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Silva FJ, Domínguez-Santos R, Latorre A, García-Ferris C. Comparative Transcriptomics of Fat Bodies between Symbiotic and Quasi-Aposymbiotic Adult Females of Blattella germanica with Emphasis on the Metabolic Integration with Its Endosymbiont Blattabacterium and Its Immune System. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4228. [PMID: 38673813 PMCID: PMC11050582 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25084228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2024] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
We explored the metabolic integration of Blattella germanica and its obligate endosymbiont Blattabacterium cuenoti by the transcriptomic analysis of the fat body of quasi-aposymbiotic cockroaches, where the endosymbionts were almost entirely removed with rifampicin. Fat bodies from quasi-aposymbiotic insects displayed large differences in gene expression compared to controls. In quasi-aposymbionts, the metabolism of phenylalanine and tyrosine involved in cuticle sclerotization and pigmentation increased drastically to compensate for the deficiency in the biosynthesis of these amino acids by the endosymbionts. On the other hand, the uricolytic pathway and the biosynthesis of uric acid were severely decreased, probably because the reduced population of endosymbionts was unable to metabolize urea to ammonia. Metabolite transporters that could be involved in the endosymbiosis process were identified. Immune system and antimicrobial peptide (AMP) gene expression was also reduced in quasi-aposymbionts, genes encoding peptidoglycan-recognition proteins, which may provide clues for the maintenance of the symbiotic relationship, as well as three AMP genes whose involvement in the symbiotic relationship will require additional analysis. Finally, a search for AMP-like factors that could be involved in controlling the endosymbiont identified two orphan genes encoding proteins smaller than 200 amino acids underexpressed in quasi-aposymbionts, suggesting a role in the host-endosymbiont relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco J. Silva
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), University of Valencia and Spanish Research Council, 46980 Paterna, Spain; (R.D.-S.); (A.L.)
- Genomics and Health Area, Foundation for the Promotion of Sanitary and Biomedical Research of the Valencia Region, 46020 Valencia, Spain
| | - Rebeca Domínguez-Santos
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), University of Valencia and Spanish Research Council, 46980 Paterna, Spain; (R.D.-S.); (A.L.)
- Genomics and Health Area, Foundation for the Promotion of Sanitary and Biomedical Research of the Valencia Region, 46020 Valencia, Spain
| | - Amparo Latorre
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), University of Valencia and Spanish Research Council, 46980 Paterna, Spain; (R.D.-S.); (A.L.)
- Genomics and Health Area, Foundation for the Promotion of Sanitary and Biomedical Research of the Valencia Region, 46020 Valencia, Spain
| | - Carlos García-Ferris
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), University of Valencia and Spanish Research Council, 46980 Paterna, Spain; (R.D.-S.); (A.L.)
- Genomics and Health Area, Foundation for the Promotion of Sanitary and Biomedical Research of the Valencia Region, 46020 Valencia, Spain
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Valencia, 46100 Burjassot, Spain
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2
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Huang Y, Feng ZF, Li F, Hou YM. Host-Encoded Aminotransferase Import into the Endosymbiotic Bacteria Nardonella of Red Palm Weevil. INSECTS 2024; 15:35. [PMID: 38249041 PMCID: PMC10816905 DOI: 10.3390/insects15010035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 01/01/2024] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
Symbiotic systems are intimately integrated at multiple levels. Host-endosymbiont metabolic complementarity in amino acid biosynthesis is especially important for sap-feeding insects and their symbionts. In weevil-Nardonella endosymbiosis, the final step reaction of the endosymbiont tyrosine synthesis pathway is complemented by host-encoded aminotransferases. Based on previous results from other insects, we suspected that these aminotransferases were likely transported into the Nardonella cytoplasm to produce tyrosine. Here, we identified five aminotransferase genes in the genome of the red palm weevil. Using quantitative real-time RT-PCR, we confirmed that RfGOT1 and RfGOT2A were specifically expressed in the bacteriome. RNA interference targeting these two aminotransferase genes reduced the tyrosine level in the bacteriome. The immunofluorescence-FISH double labeling localization analysis revealed that RfGOT1 and RfGOT2A were present within the bacteriocyte, where they colocalized with Nardonella cells. Immunogold transmission electron microscopy demonstrated the localization of RfGOT1 and RfGOT2A in the cytosol of Nardonella and the bacteriocyte. Our data revealed that RfGOT1 and RfGOT2A are transported into the Nardonella cytoplasm to collaborate with genes retained in the Nardonella genome in order to synthesize tyrosine. The results of our study will enhance the understanding of the integration of host and endosymbiont metabolism in amino acid biosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China; (Y.H.); (Z.-F.F.); (F.L.)
- Department of Plant Protection, Fujian Province Key Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Zhen-Feng Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China; (Y.H.); (Z.-F.F.); (F.L.)
- Department of Plant Protection, Fujian Province Key Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Fan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China; (Y.H.); (Z.-F.F.); (F.L.)
- Department of Plant Protection, Fujian Province Key Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - You-Ming Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China; (Y.H.); (Z.-F.F.); (F.L.)
