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Zhao L, Xiao R, Zhang S, Zhang C, Zhang F. Environmental specificity of karst cave habitats evidenced by diverse symbiotic bacteria in Opiliones. BMC Ecol Evol 2024; 24:58. [PMID: 38720266 PMCID: PMC11080181 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-024-02248-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Karst caves serve as natural laboratories, providing organisms with extreme and constant conditions that promote isolation, resulting in a genetic relationship and living environment that is significantly different from those outside the cave. However, research on cave creatures, especially Opiliones, remains scarce, with most studies focused on water, soil, and cave sediments. RESULTS The structure of symbiotic bacteria in different caves were compared, revealing significant differences. Based on the alpha and beta diversity, symbiotic bacteria abundance and diversity in the cave were similar, but the structure of symbiotic bacteria differed inside and outside the cave. Microorganisms in the cave play an important role in material cycling and energy flow, particularly in the nitrogen cycle. Although microbial diversity varies inside and outside the cave, Opiliones in Beijing caves and Hainan Island exhibited a strong similarity, indicating that the two environments share commonalities. CONCLUSIONS The karst cave environment possesses high microbial diversity and there are noticeable differences among different caves. Different habitats lead to significant differences in the symbiotic bacteria in Opiliones inside and outside the cave, and cave microorganisms have made efforts to adapt to extreme environments. The similarity in symbiotic bacteria community structure suggests a potential similarity in host environments, providing an explanation for the appearance of Sinonychia martensi in caves in the north.
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Affiliation(s)
- Likun Zhao
- School of Life Sciences, Institute of Life Science and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding, 071002, P.R. China
- The Key Laboratory of Microbial Diversity Research and Application of Hebei Province, Baoding, 071002, P. R. China
| | - Ruoyi Xiao
- School of Life Sciences, Institute of Life Science and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding, 071002, P.R. China
| | - Shanfeng Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Institute of Life Science and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding, 071002, P.R. China
| | - Chao Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Institute of Life Science and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding, 071002, P.R. China.
- The Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Application of Hebei Province, Baoding, 071002, P. R. China.
| | - Feng Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Institute of Life Science and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding, 071002, P.R. China.
- The Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Application of Hebei Province, Baoding, 071002, P. R. China.
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2
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Gong C, Guo Z, Hu Y, Yang Z, Xia J, Yang X, Xie W, Wang S, Wu Q, Ye W, Zhou X, Turlings TCJ, Zhang Y. A Horizontally Transferred Plant Fatty Acid Desaturase Gene Steers Whitefly Reproduction. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2306653. [PMID: 38145364 PMCID: PMC10933598 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202306653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Revised: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023]
Abstract
Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are essential nutrients for all living organisms. PUFA synthesis is mediated by Δ12 desaturases in plants and microorganisms, whereas animals usually obtain PUFAs through their diet. The whitefly Bemisia tabaci is an extremely polyphagous agricultural pest that feeds on phloem sap of many plants that do not always provide them with sufficient PUFAs. Here, a plant-derived Δ12 desaturase gene family BtFAD2 is characterized in B. tabaci and it shows that the BtFAD2-9 gene enables the pest to synthesize PUFAs, thereby significantly enhancing its fecundity. The role of BtFAD2-9 in reproduction is further confirmed by transferring the gene to Drosophila melanogaster, which also increases the fruit fly's reproduction. These findings reveal an extraordinary evolutionary scenario whereby a phytophagous insect acquired a family of plant genes that enables it to synthesize essential nutrients, thereby lessening its nutritional dependency and allowing it to feed and reproduce on many host plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng Gong
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetable BiobreedingDepartment of Plant ProtectionInstitute of Vegetables and FlowersChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijing100081China
| | - Zhaojiang Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetable BiobreedingDepartment of Plant ProtectionInstitute of Vegetables and FlowersChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijing100081China
| | - Yuan Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetable BiobreedingDepartment of Plant ProtectionInstitute of Vegetables and FlowersChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijing100081China
| | - Zezhong Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetable BiobreedingDepartment of Plant ProtectionInstitute of Vegetables and FlowersChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijing100081China
- Institute of Plant ProtectionTianjin Academy of Agricultural SciencesTianjin300381China
| | - Jixing Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetable BiobreedingDepartment of Plant ProtectionInstitute of Vegetables and FlowersChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijing100081China
| | - Xin Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetable BiobreedingDepartment of Plant ProtectionInstitute of Vegetables and FlowersChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijing100081China
| | - Wen Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetable BiobreedingDepartment of Plant ProtectionInstitute of Vegetables and FlowersChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijing100081China
| | - Shaoli Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetable BiobreedingDepartment of Plant ProtectionInstitute of Vegetables and FlowersChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijing100081China
| | - Qingjun Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetable BiobreedingDepartment of Plant ProtectionInstitute of Vegetables and FlowersChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijing100081China
| | - Wenfeng Ye
- Laboratory of Fundamental and Applied Research in Chemical EcologyInstitute of BiologyUniversity of NeuchâtelNeuchâtelCH‐2000Switzerland
| | - Xuguo Zhou
- Department of EntomologyUniversity of KentuckyLexingtonKY40546‐0091USA
| | - Ted C. J. Turlings
- Laboratory of Fundamental and Applied Research in Chemical EcologyInstitute of BiologyUniversity of NeuchâtelNeuchâtelCH‐2000Switzerland
| | - Youjun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetable BiobreedingDepartment of Plant ProtectionInstitute of Vegetables and FlowersChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijing100081China
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Yang Z, Guo Z, Gong C, Xia J, Hu Y, Zhong J, Yang X, Xie W, Wang S, Wu Q, Ye W, Liu B, Zhou X, Turlings TCJ, Zhang Y. Two horizontally acquired bacterial genes steer the exceptionally efficient and flexible nitrogenous waste cycling in whiteflies. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadi3105. [PMID: 38306427 PMCID: PMC10836729 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adi3105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/04/2024]
Abstract
Nitrogen is an essential element for all life on earth. Nitrogen metabolism, including excretion, is essential for growth, development, and survival of plants and animals alike. Several nitrogen metabolic processes have been described, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are unclear. Here, we reveal a unique process of nitrogen metabolism in the whitefly Bemisia tabaci, a global pest. We show that it has acquired two bacterial uricolytic enzyme genes, B. tabaci urea carboxylase (BtUCA) and B. tabaci allophanate hydrolase (BtAtzF), through horizontal gene transfer. These genes operate in conjunction to not only coordinate an efficient way of metabolizing nitrogenous waste but also control B. tabaci's exceptionally flexible nitrogen recycling capacity. Its efficient nitrogen processing explains how this important pest can feed on a vast spectrum of plants. This finding provides insight into how the hijacking of microbial genes has allowed whiteflies to develop a highly economic and stable nitrogen metabolism network and offers clues for pest management strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zezhong Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetable Biobreeding, Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
- Institute of Plant Protection, Tianjin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Tianjin 300381, China
| | - Zhaojiang Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetable Biobreeding, Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Cheng Gong
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetable Biobreeding, Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Jixing Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetable Biobreeding, Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Yuan Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetable Biobreeding, Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Jie Zhong
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetable Biobreeding, Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Xin Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetable Biobreeding, Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Wen Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetable Biobreeding, Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Shaoli Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetable Biobreeding, Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Qingjun Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetable Biobreeding, Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Wenfeng Ye
- Laboratory of Fundamental and Applied Research in Chemical Ecology, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, CH-2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Baiming Liu
- Institute of Plant Protection, Tianjin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Tianjin 300381, China
| | - Xuguo Zhou
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40546-0091, USA
| | - Ted C J Turlings
- Laboratory of Fundamental and Applied Research in Chemical Ecology, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, CH-2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Youjun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetable Biobreeding, Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
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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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Lei T, Luo N, Song C, Yu J, Zhou Y, Qi X, Liu Y. Comparative Genomics Reveals Three Genetic Groups of the Whitefly Obligate Endosymbiont Candidatus Portiera aleyrodidarum. INSECTS 2023; 14:888. [PMID: 37999087 PMCID: PMC10672337 DOI: 10.3390/insects14110888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2023] [Revised: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
Maternally inherited obligate endosymbionts codiverge with their invertebrate hosts and reflect their host's evolutionary history. Whiteflies (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) harbor one obligate endosymbiont, Candidatus Portiera aleyrodidarum (hereafter Portiera). Portiera was anciently acquired by whitefly and has been coevolving with its host ever since. Uncovering the divergence of endosymbionts provides a fundamental basis for inspecting the coevolutionary processes between the bacteria and their hosts. To illustrate the divergence of Portiera lineages across different whitefly species, we sequenced the Portiera genome from Aleyrodes shizuokensis and conducted a comparative analysis on the basic features and gene evolution with bacterial genomes from five whitefly genera, namely Aleurodicus, Aleyrodes, Bemisia, Pealius, and Trialeurodes. The results indicated that Portiera from Bemisia possessed significantly larger genomes, fewer coding sequences (CDSs), and a lower coding density. Their gene arrangement differed notably from those of other genera. The phylogeny of the nine Portiera lineages resembled that of their hosts. Moreover, the lineages were classified into three distinct genetic groups based on the genetic distance, one from Aleurodicus (Aleurodicinae), one from Bemisia (Aleyrodinae), and another from Aleyrodes, Pealius, and Trialeurrodes (Aleyrodinae). Synonymous and nonsynonymous rate analyses, parity rule 2 plot analyses, neutrality plot analyses, and effective number of codons analyses supported the distinction of the three genetic groups. Our results indicated that Portiera from distant hosts exhibit distinct genomic contents, implying codivergence between hosts and their endosymbionts. This work will enhance our understanding of coevolution between hosts and their endosymbionts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teng Lei
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation, School of Life Sciences, Taizhou University, Taizhou 318000, China; (T.L.)
