1
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Lu Y, Tang D, Liu Z, Zhao J, Chen Y, Ma J, Luo L, Yu H. Genomic comparative analysis of Ophiocordyceps unilateralis sensu lato. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1293077. [PMID: 38686108 PMCID: PMC11057048 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1293077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Ophiocordyceps unilateralis sensu lato is a common pathogenic fungus of ants. A new species, O. fusiformispora, was described based on morphology and phylogenetic evidence from five genes (SSU, LSU, TEF1α, RPB1, and RPB2). The whole genomes of O. fusiformispora, O. contiispora, O. subtiliphialida, O. satoi, O. flabellata, O. acroasca, and O. camponoti-leonardi were sequenced and annotated and compared with whole genome sequences of other species in O. unilateralis sensu lato. The basic genome-wide characteristics of the 12 species showed that the related species had similar GC content and genome size. AntiSMASH and local BLAST analyses revealed that the number and types of putative SM BGCs, NPPS, PKS, and hybrid PKS-NRPS domains for the 12 species differed significantly among different species in the same genus. The putative BGC of five compounds, namely, NG-391, lucilactaene, higginsianin B, pyripyropene A, and pyranonigrin E were excavated. NG-391 and lucilactaene were 7-desmethyl analogs of fusarin C. Furthermore, the 12 genomes had common domains, such as KS-AT-DH-MT-ER-KR-ACP and SAT-KS-AT-PT-ACP-ACP-Te. The ML and BI trees of SAT-KS-AT-PT-ACP-ACP-Te were highly consistent with the multigene phylogenetic tree in the 12 species. This study provided a method to obtain the living culture of O. unilateralis sensu lato species and its asexual formed on the basis of living culture, which was of great value for further study of O. unilateralis sensu lato species in the future, and also laid a foundation for further analysis of secondary metabolites of O. unilateralis sensu lato.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingling Lu
- Yunnan Herbal Laboratory, College of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
- The International Joint Research Center for Sustainable Utilization of Cordyceps Bioresources in China and Southeast Asia, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Dexiang Tang
- Yunnan Herbal Laboratory, College of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
- The International Joint Research Center for Sustainable Utilization of Cordyceps Bioresources in China and Southeast Asia, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Zuoheng Liu
- Yunnan Herbal Laboratory, College of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
- The International Joint Research Center for Sustainable Utilization of Cordyceps Bioresources in China and Southeast Asia, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Jing Zhao
- Yunnan Herbal Laboratory, College of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
- The International Joint Research Center for Sustainable Utilization of Cordyceps Bioresources in China and Southeast Asia, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Yue Chen
- Yunnan Herbal Laboratory, College of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
- The International Joint Research Center for Sustainable Utilization of Cordyceps Bioresources in China and Southeast Asia, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Jinmei Ma
- Yunnan Herbal Laboratory, College of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
- The International Joint Research Center for Sustainable Utilization of Cordyceps Bioresources in China and Southeast Asia, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Lijun Luo
- Yunnan Herbal Laboratory, College of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
- The International Joint Research Center for Sustainable Utilization of Cordyceps Bioresources in China and Southeast Asia, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Hong Yu
- Yunnan Herbal Laboratory, College of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
- The International Joint Research Center for Sustainable Utilization of Cordyceps Bioresources in China and Southeast Asia, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
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2
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Will I, Attardo GM, de Bekker C. Multiomic interpretation of fungus-infected ant metabolomes during manipulated summit disease. Sci Rep 2023; 13:14363. [PMID: 37658067 PMCID: PMC10474057 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-40065-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Camponotus floridanus ants show altered behaviors followed by a fatal summiting phenotype when infected with manipulating Ophiocordyceps camponoti-floridani fungi. Host summiting as a strategy to increase transmission is also observed with parasite taxa beyond fungi, including aquatic and terrestrial helminths and baculoviruses. The drastic phenotypic changes can sometimes reflect significant molecular changes in gene expression and metabolite concentrations measured in manipulated hosts. Nevertheless, the underlying mechanisms still need to be fully characterized. To investigate the small molecules producing summiting behavior, we infected C. floridanus ants with O. camponoti-floridani and sampled their heads for LC-MS/MS when we observed the characteristic summiting phenotype. We link this metabolomic data with our previous genomic and transcriptomic data to propose mechanisms that underlie manipulated summiting behavior in "zombie ants." This "multiomic" evidence points toward the dysregulation of neurotransmitter levels and neuronal signaling. We propose that these processes are altered during infection and manipulation based on (1) differential expression of neurotransmitter synthesis and receptor genes, (2) altered abundance of metabolites and neurotransmitters (or their precursors) with known behavioral effects in ants and other insects, and (3) possible suppression of a connected immunity pathway. We additionally report signals for metabolic activity during manipulation related to primary metabolism, detoxification, and anti-stress protectants. Taken together, these findings suggest that host manipulation is likely a multi-faceted phenomenon, with key processes changing at multiple levels of molecular organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Will
- Biology Department, University of Central Florida, Orlando, USA.
| | - G M Attardo
- Entomology and Nematology Department, University of California-Davis, Davis, USA
| | - C de Bekker
- Biology Department, University of Central Florida, Orlando, USA.
- Biology Department, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
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3
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Li Z, Bhat B, Frank ET, Oliveira-Honorato T, Azuma F, Bachmann V, Parker DJ, Schmitt T, Economo EP, Ulrich Y. Behavioural individuality determines infection risk in clonal ant colonies. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5233. [PMID: 37634010 PMCID: PMC10460416 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40983-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/28/2023] Open
Abstract
In social groups, infection risk is not distributed evenly across individuals. Individual behaviour is a key source of variation in infection risk, yet its effects are difficult to separate from other factors (e.g., age). Here, we combine epidemiological experiments with chemical, transcriptomic, and automated behavioural analyses in clonal ant colonies, where behavioural individuality emerges among identical workers. We find that: (1) Caenorhabditis-related nematodes parasitise ant heads and affect their survival and physiology, (2) differences in infection emerge from behavioural variation alone, and reflect spatially-organised division of labour, (3) infections affect colony social organisation by causing infected workers to stay in the nest. By disproportionately infecting some workers and shifting their spatial distribution, infections reduce division of labour and increase spatial overlap between hosts, which should facilitate parasite transmission. Thus, division of labour, a defining feature of societies, not only shapes infection risk and distribution but is also modulated by parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zimai Li
- Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
- Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Bhoomika Bhat
- Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - Erik T Frank
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocentre, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | | | - Fumika Azuma
- Biodiversity and Biocomplexity Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Japan
| | - Valérie Bachmann
- Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | | | - Thomas Schmitt
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocentre, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Evan P Economo
- Biodiversity and Biocomplexity Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Japan
| | - Yuko Ulrich
- Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany.
- Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
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4
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Will I, Beckerson WC, de Bekker C. Using machine learning to predict protein-protein interactions between a zombie ant fungus and its carpenter ant host. Sci Rep 2023; 13:13821. [PMID: 37620441 PMCID: PMC10449854 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-40764-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Parasitic fungi produce proteins that modulate virulence, alter host physiology, and trigger host responses. These proteins, classified as a type of "effector," often act via protein-protein interactions (PPIs). The fungal parasite Ophiocordyceps camponoti-floridani (zombie ant fungus) manipulates Camponotus floridanus (carpenter ant) behavior to promote transmission. The most striking aspect of this behavioral change is a summit disease phenotype where infected hosts ascend and attach to an elevated position. Plausibly, interspecific PPIs drive aspects of Ophiocordyceps infection and host manipulation. Machine learning PPI predictions offer high-throughput methods to produce mechanistic hypotheses on how this behavioral manipulation occurs. Using D-SCRIPT to predict host-parasite PPIs, we found ca. 6000 interactions involving 2083 host proteins and 129 parasite proteins, which are encoded by genes upregulated during manipulated behavior. We identified multiple overrepresentations of functional annotations among these proteins. The strongest signals in the host highlighted neuromodulatory G-protein coupled receptors and oxidation-reduction processes. We also detected Camponotus structural and gene-regulatory proteins. In the parasite, we found enrichment of Ophiocordyceps proteases and frequent involvement of novel small secreted proteins with unknown functions. From these results, we provide new hypotheses on potential parasite effectors and host targets underlying zombie ant behavioral manipulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian Will
- Department of Biology, University of Central Florida, 4110 Libra Drive, Orlando, FL, 32816, USA.
| | - William C Beckerson
- Department of Biology, University of Central Florida, 4110 Libra Drive, Orlando, FL, 32816, USA
| | - Charissa de Bekker
- Department of Biology, University of Central Florida, 4110 Libra Drive, Orlando, FL, 32816, USA.
- Department of Biology, Microbiology, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
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5
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Forti LR, Szabo JK, Japyassú HF. Host manipulation by parasites through the lens of Niche Construction Theory. Behav Processes 2023:104907. [PMID: 37352944 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2023.104907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 06/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2023]
Abstract
The effect of parasites on host behaviour is generally considered an example of the extended phenotype, implying that parasite genes alter host behaviour to benefit the parasite. While the extended phenotype is a valid perspective supported by empirical examples, this approach was proposed from an evolutionary perspective and it does not fully explain all processes that occur at ecological time scales. For instance, the roles of the ontogenetic environment, memory and learning in forming the host phenotype are not explicitly mentioned. Furthermore, the cumulative effect of diverse populations or communities of parasites on host phenotype cannot be attributed to a particular genotype, much less to a particular gene. Building on the idea that the behaviour of a host is the result of a complex process, which certainly goes beyond a specific parasite gene, we use Niche Construction Theory to describe certain systems that are not generally the main focus in the extended phenotype (EP) model. We introduce three niche construction models with corresponding empirical examples that capture the diversity and complexity of host-parasite interactions, providing predictions that simpler models cannot generate. We hope that this novel perspective will inspire further research on the topic, given the impact of ecological factors on both short-, and long-term effects of parasitism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Rodriguez Forti
- Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Rua Barão de Jeremoabo, 668 - Campus de Ondina CEP: 40170-115 Salvador - Bahia, Brazil; Departamento de Biociências, Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido, Av. Francisco Mota, 572 - Bairro Costa e Silva, 59625-900, Mossoró - Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil.