- Department of Plant Protection, Fujian Province Key Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
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3
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Ribeiro Lopes M, Gaget K, Renoz F, Duport G, Balmand S, Charles H, Callaerts P, Calevro F. Bacteriocyte plasticity in pea aphids facing amino acid stress or starvation during development. Front Physiol 2022; 13:982920. [PMID: 36439244 PMCID: PMC9685537 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.982920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
An important contributing factor to the evolutionary success of insects is nutritional association with microbial symbionts, which provide the host insects with nutrients lacking in their unbalanced diets. These symbionts are often compartmentalized in specialized cells of the host, the bacteriocytes. Even though bacteriocytes were first described more than a century ago, few studies have explored their dynamics throughout the insect life cycle and in response to environmental stressors. Here, we use the Buchnera aphidicola/pea aphid symbiotic system to study how bacteriocytes are regulated in response to nutritional stress throughout aphid development. Using artificial diets, we analyzed the effects of depletion or excess of phenylalanine or leucine, two amino acids essential for aphid growth and whose biosynthetic pathways are shared between the host and the symbiont. Bacteriocytes responded dynamically to those treatments, while other tissues showed no obvious morphological change. Amino acid depletion resulted in an increase in bacteriocyte numbers, with the extent of the increase depending on the amino acid, while excess either caused a decrease (for leucine) or an increase (for phenylalanine). Only a limited impact on survival and fecundity was observed, suggesting that the adjustment in bacteriocyte (and symbiont) numbers is sufficient to withstand these nutritional challenges. We also studied the impact of more extreme conditions by exposing aphids to a 24 h starvation period at the beginning of nymphal development. This led to a dramatic drop in aphid survival and fecundity and a significant developmental delay. Again, bacteriocytes responded dynamically, with a considerable decrease in number and size, correlated with a decrease in the number of symbionts, which were prematurely degraded by the lysosomal system. This study shows how bacteriocyte dynamics is integrated in the physiology of insects and highlights the high plasticity of these cells.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Karen Gaget
- Université de Lyon, INRAE, INSA Lyon, BF2I, UMR 203, Villeurbanne, France
| | - François Renoz
- Université de Lyon, INSA Lyon, INRAE, BF2I, UMR 203, Villeurbanne, France
- UCLouvain, Biodiversity Research Centre, Earth and Life Institute, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Gabrielle Duport
- Université de Lyon, INRAE, INSA Lyon, BF2I, UMR 203, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Séverine Balmand
- Université de Lyon, INRAE, INSA Lyon, BF2I, UMR 203, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Hubert Charles
- Université de Lyon, INSA Lyon, INRAE, BF2I, UMR 203, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Patrick Callaerts
- KU Leuven, Laboratory of Behavioral and Developmental Genetics, Department of Human Genetics, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Federica Calevro
- Université de Lyon, INRAE, INSA Lyon, BF2I, UMR 203, Villeurbanne, France
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Loth K, Parisot N, Paquet F, Terrasson H, Sivignon C, Rahioui I, Ribeiro Lopes M, Gaget K, Duport G, Delmas AF, Aucagne V, Heddi A, Calevro F, da Silva P. Aphid BCR4 Structure and Activity Uncover a New Defensin Peptide Superfamily. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232012480. [PMID: 36293341 PMCID: PMC9604261 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232012480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Revised: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Aphids (Hemiptera: Aphidoidea) are among the most detrimental insects for agricultural plants, and their management is a great challenge in agronomical research. A new class of proteins, called Bacteriocyte-specific Cysteine-Rich (BCR) peptides, provides an alternative to chemical insecticides for pest control. BCRs were initially identified in the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum. They are small disulfide bond-rich proteins expressed exclusively in aphid bacteriocytes, the insect cells that host intracellular symbiotic bacteria. Here, we show that one of the A. pisum BCRs, BCR4, displays prominent insecticidal activity against the pea aphid, impairing insect survival and nymphal growth, providing evidence for its potential use as a new biopesticide. Our comparative genomics and phylogenetic analyses indicate that BCRs are restricted to the aphid lineage. The 3D structure of BCR4 reveals that this peptide belongs to an as-yet-unknown structural class of peptides and defines a new superfamily of defensins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karine Loth
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, CNRS UPR 4301, 45071 Orléans, France
- UFR Sciences et Techniques, Université d’Orléans, 45071 Orléans, France
| | - Nicolas Parisot
- Univ Lyon, INSA Lyon, INRAE, BF2I, UMR 203, 69621 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Françoise Paquet
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, CNRS UPR 4301, 45071 Orléans, France
| | - Hugo Terrasson
- Univ Lyon, INSA Lyon, INRAE, BF2I, UMR 203, 69621 Villeurbanne, France
| | | | - Isabelle Rahioui
- Univ Lyon, INRAE, INSA Lyon, BF2I, UMR 203, 69621 Villeurbanne, France
| | | | - Karen Gaget
- Univ Lyon, INRAE, INSA Lyon, BF2I, UMR 203, 69621 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Gabrielle Duport
- Univ Lyon, INRAE, INSA Lyon, BF2I, UMR 203, 69621 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Agnès F. Delmas
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, CNRS UPR 4301, 45071 Orléans, France
| | - Vincent Aucagne
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, CNRS UPR 4301, 45071 Orléans, France
| | - Abdelaziz Heddi
- Univ Lyon, INSA Lyon, INRAE, BF2I, UMR 203, 69621 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Federica Calevro
- Univ Lyon, INRAE, INSA Lyon, BF2I, UMR 203, 69621 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Pedro da Silva
- Univ Lyon, INSA Lyon, INRAE, BF2I, UMR 203, 69621 Villeurbanne, France
- Correspondence:
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Moriyama M, Fukatsu T. Host’s demand for essential amino acids is compensated by an extracellular bacterial symbiont in a hemipteran insect model. Front Physiol 2022; 13:1028409. [PMID: 36246139 PMCID: PMC9561257 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.1028409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Plant sap is a nutritionally unbalanced diet that constitutes a challenge for insects that feed exclusively on it. Sap-sucking hemipteran insects generally overcome this challenge by harboring beneficial microorganisms in their specialized symbiotic organ, either intracellularly or extracellularly. Genomic information of these bacterial symbionts suggests that their primary role is to supply essential amino acids, but empirical evidence has been virtually limited to the intracellular symbiosis between aphids and Buchnera. Here we investigated the amino acid complementation by the extracellular symbiotic bacterium Ishikawaella harbored in the midgut symbiotic organ of the stinkbug Megacopta punctatissima. We evaluated amino acid compositions of the phloem sap of plants on which the insect feeds, as well as those of its hemolymph, whole body hydrolysate, and excreta. The results highlighted that the essential amino acids in the diet are apparently insufficient for the stinkbug development. Experimental symbiont removal caused severe shortfalls of some essential amino acids, including branched-chain and aromatic amino acids. In vitro culturing of the isolated symbiotic organ demonstrated that hemolymph-circulating metabolites, glutamine and trehalose, efficiently fuel the production of essential amino acids. Branched-chain amino acids and aromatic amino acids are the ones preferentially synthesized despite the symbiont’s synthetic capability of all essential amino acids. These results indicate that the symbiont-mediated amino acid compensation is quantitatively optimized in the stinkbug-Ishikawaella gut symbiotic association as in the aphid-Buchnera intracellular symbiotic association. The convergence of symbiont functions across distinct nutritional symbiotic systems provides insight into how host-symbiont interactions have been shaped over evolutionary time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minoru Moriyama
- Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Japan
- *Correspondence: Minoru Moriyama, ; Takema Fukatsu,
| | - Takema Fukatsu
- Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Japan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
- *Correspondence: Minoru Moriyama, ; Takema Fukatsu,
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Jackson R, Monnin D, Patapiou PA, Golding G, Helanterä H, Oettler J, Heinze J, Wurm Y, Economou CK, Chapuisat M, Henry LM. Convergent evolution of a labile nutritional symbiosis in ants. THE ISME JOURNAL 2022; 16:2114-2122. [PMID: 35701539 PMCID: PMC9381600 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-022-01256-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Revised: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Ants are among the most successful organisms on Earth. It has been suggested that forming symbioses with nutrient-supplementing microbes may have contributed to their success, by allowing ants to invade otherwise inaccessible niches. However, it is unclear whether ants have evolved symbioses repeatedly to overcome the same nutrient limitations. Here, we address this question by comparing the independently evolved symbioses in Camponotus, Plagiolepis, Formica and Cardiocondyla ants. Our analysis reveals the only metabolic function consistently retained in all of the symbiont genomes is the capacity to synthesise tyrosine. We also show that in certain multi-queen lineages that have co-diversified with their symbiont for millions of years, only a fraction of queens carry the symbiont, suggesting ants differ in their colony-level reliance on symbiont-derived resources. Our results imply that symbioses can arise to solve common problems, but hosts may differ in their dependence on symbionts, highlighting the evolutionary forces influencing the persistence of long-term endosymbiotic mutualisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raphaella Jackson
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, E1 4NS, UK
| | - David Monnin
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, E1 4NS, UK
| | - Patapios A Patapiou
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, E1 4NS, UK
- Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, AL9 7TA, UK
| | - Gemma Golding
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, E1 4NS, UK
| | - Heikki Helanterä
- Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, University of Oulu, Oulu, 90014, Finland
- Tvärminne Zoological Station, University of Helsinki, Hanko, Finland
| | - Jan Oettler
- Zoology/Evolutionary Biology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, 93040, Germany
| | - Jürgen Heinze
- Zoology/Evolutionary Biology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, 93040, Germany
| | - Yannick Wurm
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, E1 4NS, UK
- Alan Turing Institute, London, NW1 2DB, UK
| | - Chloe K Economou
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, E1 4NS, UK
| | - Michel Chapuisat
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Lee M Henry
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, E1 4NS, UK.
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7
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Han P, Gong Q, Fan J, Abbas M, Chen D, Zhang J. Destruxin A inhibits scavenger receptor B mediated melanization in Aphis citricola. PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2022; 78:1915-1924. [PMID: 35080798 DOI: 10.1002/ps.6809] [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: 10/15/2021] [Revised: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Destruxin A (DA) is a mycotoxin secreted by entomogenous fungi, such as Metarhizium anisopliae, which has broad-spectrum insecticidal activity. Insect innate immunity provides resistance against the invasion of entomopathogenic fungi. Previous studies have shown that DA could inhibit the immune response, however, the suppressive mechanism of DA on prophenoloxidase system is still unknown. RESULTS Based on the transcriptome of Aphis citricola, we screened the scavenger receptor class B(AcSR-B)and identified that it significantly responds to DA. Spatio-temporal expression analysis showed that AcSR-B is highly expressed in adult stage and is mainly distributed in the abdominal region. We further revealed that both M. anisopliae and Escherichia coli could suppress the expression of AcSR-B at 24 h, and that the expressed recombinant protein rAcSR-B possessed agglutination activity to M. anisopliae and E. coli. DA could suppress the protein expression of AcSR-B. In addition, RNA interference of AcSR-B caused death of A. citricola in a dose-dependent manner, and RNA interference of AcSR-B increased mortality in A. citricola under the same lethal concentration of DA. The inhibiting effect of AcSR-B silencing was similar with the DA treatment upon phenol oxidase (PO) activity of A. citricola hemolymph. DA could not decrease PO activity further after AcSR-B silencing. CONCLUSION Destruxin A inhibits melanization by suppressing AcSR-B in A. citricola. Our findings are helpful in understanding the underlying molecular mechanism of the DA suppressing immune system, and uncover a potential molecular target for double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) insecticides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengfei Han
- Institute of Applied Biology and College of Life Science, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, China
- Shanxi Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management in Agriculture, Taiyuan, China
| | - Qitian Gong
- Institute of Applied Biology and College of Life Science, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, China
- Shanxi Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management in Agriculture, Taiyuan, China
| | - Jiqiao Fan
- Shanxi Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management in Agriculture, Taiyuan, China
- College of Plant Protection, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Mureed Abbas
- Institute of Applied Biology and College of Life Science, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, China
- Shanxi Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management in Agriculture, Taiyuan, China
| | - Duo Chen
- Institute of Applied Biology and College of Life Science, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, China
- Shanxi Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management in Agriculture, Taiyuan, China
| | - Jianzhen Zhang
- Institute of Applied Biology and College of Life Science, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, China
