1
|
Motta EVS, Gage A, Smith TE, Blake KJ, Kwong WK, Riddington IM, Moran N. Host-microbiome metabolism of a plant toxin in bees. eLife 2022; 11:82595. [PMID: 36472498 PMCID: PMC9897726 DOI: 10.7554/elife.82595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
While foraging for nectar and pollen, bees are exposed to a myriad of xenobiotics, including plant metabolites, which may exert a wide range of effects on their health. Although the bee genome encodes enzymes that help in the metabolism of xenobiotics, it has lower detoxification gene diversity than the genomes of other insects. Therefore, bees may rely on other components that shape their physiology, such as the microbiota, to degrade potentially toxic molecules. In this study, we show that amygdalin, a cyanogenic glycoside found in honey bee-pollinated almond trees, can be metabolized by both bees and members of the gut microbiota. In microbiota-deprived bees, amygdalin is degraded into prunasin, leading to prunasin accumulation in the midgut and hindgut. In microbiota-colonized bees, on the other hand, amygdalin is degraded even further, and prunasin does not accumulate in the gut, suggesting that the microbiota contribute to the full degradation of amygdalin into hydrogen cyanide. In vitro experiments demonstrated that amygdalin degradation by bee gut bacteria is strain-specific and not characteristic of a particular genus or species. We found strains of Bifidobacterium, Bombilactobacillus, and Gilliamella that can degrade amygdalin. The degradation mechanism appears to vary since only some strains produce prunasin as an intermediate. Finally, we investigated the basis of degradation in Bifidobacterium wkB204, a strain that fully degrades amygdalin. We found overexpression and secretion of several carbohydrate-degrading enzymes, including one in glycoside hydrolase family 3 (GH3). We expressed this GH3 in Escherichia coli and detected prunasin as a byproduct when cell lysates were cultured with amygdalin, supporting its contribution to amygdalin degradation. These findings demonstrate that both host and microbiota can act together to metabolize dietary plant metabolites.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Erick VS Motta
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at AustinAustinUnited States
| | - Alejandra Gage
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at AustinAustinUnited States
| | - Thomas E Smith
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at AustinAustinUnited States
| | - Kristin J Blake
- Mass Spectrometry Facility, Department of Chemistry, The University of Texas at AustinAustinUnited States
| | | | - Ian M Riddington
- Mass Spectrometry Facility, Department of Chemistry, The University of Texas at AustinAustinUnited States
| | - Nancy Moran
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at AustinAustinUnited States
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Giglio ML, Boland W, Heras H. Egg toxic compounds in the animal kingdom. A comprehensive review. Nat Prod Rep 2022; 39:1938-1969. [PMID: 35916025 DOI: 10.1039/d2np00029f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Covering: 1951 to 2022Packed with nutrients and unable to escape, eggs are the most vulnerable stage of an animal's life cycle. Consequently, many species have evolved chemical defenses and teamed up their eggs with a vast array of toxic molecules for defense against predators, parasites, or pathogens. However, studies on egg toxins are rather scarce and the available information is scattered. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of animal egg toxins and to analyze the trends and patterns with respect to the chemistry and biosynthesis of these toxins. We analyzed their ecology, distribution, sources, occurrence, structure, function, relative toxicity, and mechanistic aspects and include a brief section on the aposematic coloration of toxic eggs. We propose criteria for a multiparametric classification that accounts for the complexity of analyzing the full set of toxins of animal eggs. Around 100 properly identified egg toxins are found in 188 species, distributed in 5 phyla: cnidarians (2) platyhelminths (2), mollusks (9), arthropods (125), and chordates (50). Their scattered pattern among animals suggests that species have evolved this strategy independently on numerous occasions. Alkaloids are the most abundant and widespread, among the 13 types of egg toxins recognized. Egg toxins are derived directly from the environment or are endogenously synthesized, and most of them are transferred by females inside the eggs. Their toxicity ranges from ρmol kg-1 to mmol kg-1, and for some species, experiments support their role in predation deterrence. There is still a huge gap in information to complete the whole picture of this field and the number of toxic eggs seems largely underestimated.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matías L Giglio
- Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de La Plata "Prof. Dr Rodolfo R. Brenner", INIBIOLP, CONICET CCT La Plata - Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP), Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, 60 y 120, 1900 La Plata, Argentina.