| | - Judit K Szabo
- Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Rua Barão de Jeremoabo, 668 - Campus de Ondina CEP: 40170-115 Salvador - Bahia, Brazil; College of Engineering, IT and Environment, Charles Darwin University, Casuarina, Northern Territory 0909, Australia
| | - Hilton F Japyassú
- Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Rua Barão de Jeremoabo, 668 - Campus de Ondina CEP: 40170-115 Salvador - Bahia, Brazil; INCT-INTREE: Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia para estudos Interdisciplinares e Transdisciplinares em Ecologia e Evolução, Universidade Federal da Bahia
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6
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Tang D, Huang O, Zou W, Wang Y, Wang Y, Dong Q, Sun T, Yang G, Yu H. Six new species of zombie-ant fungi from Yunnan in China. IMA Fungus 2023; 14:9. [PMID: 37170179 PMCID: PMC10173673 DOI: 10.1186/s43008-023-00114-9] [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: 07/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Some Ophiocordyceps species infecting ants are able to manipulate the host behavior. The hosts are manipulated in order to move to location that are advantageous for fungal spore transmission. Ophiocordyceps species that are able to manipulate the ant's behavior are called "zombie-ant fungi". They are widespread within tropical forests worldwide, with relatively few reports from subtropical monsoon evergreen broad-leaf forest. Zombie-ant fungi have been described and reported in different countries worldwide. However, there were a few reports from China. This study proposed six new species of zombie-ant fungi from China based on multi-gene (SSU, LSU, TEF, RPB1 and RPB2) phylogenetic analyses and morphological characteristics. Six novel species of Ophiocordyceps from China were identified as the Ophiocordyceps unilateralis core clade, forming a separate lineage with other species. Six novel species of Ophiocordyceps with hirsutella-like asexual morphs exclusively infecting ants were presented herein, namely, Ophiocordyceps acroasca, Ophiocordyceps bifertilis, Ophiocordyceps subtiliphialida, Ophiocordyceps basiasca, Ophiocordyceps nuozhaduensis and Ophiocordyceps contiispora. Descriptions and illustrations for six taxon were provided. Five of these species were collected from the subtropical monsoon evergreen broad-leaf forest, and one was collected from the rainforest and subtropical monsoon evergreen broad-leaf forest. This work proposes that the same host of Camponotus can be infected by multiple ant pathogenic fungi, while multiple ants of Polyrhachis can be infected by the same pathogenic fungi at the same time. This study contributes towards a better understanding of the evolutionary relationship between hosts and fungi, and provides novel insights into the morphology, distribution, parasitism, and ecology of Ophiocordyceps unilateralis sensu lato. We have provided a method for obtaining living cultures of Ophiocordyceps unilateralis complex species and their asexual morphs based on the living cultures, which is of significant value for further studies of Ophiocordyceps unilateralis complex species in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dexiang Tang
- Yunnan Herbal Laboratory, College of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650504, China
- School of Life Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650504, China
| | - Ou Huang
- Yunnan Herbal Laboratory, College of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650504, China
- School of Life Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650504, China
| | - Weiqiu Zou
- Yunnan Herbal Laboratory, College of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650504, China
- School of Life Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650504, China
| | - Yuanbing Wang
- Yunnan Herbal Laboratory, College of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650504, China
- Yunnan Key Laboratory for Fungal Diversity and Green Development, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China
| | - Yao Wang
- Yunnan Herbal Laboratory, College of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650504, China
| | - Quanying Dong
- Yunnan Herbal Laboratory, College of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650504, China
- School of Life Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650504, China
| | - Tao Sun
- Yunnan Herbal Laboratory, College of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650504, China
- School of Life Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650504, China
| | - Gang Yang
- The Council of Management and Conservation of Sun River National Park, Puer, 665000, China
| | - Hong Yu
- Yunnan Herbal Laboratory, College of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650504, China.
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7
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Kelly JR, Clarke G, Harkin A, Corr SC, Galvin S, Pradeep V, Cryan JF, O'Keane V, Dinan TG. Seeking the Psilocybiome: Psychedelics meet the microbiota-gut-brain axis. Int J Clin Health Psychol 2023; 23:100349. [PMID: 36605409 PMCID: PMC9791138 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijchp.2022.100349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Moving towards a systems psychiatry paradigm embraces the inherent complex interactions across all levels from micro to macro and necessitates an integrated approach to treatment. Cortical 5-HT2A receptors are key primary targets for the effects of serotonergic psychedelics. However, the therapeutic mechanisms underlying psychedelic therapy are complex and traverse molecular, cellular, and network levels, under the influence of biofeedback signals from the periphery and the environment. At the interface between the individual and the environment, the gut microbiome, via the gut-brain axis, plays an important role in the unconscious parallel processing systems regulating host neurophysiology. While psychedelic and microbial signalling systems operate over different timescales, the microbiota-gut-brain (MGB) axis, as a convergence hub between multiple biofeedback systems may play a role in the preparatory phase, the acute administration phase, and the integration phase of psychedelic therapy. In keeping with an interconnected systems-based approach, this review will discuss the gut microbiome and mycobiome and pathways of the MGB axis, and then explore the potential interaction between psychedelic therapy and the MGB axis and how this might influence mechanism of action and treatment response. Finally, we will discuss the possible implications for a precision medicine-based psychedelic therapy paradigm.
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Affiliation(s)
- John R. Kelly
- Department of Psychiatry, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
- Tallaght University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Gerard Clarke
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Science, University College Cork, Ireland
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | | | - Sinead C. Corr
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- Department of Microbiology, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
| | - Stephen Galvin
- Department of Psychiatry, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Vishnu Pradeep
- Department of Psychiatry, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
- Tallaght University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | - John F. Cryan
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Science, University College Cork, Ireland
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Veronica O'Keane
- Department of Psychiatry, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
- Tallaght University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
- Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Ireland
| | - Timothy G. Dinan
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Science, University College Cork, Ireland
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
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8
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de Bekker C, Das B. Hijacking time: How Ophiocordyceps fungi could be using ant host clocks to manipulate behavior. Parasite Immunol 2022; 44:e12909. [PMID: 35103986 PMCID: PMC9287076 DOI: 10.1111/pim.12909] [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: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Ophiocordyceps fungi manipulate ant behaviour as a transmission strategy. Conspicuous changes in the daily timing of disease phenotypes suggest that Ophiocordyceps and other manipulators could be hijacking the host clock. We discuss the available data that support the notion that Ophiocordyceps fungi could be hijacking ant host clocks and consider how altering daily behavioural rhythms could benefit the fungal infection cycle. By reviewing time‐course transcriptomics data for the parasite and the host, we argue that Ophiocordyceps has a light‐entrainable clock that might drive daily expression of candidate manipulation genes. Moreover, ant rhythms are seemingly highly plastic and involved in behavioural division of labour, which could make them susceptible to parasite hijacking. To provisionally test whether the expression of ant behavioural plasticity and rhythmicity genes could be affected by fungal manipulation, we performed a gene co‐expression network analysis on ant time‐course data and linked it to available behavioural manipulation data. We found that behavioural plasticity genes reside in the same modules as those affected during fungal manipulation. These modules showed significant connectivity with rhythmic gene modules, suggesting that Ophiocordyceps could be indirectly affecting the expression of those genes as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charissa de Bekker
- Department of Biology and Genomics and Bioinformatics Cluster, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA
| | - Biplabendu Das
- Department of Biology and Genomics and Bioinformatics Cluster, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA
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9
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Yang Y, Xiao Y, Yu G, Wen T, Deng C, Meng J, Lu Z. Ophiocordycepsaphrophoridarum sp. nov., a new entomopathogenic species from Guizhou, China. Biodivers Data J 2022; 9:e66115. [PMID: 34975278 PMCID: PMC8716513 DOI: 10.3897/bdj.9.e66115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Ophiocordyceps is the largest genus in the family Ophiocordicipitaceae, including many entomopathogenic species. In recent years, many species have been described in this genus, with a wide range of host insects. Entomopathogenic fungi include ecologically, economically and medicinally important species, but a large portion of their diversity remains to be discovered and described. New information In this study, a new species, Ophiocordycepsaphrophoridarum sp. nov, parasitising Aphrophoridae sp. (Hemiptera) is proposed from China, based on evidence from morphology and molecular phylogenetic analyses. This species is characterised by fibrous, pigmented stromata, cylindrical asci and filiform ascospores. Compared to its closest relative, O.tricentri, the new species has wider perithecia and longer asci. Molecular phylogenetic analyses of a multilocus dataset (consisting of SSU, ITS, LSU, TEF1, RPB1 and RPB2) confirm its placement in Ophiocordyceps. Ophiocordycepsaphrophoridarum is morphologically described and illustrated with colour photographs. Morphological comparisons with closely-related species are also presented in tabulated format.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Yang
- School of liquor and food engineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China School of liquor and food engineering, Guizhou University Guiyang China.,The Engineering Research Center of Southwest Bio-Pharmaceutical Resources, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China The Engineering Research Center of Southwest Bio-Pharmaceutical Resources, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University Guiyang China.,Mushroom Research Center, School of agriculture, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China Mushroom Research Center, School of agriculture, Guizhou University Guiyang China
| | - Yuanpin Xiao
- Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, Thailand Mae Fah Luang University Chiang Rai Thailand.,The Engineering Research Center of Southwest Bio-Pharmaceutical Resources, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China The Engineering Research Center of Southwest Bio-Pharmaceutical Resources, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University Guiyang China
| | - Gangjiang Yu
- School of liquor and food engineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China School of liquor and food engineering, Guizhou University Guiyang China.,The Engineering Research Center of Southwest Bio-Pharmaceutical Resources, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China The Engineering Research Center of Southwest Bio-Pharmaceutical Resources, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University Guiyang China.,Mushroom Research Center, School of agriculture, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China Mushroom Research Center, School of agriculture, Guizhou University Guiyang China
| | - TingChi Wen
- School of liquor and food engineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China School of liquor and food engineering, Guizhou University Guiyang China.,The Engineering Research Center of Southwest Bio-Pharmaceutical Resources, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China The Engineering Research Center of Southwest Bio-Pharmaceutical Resources, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University Guiyang China.,Mushroom Research Center, School of agriculture, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China Mushroom Research Center, School of agriculture, Guizhou University Guiyang China.,State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University Guiyang China
| | - ChunYing Deng
- Guizhou Institute of Biology, Guizhou Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, China Guizhou Institute of Biology, Guizhou Academy of Sciences Guiyang China
| | - Juan Meng
- The Engineering Research Center of Southwest Bio-Pharmaceutical Resources, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China The Engineering Research Center of Southwest Bio-Pharmaceutical Resources, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University Guiyang China.,Mushroom Research Center, School of agriculture, Guiyang, China Mushroom Research Center, School of agriculture Guiyang China
| | - Zhenghua Lu
- School of liquor and food engineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China School of liquor and food engineering, Guizhou University Guiyang China.,The Engineering Research Center of Southwest Bio-Pharmaceutical Resources, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China The Engineering Research Center of Southwest Bio-Pharmaceutical Resources, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University Guiyang China.,Mushroom Research Center, School of agriculture, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China Mushroom Research Center, School of agriculture, Guizhou University Guiyang China
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10
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Host Manipulation Mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2. Acta Biotheor 2021; 70:4. [PMID: 34902063 PMCID: PMC8667538 DOI: 10.1007/s10441-021-09425-z] [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: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Viruses are the simplest of pathogens, but possess sophisticated molecular mechanisms to manipulate host behavior, frequently utilizing molecular mimicry. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been shown to bind to the host receptor neuropilin-1 in order to gain entry into the cell. To do this, the virus utilizes its spike protein polybasic cleavage site (PCS), which mimics the CendR motif of neuropilin-1's endogenous ligands. In addition to facilitating cell entry, binding to neuropilin-1 has analgesic effects. We discuss the potential impact of neuropilin-1 binding by SARS-CoV-2 in ameliorating sickness behavior of the host, and identify a convergent evolutionary strategy of PCS cleavage and subsequent neuropilin binding in other human viruses. In addition, we discuss the evolutionary leap of the ancestor of SARS-COV-2, which involved acquisition of the PCS thus faciliting binding to the neuropilin-1 receptor. Acquisition of the PCS by the ancestor of SARS-CoV-2 appears to have led to pleiotropic beneficial effects including enhancement of cell entry via binding to ACE2, facilitation of cell entry via binding to neuropilin-1, promotion of analgesia, and potentially the formation of decoy epitopes via enhanced shedding of the S1 subunit. Lastly, other potential neuromanipulation strategies employed by SARS-CoV-2 are discussed, including interferon suppression and the resulting reduction in sickness behavior, enhanced transmission through neurally mediated cough induction, and reduction in sense of smell.
