLG8, induced a stronger bacteriostatic effect in hemolymph, and enhanced the nicotine tolerance of N. lugens. Additionally, nicotine-induced antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) exhibited significant antibacterial effects against Staphylococcus aureus. We adopted RNA-seq to explore the underlying immunological mechanisms in nicotine-stressed N. lugens. Bioinformatic analyses identified numerous differentially expressed immune genes, including recognition/immune activation (GRPs and Toll) and AMPs (i.e., Defensin, Lugensin, lysozyme). Temporal expression profiling (12, 24, and 48 hours) of immune genes revealed pattern recognition proteins and immune effectors as primary responders to nicotine-induced stress. Defensin A, a broad-spectrum immunomodulatory cationic peptide, exhibited significantly high expression. RNA interference-mediated silencing of Defensin A reduced the survival, enhanced nicotine sensitivity of N. lugens to nicotine, and decreased the abundance of BsNLG8. The reintroduction of BsNLG8 improved the expression of immune genes, aiding nicotine resistance of N. lugens. Our findings indicate a potential reciprocal immunomodulatory interaction between Defensin A and BsNLG8 under nicotine stress. Moreover, this study offers novel and valuable insights for future research into enhancing nicotine-based pest management programs and developing alternative biocontrol methods involving the implication of insect symbionts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuemei Wang
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, "Belt and Road" Technology Industry and Innovation Institute for Green and Biological Control of Agricultural Pests, College of Plant Protection, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.
| | - Junaid Zafar
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, "Belt and Road" Technology Industry and Innovation Institute for Green and Biological Control of Agricultural Pests, College of Plant Protection, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.
| | - Xiaotong Yang
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, "Belt and Road" Technology Industry and Innovation Institute for Green and Biological Control of Agricultural Pests, College of Plant Protection, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.
| | - Surajit De Mandal
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, "Belt and Road" Technology Industry and Innovation Institute for Green and Biological Control of Agricultural Pests, College of Plant Protection, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.
| | - Yingying Hong
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, "Belt and Road" Technology Industry and Innovation Institute for Green and Biological Control of Agricultural Pests, College of Plant Protection, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.
| | - Fengliang Jin
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, "Belt and Road" Technology Industry and Innovation Institute for Green and Biological Control of Agricultural Pests, College of Plant Protection, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.
| | - Xiaoxia Xu
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, "Belt and Road" Technology Industry and Innovation Institute for Green and Biological Control of Agricultural Pests, College of Plant Protection, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.
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11
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Renoz F, Parisot N, Baa-Puyoulet P, Gerlin L, Fakhour S, Charles H, Hance T, Calevro F. PacBio Hi-Fi genome assembly of Sipha maydis, a model for the study of multipartite mutualism in insects. Sci Data 2024; 11:450. [PMID: 38704391 PMCID: PMC11069519 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-024-03297-x] [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: 12/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Dependence on multiple nutritional endosymbionts has evolved repeatedly in insects feeding on unbalanced diets. However, reference genomes for species hosting multi-symbiotic nutritional systems are lacking, even though they are essential for deciphering the processes governing cooperative life between insects and anatomically integrated symbionts. The cereal aphid Sipha maydis is a promising model for addressing these issues, as it has evolved a nutritional dependence on two bacterial endosymbionts that complement each other. In this study, we used PacBio High fidelity (HiFi) long-read sequencing to generate a highly contiguous genome assembly of S. maydis with a length of 410 Mb, 3,570 contigs with a contig N50 length of 187 kb, and BUSCO completeness of 95.5%. We identified 117 Mb of repetitive sequences, accounting for 29% of the genome assembly, and predicted 24,453 protein-coding genes, of which 2,541 were predicted enzymes included in an integrated metabolic network with the two aphid-associated endosymbionts. These resources provide valuable genetic and metabolic information for understanding the evolution and functioning of multi-symbiotic systems in insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- François Renoz
- Biodiversity Research Centre, Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, 1348, Belgium.
- Univ Lyon, INSA Lyon, INRAE, BF2I, UMR203, Villeurbanne, F-69621, France.
- Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO), Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8634, Japan.
| | - Nicolas Parisot
- Univ Lyon, INSA Lyon, INRAE, BF2I, UMR203, Villeurbanne, F-69621, France.
| | | | - Léo Gerlin
- Univ Lyon, INRAE, INSA Lyon, BF2I, UMR203, Villeurbanne, F-69621, France
| | - Samir Fakhour
- Biodiversity Research Centre, Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, 1348, Belgium
- Department of Plant Protection, National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA), Béni-Mellal, 23000, Morocco
| | - Hubert Charles
- Univ Lyon, INSA Lyon, INRAE, BF2I, UMR203, Villeurbanne, F-69621, France
| | - Thierry Hance
- Biodiversity Research Centre, Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, 1348, Belgium
| | - Federica Calevro
- Univ Lyon, INRAE, INSA Lyon, BF2I, UMR203, Villeurbanne, F-69621, France.
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12
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Tang XF, Sun YF, Liang YS, Yang KY, Chen PT, Li HS, Huang YH, Pang H. Metabolism, digestion, and horizontal transfer: potential roles and interaction of symbiotic bacteria in the ladybird beetle Novius pumilus and their prey Icerya aegyptiaca. Microbiol Spectr 2024; 12:e0295523. [PMID: 38497713 PMCID: PMC11064573 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02955-23] [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: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024] Open
Abstract
In this study, we first time sequenced and analyzed the 16S rRNA gene data of predator ladybird beetles Novius pumilus and globally distributed invasive pest Icerya aegyptiaca at different stages, and combined data with bacterial genome sequences in N. pumilus to explored the taxonomic distribution, alpha and beta diversity, differentially abundant bacteria, co-occurrence network, and putative functions of their microbial community. Our finding revealed that Candidatus Walczuchella, which exhibited a higher abundance in I. aegyptiaca, possessed several genes in essential amino acid biosynthesis and seemed to perform roles in providing nutrients to the host, similar to other obligate symbionts in scale insects. Lactococcus, Serratia, and Pseudomonas, more abundant in N. pumilus, were predicted to have genes related to hydrocarbon, fatty acids, and chitin degradation, which may assist their hosts in digesting the wax shell covering the scale insects. Notably, our result showed that Lactococcus had relatively higher abundances in adults and eggs compared to other stages in N. pumilus, indicating potential vertical transmission. Additionally, we found that Arsenophonus, known to influence sex ratios in whitefly and wasp, may also function in I. aegyptiaca, probably by influencing nutrient metabolism as it similarly had many genes corresponding to vitamin B and essential amino acid biosynthesis. Also, we observed a potential horizontal transfer of Arsenophonus between the scale insect and its predator, with a relatively high abundance in the ladybirds compared to other bacteria from the scale insects.IMPORTANCEThe composition and dynamic changes of microbiome in different developmental stages of ladybird beetles Novius pumilus with its prey Icerya aegyptiaca were detected. We found that Candidatus Walczuchella, abundant in I. aegyptiaca, probably provide nutrients to their host based on their amino acid biosynthesis-related genes. Abundant symbionts in N. pumilus, including Lactococcus, Serratia, and Pseudophonus, may help the host digest the scale insects with their hydrocarbon, fatty acid, and chitin degrading-related genes. A key endosymbiont Arsenophonus may play potential roles in the nutrient metabolisms and sex determination in I. aegyptiaca, and is possibly transferred from the scale insect to the predator.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue-Fei Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Ecology, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
- College of Forestry, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yi-Fei Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Ecology, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yuan-Sen Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Ecology, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Kun-Yu Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Ecology, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Pei-Tao Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Ecology, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Hao-Sen Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Ecology, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yu-Hao Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Ecology, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Hong Pang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Ecology, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
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13
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Shi PQ, Wang L, Chen XY, Wang K, Wu QJ, Turlings TCJ, Zhang PJ, Qiu BL. Rickettsia transmission from whitefly to plants benefits herbivore insects but is detrimental to fungal and viral pathogens. mBio 2024; 15:e0244823. [PMID: 38315036 PMCID: PMC10936170 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02448-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Bacterial endosymbionts play important roles in the life histories of herbivorous insects by impacting their development, survival, reproduction, and stress tolerance. How endosymbionts may affect the interactions between plants and insect herbivores is still largely unclear. Here, we show that endosymbiotic Rickettsia belli can provide mutual benefits also outside of their hosts when the sap-sucking whitefly Bemisia tabaci transmits them to plants. This transmission facilitates the spread of Rickettsia but is shown to also enhance the performance of the whitefly and co-infesting caterpillars. In contrast, Rickettsia infection enhanced plant resistance to several pathogens. Inside the plants, Rickettsia triggers the expression of salicylic acid-related genes and the two pathogen-resistance genes TGA 2.1 and VRP, whereas they repressed genes of the jasmonic acid pathway. Performance experiments using wild type and mutant tomato plants confirmed that Rickettsia enhances the plants' suitability for insect herbivores but makes them more resistant to fungal and viral pathogens. Our results imply that endosymbiotic Rickettsia of phloem-feeding insects affects plant defenses in a manner that facilitates their spread and transmission. This novel insight into how insects can exploit endosymbionts to manipulate plant defenses also opens possibilities to interfere with their ability to do so as a crop protection strategy. IMPORTANCE Most insects are associated with symbiotic bacteria in nature. These symbionts play important roles in the life histories of herbivorous insects by impacting their development, survival, reproduction as well as stress tolerance. Rickettsia is one important symbiont to the agricultural pest whitefly Bemisia tabaci. Here, for the first time, we revealed that the persistence of Rickettsia symbionts in tomato leaves significantly changed the defense pattern of tomato plants. These changes benefit both sap-feeding and leaf-chewing herbivore insects, such as increasing the fecundity of whitefly adults, enhancing the growth and development of the noctuid Spodoptera litura, but reducing the pathogenicity of Verticillium fungi and TYLCV virus to tomato plants distinctively. Our study unraveled a new horizon for the multiple interaction theories among plant-insect-bacterial symbionts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pei-Qiong Shi
- Engineering Research Center of Biotechnology for Active Substances, Ministry of Education, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China
| | - Lei Wang
- Engineering Research Center of Biotechnology for Active Substances, Ministry of Education, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xin-Yi Chen