| | - Wilhelm Boland
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - Horacio Heras
- Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de La Plata "Prof. Dr Rodolfo R. Brenner", INIBIOLP, CONICET CCT La Plata - Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP), Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, 60 y 120, 1900 La Plata, Argentina. .,Cátedra de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP), La Plata, Argentina
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Boutry J, Tissot S, Mekaoui N, Dujon A, Meliani J, Hamede R, Ujvari B, Roche B, Nedelcu AM, Tokolyi J, Thomas F. Tumors alter life-history traits in the freshwater cnidarian, Hydra oligactis. iScience 2022; 25:105034. [PMID: 36147948 PMCID: PMC9485901 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Revised: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Although tumors can occur during the lifetime of most multicellular organisms and have the potential to influence health, how they alter life-history traits in tumor-bearing individuals remains poorly documented. This question was explored using the freshwater cnidarian Hydra oligactis, a species sometimes affected by vertically transmitted tumors. We found that tumorous polyps have a reduced survival compared to healthy ones. However, they also displayed higher asexual reproductive effort, by producing more often multiple buds than healthy ones. A similar acceleration is observed for the sexual reproduction (estimated through gamete production). Because tumoral cells are not transmitted through this reproductive mode, this finding suggests that hosts may adaptively respond to tumors, compensating the expected fitness losses by increasing their immediate reproductive effort. This study supports the hypothesis that tumorigenesis has the potential to influence the biology, ecology, and evolution of multicellular species, and thus should be considered more by evolutionary ecologists. Vertically transmitted tumors influence the life history traits of hydras Tumor-bearing hydras have a reduced survival rate Tumorous hydras show increased early reproductive effort (asexual and sexual) Changes in sexual reproduction pattern can be a compensatory response of the host
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Justine Boutry
- CREEC/CANECEV (CREES), MIVEGEC, Unité Mixte de Recherches, IRD 224–CNRS 5290–Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
- Corresponding author
| | - Sophie Tissot
- CREEC/CANECEV (CREES), MIVEGEC, Unité Mixte de Recherches, IRD 224–CNRS 5290–Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
- Corresponding author
| | - Narimène Mekaoui
- CREEC/CANECEV (CREES), MIVEGEC, Unité Mixte de Recherches, IRD 224–CNRS 5290–Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Antoine Dujon
- CREEC/CANECEV (CREES), MIVEGEC, Unité Mixte de Recherches, IRD 224–CNRS 5290–Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jordan Meliani
- CREEC/CANECEV (CREES), MIVEGEC, Unité Mixte de Recherches, IRD 224–CNRS 5290–Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Rodrigo Hamede
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Beata Ujvari
- CREEC/CANECEV (CREES), MIVEGEC, Unité Mixte de Recherches, IRD 224–CNRS 5290–Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Victoria, Australia
| | - Benjamin Roche
- CREEC/CANECEV (CREES), MIVEGEC, Unité Mixte de Recherches, IRD 224–CNRS 5290–Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
- Departamento de Etología, Fauna Silvestre y Animales de Laboratorio, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Ciudad de México, México
| | - Aurora M. Nedelcu
- Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada
| | - Jácint Tokolyi
- MTA-DE “Momentum” Ecology, Evolution and Developmental Biology Research Group, Department of Evolutionary Zoology, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Frédéric Thomas
- CREEC/CANECEV (CREES), MIVEGEC, Unité Mixte de Recherches, IRD 224–CNRS 5290–Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Singh P, Grone N, Tewes LJ, Müller C. Chemical defense acquired via pharmacophagy can lead to protection from predation for conspecifics in a sawfly. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20220176. [PMID: 35858054 PMCID: PMC9257289 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.0176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Chemical defense is a widespread anti-predator strategy exhibited by organisms, with individuals either synthesizing or extrinsically acquiring defensive chemicals. In some species, such defences can also be transferred among conspecifics. Here, we tested the effects of pharmacophagy on the defense capability of the turnip sawfly, Athalia rosae, which can acquire neo-clerodane diterpenoids (clerodanoids) via pharmacophagy when having access to the plant Ajuga reptans. We show that clerodanoid access mediates protection against predation by mantids for the sawflies, both in a no-choice feeding assay and a microcosm setup. Even indirect access to clerodanoids, via nibbling on conspecifics that had access to the plant, resulted in protection against predation albeit to a lower degree than direct access. Furthermore, sawflies that had no direct access to clerodanoids were consumed less frequently by mantids when they were grouped with conspecifics that had direct access. Most, but not all, of such initially undefended sawflies could acquire clerodanoids from conspecifics that had direct access to the plant, although in low quantities. Together our results demonstrate that clerodanoids serve as a chemical defense that can also be transferred by interactions among conspecifics. Moreover, the presence of chemically defended individuals in a group can confer protection onto conspecifics that had no direct access to clerodanoids.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pragya Singh
- Chemical Ecology, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstr. 25, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Neil Grone
- Chemical Ecology, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstr. 25, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Lisa Johanna Tewes
- Chemical Ecology, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstr. 25, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Caroline Müller
- Chemical Ecology, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstr. 25, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Bayoumy MH, Osawa N, Hatt S. Fitness costs of reflex bleeding in the ladybird beetle Harmonia axyridis: the role of parental effects. INSECT SCIENCE 2020; 27:1346-1359. [PMID: 31762189 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.12737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2019] [Revised: 11/05/2019] [Accepted: 11/20/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Reflex bleeding is an important antipredator defense mechanism in Coccinellidae. We examined the costs of reflex bleeding in larval and adult stages of the ladybird beetle Harmonia axyridis on offspring fitness and reproductive performance through the comparisons between bled and control larvae, reciprocal crosses of bled/control beetles, and early and late clutch phenotypes. Beetles bled during their larval stage spent a longer time in development and weighed less than controls. Egg fertility was reduced for crosses where either one or both parents had been bled during the larval or adult stage. Offspring crosses that included a parent bled during the larval stage suffered fitness costs in development and female body mass, while those bled during the adult stage suffered no transgenerational costs. Males that suffered bleeding during their larval stage accelerated progeny development of nonbled females in early clutches, suggesting a positive transgenerational effect of larval bleeding, while males that did not suffer bleeding accelerated progeny development of bled females in later clutches. As the underlying effects of bleeding on females' offspring in the early clutches were diminished in the late ones, suggesting another transgenerational effect. The strengths of maternal and paternal effects on progeny development of parents bled at the larval stage were higher in earlier clutches. This study suggests that H. axyridis adults are less affected than larvae by the frequent use of the defensive secretions in their stressful habitats.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed H Bayoumy
- Faculty of Agriculture, Economic Entomology Department, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
- Laboratory of Forest Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Naoya Osawa
- Laboratory of Forest Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Séverin Hatt
- Laboratory of Forest Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Tan W, Acevedo T, Harris EV, Alcaide TY, Walters JR, Hunter MD, Gerardo NM, Roode JC. Transcriptomics of monarch butterflies (
Danaus plexippus
) reveals that toxic host plants alter expression of detoxification genes and down‐regulate a small number of immune genes. Mol Ecol 2019; 28:4845-4863. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.15219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2019] [Revised: 07/24/2019] [Accepted: 07/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Wen‐Hao Tan