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11
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Possible impacts of the predominant Bacillus bacteria on the Ophiocordyceps unilateralis s. l. in its infected ant cadavers. Sci Rep 2021; 11:22695. [PMID: 34811424 PMCID: PMC8609033 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-02094-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal hosts infected and killed by parasitoid fungi become nutrient-rich cadavers for saprophytes. Bacteria adapted to colonization of parasitoid fungi can be selected and can predominate in the cadavers, actions that consequently impact the fitness of the parasitoid fungi. In Taiwan, the zombie fungus, Ophiocordyceps unilateralis sensu lato (Clavicipitaceae: Hypocreales), was found to parasitize eight ant species, with preference for a principal host, Polyrhachis moesta. In this study, ant cadavers grew a fungal stroma that was predominated by Bacillus cereus/thuringiensis. The bacterial diversity in the principal ant host was found to be lower than the bacterial diversity in alternative hosts, a situation that might enhance the impact of B. cereus/thuringiensis on the sympatric fungus. The B. cereus/thuringiensis isolates from fungal stroma displayed higher resistance to a specific naphthoquinone (plumbagin) than sympatric bacteria from the environment. Naphthoquinones are known to be produced by O. unilateralis s. l., and hence the resistance displayed by B. cereus/thuringiensis isolates to these compounds suggests an advantage to B. cereus/thuringiensis to grow in the ant cadaver. Bacteria proliferating in the ant cadaver inevitably compete for resources with the fungus. However, the B. cereus/thuringiensis isolates displayed in vitro capabilities of hemolysis, production of hydrolytic enzymes, and antagonistic effects to co-cultured nematodes and entomopathogenic fungi. Thus, co-infection with B. cereus/thuringiensis offers potential benefits to the zombie fungus in killing the host under favorable conditions for reproduction, digesting the host tissue, and protecting the cadaver from being taken over by other consumers. With these potential benefits, the synergistic effect of B. cereus/thuringiensis on O. unilateralis infection is noteworthy given the competitive relationship of these two organisms sharing the same resource.
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12
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de Bekker C, Beckerson WC, Elya C. Mechanisms behind the Madness: How Do Zombie-Making Fungal Entomopathogens Affect Host Behavior To Increase Transmission? mBio 2021; 12:e0187221. [PMID: 34607463 PMCID: PMC8546595 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01872-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Transmission is a crucial step in all pathogen life cycles. As such, certain species have evolved complex traits that increase their chances to find and invade new hosts. Fungal species that hijack insect behaviors are evident examples. Many of these "zombie-making" entomopathogens cause their hosts to exhibit heightened activity, seek out elevated positions, and display body postures that promote spore dispersal, all with specific circadian timing. Answering how fungal entomopathogens manipulate their hosts will increase our understanding of molecular aspects underlying fungus-insect interactions, pathogen-host coevolution, and the regulation of animal behavior. It may also lead to the discovery of novel bioactive compounds, given that the fungi involved have traditionally been understudied. This minireview summarizes and discusses recent work on zombie-making fungi of the orders Hypocreales and Entomophthorales that has resulted in hypotheses regarding the mechanisms that drive fungal manipulation of insect behavior. We discuss mechanical processes, host chemical signaling pathways, and fungal secreted effectors proposed to be involved in establishing pathogen-adaptive behaviors. Additionally, we touch on effectors' possible modes of action and how the convergent evolution of host manipulation could have given rise to the many parallels in observed behaviors across fungus-insect systems and beyond. However, the hypothesized mechanisms of behavior manipulation have yet to be proven. We, therefore, also suggest avenues of research that would move the field toward a more quantitative future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charissa de Bekker
- Department of Biology, College of Sciences, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, USA
- Genomics and Bioinformatics Cluster, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, USA
| | - William C. Beckerson
- Department of Biology, College of Sciences, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, USA
- Genomics and Bioinformatics Cluster, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, USA
| | - Carolyn Elya
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
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13
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Wells T, Carruthers T, Muñoz-Rodríguez P, Sumadijaya A, Wood JRI, Scotland RW. Species as a heuristic: reconciling theory and practice. Syst Biol 2021; 71:1233-1243. [PMID: 34672346 PMCID: PMC9366457 DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syab087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Species are crucial to most branches of biological research, yet remain controversial in terms of definition, delimitation, and reality. The difficulty of resolving the “species problem” stems from the tension between their theoretical concept as groups of evolving and highly variable organisms and the practical need for a stable and comparable unit of biology. Here, we suggest that treating species as a heuristic can be consistent with a theoretical definition of what species are and with the practical means by which they are identified and delimited. Specifically, we suggest that theoretically species are heuristic since they comprise clusters of closely related individuals responding in a similar manner to comparable sets of evolutionary and ecological forces, whilst they are practically heuristic because they are identifiable by the congruence of contingent properties indicative of those forces. This reconciliation of the theoretical basis of species with their practical applications in biological research allows for a loose but relatively consistent definition of species based on the strategic analysis and integration of genotypic, phenotypic, and ecotypic data. [Cohesion; heuristic; homeostasis; lineage; species problem.]
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom Wells
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | | | - Alex Sumadijaya
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,National Research and Innovation Agency, Cibinong Science Center, Indonesia
| | - John R I Wood
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, UK
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14
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Berger CS, Laroche J, Maaroufi H, Martin H, Moon KM, Landry CR, Foster LJ, Aubin-Horth N. The parasite Schistocephalus solidus secretes proteins with putative host manipulation functions. Parasit Vectors 2021; 14:436. [PMID: 34454597 PMCID: PMC8400842 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-021-04933-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Manipulative parasites are thought to liberate molecules in their external environment, acting as manipulation factors with biological functions implicated in their host's physiological and behavioural alterations. These manipulation factors are part of a complex mixture called the secretome. While the secretomes of various parasites have been described, there is very little data for a putative manipulative parasite. It is necessary to study the molecular interaction between a manipulative parasite and its host to better understand how such alterations evolve. METHODS Here, we used proteomics to characterize the secretome of a model cestode with a complex life cycle based on trophic transmission. We studied Schistocephalus solidus during the life stage in which behavioural changes take place in its obligatory intermediate fish host, the threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus). We produced a novel genome sequence and assembly of S. solidus to improve protein coding gene prediction and annotation for this parasite. We then described the whole worm's proteome and its secretome during fish host infection using LC-MS/MS. RESULTS A total of 2290 proteins were detected in the proteome of S. solidus, and 30 additional proteins were detected specifically in the secretome. We found that the secretome contains proteases, proteins with neural and immune functions, as well as proteins involved in cell communication. We detected receptor-type tyrosine-protein phosphatases, which were reported in other parasitic systems to be manipulation factors. We also detected 12 S. solidus-specific proteins in the secretome that may play important roles in host-parasite interactions. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that S. solidus liberates molecules with putative host manipulation functions in the host and that many of them are species-specific.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloé Suzanne Berger
- Département de Biologie, Université Laval, Quebec, QC Canada
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative Et Des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Quebec, QC Canada
- Ressources Aquatiques Québec (RAQ), Institut Des Sciences de La Mer de Rimouski, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jérôme Laroche
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative Et Des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Quebec, QC Canada
| | - Halim Maaroufi
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative Et Des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Quebec, QC Canada
| | - Hélène Martin
- Département de Biologie, Université Laval, Quebec, QC Canada
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative Et Des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Quebec, QC Canada
- Département de Biochimie, Microbiologie Et Bioinformatique, Université Laval, Quebec, QC Canada
| | - Kyung-Mee Moon
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, V6T 1Z4 Canada
| | - Christian R. Landry
- Département de Biologie, Université Laval, Quebec, QC Canada
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative Et Des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Quebec, QC Canada
- Département de Biochimie, Microbiologie Et Bioinformatique, Université Laval, Quebec, QC Canada
- PROTEO, Le Réseau Québécois de Recherche Sur La Fonction, la structure et l’ingénierie des protéines, Université Laval, Quebec, Canada
- Centre de Recherche en Données Massives (CRDM), Université Laval, Quebec, Canada
| | - Leonard J. Foster
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, V6T 1Z4 Canada
| | - Nadia Aubin-Horth
- Département de Biologie, Université Laval, Quebec, QC Canada
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative Et Des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Quebec, QC Canada
- Ressources Aquatiques Québec (RAQ), Institut Des Sciences de La Mer de Rimouski, Quebec, Canada
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15
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Csata E, Billen J, Barbu-Tudoran L, Markó B. Inside Pandora's box: Development of the lethal myrmecopathogenic fungus Pandora formicae within its ant host. FUNGAL ECOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.funeco.2020.101022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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16
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Insect Behavioral Change and the Potential Contributions of Neuroinflammation-A Call for Future Research. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12040465. [PMID: 33805190 PMCID: PMC8064348 DOI: 10.3390/genes12040465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Revised: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Many organisms are able to elicit behavioral change in other organisms. Examples include different microbes (e.g., viruses and fungi), parasites (e.g., hairworms and trematodes), and parasitoid wasps. In most cases, the mechanisms underlying host behavioral change remain relatively unclear. There is a growing body of literature linking alterations in immune signaling with neuron health, communication, and function; however, there is a paucity of data detailing the effects of altered neuroimmune signaling on insect neuron function and how glial cells may contribute toward neuron dysregulation. It is important to consider the potential impacts of altered neuroimmune communication on host behavior and reflect on its potential role as an important tool in the "neuro-engineer" toolkit. In this review, we examine what is known about the relationships between the insect immune and nervous systems. We highlight organisms that are able to influence insect behavior and discuss possible mechanisms of behavioral manipulation, including potentially dysregulated neuroimmune communication. We close by identifying opportunities for integrating research in insect innate immunity, glial cell physiology, and neurobiology in the investigation of behavioral manipulation.
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17
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Li M, Meng Q, Zhang H, Shu R, Zhao Y, Wu P, Li X, Zhou G, Qin Q, Zhang J. Changes in transcriptomic and metabolomic profiles of morphotypes of Ophiocordyceps sinensis within the hemocoel of its host larvae, Thitarodes xiaojinensis. BMC Genomics 2020; 21:789. [PMID: 33176684 PMCID: PMC7659167 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-020-07209-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Ophiocordyceps sinensis (Berk.) is a well-known entomopathogenic and medicinal fungus. It parasitizes and mummifies the underground ghost moth larvae to produce a fruiting body named Chinese cordyceps. Specific for the fungus, O. sinensis experiences a biotrophic vegetative growth period spanning over 5 months. During this vegetative growth, it appears successively in the host hemocoel in three/four morphotypes, namely, the yeast-like blastospores (subdivided into proliferative (BP) and stationary phase (BS)), prehyphae (PreHy) and the hyphae (Hy). This peculiar morphogenesis has been elucidated through morphological and ultrastructural observations, but its molecular basis remains cryptic. In this study, transcriptome and metabolome profiling of BP, BS, PreHy and Hy stages were performed to characterize the key genes, metabolites, and signaling pathways that regulated the vegetative development of O. sinensis in Thitarodes xiaojinensis larva. Results The molecular events and metabolic pathways that regulated different intracellular processes at various stages were examined. Cluster analyses of differentially expressed genes across the four stages revealed the stage specifically enriched pathways. Analysis of metabolome profiles showed that carbon metabolism and several amino acids biosynthesis were significantly perturbed during the tested development stages of O. sinensis in the host hemocoel. Genes homologous to Saccharomyces cerevisiae MAPK cascade were significantly up-regulated during the transition from blastospore to hypha. The up-regulation of Sho1, a regulator protein, suggested nutrient starvation act a role in activation of MAPK pathway and filamentous growth. In addition, up-regulation of several fatty acid synthesis genes and their corresponding products accumulation in the samples of BS might explain more lipid droplets were observed in BS than in BP. Coupled with the up-regulation of fatty acid degradation during PreHy and Hy stages, it is presumed that lipid accumulation and mobilization play important roles in filamentous development. Conclusions This is the first report comprehensively describing developmental transcriptomics and metabolomics of O. sinensis in vivo. Our findings provide new perspectives into the key pathways and hub genes involved in morphological changes of fungus developed in the hemocoel of its host, and are expected to guide future studies on morphogenesis and morphotype changes of entomopathogenic fungi in vivo. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12864-020-07209-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miaomiao Li
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Qian Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Huan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Ruihao Shu
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yanni Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Peipei Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xuan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Guiling Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Qilian Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
| | - Jihong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
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18
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Araújo JPM, Evans HC, Fernandes IO, Ishler MJ, Hughes DP. Zombie-ant fungi cross continents: II. Myrmecophilous hymenostilboid species and a novel zombie lineage. Mycologia 2020; 112:1138-1170. [PMID: 33146584 DOI: 10.1080/00275514.2020.1822093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Ophiocordyceps species infecting ants are globally distributed, with diversity concentrated in the tropics and decreasing with increasing latitude. Among these myrmecophilous species, the ones exhibiting the ability to manipulate host behavior, the so-called "zombie-ant fungi" of the O. unilateralis clade, have been studied progressively over the last decade. However, we know very little about other myrmecophilous groups, such as species within the Ophiocordyceps subgenus Neocordyceps. Species within this group exhibit Hymenostilbe asexual morphs with the ascospores readily breaking into part-spores and regularly kill their hosts on the forest floor, with few records of behavioral manipulation. Here, we describe five new species of Ophiocordyceps belonging to the subgenus Neocordyceps infecting ants in the rainforests of the Brazilian Amazon and Ghana and analyze their ability to manipulate host behavior. We also propose a new status for a species previously described as a variety, providing its phylogenetic placement for the first time. The species proposed herein can readily be separated using classic taxonomic criteria, and this is further supported by ecological and molecular multiloci data.