- Engineering Research Center of Biotechnology for Active Substances, Ministry of Education, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China
| | - Kai Wang
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, School of Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Qing-Jun Wu
- Institute of Vegetables & Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ted C. J. Turlings
- FARCE Laboratory, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Peng-Jun Zhang
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Huangzhou, China
| | - Bao-Li Qiu
- Engineering Research Center of Biotechnology for Active Substances, Ministry of Education, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China
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14
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Morin S, Atkinson PW, Walling LL. Whitefly-Plant Interactions: An Integrated Molecular Perspective. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ENTOMOLOGY 2024; 69:503-525. [PMID: 37816261 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ento-120120-093940] [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: 10/12/2023]
Abstract
The rapid advances in available transcriptomic and genomic data and our understanding of the physiology and biochemistry of whitefly-plant interactions have allowed us to gain new and significant insights into the biology of whiteflies and their successful adaptation to host plants. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the mechanisms that whiteflies have evolved to overcome the challenges of feeding on phloem sap. We also highlight the evolution and functions of gene families involved in host perception, evaluation, and manipulation; primary metabolism; and metabolite detoxification. We discuss the emerging themes in plant immunity to whiteflies, focusing on whitefly effectors and their sites of action in plant defense-signaling pathways. We conclude with a discussion of advances in the genetic manipulation of whiteflies and the potential that they hold for exploring the interactions between whiteflies and their host plants, as well as the development of novel strategies for the genetic control of whiteflies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shai Morin
- Department of Entomology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel;
| | - Peter W Atkinson
- Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, California, USA;
| | - Linda L Walling
- Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California, Riverside, California, USA;
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15
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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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16
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Bai J, Zuo Z, DuanMu H, Li M, Tong H, Mei Y, Xiao Y, He K, Jiang M, Wang S, Li F. Endosymbiont Tremblaya phenacola influences the reproduction of cotton mealybugs by regulating the mechanistic target of rapamycin pathway. THE ISME JOURNAL 2024; 18:wrae052. [PMID: 38519099 PMCID: PMC11014885 DOI: 10.1093/ismejo/wrae052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Revised: 03/09/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/24/2024]
Abstract
The intricate evolutionary dynamics of endosymbiotic relationships result in unique characteristics among the genomes of symbionts, which profoundly influence host insect phenotypes. Here, we investigated an endosymbiotic system in Phenacoccus solenopsis, a notorious pest of the subfamily Phenacoccinae. The endosymbiont, "Candidatus Tremblaya phenacola" (T. phenacola PSOL), persisted throughout the complete life cycle of female hosts and was more active during oviposition, whereas there was a significant decline in abundance after pupation in males. Genome sequencing yielded an endosymbiont genome of 221.1 kb in size, comprising seven contigs and originating from a chimeric arrangement between betaproteobacteria and gammaproteobacteria. A comprehensive analysis of amino acid metabolic pathways demonstrated complementarity between the host and endosymbiont metabolism. Elimination of T. phenacola PSOL through antibiotic treatment significantly decreased P. solenopsis fecundity. Weighted gene coexpression network analysis demonstrated a correlation between genes associated with essential amino acid synthesis and those associated with host meiosis and oocyte maturation. Moreover, altering endosymbiont abundance activated the host mechanistic target of rapamycin pathway, suggesting that changes in the amino acid abundance affected the host reproductive capabilities via this signal pathway. Taken together, these findings demonstrate a mechanism by which the endosymbiont T. phenacola PSOL contributed to high fecundity in P. solenopsis and provide new insights into nutritional compensation and coevolution of the endosymbiotic system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianyang Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology & Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Insect Sciences, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Zhangqi Zuo
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology & Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Insect Sciences, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Haonan DuanMu
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology & Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Insect Sciences, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Meizhen Li
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology & Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Insect Sciences, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Haojie Tong
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology & Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Insect Sciences, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Yang Mei
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology & Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Insect Sciences, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Yiqi Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology & Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Insect Sciences, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Kang He
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology & Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Insect Sciences, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Mingxing Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology & Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Insect Sciences, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Shuping Wang
- Technical Centre for Animal, Plant & Food Inspection and Quarantine, Shanghai Customs, Shanghai 200135, China
| | - Fei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology & Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Insect Sciences, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
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17
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Li H, Liu Y, Wei X, Pan H, Zhang Y, Zhou X, Chu D. Heterogeneous distribution of Cardinium in whitefly populations is associated with host nuclear genetic background. INSECT SCIENCE 2023; 30:1701-1712. [PMID: 37147785 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.13199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Inherited bacterial symbionts are very common in arthropods, but infection frequency can vary widely among populations. Experiments and interpopulation comparisons suggest that host genetic background might be important in explaining this variation. Our extensive field investigation showed that the infection pattern of the facultative symbiont Cardinium was heterogeneous across geographical populations of the invasive whitefly Bemisia tabaci Mediterranean (MED) in China, with genetic nuclear differences evident in 2 of the populations: 1 with a low infection rate (SD line) and 1 with a high infection rate (HaN line). However, whether the heterogeneous frequency of Cardinium is associated with the host genetic background remains poorly understood. Here, we compared the fitness of the Cardinium-infected and uninfected sublines with similar nuclear genetic backgrounds from SD and HaN lines, respectively, and further determine whether host extranuclear or nuclear genotype influenced the Cardinium-host phenotype by performing 2 new introgression series of 6 generations between SD and HaN lines (i.e., Cardinium-infected females of SD were backcrossed with uninfected males of HaN, and vice versa). The results showed that Cardinium provides marginal fitness benefits in the SD line, whereas Cardinium provides strong fitness benefits in the HaN line. Further, both Cardinium and the Cardinium-host nuclear interaction influence the fecundity and pre-adult survival rate of B. tabaci, whereas the extranuclear genotype does not. In conclusion, our results provide evidence that Cardinium-mediated fitness effects were closely associated with the host genetic background, which provides a fundamental basis for understanding the mechanism underlying the heterogeneous distribution of Cardinium in B. tabaci MED populations across China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongran Li
- Shandong Engineering Research Center for Environment-Friendly Agricultural Pest Management, College of Plant Health and Medicine, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, Shangdong Province, China
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Gene Editing Technologies (Hainan), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Ying Liu
- Shandong Engineering Research Center for Environment-Friendly Agricultural Pest Management, College of Plant Health and Medicine, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, Shangdong Province, China
| | - Xiaoying Wei
- Shandong Engineering Research Center for Environment-Friendly Agricultural Pest Management, College of Plant Health and Medicine, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, Shangdong Province, China
| | - Huipeng Pan
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Pesticide Innovation and Application of Guangdong Province, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Youjun Zhang
- Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xuguo Zhou
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
| | - Dong Chu
- Shandong Engineering Research Center for Environment-Friendly Agricultural Pest Management, College of Plant Health and Medicine, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, Shangdong Province, China
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18
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Haghshenas-Gorgabi N, Poorjavd N, Khajehali J, Wybouw N. Cardinium symbionts are pervasive in Iranian populations of the spider mite Panonychus ulmi despite inducing an infection cost and no demonstrable reproductive phenotypes when Wolbachia is a symbiotic partner. EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2023; 91:369-380. [PMID: 37819592 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-023-00840-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
Maternally transmitted symbionts such as Cardinium and Wolbachia are widespread in arthropods. Both Cardinium and Wolbachia can cause cytoplasmic incompatibility, a reproductive phenotype that interferes with the development of uninfected eggs that are fertilized by infected sperm. In haplodiploid hosts, these symbionts can also distort sex allocation to facilitate their spread through host populations. Without other fitness effects, symbionts that induce strong reproductive phenotypes tend to spread to high and stable infection frequencies, whereas variants that induce weak reproductive phenotypes are typically associated with intermediate and variable frequencies. To study the spread of Cardinium in a haplodiploid host, we sampled Iranian populations of the economically important spider mite Panonychus ulmi in apple orchards. Within several field populations, we also studied the Wolbachia infection frequencies. All P. ulmi field populations carried a Cardinium infection and exhibited high infection frequencies. In contrast, Wolbachia frequency ranged between ca. 10% and ca. 70% and was only found in co-infected mites. To test whether Cardinium induce reproductive phenotypes in P. ulmi, a Cardinium-cured derived line was generated by antibiotic treatment from a co-infected field population. Genetic crosses indicated that Cardinium do not induce demonstrable levels of cytoplasmic incompatibility and sex allocation distortion in co-infected P. ulmi. However, Cardinium infection was associated with a longer developmental time and reduced total fecundity for co-infected females. We hypothesize that Cardinium spread through P. ulmi populations via uncharacterized fitness effects and that co-infection with Wolbachia might impact these drive mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nastaran Haghshenas-Gorgabi
- Department of Plant Protection, College of Agriculture, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, 84156-83111, Iran
| | - Nafiseh Poorjavd
- Department of Plant Protection, College of Agriculture, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, 84156-83111, Iran.