| | - Ning Luo
- Natural Resources and Planning Bureau of Linhai City, Linhai 317000, China
| | - Chao Song
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation, School of Life Sciences, Taizhou University, Taizhou 318000, China; (T.L.)
| | - Junwei Yu
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation, School of Life Sciences, Taizhou University, Taizhou 318000, China; (T.L.)
| | - Yuhang Zhou
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation, School of Life Sciences, Taizhou University, Taizhou 318000, China; (T.L.)
| | - Xin Qi
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation, School of Life Sciences, Taizhou University, Taizhou 318000, China; (T.L.)
| | - Yinquan Liu
- Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Key Laboratory of Agricultural Entomology, Key Laboratory of Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects of Zhejiang Province, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
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6
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Guo L, Li Z, Xu J. Effects of Cadmium Stress on Bacterial and Fungal Communities in the Whitefly Bemisia tabaci. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:13588. [PMID: 37686394 PMCID: PMC10488276 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241713588] [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: 07/19/2023] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Heavy metal contamination is among the most prominent environmental problems in China, posing serious threats to both ecosystem and human health. Among the diverse heavy metal contaminants, cadmium is the most serious. The whitefly Bemisia tabaci is a cosmopolitan pest capable of causing severe damage to a broad range of agricultural crops, especially vegetables. At present, little is known about the effects of cadmium stress on B. tabaci, including on its bacterial and fungal communities. In the current study, we investigated the effects of cadmium on bacterial and fungal communities in whiteflies. Meta-barcode sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene revealed that the whitefly bacterial community contained 264 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) belonging to 201 known genera and 245 known species. The top five most frequent bacterial genera were Rickettsia, Rhodococcus, Candidatus Portiera, Candidatus Hamiltonella, and Achromobacter. Meta-barcode sequencing of the fungal ITS locus revealed that the whitefly fungal community contained 357 OTUs belonging to 187 known genera and 248 known species. The top five most frequent fungal genera were Wallemia, unclassified_f_Dipodascaceae, Apiotrichum, Penicillium, and unclassified_o_Saccharomycetales. Cadmium exposure reduced the fungal OTU richness but increased the bacterial Shannon and Simpson diversity indices in whiteflies. In addition, upon exposure to cadmium, the microbial community composition in whiteflies changed significantly, with increased prevalence of the bacterial genera Rhodococcus and Exiguobacterium and fungal genus Wallemia. Our results indicate that the whitefly microbiota likely contributed to their adaptation and resistance to cadmium and suggested that whiteflies may contain microbes that could help remediate cadmium contamination in natural environments and agricultural fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Litao Guo
- Institute of Bast Fiber Crops, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changsha 410205, China; (L.G.); (Z.L.)
| | - Zhimin Li
- Institute of Bast Fiber Crops, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changsha 410205, China; (L.G.); (Z.L.)
| | - Jianping Xu
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada
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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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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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Plant-mediated rifampicin treatment of Bemisia tabaci disrupts but does not eliminate endosymbionts. Sci Rep 2022; 12:20766. [PMID: 36456664 PMCID: PMC9715664 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-24788-0] [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: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Whiteflies are among the most important global insect pests in agriculture; their sustainable control has proven challenging and new methods are needed. Bacterial symbionts of whiteflies are poorly understood potential target of novel whitefly control methods. Whiteflies harbour an obligatory bacterium, Candidatus Portiera aleyrodidarum, and a diverse set of facultative bacterial endosymbionts. Function of facultative microbial community is poorly understood largely due to the difficulty in their selective elimination without removal of the primary endosymbiont. Since the discovery of secondary endosymbionts, antibiotic rifampicin has emerged as the most used tool for their manipulation. Its effectiveness is however much less clear, with contrasting reports on its effects on the endosymbiont community. The present study builds upon most recent method of rifampicin application in whiteflies and evaluates its ability to eliminate obligatory Portiera and two facultative endosymbionts (Rickettsia and Arsenophnus). Our results show that rifampicin reduces but does not eliminate any of the three endosymbionts. Additionally, rifampicin causes direct negative effect on whiteflies, likely by disrupting mitochondria. Taken together, results signify the end of a rifampicin era in whitefly endosymbiont studies. Finally, we propose refinement of current quantification and data analysis methods which yields additional insights in cellular metabolic scaling.
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Silva FJ, Santos-Garcia D, Zheng X, Zhang L, Han XY. Construction and Analysis of the Complete Genome Sequence of Leprosy Agent Mycobacterium lepromatosis. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0169221. [PMID: 35467405 PMCID: PMC9248898 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01692-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Leprosy is caused by Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis. We report construction and analyses of the complete genome sequence of M. lepromatosis FJ924. The genome contained 3,271,694 nucleotides to encode 1,789 functional genes and 1,564 pseudogenes. It shared 1,420 genes and 885 pseudogenes (71.4%) with M. leprae but differed in 1,281 genes and pseudogenes (28.6%). In phylogeny, the leprosy bacilli started from a most recent common ancestor (MRCA) that diverged ~30 million years ago (Mya) from environmental organism Mycobacterium haemophilum. The MRCA then underwent reductive evolution with pseudogenization, gene loss, and chromosomal rearrangements. Analysis of the shared pseudogenes estimated the pseudogenization event ~14 Mya, shortly before species bifurcation. Afterwards, genomic changes occurred to lesser extent in each species. Like M. leprae, four major types of highly repetitive sequences were detected in M. lepromatosis, contributing to chromosomal rearrangements within and after MRCA. Variations in genes and copy numbers were noted, such as three copies of the gene encoding bifunctional diguanylate cyclase/phosphodiesterase in M. lepromatosis, but single copy in M. leprae; 6 genes encoding the TetR family transcriptional regulators in M. lepromatosis, but 11 such genes in M. leprae; presence of hemW gene in M. lepromatosis, but absence in M. leprae; and others. These variations likely aid unique pathogenesis, such as diffuse lepromatous leprosy associated with M. lepromatosis, while the shared genomic features should explain the common pathogenesis of dermatitis and neuritis in leprosy. Together, these findings and the genomic data of M. lepromatosis may facilitate future research and care for leprosy. IMPORTANCE Leprosy is a dreaded infection that still affects millions of people worldwide. Mycobacterium lepromatosis is a recently recognized cause in addition to the well-known Mycobacterium leprae. M. lepromatosis is likely specific for diffuse lepromatous leprosy, a severe form of the infection and endemic in Mexico. This study constructed and annotated the complete genome sequence of M. lepromatosis FJ924 and performed comparative genomic analyses with related mycobacteria. The results afford new and refined insights into the genome size, gene repertoire, pseudogenes, phylogenomic relationship, genome organization and plasticity, process and timing of reductive evolution, and genetic and proteomic basis for pathogenesis. The availability of the complete M. lepromatosis genome may prove to be useful for future research and care for the infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco J. Silva
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), University of Valencia and CSIC, Paterna, Spain
- Genomics and Health Area, Foundation for the Promotion of Sanitary and Biomedical Research, Valencia, Spain
| | - Diego Santos-Garcia
- Laboratory of Biometry and Evolutionary Biology UMR CNRS, University of Lyon, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Xiaofeng Zheng
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Li Zhang
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Xiang Y. Han
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
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11
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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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12
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Milenovic M, Ghanim M, Hoffmann L, Rapisarda C. Whitefly endosymbionts: IPM opportunity or tilting at windmills? JOURNAL OF PEST SCIENCE 2021; 95:543-566. [PMID: 34744550 PMCID: PMC8562023 DOI: 10.1007/s10340-021-01451-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Revised: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/16/2021] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Whiteflies are sap-sucking insects responsible for high economic losses. They colonize hundreds of plant species and cause direct feeding damage and indirect damage through transmission of devastating viruses. Modern agriculture has seen a history of invasive whitefly species and populations that expand to novel regions, bringing along fierce viruses. Control efforts are hindered by fast virus transmission, insecticide-resistant populations, and a wide host range which permits large natural reservoirs for whiteflies. Augmentative biocontrol by parasitoids while effective in suppressing high population densities in greenhouses falls short when it comes to preventing virus transmission and is ineffective in the open field. A potential source of much needed novel control strategies lays within a diverse community of whitefly endosymbionts. The idea to exploit endosymbionts for whitefly control is as old as identification of these bacteria, yet it still has not come to fruition. We review where our knowledge stands on the aspects of whitefly endosymbiont evolution, biology, metabolism, multitrophic interactions, and population dynamics. We show how these insights are bringing us closer to the goal of better integrated pest management strategies. Combining most up to date understanding of whitefly-endosymbiont interactions and recent technological advances, we discuss possibilities of disrupting and manipulating whitefly endosymbionts, as well as using them for pest control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milan Milenovic
- Environmental Research and Innovation Department (ERIN), Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), 41, Rue du Brill, L-4422 Belvaux, Luxembourg
- Dipartimento di Agricoltura, Università degli Studi di Catania, Alimentazione e Ambiente (Di3A), via Santa Sofia 100, 95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Murad Ghanim
- Department of Entomology, Volcani Center, ARO, HaMaccabim Road 68, PO Box 15159, 7528809 Rishon Le Tsiyon, Israel
| | - Lucien Hoffmann
- Environmental Research and Innovation Department (ERIN), Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), 41, Rue du Brill, L-4422 Belvaux, Luxembourg
| | - Carmelo Rapisarda
- Dipartimento di Agricoltura, Università degli Studi di Catania, Alimentazione e Ambiente (Di3A), via Santa Sofia 100, 95123 Catania, Italy
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13
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Phylogeographic and SNPs Analyses of Bemisia tabaci B Mitotype Populations Reveal Only Two of Eight Haplotypes Are Invasive. BIOLOGY 2021; 10:biology10101048. [PMID: 34681147 PMCID: PMC8533152 DOI: 10.3390/biology10101048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Revised: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary The whitefly Bemisia tabaci taxon consists of an undefined number of morphologically identical genetic variants of which only a few, including the B, harbor invasive haplotypes. These haplotypes have potential to upsurge and become important pests and plant virus vectors in irrigated agroecosystems worldwide. In the 1980s, unprecedented outbreaks associated with the B variant were reported worldwide, however, the precise origin(s) of the invasive haplotypes has not been determined. In this study, available B. tabaci mitochondrial gene sequences were examined for patterns of conserved single nucleotide changes (SNPs). The whitefly sequence records represented North Africa-Middle Eastern habitats, the proposed B variant center of origin, and distant locales recently invaded by haplotype(s) of the B variant. Unexpectedly, the analysis revealed eight SNPs groups (haplotypes) demonstrating that the genetic architecture of the B mitoype is more complex than previously recognized. Also, the distribution patterns of the eight B haplotypes were tightly linked to well-defined eco-geographic regions, suggesting the different groups have diversified by geographic isolation. Contrary to claims that collectively, the B variant is invasive, only two of the eight haplotypic groups have established in geographical locations outside of their zone of endemism. Abstract The Bemisia tabaci cryptic species contains 39 known mitotypes of which the B and Q are best recognized for having established outside their extant endemic range. In the 1980s, previously uncharacterized haplotype(s) of the B mitotype rapidly established in tropical and subtropical locales distant from their presumed center of origin, leading to displacement of several native mitotypes and extreme damage to crops and other vegetation particularly in irrigated agroecosystems. To trace the natural and evolutionary history of the invasive B haplotypes, a phylo-biogeographic study was undertaken. Patterns of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and signatures potentially indicative of geographic isolation were investigated using a globally representative mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I gene (mtCOI) sequence database. Eight haplotype groups within the North Africa-Middle East (NAFME) region were differentiated, NAFME 1–8. The NAFME 1–3 haplotypes were members of the same population that is associated with warm desert climate niches of the Arabian Peninsula and east coastal Africa-Ethiopia. The NAFME 4 and 5 haplotypes are endemic to warm and cold semi-arid niches delimited by the Irano-Turanian floristic region, itself harboring extensive biodiversity. Haplotypes 6 and 7 co-occurred in the Middle East along eastern Mediterranean Sea landmasses, while NAFME 8 was found to be endemic to Cyprus, Turkey, and desert micro-niches throughout Egypt and Israel. Contrary to claims that collectively, the B mitotype is invasive, NAFME 6 and 8 are the only haplotypes to have established in geographical locations outside of their zone of endemism.