- Department of Biology Emory University Atlanta GA USA
| | - Tarik Acevedo
- Department of Biology Emory University Atlanta GA USA
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management Pennsylvania State University State College PA USA
| | | | - Tiffanie Y. Alcaide
- Department of Biology Emory University Atlanta GA USA
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management Pennsylvania State University State College PA USA
| | - James R. Walters
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Kansas Lawrence KS USA
| | - Mark D. Hunter
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology University of Michigan Ann Arbor MI USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
7
|
de Roode JC, Hunter MD. Self-medication in insects: when altered behaviors of infected insects are a defense instead of a parasite manipulation. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2019; 33:1-6. [PMID: 31358187 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2018.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2018] [Revised: 12/05/2018] [Accepted: 12/07/2018] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Studies have demonstrated that medication behaviors by insects are much more common than previously thought. Bees, ants, flies, and butterflies can use a wide range of toxic and nutritional compounds to medicate themselves or their genetic kin. Medication occurs either in response to active infection (therapy) or high infection risk (prophylaxis), and can be used to increase resistance or tolerance to infection. While much progress has been made over the last few years, there are also key areas that require in-depth investigation. These include quantifying the costs of medication, especially at the colony level of social insects, and formulating theoretical models that can predict the role of infection risk in driving micro-evolutionary and macro-evolutionary patterns of animal medication behaviors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jacobus C de Roode
- Department of Biology, Emory University, 1510 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA 30322, United States.
| | - Mark D Hunter
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, 1105 N University Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Silva IF, Baldin ELL, Specht A, Sosa-Gómez DR, Roque-Specht VF, Morando R, Paula-Moraes SV. Biotic Potential and Life Table of Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) from Three Brazilian Regions. NEOTROPICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2018; 47:344-351. [PMID: 28484967 DOI: 10.1007/s13744-017-0529-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2016] [Accepted: 04/11/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate the biotic potential and life table of individuals of Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) from different host plants (citrus, corn, and cotton) and Brazilian states (São Paulo, Distrito Federal, and Bahia) in artificial diet, under laboratory conditions (25 ± 1°C, 70 ± 10% RH, 14 h photophase). The longevity, pre-, post- and oviposition periods, fecundity, and fertility of 15 mating pairs per origin were evaluated. We also compared the reproductive parameters of each group of insects (São Paulo (SP), Distrito Federal (DF), and Bahia (BA)), including the net reproductive rate (Ro), mean generation time (T), intrinsic rate of increase (r m), and finite rate of increase (λ). Microsatellite analysis from individuals collected in different locations and host plants did not show differences among the parental insects. It was verified that parental progeny collected in cotton fields from Bahia had a higher biotic potential, a higher reproductive rate (Ro), and a better fecundity compared to the insects from remaining regions. The life table charts indicate that the highest values for the reproductive parameters of the Bahia progeny are associated with higher specific fertility, particularly in early adulthood. The greatest biotic potential of the Bahia progeny may be due to increased selection pressure from the insecticide used (organophosphate and pyrethroid) on cotton crops compared to that of other crops, as well due to the massive adoption of Bt cotton-producing areas of that state from 2013 outbreaks.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- I F Silva
- Depto de Proteção Vegetal, Fac de Ciências Agronômica, Univ Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Botucatu, SP, Brasil.