| | - Jahangir Khajehali
- Department of Plant Protection, College of Agriculture, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, 84156-83111, Iran
| | - Nicky Wybouw
- Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
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Wybouw N, Van Reempts E, Zarka J, Zélé F, Bonte D. Egg provisioning explains the penetrance of symbiont-mediated sex allocation distortion in haplodiploids. Heredity (Edinb) 2023; 131:221-229. [PMID: 37443389 PMCID: PMC10462646 DOI: 10.1038/s41437-023-00638-1] [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: 01/03/2023] [Revised: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Maternally transmitted symbionts such as Wolbachia can alter sex allocation in haplodiploid arthropods. By biasing population sex ratios towards females, these changes in sex allocation may facilitate the spread of symbionts. In contrast to symbiont-induced cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI), the mechanisms that underpin sex allocation distortion remain poorly understood. Using a nuclear genotype reference panel of the haplodiploid mite Tetranychus urticae and a single Wolbachia variant that is able to simultaneously induce sex allocation distortion and CI, we unraveled the mechanistic basis of Wolbachia-mediated sex allocation distortion. Host genotype was an important determinant for the strength of sex allocation distortion. We further show that sex allocation distortion by Wolbachia in haplodiploid mites is driven by increasing egg size, hereby promoting egg fertilization. This change in reproductive physiology was also coupled to increased male and female adult size. Our results echo previous work on Cardinium symbionts, suggesting that sex allocation distortion by regulating host investment in egg size is a common strategy among symbionts that infect haplodiploids. To better understand the relevance that sex allocation distortion may have for the spread of Wolbachia in natural haplodiploid populations, we parametrized a model based on generated phenotypic data. Our simulations show that empirically derived levels of sex allocation distortion can be sufficient to remove invasion thresholds, allowing CI to drive the spread of Wolbachia independently of the initial infection frequency. Our findings help elucidate the mechanisms that underlie the widespread occurrence of symbionts in haplodiploid arthropods and the evolution of sex allocation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicky Wybouw
- Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Emma Van Reempts
- Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Jens Zarka
- Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Flore Zélé
- Institute of Evolutionary Science (ISEM), University of Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, 34095, Montpellier, France
| | - Dries Bonte
- Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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20
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Campbell LI, Nwezeobi J, van Brunschot SL, Kaweesi T, Seal SE, Swamy RAR, Namuddu A, Maslen GL, Mugerwa H, Armean IM, Haggerty L, Martin FJ, Malka O, Santos-Garcia D, Juravel K, Morin S, Stephens ME, Muhindira PV, Kersey PJ, Maruthi MN, Omongo CA, Navas-Castillo J, Fiallo-Olivé E, Mohammed IU, Wang HL, Onyeka J, Alicai T, Colvin J. Comparative evolutionary analyses of eight whitefly Bemisia tabaci sensu lato genomes: cryptic species, agricultural pests and plant-virus vectors. BMC Genomics 2023; 24:408. [PMID: 37468834 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-023-09474-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The group of > 40 cryptic whitefly species called Bemisia tabaci sensu lato are amongst the world's worst agricultural pests and plant-virus vectors. Outbreaks of B. tabaci s.l. and the associated plant-virus diseases continue to contribute to global food insecurity and social instability, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. Published B. tabaci s.l. genomes have limited use for studying African cassava B. tabaci SSA1 species, due to the high genetic divergences between them. Genomic annotations presented here were performed using the 'Ensembl gene annotation system', to ensure that comparative analyses and conclusions reflect biological differences, as opposed to arising from different methodologies underpinning transcript model identification. RESULTS We present here six new B. tabaci s.l. genomes from Africa and Asia, and two re-annotated previously published genomes, to provide evolutionary insights into these globally distributed pests. Genome sizes ranged between 616-658 Mb and exhibited some of the highest coverage of transposable elements reported within Arthropoda. Many fewer total protein coding genes (PCG) were recovered compared to the previously published B. tabaci s.l. genomes and structural annotations generated via the uniform methodology strongly supported a repertoire of between 12.8-13.2 × 103 PCG. An integrative systematics approach incorporating phylogenomic analysis of nuclear and mitochondrial markers supported a monophyletic Aleyrodidae and the basal positioning of B. tabaci Uganda-1 to the sub-Saharan group of species. Reciprocal cross-mating data and the co-cladogenesis pattern of the primary obligate endosymbiont 'Candidatus Portiera aleyrodidarum' from 11 Bemisia genomes further supported the phylogenetic reconstruction to show that African cassava B. tabaci populations consist of just three biological species. We include comparative analyses of gene families related to detoxification, sugar metabolism, vector competency and evaluate the presence and function of horizontally transferred genes, essential for understanding the evolution and unique biology of constituent B. tabaci. s.l species. CONCLUSIONS These genomic resources have provided new and critical insights into the genetics underlying B. tabaci s.l. biology. They also provide a rich foundation for post-genomic research, including the selection of candidate gene-targets for innovative whitefly and virus-control strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lahcen I Campbell
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Joachim Nwezeobi
- Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, Chatham, Kent, UK.
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge, Hinxton, UK.
| | - Sharon L van Brunschot
- Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, Chatham, Kent, UK
- CSIRO Health and Biosecurity, Dutton Park, QLD, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Tadeo Kaweesi
- Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, Chatham, Kent, UK
- Rwebitaba Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institute, Fort Portal, Uganda
| | - Susan E Seal
- Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, Chatham, Kent, UK
| | - Rekha A R Swamy
- Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, Chatham, Kent, UK
| | - Annet Namuddu
- Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, Chatham, Kent, UK
- National Crops Resources Research Institute, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Gareth L Maslen
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK
- Imperial College London, South Kensington, London, UK
| | - Habibu Mugerwa
- Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, Chatham, Kent, UK
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Griffin, GA, USA
| | - Irina M Armean
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK
| | - Leanne Haggerty
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK
| | - Fergal J Martin
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK
| | - Osnat Malka
- Department of Entomology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Diego Santos-Garcia
- CNRS, Laboratory of Biometry and Evolutionary Biology UMR 5558, University of Lyon, Villeurbanne, France
- Center for Biology and Management of Populations, INRAe UMR1062, Montferrier-sur-Lez, France
| | - Ksenia Juravel
- Department of Entomology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Shai Morin
- Department of Entomology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | | | - Paul Visendi Muhindira
- Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, Chatham, Kent, UK
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Paul J Kersey
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London, UK
| | - M N Maruthi
- Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, Chatham, Kent, UK
| | | | - Jesús Navas-Castillo
- Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical Y Mediterránea "La Mayora" (IHSM-UMA-CSIC), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Málaga, Algarrobo-Costa, Spain
| | - Elvira Fiallo-Olivé
- Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical Y Mediterránea "La Mayora" (IHSM-UMA-CSIC), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Málaga, Algarrobo-Costa, Spain
| | | | - Hua-Ling Wang
- Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, Chatham, Kent, UK
- College of Forestry, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, Hebei, China
| | - Joseph Onyeka
- National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI), Umudike, Nigeria
| | - Titus Alicai
- National Crops Resources Research Institute, Kampala, Uganda
| | - John Colvin
- Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, Chatham, Kent, UK
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21
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Li Z, Li W, Qin W, Liu J, He Y. Ampicillin enhanced the resistance of Myzus persicae to imidacloprid and cyantraniliprole. PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2023; 79:1388-1398. [PMID: 36453026 DOI: 10.1002/ps.7310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent studies have shown that symbionts are involved in regulating insecticide detoxification in insects. However, there are few studies on the relationship between the symbionts found in Myzus persicae and the mechanism underlying host detoxification of insecticides. In this study, antibiotic ampicillin treatment was used to investigate the possible relationship between symbiotic bacteria and the detoxification of insecticides in the host, M. persicae. RESULTS Bioassays showed that ampicillin significantly reduced the susceptibilities of M. persicae to imidacloprid and cyantraniliprole. Synergistic bioassays and RNAi assays showed that the susceptibilities of M. persicae to imidacloprid and cyantraniliprole were related to metabolic detoxification enzyme activities and the expression level of the cytochrome P450 gene, CYP6CY3. Also, treatment to a combination of ampicillin and enzyme inhibitors or dsCYP6CY3 showed that the negative effect of ampicillin on the susceptibility of M. persicae was effectively inhibited bydetoxification enzyme inhibitors and dsCYP6CY3. Additionally, ampicillin treatment resulted in significant increases in the activities of multifunctional oxidases and esterases, the expression level of CYP6CY3 and fitness of M. persicae. Further, ampicillin significantly reduced the total bacterial abundance and changed symbiont diversity in M. persicae. The abundance of Pseudomonadaceae decreased significantly, while the abundance of Rhodococcus and Buchnera increased significantly. CONCLUSION Our study showed that ampicillin enhanced the resistance levels to imidacloprid and cyantraniliprole of M. persicae, which might be related to the selective elimination of symbiotic bacteria, the upregulated activities of detoxification enzymes and the increased fitness. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zengxin Li
- College of Plant Science and Technology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Insect Resource Application and Sustainable Pest Control, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- Institute of Plant Protection, Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guiyang, China
| | - Wenhong Li
- Institute of Plant Protection, Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guiyang, China
| | - Weiwei Qin
- College of Plant Science and Technology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Insect Resource Application and Sustainable Pest Control, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Jingyou Liu
- College of Plant Science and Technology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Insect Resource Application and Sustainable Pest Control, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yueping He
- College of Plant Science and Technology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Insect Resource Application and Sustainable Pest Control, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
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22
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Yao YL, Ma XY, Wang TY, Yan JY, Chen NF, Hong JS, Liu BQ, Xu ZQ, Zhang N, Lv C, Sun X, Luan JB. A bacteriocyte symbiont determines whitefly sex ratio by regulating mitochondrial function. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112102. [PMID: 36774548 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Revised: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Nutritional symbionts influence host reproduction, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are largely unclear. We previously found that the bacteriocyte symbiont Hamiltonella impacts the sex ratio of the whitefly Bemisia tabaci. Hamiltonella synthesizes folate by cooperation with the whitefly. Folate deficiency by Hamiltonella elimination or whitefly gene silencing distorted whitefly sex ratio, and folate supplementation restored the sex ratio. Hamiltonella deficiency or gene silencing altered histone H3 lysine 9 trimethylation (H3K9me3) level, which was restored by folate supplementation. Genome-wide chromatin immunoprecipitation-seq analysis of H3K9me3 indicated mitochondrial dysfunction in symbiont-deficient whiteflies. Hamiltonella deficiency compromised mitochondrial quality of whitefly ovaries. Repressing ovary mitochondrial function led to distorted whitefly sex ratio. These findings indicate that the symbiont-derived folate regulates host histone methylation modifications, which thereby impacts ovary mitochondrial function, and finally determines host sex ratio. Our study suggests that a nutritional symbiont can regulate animal reproduction in a way that differs from reproductive manipulators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya-Lin Yao
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Economic and Applied Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China
| | - Xin-Yu Ma
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Economic and Applied Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China
| | - Tian-Yu Wang
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Economic and Applied Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China
| | - Jin-Yang Yan
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Economic and Applied Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China
| | - Nai-Fei Chen
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Economic and Applied Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China
| | - Ji-Sheng Hong
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Economic and Applied Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China
| | - Bing-Qi Liu
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Economic and Applied Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China
| | - Zi-Qi Xu
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Economic and Applied Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China
| | - Nuo Zhang
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Economic and Applied Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China
| | - Chao Lv
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Economic and Applied Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China
| | - Xiang Sun
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Economic and Applied Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China
| | - Jun-Bo Luan
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Economic and Applied Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China.