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14
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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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15
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Xia J, Guo Z, Yang Z, Han H, Wang S, Xu H, Yang X, Yang F, Wu Q, Xie W, Zhou X, Dermauw W, Turlings TCJ, Zhang Y. Whitefly hijacks a plant detoxification gene that neutralizes plant toxins. Cell 2021; 184:1693-1705.e17. [PMID: 33770502 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2021.02.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 142] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Revised: 12/29/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Plants protect themselves with a vast array of toxic secondary metabolites, yet most plants serve as food for insects. The evolutionary processes that allow herbivorous insects to resist plant defenses remain largely unknown. The whitefly Bemisia tabaci is a cosmopolitan, highly polyphagous agricultural pest that vectors several serious plant pathogenic viruses and is an excellent model to probe the molecular mechanisms involved in overcoming plant defenses. Here, we show that, through an exceptional horizontal gene transfer event, the whitefly has acquired the plant-derived phenolic glucoside malonyltransferase gene BtPMaT1. This gene enables whiteflies to neutralize phenolic glucosides. This was confirmed by genetically transforming tomato plants to produce small interfering RNAs that silence BtPMaT1, thus impairing the whiteflies' detoxification ability. These findings reveal an evolutionary scenario whereby herbivores harness the genetic toolkit of their host plants to develop resistance to plant defenses and how this can be exploited for crop protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jixing Xia
- Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Zhaojiang Guo
- Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Zezhong Yang
- Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Haolin Han
- Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Shaoli Wang
- Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Haifeng Xu
- Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Xin Yang
- Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Fengshan Yang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Heilongjiang Province, College of Life Sciences, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, China
| | - Qingjun Wu
- Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Wen Xie
- Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Xuguo Zhou
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40546-0091, USA
| | - Wannes Dermauw
- Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (ILVO), Plant Sciences Unit, 8920 Merelbeke, Belgium; Department of Plants and Crops, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Ted C J Turlings
- Laboratory of Fundamental and Applied Research in Chemical Ecology, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland.
| | - Youjun Zhang
- Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China.
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16
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Yang Z, Gong C, Hu Y, Zhong J, Xia J, Xie W, Yang X, Guo Z, Wang S, Wu Q, Zhang Y. Two Deoxythymidine Triphosphate Synthesis-Related Genes Regulate Obligate Symbiont Density and Reproduction in the Whitefly Bemisia tabaci MED. Front Physiol 2021; 11:574749. [PMID: 33716755 PMCID: PMC7943623 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2020.574749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Deoxythymidine triphosphate (dTTP) is essential for DNA synthesis and cellular growth in all organisms. Here, genetic capacity analysis of the pyrimidine pathway in insects and their symbionts revealed that dTTP is a kind of metabolic input in several host insect/obligate symbiont symbiosis systems, including Bemisia tabaci MED/Candidatus Portiera aleyrodidarum (hereafter Portiera). As such, the roles of dTTP on both sides of the symbiosis system were investigated in B. tabaci MED/Portiera. Dietary RNA interference (RNAi) showed that suppressing dTTP production significantly reduced the density of Portiera, significantly repressed the expression levels of horizontally transferred essential amino acid (EAA) synthesis-related genes, and significantly decreased the reproduction of B. tabaci MED adults as well as the hatchability of their offspring. Our results revealed the regulatory role of dTTP in B. tabaci MED/Portiera and showed that dTTP synthesis-related genes could be potential targets for controlling B. tabaci as well as other sucking pests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zezhong Yang
- Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Cheng Gong
- Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yuan Hu
- Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jie Zhong
- Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jixing Xia
- Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wen Xie
- Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xin Yang
- Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhaojiang Guo
- Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shaoli Wang
- Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qingjun Wu
- 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
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17
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Andreason SA, Shelby EA, Moss JB, Moore PJ, Moore AJ, Simmons AM. Whitefly Endosymbionts: Biology, Evolution, and Plant Virus Interactions. INSECTS 2020; 11:insects11110775. [PMID: 33182634 PMCID: PMC7696030 DOI: 10.3390/insects11110775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 11/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Whiteflies (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) are sap-feeding global agricultural pests. These piercing-sucking insects have coevolved with intracellular endosymbiotic bacteria that help to supplement their nutrient-poor plant sap diets with essential amino acids and carotenoids. These obligate, primary endosymbionts have been incorporated into specialized organs called bacteriomes where they sometimes coexist with facultative, secondary endosymbionts. All whitefly species harbor the primary endosymbiont Candidatus Portiera aleyrodidarum and have a variable number of secondary endosymbionts. The secondary endosymbiont complement harbored by the cryptic whitefly species Bemisia tabaci is particularly complex with various assemblages of seven different genera identified to date. In this review, we discuss whitefly associated primary and secondary endosymbionts. We focus on those associated with the notorious B. tabaci species complex with emphasis on their biological characteristics and diversity. We also discuss their interactions with phytopathogenic begomoviruses (family Geminiviridae), which are transmitted exclusively by B. tabaci in a persistent-circulative manner. Unraveling the complex interactions of these endosymbionts with their insect hosts and plant viruses could lead to advancements in whitefly and whitefly transmitted virus management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon A. Andreason
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Vegetable Laboratory, Charleston, SC 29414, USA;
| | - Emily A. Shelby
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA; (E.A.S.); (J.B.M.); (P.J.M.); (A.J.M.)
| | - Jeanette B. Moss
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA; (E.A.S.); (J.B.M.); (P.J.M.); (A.J.M.)
| | - Patricia J. Moore
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA; (E.A.S.); (J.B.M.); (P.J.M.); (A.J.M.)
| | - Allen J. Moore
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA; (E.A.S.); (J.B.M.); (P.J.M.); (A.J.M.)