- Shanxi Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management in Agriculture, Taiyuan, China
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Mehlhorn S, Hunnekuhl VS, Geibel S, Nauen R, Bucher G. Establishing RNAi for basic research and pest control and identification of the most efficient target genes for pest control: a brief guide. Front Zool 2021; 18:60. [PMID: 34863212 PMCID: PMC8643023 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-021-00444-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA interference (RNAi) has emerged as a powerful tool for knocking-down gene function in diverse taxa including arthropods for both basic biological research and application in pest control. The conservation of the RNAi mechanism in eukaryotes suggested that it should-in principle-be applicable to most arthropods. However, practical hurdles have been limiting the application in many taxa. For instance, species differ considerably with respect to efficiency of dsRNA uptake from the hemolymph or the gut. Here, we review some of the most frequently encountered technical obstacles when establishing RNAi and suggest a robust procedure for establishing this technique in insect species with special reference to pests. Finally, we present an approach to identify the most effective target genes for the potential control of agricultural and public health pests by RNAi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonja Mehlhorn
- Crop Science Division, Bayer AG, R&D, Pest Control, Alfred-Nobel-Straße 50, 40789, Monheim, Germany
- Department of Evolutionary Developmental Genetics, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute, GZMB, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Vera S Hunnekuhl
- Department of Evolutionary Developmental Genetics, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute, GZMB, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Sven Geibel
- Crop Science Division, Bayer AG, R&D, Pest Control, Alfred-Nobel-Straße 50, 40789, Monheim, Germany
| | - Ralf Nauen
- Crop Science Division, Bayer AG, R&D, Pest Control, Alfred-Nobel-Straße 50, 40789, Monheim, Germany
| | - Gregor Bucher
- Department of Evolutionary Developmental Genetics, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute, GZMB, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
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9
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Aregbesola OA, Kumar A, Mokoena MP, Olaniran AO. Classic Pentachlorophenol Hydroxylating Phenylalanine 4-Monooxygenase from Indigenous Bacillus tropicus Strain AOA-CPS1: Cloning, Overexpression, Purification, Characterization and Structural Homology Modelling. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 2021; 194:635-658. [PMID: 34417677 DOI: 10.1007/s12010-021-03645-2] [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: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The metabolically promiscuous pentachlorophenol (PCP) hydroxylating Phe4MO (represented as CpsB) was detected, amplified (from the genome of Bacillus tropicus strain AOA-CPS1), cloned, overexpressed, purified and characterized here. The 1.755-kb gene cloned in the pET15b vector expressed a ≅ 64 kDa monomeric protein which was purified to homogeneity by single-step affinity chromatography, with a total yield of 82.1%. The optimum temperature and pH of the enzyme were found to be 30 °C and 7.0, respectively. CpsB showed functional stability between pH 6.0-7.5 and temperature 25-30 °C. The enzyme-substrate reaction kinetic studies showed the allosteric nature of the enzyme and followed pre-steady state using NADH as a co-substrate with apparent vmax, Km, kcat and kcat/Km values of 0.465 μM.s-1, 140 μM, 0.099 s-1 and 7.07 × 10-4 μM-1.s-1, respectively, for the substrate PCP. The in-gel trypsin digestion experiments and bioinformatic tools confirmed that the reported enzyme is a Phe4MO with multiple putative conserved domains and metal ion-binding site. Though Phe4MO has been reported to have a diverse catalytic function, here we report, for the first time, that it functions as a PCP dehalogenase or PCP-4-monooxygenase by hydroxylating PCP. Hence, the use of this enzyme may be further explored in the bioremediation of PCP and other related xenobiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oladipupo A Aregbesola
- Discipline of Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science, University of KwaZulu-Natal (Westville Campus), Private Bag X54001, Durban, 4000, South Africa
| | - Ajit Kumar
- Discipline of Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science, University of KwaZulu-Natal (Westville Campus), Private Bag X54001, Durban, 4000, South Africa
| | - Mduduzi P Mokoena
- Discipline of Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science, University of KwaZulu-Natal (Westville Campus), Private Bag X54001, Durban, 4000, South Africa
| | - Ademola O Olaniran
- Discipline of Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science, University of KwaZulu-Natal (Westville Campus), Private Bag X54001, Durban, 4000, South Africa.
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10
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Abstract
Apoptotic processes play an important role in the development and physiology of almost all metazoan clades. In the highly diverse group of insects, apoptotic pathways have been characterized in only a few dipteran and lepidopteran species, which may not be representative of all insect species. Here, we report the first complete annotation of the apoptotic pathway in a hemipteran insect, the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum. We showed that its apoptotic pathway is rewired compared to other insects, with a significant increase in the number of inhibitors of apoptosis (IAPs) and evidence for functional diversification and structural modularity of this protein family. These novelties are widespread in the aphid lineage, suggesting a yet not understood novel aphid-specific function of IAPs. Apoptosis, a conserved form of programmed cell death, shows interspecies differences that may reflect evolutionary diversification and adaptation, a notion that remains largely untested. Among insects, the most speciose animal group, the apoptotic pathway has only been fully characterized in Drosophila melanogaster, and apoptosis-related proteins have been studied in a few other dipteran and lepidopteran species. Here, we studied the apoptotic pathway in the aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum, an insect pest belonging to the Hemiptera, an earlier-diverging and distantly related order. We combined phylogenetic analyses and conserved domain identification to annotate the apoptotic pathway in A. pisum and found low caspase diversity and a large expansion of its inhibitory part, with 28 inhibitors of apoptosis (IAPs). We analyzed the spatiotemporal expression of a selected set of pea aphid IAPs and showed that they are differentially expressed in different life stages and tissues, suggesting functional diversification. Five IAPs are specifically induced in bacteriocytes, the specialized cells housing symbiotic bacteria, during their cell death. We demonstrated the antiapoptotic role of these five IAPs using heterologous expression in a tractable in vivo model, the Drosophila melanogaster developing eye. Interestingly, IAPs with the strongest antiapoptotic potential contain two BIR and two RING domains, a domain association that has not been observed in any other species. We finally analyzed all available aphid genomes and found that they all show large IAP expansion, with new combinations of protein domains, suggestive of evolutionarily novel aphid-specific functions.