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23
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Abstract
Integration between animal reproduction and symbiont inheritance is fundamental in symbiosis biology, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are largely unknown. Vitellogenin (Vg) is critical for oogenesis, and it is also a pathogen pattern recognition molecule in some animals. Previous studies have shown that Vg is involved in the regulation of symbiont abundance and transmission. However, the mechanisms by which an insect and its symbiont contribute to the function of Vg and how Vg impacts the persistence of insect-microbe symbiosis remain largely unclear. Symbionts are transovarially transmitted via maternal inheritance of the bacteriocytes in the whitefly Bemisia tabaci. Surprisingly, Vg is localized in bacteriocytes of whiteflies. Vg could be synthesized in whitefly bacteriocytes by the gene Vg expressed in these cells or exported into bacteriocytes from hemolymph via the Vg receptor. We further found that the juvenile hormone and "Candidatus Portiera aleyrodidarum" (here termed Portiera) control the level and localization of Vg in whiteflies. Immunocapture PCR revealed interactions between Vg and Portiera. Suppressing Vg expression reduced Portiera abundance as well as whitefly oogenesis and fecundity. Thus, we reveal that Vg facilitated the persistence of whitefly-bacteriocyte symbiont associations. This study will provide insight into the key role of Vg in the coevolution of insect reproduction and symbiont inheritance. IMPORTANCE Intracellular heritable symbionts have been incorporated into insect reproductive and developmental biology by various mechanisms. All Bemisia tabaci species harbor the obligate symbiont Portiera in specialized insect cells called bacteriocytes. We report that the whitefly juvenile hormone and Portiera determined vitellogenin (Vg) localization in bacteriocytes of whiteflies. In turn, Vg affected whitefly fecundity as well as fitness and transmission of the symbiont. Our findings show that Vg, a multifunctional protein, is indispensable for symbiont integration into the reproduction and development of insects. This reflects the outcome of long-term coevolution of the insect-microbe symbiosis.
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24
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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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25
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Abstract
Many insects contain endosymbiotic bacteria within their bodies. In multiple endosymbiotic systems comprising two or more symbionts, each of the symbionts is generally localized in a different host cell or tissue. Bemisia tabaci (Sweet potato whitefly) possesses a unique endosymbiotic system where co-obligate symbionts are localized in the same bacteriocytes. Using fluorescence in situ hybridization, we found that endosymbionts in B. tabaci MEAM1 occupy distinct subcellular habitats, or niches, within a single bacteriocyte. Hamiltonella was located adjacent to the nucleus of the bacteriocyte, while Portiera was present in the cytoplasm surrounding Hamiltonella. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that the endoplasmic reticulum separates the two symbionts. Habitat segregation was maintained for longer durations in female bacteriocytes. The same segregation was observed in three genetically distinct B. tabaci groups (MEAM1, MED Q1, and Asia II 6) and Trialeurodes vaporariorum, which shared a common ancestor with Bemisia over 80 million years ago, even though the coexisting symbionts and the size of bacteriocytes were different. These results suggest that the habitat segregation system existed in the common ancestor and was conserved in both lineages, despite different bacterial partners coexisting with Portiera. Our findings provide insights into the evolution and maintenance of complex endosymbiotic systems and highlight the importance of organelles for the construction of separate niches for endosymbionts. IMPORTANCE Co-obligate endosymbionts in B. tabaci are exceptionally localized within the same bacteriocyte (a specialized cell for endosymbiosis), but the underlying mechanism for their coexistence remains largely unknown. This study provides evidence for niche segregation at the subcellular level between the two symbionts. We showed that the endoplasmic reticulum is a physical barrier separating the two species. Despite differences in co-obligate partners, this subcellular niche segregation was conserved across various whitefly species. The physical proximity of symbionts may enable the efficient biosynthesis of essential nutrients via shared metabolic pathways. The expression "Good fences make good neighbors" appears to be true for insect endosymbiotic systems.
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26
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Tan Y, Gong B, Zhang Q, Li C, Weng J, Zhou X, Jin L. Diversity of endosymbionts in camellia spiny whitefly, Aleurocanthus camelliae (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), estimated by 16S rRNA analysis and their biological implications. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1124386. [PMID: 37138629 PMCID: PMC10149810 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1124386] [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] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Camellia spiny whitefly, Aleurocanthus camelliae (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), is a major pest in tea, which poses a serious threat to tea production. Similar to many insects, various bacterial symbioses inside A. camelliae may participate in the reproduction, metabolism, and detoxification of the host. However, few reports included research on the microbial composition and influence on A. camelliae growth. We first applied high-throughput sequencing of the V4 region in the 16S rRNA of symbiotic bacteria to study its component and effect on the biological trait of A. camelliae by comparing it with the antibiotic treatment group. The population parameters, survival rate, and fecundity rate of A. camelliae were also analyzed using the age-stage two-sex life table. Our results demonstrated that phylum Proteobacteria (higher than 96.15%) dominated the whole life cycle of A. camelliae. It unveiled the presence of Candidatus Portiera (primary endosymbiont) (67.15-73.33%), Arsenophonus (5.58-22.89%), Wolbachia (4.53-11.58%), Rickettsia (0.75-2.59%), and Pseudomonas (0.99-1.88%) genus. Antibiotic treatment caused a significant decrease in the endosymbiont, which negatively affected the host's biological properties and life process. For example, 1.5% rifampicin treatment caused a longer preadult stage in the offspring generation (55.92 d) compared to the control (49.75d) and a lower survival rate (0.36) than the control (0.60). The decreased intrinsic rate of increase (r), net reproductive rate (R 0), and prolonged mean generation time (T) were signs of all disadvantageous effects associated with symbiotic reduction. Our findings confirmed the composition and richness of symbiotic bacteria in larva and adult of A. camelliae by an Illumina NovaSeq 6000 analysis and their influence on the development of the host by demographic research. Together, the results suggested that symbiotic bacteria play an important role in manipulating the biological development of their hosts, which might help us for developing new pest control agents and technologies for better management of A. camelliae.
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Zhao D, Ni X, Zhang Z, Niu H, Qiu R, Guo H. Bt protein hasten entomopathogenic fungi-induced death of nontarget pest whitefly by suppressing protective symbionts. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 853:158588. [PMID: 36087663 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Revised: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The risk assessment of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) crops on nontarget pests has received much attention. Despite the knowledge of various beneficial bacterial symbionts in pests, whether Bt proteins affect these symbionts and subsequently alter the pest's ecology remains largely unknown. The whitefly Bemisia tabaci is one of the most serious nontarget pests in Bt cotton. Here, we explored the Bt Cry1Ac protein-induced changes in whitefly symbiont abundance and the subsequent effects on whitefly response against a naturally prevalent entomopathogenic fungus Cordyceps javanica. The obligate symbiont 'Candidatus Portiera aleyrodidarum' (hereafter P. aleyrodidarum) as well as facultative symbionts 'Candidatus Hamiltonella defensa' (hereafter H. defensa), 'Candidatus Cardinium hertigii' (hereafter C. hertigii) and 'Candidatus Rickettsia bellii' (hereafter R. bellii) dominate the microbial community of whiteflies. The Bt exposure had no effects on H. defensa infected (H) and H. defensa-C. hertigii doubly infected (HC) whiteflies, but decreased the total copy number of symbionts as well as the R. bellii proportion in H. defensa-C. hertigii- R. bellii triply infected whiteflies (HCR). C. javanica caused whitefly adults 100 % mortality within 8 days. Without Bt protein exposure, HCR whiteflies survived significantly longer than H and HC whiteflies sprayed by C. javanica, suggesting that R. bellii confers protection. However, in Bt-exposed groups, C. javanica generated synchronous death of H, HC and HCR whiteflies. Specifically, in H and HC whiteflies, Bt protein-exposure showed no significant difference in progress of death caused by C. javanica. But in HCR whiteflies, Bt exposure hastened death induced by C. javanica, suppressing the R. bellii-conferred protection. This is the first report revealing that Bt protein altered symbiont community conferred adverse effects on nontarget pests, providing a new perspective for Bt risk assessment and biocontrol strategies of nontarget pests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongxiao Zhao
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China
| | - Xiaolu Ni
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China
| | - Zhichun Zhang
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China
| | - Hongtao Niu
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China
| | - Ruiting Qiu
- College of Arts and Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus 43201, United States of America
| | - Huifang Guo
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China.
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28
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El Hamss H, Maruthi MN, Ally HM, Omongo CA, Wang HL, van Brunschot S, Colvin J, Delatte H. Spatio-temporal changes in endosymbiont diversity and composition in the African cassava whitefly, Bemisia tabaci SSA1. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:986226. [DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.986226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Sap-sucking insects, including whiteflies, are amongst the most devastating and widely distributed organisms on the planet. They are often highly invasive and endosymbiont communities within these insects help them adapt to new or changing environments. Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius; Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) whitefly species are vectors of more than 500 known plant-viruses and harbour highly diverse endosymbionts communities. To date, however, whitefly–endosymbiont interactions, community structure and their spatio-temporal changes are still poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the spatio-temporal changes in the composition and diversity of bacterial endosymbionts in the agricultural crop pest whitefly species, Bemisia tabaci sub-Saharan Africa 1-subgroup 1 and 2 (SSA1-SG1 and SSA1-SG2). 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing analysis was carried out to characterise endosymbiont compositionsin field-collected SSA1 (SSA1-SG1 and SSA1-SG2) populations infesting cassava in Uganda in 1997 and 2017. We detected Portiera, Arsenophonus, Wolbachia, Hamiltonella and Hemipteriphilus, with Arsenophonus and Wolbachia infections being predominant. Hemipteriphilus and Hamiltonella frequencies were very low and were detected in seven and two samples, respectively. Bacterial diversity based on three independent parameters including Simpson index, number of haplotypes and Bray–Curtis dissimilarity matrix was significantly higher in 1997 than in 2017. This period also coincided with the advent of super-abundant cassava-whitefly populations on cassava crops in Uganda. We discuss how endosymbionts may influence the biology and behaviour of whiteflies leading to population explosions.