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Affiliation(s)
- J P M Araújo
- Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park , Pennsylvania, 16802.,Tropical Biosphere Research Center, University of the Ryukyus , Nishihara, Japan.,School of Forest Resources and Conservation, University of Florida , Gainesville, Florida 32605
| | - H C Evans
- CAB International, Europe-UK , Egham, Surrey, UK
| | - I O Fernandes
- Coordenação em Biodiversidade/Entomologia, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia , Manaus, Brazil
| | - M J Ishler
- Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park , Pennsylvania, 16802
| | - D P Hughes
- Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park , Pennsylvania, 16802.,Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park , Pennsylvania 16802
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19
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Dengue infection modulates locomotion and host seeking in Aedes aegypti. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2020; 14:e0008531. [PMID: 32911504 PMCID: PMC7482838 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2020] [Accepted: 06/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Pathogens may manipulate their human and mosquito hosts to enhance disease transmission. Dengue, caused by four viral serotypes, is the fastest-growing transmissible disease globally resulting in 50-100 million infections annually. Transmission of the disease relies on the interaction between humans and the vector Aedes aegypti and is largely dependent on the odor-mediated host seeking of female mosquitoes. In this study, we use activity monitors to demonstrate that dengue virus-1 affects the locomotion and odor-mediated behavior of Ae. aegypti, reflecting the progression of infection within the mosquito. Mosquitoes 4-6 days post-infection increase locomotion, but do not alter their odor-driven host-seeking response. In contrast, females 14-16 days post-infection are less active, yet more sensitive to human odors as assessed by behavioral and electrophysiological assays. Such an increase in physiological and behavioral sensitivity is reflected by the antennal-specific increase in abundance of neural signaling transcripts in 14 days post-infection females, as determined by transcriptome analysis. This suggests that the sensitivity of the mosquito peripheral olfactory system is altered by the dengue virus by enhancing the overall neural responsiveness of the antenna, rather than the selective regulation of chemosensory-related genes. Our study reveals that dengue virus-1 enhances vector-related behaviors in the early stages post-infection that aid in avoiding predation and increasing spatial exploration. On the other hand, at the later stages of infection, the virus enhances the host-seeking capacity of the vector, thereby increasing the risk of virus transmission. A potential mechanism is discussed.
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20
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Genetic Underpinnings of Host Manipulation by Ophiocordyceps as Revealed by Comparative Transcriptomics. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2020; 10:2275-2296. [PMID: 32354705 PMCID: PMC7341126 DOI: 10.1534/g3.120.401290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Ant-infecting Ophiocordyceps fungi are globally distributed, host manipulating, specialist parasites that drive aberrant behaviors in infected ants, at a lethal cost to the host. An apparent increase in activity and wandering behaviors precedes a final summiting and biting behavior onto vegetation, which positions the manipulated ant in a site beneficial for fungal growth and transmission. We investigated the genetic underpinnings of host manipulation by: (i) producing a high-quality hybrid assembly and annotation of the Ophiocordyceps camponoti-floridani genome, (ii) conducting laboratory infections coupled with RNAseq of O. camponoti-floridani and its host, Camponotus floridanus, and (iii) comparing these data to RNAseq data of Ophiocordyceps kimflemingiae and Camponotus castaneus as a powerful method to identify gene expression patterns that suggest shared behavioral manipulation mechanisms across Ophiocordyceps-ant species interactions. We propose differentially expressed genes tied to ant neurobiology, odor response, circadian rhythms, and foraging behavior may result by activity of putative fungal effectors such as enterotoxins, aflatrem, and mechanisms disrupting feeding behaviors in the ant.
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21
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Going gentle into that pathogen-induced goodnight. J Invertebr Pathol 2020; 174:107398. [PMID: 32473941 DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2020.107398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2020] [Revised: 04/02/2020] [Accepted: 04/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
A diverse set of pathogens have evolved extended phenotypes that manipulate the moribund behavior of their various insect hosts. By elevating host positioning at death, a phenomenon called "summit disease", these pathogens have been shown to have higher fitness. Though a few summit disease systems have been intensively characterized, in particular the Ophiocordyceps-ant system, summit diseases lack an overarching theory for the underlying mechanisms of this complex behavioral manipulation. In this article, we combine the gamut of summiting systems into a cohesive framework: we propose two types of summit disease (juvenile and adult), which both exploit natural insect behaviors during periods of quiescence. We place this framework in the context of available literature and propose investigations that follow from this comprehensive understanding of summit disease in insects.
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22
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Moreau CS. Symbioses among ants and microbes. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2020; 39:1-5. [PMID: 32078984 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2020.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2019] [Revised: 12/30/2019] [Accepted: 01/01/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Ants have been shown to engage in symbiosis across the tree of life, although our knowledge is far from complete. These interactions range from mutualistic to parasitic with several instances of manipulation of host behavior. Nutrient contributions in these symbioses include both farming for food and nitrogen recycling by gut-associated microbes. Interestingly, the ants that are mostly likely to host diverse and likely functional gut microbial communities are those that feed on extreme diets. Although we do see many instances of symbiosis between ants and microbes, there are also examples of species without a functional gut microbiome. Symbiosis among microbes and eukaryotic hosts is common and often considered a hallmark of multicellular evolution [1]. This is true among many of the over 13000 species of ants, although symbiosis between ants and microbes are not ubiquitous. These microbial-ant symbiotic interactions span the tree of life and include microbial eukaryotes, fungi, viruses, and bacteria. These interactions range from pathogenic to mutualistic, with many relationships still not well understood. Although our knowledge of the diversity of these microbes in ants is growing rapidly, and in some cases we know the function and interaction with the host, we still have much to learn about - the little things that run the little things that run the world!
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Affiliation(s)
- Corrie S Moreau
- Cornell University, Departments of Entomology and Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, 129 Garden Avenue, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA.
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23
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Berger CS, Aubin-Horth N. The secretome of a parasite alters its host's behaviour but does not recapitulate the behavioural response to infection. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20200412. [PMID: 32290804 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.0412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Parasites with complex life cycles have been proposed to manipulate the behaviour of their intermediate hosts to increase the probability of reaching their final host. The cause of these drastic behavioural changes could be manipulation factors released by the parasite in its environment (the secretome), but this has rarely been assessed. We studied a non-cerebral parasite, the cestode Schistocephalus solidus, and its intermediate host, the threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus), whose response to danger becomes significantly diminished when infected. These altered behaviours appear only during late infection, when the worm is ready to reproduce in its final avian host. Sympatric host-parasite pairs show higher infection success for parasites, suggesting that the secretome effects could differ for allopatric host-parasite pairs with independent evolutionary histories. We tested the effects of secretome exposure on behaviour by using secretions from the early and late infection of S. solidus and by injecting them in healthy sticklebacks from a sympatric and allopatric population. Contrary to our prediction, secretome from late infection worms did not result in more risky behaviours, but secretome from early infection resulted in more cautious hosts, only in fish from the allopatric population. Our results suggest that the secretome of S. solidus contains molecules that can affect host behaviour, that the causes underlying the behavioural changes in infected sticklebacks are multifactorial and that local adaptation between host-parasite pairs may extend to the response to the parasite's secretome content.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloé Suzanne Berger
- Département de Biologie and Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Québec, Quebec, Canada G1V 0A6
| | - Nadia Aubin-Horth
- Département de Biologie and Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Québec, Quebec, Canada G1V 0A6
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24
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Lin WJ, Lee YI, Liu SL, Lin CC, Chung TY, Chou JY. Evaluating the tradeoffs of a generalist parasitoid fungus, Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, on different sympatric ant hosts. Sci Rep 2020; 10:6428. [PMID: 32286458 PMCID: PMC7156370 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-63400-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Accepted: 03/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
It is essential for the survival and reproduction of parasitoids to adapt to the fluctuating host resources. Phenotypic plasticity may enable a parasitoid species to successfully achieve its control over a range of host species to maximize fitness in different hosts that may each require dissimilar, possibly conflicting, specific adaptations. However, there is limited information on how the fitness effects of host switching partition into costs due to the novelty of host species, where unfamiliarity with host physiological and morphological changes and its anti-parasite defenses reduces parasitoid growth, survivorship and/or reproductive success. In this study, the parasitoid fungus Ophiocordyceps unilateralis sensu lato was found to sympatrically infect a principal host ant species and other alternative sympatric hosts in the forest of central Taiwan. We herein report that the occurrence of ant infections by O. unilateralis s.l. shows spatial and temporal variation patterns on different host species. Results showed that the height from the ground to the leaf where the infected ants grip on, perithecia-forming ability, and growth rate of the stroma of the parasitoid fungus were dissimilar on different host species. These host range expansions not only related the fitness of O. unilateralis s.l. but also influenced the expression of extended phenotypic traits. Our findings revealed that a generalist parasitoid fungus suffered an evolutionary tradeoff between host breadth expansion and host-use efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Jiun Lin
- Department of Biology, National Changhua University of Education, Changhua, 500, Taiwan
| | - Yung-I Lee
- Biology Department, National Museum of Natural Science, Taichung, 404, Taiwan.,Department of Life Sciences, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, 40227, Taiwan
| | - Shao-Lun Liu
- Department of Life Science & Center for Ecology and Environment, Tunghai University, Taichung, 40704, Taiwan
| | - Chung-Chi Lin
- Department of Biology, National Changhua University of Education, Changhua, 500, Taiwan
| | - Tan-Ya Chung
- Department of Biology, National Changhua University of Education, Changhua, 500, Taiwan
| | - Jui-Yu Chou
- Department of Biology, National Changhua University of Education, Changhua, 500, Taiwan.