| | - Alvin M. Simmons
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Vegetable Laboratory, Charleston, SC 29414, USA;
- Correspondence:
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18
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Santos-Garcia D, Mestre-Rincon N, Ouvrard D, Zchori-Fein E, Morin S. Portiera Gets Wild: Genome Instability Provides Insights into the Evolution of Both Whiteflies and Their Endosymbionts. Genome Biol Evol 2020; 12:2107-2124. [PMID: 33049039 PMCID: PMC7821994 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evaa216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Whiteflies (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Aleyrodidae) are a superfamily of small phloem-feeding insects. They rely on their primary endosymbionts "Candidatus Portiera aleyrodidarum" to produce essential amino acids not present in their diet. Portiera has been codiverging with whiteflies since their origin and therefore reflects its host's evolutionary history. Like in most primary endosymbionts, the genome of Portiera stays stable across the Aleyrodidae superfamily after millions of years of codivergence. However, Portiera of the whitefly Bemisia tabaci has lost the ancestral genome order, reflecting a rare event in the endosymbiont evolution: the appearance of genome instability. To gain a better understanding of Portiera genome evolution, identify the time point in which genome instability appeared and contribute to the reconstruction of whitefly phylogeny, we developed a new phylogenetic framework. It targeted five Portiera genes and determined the presence of the DNA polymerase proofreading subunit (dnaQ) gene, previously associated with genome instability, and two alternative gene rearrangements. Our results indicated that Portiera gene sequences provide a robust tool for studying intergenera phylogenetic relationships in whiteflies. Using these new framework, we found that whitefly species from the Singhiella, Aleurolobus, and Bemisia genera form a monophyletic tribe, the Aleurolobini, and that their Portiera exhibit genome instability. This instability likely arose once in the common ancestor of the Aleurolobini tribe (at least 70 Ma), drawing a link between the appearance of genome instability in Portiera and the switch from multibacteriocyte to a single-bacteriocyte mode of inheritance in this tribe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego Santos-Garcia
- Department of Entomology, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Natividad Mestre-Rincon
- Department of Entomology, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - David Ouvrard
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom.,Entomology and Invasive Plants Unit, Plant Health Laboratory, ANSES, Montferrier-sur-Lez, France
| | - Einat Zchori-Fein
- Department of Entomology, Newe-Ya'ar Research Center, ARO, Ramat-Yishai, Israel
| | - Shai Morin
- Department of Entomology, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
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19
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Xu XR, Li NN, Bao XY, Douglas AE, Luan JB. Patterns of host cell inheritance in the bacterial symbiosis of whiteflies. INSECT SCIENCE 2020; 27:938-946. [PMID: 31268231 PMCID: PMC7198116 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.12708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2019] [Revised: 06/27/2019] [Accepted: 07/01/2019] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Whiteflies possess bacterial symbionts Candidatus Portiera aleyrodidium that are housed in specialized cells called bacteriocytes and are faithfully transmitted via the ovary to insect offspring. In one whitefly species studied previously, Bemisia tabaci MEAM1, transmission is mediated by somatic inheritance of bacteriocytes, with a single bacteriocyte transferred to each oocyte and persisting through embryogenesis to the next generation. Here, we investigate the mode of bacteriocyte transmission in two whitefly species, B. tabaci MED, the sister species of MEAM1, and the phylogenetically distant species Trialeurodes vaporariorum. Microsatellite analysis supported by microscopical studies demonstrates that B. tabaci MED bacteriocytes are genetically different from other somatic cells and persist through embryogenesis, as for MEAM1, but T. vaporariorum bacteriocytes are genetically identical to other somatic cells of the insect, likely mediated by the degradation of maternal bacteriocytes in the embryo. These two alternative modes of transmission provide a first demonstration among insect symbioses that the cellular processes underlying vertical transmission of bacterial symbionts can diversify among related host species associated with a single lineage of symbiotic bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Rui Xu
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Economic and Applied
Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang,
China;
| | - Na-Na Li
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Economic and Applied
Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang,
China;
| | - Xi-Yu Bao
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Economic and Applied
Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang,
China;
| | - Angela E. Douglas
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University,
Ithaca, NY, USA and
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics,
Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Jun-Bo Luan
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Economic and Applied
Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang,
China;
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University,
Ithaca, NY, USA and
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20
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Russell SL, Pepper-Tunick E, Svedberg J, Byrne A, Ruelas Castillo J, Vollmers C, Beinart RA, Corbett-Detig R. Horizontal transmission and recombination maintain forever young bacterial symbiont genomes. PLoS Genet 2020; 16:e1008935. [PMID: 32841233 PMCID: PMC7473567 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2019] [Revised: 09/04/2020] [Accepted: 06/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial symbionts bring a wealth of functions to the associations they participate in, but by doing so, they endanger the genes and genomes underlying these abilities. When bacterial symbionts become obligately associated with their hosts, their genomes are thought to decay towards an organelle-like fate due to decreased homologous recombination and inefficient selection. However, numerous associations exist that counter these expectations, especially in marine environments, possibly due to ongoing horizontal gene flow. Despite extensive theoretical treatment, no empirical study thus far has connected these underlying population genetic processes with long-term evolutionary outcomes. By sampling marine chemosynthetic bacterial-bivalve endosymbioses that range from primarily vertical to strictly horizontal transmission, we tested this canonical theory. We found that transmission mode strongly predicts homologous recombination rates, and that exceedingly low recombination rates are associated with moderate genome degradation in the marine symbionts with nearly strict vertical transmission. Nonetheless, even the most degraded marine endosymbiont genomes are occasionally horizontally transmitted and are much larger than their terrestrial insect symbiont counterparts. Therefore, horizontal transmission and recombination enable efficient natural selection to maintain intermediate symbiont genome sizes and substantial functional genetic variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shelbi L. Russell
- Department of Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology. University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering. University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
| | - Evan Pepper-Tunick
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering. University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
- Genomics Institute, University of California, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
| | - Jesper Svedberg
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering. University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
- Genomics Institute, University of California, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
| | - Ashley Byrne
- Department of Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology. University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
| | - Jennie Ruelas Castillo
- Department of Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology. University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
| | - Christopher Vollmers
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering. University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
- Genomics Institute, University of California, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
| | - Roxanne A. Beinart
- Graduate School of Oceanography. University of Rhode Island, Narragansett, Rhode Island, United States of America
| | - Russell Corbett-Detig
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering. University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
- Genomics Institute, University of California, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
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21
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Gupta A, Nair S. Dynamics of Insect-Microbiome Interaction Influence Host and Microbial Symbiont. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:1357. [PMID: 32676060 PMCID: PMC7333248 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Insects share an intimate relationship with their gut microflora and this symbiotic association has developed into an essential evolutionary outcome intended for their survival through extreme environmental conditions. While it has been clearly established that insects, with very few exceptions, associate with several microbes during their life cycle, information regarding several aspects of these associations is yet to be fully unraveled. Acquisition of bacteria by insects marks the onset of microbial symbiosis, which is followed by the adaptation of these bacterial species to the gut environment for prolonged sustenance and successful transmission across generations. Although several insect-microbiome associations have been reported and each with their distinctive features, diversifications and specializations, it is still unclear as to what led to these diversifications. Recent studies have indicated the involvement of various evolutionary processes operating within an insect body that govern the transition of a free-living microbe to an obligate or facultative symbiont and eventually leading to the establishment and diversification of these symbiotic relationships. Data from various studies, summarized in this review, indicate that the symbiotic partners, i.e., the bacteria and the insect undergo several genetic, biochemical and physiological changes that have profound influence on their life cycle and biology. An interesting outcome of the insect-microbe interaction is the compliance of the microbial partner to its eventual genome reduction. Endosymbionts possess a smaller genome as compared to their free-living forms, and thus raising the question what is leading to reductive evolution in the microbial partner. This review attempts to highlight the fate of microbes within an insect body and its implications for both the bacteria and its insect host. While discussion on each specific association would be too voluminous and outside the scope of this review, we present an overview of some recent studies that contribute to a better understanding of the evolutionary trajectory and dynamics of the insect-microbe association and speculate that, in the future, a better understanding of the nature of this interaction could pave the path to a sustainable and environmentally safe way for controlling economically important pests of crop plants.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Suresh Nair
- Plant-Insect Interaction Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, New Delhi, India
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Shah SHJ, Malik AH, Zhang B, Bao Y, Qazi J. Metagenomic analysis of relative abundance and diversity of bacterial microbiota in Bemisia tabaci infesting cotton crop in Pakistan. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2020; 84:104381. [PMID: 32470630 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2020.104381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2020] [Revised: 05/03/2020] [Accepted: 05/24/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
B. tabaci species complex are among the world's most devastating agricultural pests causing economic losses by direct feeding and more importantly by transmitting plant viruses like cotton leaf curl disease (CLCuD) associated viruses to cultivated cotton in Pakistan. Taxonomic diversity of B. tabaci associated bacterial communities using NGS techniques so far is reported from insects grown on artificial diet under lab conditions. In this study 16S rDNA metagenome sequencing analysis was used to characterize bacterial compositions in wild adult B. tabaci infesting cultivated cotton in eight major cotton growing districts of southern Punjab, Pakistan. We have identified 50 known and 7 unknown genera of bacteria belonging to 10 phyla, 20 classes, 30 orders and 40 families. Beta diversity analysis of our data sets reveal that whiteflies infesting cotton in geographically distinct locations had similar bacterial diversity. These results for the first time provide insights into the microbiome diversity of wild type whiteflies infesting a cultivated crop.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Bing Zhang
- Beijing Institute of Genomics (BIG), Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
| | - Yiming Bao
- Beijing Institute of Genomics (BIG), Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
| | - Javaria Qazi
- Department of Biotechnology, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan.