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29
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Tao M, Wan Y, Zheng X, Qian K, Merchant A, Xu B, Zhang Y, Zhou X, Wu Q. Tomato spotted wilt orthotospovirus shifts sex ratio toward males in the western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis, by down-regulating a FSCB-like gene. PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2022; 78:5014-5023. [PMID: 36054039 DOI: 10.1002/ps.7125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Revised: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Plant viruses can facilitate their transmission by modulating the sex ratios of their insect vectors. Previously, we found that exposure to tomato spotted wilt orthotospovirus (TSWV) in the western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis, led to a male-biased sex ratio in the offspring. TSWV, a generalist pathogen with a broad host range, is transmitted primarily by F. occidentalis in a circulative-propagative manner. Here, we integrated proteomic tools with RNAi to comprehensively investigate the genetic basis underlying the shift in vector sex ratio induced by the virus. RESULTS Proteomic analysis exhibited 104 differentially expressed proteins between F. occidentalis adult males with and without TSWV. The expression of the fiber sheath CABYR-binding-like (FSCB) protein, namely FoFSCB-like, a sperm-specific protein associated with sperm capacitation and motility, was decreased by 46%. The predicted FoFSCB-like protein includes 10 classic Pro-X-X-Pro motifs and 42 phosphorylation sites, which are key features for sperm capacitation. FoFSCB-like expression was gradually increased during the development and peaked at the pupal stage. After exposure to TSWV, FoFSCB-like expression was substantially down-regulated. Nanoparticle-mediated RNAi substantially suppressed FoFSCB-like expression and led to a significant male bias in the offspring. CONCLUSION These combined results suggest that down-regulation of FoFSCB-like in virus-exposed thrips leads to a male-biased sex ratio in the offspring. This study not only advances our understanding of virus-vector interactions, but also identifies a potential target for the genetic management of F. occidentalis, the primary vector of TSWV, by manipulating male fertility. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Tao
- Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yanran Wan
- Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaobin Zheng
- Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Kanghua Qian
- Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Austin Merchant
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Baoyun Xu
- Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Youjun Zhang
- Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xuguo Zhou
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Qingjun Wu
- Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
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Zhang J, Gao S, Zheng F, Wang N. Intestinal Bacterial Diversity and Functional Analysis of Three Lepidopteran Corn Ear Worm Larvae. INSECTS 2022; 13:740. [PMID: 36005365 PMCID: PMC9409944 DOI: 10.3390/insects13080740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2022] [Revised: 08/13/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Insects, as the most abundant animal group on earth, and their symbionts help their hosts to adapt to various environments. Conogethes punctiferalis, Ostrinia furnacalis and Helicoverpa armigera are three main pests co-occurring in the ear stage of corn, which significantly affect the yield and quality of corn. The purpose of this study was to compare the diversity and function of the intestinal bacteria of the three co-occurring lepidopteran pests, C. punctiferalis, O. furnacalis and H. armigera, and to explore the reason of their prevalence from the microbiota's view. Our results showed the difference of diversity and abundance of the gut bacteria of three co-occurring lepidopteran pests at the ear stage. Proteobacteria and Firmicutes were the dominant phyla, and the Enterobacteriaceae and Enterococcaceae were the dominant families in the three pests. Compared with the other two pests, Bacteroidetes was found much more in C. punctiferalis. In addition, C. punctiferalis showed more correlation and similarity in bacteria composition with corn endophytic bacteria, as well as had obvious advantages in metabolic, environmental information processing, cellular processes and organic systems function pathways. Our findings may provide insight into the prevalence of corn earworm larvae from the perspective of gut microbiota and function prediction.
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Abstract
Insects have evolved highly diverse genetic sex-determination mechanisms and a relatively balanced male to female sex ratio is generally expected. However, selection may shift the optimal sex ratio while meiotic drive and endosymbiont manipulation can result in sex ratio distortion (SRD). Recent advances in sex chromosome genomics and CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing brought significant insights into the molecular regulators of sex determination in an increasing number of insects and provided new ways to engineer SRD. We review these advances and discuss both naturally occurring and engineered SRD in the context of the Anthropocene. We emphasize SRD-mediated biological control of insects to help improve One Health, sustain agriculture, and conserve endangered species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Austin Compton
- Department of Biochemistry, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
- Fralin Life Sciences Institute, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Zhijian Tu
- Department of Biochemistry, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
- Fralin Life Sciences Institute, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
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32
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Zhu DT, Rao Q, Zou C, Ban FX, Zhao JJ, Liu SS. Genomic and transcriptomic analyses reveal metabolic complementarity between whiteflies and their symbionts. INSECT SCIENCE 2022; 29:539-549. [PMID: 34264019 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.12943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Revised: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Nutritional mutualism between insects and symbiotic bacteria is widespread. The various sap-feeding whitefly species within the Bemisia tabaci complex associate with the same obligate symbiont (Portiera) and multiple secondary symbionts. It is often assumed that some of the symbionts residing in the whiteflies play crucial roles in the nutritional physiology of their insect hosts. Although effort has been made to understand the functions of the whitefly symbionts, the metabolic complementarity offered by these symbionts to the hosts is not yet well understood. We examined two secondary symbionts, Arsenophonus and Wolbachia, in two species of the B. tabaci whitefly complex, provisionally named as Asia II 3 and China 1. Genomic sequence analyses revealed that Arsenophonus and Wolbachia retained genes responsible for the biosynthesis of B vitamins. We then conducted transcriptomic surveys of the bacteriomes in these two species of whiteflies together with that in another species named MED of this whitefly complex previously reported. The analyses indicated that several key genes in B vitamin syntheses from the three whitefly species were identical. Our findings suggest that, similar to another secondary symbiont Hamiltonella, Arsenophonus and Wolbachia function in the nutrient provision of host whiteflies. Although phylogenetically distant species of symbionts are associated with their respective hosts, they have evolved and retained similar functions in biosynthesis of some B vitamins. Such metabolic complementarity between whiteflies and symbionts represents an important feature of their coevolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan-Tong Zhu
- Ministry of Agriculture Key Lab of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310029, China
| | - Qiong Rao
- School of Agriculture and Food Science, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Lin'an, Hangzhou, 311300, China
| | - Chi Zou
- Ministry of Agriculture Key Lab of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310029, China
| | - Fei-Xue Ban
- Ministry of Agriculture Key Lab of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310029, China
| | - Juan-Juan Zhao
- Ministry of Agriculture Key Lab of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310029, China
| | - Shu-Sheng Liu
- Ministry of Agriculture Key Lab of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310029, China
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Katlav A, Cook JM, Riegler M. Common endosymbionts affect host fitness and sex allocation via egg size provisioning. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20212582. [PMID: 35350856 PMCID: PMC8965393 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.2582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
It is hard to overemphasize the importance of endosymbionts in arthropod biology, ecology and evolution. Some endosymbionts can complement host metabolic function or provide defence against pathogens; others, such as ubiquitous Wolbachia and Cardinium, have evolved strategies to manipulate host reproduction. A common reproductive manipulation strategy is cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) between differently infected individuals which can result in female mortality or male development of fertilized eggs in haplodiploid hosts. Recently, an additional role of endosymbionts has been recognized in the modification of sex allocation in sexually reproducing haplodiploids. This was theoretically expected due to the maternal inheritance of endosymbionts and natural selection for them to increase infected female production, yet the underlying mechanism remained unknown. Here, we tested whether and how Cardinium and Wolbachia causing different CI types interact to increase female production in a haplodiploid thrips species where sex allocation depends on both maternal condition and egg size provisioning. We found that Cardinium augmented female production by increasing maternal fitness and egg size, thereby boosting fertilization rate and offspring fitness. Wolbachia, in contrast, reduced the beneficial effects of Cardinium. Our results demonstrate different invasion strategies and antagonistic effects of endosymbiotic bacteria on host fitness and evolution of sex allocation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alihan Katlav
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, New South Wales 2751, Australia
| | - James M. Cook
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, New South Wales 2751, Australia
| | - Markus Riegler
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, New South Wales 2751, Australia
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Sun X, Liu BQ, Li CQ, Chen ZB, Xu XR, Luan JB. A novel microRNA regulates cooperation between symbiont and a laterally acquired gene in the regulation of pantothenate biosynthesis within Bemisia tabaci whiteflies. Mol Ecol 2022; 31:2611-2624. [PMID: 35243711 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Revised: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Horizontally transferred genes (HTGs) play a key role in animal symbiosis, and some horizontally transferred genes or proteins are highly expressed in specialized host cells (bacteriocytes). However, it is not clear how HTGs are regulated, but miRNAs are prime candidates given their previously demonstrated roles in symbiosis and impacts on the expression of host genes. A horizontally acquired PanBC that is highly expressed in whitefly bacteriocytes can cooperate with an obligate symbiont Portiera for pantothenate production, facilitating whitefly performance and Portiera titer. Here, we found that a whitefly miRNA novel-m0780-5p was up-regulated and its target panBC was down-regulated in Portiera-eliminated whiteflies. This miRNA was located to the cytoplasmic region of whitefly bacteriocytes. A novel-m0780-5p agomir injection reduced the expression of PanBC in whitefly bacteriocytes, while a novel-m0780-5p antagomir injection enhanced PanBC expression. Agomir injection also reduced the pantothenate level, Portiera titer and whitefly performance. Supplementation with pantothenate restored Portiera titer and the fitness of agomir-injected whiteflies. Thus, we demonstrated that a whitefly miRNA regulates panBC-mediated host-symbiont collaboration required for pantothenate synthesis, benefiting the whitefly-Portiera symbiosis. Both panBC and novel-m0780-5p are present in the genomes of six B. tabaci species. The expression of a novel miRNA in multiple B. tabaci species suggests that the miRNA evolved after panBC acquisition, and allowed this gene to be more tightly regulated. Our discovery provides the first account of a HTG being regulated by a miRNA from the host genome, and suggests key roles for interactions between miRNAs and HTGs in the functioning of symbiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Sun
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Economic and Applied Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, 110866, China
| | - Bing-Qi Liu
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Economic and Applied Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, 110866, China
| | - Chu-Qiao Li
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Economic and Applied Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, 110866, China
| | - Zhan-Bo Chen
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Economic and Applied Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, 110866, China
| | - Xiao-Rui Xu
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Economic and Applied Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, 110866, China
| | - Jun-Bo Luan
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Economic and Applied Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, 110866, China
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35
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Li NN, Jiang S, Lu KY, Hong JS, Wang YB, Yan JY, Luan JB. Bacteriocyte development is sexually differentiated in Bemesia tabaci. Cell Rep 2022; 38:110455. [PMID: 35235797 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Revised: 12/27/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Some symbiotic microbes are restricted to specialized host cells called bacteriocytes. However, the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the development of bacteriocytes are largely obscure. We find that maternally inherited bacteriocytes proliferate in adult females but degenerate in adult males of the whitefly Bemisia tabaci. Single-cell transcriptomics and immunohistochemistry reveal that cell division only occurs in the bacteriocytes of adult females, whereas autophagy and apoptosis are induced in the bacteriocytes of adult males. A transcription factor, Adf-1, enriched in bacteriocytes, is highly expressed in female bacteriocytes relative to male bacteriocytes. Silencing Adf-1 reduces the bacteriocyte number and Portiera titer and activates autophagy and apoptosis in females. The differential dynamics of both cell division and death in bacteriocytes and distinct expression of Adf-1 in bacteriocytes between whitefly sexes underlie the sexual differentiation of bacteriocyte development. Our study reveals that insect sex affects the development of bacteriocytes by cellular and molecular remodeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na-Na Li
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Economic and Applied Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China
| | - Shan Jiang
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Economic and Applied Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China
| | - Kun-Yu Lu
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Economic and Applied Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China
| | - Ji-Sheng Hong
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Economic and Applied Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China
| | - Yan-Bin Wang
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Economic and Applied Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China
| | - Jin-Yang Yan
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Economic and Applied Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China
| | - Jun-Bo Luan
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Economic and Applied Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China.
