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Feng H, Wilson ACC. Experimental uncoupling of hosts and endosymbionts. mBio 2024; 15:e0111624. [PMID: 39028184 PMCID: PMC11323540 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01116-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Many organisms harbor heritable bacterial symbionts that offer context-specific benefits to their hosts. In some of these symbioses, symbionts live inside host cells as endosymbionts. Studying the biology of endosymbiosis is challenging because it is hard to independently cultivate hosts and endosymbionts. A recent study, using a simple defined growth medium at ambient temperature, established an axenic culture of the pea aphid's heritable bacterial endosymbiont, Candidatus Fukatsuia symbiotica (G. P. Maeda, M. K. Kelly, A. Sundar, and N. A. Moran, mBio 15:e03253-23, 2024, https://doi.org/10.1128/mbio.03253-23). Notably, the monoculture was capable of host recolonization, was stably transmitted, and returned similar host phenotypes to those observed in native infections. This advance in uncoupling the cultivation of an endosymbiont and its host opens avenues for genetic manipulation of the endosymbiont that will facilitate hypothesis-driven work to explore the mechanisms of host-endosymbiont biology and potentially facilitate the development of symbiont-mediated practical-application biotechnologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Honglin Feng
- Department of Entomology, Louisiana State University AgCenter, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA
| | - Alex C. C. Wilson
- Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, USA
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2
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Hudson CM, Stalder D, Vorburger C. Clines of resistance to parasitoids: the multifarious effects of temperature on defensive symbioses in insects. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2024; 64:101208. [PMID: 38821141 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2024.101208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2024] [Revised: 05/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024]
Abstract
Insects are frequently infected with heritable bacterial endosymbionts. Some of them confer resistance to parasitoids. Such defensive symbionts are sensitive to variation in temperature. Drawing predominantly from the literature on aphids and flies, we show that temperature can affect the reliability of maternal transmission and the strength of protection provided by defensive symbionts. Costs of infection with defensive symbionts can also be temperature-dependent and may even turn into benefits under extreme temperatures, for example, when defensive symbionts increase heat tolerance. Alone or in combination, these mechanisms can drive temperature-associated (latitudinal) clines of infection prevalence with defensive symbionts. This has important consequences for host-parasitoid coevolution, as the relative importance of host-encoded vs. symbiont-provided defenses will shift along such clines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cameron M Hudson
- Aquatic Ecology, Eawag, Überlandstrasse 133, P.O. Box 611, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Dominic Stalder
- Aquatic Ecology, Eawag, Überlandstrasse 133, P.O. Box 611, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland; Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zürich, Universitätstrasse 16, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Christoph Vorburger
- Aquatic Ecology, Eawag, Überlandstrasse 133, P.O. Box 611, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland; Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zürich, Universitätstrasse 16, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland.
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3
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Ferguson LF, Ross PA, van Heerwaarden B. Wolbachia infection negatively impacts Drosophila simulans heat tolerance in a strain- and trait-specific manner. Environ Microbiol 2024; 26:e16609. [PMID: 38558489 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
The susceptibility of insects to rising temperatures has largely been measured by their ability to survive thermal extremes. However, the capacity for maternally inherited endosymbionts to influence insect heat tolerance has been overlooked. Further, while some studies have addressed the impact of heat on traits like fertility, which can decline at temperatures below lethal thermal limits, none have considered the impact of endosymbionts. Here, we assess the impact of three Wolbachia strains (wRi, wAu and wNo) on the survival and fertility of Drosophila simulans exposed to heat stress during development or as adults. The effect of Wolbachia infection on heat tolerance was generally small and trait/strain specific. Only the wNo infection significantly reduced the survival of adult males after a heat shock. When exposed to fluctuating heat stress during development, the wRi and wAu strains reduced egg-to-adult survival but only the wNo infection reduced male fertility. Wolbachia densities of all three strains decreased under developmental heat stress, but reductions occurred at temperatures above those that reduced host fertility. These findings emphasize the necessity to account for endosymbionts and their effect on both survival and fertility when investigating insect responses to heat stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liam F Ferguson
- School of BioSciences, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Perran A Ross
- School of BioSciences, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Section for Bioscience and Engineering, Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Belinda van Heerwaarden
- School of BioSciences, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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4
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Gonzalez-Gonzalez A, Cabrera N, Rubio-Meléndez ME, Sepúlveda DA, Ceballos R, Fernández N, Francis F, Figueroa CC, Ramirez CC. Facultative endosymbionts modulate the aphid reproductive performance on wheat cultivars differing in contents of benzoxazinoids. PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2024; 80:1949-1956. [PMID: 38088471 DOI: 10.1002/ps.7932] [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: 03/21/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Facultative bacterial endosymbionts have the potential to influence the interactions between aphids, their natural enemies, and host plants. Among the facultative symbionts found in populations of the grain aphid Sitobion avenae in central Chile, the bacterium Regiella insecticola is the most prevalent. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether infected and cured aphid lineages exhibit differential responses to wheat cultivars containing varying levels of the benzoxazinoid DIMBOA (2,4-dihydroxy-7-methoxy-2H-1,4-benzoxazin-3(4H)-one), which is a xenobiotic compound produced by plants. Specifically, we examined the reproductive performance responses of the most frequently encountered genotypes of Sitobion avenae when reared on wheat seedlings expressing low, medium, and high concentrations of DIMBOA. RESULTS Our findings reveal that the intrinsic rate of population increase (rm ) in cured lineages of Sitobion avenae genotypes exhibits a biphasic pattern, characterized by the lowest rm and an extended time to first reproduction on wheat seedlings with medium levels of DIMBOA. In contrast, the aphid genotypes harbouring Regiella insecticola display idiosyncratic responses, with the two most prevalent genotypes demonstrating improved performance on seedlings featuring an intermediate content of DIMBOA compared to their cured counterparts. CONCLUSION This study represents the first investigation into the mediating impact of facultative endosymbionts on aphid performance in plants exhibiting varying DIMBOA contents. These findings present exciting prospects for identifying novel targets for aphid control by manipulating the presence of aphid symbionts. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelica Gonzalez-Gonzalez
- Centre for Molecular and Functional Ecology, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Talca, Talca, Chile
| | - Nuri Cabrera
- Centre for Molecular and Functional Ecology, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Talca, Talca, Chile
| | | | - Daniela A Sepúlveda
- Centre for Molecular and Functional Ecology, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Talca, Talca, Chile
| | - Ricardo Ceballos
- Instituto de Investigaciones Agropecuarias, INIA Quilamapu, Chillán, Chile
| | - Natalí Fernández
- Instituto de Investigaciones Agropecuarias, INIA Quilamapu, Chillán, Chile
| | - Frederic Francis
- Functional and Evolutionary Entomology, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, Gembloux, Belgium
| | - Christian C Figueroa
- Centre for Molecular and Functional Ecology, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Talca, Talca, Chile
| | - Claudio C Ramirez
- Centre for Molecular and Functional Ecology, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Talca, Talca, Chile
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5
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Donner SH, Slingerland M, Beekman MM, Comte A, Dicke M, Zwaan BJ, Pannebakker BA, Verhulst EC. Aphid populations are frequently infected with facultative endosymbionts. Environ Microbiol 2024; 26:e16599. [PMID: 38459641 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/10/2024]
Abstract
The occurrence of facultative endosymbionts has been studied in many commercially important crop pest aphids, but their occurrence and effects in non-commercial aphid species in natural populations have received less attention. We screened 437 aphid samples belonging to 106 aphid species for the eight most common facultative aphid endosymbionts. We found one or more facultative endosymbionts in 53% (56 of 106) of the species investigated. This likely underestimates the situation in the field because facultative endosymbionts are often present in only some colonies of an aphid species. Oligophagous aphid species carried facultative endosymbionts significantly more often than monophagous species. We did not find a significant correlation between ant tending and facultative endosymbiont presence. In conclusion, we found that facultative endosymbionts are common among aphid populations. This study is, to our knowledge, the first of its kind in the Netherlands and provides a basis for future research in this field. For instance, it is still unknown in what way many of these endosymbionts affect their hosts, which is important for determining the importance of facultative endosymbionts to community dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Helena Donner
- Laboratory of Genetics, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Marijn Slingerland
- Laboratory of Genetics, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Mariska M Beekman
- Laboratory of Genetics, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Arthur Comte
- Laboratory of Genetics, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Marcel Dicke
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Bas J Zwaan
- Laboratory of Genetics, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Bart A Pannebakker
- Laboratory of Genetics, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Eveline C Verhulst
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
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6
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Cheng Z, Liu Q, Huang X. Partial Correspondence between Host Plant-Related Differentiation and Symbiotic Bacterial Community in a Polyphagous Insect. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:283. [PMID: 38254452 PMCID: PMC10812459 DOI: 10.3390/ani14020283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Host plants play a vital role in insect population differentiation, while symbiotic associations between bacteria and insects are ubiquitous in nature. However, existing studies have given limited attention to the connection between host-related differentiation and symbiotic bacterial communities in phytophagous insects. In this study, we collected 58 samples of Aphis odinae from different host plants in southern China and constructed phylogenetic trees to investigate their differentiation in relation to host plants. We also selected aphid samples from the five most preferred host plants and analyzed their symbiotic bacterial composition using Illumina sequencing of the V3-V4 hypervariable region of the 16S rRNA gene. The phylogeny and symbiotic bacterial community structure of A. odinae populations on different host plants showed that samples from Triadica sebifera (Euphorbiaceae) had a consistent presence of Wolbachia as the predominant secondary symbiont and suggested the possibility of undergoing differentiation. Conversely, although differentiation was observed in samples from Rhus chinensis (Anacardiaceae), no consistent presence of predominant secondary symbionts was found. Additionally, the samples from Heptapleurum heptaphyllum (Araliaceae) consistently carried Serratia, but no host differentiation was evident. In summary, this study reveals a partial correspondence between symbiotic bacterial communities and host-related differentiation in A. odinae. The findings contribute to our understanding of the microevolutionary influencing the macroevolutionary relationships between bacterial symbionts and phytophagous insects. The identification of specific symbionts associated with host-related differentiation provides valuable insights into the intricate dynamics of insect-bacteria interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Xiaolei Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, College of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China; (Z.C.); (Q.L.)