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Aidlin Harari O, Santos-Garcia D, Musseri M, Moshitzky P, Patel M, Visendi P, Seal S, Sertchook R, Malka O, Morin S. Molecular Evolution of the Glutathione S-Transferase Family in the Bemisia tabaci Species Complex. Genome Biol Evol 2020; 12:3857-3872. [PMID: 31971586 PMCID: PMC7058157 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evaa002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The glutathione S-transferase (GST) family plays an important role in the adaptation of herbivorous insects to new host plants and other environmental constrains. The family codes for enzymes that neutralize reactive oxygen species and phytotoxins through the conjugation of reduced glutathione. Here, we studied the molecular evolution of the GST family in Bemisia tabaci, a complex of >35 sibling species, differing in their geographic and host ranges. We tested if some enzymes evolved different functionality, by comparing their sequences in six species, representing five of the six major genetic clades in the complex. Comparisons of the nonsynonymous to synonymous substitution ratios detected positive selection events in 11 codons of 5 cytosolic GSTs. Ten of them are located in the periphery of the GST dimer, suggesting a putative involvement in interactions with other proteins. Modeling the tertiary structure of orthologous enzymes, identified additional 19 mutations in 9 GSTs, likely affecting the enzymes' functionality. Most of the mutation events were found in the environmentally responsive classes Delta and Sigma, indicating a slightly different delta/sigma tool box in each species. At a broader genomic perspective, our analyses indicated a significant expansion of the Delta GST class in B. tabaci and a general association between the diet breadth of hemipteran species and their total number of GST genes. We raise the possibility that at least some of the identified changes improve the fitness of the B. tabaci species carrying them, leading to their better adaptation to specific environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ofer Aidlin Harari
- Department of Entomology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Diego Santos-Garcia
- Department of Entomology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Mirit Musseri
- Department of Entomology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Pnina Moshitzky
- Department of Entomology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Mitulkumar Patel
- Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, Kent, United Kingdom
| | - Paul Visendi
- Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, Kent, United Kingdom
| | - Susan Seal
- Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, Kent, United Kingdom
| | | | - Osnat Malka
- Department of Entomology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Shai Morin
- Department of Entomology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
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Santos-Garcia D, Mestre-Rincon N, Zchori-Fein E, Morin S. Inside out: microbiota dynamics during host-plant adaptation of whiteflies. ISME JOURNAL 2020; 14:847-856. [PMID: 31896788 PMCID: PMC7031279 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-019-0576-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2019] [Accepted: 12/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
While most insect herbivores are selective feeders, a small proportion of them feed on a wide range of plants. This polyphagous habit requires overcoming a remarkable array of defenses, which often necessitates an adaptation period. Efforts for understanding the mechanisms involved mostly focus on the insect’s phenotypic plasticity. Here, we hypothesized that the adaptation process might partially rely on transient associations with bacteria. To test this, we followed in a field-like experiment, the adaptation process of Bemisia tabaci, a generalist sap feeder, to pepper (a less-suitable host), after switching from watermelon (a suitable host). Amplicon sequencing of 16S rRNA transcripts from hundreds of dissected guts revealed the presence of active “core” and “transient” bacterial communities, dominated by the phyla Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Firmicutes, and increasing differences between populations grown on watermelon and pepper. Insects grown on pepper for over two generations presented a significant increase in specific genera, mainly Mycobacterium, with a predicted enrichment in degradative pathways of xenobiotics and secondary metabolites. This result correlated with a significant increase in the insect’s survival on pepper. Taken together, our findings suggest that gut-associated bacteria can provide an additional flexible metabolic “tool-box” to generalist sap feeders for facilitating a quick host switching process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego Santos-Garcia
- Department of Entomology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, P.O. Box 12, 76100, Rehovot, Israel.
| | - Natividad Mestre-Rincon
- Department of Entomology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, P.O. Box 12, 76100, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Einat Zchori-Fein
- Department of Entomology, Newe-Ya'ar Research Center, ARO, Ramat-Yishai, Israel
| | - Shai Morin
- Department of Entomology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, P.O. Box 12, 76100, Rehovot, Israel
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25
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Zhu DT, Zou C, Ban FX, Wang HL, Wang XW, Liu YQ. Conservation of transcriptional elements in the obligate symbiont of the whitefly Bemisia tabaci. PeerJ 2019; 7:e7477. [PMID: 31440434 PMCID: PMC6699477 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.7477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2018] [Accepted: 07/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Bacterial symbiosis is widespread in arthropods, especially in insects. Some of the symbionts undergo a long-term co-evolution with the host, resulting in massive genome decay. One particular consequence of genome decay is thought to be the elimination of transcriptional elements within both the coding region and intergenic sequences. In the whitefly Bemisia tabaci species complex, the obligate symbiont Candidatus Portiera aleyrodidarum is of vital importance in nutrient provision, and yet little is known about the regulatory capacities of it. Methods Portiera genomes of two whitefly species in China were sequenced and assembled. Gene content of these two Portiera genomes was predicted, and then subjected to Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis. Together with two other Portiera genomes from whitefly species available previously, four Portiera genomes were utilized to investigate regulatory capacities of Portiera, focusing on transcriptional elements, including genes related with transcription and functional elements within the intergenic spacers. Results Comparative analyses of the four Portiera genomes of whitefly B. tabaci indicate that the obligate symbionts Portiera is similar in different species of whiteflies, in terms of general genome features and possible functions in the biosynthesis of essential amino acids. The screening of transcriptional factors suggests compromised ability of Portiera to regulate the essential amino acid biosynthesis pathways. Meanwhile, thermal tolerance ability of Portiera is indicated with the detection of a σ32 factor, as well as two predicted σ32 binding sites. Within intergenic spacers, functional elements are predicted, including 37 Shine-Dalgarno sequences and 34 putative small RNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan-Tong Zhu
- Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Chi Zou
- Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Fei-Xue Ban
- Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Hua-Ling Wang
- Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiao-Wei Wang
- Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yin-Quan Liu
- Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
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Gómez-Díaz JS, Montoya-Lerma J, Muñoz-Valencia V. Prevalence and Diversity of Endosymbionts in Cassava Whiteflies (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) From Colombia. JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2019; 19:5494810. [PMID: 31115477 PMCID: PMC6529905 DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/iez047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2019] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Whiteflies cause huge economic losses for cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) cultivation. Damage can be caused directly when the insects feed on the phloem and/or indirectly by the transmission of viruses. It has been found that whiteflies maintain a close relationship with some endosymbiotic bacteria and that this interaction produces different effects on host biology and can also facilitate viral transmission. This study aimed to characterize the diversity of secondary endosymbionts (SE) present in whiteflies associated with cassava. Whitefly adults and nymphs were collected from cassava crops at nine locations in Southwestern Colombia. Molecular identification of insects and endosymbionts was carried out using specific mtCOI, wsp, 23s rRNA, and 16s rRNA primers. Phylogenetic trees were constructed from these sequences, both for whitefly species and the endosymbionts found. In addition, morphological identification of whitefly species was made using last instar nymphs. Molecular and morphological evaluation revealed that the most abundant whitefly species was Trialeurodes variabilis (Quaintance) followed by Aleurotrachelus socialis Bondar and Bemisia tuberculata Bondar. One hundred percent of the individuals contained the primary endosymbiont Portiera. The SE Rickettsia, Hamiltonella, Wolbachia, and Fritschea were not detected in the samples tested. Prevalence of Cardinium and Arsenophonus were variable at each locality, Cardinium being most prevalent in A. socialis adults. This study is the first report on the presence of Cardinium and Arsenophonus in A. socialis and T. variabilis. It is also the first report of endosymbiotic diversity in whiteflies associated with cassava in Colombia.
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Wang HL, Lei T, Xia WQ, Cameron SL, Liu YQ, Zhang Z, Gowda MMN, De Barro P, Navas-Castillo J, Omongo CA, Delatte H, Lee KY, Patel MV, Krause-Sakate R, Ng J, Wu SL, Fiallo-Olivé E, Liu SS, Colvin J, Wang XW. Insight into the microbial world of Bemisia tabaci cryptic species complex and its relationships with its host. Sci Rep 2019; 9:6568. [PMID: 31024030 PMCID: PMC6484021 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-42793-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2018] [Accepted: 03/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The 37 currently recognized Bemisia tabaci cryptic species are economically important species and contain both primary and secondary endosymbionts, but their diversity has never been mapped systematically across the group. To achieve this, PacBio sequencing of full-length bacterial 16S rRNA gene amplicons was carried out on 21 globally collected species in the B. tabaci complex, and two samples from B. afer were used here as outgroups. The microbial diversity was first explored across the major lineages of the whole group and 15 new putative bacterial sequences were observed. Extensive comparison of our results with previous endosymbiont diversity surveys which used PCR or multiplex 454 pyrosequencing platforms showed that the bacterial diversity was underestimated. To validate these new putative bacteria, one of them (Halomonas) was first confirmed to be present in MED B. tabaci using Hiseq2500 and FISH technologies. These results confirmed PacBio is a reliable and informative venue to reveal the bacterial diversity of insects. In addition, many new secondary endosymbiotic strains of Rickettsia and Arsenophonus were found, increasing the known diversity in these groups. For the previously described primary endosymbionts, one Portiera Operational Taxonomic Units (OTU) was shared by all B. tabaci species. The congruence of the B. tabaci-host and Portiera phylogenetic trees provides strong support for the hypothesis that primary endosymbionts co-speciated with their hosts. Likewise, a comparison of bacterial alpha diversities, Principal Coordinate Analysis, indistinct endosymbiotic communities harbored by different species and the co-divergence analyses suggest a lack of association between overall microbial diversity with cryptic species, further indicate that the secondary endosymbiont-mediated speciation is unlikely to have occurred in the B. tabaci species group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua-Ling Wang
- Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, 310058, China.,Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, Kent, ME4 4TB, United Kingdom
| | - Teng Lei
- Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Wen-Qiang Xia
- Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Stephen L Cameron
- Department of Entomology, Purdue University, 901West State Street, West Lafayette, IN, 479074, USA
| | - Yin-Quan Liu
- Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Zhen Zhang
- Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Maruthi M N Gowda
- Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, Kent, ME4 4TB, United Kingdom
| | - Paul De Barro
- CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences, Brisbane, QLD, 4001, Australia
| | - Jesús Navas-Castillo
- Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterránea "La Mayora", Universidad de Málaga - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IHSM-UMA-CSIC), 29750, Algarrobo-Costa, Málaga, Spain
| | - Christopher A Omongo
- National Crops Resources Research Institute, Namulonge, P.O. Box, 7084, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Hélène Delatte
- CIRAD, UMR PVBMT CIRAD-Universitéde La Réunion, Pôle de Protection des Plantes, 7 chemin de l'IRAT, 97410, Saint-Pierre, Ile de La Réunion, France
| | - Kyeong-Yeoll Lee
- School of Applied Biosciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, 702-701, Republic of Korea
| | - Mitulkumar V Patel
- Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, Kent, ME4 4TB, United Kingdom
| | | | - James Ng
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, University of California, Riverside, California, 92521, USA
| | - San-Ling Wu
- Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Elvira Fiallo-Olivé
- Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterránea "La Mayora", Universidad de Málaga - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IHSM-UMA-CSIC), 29750, Algarrobo-Costa, Málaga, Spain
| | - Shu-Sheng Liu
- Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - John Colvin
- Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, Kent, ME4 4TB, United Kingdom.