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36
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Chang CY, Sun XW, Tian PP, Miao NH, Zhang YL, Liu XD. Plant secondary metabolite and temperature determine the prevalence of Arsenophonus endosymbionts in aphid populations. Environ Microbiol 2022; 24:3764-3776. [PMID: 35129273 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Revised: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Transmission rate and role in hosts contribute to the prevalence of an endosymbiont. However, factors affecting transmission and role of facultative endosymbionts are still not well understood. Here, we illustrated that host plants and environmental temperatures affected the transmission, relative abundance, and role of Arsenophonus in the cotton aphid Aphis gossypii. The transmission rate of this endosymbiont from mother aphids to offspring was relatively lower. High temperatures impeded the transmission, and infection rates declined as aphids were exposed to 30 °C. Contents of amino acids and secondary metabolites were remarkable different among host plants. Aphids feeding on zucchini leaves containing a higher titer of amino acids and lower secondary metabolites harbored a relatively lower abundance of Arsenophonus. Concentrations of an amino acid and a plant secondary metabolite, cucurbitacin B, in aphid diet were not associated with Arsenophonus abundance. However, gossypol, another plant secondary metabolite, was strongly related with the abundance. Arsenophonus imparted a fitness benefit to aphids, and the benefit was dependent on host plants and gossypol concentration. In sum, plant secondary metabolite and environmental temperature affect transmission, relative abundance, and role of Arsenophonus, which determine the endosymbiont prevalence in aphid populations. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Yan Chang
- Department of Entomology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Xiao-Wan Sun
- Department of Entomology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Pan-Pan Tian
- Department of Entomology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Ning-Hui Miao
- Department of Entomology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Yu-Lin Zhang
- Department of Entomology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Xiang-Dong Liu
- Department of Entomology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
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Endosymbionts moderate constrained sex allocation in a haplodiploid thrips species in a temperature-sensitive way. Heredity (Edinb) 2022; 128:169-177. [PMID: 35115648 PMCID: PMC8897473 DOI: 10.1038/s41437-022-00505-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Revised: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Maternally inherited bacterial endosymbionts that affect host fitness are common in nature. Some endosymbionts colonise host populations by reproductive manipulations (such as cytoplasmic incompatibility; CI) that increase the reproductive fitness of infected over uninfected females. Theory predicts that CI-inducing endosymbionts in haplodiploid hosts may also influence sex allocation, including in compatible crosses, however, empirical evidence for this is scarce. We examined the role of two common CI-inducing endosymbionts, Cardinium and Wolbachia, in the sex allocation of Pezothrips kellyanus, a haplodiploid thrips species with a split sex ratio. In this species, irrespective of infection status, some mated females are constrained to produce extremely male-biased broods, whereas other females produce extremely female-biased broods. We analysed brood sex ratio of females mated with males of the same infection status at two temperatures. We found that at 20 °C the frequency of constrained sex allocation in coinfected pairs was reduced by 27% when compared to uninfected pairs. However, at 25 °C the constrained sex allocation frequency increased and became similar between coinfected and uninfected pairs, resulting in more male-biased population sex ratios at the higher temperature. This temperature-dependent pattern occurred without changes in endosymbiont densities and compatibility. Our findings indicate that endosymbionts affect sex ratios of haplodiploid hosts beyond the commonly recognised reproductive manipulations by causing female-biased sex allocation in a temperature-dependent fashion. This may contribute to a higher transmission efficiency of CI-inducing endosymbionts and is consistent with previous models that predict that CI by itself is less efficient in driving endosymbiont invasions in haplodiploid hosts.
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38
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Benhamou S, Rahioui I, Henri H, Charles H, Da Silva P, Heddi A, Vavre F, Desouhant E, Calevro F, Mouton L. Cytotype Affects the Capability of the Whitefly Bemisia tabaci MED Species To Feed and Oviposit on an Unfavorable Host Plant. mBio 2021; 12:e0073021. [PMID: 34781749 PMCID: PMC8593682 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00730-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The acquisition of nutritional obligate primary endosymbionts (P-symbionts) allowed phloemo-phageous insects to feed on plant sap and thus colonize novel ecological niches. P-symbionts often coexist with facultative secondary endosymbionts (S-symbionts), which may also influence their hosts' niche utilization ability. The whitefly Bemisia tabaci is a highly diversified species complex harboring, in addition to the P-symbiont "Candidatus Portiera aleyrodidarum," seven S-symbionts whose roles remain poorly understood. Here, we compare the phenotypic and metabolic responses of three B. tabaci lines differing in their S-symbiont community, reared on three different host plants, hibiscus, tobacco, or lantana, and address whether and how S-symbionts influence insect capacity to feed and produce offspring on those plants. We first show that hibiscus, tobacco, and lantana differ in their free amino acid composition. Insects' performance, as well as free amino acid profile and symbiotic load, were shown to be plant dependent, suggesting a critical role for the plant nutritional properties. Insect fecundity was significantly lower on lantana, indicating that it is the least favorable plant. Remarkably, insects reared on this plant show a specific amino acid profile and a higher symbiont density compared to the two other plants. In addition, this plant was the only one for which fecundity differences were observed between lines. Using genetically homogeneous hybrids, we demonstrate that cytotype (mitochondria and symbionts), and not genotype, is a major determinant of females' fecundity and amino acid profile on lantana. As cytotypes differ in their S-symbiont community, we propose that these symbionts may mediate their hosts' suitable plant range. IMPORTANCE Microbial symbionts are universal in eukaryotes, and it is now recognized that symbiotic associations represent major evolutionary driving forces. However, the extent to which symbionts contribute to their hosts' ecological adaptation and subsequent diversification is far from being fully elucidated. The whitefly Bemisia tabaci is a sap feeder associated with multiple coinfecting intracellular facultative symbionts. Here, we show that plant species simultaneously affect whiteflies' performance, amino acid profile, and symbiotic density, which could be partially explained by differences in plant nutritional properties. We also demonstrate that, on lantana, the least favorable plant used in our study, whiteflies' performance is determined by their cytotype. We propose that the host plant utilization in B. tabaci is influenced by its facultative symbiont community composition, possibly through its impact on the host dietary requirements. Altogether, our data provide new insights into the impact of intracellular microorganisms on their animal hosts' ecological niche range and diversification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvain Benhamou
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, VetAgro Sup, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR 5558, Villeurbanne, France
- Univ Lyon, INRAE, INSA Lyon, BF2I, UMR 203, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Isabelle Rahioui
- Univ Lyon, INRAE, INSA Lyon, BF2I, UMR 203, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Hélène Henri
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, VetAgro Sup, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR 5558, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Hubert Charles
- Univ Lyon, INRAE, INSA Lyon, BF2I, UMR 203, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Pedro Da Silva
- Univ Lyon, INRAE, INSA Lyon, BF2I, UMR 203, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Abdelaziz Heddi
- Univ Lyon, INRAE, INSA Lyon, BF2I, UMR 203, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Fabrice Vavre
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, VetAgro Sup, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR 5558, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Emmanuel Desouhant
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, VetAgro Sup, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR 5558, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Federica Calevro
- Univ Lyon, INRAE, INSA Lyon, BF2I, UMR 203, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Laurence Mouton
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, VetAgro Sup, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR 5558, Villeurbanne, France
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39
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Wang D, Huang Z, Billen J, Zhang G, He H, Wei C. Complex co-evolutionary relationships between cicadas and their symbionts. Environ Microbiol 2021; 24:195-211. [PMID: 34927333 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2021] [Revised: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Previous evidence suggests that cicadas lacking Hodgkinia may harbour the yeast-like fungal symbionts (YLS). Here, we reinforce an earlier conclusion that the pathogenic ancestor of YLS independently infected different cicada lineages instead of the common ancestor of Cicadidae. Five independent replacement events in the loss of Hodgkinia/acquisition of YLS and seven other replacement events of YLS (from an Ophiocordyceps fungus to another Ophiocordyceps fungus) are hypothesised to have occurred within the sampled cicada taxa. The divergence time of YLS lineages was later than that of corresponding cicada lineages. The rapid shift of diversification rates of YLS and related cicada-parasitizing Ophiocordyceps began at approximately 32.94 Ma, and the diversification rate reached the highest value at approximately 24.82 Ma, which corresponds to the cooling climate changes at the Eocene-Oligocene boundary and the Oligocene-Miocene transition respectively. Combined with related acquisition/replacement events of YLS occurred during the cooling-climate periods, we hypothesise that the cooling-climate changes impacted the interactions between cicadas and related Ophiocordyceps, which coupled with the unusual life cycle and the differentiation of cicadas may finally led to the diversification of YLS in Cicadidae. Our results contribute to a better understanding of the evolutionary transition of YLS from entomopathogenic fungi in insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dandan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Plant Protection Resources and Pest Management of Ministry of Education, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China.,State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Zhi Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China.,Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration for Control of Forest Biological Disasters in Western China, College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Johan Billen