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7
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Wang ZW, Zhao J, Li GY, Hu D, Wang ZG, Ye C, Wang JJ. The endosymbiont Serratia symbiotica improves aphid fitness by disrupting the predation strategy of ladybeetle larvae. INSECT SCIENCE 2024. [PMID: 38196174 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.13315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 11/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
Aphids, the important global agricultural pests, harbor abundant resources of symbionts that can improve the host adaptability to environmental conditions, also control the interactions between host aphid and natural enemy, resulting in a significant decrease in efficiency of biological control. The facultative symbiont Serratia symbiotica has a strong symbiotic association with its aphid hosts, a relationship that is known to interfere with host-parasitoid interactions. We hypothesized that Serratia may also influence other trophic interactions by interfering with the physiology and behavior of major predators to provide host aphid defense. To test this hypothesis, we investigated the effects of Serratia on the host aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum and its predator, the ladybeetle Propylaea japonica. First, the prevalence of Serratia in different A. pisum colonies was confirmed by amplicon sequencing. We then showed that harboring Serratia improved host aphid growth and fecundity but reduced longevity. Finally, our research demonstrated that Serratia defends aphids against P. japonica by impeding the predator's development and predation capacity, and modulating its foraging behavior. Our findings reveal that facultative symbiont Serratia improves aphid fitness by disrupting the predation strategy of ladybeetle larvae, offering new insight into the interactions between aphids and their predators, and providing the basis of a new biological control strategy for aphid pests involving the targeting of endosymbionts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng-Wu Wang
- Key Laboratory of Entomology and Pest Control Engineering, College of Plant Protection, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- International Joint Laboratory of China-Belgium on Sustainable Crop Pest Control, Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biosafety and Green Production of Upper Yangtze River, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jin Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Entomology and Pest Control Engineering, College of Plant Protection, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- International Joint Laboratory of China-Belgium on Sustainable Crop Pest Control, Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biosafety and Green Production of Upper Yangtze River, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Guang-Yun Li
- Key Laboratory of Entomology and Pest Control Engineering, College of Plant Protection, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biosafety and Green Production of Upper Yangtze River, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Die Hu
- Key Laboratory of Entomology and Pest Control Engineering, College of Plant Protection, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- International Joint Laboratory of China-Belgium on Sustainable Crop Pest Control, Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biosafety and Green Production of Upper Yangtze River, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Zi-Guo Wang
- Key Laboratory of Entomology and Pest Control Engineering, College of Plant Protection, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- International Joint Laboratory of China-Belgium on Sustainable Crop Pest Control, Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biosafety and Green Production of Upper Yangtze River, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Chao Ye
- Key Laboratory of Entomology and Pest Control Engineering, College of Plant Protection, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- International Joint Laboratory of China-Belgium on Sustainable Crop Pest Control, Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biosafety and Green Production of Upper Yangtze River, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jin-Jun Wang
- Key Laboratory of Entomology and Pest Control Engineering, College of Plant Protection, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- International Joint Laboratory of China-Belgium on Sustainable Crop Pest Control, Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biosafety and Green Production of Upper Yangtze River, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
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8
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Martins M, César CS, Cogni R. The effects of temperature on prevalence of facultative insect heritable symbionts across spatial and seasonal scales. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1321341. [PMID: 38143870 PMCID: PMC10741647 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1321341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Facultative inheritable endosymbionts are common and diverse in insects and are often found at intermediate frequencies in insect host populations. The literature assessing the relationship between environment and facultative endosymbiont frequency in natural host populations points to temperature as a major component shaping the interaction. However, a synthesis describing its patterns and mechanistic basis is lacking. This mini-review aims to bridge this gap by, following an evolutionary model, hypothesizing that temperature increases endosymbiont frequencies by modulating key phenotypes mediating the interaction. Field studies mainly present positive correlations between temperature and endosymbiont frequency at spatial and seasonal scales; and unexpectedly, temperature is predominantly negatively correlated with the key phenotypes. Higher temperatures generally reduce the efficiency of maternal transmission, reproductive parasitism, endosymbiont influence on host fitness and the ability to protect against natural enemies. From the endosymbiont perspective alone, higher temperatures reduce titer and both high and low temperatures modulate their ability to promote host physiological acclimation and behavior. It is necessary to promote research programs that integrate field and laboratory approaches to pinpoint which processes are responsible for the temperature correlated patterns of endosymbiont prevalence in natural populations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Rodrigo Cogni
- Department of Ecology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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Patel V, Lynn-Bell N, Chevignon G, Kucuk RA, Higashi CHV, Carpenter M, Russell JA, Oliver KM. Mobile elements create strain-level variation in the services conferred by an aphid symbiont. Environ Microbiol 2023; 25:3333-3348. [PMID: 37864320 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023]
Abstract
Heritable, facultative symbionts are common in arthropods, often functioning in host defence. Despite moderately reduced genomes, facultative symbionts retain evolutionary potential through mobile genetic elements (MGEs). MGEs form the primary basis of strain-level variation in genome content and architecture, and often correlate with variability in symbiont-mediated phenotypes. In pea aphids (Acyrthosiphon pisum), strain-level variation in the type of toxin-encoding bacteriophages (APSEs) carried by the bacterium Hamiltonella defensa correlates with strength of defence against parasitoids. However, co-inheritance creates difficulties for partitioning their relative contributions to aphid defence. Here we identified isolates of H. defensa that were nearly identical except for APSE type. When holding H. defensa genotype constant, protection levels corresponded to APSE virulence module type. Results further indicated that APSEs move repeatedly within some H. defensa clades providing a mechanism for rapid evolution in anti-parasitoid defences. Strain variation in H. defensa also correlates with the presence of a second symbiont Fukatsuia symbiotica. Predictions that nutritional interactions structured this coinfection were not supported by comparative genomics, but bacteriocin-containing plasmids unique to co-infecting strains may contribute to their common pairing. In conclusion, strain diversity, and joint capacities for horizontal transfer of MGEs and symbionts, are emergent players in the rapid evolution of arthropods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vilas Patel
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Nicole Lynn-Bell
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Germain Chevignon
- Laboratoire de Génétique et Pathologie des Mollusques Marins, IFREMER, La Tremblade, France
| | - Roy A Kucuk
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | | | - Melissa Carpenter
- Department of Biodiversity, Earth, and Environmental Science, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jacob A Russell
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Kerry M Oliver
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
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Peng L, Hoban J, Joffe J, Smith AH, Carpenter M, Marcelis T, Patel V, Lynn-Bell N, Oliver KM, Russell JA. Cryptic community structure and metabolic interactions among the heritable facultative symbionts of the pea aphid. J Evol Biol 2023; 36:1712-1730. [PMID: 37702036 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.14216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023]
Abstract
Most insects harbour influential, yet non-essential heritable microbes in their hemocoel. Communities of these symbionts exhibit low diversity. But their frequent multi-species nature raises intriguing questions on roles for symbiont-symbiont synergies in host adaptation, and on the stability of the symbiont communities, themselves. In this study, we build on knowledge of species-defined symbiont community structure across US populations of the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum. Through extensive symbiont genotyping, we show that pea aphids' microbiomes can be more precisely defined at the symbiont strain level, with strain variability shaping five out of nine previously reported co-infection trends. Field data provide a mixture of evidence for synergistic fitness effects and symbiont hitchhiking, revealing causes and consequences of these co-infection trends. To test whether within-host metabolic interactions predict common versus rare strain-defined communities, we leveraged the high relatedness of our dominant, community-defined symbiont strains vs. 12 pea aphid-derived Gammaproteobacteria with sequenced genomes. Genomic inference, using metabolic complementarity indices, revealed high potential for cooperation among one pair of symbionts-Serratia symbiotica and Rickettsiella viridis. Applying the expansion network algorithm, through additional use of pea aphid and obligate Buchnera symbiont genomes, Serratia and Rickettsiella emerged as the only symbiont community requiring both parties to expand holobiont metabolism. Through their joint expansion of the biotin biosynthesis pathway, these symbionts may span missing gaps, creating a multi-party mutualism within their nutrient-limited, phloem-feeding hosts. Recent, complementary gene inactivation, within the biotin pathways of Serratia and Rickettsiella, raises further questions on the origins of mutualisms and host-symbiont interdependencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linyao Peng
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jessica Hoban
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jonah Joffe
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Andrew H Smith
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Melissa Carpenter
- Department of Biodiversity, Earth, and Environmental Science, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Tracy Marcelis
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Vilas Patel
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Nicole Lynn-Bell
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Kerry M Oliver
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Jacob A Russell
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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11
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Heidari Latibari M, Moravvej G, Rakhshani E, Karimi J, Arias-Penna DC, Butcher BA. Arsenophonus: A Double-Edged Sword of Aphid Defense against Parasitoids. INSECTS 2023; 14:763. [PMID: 37754731 PMCID: PMC10531911 DOI: 10.3390/insects14090763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023]
Abstract
It is widely accepted that endosymbiont interactions with their hosts have significant effects on the fitness of both pests and beneficial species. A particular type of endosymbiosis is that of beneficial associations. Facultative endosymbiotic bacteria are associated with elements that provide aphids with protection from parasitoids. Arsenophonus (Enterobacterales: Morganellaceae) is one such endosymbiont bacterium, with infections being most commonly found among the Hemiptera species. Here, black cowpea aphids (BCAs), Aphis craccivora Koch (Hemiptera: Aphididae), naturally infected with Arsenophonus, were evaluated to determine the defensive role of this bacterium in BCAs against two parasitoid wasp species, Binodoxys angelicae and Lysiphlebus fabarum (both in Braconidae: Aphidiinae). Individuals of the black cowpea aphids infected with Arsenophonus were treated with a blend of ampicillin, cefotaxime, and gentamicin (Arsenophonus-reduced infection, AR) and subsequently subjected to parasitism assays. The results showed that the presence of Arsenophonus does not prevent BCAs from being parasitized by either B. angelicae or L. fabarum. Nonetheless, in BCA colonies parasitized by B. angelicae, the endosymbiont delayed both the larval maturation period and the emergence of the adult parasitoid wasps. In brief, Arsenophonus indirectly limits the effectiveness of B. angelicae parasitism by decreasing the number of emerged adult wasps. Therefore, other members of the BCA colony can survive. Arsenophonus acts as a double-edged sword, capturing the complex dynamic between A. craccivora and its parasitoids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minoo Heidari Latibari
- Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad P.O. Box 91779-48974, Iran; (M.H.L.); (J.K.)
| | - Gholamhossein Moravvej
- Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad P.O. Box 91779-48974, Iran; (M.H.L.); (J.K.)
| | - Ehsan Rakhshani
- Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zabol, Zabol P.O. Box 538-98615, Iran;
| | - Javad Karimi
- Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad P.O. Box 91779-48974, Iran; (M.H.L.); (J.K.)