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25
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Hallin J, Cisneros AF, Hénault M, Fijarczyk A, Dandage R, Bautista C, Landry CR. Similarities in biological processes can be used to bridge ecology and molecular biology. Evol Appl 2020; 13:1335-1350. [PMID: 32684962 PMCID: PMC7359829 DOI: 10.1111/eva.12961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2019] [Revised: 02/17/2020] [Accepted: 03/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Much of the research in biology aims to understand the origin of diversity. Naturally, ecological diversity was the first object of study, but we now have the necessary tools to probe diversity at molecular scales. The inherent differences in how we study diversity at different scales caused the disciplines of biology to be organized around these levels, from molecular biology to ecology. Here, we illustrate that there are key properties of each scale that emerge from the interactions of simpler components and that these properties are often shared across different levels of organization. This means that ideas from one level of organization can be an inspiration for novel hypotheses to study phenomena at another level. We illustrate this concept with examples of events at the molecular level that have analogs at the organismal or ecological level and vice versa. Through these examples, we illustrate that biological processes at different organization levels are governed by general rules. The study of the same phenomena at different scales could enrich our work through a multidisciplinary approach, which should be a staple in the training of future scientists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johan Hallin
- Département de biochimie de microbiologie et de bio-informatique Faculté des sciences et de génie Université Laval Québec Canada.,Département de biologie Faculté des sciences et de génie Université Laval Québec Canada.,Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS) Université Laval Québec Canada.,PROTEO Le réseau québécois de recherche sur la fonction la structure et l'ingénierie des protéines Université Laval Québec Canada.,Centre de Recherche en Données Massives (CRDM) Université Laval Québec Canada
| | - Angel F Cisneros
- Département de biochimie de microbiologie et de bio-informatique Faculté des sciences et de génie Université Laval Québec Canada.,Département de biologie Faculté des sciences et de génie Université Laval Québec Canada.,Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS) Université Laval Québec Canada.,PROTEO Le réseau québécois de recherche sur la fonction la structure et l'ingénierie des protéines Université Laval Québec Canada.,Centre de Recherche en Données Massives (CRDM) Université Laval Québec Canada
| | - Mathieu Hénault
- Département de biochimie de microbiologie et de bio-informatique Faculté des sciences et de génie Université Laval Québec Canada.,Département de biologie Faculté des sciences et de génie Université Laval Québec Canada.,Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS) Université Laval Québec Canada.,PROTEO Le réseau québécois de recherche sur la fonction la structure et l'ingénierie des protéines Université Laval Québec Canada.,Centre de Recherche en Données Massives (CRDM) Université Laval Québec Canada
| | - Anna Fijarczyk
- Département de biochimie de microbiologie et de bio-informatique Faculté des sciences et de génie Université Laval Québec Canada.,Département de biologie Faculté des sciences et de génie Université Laval Québec Canada.,Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS) Université Laval Québec Canada.,PROTEO Le réseau québécois de recherche sur la fonction la structure et l'ingénierie des protéines Université Laval Québec Canada.,Centre de Recherche en Données Massives (CRDM) Université Laval Québec Canada
| | - Rohan Dandage
- Département de biochimie de microbiologie et de bio-informatique Faculté des sciences et de génie Université Laval Québec Canada.,Département de biologie Faculté des sciences et de génie Université Laval Québec Canada.,Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS) Université Laval Québec Canada.,PROTEO Le réseau québécois de recherche sur la fonction la structure et l'ingénierie des protéines Université Laval Québec Canada.,Centre de Recherche en Données Massives (CRDM) Université Laval Québec Canada
| | - Carla Bautista
- Département de biochimie de microbiologie et de bio-informatique Faculté des sciences et de génie Université Laval Québec Canada.,Département de biologie Faculté des sciences et de génie Université Laval Québec Canada.,Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS) Université Laval Québec Canada.,PROTEO Le réseau québécois de recherche sur la fonction la structure et l'ingénierie des protéines Université Laval Québec Canada.,Centre de Recherche en Données Massives (CRDM) Université Laval Québec Canada
| | - Christian R Landry
- Département de biochimie de microbiologie et de bio-informatique Faculté des sciences et de génie Université Laval Québec Canada.,Département de biologie Faculté des sciences et de génie Université Laval Québec Canada.,Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS) Université Laval Québec Canada.,PROTEO Le réseau québécois de recherche sur la fonction la structure et l'ingénierie des protéines Université Laval Québec Canada.,Centre de Recherche en Données Massives (CRDM) Université Laval Québec Canada
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26
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Zombie-Ant Fungi Emerged from Non-manipulating, Beetle-Infecting Ancestors. Curr Biol 2019; 29:3735-3738.e2. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2019] [Revised: 07/03/2019] [Accepted: 09/03/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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27
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Loreto RG, Hughes DP. The metabolic alteration and apparent preservation of the zombie ant brain. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2019; 118:103918. [PMID: 31400384 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2019.103918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2019] [Revised: 08/05/2019] [Accepted: 08/06/2019] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Some parasites can manipulate the behavior of their animal hosts to increase transmission. An interesting area of research is understanding how host neurobiology is manipulated by microbes to the point of displaying such aberrant behaviors. Here, we characterize the metabolic profile of the brain of an insect at the moment of the behavioral manipulation by a parasitic microbe. Our model system are ants infected with the parasitic fungus Ophiocordyceps kimflemingiae (=unilateralis), which manipulates ants to climb and bite into plant substrates, before killing the host (i.e. zombie ants). At the moment of the behavioral manipulation by the fungus, the host's brain is not invaded by the fungus which is known to extensively invade muscle tissue. We found that, despite not being invaded by the parasite, the brains of manipulated ants are notably different, showing alterations in neuromodulatory substances, signs of neurodegeneration, changes in energy use, and antioxidant compound that signal stress reactions by the host. Ergothionine, a fungal derived compound with known neuronal cytoprotection functions was found to be highly elevated in zombie ant brains suggesting the fungus, which does not invade the central nervous system, is preserving the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel G Loreto
- Department of Entomology and Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, 16802 PA, USA; Unit of Genetics and Genomics of Insect Vectors, Department of Parasites and Insect Vectors, Institute Pasteur, Paris 75724, France
| | - David P Hughes
- Department of Entomology and Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, 16802 PA, USA; Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, 16802 PA, USA.
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28
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Zheng S, Loreto R, Smith P, Patterson A, Hughes D, Wang L. Specialist and Generalist Fungal Parasites Induce Distinct Biochemical Changes in the Mandible Muscles of Their Host. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:E4589. [PMID: 31533250 PMCID: PMC6769763 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20184589] [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: 08/06/2019] [Revised: 09/09/2019] [Accepted: 09/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Some parasites have evolved the ability to adaptively manipulate host behavior. One notable example is the fungus Ophiocordyceps unilateralis sensu lato, which has evolved the ability to alter the behavior of ants in ways that enable fungal transmission and lifecycle completion. Because host mandibles are affected by the fungi, we focused on understanding changes in the metabolites of muscles during behavioral modification. We used High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Mass/Mass (HPLC-MS/MS) to detect the metabolite difference between controls and O. unilateralis-infected ants. There was a significant difference between the global metabolome of O. unilateralis-infected ants and healthy ants, while there was no significant difference between the Beauveria bassiana treatment ants group compared to the healthy ants. A total of 31 and 16 of metabolites were putatively identified from comparisons of healthy ants with O. unilateralis-infected ants and comparisons of B. bassiana with O. unilateralis-infected samples, respectively. This result indicates that the concentrations of sugars, purines, ergothioneine, and hypoxanthine were significantly increased in O. unilateralis-infected ants in comparison to healthy ants and B. bassiana-infected ants. This study provides a comprehensive metabolic approach for understanding the interactions, at the level of host muscles, between healthy ants and fungal parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanshan Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, Fuzhou 350002, China.
- College of Plant Protection College, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China.
- Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
| | - Raquel Loreto
- Center for Infectious Diseases Dynamics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
- CAPES Foundation, Ministry of Education of Brazil, Brasilia 70040-020, DF, Brazil.
| | - Philip Smith
- Metabolomics Core Facility, Huck Institutes of Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
| | - Andrew Patterson
- Center for Molecular Toxicology and Carcinogenesis, Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
| | - David Hughes
- Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
| | - Liande Wang
- Key Laboratory of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, Fuzhou 350002, China.
- College of Plant Protection College, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China.
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29
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Mangold CA, Ishler MJ, Loreto RG, Hazen ML, Hughes DP. Zombie ant death grip due to hypercontracted mandibular muscles. J Exp Biol 2019; 222:jeb200683. [PMID: 31315924 PMCID: PMC6679347 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.200683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2019] [Accepted: 06/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
There are numerous examples of parasites that manipulate the behavior of the hosts that they infect. One such host-pathogen relationship occurs between the 'zombie-ant fungus' Ophiocordyceps unilateralis sensu lato and its carpenter ant host. Infected ants climb to elevated locations and bite onto vegetation where they remain permanently affixed well after death. The mandibular muscles, but not the brain, of infected ants are extensively colonized by the fungus. We sought to investigate the mechanisms by which O. unilateralis s.l. may be able to influence mandibular muscle contraction despite widespread muscle damage. We found that infected muscles show evidence of hypercontraction. Despite the extensive colonization, both motor neurons and neuromuscular junctions appear to be maintained. Infection results in sarcolemmal damage, but this is not specific to the death grip. We found evidence of precise penetration of muscles by fungal structures and the presence of extracellular vesicle-like particles, both of which may contribute to mandibular hypercontraction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colleen A Mangold
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Melissa J Ishler
- Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Department of Entomology, College of Agricultural Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Raquel G Loreto
- Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Department of Entomology, College of Agricultural Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Unit of Genetics and Genomics of Insect Vectors, Department of Parasites and Insect Vectors, Institute Pasteur, Paris 75015, France
| | - Missy L Hazen
- Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences Microscopy and Cytometry Facility, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - David P Hughes
- Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Department of Entomology, College of Agricultural Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Department of Biology, Eberly College of Science, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
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30
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Boyce GR, Gluck-Thaler E, Slot JC, Stajich JE, Davis WJ, James TY, Cooley JR, Panaccione DG, Eilenberg J, De Fine Licht HH, Macias AM, Berger MC, Wickert KL, Stauder CM, Spahr EJ, Maust MD, Metheny AM, Simon C, Kritsky G, Hodge KT, Humber RA, Gullion T, Short DPG, Kijimoto T, Mozgai D, Arguedas N, Kasson MT. Psychoactive plant- and mushroom-associated alkaloids from two behavior modifying cicada pathogens. FUNGAL ECOL 2019; 41:147-164. [PMID: 31768192 PMCID: PMC6876628 DOI: 10.1016/j.funeco.2019.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Entomopathogenic fungi routinely kill their hosts before releasing infectious spores, but a few species keep insects alive while sporulating, which enhances dispersal. Transcriptomics- and metabolomics-based studies of entomopathogens with post-mortem dissemination from their parasitized hosts have unraveled infection processes and host responses. However, the mechanisms underlying active spore transmission by Entomophthoralean fungi in living insects remain elusive. Here we report the discovery, through metabolomics, of the plant-associated amphetamine, cathinone, in four Massospora cicadina-infected periodical cicada populations, and the mushroom-associated tryptamine, psilocybin, in annual cicadas infected with Massospora platypediae or Massospora levispora, which likely represent a single fungal species. The absence of some fungal enzymes necessary for cathinone and psilocybin biosynthesis along with the inability to detect intermediate metabolites or gene orthologs are consistent with possibly novel biosynthesis pathways in Massospora. The neurogenic activities of these compounds suggest the extended phenotype of Massospora that modifies cicada behavior to maximize dissemination is chemically-induced.