| | - Xiao-Wei Wang
- Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
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Effects of Endosymbiont Disruption on the Nutritional Dynamics of the Pea Aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum. INSECTS 2018; 9:insects9040161. [PMID: 30423824 PMCID: PMC6317143 DOI: 10.3390/insects9040161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2018] [Revised: 11/06/2018] [Accepted: 11/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum) is a worldwide pest that feeds exclusively on the phloem sap of numerous host plants. It harbours a well-known primary endosymbiont Buchneraaphidicola that helps to overcome the nutritional deficiency of a plant-based diet. However, how the Buchnera contributes to the nutritional and energy metabolism of its aphid host is unclear to date. In the current study, the function of Buchnera in relation to nutritional synthesis of pea aphid was investigated by disrupting the primary endosymbiont with an antibiotic rifampicin. Our findings revealed that the disruption of Buchnera led to infertility and higher loss in body mass of aphid hosts. Body length and width were also decreased significantly compared to healthy aphids. The detection of nutrition indicated that the quantity of proteins, soluble sugars, and glycogen in aposymbiotic pea aphids increased slowly with the growth of the aphid host. In comparison, the quantities of all the nutritional factors were significantly lower than those of symbiotic pea aphids, while the quantity of total lipid and neutral fat in aposymbiotic pea aphids were distinctly higher than those of symbiotic ones. Thus, we concluded that the significant reduction of the total amount of proteins, soluble sugars, and glycogen and the significant increase of neutral fats in aposymbiotic pea aphids were due to the disruption of Buchnera, which confirmed that the function of Buchnera is irreplaceable in the pea aphid.
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Santos-Garcia D, Juravel K, Freilich S, Zchori-Fein E, Latorre A, Moya A, Morin S, Silva FJ. To B or Not to B: Comparative Genomics Suggests Arsenophonus as a Source of B Vitamins in Whiteflies. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:2254. [PMID: 30319574 PMCID: PMC6167482 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.02254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2018] [Accepted: 09/04/2018] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Insect lineages feeding on nutritionally restricted diets such as phloem sap, xylem sap, or blood, were able to diversify by acquiring bacterial species that complement lacking nutrients. These bacteria, considered obligate/primary endosymbionts, share a long evolutionary history with their hosts. In some cases, however, these endosymbionts are not able to fulfill all of their host's nutritional requirements, driving the acquisition of additional symbiotic species. Phloem-feeding members of the insect family Aleyrodidae (whiteflies) established an obligate relationship with Candidatus Portiera aleyrodidarum, which provides its hots with essential amino acids and carotenoids. In addition, many whitefly species harbor additional endosymbionts which may potentially further supplement their host's diet. To test this hypothesis, genomes of several endosymbionts of the whiteflies Aleurodicus dispersus, Aleurodicus floccissimus and Trialeurodes vaporariorum were analyzed. In addition to Portiera, all three species were found to harbor one Arsenophonus and one Wolbachia endosymbiont. A comparative analysis of Arsenophonus genomes revealed that although all three are capable of synthesizing B vitamins and cofactors, such as pyridoxal, riboflavin, or folate, their genomes and phylogenetic relationship vary greatly. Arsenophonus of A. floccissimus and T. vaporariorum belong to the same clade, and display characteristics of facultative endosymbionts, such as large genomes (3 Mb) with thousands of genes and pseudogenes, intermediate GC content, and mobile genetic elements. In contrast, Arsenophonus of A. dispersus belongs to a different lineage and displays the characteristics of a primary endosymbiont-a reduced genome (670 kb) with ~400 genes, 32% GC content, and no mobile genetic elements. However, the presence of 274 pseudogenes suggests that this symbiotic association is more recent than other reported primary endosymbionts of hemipterans. The gene repertoire of Arsenophonus of A. dispersus is completely integrated in the symbiotic consortia, and the biosynthesis of most vitamins occurs in shared pathways with its host. In addition, Wolbachia endosymbionts have also retained the ability to produce riboflavin, flavin adenine dinucleotide, and folate, and may make a nutritional contribution. Taken together, our results show that Arsenophonus hold a pivotal place in whitefly nutrition by their ability to produce B vitamins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego Santos-Garcia
- Department of Entomology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Ksenia Juravel
- Department of Entomology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Shiri Freilich
- Institute of Plant Sciences, Newe-Ya'ar Research Center, Agricultural Research Organization, Ramat-Yishai, Israel
| | - Einat Zchori-Fein
- Department of Entomology, Newe-Ya'ar Research Center, Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, Ramat-Yishai, Israel
| | - Amparo Latorre
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology, Universitat de València-CSIC, València, Spain
- Unidad Mixta de Investigación en Genómica y Salud, Fundación para el Fomento de la Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de la Comunidad Valenciana (FISABIO) and Institute for Integrative Systems Biology, Universitat de València, València, Spain
| | - Andrés Moya
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology, Universitat de València-CSIC, València, Spain
- Unidad Mixta de Investigación en Genómica y Salud, Fundación para el Fomento de la Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de la Comunidad Valenciana (FISABIO) and Institute for Integrative Systems Biology, Universitat de València, València, Spain
| | - Shai Morin
- Department of Entomology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Francisco J. Silva
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology, Universitat de València-CSIC, València, Spain
- Unidad Mixta de Investigación en Genómica y Salud, Fundación para el Fomento de la Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de la Comunidad Valenciana (FISABIO) and Institute for Integrative Systems Biology, Universitat de València, València, Spain
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Tang XT, Cai L, Shen Y, Du YZ. Diversity and evolution of the endosymbionts of Bemisia tabaci in China. PeerJ 2018; 6:e5516. [PMID: 30186690 PMCID: PMC6119459 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.5516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2018] [Accepted: 08/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) is a cryptic species complex, including members that are pests of global importance. This study presents a screening of B. tabaci species in China for infection by the primary endosymbiont, Portiera aleyrodidarum, and two secondary endosymbionts, Arsenophonus and Cardinium. The results showed that P. aleyrodidarum was detected in all B. tabaci individuals, while Arsenophonus was abundant in indigenous species of B. tabaci Asia II 1, Asia II 3, and China 1 but absent in the invasive species, Middle East-Asia Minor 1 (MEAM1); Cardinium presented in the Mediterranean (MED), Asia II 1 and Asia II 3 species but was rarely detected in the MEAM1 and China 1 species. Moreover, phylogenetic analyses revealed that the P. aleyrodidarum and mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase 1 (mtCO1) phylograms were similar and corresponding with the five distinct cryptic species clades to some extent, probably indicating an ancient infection followed by vertical transmission and subsequent co-evolutionary diversification. In contrast, the phylogenetic trees of Arsenophonus and Cardinium were incongruent with the mtCO1 phylogram, potentially indicating horizontal transmission in B. tabaci cryptic species complex. Taken together, our study showed the distinct infection status of endosymbionts in invasive and indigenous whiteflies; we also most likely indicated the co-evolution of primary endosymbiont and its host as well as the potential horizontal transfer of secondary endosymbionts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Tian Tang
- School of Horticulture and Plant Protection & Institute of Applied Entomology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China.,Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Li Cai
- School of Horticulture and Plant Protection & Institute of Applied Entomology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yuan Shen
- Agriculture and Forestry Bureau of Binhu District, Wuxi, China
| | - Yu-Zhou Du
- School of Horticulture and Plant Protection & Institute of Applied Entomology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China.,Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, the Ministry of Education, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
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Opatovsky I, Santos-Garcia D, Ruan Z, Lahav T, Ofaim S, Mouton L, Barbe V, Jiang J, Zchori-Fein E, Freilich S. Modeling trophic dependencies and exchanges among insects' bacterial symbionts in a host-simulated environment. BMC Genomics 2018; 19:402. [PMID: 29801436 PMCID: PMC5970531 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-018-4786-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2017] [Accepted: 05/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Individual organisms are linked to their communities and ecosystems via metabolic activities. Metabolic exchanges and co-dependencies have long been suggested to have a pivotal role in determining community structure. In phloem-feeding insects such metabolic interactions with bacteria enable complementation of their deprived nutrition. The phloem-feeding whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) harbors an obligatory symbiotic bacterium, as well as varying combinations of facultative symbionts. This well-defined bacterial community in B. tabaci serves here as a case study for a comprehensive and systematic survey of metabolic interactions within the bacterial community and their associations with documented occurrences of bacterial combinations. We first reconstructed the metabolic networks of five common B. tabaci symbionts genera (Portiera, Rickettsia, Hamiltonella, Cardinium and Wolbachia), and then used network analysis approaches to predict: (1) species-specific metabolic capacities in a simulated bacteriocyte-like environment; (2) metabolic capacities of the corresponding species' combinations, and (3) dependencies of each species on different media components. RESULTS The predictions for metabolic capacities of the symbionts in the host environment were in general agreement with previously reported genome analyses, each focused on the single-species level. The analysis suggests several previously un-reported routes for complementary interactions and estimated the dependency of each symbiont in specific host metabolites. No clear association was detected between metabolic co-dependencies and co-occurrence patterns. CONCLUSIONS The analysis generated predictions for testable hypotheses of metabolic exchanges and co-dependencies in bacterial communities and by crossing them with co-occurrence profiles, contextualized interaction patterns into a wider ecological perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Itai Opatovsky
- Newe Ya’ar Research Center, The Agricultural Research Organization, Ramat Yishay, Israel
- Agricultural Research and Development Center, Southern Branch (Besor), Israel
| | | | - Zhepu Ruan
- Newe Ya’ar Research Center, The Agricultural Research Organization, Ramat Yishay, Israel
- Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095 China
| | - Tamar Lahav
- Newe Ya’ar Research Center, The Agricultural Research Organization, Ramat Yishay, Israel
| | - Shany Ofaim
- Newe Ya’ar Research Center, The Agricultural Research Organization, Ramat Yishay, Israel
| | - Laurence Mouton
- CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR CNRS 5558, Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Valérie Barbe
- Institut de biologie François-Jacob, GenoscopeCEA, Genoscope, Evry, France
| | - Jiandong Jiang
- Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095 China
| | - Einat Zchori-Fein
- Newe Ya’ar Research Center, The Agricultural Research Organization, Ramat Yishay, Israel
| | - Shiri Freilich
- Newe Ya’ar Research Center, The Agricultural Research Organization, Ramat Yishay, Israel
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32
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African ancestry of New World, Bemisia tabaci-whitefly species. Sci Rep 2018; 8:2734. [PMID: 29426821 PMCID: PMC5807539 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-20956-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2016] [Accepted: 01/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Bemisia tabaci whitefly species are some of the world’s most devastating agricultural pests and plant-virus disease vectors. Elucidation of the phylogenetic relationships in the group is the basis for understanding their evolution, biogeography, gene-functions and development of novel control technologies. We report here the discovery of five new Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) B. tabaci putative species, using the partial mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase 1 gene: SSA9, SSA10, SSA11, SSA12 and SSA13. Two of them, SSA10 and SSA11 clustered with the New World species and shared 84.8‒86.5% sequence identities. SSA10 and SSA11 provide new evidence for a close evolutionary link between the Old and New World species. Re-analysis of the evolutionary history of B. tabaci species group indicates that the new African species (SSA10 and SSA11) diverged from the New World clade c. 25 million years ago. The new putative species enable us to: (i) re-evaluate current models of B. tabaci evolution, (ii) recognise increased diversity within this cryptic species group and (iii) re-estimate divergence dates in evolutionary time.