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11
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Adedeji EO, Ogunlana OO, Fatumo S, Beder T, Ajamma Y, Koenig R, Adebiyi E. Anopheles metabolic proteins in malaria transmission, prevention and control: a review. Parasit Vectors 2020; 13:465. [PMID: 32912275 PMCID: PMC7488410 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-020-04342-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The increasing resistance to currently available insecticides in the malaria vector, Anopheles mosquitoes, hampers their use as an effective vector control strategy for the prevention of malaria transmission. Therefore, there is need for new insecticides and/or alternative vector control strategies, the development of which relies on the identification of possible targets in Anopheles. Some known and promising targets for the prevention or control of malaria transmission exist among Anopheles metabolic proteins. This review aims to elucidate the current and potential contribution of Anopheles metabolic proteins to malaria transmission and control. Highlighted are the roles of metabolic proteins as insecticide targets, in blood digestion and immune response as well as their contribution to insecticide resistance and Plasmodium parasite development. Furthermore, strategies by which these metabolic proteins can be utilized for vector control are described. Inhibitors of Anopheles metabolic proteins that are designed based on target specificity can yield insecticides with no significant toxicity to non-target species. These metabolic modulators combined with each other or with synergists, sterilants, and transmission-blocking agents in a single product, can yield potent malaria intervention strategies. These combinations can provide multiple means of controlling the vector. Also, they can help to slow down the development of insecticide resistance. Moreover, some metabolic proteins can be modulated for mosquito population replacement or suppression strategies, which will significantly help to curb malaria transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eunice Oluwatobiloba Adedeji
- Covenant University Bioinformatics Research (CUBRe), Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State Nigeria
- Department of Biochemistry, Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State Nigeria
| | - Olubanke Olujoke Ogunlana
- Covenant University Bioinformatics Research (CUBRe), Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State Nigeria
- Department of Biochemistry, Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State Nigeria
| | - Segun Fatumo
- Department of Non-Communicable Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel St, Bloomsbury, London, UK
| | - Thomas Beder
- Integrated Research and Treatment Center, Center for Sepsis Control and Care (CSCC), Jena University Hospital, Am Klinikum 1, 07747 Jena, Germany
| | - Yvonne Ajamma
- Covenant University Bioinformatics Research (CUBRe), Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State Nigeria
| | - Rainer Koenig
- Integrated Research and Treatment Center, Center for Sepsis Control and Care (CSCC), Jena University Hospital, Am Klinikum 1, 07747 Jena, Germany
| | - Ezekiel Adebiyi
- Covenant University Bioinformatics Research (CUBRe), Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State Nigeria
- Computer and Information Sciences, Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State Nigeria
- Division of Applied Bioinformatics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), G200, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
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12
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Jain RG, Robinson KE, Fletcher SJ, Mitter N. RNAi-Based Functional Genomics in Hemiptera. INSECTS 2020; 11:E557. [PMID: 32825516 PMCID: PMC7564473 DOI: 10.3390/insects11090557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Revised: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
RNA interference (RNAi) is a powerful approach for sequence-specific gene silencing, displaying tremendous potential for functional genomics studies in hemipteran insects. Exploiting RNAi allows the biological roles of critical genes to be defined and aids the development of RNAi-based biopesticides. In this review, we provide context to the rapidly expanding field of RNAi-based functional genomics studies in hemipteran insects. We highlight the most widely used RNAi delivery strategies, including microinjection, oral ingestion and topical application. Additionally, we discuss the key variables affecting RNAi efficacy in hemipteran insects, including insect life-stage, gene selection, the presence of nucleases, and the role of core RNAi machinery. In conclusion, we summarise the application of RNAi in functional genomics studies in Hemiptera, focusing on genes involved in reproduction, behaviour, metabolism, immunity and chemical resistance across 33 species belonging to 14 families.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Karl E. Robinson
- Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, Centre for Horticultural Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Queensland, Australia; (R.G.J.); (S.J.F.); (N.M.)
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13
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Isolation of Insect Bacteriocytes as a Platform for Transcriptomic Analyses. Methods Mol Biol 2020. [PMID: 32797459 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-0743-5_13] [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: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
Over the past few decades, various techniques have been developed and optimized for the accurate measurement of RNA abundance in cells or tissues. These methods have been instrumental in gaining insight in complex systems such as host-symbiont associations. The pea aphid model has recently emerged as a powerful and experimentally tractable system for studying symbiotic relationships and it is the subject of a growing number of molecular studies. Nevertheless, the lack of standardized protocols for the collection of bacteriocytes, the specialized host cells harboring the symbionts, has limited its use. This chapter provides a simple, step-by-step dissection protocol for the rapid isolation of aphid bacteriocytes. We then describe an adapted protocol for efficient extraction and purification of bacteriocyte RNA that can be used for most downstream transcriptomic analyses.