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Affiliation(s)
- Greg R Boyce
- Division of Plant and Soil Sciences, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA
| | - Emile Gluck-Thaler
- Department of Plant Pathology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Jason C Slot
- Department of Plant Pathology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Jason E Stajich
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology and Institute for Integrative Genome Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
| | - William J Davis
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Tim Y James
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - John R Cooley
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Hartford, CT, 06103, USA
| | - Daniel G Panaccione
- Division of Plant and Soil Sciences, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA
| | - Jørgen Eilenberg
- Department of Plant and Environmental Science, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Angie M Macias
- Division of Plant and Soil Sciences, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA
| | - Matthew C Berger
- Division of Plant and Soil Sciences, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA
| | - Kristen L Wickert
- Division of Plant and Soil Sciences, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA
| | - Cameron M Stauder
- Division of Plant and Soil Sciences, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA
| | - Ellie J Spahr
- Division of Plant and Soil Sciences, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA
| | - Matthew D Maust
- Division of Plant and Soil Sciences, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA
| | - Amy M Metheny
- Division of Plant and Soil Sciences, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA
| | - Chris Simon
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, 06269, USA
| | - Gene Kritsky
- Department of Biology, Mount St. Joseph University, Cincinnati, OH, 45233, USA
| | - Kathie T Hodge
- Plant Pathology & Plant-Microbe Biology, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Richard A Humber
- Plant Pathology & Plant-Microbe Biology, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.,USDA-ARS-NAA-BioIPM, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Terry Gullion
- Department of Chemistry, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA
| | | | - Teiya Kijimoto
- Division of Plant and Soil Sciences, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA
| | - Dan Mozgai
- Cicadamania.com, Sea Bright, New Jersey, 07760, USA
| | | | - Matt T Kasson
- Division of Plant and Soil Sciences, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA
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31
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de Bekker C. Ophiocordyceps-ant interactions as an integrative model to understand the molecular basis of parasitic behavioral manipulation. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2019; 33:19-24. [PMID: 31358190 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2019.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2018] [Revised: 01/07/2019] [Accepted: 01/09/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Ophiocordyceps-infected ants display a substrate biting behavior that aids parasite transmission. World-wide research into this behavioral manipulation has led to new fungal species descriptions, annotated genomes, and detailed field observations. Experimentally tractable modified ant behaviors and the development of infection techniques have enabled the quest for the molecular basis of this phenomenon. Behavioral studies followed by transcriptomics, metabolomics and three-dimensional electron microscopy have led to novel mechanistic hypotheses. This multidisciplinary work represents a big leap forward. However, definitive answers have yet to be obtained. A comprehensive understanding hinges on continued integrative efforts that reveal the precise natural history, behavioral ecology and evolutionary relationships between Ophiocordyceps-ant systems, and the true functions and involvement of genes and metabolites in behavioral manipulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charissa de Bekker
- University of Central Florida, College of Sciences, Biology Department, 4110 Libra Drive, 32816 Orlando, FL, United States.
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32
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Abstract
The human body is colonized by a diverse collective of microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, protozoa and viruses. The smallest entity of this microbial conglomerate are the bacterial viruses. Bacteriophages, or phages for short, exert significant selective pressure on their bacterial hosts, undoubtedly influencing the human microbiome and its impact on our health and well-being. Phages colonize all niches of the body, including the skin, oral cavity, lungs, gut, and urinary tract. As such our bodies are frequently and continuously exposed to diverse collections of phages. Despite the prevalence of phages throughout our bodies, the extent of their interactions with human cells, organs, and immune system is still largely unknown. Phages physically interact with our mucosal surfaces, are capable of bypassing epithelial cell layers, disseminate throughout the body and may manipulate our immune system. Here, I establish the novel concept of an "intra-body phageome," which encompasses the collection of phages residing within the classically "sterile" regions of the body. This review will take a phage-centric view of the microbiota, human body, and immune system with the ultimate goal of inspiring a greater appreciation for both the indirect and direct interactions between bacteriophages and their mammalian hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy J Barr
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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33
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Petkova I, Abbey-Lee RN, Løvlie H. Parasite infection and host personality: Glugea-infected three-spined sticklebacks are more social. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2018; 72:173. [PMID: 30369708 PMCID: PMC6182751 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-018-2586-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2018] [Revised: 09/20/2018] [Accepted: 09/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Abstract The existence of animal personality is now well-documented, although the causes and consequences of this phenomenon are still largely unclear. Parasite infection can have pervasive effects on hosts, including altering host behaviour, and may thus contribute to differences in host personality. We investigated the relationship between the three-spined stickleback and its common parasite Glugea anomala, with focus on differences in host personality. Naturally infected and uninfected individuals were assayed for the five personality traits activity, exploration, boldness, sociability, and aggression. If infected fish behaved differently from uninfected, to benefit this parasite with horizontal transmission, we predicted behaviour increasing interactions with other sticklebacks to increase. Infection status explained differences in host personality. Specifically, Glugea-infected individuals were more social than uninfected fish. This confirms a link between parasite infection and host behaviour, and a relationship which may improve the horizontal transmission of Glugea. However, future studies need to establish the consequences of this for the parasite, and the causality of the parasite-host personality relationship. Significance statement Parasite infection that alters host behaviour could be a possible avenue of research into the causes of animal personality. We studied the link between infection and personality using the three-spined stickleback and its parasite Glugea anomala. We predicted that infected individuals would be more prone to interact with other sticklebacks, since this would improve transmission of this parasite. The personality of uninfected and naturally infected fish was measured and we observed that Glugea-infected sticklebacks were more social. Our results confirm a link between parasitism and variation in host personality. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s00265-018-2586-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina Petkova
- Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, IFM Biology, Linköping University, SE-581 83 Linköping, Sweden
- School of Biological Sciences, Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, TW20 0EX UK
| | - Robin N. Abbey-Lee
- Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, IFM Biology, Linköping University, SE-581 83 Linköping, Sweden
| | - Hanne Løvlie
- Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, IFM Biology, Linköping University, SE-581 83 Linköping, Sweden
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34
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Runge JN, Lindholm AK. Carrying a selfish genetic element predicts increased migration propensity in free-living wild house mice. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 285:20181333. [PMID: 30282651 PMCID: PMC6191700 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.1333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2018] [Accepted: 09/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Life is built on cooperation between genes, which makes it vulnerable to parasitism. Selfish genetic elements that exploit this cooperation can achieve large fitness gains by increasing their transmission relative to the rest of the genome. This leads to counter-adaptations that generate unique selection pressures on the selfish genetic element. This arms race is similar to host-parasite coevolution, as some multi-host parasites alter the host's behaviour to increase the chance of transmission to the next host. Here, we ask if, similarly to these parasites, a selfish genetic element in house mice, the t haplotype, also manipulates host behaviour, specifically the host's migration propensity. Variants of the t that manipulate migration propensity could increase in fitness in a meta-population. We show that juvenile mice carrying the t haplotype were more likely to emigrate from and were more often found as migrants within a long-term free-living house mouse population. This result may have applied relevance as the t has been proposed as a basis for artificial gene drive systems for use in population control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan-Niklas Runge
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Sciences, University of Zurich, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Anna K Lindholm
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Sciences, University of Zurich, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
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35
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Mukherjee K, Vilcinskas A. The entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium robertsii communicates with the insect host Galleria mellonella during infection. Virulence 2018; 9:402-413. [PMID: 29166834 PMCID: PMC5955202 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2017.1405190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Parasitic fungi are the only pathogens that can infect insect hosts directly through their proteinaceous exoskeleton. Penetration of the cuticle requires the release of fungal enzymes, including proteinases, which act as virulence factors. Insects can sense fungal infections and activate innate immune responses, including the synthesis of antifungal peptides and proteinase inhibitors that neutralize the incoming proteinases. This well-studied host response is epigenetically regulated by histone acetylation/deacetylation. Here we show that entomopathogenic fungi can in turn sense the presence of insect-derived antifungal peptides and proteinase inhibitors, and respond by inducing the synthesis of chymotrypsin-like proteinases and metalloproteinases that degrade the host-derived defense molecules. The rapidity of this response is dependent on the virulence of the fungal strain. We confirmed the specificity of the pathogen response to host-derived defense molecules by LC/MS and RT-PCR analysis, and correlated this process with the epigenetic regulation of histone acetylation/deacetylation. This cascade of responses reveals that the coevolution of pathogens and hosts can involve a complex series of attacks and counterattacks based on communication between the invading fungal pathogen and its insect host. The resolution of this process determines whether or not pathogenesis is successful.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krishnendu Mukherjee
- a Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology , Department of Bioresources , Giessen , Germany
| | - Andreas Vilcinskas
- a Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology , Department of Bioresources , Giessen , Germany.,b Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus-Liebig University of Giessen , Giessen , Germany
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36
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Sleeping Beauties: Horizontal Transmission via Resting Spores of Species in the Entomophthoromycotina. INSECTS 2018; 9:insects9030102. [PMID: 30110948 PMCID: PMC6165266 DOI: 10.3390/insects9030102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2018] [Revised: 08/09/2018] [Accepted: 08/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Many of the almost 300 species of arthropod-pathogenic fungi in the Entomophthoromycotina (Zoopagomycota) are known for being quite host-specific and are able to cause epizootics. Most species produce two main types of spores, conidia and resting spores. Here, we present a review of the epizootiology of species of Entomophthoromycotina, focusing on their resting spores, and how this stage leads to horizontal transmission and persistence. Cadavers in which resting spores are produced can often be found in different locations than cadavers of the same host producing conidia. Resting spores generally are dormant directly after production and require specific conditions for germination. Fungal reproduction resulting from infections initiated by Entomophaga maimaiga resting spores can differ from reproduction resulting from conidial infections, although we do not know how commonly this occurs. Reservoirs of resting spores can germinate for variable lengths of time, including up to several months, providing primary infections to initiate secondary cycling based on conidial infections, and not all resting spores germinate every year. Molecular methods have been developed to improve environmental quantification of resting spores, which can exist at high titers after epizootics. Ecological studies of biological communities have demonstrated that this source of these spores providing primary inoculum in the environment can decrease not only because of germination, but also because of the activity of mycopathogens.