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Xie W, Yang X, Chen C, Yang Z, Guo L, Wang D, Huang J, Zhang H, Wen Y, Zhao J, Wu Q, Wang S, Coates BS, Zhou X, Zhang Y. The invasive MED/Q Bemisia tabaci genome: a tale of gene loss and gene gain. BMC Genomics 2018; 19:68. [PMID: 29357812 PMCID: PMC5778671 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-018-4448-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2017] [Accepted: 01/11/2018] [Indexed: 04/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sweetpotato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci MED/Q and MEAM1/B, are two economically important invasive species that cause considerable damages to agriculture crops through direct feeding and indirect vectoring of plant pathogens. Recently, a draft genome of B. tabaci MED/Q has been assembled. In this study, we focus on the genomic comparison between MED/Q and MEAM1/B, with a special interest in MED/Q's genomic signatures that may contribute to the highly invasive nature of this emerging insect pest. RESULTS The genomes of both species share similarity in syntenic blocks, but have significant divergence in the gene coding sequence. Expansion of cytochrome P450 monooxygenases and UDP glycosyltransferases in MED/Q and MEAM1/B genome is functionally validated for mediating insecticide resistance in MED/Q using in vivo RNAi. The amino acid biosynthesis pathways in MED/Q genome are partitioned among the host and endosymbiont genomes in a manner distinct from other hemipterans. Evidence of horizontal gene transfer to the host genome may explain their obligate relationship. Putative loss-of-function in the immune deficiency-signaling pathway due to the gene loss is a shared ancestral trait among hemipteran insects. CONCLUSIONS The expansion of detoxification genes families, such as P450s, may contribute to the development of insecticide resistance traits and a broad host range in MED/Q and MEAM1/B, and facilitate species' invasions into intensively managed cropping systems. Numerical and compositional changes in multiple gene families (gene loss and gene gain) in the MED/Q genome sets a foundation for future hypothesis testing that will advance our understanding of adaptation, viral transmission, symbiosis, and plant-insect-pathogen tritrophic interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Xie
- Department of Entomology, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, No. 12 Zhongguancun Nandajie, Haidian District, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Xin Yang
- Department of Entomology, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, No. 12 Zhongguancun Nandajie, Haidian District, Beijing, 100081, China
| | | | - Zezhong Yang
- Department of Entomology, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, No. 12 Zhongguancun Nandajie, Haidian District, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Litao Guo
- Department of Entomology, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, No. 12 Zhongguancun Nandajie, Haidian District, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Dan Wang
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China
| | | | | | - Yanan Wen
- Department of Entomology, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, No. 12 Zhongguancun Nandajie, Haidian District, Beijing, 100081, China
| | | | - Qingjun Wu
- Department of Entomology, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, No. 12 Zhongguancun Nandajie, Haidian District, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Shaoli Wang
- Department of Entomology, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, No. 12 Zhongguancun Nandajie, Haidian District, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Brad S Coates
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Corn Insects & Crop Genetics Research Unit, Ames, IA, 50011, USA
| | - Xuguo Zhou
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, S-225 Agricultural Science Center North, Lexington, KY, 40546-0091, USA.
| | - Youjun Zhang
- Department of Entomology, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, No. 12 Zhongguancun Nandajie, Haidian District, Beijing, 100081, China.
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Zhang CM, Li NX, Zhang TT, Qiu ZX, Li Y, Li LW, Liu JZ. Endosymbiont CLS-HI plays a role in reproduction and development of Haemaphysalis longicornis. EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2017; 73:429-438. [PMID: 29197022 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-017-0194-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2017] [Accepted: 11/17/2017] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Coxiella-like endosymbiont (CLS-Hl) is a primary endosymbiont of Haemaphysalis longicornis. CLS-Hl infects tick special tissues and its prevalence is 100% in ovaries and Malpighian tubules. Tetracycline was injected into females, which then fed on rabbits also treated with tetracycline. The densities of CLS-Hl were measured by semi-quantitative PCR. CLS-Hl densities in ovaries and Malpighian tubes of H. longicornis had significant effects on engorged weight, feeding time, number of eggs, oviposition period, and hatching period. These findings suggested that CLS-Hl plays a role in the reproduction and development of H. longicornis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Mian Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Hebei Province, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, 050024, China
| | - Ning-Xin Li
- Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Hebei Province, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, 050024, China
| | - Tian-Tian Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Hebei Province, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, 050024, China
| | - Zhao-Xi Qiu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Hebei Province, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, 050024, China
| | - Yuan Li
- Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Hebei Province, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, 050024, China
| | - Li-Wu Li
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Jing-Ze Liu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Hebei Province, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, 050024, China.
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Li R, Islam SU, Wu Z, Ye X. Bensulfuron-Methyl Treatment of Soil Affects the Infestation of Whitefly, Aphid, and Tobacco Mosaic Virus on Nicotiana tabacum. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2016; 7:1970. [PMID: 28083007 PMCID: PMC5183605 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2016.01970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2016] [Accepted: 12/12/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Bensulfuron-methyl (BSM) is widely used in paddy soil for weed control. BSM residue in the soil has been known to inhibit the growth of sensitive crop plants. However, it is unknown whether BSM residue can affect the agrosystem in general. In this study, we have found significant effects of BSM on the infestation of Bemisia tabaci, Myzus persicae, and Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) in Nicotiana tabacum. The soil was treated with BSM before the pest inoculation. The herbicide-treated tobaccos showed resistance to B. tabaci, but this resistance could not be detected until 15-day post-infestation when smaller number of adults B. tabaci appeared. In M. persicae assay, the longevity of all development stages of insects, and the fecundity of insects were not significantly affected when feeding on BSM-treated plants. In TMV assay, the BSM treatment also reduced virus-induced lesions in early infection time. However, the titer of TMV in BSM treated plants increased greatly over time and was over 40-fold higher than the mock-infected control plants after 20 days. Further studies showed that BSM treatment increased both jasmonic acid (JA) and salicylic acid (SA) levels in tobacco, as well as the expression of target genes in the JA and SA signaling pathways, such as NtWIPK, NtPR1a, and NtPAL. NtPR1a and NtPAL were initially suppressed after virus-inoculation, while NtRDR1 and NtRDR6, which play a key role in fighting virus infection, only showed up- or were down-regulated 20 days post virus-inoculation. Taken together, our results suggested that BSM residue in the soil may affect the metabolism of important phytohormones such as JA and SA in sensitive plants and consequently affect the plant immune response against infections such as whitefly, aphids, and viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renyi Li
- Key Laboratory of Plant Virology of Fujian Province, Institute of Plant Virology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry UniversityFuzhou, China
| | - Saif Ul Islam
- Key Laboratory of Plant Virology of Fujian Province, Institute of Plant Virology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry UniversityFuzhou, China
| | - Zujian Wu
- Key Laboratory of Plant Virology of Fujian Province, Institute of Plant Virology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry UniversityFuzhou, China
| | - Xiujuan Ye
- Key Laboratory of Plant Virology of Fujian Province, Institute of Plant Virology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry UniversityFuzhou, China
- Key laboratory of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry UniversityFuzhou, China
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36
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Calle-Espinosa J, Ponce-de-Leon M, Santos-Garcia D, Silva FJ, Montero F, Peretó J. Nature lessons: The whitefly bacterial endosymbiont is a minimal amino acid factory with unusual energetics. J Theor Biol 2016; 407:303-317. [PMID: 27473768 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2016.07.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2016] [Revised: 07/08/2016] [Accepted: 07/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Reductive genome evolution is a universal phenomenon observed in endosymbiotic bacteria in insects. As the genome reduces its size and irreversibly losses coding genes, the functionalities of the cell system, including the energetics processes, are more restricted. Several energetic pathways can also be lost. How do these reduced metabolic networks sustain the energy needs of the system? Among the bacteria with reduced genomes Candidatus Portiera aleyrodidarum, obligate endosymbiont of whiteflies, represents an extreme case since lacks several key mechanisms for ATP generation. Thus, to analyze the cell energetics in this system, a genome-scale metabolic model of this endosymbiont was constructed, and its energy production capabilities dissected using stoichiometric analysis. Our results suggest that energy generation is coupled to the synthesis of essential amino acids and carotenoids, crucial metabolites in the symbiotic association. A deeper insight showed that ATP production via carotenoid synthesis is also connected with amino acid production. This unusual association of energy production with anabolism suggests that, although minimized, endosymbiont metabolic networks maintain a remarkable biosynthetic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Calle-Espinosa
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular I, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria, Madrid 28045, Spain
| | - Miguel Ponce-de-Leon
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular I, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria, Madrid 28045, Spain
| | | | - Francisco J Silva
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), Universitat de València-CSIC, C/José Beltrán 2, Paterna 46980, Spain; Departament de Genètica, Universitat de València, Spain
| | - Francisco Montero
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular I, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria, Madrid 28045, Spain.