| | | | - Buntika A. Butcher
- Integrative Insect Ecology Research Unit, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
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12
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Gu X, Ross PA, Gill A, Yang Q, Ansermin E, Sharma S, Soleimannejad S, Sharma K, Callahan A, Brown C, Umina PA, Kristensen TN, Hoffmann AA. A rapidly spreading deleterious aphid endosymbiont that uses horizontal as well as vertical transmission. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2217278120. [PMID: 37094148 PMCID: PMC10161079 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2217278120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Endosymbiotic bacteria that live inside the cells of insects are typically only transmitted maternally and can spread by increasing host fitness and/or modifying reproduction in sexual hosts. Transinfections of Wolbachia endosymbionts are now being used to introduce useful phenotypes into sexual host populations, but there has been limited progress on applications using other endosymbionts and in asexual populations. Here, we develop a unique pathway to application in aphids by transferring the endosymbiont Rickettsiella viridis to the major crop pest Myzus persicae. Rickettsiella infection greatly reduced aphid fecundity, decreased heat tolerance, and modified aphid body color, from light to dark green. Despite inducing host fitness costs, Rickettsiella spread rapidly through caged aphid populations via plant-mediated horizontal transmission. The phenotypic effects of Rickettsiella were sensitive to temperature, with spread only occurring at 19 °C and not 25 °C. Body color modification was also lost at high temperatures despite Rickettsiella maintaining a high density. Rickettsiella shows the potential to spread through natural M. persicae populations by horizontal transmission and subsequent vertical transmission. Establishment of Rickettsiella in natural populations could reduce crop damage by modifying population age structure, reducing population growth and providing context-dependent effects on host fitness. Our results highlight the importance of plant-mediated horizontal transmission and interactions with temperature as drivers of endosymbiont spread in asexual insect populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyue Gu
- Pest and Environmental Adaptation Research Group, School of BioSciences, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Perran A. Ross
- Pest and Environmental Adaptation Research Group, School of BioSciences, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
- Section for Bioscience and Engineering, Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, Aalborg9220, Denmark
| | - Alex Gill
- Pest and Environmental Adaptation Research Group, School of BioSciences, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Qiong Yang
- Pest and Environmental Adaptation Research Group, School of BioSciences, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Eloïse Ansermin
- Pest and Environmental Adaptation Research Group, School of BioSciences, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Sonia Sharma
- Pest and Environmental Adaptation Research Group, School of BioSciences, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Safieh Soleimannejad
- Pest and Environmental Adaptation Research Group, School of BioSciences, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Kanav Sharma
- Pest and Environmental Adaptation Research Group, School of BioSciences, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Ashley Callahan
- Pest and Environmental Adaptation Research Group, School of BioSciences, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Courtney Brown
- Pest and Environmental Adaptation Research Group, School of BioSciences, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Paul A. Umina
- Pest and Environmental Adaptation Research Group, School of BioSciences, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
- Cesar Australia, Brunswick, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Torsten N. Kristensen
- Section for Bioscience and Engineering, Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, Aalborg9220, Denmark
| | - Ary A. Hoffmann
- Pest and Environmental Adaptation Research Group, School of BioSciences, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
- Section for Bioscience and Engineering, Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, Aalborg9220, Denmark
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Xu W, Liu W, Li J, Zhu X, Wang L, Li D, Zhang K, Ji J, Gao X, Luo J, Cui J. Buchnera breaks the specialization of the cotton-specialized aphid ( Aphis gossypii) by providing nutrition through zucchini. Front Nutr 2023; 10:1128272. [PMID: 37025616 PMCID: PMC10071829 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2023.1128272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii Glover, is a species of polyphagous aphid with many biotypes, and its host transfer has always been the focus of research on the control of cotton aphid. An important factor affecting aphid specialization is the nutritional association with microbial symbionts that provide the host with nutrients lacking in the diet. We analyzed the microbial composition and biodiversity of reared on zucchini for 10 generations (T1-T10) and cotton as a control (CK), by high-throughput Illumina sequencing of 16S ribosomal RNA genes. The findings showed that the change in plant hosts decreased the richness and variety of microbial species. Regardless of whether the plant host is altered or not, Proteobacteria and Firmicutes are the predominate phyla in cotton-specialized aphid. Additionally, cotton-specialized aphids that live in zucchini had considerably lower relative abundances of non-dominant phyla (Bacteroidetes) than cotton hosts. At the genus level the dominant communities were Buchnera, Acinetobacter, and Arsenophonus. The relative abundance of Buchnera was significantly higher in aphids reared on zucchini than those on cotton, whereas the opposite was observed for Acinetobacter, as well as for some non-dominant communities (Stenotrophomonas, Pseudomons, Flavobacterium, Novosphingobium). Collectively, this study clarifies the dynamic changes of symbiotic bacteria in cotton-specialized aphids reared on zucchini for multiple generations. Among them, Buchnera is crucial for the cotton-specialized aphid to get nutrients during the transfer of the host and has a favorable impact on the colonization of cotton-specialized aphid populations on zucchini hosts. It not only enriches our understanding of the relationship between the bacterial microbiota of aphids and their adaptability to new hosts, zucchini, but also expands the current body of research on the mechanisms underlying the host shifting ability of cotton-specialized aphids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weili Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, Henan, China
- Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
- Western Agricultural Research Center, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changji, China
| | - Weijiao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, Henan, China
- Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
- Western Agricultural Research Center, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changji, China
| | - Jinming Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, Henan, China
- Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
- Western Agricultural Research Center, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changji, China
| | - Xiangzhen Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, Henan, China
- Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
- Western Agricultural Research Center, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changji, China
| | - Li Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, Henan, China
- Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
- Western Agricultural Research Center, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changji, China
| | - Dongyang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, Henan, China
- Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
- Western Agricultural Research Center, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changji, China
| | - Kaixin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, Henan, China
- Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
- Western Agricultural Research Center, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changji, China
| | - Jichao Ji
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, Henan, China
- Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
- Western Agricultural Research Center, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changji, China
| | - Xueke Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, Henan, China
- Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
- Western Agricultural Research Center, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changji, China
| | - Junyu Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, Henan, China
- Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
- Western Agricultural Research Center, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changji, China
| | - Jinjie Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, Henan, China
- Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
- Western Agricultural Research Center, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changji, China
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14
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Li T, Wei Y, Zhao C, Li S, Gao S, Zhang Y, Wu Y, Lu C. Facultative symbionts are potential agents of symbiont-mediated RNAi in aphids. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1020461. [PMID: 36504780 PMCID: PMC9727308 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1020461] [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: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Aphids are major crop pests, and they can be controlled through the application of the promising RNA interference (RNAi) techniques. However, chemical synthesis yield of dsRNA for RNAi is low and costly. Another sustainable aphid pest control strategy takes advantage of symbiont-mediated RNAi (SMR), which can generate dsRNA by engineered microbes. Aphid host the obligate endosymbiont Buchnera aphidicola and various facultative symbionts that not only have a wide host range but are also vertically and horizontally transmitted. Thus, we described the potential of facultative symbionts in aphid pest control by SMR. We summarized the community and host range of these facultative symbionts, and then reviewed their probable horizontal transmitted routes and ecological functions. Moreover, recent advances in the cultivation and genetic engineering of aphid facultative symbionts were discussed. In addition, current legislation of dsRNA-based pest control strategies and their safety assessments were reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tong Li
- Institute of Plant Protection, Henan Key Laboratory of Crop Pest Control/Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on Crops in Southern Region of North China, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yongjun Wei
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Chenchen Zhao
- Henan International Laboratory for Green Pest Control /College of Plant Protection, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Shaojian Li
- Institute of Plant Protection, Henan Key Laboratory of Crop Pest Control/Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on Crops in Southern Region of North China, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Suxia Gao
- Institute of Plant Protection, Henan Key Laboratory of Crop Pest Control/Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on Crops in Southern Region of North China, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yuanchen Zhang
- College of Biological and Food Engineering, Anyang Institute of Technology, Anyang, China
| | - Yuqing Wu
- Institute of Plant Protection, Henan Key Laboratory of Crop Pest Control/Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on Crops in Southern Region of North China, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Chuantao Lu
- Institute of Plant Protection, Henan Key Laboratory of Crop Pest Control/Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on Crops in Southern Region of North China, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou, China,Chuantao Lu
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15
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Sentis A, Hemptinne J, Magro A, Outreman Y. Biological control needs evolutionary perspectives of ecological interactions. Evol Appl 2022; 15:1537-1554. [PMID: 36330295 PMCID: PMC9624075 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
While ecological interactions have been identified as determinant for biological control efficiency, the role of evolution remains largely underestimated in biological control programs. With the restrictions on the use of both pesticides and exotic biological control agents (BCAs), the evolutionary optimization of local BCAs becomes central for improving the efficiency and the resilience of biological control. In particular, we need to better account for the natural processes of evolution to fully understand the interactions of pests and BCAs, including in biocontrol strategies integrating human manipulations of evolution (i.e., artificial selection and genetic engineering). In agroecosystems, the evolution of BCAs traits and performance depends on heritable phenotypic variation, trait genetic architecture, selection strength, stochastic processes, and other selective forces. Humans can manipulate these natural processes to increase the likelihood of evolutionary trait improvement, by artificially increasing heritable phenotypic variation, strengthening selection, controlling stochastic processes, or overpassing evolution through genetic engineering. We highlight these facets by reviewing recent studies addressing the importance of natural processes of evolution and human manipulations of these processes in biological control. We then discuss the interactions between the natural processes of evolution occurring in agroecosystems and affecting the artificially improved BCAs after their release. We emphasize that biological control cannot be summarized by interactions between species pairs because pests and biological control agents are entangled in diverse communities and are exposed to a multitude of deterministic and stochastic selective forces that can change rapidly in direction and intensity. We conclude that the combination of different evolutionary approaches can help optimize BCAs to remain efficient under changing environmental conditions and, ultimately, favor agroecosystem sustainability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arnaud Sentis
- INRAEAix Marseille University, UMR RECOVERAix‐en‐ProvenceFrance
| | - Jean‐Louis Hemptinne
- Laboratoire Évolution et Diversité biologiqueUMR 5174 CNRS/UPS/IRDToulouseFrance
- Université Fédérale de Toulouse Midi‐Pyrénées – ENSFEACastanet‐TolosanFrance
| | - Alexandra Magro
- Laboratoire Évolution et Diversité biologiqueUMR 5174 CNRS/UPS/IRDToulouseFrance
- Université Fédérale de Toulouse Midi‐Pyrénées – ENSFEACastanet‐TolosanFrance
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16
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Beekman MM, Donner SH, Litjens JJH, Dicke M, Zwaan BJ, Verhulst EC, Pannebakker BA. Do aphids in Dutch sweet pepper greenhouses carry heritable elements that protect them against biocontrol parasitoids? Evol Appl 2022; 15:1580-1593. [PMID: 36330308 PMCID: PMC9624084 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Revised: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Biological control (biocontrol) of crop pests is a sustainable alternative to the use of biodiversity and organismal health-harming chemical pesticides. Aphids can be biologically controlled with parasitoid wasps; however, variable results of parasitoid-based aphid biocontrol in greenhouses are reported. Aphids may display genetically encoded (endogenous) defences that increase aphid resistance against parasitoids as under high parasitoid pressure there will be selection for parasitoid-resistant aphids, potentially affecting the success of parasitoid-based aphid biocontrol in greenhouses. Additionally, aphids may carry secondary bacterial endosymbionts that protect them against parasitoids. We studied whether there is variation in either of these heritable elements in aphids in greenhouses of sweet pepper, an agro-economically important crop in the Netherlands that is prone to aphid pests and where pest management heavily relies on biocontrol. We sampled aphid populations in organic (biocontrol only) and conventional (biocontrol and pesticides) sweet pepper greenhouses in the Netherlands during the 2019 crop growth season. We assessed the aphid microbiome through both diagnostic PCR and 16S rRNA sequencing and did not detect any secondary endosymbionts in the two most encountered aphid species, Myzus persicae and Aulacorthum solani. We also compared multiple aphid lines collected from different greenhouses for variation in levels of endogenous-based resistance against the parasitoids commonly used as biocontrol agents. We found no differences in the levels of endogenous-based resistance between different aphid lines. This study does not support the hypothesis that protective endosymbionts or the presence of endogenous resistant aphid lines affects the success of parasitoid-based biocontrol of aphids in Dutch greenhouses. Future investigations will need to address what is causing the variable successes of aphid biocontrol and what (biological and management-related) lessons can be learned for aphid control in other crops, and biocontrol in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariska M. Beekman
- Laboratory of GeneticsWageningen University & ResearchWageningenThe Netherlands
- Laboratory of EntomologyWageningen University & ResearchWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Suzanne H. Donner
- Laboratory of GeneticsWageningen University & ResearchWageningenThe Netherlands
- Laboratory of EntomologyWageningen University & ResearchWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Jordy J. H. Litjens
- Laboratory of GeneticsWageningen University & ResearchWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Marcel Dicke
- Laboratory of EntomologyWageningen University & ResearchWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Bas J. Zwaan
- Laboratory of GeneticsWageningen University & ResearchWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Eveline C. Verhulst
- Laboratory of EntomologyWageningen University & ResearchWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Bart A. Pannebakker
- Laboratory of GeneticsWageningen University & ResearchWageningenThe Netherlands
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17
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Bukhari T, Pevsner R, Herren JK. Microsporidia: a promising vector control tool for residual malaria transmission. FRONTIERS IN TROPICAL DISEASES 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fitd.2022.957109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) and indoor residual spraying (IRS) have resulted in a major decrease in malaria transmission. However, it has become apparent that malaria can be effectively transmitted despite high coverage of LLINs/IRS. Residual transmission can occur due to Plasmodium-carrying Anopheles mosquitoes that are insecticide resistant and have feeding and resting behavior that reduces their chance of encountering the currently deployed indoor malaria control tools. Residual malaria transmission is likely to be the most significant hurdle to achieving the goal of malaria eradication and research and development towards new tools and strategies that can control residual malaria transmission is therefore critical. One of the most promising strategies involves biological agents that are part of the mosquito microbiome and influence the ability of Anopheles to transmit Plasmodium. These differ from biological agents previously used for vector control in that their primary effect is on vectoral capacity rather than the longevity and fitness of Anopheles (which may or may not be affected). An example of this type of biological agent is Microsporidia MB, which was identified in field collected Anopheles arabiensis and caused complete inhibition of Plasmodium falciparum transmission without effecting the longevity and fitness of the host. Microsporidia MB belongs to a unique group of rapidly adapting and evolving intracellular parasites and symbionts called microsporidia. In this review we discuss the general biology of microsporidians and the inherent characteristics that make some of them particularly suitable for malaria control. We then discuss the research priorities for developing a transmission blocking strategy for the currently leading microsporidian candidate Microsporidia MB for malaria control.