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37
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Elya C, Lok TC, Spencer QE, McCausland H, Martinez CC, Eisen M. Robust manipulation of the behavior of Drosophila melanogaster by a fungal pathogen in the laboratory. eLife 2018; 7:e34414. [PMID: 30047862 PMCID: PMC6067884 DOI: 10.7554/elife.34414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2017] [Accepted: 07/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Many microbes induce striking behavioral changes in their animal hosts, but how they achieve this is poorly understood, especially at the molecular level. Mechanistic understanding has been largely constrained by the lack of an experimental system amenable to molecular manipulation. We recently discovered a strain of the behavior-manipulating fungal pathogen Entomophthora muscae infecting wild Drosophila, and established methods to infect D. melanogaster in the lab. Lab-infected flies manifest the moribund behaviors characteristic of E. muscae infection: hours before death, they climb upward, extend their proboscides, affixing in place, then raise their wings, clearing a path for infectious spores to launch from their abdomens. We found that E. muscae invades the nervous system, suggesting a direct means by which the fungus could induce behavioral changes. Given the vast molecular toolkit available for D. melanogaster, we believe this new system will enable rapid progress in understanding how E. muscae manipulates host behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolyn Elya
- Department of Molecular and Cell BiologyUniversity of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Tin Ching Lok
- Department of Molecular and Cell BiologyUniversity of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Quinn E Spencer
- Department of Molecular and Cell BiologyUniversity of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Hayley McCausland
- Department of Molecular and Cell BiologyUniversity of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Ciera C Martinez
- Department of Molecular and Cell BiologyUniversity of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Michael Eisen
- Department of Molecular and Cell BiologyUniversity of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
- Department of Integrative BiologyUniversity of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
- Howard Hughes Medical InstituteUniversity of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
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38
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Heine D, Holmes NA, Worsley SF, Santos ACA, Innocent TM, Scherlach K, Patrick EH, Yu DW, Murrell JC, Vieria PC, Boomsma JJ, Hertweck C, Hutchings MI, Wilkinson B. Chemical warfare between leafcutter ant symbionts and a co-evolved pathogen. Nat Commun 2018; 9:2208. [PMID: 29880868 PMCID: PMC5992151 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-04520-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2017] [Accepted: 04/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Acromyrmex leafcutter ants form a mutually beneficial symbiosis with the fungus Leucoagaricus gongylophorus and with Pseudonocardia bacteria. Both are vertically transmitted and actively maintained by the ants. The fungus garden is manured with freshly cut leaves and provides the sole food for the ant larvae, while Pseudonocardia cultures are reared on the ant-cuticle and make antifungal metabolites to help protect the cultivar against disease. If left unchecked, specialized parasitic Escovopsis fungi can overrun the fungus garden and lead to colony collapse. We report that Escovopsis upregulates the production of two specialized metabolites when it infects the cultivar. These compounds inhibit Pseudonocardia and one, shearinine D, also reduces worker behavioral defenses and is ultimately lethal when it accumulates in ant tissues. Our results are consistent with an active evolutionary arms race between Pseudonocardia and Escovopsis, which modifies both bacterial and behavioral defenses such that colony collapse is unavoidable once Escovopsis infections escalate. Acromyrmex ants cultivate fungus gardens that can be parasitized by Escovopsis sp., leading to colony collapse. Here, Heine et al. identify two secondary metabolites produced by Escovopsis that accumulate in Acromyrmex tissue, reduce behavioural defenses and suppress symbiotic Pseudonocardia bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Heine
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, Norfolk, NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Neil A Holmes
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, Norfolk, NR4 7TJ, UK
| | - Sarah F Worsley
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, Norfolk, NR4 7TJ, UK
| | - Ana Carolina A Santos
- Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, HKI, Beutenbergstraße 11a, Jena, 07745, Germany.,Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany.,Departmento de Química, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, UFSCar, Via Washington Luiz KM 235, CP 676, São Carlos, SP, Brazil
| | - Tabitha M Innocent
- Department of Biology, Centre for Social Evolution, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, Copenhagen, 2100, Denmark
| | - Kirstin Scherlach
- Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, HKI, Beutenbergstraße 11a, Jena, 07745, Germany
| | - Elaine H Patrick
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, Norfolk, NR4 7TJ, UK
| | - Douglas W Yu
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, Norfolk, NR4 7TJ, UK
| | - J Colin Murrell
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, Norfolk, NR4 7TJ, UK
| | - Paulo C Vieria
- Departmento de Química, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, UFSCar, Via Washington Luiz KM 235, CP 676, São Carlos, SP, Brazil
| | - Jacobus J Boomsma
- Department of Biology, Centre for Social Evolution, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, Copenhagen, 2100, Denmark
| | - Christian Hertweck
- Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, HKI, Beutenbergstraße 11a, Jena, 07745, Germany.,Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - Matthew I Hutchings
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, Norfolk, NR4 7TJ, UK.
| | - Barrie Wilkinson
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, Norfolk, NR4 7UH, UK.
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39
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Sakolrak B, Blatrix R, Sangwanit U, Kobmoo N. Experimental infection of the ant Polyrhachis furcata with Ophiocordyceps reveals specificity of behavioural manipulation. FUNGAL ECOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.funeco.2018.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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40
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Loreto RG, Araújo JPM, Kepler RM, Fleming KR, Moreau CS, Hughes DP. Evidence for convergent evolution of host parasitic manipulation in response to environmental conditions. Evolution 2018; 72:2144-2155. [PMID: 29808578 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2017] [Revised: 03/09/2018] [Accepted: 03/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Environmental conditions exert strong selection on animal behavior. We tested the hypothesis that the altered behavior of hosts due to parasitic manipulation is also subject to selection imposed by changes in environmental conditions over time. Our model system is ants manipulated by parasitic fungi to bite onto vegetation. We analyzed the correlation between forest type (tropical vs. temperate) and the substrate where the host bites (biting substrate: leaf vs. twigs), the time required for the fungi to reach reproductive maturity, and the phylogenetic relationship among specimens from tropical and temperate forests from different parts of the globe. We show that fungal development in temperate forests is longer than the period of time leaves are present and the ants are manipulated to bite twigs. When biting twigs, 90% of the dead ants we examined had their legs wrapped around twigs, which appears to provide better attachment to the plant. Ancestral state character reconstruction suggests that leaf biting is the ancestral trait and that twig biting is a convergent trait in temperate regions of the globe. These three lines of evidence suggest that changes in environmental conditions have shaped the manipulative behavior of the host by its parasite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel G Loreto
- Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania.,Center for Infectious Diseases Dynamics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania
| | - João P M Araújo
- Center for Infectious Diseases Dynamics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania.,Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania
| | - Ryan M Kepler
- Sustainable Agricultural Systems Laboratory, United States Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, Maryland
| | - Kimberly R Fleming
- Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania
| | - Corrie S Moreau
- Department of Science and Education, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Illinois
| | - David P Hughes
- Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania.,Center for Infectious Diseases Dynamics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania
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41
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Huijben S, Paaijmans KP. Putting evolution in elimination: Winning our ongoing battle with evolving malaria mosquitoes and parasites. Evol Appl 2018; 11:415-430. [PMID: 29636796 PMCID: PMC5891050 DOI: 10.1111/eva.12530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2017] [Accepted: 08/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Since 2000, the world has made significant progress in reducing malaria morbidity and mortality, and several countries in Africa, South America and South-East Asia are working hard to eliminate the disease. These elimination efforts continue to rely heavily on antimalarial drugs and insecticide-based interventions, which remain the cornerstones of malaria treatment and prevention. However, resistance has emerged against nearly every antimalarial drug and insecticide that is available. In this review we discuss the evolutionary consequences of the way we currently implement antimalarial interventions, which is leading to resistance and may ultimately lead to control failure, but also how evolutionary principles can be applied to extend the lifespan of current and novel interventions. A greater understanding of the general evolutionary principles that are at the core of emerging resistance is urgently needed if we are to develop improved resistance management strategies with the ultimate goal to achieve a malaria-free world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvie Huijben
- ISGlobalBarcelona Ctr. Int. Health Res. (CRESIB)Hospital Clínic ‐ Universitat de BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
| | - Krijn P. Paaijmans
- ISGlobalBarcelona Ctr. Int. Health Res. (CRESIB)Hospital Clínic ‐ Universitat de BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de ManhiçaMaputoMozambique
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42
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Ant-produced chemicals are not responsible for the specificity of their Ophiocordyceps fungal pathogens. FUNGAL ECOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.funeco.2017.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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43
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Morris A, Green M, Martin H, Crossland K, Swaney WT, Williamson SM, Rae R. A nematode that can manipulate the behaviour of slugs. Behav Processes 2018; 151:73-80. [PMID: 29499346 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2018.02.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2017] [Revised: 02/20/2018] [Accepted: 02/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The ability of parasites to manipulate the behaviour of their hosts has evolved multiple times, and has a clear fitness benefit to the parasite in terms of facilitating growth, reproduction and transfer to suitable hosts. The mechanisms by which these behavioural changes are induced are poorly understood, but in many cases parasite manipulation of serotonergic signalling in the host brain is implicated. Here we report that Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita, a parasite of terrestrial gastropod molluscs, can alter the behaviour of slugs. Uninfected slugs (Deroceras panormitanum, Arion subfuscus and Arion hortensis) avoid areas where P. hermaphrodita is present, but slugs infected with P. hermaphrodita are more likely to be found where the nematodes are present. This ability is specific to P. hermaphrodita and other nematodes (Steinernema carpocapsae and Heterorhabditis bacteriophora) do not induce this behavioural change. To investigate how P. hermaphrodita changes slug behaviour we exposed slugs to fluoxetine (a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) and cyproheptadine (a serotonin receptor antagonist). Uninfected slugs fed fluoxetine no longer avoided areas where P. hermaphrodita was present; and conversely, infected slugs fed cyproheptadine showed no increased attraction to areas with nematodes. These findings suggest that a possible mechanism by which P. hermaphrodita is able to manipulate parasite avoidance behaviour in host slugs is by manipulating serotonergic signalling in the brain, and that increased serotonin levels are potentially associated with a reduction in parasite avoidance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex Morris
- Liverpool John Moores University, School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Byrom Street, L33AF, United Kingdom
| | - Michael Green
- Liverpool John Moores University, School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Byrom Street, L33AF, United Kingdom
| | - Hayley Martin
- Liverpool John Moores University, School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Byrom Street, L33AF, United Kingdom
| | - Katie Crossland
- Liverpool John Moores University, School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Byrom Street, L33AF, United Kingdom
| | - William T Swaney
- Liverpool John Moores University, School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Byrom Street, L33AF, United Kingdom
| | - Sally M Williamson
- Liverpool John Moores University, School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Byrom Street, L33AF, United Kingdom
| | - Robbie Rae
- Liverpool John Moores University, School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Byrom Street, L33AF, United Kingdom.