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14
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Al-Zyoud W, Nasereddin A, Aljarajrah H, Saket M. Culturable gut bacteria lack Escherichia coli in children with phenylketonuria. New Microbes New Infect 2019; 32:100616. [PMID: 31763047 PMCID: PMC6859276 DOI: 10.1016/j.nmni.2019.100616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2019] [Revised: 08/08/2019] [Accepted: 10/21/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Phenylketonuria (PKU) is an inherited metabolic disorder that affects phenylalanine metabolism. If left untreated, phenylalanine builds up to harmful levels in the body and may cause intellectual disability and other serious health problems. The aim of this study was to compare the culturable predominant bacteria in the gut of PKU versus non-PKU children in Jordan to measure the effect of a PKU low-protein diet on the normal flora. Escherichia coli is a bacterium of the normal gut flora in humans and vitally benefits the hosts in producing vitamin B2 (riboflavin) and vitamin K2 (menaquinone) involved in human cellular and bone metabolism, respectively. For a small-scale observational study, stool samples were collected from 25 children divided into 20 subjects without PKU as controls and five PKU subjects. Only predominant culturable bacteria were isolated from the stool on CLED (cysteine-lactose-electrolyte-deficient) agar, which was a limitation of this study. Samples were incubated at 35 ± 2°C, observed after 24-48 h, and transported to an automated microbial analyser. Data analysis was obtained using the independent sample t-test to determine any statistically significant difference in the microbial gut community between the associated population means. It was statistically significant (p < 0.01) that E. coli was present in all control subjects, while it was absent from the gut flora of all PKU subjects. Additional studies on a larger scale are needed to confirm these results and also any association with blood serum levels of phenylalanine and vitamins B2 and K2.
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Affiliation(s)
- W Al-Zyoud
- )Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Applied Medical Sciences, German Jordanian University, 35247 Madaba 11180 Jordan
| | - A Nasereddin
- )Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Applied Medical Sciences, German Jordanian University, 35247 Madaba 11180 Jordan
| | - H Aljarajrah
- )Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Applied Medical Sciences, German Jordanian University, 35247 Madaba 11180 Jordan
| | - M Saket
- )Department of Pharmaceutical & Chemical Engineering, School of Applied Medical Sciences, German Jordanian University, 35247 Madaba 11180 Jordan
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15
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Colella S, Parisot N, Simonet P, Gaget K, Duport G, Baa-Puyoulet P, Rahbé Y, Charles H, Febvay G, Callaerts P, Calevro F. Bacteriocyte Reprogramming to Cope With Nutritional Stress in a Phloem Sap Feeding Hemipteran, the Pea Aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum. Front Physiol 2018; 9:1498. [PMID: 30410449 PMCID: PMC6209921 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2018.01498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2018] [Accepted: 10/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Nutritional symbioses play a central role in the ability of insects to thrive on unbalanced diets and in ensuring their evolutionary success. A genomic model for nutritional symbiosis comprises the hemipteran Acyrthosiphon pisum, and the gamma-3-proteobacterium, Buchnera aphidicola, with genomes encoding highly integrated metabolic pathways. A. pisum feeds exclusively on plant phloem sap, a nutritionally unbalanced diet highly variable in composition, thus raising the question of how this symbiotic system responds to nutritional stress. We addressed this by combining transcriptomic, phenotypic and life history trait analyses to determine the organismal impact of deprivation of tyrosine and phenylalanine. These two aromatic amino acids are essential for aphid development, are synthesized in a metabolic pathway for which the aphid host and the endosymbiont are interdependent, and their concentration can be highly variable in plant phloem sap. We found that this nutritional challenge does not have major phenotypic effects on the pea aphid, except for a limited weight reduction and a 2-day delay in onset of nymph laying. Transcriptomic analyses through aphid development showed a prominent response in bacteriocytes (the core symbiotic tissue which houses the symbionts), but not in gut, thus highlighting the role of bacteriocytes as major modulators of this homeostasis. This response does not involve a direct regulation of tyrosine and phenylalanine biosynthetic pathway and transporter genes. Instead, we observed an extensive transcriptional reprogramming of the bacteriocyte with a rapid down-regulation of genes encoding sugar transporters and genes required for sugar metabolism. Consistently, we observed continued overexpression of the A. pisum homolog of RRAD, a small GTPase implicated in repressing aerobic glycolysis. In addition, we found increased transcription of genes involved in proliferation, cell size control and signaling. We experimentally confirmed the significance of these gene expression changes detecting an increase in bacteriocyte number and cell size in vivo under tyrosine and phenylalanine depletion. Our results support a central role of bacteriocytes in the aphid response to amino acid deprivation: their transcriptional and cellular responses fine-tune host physiology providing the host insect with an effective way to cope with the challenges posed by the variability in composition of phloem sap.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Colella
- Univ Lyon, INSA-Lyon, INRA, BF2I, UMR0203, F-69621, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Nicolas Parisot
- Univ Lyon, INSA-Lyon, INRA, BF2I, UMR0203, F-69621, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Pierre Simonet
- Univ Lyon, INSA-Lyon, INRA, BF2I, UMR0203, F-69621, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Karen Gaget
- Univ Lyon, INSA-Lyon, INRA, BF2I, UMR0203, F-69621, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Gabrielle Duport
- Univ Lyon, INSA-Lyon, INRA, BF2I, UMR0203, F-69621, Villeurbanne, France
| | | | - Yvan Rahbé
- Univ Lyon, INSA-Lyon, INRA, BF2I, UMR0203, F-69621, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Hubert Charles
- Univ Lyon, INSA-Lyon, INRA, BF2I, UMR0203, F-69621, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Gérard Febvay
- Univ Lyon, INSA-Lyon, INRA, BF2I, UMR0203, F-69621, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Patrick Callaerts
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Developmental Genetics, Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Federica Calevro
- Univ Lyon, INSA-Lyon, INRA, BF2I, UMR0203, F-69621, Villeurbanne, France
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16