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18
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Purkiss SA, Khudr MS, Aguinaga OE, Hager R. Symbiont-conferred immunity interacts with effects of parasitoid genotype and intraguild predation to affect aphid immunity in a clone-specific fashion. BMC Ecol Evol 2022; 22:33. [PMID: 35305557 PMCID: PMC8934488 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-022-01991-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Host-parasite interactions represent complex co-evolving systems in which genetic and associated phenotypic variation within a species can significantly affect selective pressures on traits, such as host immunity, in the other. While often modelled as a two-species interaction between host and parasite, some systems are more complex due to effects of host enemies, intraguild predation, and endosymbionts, all of which affect host immunity. However, it remains unclear how these factors, combined with genetic variation in the host and the parasitoid, affect host immunity. We address this question in an important agricultural pest system, the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum, which shows significant intraspecific variability in immunity to the parasitoid wasp Aphidius ervi. In a complex experiment, we use a quantitative genetic design in the parasitoid, two ecologically different aphid lineages and the aphid lion Chrysoperla carnea as an intraguild predator to unravel the complex interdependencies. Results We demonstrate that aphid immunity as a key trait of this complex host-parasite system is affected by intraspecific genetic variation in the parasitoid and the aphid, the interaction of intraspecific genetic variation with intraguild predation, and differences in defensive endosymbionts between aphid lineages. Further, aphid lineages differ in their altruistic behaviour whereby infested aphids move away from the clonal colony to facilitate predation. Conclusions Our findings provide new insights into the influence of endosymbiosis and genetic variability in an important host-parasitoid system which is influenced by natural enemies of the parasitoid and the aphid, including its endosymbiont communities. We show that endosymbiosis can mediate or influence the evolutionary arms race between aphids and their natural enemies. The outcome of these complex interactions between species has significant implications for understanding the evolution of multitrophic systems, including eco-agricultural settings. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12862-022-01991-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Alexander Purkiss
- Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomics, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
| | - Mouhammad Shadi Khudr
- Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomics, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
| | - Oscar Enrique Aguinaga
- Departamento de Ingeniería, Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Reinmar Hager
- Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomics, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK.
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19
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Qin M, Chen J, Jiang L, Qiao G. Insights Into the Species-Specific Microbiota of Greenideinae (Hemiptera: Aphididae) With Evidence of Phylosymbiosis. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:828170. [PMID: 35273583 PMCID: PMC8901875 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.828170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Aphids and their symbionts represent an outstanding model for studies of insect–symbiont interactions. The aphid microbiota can be shaped by aphid species, geography and host plants. However, the relative importance of phylogenetic and ecological factors in shaping microbial community structures is not well understood. Using Illumina sequencing of the V3–V4 hypervariable region of the 16S rRNA gene, we characterized the microbial compositions of 215 aphid colonies representing 53 species of the aphid subfamily Greenideinae from different regions and plants in China, Nepal, and Vietnam. The primary endosymbiont Buchnera aphidicola and secondary symbiont Serratia symbiotica dominated the microbiota of Greenideinae. We simultaneously explored the relative contribution of host identity (i.e., aphid genus and aphid species), geography and host plant to the structures of bacterial, symbiont and secondary symbiont communities. Ordination analyses and statistical tests highlighted the strongest impact of aphid species on the microbial flora in Greenideinae. Furthermore, we found a phylosymbiosis pattern in natural Greenideinae populations, in which the aphid phylogeny was positively correlated with microbial community dissimilarities. These findings will advance our knowledge of host-associated microbiota assembly across both host phylogenetic and ecological contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Man Qin
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jing Chen
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Liyun Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Gexia Qiao
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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20
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Narayan KS, Vorburger C, Hafer‐Hahmann N. Bottom-up effect of host protective symbionts on parasitoid diversity: Limited evidence from two field experiments. J Anim Ecol 2022; 91:643-654. [PMID: 34910305 PMCID: PMC9306599 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Protective symbionts can provide effective and specific protection to their hosts. This protection can differ between different symbiont strains with each strain providing protection against certain components of the parasite and pathogen community their host faces. Protective symbionts are especially well known from aphids where, among other functions, they provide protection against different parasitoid wasps. However, most of the evidence for this protection comes from laboratory experiments. Our aim was to understand how consistent protection is across different symbiont strains under natural field conditions and whether symbiont diversity enhanced the species diversity of colonizing parasitoids, as could be expected from the specificity of their protection. We used experimental colonies of the black bean aphid Aphis fabae to investigate symbiont-conferred protection under natural field conditions over two seasons. Colonies differed only in their symbiont composition, carrying either no symbionts, a single strain of the protective symbiont Hamiltonella defensa, or a mixture of three H. defensa strains. These aphid colonies were exposed to natural parasitoid communities in the field. Subsequently, we determined the parasitoids hatched from each aphid colony. The evidence for a protective effect of H. defensa was limited and inconsistent between years, and aphid colonies harbouring multiple symbiont strains did not support a more diverse parasitoid community. Instead, parasitoid diversity tended to be highest in the absence of H. defensa. Symbiont-conferred protection, although a strong and repeatable effect under laboratory conditions may not always cause the predicted bottom-up effects under natural conditions in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karthik Sankar Narayan
- Department of Aquatic EcologyEawagSwiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and TechnologyDübendorfSwitzerland
| | - Christoph Vorburger
- Department of Aquatic EcologyEawagSwiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and TechnologyDübendorfSwitzerland
- Institute of Integrative BiologyETH ZürichZürichSwitzerland
| | - Nina Hafer‐Hahmann
- Department of Aquatic EcologyEawagSwiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and TechnologyDübendorfSwitzerland
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21
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Pons I, Scieur N, Dhondt L, Renard ME, Renoz F, Hance T. Pervasiveness of the symbiont Serratia symbiotica in the aphid natural environment: distribution, diversity and evolution at a multitrophic level. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2022; 98:6526308. [PMID: 35142841 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiac012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Revised: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Symbioses are significant drivers of insect evolutionary ecology. Despite recent findings that these associations can emerge from environmentally derived bacterial precursors, there is still little information on how these potential progenitors of insect symbionts circulate in trophic systems. Serratia symbiotica represents a valuable model for deciphering evolutionary scenarios of bacterial acquisition by insects, as its diversity includes gut-associated strains that retained the ability to live independently of their hosts, representing a potential reservoir for symbioses emergence. Here, we conducted a field study to examine the distribution and diversity of S. symbiotica found in aphid populations, and in different compartments of their surrounding environment. Twenty % of aphids colonies were infected with S. symbiotica, including a wide diversity of strains with varied tissue tropism corresponding to different lifestyle. We also showed that the prevalence of S. symbiotica is influenced by seasonal temperatures. We found that S. symbiotica was present in non-aphid species and in host plants, and that its prevalence in these samples was higher when associated aphid colonies were infected. Furthermore, phylogenetic analyses suggest the existence of horizontal transfers between the different trophic levels. These results provide a new picture of the pervasiveness of an insect symbiont in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inès Pons
- Earth and Life Institute, Biodiversity Research Centre, Université catholique de Louvain, 1348, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Nora Scieur
- Earth and Life Institute, Biodiversity Research Centre, Université catholique de Louvain, 1348, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Linda Dhondt
- Earth and Life Institute, Biodiversity Research Centre, Université catholique de Louvain, 1348, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Marie-Eve Renard
- Earth and Life Institute, Biodiversity Research Centre, Université catholique de Louvain, 1348, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - François Renoz
- Earth and Life Institute, Biodiversity Research Centre, Université catholique de Louvain, 1348, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Thierry Hance
- Earth and Life Institute, Biodiversity Research Centre, Université catholique de Louvain, 1348, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
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22
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Sochard C, Dupont C, Simon JC, Outreman Y. Secondary Symbionts Affect Foraging Capacities of Plant-Specialized Genotypes of the Pea Aphid. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2021; 82:1009-1019. [PMID: 33704553 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-021-01726-7] [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: 02/25/2020] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Ecological specialization is widespread in animals, especially in phytophagous insects, which have often a limited range of host plant species. This host plant specialization results from divergent selection on insect populations, which differ consequently in traits like behaviors involved in plant use. Although recent studies highlighted the influence of symbionts on dietary breadth of their insect hosts, whether these microbial partners influence the foraging capacities of plant-specialized insects has received little attention. In this study, we used the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum, which presents distinct plant-specialized lineages and several secondary bacterial symbionts, to examine the possible effects of symbionts on the different foraging steps from plant searching to host plant selection. In particular, we tested the effect of secondary symbionts on the aphid capacity (1) to explore habitat at long distance (estimated through the production of winged offspring), (2) to explore habitat at short distance, and (3) to select its host plant. We found that secondary symbionts had a variable influence on the production of winged offspring in some genotypes, with potential consequences on dispersal and survival. By contrast, symbionts influenced both short-distance exploration and host plant selection only marginally. The implication of symbionts' influence on insect foraging capacities is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corentin Sochard
- IGEPP, INRAE, Institut Agro, Univ Rennes, 35000, Rennes, France
- IGEPP, INRAE, Institut Agro, Univ Rennes, 35653, Le Rheu, France
| | - Corentin Dupont
- IGEPP, INRAE, Institut Agro, Univ Rennes, 35000, Rennes, France
- IGEPP, INRAE, Institut Agro, Univ Rennes, 35653, Le Rheu, France
| | | | - Yannick Outreman
- IGEPP, INRAE, Institut Agro, Univ Rennes, 35000, Rennes, France.