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44
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Reynolds HT, Vijayakumar V, Gluck-Thaler E, Korotkin HB, Matheny PB, Slot JC. Horizontal gene cluster transfer increased hallucinogenic mushroom diversity. Evol Lett 2018; 2:88-101. [PMID: 30283667 PMCID: PMC6121855 DOI: 10.1002/evl3.42] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2017] [Revised: 11/29/2017] [Accepted: 01/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Secondary metabolites are a heterogeneous class of chemicals that often mediate interactions between species. The tryptophan‐derived secondary metabolite, psilocin, is a serotonin receptor agonist that induces altered states of consciousness. A phylogenetically disjunct group of mushroom‐forming fungi in the Agaricales produce the psilocin prodrug, psilocybin. Spotty phylogenetic distributions of fungal compounds are sometimes explained by horizontal transfer of metabolic gene clusters among unrelated fungi with overlapping niches. We report the discovery of a psilocybin gene cluster in three hallucinogenic mushroom genomes, and evidence for its horizontal transfer between fungal lineages. Patterns of gene distribution and transmission suggest that synthesis of psilocybin may have provided a fitness advantage in the dung and late wood‐decay fungal niches, which may serve as reservoirs of fungal indole‐based metabolites that alter behavior of mycophagous and wood‐eating invertebrates. These hallucinogenic mushroom genomes will serve as models in neurochemical ecology, advancing the (bio)prospecting and synthetic biology of novel neuropharmaceuticals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah T Reynolds
- Department of Plant Pathology The Ohio State University 2021 Coffey Road Columbus Ohio 43210.,Department of Biological & Environmental Sciences Western Connecticut State University 181 White St. Danbury Connecticut 06810-6826
| | - Vinod Vijayakumar
- Department of Plant Pathology The Ohio State University 2021 Coffey Road Columbus Ohio 43210
| | - Emile Gluck-Thaler
- Department of Plant Pathology The Ohio State University 2021 Coffey Road Columbus Ohio 43210
| | - Hailee Brynn Korotkin
- Ecology & Evolutionary Biology University of Tennessee 334 Hesler Biology Building Knoxville Tennessee 37996-1610
| | - Patrick Brandon Matheny
- Ecology & Evolutionary Biology University of Tennessee 334 Hesler Biology Building Knoxville Tennessee 37996-1610
| | - Jason C Slot
- Department of Plant Pathology The Ohio State University 2021 Coffey Road Columbus Ohio 43210
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45
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Solá Gracia E, de Bekker C, Hanks EM, Hughes DP. Within the fortress: A specialized parasite is not discriminated against in a social insect society. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0193536. [PMID: 29474472 PMCID: PMC5825133 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0193536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2017] [Accepted: 02/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Social insect colonies function cohesively due, in part, to altruistic behaviors performed towards related individuals. These colonies can be affected by parasites in two distinct ways, either at the level of the individual or the entire colony. As such, colonies of social insects can experience conflict with infected individuals reducing the cohesiveness that typifies them. Parasites of social insects therefore offer us a framework to study conflicts within social insect colonies in addition to the traditionally viewed conflicts afforded by groups of low genetic relatedness due to multiple mating for example. In our study, we use the behavior manipulating fungal pathogen, Ophiocordyceps kimflemingiae (= unilateralis) and its host, Camponotus castaneus, to ask if colony members are able to detect infected individuals. Such detection would be optimal for the colony since infected workers die near foraging trails where the fungus develops its external structures and releases spores that infect other colony members. To determine if C. castaneus workers can detect these future threats, we used continuous-time point observations coupled with longer continuous observations to discern any discrimination towards infected individuals. After observing 1,240 hours of video footage we found that infected individuals are not removed from the colony and continuously received food during the course of fungal infection. We also calculated the distances between workers and the nest entrance in a total of 35,691 data points to find infected workers spent more time near the entrance of the nest. Taken together, these results suggest healthy individuals do not detect the parasite inside their nestmates. The colony's inability to detect infected individuals allows O. kimflemingiae to develop within the colony, while receiving food and protection from natural enemies, which could damage or kill its ant host before the parasite has completed its development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilia Solá Gracia
- Ecology Program, Huck Institutes of Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Centre for Infectious Disease Dynamics, Huck Institutes of Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Charissa de Bekker
- Department of Biology, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, United States of America
| | - Ephraim M. Hanks
- Centre for Infectious Disease Dynamics, Huck Institutes of Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Department of Statistics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - David P. Hughes
- Centre for Infectious Disease Dynamics, Huck Institutes of Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
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46
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Cremer S, Pull CD, Fürst MA. Social Immunity: Emergence and Evolution of Colony-Level Disease Protection. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ENTOMOLOGY 2018; 63:105-123. [PMID: 28945976 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ento-020117-043110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 143] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Social insect colonies have evolved many collectively performed adaptations that reduce the impact of infectious disease and that are expected to maximize their fitness. This colony-level protection is termed social immunity, and it enhances the health and survival of the colony. In this review, we address how social immunity emerges from its mechanistic components to produce colony-level disease avoidance, resistance, and tolerance. To understand the evolutionary causes and consequences of social immunity, we highlight the need for studies that evaluate the effects of social immunity on colony fitness. We discuss the roles that host life history and ecology have on predicted eco-evolutionary dynamics, which differ among the social insect lineages. Throughout the review, we highlight current gaps in our knowledge and promising avenues for future research, which we hope will bring us closer to an integrated understanding of socio-eco-evo-immunology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvia Cremer
- IST Austria (Institute of Science and Technology Austria), Klosterneuburg 3400, Austria; ,
| | - Christopher D Pull
- IST Austria (Institute of Science and Technology Austria), Klosterneuburg 3400, Austria; ,
- Current affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, Surrey TW20 0EX, United Kingdom;
| | - Matthias A Fürst
- IST Austria (Institute of Science and Technology Austria), Klosterneuburg 3400, Austria; ,
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47
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Evans HC, Araújo JPM, Halfeld VR, Hughes DP. Epitypification and re-description of the zombie-ant fungus, Ophiocordyceps unilateralis ( Ophiocordycipitaceae). Fungal Syst Evol 2017; 1:13-22. [PMID: 32518897 PMCID: PMC7274273 DOI: 10.3114/fuse.2018.01.02] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
The type of Ophiocordyceps unilateralis (Ophiocordycipitaceae, Hypocreales, Ascomycota) is based on an immature specimen collected on an ant in Brazil. The host was identified initially as a leaf-cutting ant (Atta cephalotes, Attini, Myrmicinae). However, a critical examination of the original illustration reveals that the host is the golden carpenter ant, Camponotus sericeiventris (Camponotini, Formicinae). Because the holotype is no longer extant and the original diagnosis lacks critical taxonomic information – specifically, on ascus and ascospore morphology – a new type from Minas Gerais State of south-east Brazil is designated herein. A re-description of the fungus is provided and a new phylogenetic tree of the O. unilateralis clade is presented. It is predicted that many more species of zombie-ant fungi remain to be delimited within the O. unilateralis complex worldwide, on ants of the tribe Camponotini.
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Affiliation(s)
- H C Evans
- CAB International, UK Centre, Egham, Surrey, UK.,Departamentos de Entomologia e Fitopatologia, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - J P M Araújo
- Departments of Entomology and Biology, Penn State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - V R Halfeld
- Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - D P Hughes
- Departments of Entomology and Biology, Penn State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
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48
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Three-dimensional visualization and a deep-learning model reveal complex fungal parasite networks in behaviorally manipulated ants. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:12590-12595. [PMID: 29114054 PMCID: PMC5703306 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1711673114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Some microbes possess the ability to adaptively manipulate host behavior. To better understand how such microbial parasites control animal behavior, we examine the cell-level interactions between the species-specific fungal parasite Ophiocordyceps unilateralis sensu lato and its carpenter ant host (Camponotus castaneus) at a crucial moment in the parasite's lifecycle: when the manipulated host fixes itself permanently to a substrate by its mandibles. The fungus is known to secrete tissue-specific metabolites and cause changes in host gene expression as well as atrophy in the mandible muscles of its ant host, but it is unknown how the fungus coordinates these effects to manipulate its host's behavior. In this study, we combine techniques in serial block-face scanning-electron microscopy and deep-learning-based image segmentation algorithms to visualize the distribution, abundance, and interactions of this fungus inside the body of its manipulated host. Fungal cells were found throughout the host body but not in the brain, implying that behavioral control of the animal body by this microbe occurs peripherally. Additionally, fungal cells invaded host muscle fibers and joined together to form networks that encircled the muscles. These networks may represent a collective foraging behavior of this parasite, which may in turn facilitate host manipulation.
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49
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de Bekker C, Will I, Hughes DP, Brachmann A, Merrow M. Daily rhythms and enrichment patterns in the transcriptome of the behavior-manipulating parasite Ophiocordyceps kimflemingiae. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0187170. [PMID: 29099875 PMCID: PMC5669440 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0187170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2017] [Accepted: 10/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Various parasite-host interactions that involve adaptive manipulation of host behavior display time-of-day synchronization of certain events. One example is the manipulated biting behavior observed in Carpenter ants infected with Ophiocordyceps unilateralis sensu lato. We hypothesized that biological clocks play an important role in this and other parasite-host interactions. In order to identify candidate molecular clock components, we used two general strategies: bioinformatics and transcriptional profiling. The bioinformatics approach was used to identify putative homologs of known clock genes. For transcriptional profiling, RNA-Seq was performed on 48 h time courses of Ophiocordyceps kimflemingiae (a recently named species of the O. unilateralis complex), whose genome has recently been sequenced. Fungal blastospores were entrained in liquid media under 24 h light-dark (LD) cycles and were harvested at 4 h intervals either under LD or continuous darkness. Of all O. kimflemingiae genes, 5.3% had rhythmic mRNAs under these conditions (JTK Cycle, ≤ 0.057 statistical cutoff). Our data further indicates that a significant number of transcription factors have a peaked activity during the light phase (day time). The expression levels of a significant number of secreted enzymes, proteases, toxins and small bioactive compounds peaked during the dark phase or subjective night. These findings support a model whereby this fungal parasite uses its biological clock for phase-specific activity. We further suggest that this may be a general mechanism involved in parasite-host interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charissa de Bekker
- University of Central Florida, Department of Biology, Orlando, Florida, United States of America
- LMU Munich, Institute of Medical Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, Munich, Germany
- LMU Munich, Genetics, Faculty of Biology, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Ian Will
- University of Central Florida, Department of Biology, Orlando, Florida, United States of America
- LMU Munich, Institute of Medical Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, Munich, Germany
| | - David P. Hughes
- Pennsylvania State University, Departments of Biology and Entomology, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Andreas Brachmann
- LMU Munich, Genetics, Faculty of Biology, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Martha Merrow
- LMU Munich, Institute of Medical Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, Munich, Germany
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Matarrita-Carranza B, Moreira-Soto RD, Murillo-Cruz C, Mora M, Currie CR, Pinto-Tomas AA. Evidence for Widespread Associations between Neotropical Hymenopteran Insects and Actinobacteria. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:2016. [PMID: 29089938 PMCID: PMC5651009 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.02016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2017] [Accepted: 09/29/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The evolutionary success of hymenopteran insects has been associated with complex physiological and behavioral defense mechanisms against pathogens and parasites. Among these strategies are symbiotic associations between Hymenoptera and antibiotic-producing Actinobacteria, which provide protection to insect hosts. Herein, we examine associations between culturable Actinobacteria and 29 species of tropical hymenopteran insects that span five families, including Apidae (bees), Vespidae (wasps), and Formicidae (ants). In total, 197 Actinobacteria isolates were obtained from 22 of the 29 different insect species sampled. Through 16S rRNA gene sequences of 161 isolates, we show that 91% of the symbionts correspond to members of the genus Streptomyces with less common isolates belonging to Pseudonocardia and Amycolatopsis. Electron microscopy revealed the presence of filamentous bacteria with Streptomyces morphology in brood chambers of two different species of the eusocial wasps. Four fungal strains in the family Ophiocordycipitacea (Hypocreales) known to be specialized insect parasites were also isolated. Bioassay challenges between the Actinobacteria and their possible targeted pathogenic antagonist (both obtained from the same insect at the genus or species level) provide evidence that different Actinobacteria isolates produced antifungal activity, supporting the hypothesis of a defensive association between the insects and these microbe species. Finally, phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA and gyrB demonstrate the presence of five Streptomyces lineages associated with a broad range of insect species. Particularly our Clade I is of much interest as it is composed of one 16S rRNA phylotype repeatedly isolated from different insect groups in our sample. This phylotype corresponds to a previously described lineage of host-associated Streptomyces. These results suggest Streptomyces Clade I is a Hymenoptera host-associated lineage spanning several new insect taxa and ranging from the American temperate to the Neotropical region. Our work thus provides important insights into the widespread distribution of Actinobacteria and hymenopteran insects associations, while also pointing at novel resources that could be targeted for the discovery of active natural products with great potential in medical and biotechnological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernal Matarrita-Carranza
- La Selva Biological Station, Organization for Tropical Studies, Heredia, Costa Rica
- Centro de Investigación en Estructuras Microscópicas, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Rolando D. Moreira-Soto
- Centro de Investigación en Estructuras Microscópicas, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
- Centro de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Catalina Murillo-Cruz
- Centro de Investigación en Estructuras Microscópicas, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Marielos Mora
- Centro de Investigación en Biología Celular y Molecular, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Cameron R. Currie
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Adrián A. Pinto-Tomas
- Centro de Investigación en Estructuras Microscópicas, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
- Centro de Investigación en Biología Celular y Molecular, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
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