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Santos-Garcia D, Silva FJ, Morin S, Dettner K, Kuechler SM. The All-Rounder Sodalis: A New Bacteriome-Associated Endosymbiont of the Lygaeoid Bug Henestaris halophilus (Heteroptera: Henestarinae) and a Critical Examination of Its Evolution. Genome Biol Evol 2018; 9:2893-2910. [PMID: 29036401 PMCID: PMC5737371 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evx202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Hemipteran insects are well-known in their ability to establish symbiotic relationships with bacteria. Among them, heteropteran insects present an array of symbiotic systems, ranging from the most common gut crypt symbiosis to the more restricted bacteriome-associated endosymbiosis, which have only been detected in members of the superfamily Lygaeoidea and the family Cimicidae so far. Genomic data of heteropteran endosymbionts are scarce and have merely been analyzed from the Wolbachia endosymbiont in bed bug and a few gut crypt-associated symbionts in pentatomoid bugs. In this study, we present the first detailed genomic analysis of a bacteriome-associated endosymbiont of a phytophagous heteropteran, present in the seed bug Henestaris halophilus (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Lygaeoidea). Using phylogenomics and genomics approaches, we have assigned the newly characterized endosymbiont to the Sodalis genus, named as Candidatus Sodalis baculum sp. nov. strain kilmister. In addition, our findings support the reunification of the Sodalis genus, currently divided into six different genera. We have also conducted comparative analyses between 15 Sodalis species that present different genome sizes and symbiotic relationships. These analyses suggest that Ca. Sodalis baculum is a mutualistic endosymbiont capable of supplying the amino acids tyrosine, lysine, and some cofactors to its host. It has a small genome with pseudogenes but no mobile elements, which indicates middle-stage reductive evolution. Most of the genes in Ca. Sodalis baculum are likely to be evolving under purifying selection with several signals pointing to the retention of the lysine/tyrosine biosynthetic pathways compared with other Sodalis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego Santos-Garcia
- Department of Entomology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Francisco J Silva
- Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat i Biologia Evolutiva, Universitat de València, Spain.,Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), Universitat de València-CSIC, Spain
| | - Shai Morin
- Department of Entomology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Konrad Dettner
- Department of Animal Ecology II, University of Bayreuth, Germany
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17
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Chung SH, Jing X, Luo Y, Douglas AE. Targeting symbiosis-related insect genes by RNAi in the pea aphid-Buchnera symbiosis. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2018; 95:55-63. [PMID: 29526771 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2018.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2018] [Revised: 02/27/2018] [Accepted: 02/27/2018] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
The growth and reproduction of phloem sap-feeding insects requires the sustained function of intracellular bacteria localized in specialized cells known as bacteriocytes, giving the potential to target the bacterial symbiosis as a novel strategy for controlling sap-feeding insect pests. We focused on two genes in the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum, amiD and ldcA1, which were acquired horizontally from bacteria and have the annotated function to degrade immunogenic bacterial peptidoglycan. We hypothesized that AmiD and LdcA1 function to eliminate peptidoglycan fragments released by the bacterial symbiont Buchnera inhabiting the bacteriocytes, thereby protecting the Buchnera from host attack. Consistent with this hypothesis, expression of amiD and ldcA1 was enriched in bacteriocytes and varied significantly with aphid age, conforming to an inverse curvilinear relationship for amiD and negative linear relationship for ldcA1. RNAi against amiD and ldcA1 administered orally to larval pea aphids caused a significant reduction in Buchnera abundance and activity, accompanied by depressed aphid growth rates. For RNAi experiments, the aphids were co-administered with dsRNA against an aphid nuclease nuc1, protecting the dsRNA against non-specific degradation. These experiments demonstrate that selective suppression of insect symbiosis-related gene function can reduce the performance of an insect pest. Phylogenetic analysis identified amiD and ldcA1 in sequenced genomes of other aphid species, and amiD in related groups of phloem-feeding insects, offering the opportunity for specific controls against a range of insect pests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seung Ho Chung
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Xiangfeng Jing
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Yuan Luo
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Angela E Douglas
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA; Department of Molecular Biology & Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.
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18
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Hirota B, Okude G, Anbutsu H, Futahashi R, Moriyama M, Meng XY, Nikoh N, Koga R, Fukatsu T. A Novel, Extremely Elongated, and Endocellular Bacterial Symbiont Supports Cuticle Formation of a Grain Pest Beetle. mBio 2017; 8:e01482-17. [PMID: 28951480 PMCID: PMC5615201 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01482-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2017] [Accepted: 08/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The saw-toothed grain beetle, Oryzaephilus surinamensis (Silvanidae), is a cosmopolitan stored-product pest. Early studies on O. surinamensis in the 1930s described the presence of peculiar bacteriomes harboring endosymbiotic bacteria in the abdomen. Since then, however, the microbiological nature of the symbiont has been elusive. Here we investigated the endosymbiotic system of O. surinamensis in detail. In the abdomen of adults, pupae, and larvae, four oval bacteriomes were consistently identified, whose cytoplasm was full of extremely elongated tubular bacterial cells several micrometers wide and several hundred micrometers long. Molecular phylogenetic analysis identified the symbiont as a member of the Bacteroidetes, in which the symbiont was the most closely related to the endosymbiont of a grain pest beetle, Rhyzopertha dominica (Bostrichidae). The symbiont was detected in developing embryos, corroborating vertical symbiont transmission through host generations. The symbiont gene showed AT-biased nucleotide composition and accelerated molecular evolution, plausibly reflecting degenerative evolution of the symbiont genome. When the symbiont infection was experimentally removed, the aposymbiotic insects grew and reproduced normally, but exhibited a slightly but significantly more reddish cuticle and lighter body mass. These results indicate that the symbiont of O. surinamensis is not essential for the host's growth and reproduction but contributes to the host's cuticle formation. Symbiont genome sequencing and detailed comparison of fitness parameters between symbiotic and aposymbiotic insects under various environmental conditions will provide further insights into the symbiont's biological roles for the stored-product pest.IMPORTANCE Some beetles notorious as stored-product pests possess well-developed symbiotic organs called bacteriomes for harboring specific symbiotic bacteria, although their biological roles have been poorly understood. Here we report a peculiar endosymbiotic system of a grain pest beetle, Oryzaephilus surinamensis, in which four oval bacteriomes in the abdomen are full of extremely elongated tubular bacterial cells. Experimental symbiont elimination did not hinder the host's growth and reproduction, but resulted in emergence of reddish beetles, uncovering the symbiont's involvement in host's cuticle formation. We speculate that the extremely elongated symbiont cell morphology might be due to the degenerative symbiont genome deficient in bacterial cell division and/or cell wall formation, which highlights an evolutionary consequence of intimate host-symbiont coevolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Hirota