- Zoological Institute, University of Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, Leuven, B-3000, Belgium
| | - Guoyun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Hong He
- Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration for Control of Forest Biological Disasters in Western China, College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, 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, 712100, China.,State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
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El Hamss H, Ghosh S, Maruthi MN, Delatte H, Colvin J. Microbiome diversity and reproductive incompatibility induced by the prevalent endosymbiont Arsenophonus in two species of African cassava Bemisia tabaci whiteflies. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:18032-18041. [PMID: 35003655 PMCID: PMC8717322 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8400] [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: 09/22/2021] [Revised: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
A minimum of 13 diverse whitefly species belonging to the Bemisia tabaci (B. tabaci) species complex are known to infest cassava crops in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), designated as SSA1-13. Of these, the SSA1 and SSA2 are the predominant species colonizing cassava crops in East Africa. The SSA species of B. tabaci harbor diverse bacterial endosymbionts, many of which are known to manipulate insect reproduction. One such symbiont, Arsenophonus, is known to drive its spread by inducing reproductive incompatibility in its insect host and are abundant in SSA species of B. tabaci. However, whether Arsenophonus affects the reproduction of SSA species is unknown. In this study, we investigated both the reproductive compatibility between Arsenophonus infected and uninfected whiteflies by inter-/intraspecific crossing experiments involving the sub-group three haplotypes of the SSA1 (SSA1-SG3), SSA2 species, and their microbial diversity. The number of eggs, nymphs, progenies produced, hatching rate, and survival rate were recorded for each cross. In intra-specific crossing trials, both male and female progenies were produced and thus demonstrated no reproductive incompatibility. However, the total number of eggs laid, nymphs hatched, and the emerged females were low in the intra-species crosses of SSA1-SG3A+, indicating the negative effect of Arsenophonus on whitefly fitness. In contrast, the inter-species crosses between the SSA1-SG3 and SSA2 produced no female progeny and thus demonstrated reproductive incompatibility. The relative frequency of other bacteria colonizing the whiteflies was also investigated using Illumina sequencing of 16S rDNA and diversity indices were recorded. Overall, SSA1-SG3 and SSA2 harbored high microbial diversity with more than 137 bacteria discovered. These results described for the first time the microbiome diversity and the reproductive behaviors of intra-/inter-species of Arsenophonus in whitefly reproduction, which is crucial for understanding the invasion abilities of cassava whiteflies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hajar El Hamss
- Natural Resources InstituteUniversity of GreenwichKentUK
| | - Saptarshi Ghosh
- Department of EntomologyUniversity of GeorgiaGriffinGeorgiaUSA
| | - M. N. Maruthi
- Natural Resources InstituteUniversity of GreenwichKentUK
| | | | - John Colvin
- Natural Resources InstituteUniversity of GreenwichKentUK
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Bao XY, Yan JY, Yao YL, Wang YB, Visendi P, Seal S, Luan JB. Lysine provisioning by horizontally acquired genes promotes mutual dependence between whitefly and two intracellular symbionts. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1010120. [PMID: 34843593 PMCID: PMC8659303 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Revised: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Horizontal gene transfer is widespread in insects bearing intracellular symbionts. Horizontally transferred genes (HTGs) are presumably involved in amino acid synthesis in sternorrhynchan insects. However, their role in insect-symbiont interactions remains largely unknown. We found symbionts Portiera, Hamiltonella and Rickettsia possess most genes involved in lysine synthesis in the whitefly Bemisia tabaci MEAM1 although their genomes are reduced. Hamiltonella maintains a nearly complete lysine synthesis pathway. In contrast, Portiera and Rickettsia require the complementation of whitefly HTGs for lysine synthesis and have lysE, encoding a lysine exporter. Furthermore, each horizontally transferred lysine gene of ten B. tabaci cryptic species shares an evolutionary origin. We demonstrated that Hamiltonella did not alter the titers of Portiera and Rickettsia or lysine gene expression of Portiera, Rickettsia and whiteflies. Hamiltonella also did not impact on lysine levels or protein localization in bacteriocytes harboring Portiera and ovaries infected with Rickettsia. Complementation with whitefly lysine synthesis HTGs rescued E. coli lysine gene knockout mutants. Silencing whitefly lysA in whiteflies harboring Hamiltonella reduced lysine levels, adult fecundity and titers of Portiera and Rickettsia without influencing the expression of Hamiltonella lysA. Furthermore, silencing whitefly lysA in whiteflies lacking Hamiltonella reduced lysine levels, adult fecundity and titers of Portiera and Rickettsia in ovarioles. Therefore, we, for the first time, demonstrated an essential amino acid lysine synthesized through HTGs is important for whitefly reproduction and fitness of both obligate and facultative symbionts, and it illustrates the mutual dependence between whitefly and its two symbionts. Collectively, this study reveals that acquisition of horizontally transferred lysine genes contributes to coadaptation and coevolution between B. tabaci and its symbionts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi-Yu Bao
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Economic and Applied Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
| | - Jin-Yang Yan
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Economic and Applied Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
| | - Ya-Lin Yao
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Economic and Applied Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
| | - Yan-Bin Wang
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Economic and Applied Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
| | - Paul Visendi
- Centre for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy, Institute for Future Environments, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Susan Seal
- Agriculture, Health and Environment Department, Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, Central Avenue, Chatham Maritime, Kent, United Kingdom
| | - Jun-Bo Luan
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Economic and Applied Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
- * E-mail:
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Abstract
Nutritional symbionts are restricted to specialized host cells called bacteriocytes in various insect orders. These symbionts can provide essential nutrients to the host. However, the cellular mechanisms underlying the regulation of these insect-symbiont metabolic associations remain largely unclear. The whitefly, Bemisia tabaci MEAM1, hosts Portiera and Hamiltonella bacteria in the same bacteriocyte. In this study, the induction of autophagy by chemical treatment and gene silencing decreased symbiont titers, and essential amino acid (EAA) and B vitamin contents. In contrast, the repression of autophagy in bacteriocytes via Atg8 silencing increased symbiont titers, and amino acid and B vitamin contents. Furthermore, dietary supplementation with non-EAAs or B vitamins alleviated autophagy in whitefly bacteriocytes, elevated TOR (target of rapamycin) expression and increased symbiont titers. TOR silencing restored symbiont titers in whiteflies after dietary supplementation with B vitamins. These data suggest that Portiera and Hamiltonella evade autophagy of the whitefly bacteriocytes by activating the TOR pathway via providing essential nutrients. Taken together, we demonstrated that autophagy plays a critical role in regulating the metabolic interactions between the whitefly and two intracellular symbionts. Therefore, this study reveals that autophagy is an important cellular basis for bacteriocyte evolution and symbiosis persistence in whiteflies. The whitefly symbiosis unravels the interactions between cellular and metabolic functions of bacteriocytes. Importance Nutritional symbionts, which are restricted to specialized host cells called bacteriocytes, can provide essential nutrients for many hosts. However, the cellular mechanisms of regulation of animal-symbiont metabolic associations have been largely unexplored. Here, using the whitefly-Portiera/Hamiltonella endosymbiosis, we demonstrate autophagy regulates the symbiont titers, and thereby alters the essential amino acid and B vitamin contents. For persistence in the whitefly bacteriocytes, Portiera and Hamiltonella alleviate autophagy by activating the TOR (target of rapamycin) pathway through providing essential nutrients. Therefore, we demonstrate that autophagy plays a critical role in regulating the metabolic interactions between the whitefly and two intracellular symbionts. This study also provides insight into the cellular basis of bacteriocyte evolution and symbiosis persistence in the whitefly. The mechanisms underlying the role of autophagy in whitefly symbiosis could be widespread in many insect nutritional symbioses. These findings provide new avenue for whitefly control via regulating autophagy in the future.