| | - E L L Baldin
- Depto de Proteção Vegetal, Fac de Ciências Agronômica, Univ Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Botucatu, SP, Brasil
| | - A Specht
- Embrapa Cerrados, Planaltina, DF, Brasil
| | | | | | - R Morando
- Depto de Proteção Vegetal, Fac de Ciências Agronômica, Univ Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Botucatu, SP, Brasil
| | | |
Collapse
|
9
|
Grueber CE, Gray LJ, Morris KM, Simpson SJ, Senior AM. Intergenerational effects of nutrition on immunity: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2017; 93:1108-1124. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2017] [Revised: 10/16/2017] [Accepted: 10/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Catherine E. Grueber
- The University of Sydney, Faculty of Science, School of Life and Environmental Sciences; NSW 2006 Australia
- San Diego Zoo Global; PO Box 120551, San Diego CA 92112 U.S.A
| | - Lindsey J. Gray
- The University of Sydney, Faculty of Science, School of Life and Environmental Sciences; NSW 2006 Australia
- The University of Sydney; Charles Perkins Centre; NSW 2006 Australia
| | - Katrina M. Morris
- The Roslin Institute; The University of Edinburgh; Easter Bush Campus, Midlothian EH25 9RG U.K
| | - Stephen J. Simpson
- The University of Sydney, Faculty of Science, School of Life and Environmental Sciences; NSW 2006 Australia
- The University of Sydney; Charles Perkins Centre; NSW 2006 Australia
| | - Alistair M. Senior
- The University of Sydney; Charles Perkins Centre; NSW 2006 Australia
- The University of Sydney, Faculty of Science; School of Mathematics and Statistics; NSW 2006 Australia
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Keogh CL, Miura O, Nishimura T, Byers JE. The double edge to parasite escape: invasive host is less infected but more infectable. Ecology 2017; 98:2241-2247. [DOI: 10.1002/ecy.1953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2016] [Revised: 06/01/2017] [Accepted: 07/12/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Carolyn L. Keogh
- Odum School of Ecology; University of Georgia; Athens Georgia 30602 USA
- Oceanography Section; Science Research Center; Kochi University; 200 Otsu, Monobe Nankoku Kochi 783-8502 Japan
| | - Osamu Miura
- Oceanography Section; Science Research Center; Kochi University; 200 Otsu, Monobe Nankoku Kochi 783-8502 Japan
| | - Tomohiro Nishimura
- Oceanography Section; Science Research Center; Kochi University; 200 Otsu, Monobe Nankoku Kochi 783-8502 Japan
- Laboratory of Aquatic Environmental Science; Faculty of Agriculture and Marine Science; Kochi University; 200 Otsu, Monobe Nankoku Kochi 783-8502 Japan
| | - James E. Byers
- Odum School of Ecology; University of Georgia; Athens Georgia 30602 USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Mebs D, Wunder C, Toennes SW. Poor sequestration of toxic host plant cardenolides and their rapid loss in the milkweed butterfly Danaus chrysippus (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Danainae: Danaini). Toxicon 2017; 131:1-5. [PMID: 28284846 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2017.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2016] [Revised: 03/01/2017] [Accepted: 03/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Butterflies of the genus Danaus are known to sequester toxic cardenolides from milkweed host plants (Apocynaceae). In particular, Danaus plexippus efficiently sequesters and stores these compounds, whereas D. chrysippus, is considered to poorly sequester cardenolides. To estimate its sequestration capability compared with that of D. plexippus, larvae of both species were jointly reared on Asclepias curassavica and the major cardenolides of the host plant, calotropin and calactin, were analyzed in adults sampled at different time intervals after eclosion. Both cardenolides were detected in body and wings of D. plexippus. Whereas the calotropin-concentration remained constant over a period of 24 days, that of calactin steadily decreased. In the body, but not in the wings of D. chrysippus, calactin only was detected in low amounts, which was then almost completely lost during the following 8 days after eclosion, suggesting that in contrast to D. plexippus, cardenolides seem to be less important for that butterfly's defence against predators.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dietrich Mebs
- Institute of Legal Medicine, University of Frankfurt, Kennedyallee 104, D-60596, Frankfurt, Germany.