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23
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Carpenter M, Peng L, Smith AH, Joffe J, O’Connor M, Oliver KM, Russell JA. Frequent Drivers, Occasional Passengers: Signals of Symbiont-Driven Seasonal Adaptation and Hitchhiking in the Pea Aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum. INSECTS 2021; 12:805. [PMID: 34564245 PMCID: PMC8466206 DOI: 10.3390/insects12090805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2021] [Revised: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 09/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Insects harbor a variety of maternally inherited bacterial symbionts. As such, variation in symbiont presence/absence, in the combinations of harbored symbionts, and in the genotypes of harbored symbiont species provide heritable genetic variation of potential use in the insects' adaptive repertoires. Understanding the natural importance of symbionts is challenging but studying their dynamics over time can help to elucidate the potential for such symbiont-driven insect adaptation. Toward this end, we studied the seasonal dynamics of six maternally transferred bacterial symbiont species in the multivoltine pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum). Our sampling focused on six alfalfa fields in southeastern Pennsylvania, and spanned 14 timepoints within the 2012 growing season, in addition to two overwintering periods. To test and generate hypotheses on the natural relevance of these non-essential symbionts, we examined whether symbiont dynamics correlated with any of ten measured environmental variables from the 2012 growing season, including some of known importance in the lab. We found that five symbionts changed prevalence across one or both overwintering periods, and that the same five species underwent such frequency shifts across the 2012 growing season. Intriguingly, the frequencies of these dynamic symbionts showed robust correlations with a subset of our measured environmental variables. Several of these trends supported the natural relevance of lab-discovered symbiont roles, including anti-pathogen defense. For a seventh symbiont-Hamiltonella defensa-studied previously across the same study periods, we tested whether a reported correlation between prevalence and temperature stemmed not from thermally varying host-level fitness effects, but from selection on co-infecting symbionts or on aphid-encoded alleles associated with this bacterium. In general, such "hitchhiking" effects were not evident during times with strongly correlated Hamiltonella and temperature shifts. However, we did identify at least one time period in which Hamiltonella spread was likely driven by selection on a co-infecting symbiont-Rickettsiella viridis. Recognizing the broader potential for such hitchhiking, we explored selection on co-infecting symbionts as a possible driver behind the dynamics of the remaining six species. Out of twelve examined instances of symbiont dynamics unfolding across 2-week periods or overwintering spans, we found eight in which the focal symbiont underwent parallel frequency shifts under single infection and one or more co-infection contexts. This supported the idea that phenotypic variation created by the presence/absence of individual symbionts is a direct target for selection, and that symbiont effects can be robust under co-habitation with other symbionts. Contrastingly, in two cases, we found that selection may target phenotypes emerging from symbiont co-infections, with specific species combinations driving overall trends for the focal dynamic symbionts, without correlated change under single infection. Finally, in three cases-including the one described above for Hamiltonella-our data suggested that incidental co-infection with a (dis)favored symbiont could lead to large frequency shifts for "passenger" symbionts, conferring no apparent cost or benefit. Such hitchhiking has rarely been studied in heritable symbiont systems. We propose that it is more common than appreciated, given the widespread nature of maternally inherited bacteria, and the frequency of multi-species symbiotic communities across insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Carpenter
- Department of Biodiversity, Earth, and Environmental Science, Drexel University, 3250 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; (M.C.); (A.H.S.); (M.O.)
| | - Linyao Peng
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, 3245 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; (L.P.); (J.J.)
| | - Andrew H. Smith
- Department of Biodiversity, Earth, and Environmental Science, Drexel University, 3250 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; (M.C.); (A.H.S.); (M.O.)
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, 3245 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; (L.P.); (J.J.)
| | - Jonah Joffe
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, 3245 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; (L.P.); (J.J.)
| | - Michael O’Connor
- Department of Biodiversity, Earth, and Environmental Science, Drexel University, 3250 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; (M.C.); (A.H.S.); (M.O.)
| | - Kerry M. Oliver
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, 120 Cedar St., Athens, GA 30602, USA;
| | - Jacob A. Russell
- Department of Biodiversity, Earth, and Environmental Science, Drexel University, 3250 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; (M.C.); (A.H.S.); (M.O.)
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, 3245 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; (L.P.); (J.J.)
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Smee MR, Raines SA, Ferrari J. Genetic identity and genotype × genotype interactions between symbionts outweigh species level effects in an insect microbiome. THE ISME JOURNAL 2021; 15:2537-2546. [PMID: 33712703 PMCID: PMC8397793 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-021-00943-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Revised: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Microbial symbionts often alter the phenotype of their host. Benefits and costs to hosts depend on many factors, including host genotype, symbiont species and genotype, and environmental conditions. Here, we present a study demonstrating genotype-by-genotype (G×G) interactions between multiple species of endosymbionts harboured by an insect, and the first to quantify the relative importance of G×G interactions compared with species interactions in such systems. In the most extensive study to date, we microinjected all possible combinations of five Hamiltonella defensa and five Fukatsuia symbiotica (X-type; PAXS) isolates into the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum. We applied several ecological challenges: a parasitoid wasp, a fungal pathogen, heat shock, and performance on different host plants. Surprisingly, genetic identity and genotype × genotype interactions explained far more of the phenotypic variation (on average 22% and 31% respectively) than species identity or species interactions (on average 12% and 0.4%, respectively). We determined the costs and benefits associated with co-infection, and how these compared to corresponding single infections. All phenotypes were highly reliant on individual isolates or interactions between isolates of the co-infecting partners. Our findings highlight the importance of exploring the eco-evolutionary consequences of these highly specific interactions in communities of co-inherited species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie R. Smee
- grid.5685.e0000 0004 1936 9668Department of Biology, University of York, York, UK ,grid.5386.8000000041936877XPresent Address: Microbiology Department, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY USA
| | - Sally A. Raines
- grid.5685.e0000 0004 1936 9668Department of Biology, University of York, York, UK
| | - Julia Ferrari
- grid.5685.e0000 0004 1936 9668Department of Biology, University of York, York, UK
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25
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Fakhour S, Renoz F, Ambroise J, Pons I, Noël C, Gala JL, Hance T. Insight into the bacterial communities of the subterranean aphid Anoecia corni. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0256019. [PMID: 34379678 PMCID: PMC8357138 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0256019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Many insect species are associated with bacterial partners that can significantly influence their evolutionary ecology. Compared to other insect groups, aphids harbor a bacterial microbiota that has the reputation of being poorly diversified, generally limited to the presence of the obligate nutritional symbiont Buchnera aphidicola and some facultative symbionts. In this study, we analyzed the bacterial diversity associated with the dogwood-grass aphid Anoecia corni, an aphid species that spends much of its life cycle in a subterranean environment. Little is known about the bacterial diversity associated with aphids displaying such a lifestyle, and one hypothesis is that close contact with the vast microbial community of the rhizosphere could promote the acquisition of a richer bacterial diversity compared to other aphid species. Using 16S rRNA amplicon Illumina sequencing on specimens collected on wheat roots in Morocco, we identified 10 bacterial operational taxonomic units (OTUs) corresponding to five bacterial genera. In addition to the obligate symbiont Buchnera, we identified the facultative symbionts Serratia symbiotica and Wolbachia in certain aphid colonies. The detection of Wolbachia is unexpected as it is considered rare in aphids. Moreover, its biological significance remains unknown in these insects. Besides, we also detected Arsenophonus and Dactylopiibacterium carminicum. These results suggest that, despite its subterranean lifestyle, A. corni shelter a bacterial diversity mainly limited to bacterial endosymbionts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samir Fakhour
- Department of Plant Protection, National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA), Béni-Mellal, Morocco
- Earth and Life Institute, UC Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - François Renoz
- Earth and Life Institute, UC Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Jérôme Ambroise
- Center for Applied Molecular Technologies (CTMA), Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), UC Louvain, Woluwe-Saint-Lambert, Belgium
| | - Inès Pons
- Earth and Life Institute, UC Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Christine Noël
- Earth and Life Institute, UC Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Jean-Luc Gala
- Center for Applied Molecular Technologies (CTMA), Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), UC Louvain, Woluwe-Saint-Lambert, Belgium
| | - Thierry Hance
- Earth and Life Institute, UC Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
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26
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Neiers F, Saliou JM, Briand L, Robichon A. Adaptive Variation of Buchnera Endosymbiont Density in Aphid Host Acyrthosiphon pisum Controlled by Environmental Conditions. ACS OMEGA 2021; 6:17902-17914. [PMID: 34308025 PMCID: PMC8296009 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.1c01465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The scarcity of transcriptional regulatory genes in Buchnera aphidicola, an obligate endosymbiont in aphids, suggests the stability of expressed gene patterns and metabolic pathways. This observation argues in favor of the hypothesis that this endosymbiont bacteria might contribute little to the host adaptation when aphid hosts are facing challenging fluctuating environment. Finding evidence for the increased expression or silenced genes involved in metabolic pathways under the pressure of stress conditions and/or a given environment has been challenging for experimenters with this bacterial symbiotic model. Transcriptomic data have shown that Buchnera gene expression changes are confined to a narrow range when the aphids face brutal environmental variations. In this report, we demonstrate that instead of manipulating individual genes, the conditions may act on the relative mass of endosymbiont corresponding to the needs of the host. The control of the fluctuating number of endosymbiont cells per individual host appears to be an unexpected regulatory modality that contributes to the adaptation of aphids to their environment. This feature may account for the success of the symbiotic advantages in overcoming the drastic changes in temperature and food supplies during evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabrice Neiers
- Centre des Sciences
du Goût et de l’Alimentation (CSGA), Université de Bourgogne-Franche Comté, CNRS, INRA, 21000 Dijon, France
| | - Jean-Michel Saliou
- Institut Pasteur de Lille, Univ. Lille, CNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, US 41—UMS 2014—PLBS, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Loïc Briand
- Centre des Sciences
du Goût et de l’Alimentation (CSGA), Université de Bourgogne-Franche Comté, CNRS, INRA, 21000 Dijon, France
| | - Alain Robichon
- ISA, Université Côte
dʼAzur, INRA, CNRS, 06903 Sophia Antipolis, France
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27
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Gao X, Niu R, Zhu X, Wang L, Ji J, Niu L, Wu C, Zhang S, Luo J, Cui J. Characterization and comparison of the bacterial microbiota of Lysiphlebia japonica parasitioid wasps and their aphid host Aphis gosypii. PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2021; 77:2710-2718. [PMID: 33492720 DOI: 10.1002/ps.6299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Revised: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Endosymbiotic bacteria have been reported to mediate interactions between parasitoids and their insect hosts. How parasitic wasps influence changes in host microbial communities and the relationship between them are of great importance to the study of host-parasitoid co-evolutionary and ecological interactions. However, these interactions remain largely unreported for interactions between Aphis gossypii and Lysiphlebia japonica. RESULTS In this study, we characterize the bacterial microbiota of L. japonica wasps at different developmental stages and monitor changes over time in the bacterial microbiota of their parasitized and nonparasitized aphid hosts, using metagenomic analysis of 16S rDNA sequencing data. Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Actinobacteria were the three most abundant bacterial phyla identified in L. japonica. We found that parasitism was associated with an increased abundance of Buchnera nutritional endosymbionts, but decreased abundance of Acinetobacter, Arsenophonus, Candidatus_Hamiltonella, and Pseudomonas facultative symbionts in aphid hosts. Functional analysis of enriched pathways of parasitized aphids showed significant differences in the 'transport and metabolism of carbohydrates' and 'amino acid, lipid, and coenzyme biosynthesis' pathways. Notably, the composition of symbiotic bacteria in wasp larvae was highly similar to that of their aphid hosts, especially the high abundance of Buchnera. CONCLUSION The results provide a conceptual framework for L. japonica interactions with A. gossypii in which the exchange of symbiotic microbes provides a means by which microbiota can potentially serve as evolutionary drivers of complex, multilevel interactions underlying the ecology and co-evolution of these hosts and parasites. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueke Gao
- Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China
- Zhengzhou Reseach Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Ruichang Niu
- Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China
- Zhengzhou Reseach Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Xiangzhen Zhu
- Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China
- Zhengzhou Reseach Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Li Wang
- Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China