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Yang K, Yuan MY, Liu Y, Guo CL, Liu TX, Zhang YJ, Chu D. First evidence for thermal tolerance benefits of the bacterial symbiont Cardinium in an invasive whitefly, Bemisia tabaci. PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2021; 77:5021-5031. [PMID: 34216527 DOI: 10.1002/ps.6543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 07/03/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUD Cardinium symbiont is a maternally inherited bacterial endosymbiont and widely spreads in arthropods including Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae). However, the potential role of Cardinium played in the biology of their hosts is largely unknown. In two genetic lines (i.e. LS and SG lines) of B. tabaci MED, collected from different locations in China, we tested the effects of Cardinium on the performance of the host whitefly under a constant high temperature (31 °C) using the age-stage two-sex life table method, and explored the genes influenced by Cardinium-infection by RNA-sequencing. RESULTS We found that Cardinium did provide protection of B. tabaci against heat stress under 31 °C. However, there was a significant connection between Cardinium-infection and whitefly genetic backgrounds. Performance revealed that Cardinium infection can increase the longevity of both female and male adults and oviposition periods in both lines, but it also conferred benefits of fecundity and pre-adult period to LS line. Additionally, the population parameters such as intrinsic rate of increase (r), finite rate of increase (λ) and mean generation time (T) demonstrated that Cardinium infection conferred fitness benefits to LS line but not to SG line. Transcriptome analysis indicated that several genes related to homeostasis and metamorphosis such as ubiquitin-related genes were highly expressed in Cardinium-infected B. tabaci. CONCLUSION The research provided the first evidence that Cardinium can increase the thermal tolerance of whitefly, which may be associated with host genetic background.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun Yang
- Key Lab of Integrated Crop Pest Management of Shandong Province, College of Plant Health and Medicine, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, China
| | - Meng-Ying Yuan
- Key Lab of Integrated Crop Pest Management of Shandong Province, College of Plant Health and Medicine, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, China
| | - Ying Liu
- Key Lab of Integrated Crop Pest Management of Shandong Province, College of Plant Health and Medicine, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, China
| | - Chen-Liang Guo
- Key Lab of Integrated Crop Pest Management of Shandong Province, College of Plant Health and Medicine, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, China
| | - Tong-Xian Liu
- Key Lab of Integrated Crop Pest Management of Shandong Province, College of Plant Health and Medicine, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, China
| | - You-Jun Zhang
- Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, |Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Dong Chu
- Key Lab of Integrated Crop Pest Management of Shandong Province, College of Plant Health and Medicine, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, China
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Shan HW, Liu SS. The Costs and Benefits of Two Secondary Symbionts in a Whitefly Host Shape Their Differential Prevalence in the Field. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:739521. [PMID: 34659172 PMCID: PMC8515054 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.739521] [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: 07/11/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Insects commonly harbor maternally inherited intracellular symbionts in nature, and the microbial partners often exert influence on host reproduction and fitness to promote their prevalence. Here, we investigated composition of symbionts and their biological effects in the invasive Bemisia tabaci MED species of a whitefly complex. Our field surveys revealed that populations of the MED whitefly, in addition to the primary symbiont Portiera, mainly contain two secondary symbionts Hamiltonella, which is nearly fixed in the host populations, and Cardinium with infection frequencies ranging from 0 to 86%. We isolated and established Cardinium-positive and Cardinium-free whitefly lines with a similar nuclear genetic background from a field population, and compared performance of the two whitefly lines. The infection of Cardinium incurred significant fitness costs on the MED whitefly, including reduction of fecundity and egg viability as well as delay in development. We then selectively removed Hamiltonella from the Cardinium-free whitefly line and compared performance of two whitefly lines, one harboring both Portiera and Hamiltonella and the other harboring only Portiera. While depletion of Hamiltonella had little or only marginal effects on the fecundity, developmental rate, and offspring survival, the Hamiltonella-free whitefly line produced very few female offspring, often reducing the progeny female ratio from about 50% to less than 1%. Our findings indicate that the varying costs and benefits of the association between these two symbionts and the MED whitefly may play an important role in shaping their differential prevalence in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong-Wei Shan
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Key Laboratory of Biotechnology in Plant Protection of Ministry of Agriculture and Zhejiang Province, Institute of Plant Virology, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China.,Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shu-Sheng Liu
- Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
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Selvaraj G, Santos-Garcia D, Mozes-Daube N, Medina S, Zchori-Fein E, Freilich S. An eco-systems biology approach for modeling tritrophic networks reveals the influence of dietary amino acids on symbiont dynamics of Bemisia tabaci. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2021; 97:6348090. [PMID: 34379764 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiab117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Metabolic conversions allow organisms to produce essential metabolites from the available nutrients in an environment, frequently requiring metabolic exchanges among co-inhabiting organisms. Here, we applied genomic-based simulations for exploring tri-trophic interactions among the sap-feeding insect whitefly (Bemisia tabaci), its host-plants, and symbiotic bacteria. The simplicity of this ecosystem allows capturing the interacting organisms (based on genomic data) and the environmental content (based on metabolomics data). Simulations explored the metabolic capacities of insect-symbiont combinations under environments representing natural phloem. Predictions were correlated with experimental data on the dynamics of symbionts under different diets. Simulation outcomes depict a puzzle of three-layer origins (plant-insect-symbionts) for the source of essential metabolites across habitats and stratify interactions enabling the whitefly to feed on diverse hosts. In parallel to simulations, natural and artificial feeding experiments provide supporting evidence for an environment-based effect on symbiont dynamics. Based on simulations, a decrease in the relative abundance of a symbiont can be associated with a loss of fitness advantage due to an environmental excess in amino-acids whose production in a deprived environment used to depend on the symbiont. The study demonstrates that genomic-based predictions can bridge environment and community dynamics and guide the design of symbiont manipulation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gopinath Selvaraj
- Institute of Plant Sciences, Newe Ya'ar Research Center, The Agricultural Research Organization, P.O.B. 1021, Ramat Yishay, 30095, Israel.,Institute of Plant Protection, Newe Ya'ar Research Center, The Agricultural Research Organization, P.O.B. 1021, Ramat Yishay, 30095, Israel
| | - Diego Santos-Garcia
- Department of Entomology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel
| | - Netta Mozes-Daube
- Institute of Plant Protection, Newe Ya'ar Research Center, The Agricultural Research Organization, P.O.B. 1021, Ramat Yishay, 30095, Israel
| | - Shlomit Medina
- Institute of Plant Sciences, Newe Ya'ar Research Center, The Agricultural Research Organization, P.O.B. 1021, Ramat Yishay, 30095, Israel
| | - Einat Zchori-Fein
- Institute of Plant Protection, Newe Ya'ar Research Center, The Agricultural Research Organization, P.O.B. 1021, Ramat Yishay, 30095, Israel
| | - Shiri Freilich
- Institute of Plant Sciences, Newe Ya'ar Research Center, The Agricultural Research Organization, P.O.B. 1021, Ramat Yishay, 30095, Israel
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Zytynska SE, Tighiouart K, Frago E. Benefits and costs of hosting facultative symbionts in plant-sucking insects: A meta-analysis. Mol Ecol 2021; 30:2483-2494. [PMID: 33756029 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Many animals have evolved associations with symbiotic microbes that benefit the host through increased growth, lifespan, and survival. Some interactions are obligate (essential for survival) while others are facultative (usually beneficial but not essential). Not all individuals host all facultative symbionts in a population, and thus there is probably a trade-off between the cost of hosting these symbionts and the benefits they confer to the host. Plant-sucking insects have been one of the most important models to test these costs and benefits experimentally. This research is now moving beyond the description of symbiont effects towards understanding the mechanisms of action, and their role in the wider ecological community. We present a quantitative and systematic analysis of the published evidence exploring this question. We found that whitefly and true bugs experience benefits through increased growth and fecundity, whereas aphids experience costs to their fecundity but benefits through increased resistance to natural enemies. We also report the lack of data in some plant-sucking groups, and explore variation in effect strengths and directions across aphid host, symbiont and plant species thus highlighting the importance of considering the context dependency of these interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon E Zytynska
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, Institute of Infection, Veterinary & Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | | | - Enric Frago
- CIRAD, UMR PVBMT - Saint-Pierre, La Réunion, France.,CIRAD, CBGP, Montpellier, France.,CBGP, CIRAD, INRA, IRD, Montpellier SupAgro, University Montpellier, Montpellier, France
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Bemisia tabaci in Java, Indonesia: genetic diversity and the relationship with secondary endosymbiotic bacteria. Symbiosis 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s13199-021-00752-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
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Pantothenate mediates the coordination of whitefly and symbiont fitness. ISME JOURNAL 2021; 15:1655-1667. [PMID: 33432136 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-020-00877-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2020] [Revised: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Intracellular symbionts in insects often have reduced genomes. Host acquisition of genes from bacteria is an important adaptation that supports symbionts. However, the function of horizontally transferred genes in insect symbiosis remains largely unclear. The primary symbiont Portiera housed in bacteriocytes lacks pantothenate synthesis genes: panB and panC, which is presumably complemented by a fused gene panB-panC (hereafter panBC) horizontally transferred from bacteria in Bemisia tabaci MEAM1. We found panBC in many laboratory cultures, and species of B. tabaci shares a common evolutionary origin. We demonstrated that complementation with whitefly panBC rescued E. coli pantothenate gene knockout mutants. Portiera elimination decreased the pantothenate level and PanBC abundance in bacteriocytes, and reduced whitefly survival and fecundity. Silencing PanBC decreased the Portiera titer, reduced the pantothenate level, and decreased whitefly survival and fecundity. Supplementation with pantothenate restored the symbiont titer, PanBC level, and fitness of RNAi whiteflies. These data suggest that pantothenate synthesis requires cooperation and coordination of whitefly PanBC expression and Portiera. This host-symbiont co-regulation was mediated by the pantothenate level. Our findings demonstrated that pantothenate production, by the cooperation of a horizontally acquired, fused bacteria gene and Portiera, facilitates the coordination of whitefly and symbiont fitness. Thus, this study extends our understanding on the basis of complex host-symbiont interactions.
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Host Plant Affects Symbiont Abundance in Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae). INSECTS 2020; 11:insects11080501. [PMID: 32759695 PMCID: PMC7469152 DOI: 10.3390/insects11080501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2020] [Revised: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 08/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary The nutritional contributions of symbionts facilitate herbivores’ plant utilization, promoting insects infecting and spreading on host plants. In this study we investigated the effects of host plants on the symbionts of Bemisia tabaci Middle East-Asia Minor 1 (MEAM1) from a nutritional aspect. We found that three host plant-adapted whitefly populations harbored the same symbiont taxa in different quantities. The amount of the primary symbiont Portiera decreased with increasing host-plant essential amino acid proportions in whitefly populations and even in those transferred to different host-plant species to meet the nutritional demands of whiteflies. However, the abundance of the secondary symbionts in whiteflies after host-plant-shifting for one generation showed little correlation with essential amino acid levels of host plants. It demonstrates that host-plant nitrogen nutrition—mainly, essential amino acids—influences the abundance of symbionts, especially Portiera, to meet whiteflies’ nutritional demands, and whiteflies manipulate their symbionts’ quantity governed by the host plant. The nutrient exchanges in symbioses involving multiple partners could provide new ideas for pest control. Abstract Symbionts contribute nutrients that allow insects to feed on plants. The whitefly Bemisia tabaci Middle East-Asia Minor 1 (MEAM1) is a polyphagous pest that depends on symbionts to provide key nutrients that are deficient in the diet. Here, we established three whitefly populations on eggplants, cucumbers, and tomatoes and observed that they harbored the same symbiont taxa in different quantities. The amount of the primary symbiont, Portiera, decreased with increasing concentrations of host-plant essential amino acids (EAAs). Whitefly populations transferred to different plant species exhibited fluctuations in Portiera amounts in the first three or four generations; the amount of Portiera increased when whitefly populations were transferred to plant species with lower EAAs proportions. As for the secondary symbionts, the whitefly population of eggplants exhibited lower quantities of Hamiltonella and higher quantities of Rickettsia than the other two populations. The changes of both symbionts’ abundance in whitefly populations after host-plant-shifting for one generation showed little correlation with the EAAs’ proportions of host plants. These findings suggest that host-plant nitrogen nutrition, mainly in the form of EAAs, influences the abundance of symbionts, especially Portiera, to meet the nutritional demands of whiteflies. The results will inform efforts to control pests through manipulating symbionts in insect–symbiont associations.
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