| | - Cora Wunder
- Institute of Legal Medicine, University of Frankfurt, Kennedyallee 104, D-60596, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Stefan W Toennes
- Institute of Legal Medicine, University of Frankfurt, Kennedyallee 104, D-60596, Frankfurt, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Woestmann L, Saastamoinen M. The importance of trans-generational effects in Lepidoptera. Curr Zool 2016; 62:489-499. [PMID: 29491938 PMCID: PMC5804281 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zow029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2015] [Accepted: 02/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The importance of trans-generational effects in shaping an individuals’ phenotype and fitness, and consequently even impacting population dynamics is increasingly apparent. Most of the research on trans-generational effects still focuses on plants, mammals, and birds. In the past few years, however, increasing number of studies, especially on maternal effects, have highlighted their importance also in many insect systems. Lepidoptera, specifically butterflies, have been used as model systems for studying the role of phenotypic plasticity within generations. As ectotherms, they are highly sensitive to environmental variation, and indeed many butterflies show adaptive phenotypic plasticity in response to environmental conditions. Here, we synthesize what is known about trans-generational effects in Lepidoptera, compile evidence for different environmental cues that are important drivers of trans-generational effects, and point out which offspring traits are mainly impacted. Finally, we emphasize directions for future research that are needed for better understanding of the adaptive nature of trans-generational effects in Lepidoptera in particular, but potentially also in other organisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luisa Woestmann
- Metapopulation Research Centre, Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Marjo Saastamoinen
- Metapopulation Research Centre, Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Finland
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Hao DC, Xiao PG. Genomics and Evolution in Traditional Medicinal Plants: Road to a Healthier Life. Evol Bioinform Online 2015; 11:197-212. [PMID: 26461812 PMCID: PMC4597484 DOI: 10.4137/ebo.s31326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2015] [Revised: 08/24/2015] [Accepted: 08/31/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Medicinal plants have long been utilized in traditional medicine and ethnomedicine worldwide. This review presents a glimpse of the current status of and future trends in medicinal plant genomics, evolution, and phylogeny. These dynamic fields are at the intersection of phytochemistry and plant biology and are concerned with the evolution mechanisms and systematics of medicinal plant genomes, origin and evolution of the plant genotype and metabolic phenotype, interaction between medicinal plant genomes and their environment, the correlation between genomic diversity and metabolite diversity, and so on. Use of the emerging high-end genomic technologies can be expanded from crop plants to traditional medicinal plants, in order to expedite medicinal plant breeding and transform them into living factories of medicinal compounds. The utility of molecular phylogeny and phylogenomics in predicting chemodiversity and bioprospecting is also highlighted within the context of natural-product-based drug discovery and development. Representative case studies of medicinal plant genome, phylogeny, and evolution are summarized to exemplify the expansion of knowledge pedigree and the paradigm shift to the omics-based approaches, which update our awareness about plant genome evolution and enable the molecular breeding of medicinal plants and the sustainable utilization of plant pharmaceutical resources.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Da-Cheng Hao
- Biotechnology Institute, School of Environment and Chemical Engineering, Dalian Jiaotong University, Dalian, P. R. China
| | - Pei-Gen Xiao
- Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, P. R. China
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Bowers EK, Bowden RM, Sakaluk SK, Thompson CF. Immune activation generates corticosterone-mediated terminal reproductive investment in a wild bird. Am Nat 2015; 185:769-83. [PMID: 25996862 DOI: 10.1086/681017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Despite classical expectations of a trade-off between immune activity and reproduction, an emergent view suggests that individuals experiencing activation of their immune system actually increase reproductive effort and allocation to offspring as a form of terminal investment in response to reduced survival probability. However, the components and mechanisms of increased parental investment following immunostimulation are currently unknown. We hypothesize that increased glucocorticoid production following immunostimulation modulates the increase in reproductive effort that constitutes terminal investment. We activated the immune system of breeding female house wrens (Troglodytes aedon) with an immunogen and cross-fostered the eggs that they subsequently produced to separate prenatal and postnatal components of maternal investment. Cross-fostering revealed an increase in both pre- and postnatal allocation from immunostimulated females, which was confirmed by quantification of egg constituents and maternal provisioning behavior. The increase in maternal provisioning was mediated, at least in part, by increased corticosterone in these females. Offspring immune responsiveness was also enhanced through transgenerational immune priming via the egg. Thus, our results indicate that maternal immunostimulation induces transgenerational effects on offspring through both pre- and postnatal parental effects and support an important role for corticosterone in mediating parental investment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- E Keith Bowers
- Behavior, Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics Section, School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois 61790
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|