- Zhengzhou Reseach Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Jichao Ji
- Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China
- Zhengzhou Reseach Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Lin Niu
- Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China
- Zhengzhou Reseach Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Changcai Wu
- Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China
- Zhengzhou Reseach Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Shuai Zhang
- College of Horticulture and Plant Protection, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Junyu Luo
- Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China
- Zhengzhou Reseach Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Jinjie Cui
- Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China
- Zhengzhou Reseach Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
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28
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Smith AH, O'Connor MP, Deal B, Kotzer C, Lee A, Wagner B, Joffe J, Woloszynek S, Oliver KM, Russell JA. Does getting defensive get you anywhere?-Seasonal balancing selection, temperature, and parasitoids shape real-world, protective endosymbiont dynamics in the pea aphid. Mol Ecol 2021; 30:2449-2472. [PMID: 33876478 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Revised: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Facultative, heritable endosymbionts are found at intermediate prevalence within most insect species, playing frequent roles in their hosts' defence against environmental pressures. Focusing on Hamiltonella defensa, a common bacterial endosymbiont of aphids, we tested the hypothesis that such pressures impose seasonal balancing selection, shaping a widespread infection polymorphism. In our studied pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum) population, Hamiltonella frequencies ranged from 23.2% to 68.1% across a six-month longitudinal survey. Rapid spikes and declines were often consistent across fields, and we estimated that selection coefficients for Hamiltonella-infected aphids changed sign within this field season. Prior laboratory research suggested antiparasitoid defence as the major Hamiltonella benefit, and costs under parasitoid absence. While a prior field study suggested these forces can sometimes act as counter-weights in a regime of seasonal balancing selection, our present survey showed no significant relationship between parasitoid wasps and Hamiltonella prevalence. Field cage experiments provided some explanation: parasitoids drove modest ~10% boosts to Hamiltonella frequencies that would be hard to detect under less controlled conditions. They also showed that Hamiltonella was not always costly under parasitoid exclusion, contradicting another prediction. Instead, our longitudinal survey - and two overwintering studies - showed temperature to be the strongest predictor of Hamiltonella prevalence. Matching some prior lab discoveries, this suggested that thermally sensitive costs and benefits, unrelated to parasitism, can shape Hamiltonella dynamics. These results add to a growing body of evidence for rapid, seasonal adaptation in multivoltine organisms, suggesting that such adaptation can be mediated through the diverse impacts of heritable bacterial endosymbionts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew H Smith
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Michael P O'Connor
- Department of Biodiversity, Earth, and Environmental Science, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Brooke Deal
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Coleman Kotzer
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Amanda Lee
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Barrett Wagner
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jonah Joffe
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Kerry M Oliver
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Jacob A Russell
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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29
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Li Q, Sun J, Qin Y, Fan J, Zhang Y, Tan X, Hou M, Chen J. Reduced insecticide susceptibility of the wheat aphid Sitobion miscanthi after infection by the secondary bacterial symbiont Hamiltonella defensa. PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2021; 77:1936-1944. [PMID: 33300163 DOI: 10.1002/ps.6221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Revised: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bacterial symbionts in insects, especially aphids, have a major influence on host adaptation. We previously showed that infection with the secondary symbiont Hamiltonella defensa increases the fitness of the wheat aphid Sitobion miscanthi, yielding increases in fitness parameters such as adult weight and offspring number. However, whether H. defensa affects the sensitivity of host aphids to insecticides remains unknown. RESULTS We tested the effects of H. defensa on host aphid susceptibility to the insecticides chlorpyrifos methyl, imidacloprid, cyantraniliprole and acetamiprid. Our results showed that compared with Hamiltonella-free aphid clones, Hamiltonella-infected aphid clones exhibited lower sensitivity to most of the tested insecticides at low concentrations. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction showed that the density of H. defensa in the infected clones was slightly decreased at 24 h but then sharply increased until the late stage after treatment with the different insecticides. H. defensa in the host aphids was detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization and was localized to the aphid hindgut. Levels of the detoxification enzymes acetylcholinesterase, glutathione transferase and carboxylesterase were significantly higher in Hamiltonella-infected clones than in Hamiltonella-free clones. CONCLUSIONS The findings indicated that infection with H. defensa reduced aphid susceptibility to the investigated insecticides at low concentrations, potentially by increasing detoxification enzyme activity in the host. Therefore, symbiont-mediated insecticide resistance should be taken into account when performing resistance-monitoring studies. Studies of symbiont-mediated insecticide resistance may enhance our understanding of the emergence of insecticide resistance in agricultural systems. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Li
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - JingXuan Sun
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - YaoGuo Qin
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jia Fan
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - XiaoLing Tan
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - MaoLin Hou
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - JuLian Chen
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
- MARA-CABI Joint Laboratory for Bio-safety, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
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30
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Leclair M, Buchard C, Mahéo F, Simon JC, Outreman Y. A Link Between Communities of Protective Endosymbionts and Parasitoids of the Pea Aphid Revealed in Unmanipulated Agricultural Systems. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.618331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In the last decade, the influence of microbial symbionts on ecological and physiological traits of their hosts has been increasingly recognized. However, most of these effects have been revealed under laboratory conditions, which oversimplifies the complexity of the factors involved in the dynamics of symbiotic associations in nature. The pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum, forms a complex of plant-adapted biotypes, which strongly differ in the prevalence of their facultative endosymbionts. Some of the facultative endosymbionts of A. pisum have been shown to confer protection against natural enemies, among which Hamiltonella defensa is known to protect its host from parasitoid wasps. Here, we tested under natural conditions whether the endosymbiont communities of different A. pisum biotypes had a protective effect on their hosts and whether endosymbiotic associations and parasitoid communities associated with the pea aphid complex were linked. A space-time monitoring of symbiotic associations, parasitoid pressure and parasitoid communities was carried out in three A. pisum biotypes respectively specialized on Medicago sativa (alfalfa), Pisum sativum (pea), and Trifolium sp. (clover) throughout the whole cropping season. While symbiotic associations, and to a lesser extent, parasitoid communities were stable over time and structured mainly by the A. pisum biotypes, the parasitoid pressure strongly varied during the season and differed among the three biotypes. This suggests a limited influence of parasitoid pressure on the dynamics of facultative endosymbionts at a seasonal scale. However, we found a positive correlation between the α and β diversities of the endosymbiont and parasitoid communities, indicating interactions between these two guilds. Also, we revealed a negative correlation between the prevalence of H. defensa and Fukatsuia symbiotica in co-infection and the intensity of parasitoid pressure in the alfalfa biotype, confirming in field conditions the protective effect of this symbiotic combination.
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Hafer‐Hahmann N, Vorburger C. Positive association between the diversity of symbionts and parasitoids of aphids in field populations. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Nina Hafer‐Hahmann
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology Überlandstrasse 133 Dübendorf8600Switzerland
| | - Christoph Vorburger
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology Überlandstrasse 133 Dübendorf8600Switzerland
- Institute of Integrative Biology ETH Zürich Universitätsstrasse 16 Zürich8092Switzerland
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Qin M, Chen J, Xu S, Jiang L, Qiao G. Microbiota associated with Mollitrichosiphum aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae: Greenideinae): diversity, host species specificity and phylosymbiosis. Environ Microbiol 2021; 23:2184-2198. [PMID: 33415800 PMCID: PMC8248049 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2020] [Revised: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Symbiotic association is universal in nature, and an array of symbionts play a crucial part in host life history. Aphids and their diverse symbionts have become a good model system to study insect‐symbiont interactions. Previous symbiotic diversity surveys have mainly focused on a few aphid clades, and the relative importance of different factors regulating microbial community structure is not well understood. In this study, we collected 65 colonies representing eight species of the aphid genus Mollitrichosiphum from different regions and plants in southern China and Nepal and characterized their microbial compositions using Illumina sequencing of the V3 − V4 hypervariable region of the 16S rRNA gene. We evaluated how microbiota varied across aphid species, geography and host plants and the correlation between microbial community structure and host aphid phylogeny. Heritable symbionts dominated the microbiota associated with Mollitrichosiphum, and multiple infections of secondary symbionts were prevalent. Ordination analyses and statistical tests highlighted the contribution of aphid species in shaping the structures of bacterial, symbiont and secondary symbiont communities. Moreover, we observed a significant correlation between Mollitrichosiphum aphid phylogeny and microbial community composition, providing evidence for a pattern of phylosymbiosis between natural aphid populations and their microbial associates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Man Qin
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jing Chen
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shifen Xu
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Liyun Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Gexia Qiao
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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Ye S, Bhattacharjee M, Siemann E. Stress tolerance alteration in the freshwater cnidarian green hydra (Hydra viridissima) via symbiotic algae mutagenesis. Symbiosis 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s13199-020-00712-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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34
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Pina T, Sabater-Muñoz B, Cabedo-López M, Cruz-Miralles J, Jaques JA, Hurtado-Ruiz MA. Molecular characterization of Cardinium, Rickettsia, Spiroplasma and Wolbachia in mite species from citrus orchards. EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2020; 81:335-355. [PMID: 32529355 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-020-00508-z] [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: 11/19/2019] [Accepted: 05/29/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Tetranychidae spider mites are considered key citrus pests in some production areas, especially Tetranychus urticae Koch. Over the past decades, pesticide overuse seems to have promoted T. urticae population selection in citrus orchards. However, the microbiota has also been pointed out as a plausible explanation for population structure or plant host specialisation observed in several arthropod species. In this work, we have determined the incidence of Cardinium, Rickettsia, Spiroplasma and Wolbachia as representatives of major distorter bacteria genera in Aplonobia histricina (Berlese), Eutetranychus banksi (McGregor), Eutetranychus orientalis (Klein), Panonychus citri (McGregor), Tetranychus evansi Baker and Pritchard, Tetranychus turkestani Ugarov and Nikolskii, and T. urticae populations from Spanish citrus orchards. Only Wolbachia was detected by PCR. The multilocus alignment approach and phylogenetic inference indicated that all detected Wolbachia belong to supergroup B. The deep analysis of each 16S rDNA, ftsZ and wsp gene sequences allowed identifying several phylogenetically different Wolbachia sequences. It probably indicates the presence of several different races or strains, all of them belonging to supergroup B. The wsp sequence typing analysis unveiled the presence of the two already identified alleles (61 and 370) and allowed to contribute with five new alleles, supporting the presence of different but related B-races in the studied mite populations. The results are discussed and related to T. urticae population structure, previously observed in Spanish citrus orchards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana Pina
- Departament de Ciències Agràries i del Medi Natural, Universitat Jaume I (UJI), Campus del Riu Sec, 12071, Castellón de la Plana, Spain
- Departament de Didàctica de les Ciències Experimentals i Socials, Universitat de València, Avda. Tarongers, 46022, Valencia, Spain
| | - Beatriz Sabater-Muñoz
- Smurfit Institute of Genetics, Trinity College Dublin, University of Dublin, College Green, Dublin 2, Ireland
- Integrative and Systems Biology Group, Dpt. Molecular Mechanisms of Stress in Plants, Institute for Plant Molecular and Cell Biology (IBMCP), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) - Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV), Ingeniero Fausto Elio, 46022, Valencia, Spain
| | - Marc Cabedo-López
- Departament de Ciències Agràries i del Medi Natural, Universitat Jaume I (UJI), Campus del Riu Sec, 12071, Castellón de la Plana, Spain
| | - Joaquín Cruz-Miralles
- Departament de Ciències Agràries i del Medi Natural, Universitat Jaume I (UJI), Campus del Riu Sec, 12071, Castellón de la Plana, Spain
| | - Josep A Jaques
- Departament de Ciències Agràries i del Medi Natural, Universitat Jaume I (UJI), Campus del Riu Sec, 12071, Castellón de la Plana, Spain
| | - Mónica A Hurtado-Ruiz
- Departament de Ciències Agràries i del Medi Natural, Universitat Jaume I (UJI), Campus del Riu Sec, 12071, Castellón de la Plana, Spain.