- National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Japan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, the University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Genta Okude
- National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Japan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, the University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hisashi Anbutsu
- National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Japan
- Computational Bio Big-Data Open Innovation Laboratory, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ryo Futahashi
- National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Minoru Moriyama
- National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Xian-Ying Meng
- National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Naruo Nikoh
- Department of Liberal Arts, the Open University of Japan, Chiba, Japan
| | - Ryuichi Koga
- National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Takema Fukatsu
- National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Japan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, the University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
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19
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Abstract
Beetles, representing the majority of the insect species diversity, are characterized by thick and hard cuticle, which plays important roles for their environmental adaptation and underpins their inordinate diversity and prosperity. Here, we report a bacterial endosymbiont extremely specialized for sustaining beetle's cuticle formation. Many weevils are associated with a γ-proteobacterial endosymbiont lineage Nardonella, whose evolutionary origin is estimated as older than 100 million years, but its functional aspect has been elusive. Sequencing of Nardonella genomes from diverse weevils unveiled drastic size reduction to 0.2 Mb, in which minimal complete gene sets for bacterial replication, transcription, and translation were present but almost all of the other metabolic pathway genes were missing. Notably, the only metabolic pathway retained in the Nardonella genomes was the tyrosine synthesis pathway, identifying tyrosine provisioning as Nardonella's sole biological role. Weevils are armored with hard cuticle, tyrosine is the principal precursor for cuticle formation, and experimental suppression of Nardonella resulted in emergence of reddish and soft weevils with low tyrosine titer, confirming the importance of Nardonella-mediated tyrosine production for host's cuticle formation and hardening. Notably, Nardonella's tyrosine synthesis pathway was incomplete, lacking the final step transaminase gene. RNA sequencing identified host's aminotransferase genes up-regulated in the bacteriome. RNA interference targeting the aminotransferase genes induced reddish and soft weevils with low tyrosine titer, verifying host's final step regulation of the tyrosine synthesis pathway. Our finding highlights an impressively intimate and focused aspect of the host-symbiont metabolic integrity via streamlined evolution for a single biological function of ecological relevance.
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20
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Kumar M, Mohanty AK, Sreenivasamurthy SK, Dey G, Advani J, Pinto SM, Kumar A, Prasad TSK. Response to Blood Meal in the Fat Body of Anopheles stephensi Using Quantitative Proteomics: Toward New Vector Control Strategies Against Malaria. OMICS-A JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE BIOLOGY 2017; 21:520-530. [PMID: 28873011 DOI: 10.1089/omi.2017.0092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Malaria remains a grand challenge for disruptive innovation in global health therapeutics and diagnostics. Anopheles stephensi is one of the major vectors of malaria in Asia. Vector and transmission control are key focus areas in the fight against malaria, a field of postgenomics research where proteomics can play a substantive role. Moreover, to identify novel strategies to control the vector population, it is necessary to understand the vector life processes at a global and molecular scale. In this context, fat body is a vital organ required for vitellogenesis, vector immunity, vector physiology, and vector-parasite interaction. Given its central role in energy metabolism, vitellogenesis, and immune function, the proteome profile of the fat body and the impact of blood meal (BM) ingestion on the protein abundances of this vital organ have not been investigated so far. Therefore, using a proteomics approach, we identified the proteins expressed in the fat body of An. stephensi and their differential expression in response to BM ingestion. In all, we identified 3,218 proteins in the fat body using high-resolution mass spectrometry, of which 483 were found to be differentially expressed in response to the BM ingestion. Bioinformatics analysis of these proteins underscored their role in amino acid metabolism, vitellogenesis, lipid transport, signal peptide processing, mosquito immunity, and oxidation-reduction processes. Interestingly, we identified five novel genes, which were found to be differentially expressed upon BM ingestion. Proteins that exhibited altered expression in the present study are potential targets for vector control strategies and development of transmission blocking vaccines in the fight against malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manish Kumar
- 1 Institute of Bioinformatics , Bangalore, India .,2 Manipal University , Manipal, India
| | | | | | - Gourav Dey
- 1 Institute of Bioinformatics , Bangalore, India .,2 Manipal University , Manipal, India
| | - Jayshree Advani
- 1 Institute of Bioinformatics , Bangalore, India .,2 Manipal University , Manipal, India
| | - Sneha M Pinto
- 4 YU-IOB Center for Systems Biology and Molecular Medicine, Yenepoya University , Mangalore, India
| | - Ashwani Kumar
- 3 National Institute of Malaria Research (ICMR) , Panjim, India
| | - Thottethodi Subrahmanya Keshava Prasad
- 1 Institute of Bioinformatics , Bangalore, India .,4 YU-IOB Center for Systems Biology and Molecular Medicine, Yenepoya University , Mangalore, India .,5 NIMHANS-IOB Proteomics and Bioinformatics Laboratory, Neurobiology Research Centre, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences , Bangalore, India
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