| | - Juli Peretó
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), Universitat de València-CSIC, C/José Beltrán 2, Paterna 46980, Spain; Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Universitat de València, Spain.
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Shan HW, Zhang CR, Yan TT, Tang HQ, Wang XW, Liu SS, Liu YQ. Temporal changes of symbiont density and host fitness after rifampicin treatment in a whitefly of the Bemisia tabaci species complex. INSECT SCIENCE 2016; 23:200-214. [PMID: 26412633 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.12276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/21/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Microbial symbionts are essential or important partners to phloem-feeding insects. Antibiotics have been used to selectively eliminate symbionts from their host insects and establish host lines with or without certain symbionts for investigating functions of the symbionts. In this study, using the antibiotic rifampicin we attempted to selectively eliminate certain symbionts from a population of the Middle East-Asia Minor 1 whitefly of the Bemisia tabaci species complex, which harbors the primary symbiont "Candidatus Portiera aleyrodidarum" and two secondary symbionts "Candidatus Hamiltonella defensa" and Rickettsia. Neither the primary nor the secondary symbionts were completely depleted in the adults (F0) that fed for 48 h on a diet treated with rifampicin at concentrations of 1-100 μg/mL. However, both the primary and secondary symbionts were nearly completely depleted in the offspring (F1) of the rifampicin-treated adults. Although the F1 adults produced some eggs (F2), most of the eggs failed to hatch and none of them reached the second instar, and consequently the rifampicin-treated whitefly colony vanished at the F2 generation. Interestingly, quantitative polymerase chain reaction assays showed that in the rifampicin-treated whiteflies, the density of the primary symbiont was reduced at an obviously slower pace than the secondary symbionts. Mating experiments between rifampicin-treated and untreated adults demonstrated that the negative effects of rifampicin on host fitness were expressed when the females were treated by the antibiotic, and whether males were treated or not by the antibiotic had little contribution to the negative effects. These observations indicate that with this whitefly population it is not feasible to selectively eliminate the secondary symbionts using rifampicin without affecting the primary symbiont and establish host lines for experimental studies. However, the extinction of the whitefly colony at the second generation after rifampicin treatment indicates the potential of the antibiotic as a control agent of the whitefly pest.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ting-Ting Yan
- Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Agricultural Entomology, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Hai-Qin Tang
- Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Agricultural Entomology, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiao-Wei Wang
- Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Agricultural Entomology, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shu-Sheng Liu
- Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Agricultural Entomology, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yin-Quan Liu
- Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Agricultural Entomology, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
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Silva FJ, Santos-Garcia D. Slow and Fast Evolving Endosymbiont Lineages: Positive Correlation between the Rates of Synonymous and Non-Synonymous Substitution. Front Microbiol 2015; 6:1279. [PMID: 26617602 PMCID: PMC4643148 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2015.01279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2015] [Accepted: 10/31/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The availability of complete genome sequences of bacterial endosymbionts with strict vertical transmission to the host progeny opens the possibility to estimate molecular evolutionary rates in different lineages and understand the main biological mechanisms influencing these rates. We have compared the rates of evolution for non-synonymous and synonymous substitutions in nine bacterial endosymbiont lineages, belonging to four clades (Baumannia, Blochmannia, Portiera, and Sulcia). The main results are the observation of a positive correlation between both rates with differences among lineages of up to three orders of magnitude and that the substitution rates decrease over long endosymbioses. To explain these results we propose three mechanisms. The first, variations in the efficiencies of DNA replication and DNA repair systems, is unable to explain most of the observed differences. The second, variations in the generation time among bacterial lineages, would be based on the accumulation of fewer DNA replication errors per unit time in organisms with longer generation times. The third, a potential control of the endosymbiont DNA replication and repair systems through the transfer of nuclear-encoded proteins, could explain the lower rates in long-term obligate endosymbionts. Because the preservation of the genomic integrity of the harbored obligate endosymbiont would be advantageous for the insect host, biological mechanisms producing a general reduction in the rates of nucleotide substitution per unit of time would be a target for natural selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco J Silva
- Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat i Biologia Evolutiva, Universitat de València València, Spain ; Unidad Mixta de Investigación en Genómica y Salud, Fundación para el Fomento de la Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de la Comunitat Valenciana, Salud Pública/Institut Cavanilles, Universitat de València València, Spain
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Zhang CR, Shan HW, Xiao N, Zhang FD, Wang XW, Liu YQ, Liu SS. Differential temporal changes of primary and secondary bacterial symbionts and whitefly host fitness following antibiotic treatments. Sci Rep 2015; 5:15898. [PMID: 26510682 PMCID: PMC4625128 DOI: 10.1038/srep15898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2015] [Accepted: 10/07/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Where multiple symbionts coexist in the same host, the selective elimination of a specific symbiont may enable the roles of a given symbiont to be investigated. We treated the Mediterranean species of the whitefly Bemisia tabaci complex by oral delivery of the antibiotic rifampicin, and then examined the temporal changes of its primary symbiont "Candidatus Portiera aleyrodidarum" and secondary symbiont "Ca. Hamiltonella defensa" as well as host fitness for three generations. In adults treated with rifampicin (F0), the secondary symbiont was rapidly reduced, approaching complete disappearance as adults aged. In contrast, the primary symbiont was little affected until later in the adult life. In the offspring of these adults (F1), both symbionts were significantly reduced and barely detectable when the hosts reached the adult stage. The F1 adults laid few eggs (F2), all of which failed to hatch. Mating experiments illustrated that the negative effects of rifampicin on host fitness were exerted via female hosts but not males. This study provides the first evidence of differential temporal reductions of primary and secondary symbionts in whiteflies following an antibiotic treatment. Studies that disrupt functions of bacterial symbionts must consider their temporal changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang-Rong Zhang
- Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Agricultural Entomology, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Hong-Wei Shan
- Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Agricultural Entomology, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Na Xiao
- Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Agricultural Entomology, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Fan-Di Zhang
- Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Agricultural Entomology, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Xiao-Wei Wang
- Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Agricultural Entomology, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Yin-Quan Liu
- Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Agricultural Entomology, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Shu-Sheng Liu
- Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Agricultural Entomology, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
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Bennett GM, McCutcheon JP, McDonald BR, Moran NA. Lineage-Specific Patterns of Genome Deterioration in Obligate Symbionts of Sharpshooter Leafhoppers. Genome Biol Evol 2015; 8:296-301. [PMID: 26260652 PMCID: PMC4758232 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evv159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Plant sap-feeding insects (Hemiptera) rely on obligate bacterial symbionts that provision nutrients. Some of these symbionts are ancient and have evolved tiny genomes, whereas others are younger and retain larger, dynamic genomes. Baumannia cicadellinicola, an obligate symbiont of sharpshooter leafhoppers, is derived from a relatively recent symbiont replacement. To better understand evolutionary decay of genomes, we compared Baumannia from three host species. A newly sequenced genome for Baumannia from the green sharpshooter (B-GSS) was compared with genomes of Baumannia from the blue-green sharpshooter (B-BGSS, 759 kilobases [kb]) and from the glassy-winged sharpshooter (B-GWSS, 680 kb). B-GSS has the smallest Baumannia genome sequenced to date (633 kb), with only three unique genes, all involved in membrane function. It has lost nearly all pathways involved in vitamin and cofactor synthesis, as well as amino acid biosynthetic pathways that are redundant with pathways of the host or the symbiotic partner, Sulcia muelleri. The entire biosynthetic pathway for methionine is eliminated, suggesting that methionine has become a dietary requirement for hosts. B-GSS and B-BGSS share 33 genes involved in bacterial functions (e.g., cell division, membrane synthesis, metabolite transport, etc.) that are lost from the more distantly related B-GWSS and most other tiny genome symbionts. Finally, pairwise divergence estimates indicate that B-GSS has experienced a lineage-specific increase in substitution rates. This increase correlates with accelerated protein-level changes and widespread gene loss. Thus, the mode and tempo of genome reduction vary widely among symbiont lineages and result in wide variation in metabolic capabilities across hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gordon M Bennett
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas, Austin Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences, University of Hawaii, Manoa
| | | | | | - Nancy A Moran
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas, Austin Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Texas, Austin
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