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35
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McLean AHC, Hrček J, Parker BJ, Mathé-Hubert H, Kaech H, Paine C, Godfray HCJ. Multiple phenotypes conferred by a single insect symbiont are independent. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20200562. [PMID: 32546097 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.0562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Many microbial symbionts have multiple phenotypic consequences for their animal hosts. However, the ways in which different symbiont-mediated phenotypes combine to affect fitness are not well understood. We investigated whether there are correlations between different symbiont-mediated phenotypes. We used the symbiont Spiroplasma, a striking example of a bacterial symbiont conferring diverse phenotypes on insect hosts. We took 11 strains of Spiroplasma infecting pea aphids (Acyrthosiphon pisum) and assessed their ability to provide protection against the fungal pathogen Pandora neoaphidis and the parasitoids Aphidius ervi and Praon volucre. We also assessed effects on male offspring production for five of the Spiroplasma strains. All but one of the Spiroplasma strains provided very strong protection against the parasitoid P. volucre. As previously reported, variable protection against P. neoaphidis and A. ervi was also present; male-killing was likewise a variable phenotype. We find no evidence of any correlation, positive or negative, between the different phenotypes, nor was there any evidence of an effect of symbiont phylogeny on protective phenotype. We conclude that multiple symbiont-mediated phenotypes can evolve independently from one another without trade-offs between them.
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Affiliation(s)
- A H C McLean
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, UK
| | - J Hrček
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, UK
| | - B J Parker
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, UK
| | - H Mathé-Hubert
- Eawag, Überlandstrasse 133, CH-8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - H Kaech
- Eawag, Überlandstrasse 133, CH-8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - C Paine
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, UK
| | - H C J Godfray
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, UK
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Hafer-Hahmann N, Vorburger C. Parasitoids as drivers of symbiont diversity in an insect host. Ecol Lett 2020; 23:1232-1241. [PMID: 32375203 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2020] [Revised: 03/25/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Immune systems have repeatedly diversified in response to parasite diversity. Many animals have outsourced part of their immune defence to defensive symbionts, which should be affected by similar evolutionary pressures as the host's own immune system. Protective symbionts provide efficient and specific protection and respond to changing selection pressure by parasites. Here we use the aphid Aphis fabae, its protective symbiont Hamiltonella defensa, and its parasitoid Lysiphlebus fabarum to test whether parasite diversity can maintain diversity in protective symbionts. We exposed aphid populations with the same initial symbiont composition to parasitoid populations that differed in their diversity. As expected, single parasitoid genotypes mostly favoured a single symbiont that was most protective against that particular parasitoid, while multiple symbionts persisted in aphids exposed to more diverse parasitoid populations, which in turn affected aphid population density and rates of parasitism. Parasite diversity may be crucial to maintaining symbiont diversity in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Hafer-Hahmann
- EAWAG, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 133, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Christoph Vorburger
- EAWAG, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 133, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland.,Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zürich, Universitätsstrasse 16, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
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Xu S, Jiang L, Qiao G, Chen J. The Bacterial Flora Associated with the Polyphagous Aphid Aphis gossypii Glover (Hemiptera: Aphididae) Is Strongly Affected by Host Plants. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2020; 79:971-984. [PMID: 31802184 PMCID: PMC7198476 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-019-01435-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2019] [Accepted: 08/28/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Aphids live in symbiosis with a variety of bacteria, including the obligate symbiont Buchnera aphidicola and diverse facultative symbionts. The symbiotic associations for one aphid species, especially for polyphagous species, often differ across populations. In the present study, by using high-throughput 16S rRNA sequencing, we surveyed in detail the microbiota in natural populations of the cotton aphid Aphis gossypii in China and assessed differences in bacterial diversity with respect to host plant and geography. The microbial community of A. gossypii was dominated by a few heritable symbionts. Arsenophonus was the most dominant secondary symbiont, and Spiroplasma was detected for the first time. Statistical tests and ordination analyses showed that host plants rather than geography seemed to have shaped the associated symbiont composition. Special symbiont communities inhabited the Cucurbitaceae-feeding populations, which supported the ecological specialization of A. gossypii on cucurbits from the viewpoint of symbiotic bacteria. Correlation analysis suggested antagonistic interactions between Buchnera and coexisting secondary symbionts and more complicated interactions between different secondary symbionts. Our findings lend further support to an important role of the host plant in structuring symbiont communities of polyphagous aphids and will improve our understanding of the interactions among phytophagous insects, symbionts, and environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shifen Xu
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Liyun Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Gexia Qiao
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
| | - Jing Chen
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
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Heyworth ER, Smee MR, Ferrari J. Aphid Facultative Symbionts Aid Recovery of Their Obligate Symbiont and Their Host After Heat Stress. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.00056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Patel V, Chevignon G, Manzano-Marín A, Brandt JW, Strand MR, Russell JA, Oliver KM. Cultivation-Assisted Genome of Candidatus Fukatsuia symbiotica; the Enigmatic "X-Type" Symbiont of Aphids. Genome Biol Evol 2020; 11:3510-3522. [PMID: 31725149 PMCID: PMC7145644 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evz252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Heritable symbionts are common in terrestrial arthropods and often provide beneficial services to hosts. Unlike obligate, nutritional symbionts that largely persist under strict host control within specialized host cells, heritable facultative symbionts exhibit large variation in within-host lifestyles and services rendered with many retaining the capacity to transition among roles. One enigmatic symbiont, Candidatus Fukatsuia symbiotica, frequently infects aphids with reported roles ranging from pathogen, defensive symbiont, mutualism exploiter, and nutritional co-obligate symbiont. Here, we used an in vitro culture-assisted protocol to sequence the genome of a facultative strain of Fukatsuia from pea aphids (Acyrthosiphon pisum). Phylogenetic and genomic comparisons indicate that Fukatsuia is an aerobic heterotroph, which together with Regiella insecticola and Hamiltonella defensa form a clade of heritable facultative symbionts within the Yersiniaceae (Enterobacteriales). These three heritable facultative symbionts largely share overlapping inventories of genes associated with housekeeping functions, metabolism, and nutrient acquisition, while varying in complements of mobile DNA. One unusual feature of Fukatsuia is its strong tendency to occur as a coinfection with H. defensa. However, the overall similarity of gene inventories among aphid heritable facultative symbionts suggests that metabolic complementarity is not the basis for coinfection, unless playing out on a H. defensa strain-specific basis. We also compared the pea aphid Fukatsuia with a strain from the aphid Cinara confinis (Lachninae) where it is reported to have transitioned to co-obligate status to support decaying Buchnera function. Overall, the two genomes are very similar with no clear genomic signatures consistent with such a transition, which suggests co-obligate status in C. confinis was a recent event.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vilas Patel
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia
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More Is Not Always Better: Coinfections with Defensive Symbionts Generate Highly Variable Outcomes. Appl Environ Microbiol 2020; 86:AEM.02537-19. [PMID: 31862723 DOI: 10.1128/aem.02537-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2019] [Accepted: 12/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal-associated microbes are highly variable, contributing to a diverse set of symbiont-mediated phenotypes. Given that host and symbiont genotypes, and their interactions, can impact symbiont-based phenotypes across environments, there is potential for extensive variation in fitness outcomes. Pea aphids, Acyrthosiphon pisum, host a diverse assemblage of heritable facultative symbionts (HFS) with characterized roles in host defense. Protective phenotypes have been largely studied as single infections, but pea aphids often carry multiple HFS species, and particular combinations may be enriched or depleted compared to expectations based on chance. Here, we examined the consequences of single infection versus coinfection with two common HFS exhibiting variable enrichment, the antiparasitoid Hamiltonella defensa and the antipathogen Regiella insecticola, across three host genotypes and environments. As expected, single infections with either H. defensa or R. insecticola raised defenses against their respective targets. Single infections with protective H. defensa lowered aphid fitness in the absence of enemy challenge, while R. insecticola was comparatively benign. However, as a coinfection, R. insecticola ameliorated H. defensa infection costs. Coinfected aphids continued to receive antiparasitoid protection from H. defensa, but protection was weakened by R. insecticola in two clones. Notably, H. defensa eliminated survival benefits conferred after pathogen exposure by coinfecting R. insecticola Since pathogen sporulation was suppressed by R. insecticola in coinfected aphids, the poor performance likely stemmed from H. defensa-imposed costs rather than weakened defenses. Our results reveal a complex set of coinfection outcomes which may partially explain natural infection patterns and suggest that symbiont-based phenotypes may not be easily predicted based solely on infection status.IMPORTANCE The hyperdiverse arthropods often harbor maternally transmitted bacteria that protect against natural enemies. In many species, low-diversity communities of heritable symbionts are common, providing opportunities for cooperation and conflict among symbionts, which can impact the defensive services rendered. Using the pea aphid, a model for defensive symbiosis, we show that coinfections with two common defensive symbionts, the antipathogen Regiella and the antiparasite Hamiltonella, produce outcomes that are highly variable compared to single infections, which consistently protect against designated enemies. Compared to single infections, coinfections often reduced defensive services during enemy challenge yet improved aphid fitness in the absence of enemies. Thus, infection with multiple symbionts does not necessarily create generalist aphids with "Swiss army knife" defenses against numerous enemies. Instead, particular combinations of symbionts may be favored for a variety of reasons, including their abilities to lessen the costs of other defensive symbionts when enemies are not present.
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Abstract
Endosymbiosis is found in all types of ecosystems and it can be sensitive to environmental changes due to the intimate interaction between the endosymbiont and the host. Indeed, global climate change disturbs the local ambient environment and threatens endosymbiotic species, and in some cases leads to local ecosystem collapse. Recent studies have revealed that the endosymbiont can affect holobiont (endosymbiont and host together) stress tolerance as much as the host does, and manipulation of the microbial partners in holobionts may mitigate the impacts of the environmental stress. Here, we first show how the endosymbiont presence affects holobiont stress tolerance by discussing three well-studied endosymbiotic systems, which include plant-fungi, aquatic organism-algae, and insect-bacteria systems. We then review how holobionts are able to alter their stress tolerance via associated endosymbionts by changing their endosymbiont composition, by adaptation of their endosymbionts, or by acclimation of their endosymbionts. Finally, we discuss how different transmission modes (vertical or horizontal transmission) might affect the adaptability of holobionts. We propose that the endosymbiont is a good target for modifying holobiont stress tolerance, which makes it critical to more fully investigate the role of endosymbionts in the adaptive responses of holobionts to stress.
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Zhao C, Zhao H, Zhang S, Luo J, Zhu X, Wang L, Zhao P, Hua H, Cui J. The Developmental Stage Symbionts of the Pea Aphid-Feeding Chrysoperla sinica (Tjeder). Front Microbiol 2019; 10:2454. [PMID: 31736900 PMCID: PMC6839393 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.02454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2019] [Accepted: 10/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Chrysoperla sinica (Tjeder) is widely recognized as an important holometabolous natural enemy of various insect pests in different cropping systems and as a non-target surrogate in environmental risk assessment of Bt rice (i.e., genetically modified rice to express a toxin gene from Bacillus thuringiensis). Like other complex organisms, abundant microbes live inside C. sinica; however, to date, microbiome composition and diversity of the whole life cycle in C. sinica has not yet been well characterized. In the current study, we analyze the composition and biodiversity of microbiota across the whole life cycle of C. sinica by using high-throughput Illumina sequencing of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene. Collectively, Proteobacteria and Firmicutes dominated the microenvironment at all stages, but their relative abundances fluctuated by host developmental stage. Interestingly, eggs, neonates, and adults shared similar microbes, including an abundance of Rickettsia and Wolbachia. After larva feeding, Staphylococcus, Enterobacteriaceae, and Serratia were enriched in larvae and pupa, suggesting that food may serve as a major factor contributing to altered microbial community divergence at different developmental stages. Our findings demonstrated that C. sinica harbor a variety of bacteria, and that dynamic changes in community composition and relative abundances of members of its microbiome occur during different life cycle stages. Evaluating the role of these bacterial symbionts in this natural enemy may assist in developing environmental risk assessments and novel biological control strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenchen Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China.,Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Hui Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China
| | - Shuai Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China.,Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Junyu Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China.,Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Xiangzhen Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China
| | - Li Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China
| | - Peng Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China.,Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Hongxia Hua
- Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Jinjie Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China.,Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
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43
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Fitness costs of the cultivable symbiont Serratia symbiotica and its phenotypic consequences to aphids in presence of environmental stressors. Evol Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-019-10012-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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44
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Sochard C, Leclair M, Simon JC, Outreman Y. Host plant effects on the outcomes of defensive symbioses in the pea aphid complex. Evol Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-019-10005-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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45
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Guidolin AS, Cônsoli FL. No fitness costs are induced by Spiroplasma infections of Aphis citricidus reared on two different host plants. BRAZ J BIOL 2019; 80:311-318. [PMID: 31291403 DOI: 10.1590/1519-6984.201210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2018] [Accepted: 12/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Aphids can harbor several secondary symbionts that alter important aphid-related ecological traits, such as defense against natural enemies, heat tolerance and host plant utilization. One of these secondary symbionts, Spiroplasma, is well known in Drosophila as a sex modulator and by interacting with the host immune system. However, little is known on the effects of Spiroplasma on aphids, such as its influence on the host immune defense against fungi and on host plant utilization. Aphid infections by Spiroplasma are known to be low and few aphid species were reported to be infected with this secondary symbiont, however aphids belonging to the genus Aphis in neotropical regions show high infection rates by Spiroplasma. Thus, we investigated the association of Spiroplasma with the tropical aphid Aphis citricidus through comparative biology experiments on two host plants with different nutritional value to the aphid. We demonstrate Spiroplasma induced no significant fitness costs to A. citricidus on either host plant as no changes in the fitness traits we assessed were observed. Spiroplasma infection only induced sutle changes on host longevity and fecundity. Therefore, we concluded Spiroplasma established a neutral interaction with A. citricidus under the selection pressure we tested, and argue on stress conditions that could better demonstrate the role of Spiroplasma in A. citricidus bioecology and associated costs involved.
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Affiliation(s)
- A S Guidolin
- Laboratório de Interações em Insetos, Departamento de Entomologia e Acarologia, Escola Superior de Agricultura "Luiz de Queiroz" - ESALQ, Univerisdade de São Paulo - USP, Av. Pádua Dias, 11, CEP , Piracicaba, SP, Brasil
| | - F L Cônsoli
- Laboratório de Interações em Insetos, Departamento de Entomologia e Acarologia, Escola Superior de Agricultura "Luiz de Queiroz" - ESALQ, Univerisdade de São Paulo - USP, Av. Pádua Dias, 11, CEP , Piracicaba, SP, Brasil
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Hajek AE, Morris EE, Hendry TA. Context-dependent interactions of insects and defensive symbionts: insights from a novel system in siricid woodwasps. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2019; 33:77-83. [PMID: 31358200 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2019.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2019] [Revised: 03/21/2019] [Accepted: 03/27/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Many insect species derive fitness benefits from associations with defensive microbial symbionts that confer protection against pathogens and parasites. These relationships are varied and diverse, but a number of studies highlight important trends. The effects of defensive symbionts can be context-dependent and influenced by variable selection imposed by the organism against which the symbiont protects. Additionally, genetic variation in both hosts and symbionts can greatly influence the outcome of these interactions. Here, we describe interactions between siricid woodwasps, their fungal symbionts and parasitic nematodes and show how defense by symbionts in this system is also context-dependent. The species or strain of the white rot fungus used as a symbiont by Sirex can influence parasitism of these hosts by Deladenus nematodes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann E Hajek
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-2601, USA.
| | - Elizabeth Erin Morris
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03823, USA
| | - Tory A Hendry
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
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Eilenberg J, Saussure S, Ben Fekih I, Jensen AB, Klingen I. Factors driving susceptibility and resistance in aphids that share specialist fungal pathogens. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2019; 33:91-98. [PMID: 31358202 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2019.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2019] [Revised: 04/24/2019] [Accepted: 05/01/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Pandora neoaphidis and Entomophthora planchoniana are widespread and important specialist fungal pathogens of aphids in cereals (Sitobion avenae and Rhopalosiphum padi). The two aphid species share these pathogens and we compare factors influencing susceptibility and resistance. Among factors that may influence susceptibility and resistance are aphid behavior, conspecific versus heterospecific host, aphid morph, life cycle, and presence of protective endosymbionts. It seems that the conspecific host is more susceptible (less resistant) than the heterospecific host, and alates are more susceptible than apterae. We conceptualize the findings in a diagram showing possible transmission in field situations and we pinpoint where there are knowledge gaps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jørgen Eilenberg
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871 Frederiksberg C, Denmark.
| | - Stéphanie Saussure
- Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO), Division of Biotechnology and Plant Health, P.O. Box 115, NO-1431 Ås, Norway; Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Department of Plant Science, P.O. Box 5003, NO-1432 Ås, Norway
| | - Ibtissem Ben Fekih
- Institute of Environmental Microbiology, College of Resources and Environment, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Annette Bruun Jensen
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Ingeborg Klingen
- Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO), Division of Biotechnology and Plant Health, P.O. Box 115, NO-1431 Ås, Norway
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New Insights into the Nature of Symbiotic Associations in Aphids: Infection Process, Biological Effects, and Transmission Mode of Cultivable Serratia symbiotica Bacteria. Appl Environ Microbiol 2019; 85:AEM.02445-18. [PMID: 30850430 DOI: 10.1128/aem.02445-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2018] [Accepted: 02/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Symbiotic microorganisms are widespread in nature and can play a major role in the ecology and evolution of animals. The aphid-Serratia symbiotica bacterium interaction provides a valuable model to study the mechanisms behind these symbiotic associations. The recent discovery of cultivable S. symbiotica strains with a free-living lifestyle allowed us to simulate their environmental acquisition by aphids to examine the mechanisms involved in this infection pathway. Here, after oral ingestion, we analyzed the infection dynamics of cultivable S. symbiotica during the host's lifetime using quantitative PCR and fluorescence techniques and determined the immediate fitness consequences of these bacteria on their new host. We further examined the transmission behavior and phylogenetic position of cultivable strains. Our study revealed that cultivable S. symbiotica bacteria are predisposed to establish a symbiotic association with a new aphid host, settling in its gut. We show that cultivable S. symbiotica bacteria colonize the entire aphid digestive tract following infection, after which the bacteria multiply exponentially during aphid development. Our results further reveal that gut colonization by the bacteria induces a fitness cost to their hosts. Nevertheless, it appeared that the bacteria also offer an immediate protection against parasitoids. Interestingly, cultivable S. symbiotica strains seem to be extracellularly transmitted, possibly through the honeydew, while S. symbiotica is generally considered a maternally transmitted bacterium living within the aphid body cavity and bringing some benefits to its hosts, despite its costs. These findings provide new insights into the nature of symbiosis in aphids and the mechanisms underpinning these interactions.IMPORTANCE S. symbiotica is one of the most common symbionts among aphid populations and includes a wide variety of strains whose degree of interdependence on the host may vary considerably. S. symbiotica strains with a free-living capacity have recently been isolated from aphids. By using these strains, we established artificial associations by simulating new bacterial acquisitions involved in aphid gut infections to decipher their infection processes and biological effects on their new hosts. Our results showed the early stages involved in this route of infection. So far, S. symbiotica has been considered a maternally transmitted aphid endosymbiont. Nevertheless, we show that our cultivable S. symbiotica strains occupy and replicate in the aphid gut and seem to be transmitted over generations through an environmental transmission mechanism. Moreover, cultivable S. symbiotica bacteria are both parasites and mutualists given the context, as are many aphid endosymbionts. Our findings give new perception of the associations involved in bacterial mutualism in aphids.
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Moreira M, Aguiar AMF, Bourtzis K, Latorre A, Khadem M. Wolbachia (Alphaproteobacteria: Rickettsiales) Infections in Isolated Aphid Populations from Oceanic Islands of the Azores Archipelago: Revisiting the Supergroups M and N. ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY 2019; 48:326-334. [PMID: 30668658 DOI: 10.1093/ee/nvy189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae) have provided a suitable model to study endosymbionts, their community, and dynamics since the discovery of the obligate endosymbiont Buchnera aphidicola in these organisms. In previous studies, Wolbachia was found in some aphid species. In the present study, we report the prevalence of Wolbachia in aphids sampled from a geographically isolated region (Azores Islands), aiming at a better understanding and characterization of the two newly reported supergroups, M and N. The description of the supergroup M was based on 16S rRNA as well as some protein-coding genes. However, the assignment of the supergroup N was according to 16S rRNA gene sequences of a very few samples. We collected aphid samples and performed phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene as well as four protein-coding genes (gatB, ftsZ, coxA, and hcpA). The results demonstrate that the 16S rRNA gene data can unambiguously assign the strain supergroup and that the two supergroups, N and M, are equally prevalent in Azorean aphids. The available sequence data for the protein-coding markers can identify supergroup M but the status of supergroup N is inconclusive, requiring further studies. The data suggest that horizontal transmission of Wolbachia (Hertig and Wolbach) between two phylogenetically distant aphid species cohabiting the same plant host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Moreira
- Banco de Germoplasma, Universidade da Madeira, Funchal, Portugal
| | - António M F Aguiar
- Laboratório de Qualidade agrícola, Núcleo de Fitopatologia, Madeira, Portugal
| | - Kostas Bourtzis
- Insect Pest Control Laboratory, Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, Vienna, Austria
| | - Amparo Latorre
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (University of Valencia-CSIC), Valencia, Spain
- Joint Unit in Genomics and Health, Foundation for the Promotion of Sanitary and Biomedical Research (FISABIO) and University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Mahnaz Khadem
- Banco de Germoplasma, Universidade da Madeira, Funchal, Portugal
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Hafer N, Vorburger C. Diversity begets diversity: do parasites promote variation in protective symbionts? CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2019; 32:8-14. [PMID: 31113636 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2018.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2018] [Revised: 08/27/2018] [Accepted: 08/27/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Insects commonly possess heritable microbial symbionts that increase their resistance to particular parasites. A diverse community of defensive symbionts may thus provide hosts with effective and specific protection against multiple parasites, although costs might constrain the accumulation of many symbionts. In parallel to the allelic diversity in the MHC complex of the vertebrate immune system, parasite diversity could be the driving force behind symbiont diversity. There is indeed evidence that parasites have the ability to drive frequencies of defensive symbionts in their hosts, and that these symbionts influence parasite communities, but direct evidence that parasite diversity can promote symbiont diversity is still lacking. We provide suggestions to investigate this potential link.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Hafer
- EAWAG, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 133, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland.
| | - Christoph Vorburger
- EAWAG, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 133, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland; Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zürich, Universitätsstrasse 16, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
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