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Paddock KJ, Corcoran JA. Life-stage dependent behavior mimics chemosensory repertoire diversity in a belowground, specialist herbivore. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2025; 15:jkaf041. [PMID: 39999386 PMCID: PMC12060231 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkaf041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2025] [Accepted: 02/18/2025] [Indexed: 02/27/2025]
Abstract
Insects rely on the translation of environmental chemical cues into behaviors necessary for survival and reproduction. Specific chemosensory receptors belonging to the odorant and gustatory receptor groups detect odorant and gustatory cues, respectively, making them crucial to these processes. How odorant (OR) and gustatory (GR) receptor expression profiles change in combination with changing life strategies is not well understood. Using genomic and transcriptomic resources, we annotated the OR and GR expression profiles across all life stages of the western corn rootworm (WCR), Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, a major pest of corn in the United States and Europe. Genomic analyses identified 193 ORs and 189 GRs, of which 125 and 116 were found to be expressed, respectively, in one or more WCR life stages. WCR larvae are subterranean and feed on roots before emerging as adults aboveground. Expression profile analyses revealed first instar larvae possess a unique OR and GR repertoire distinct from other instars and adults, suggesting a role in host plant finding. Similarly, a subset of ORs and GRs differed in their expression levels between adult male and female antennae. By comparing the phylogenetic relationship of ORs and GRs, we identified several receptors with potentially important roles in WCR foraging and reproductive behavior. Together, this study provides support for future investigations into the ecology and evolution of chemoreception in insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle J Paddock
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Biological Control of Insects Research Laboratory, Columbia, MO 65203, USA
| | - Jacob A Corcoran
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Biological Control of Insects Research Laboratory, Columbia, MO 65203, USA
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2
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Popkin-Hall ZR, Slotman MA. Molecular evolution of gustatory receptors in the Anopheles gambiae complex. BMC Ecol Evol 2025; 25:22. [PMID: 40098122 PMCID: PMC11912695 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-025-02359-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/28/2025] [Indexed: 03/19/2025] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mosquitoes in the Anopheles (An.) gambiae species complex are major vectors of Plasmodium falciparum malaria. One reason for this is the high anthropophily of the constituent species An. coluzzii, An. gambiae sensu stricto, and An. arabiensis. In contrast, their sister species An. quadriannulatus is highly zoophilic. Anopheles mosquitoes largely rely on chemical cues for host-seeking, which are primarily detected by four chemosensory gene families: olfactory receptors (Ors), ionotropic receptors (Irs), gustatory receptors (Grs), and odorant binding proteins (Obps). Genes from these families that have been implicated in host adaptation show evidence of positive selection in other insect species, including other mosquitoes. As such, we analyzed the molecular evolutionary patterns of the gustatory receptors within the Anopheles gambiae complex, with a particular interest in identifying Grs that show evidence of positive selection in highly anthropophilic species. RESULTS We identified sixteen Grs that show evidence of potential positive selection using the McDonald-Kreitman test, including four putative sugar receptors and two Grs with unknown ligands that are relatively highly expressed in chemosensory organs of either An. coluzzii or An. quadriannulatus. In addition, we identified twelve Grs that show evidence of potential purifying selection using the McDonald-Kreitman test, and twelve Grs that may have experienced a selective sweep using the DH test, including three putative sugar receptors and the carbon dioxide receptor Gr24. We also identified both positive and purifying selection in the coastal species An. melas (West Africa) and An. merus (East Africa). CONCLUSIONS Our results, together with transcriptomic data, identify four Grs as possible candidates for involvement in the evolution of vertebrate host preference in the An. gambiae complex, as may have occurred in the An. farauti complex. They also point to sugar receptors as playing a role in recent adaptation of some of these species. As the vast majority of Grs have unknown functions and much is still unknown about the role of Grs in these species, a more complete interpretation of our data necessitates further characterization of these genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary R Popkin-Hall
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
- Institute of Global Health and Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
| | - Michel A Slotman
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
- Avans University, Breda, Netherlands
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Cattaneo AM, Kwadha CA, Pullmann-Lindsley H, Erdei AL, Pitts RJ, Walker WB. Functional Characterization of a Female-Biased Chemoreceptor of the Codling Moth (Cydia pomonella) Responding to Aldehydes and Other Volatile Compounds. J Chem Ecol 2025; 51:28. [PMID: 40000511 PMCID: PMC11861427 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-025-01579-1] [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: 10/10/2024] [Revised: 01/31/2025] [Accepted: 02/04/2025] [Indexed: 02/27/2025]
Abstract
With the advent of semiochemical-based control strategies used to mitigate damage of agricultural pest moths, many studies have focused on the function of male-specific putative pheromone receptors (PRs). In this investigation, we instead isolated, heterologously expressed, and functionally characterized a female-biased candidate PR, CpomOR22, from the codling moth, Cydia pomonella. Using transgenic Drosophila melanogaster for single sensillum recording (SSR) and gas-chromatographic SSR, we tested both synthetic ligands and various apple headspace extracts, identifying saturated and unsaturated aldehydes (nonanal, decanal, undecanal, dodecanal; (Z)-4-undecenal and (Z)-6-undecenal) among the most active ligands. Parallel experiments expressing CpomOR22 in Xenopus oocytes confirmed the binding of nonanal, decanal and undecanal and revealed lactones (γ-undecalactone and δ-dodecalactone) and several carboxylic acids as additional active compounds. The renowned ecological importance of aldehydes for the codling moth and the potential for newly identified ligands, such as lactones, may inform innovative control strategies based on novel semiochemicals to interfere with the female-specific chemosensory systems of this insect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Maria Cattaneo
- Department of Plant Protection Biology, Chemical Ecology. Lomma - Campus Alnarp, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 234 56, Alnarp, Sweden.
| | - Charles A Kwadha
- Department of Plant Protection Biology, Chemical Ecology. Lomma - Campus Alnarp, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 234 56, Alnarp, Sweden
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695-7616, USA
| | - Heidi Pullmann-Lindsley
- Department of Biology, Baylor University, 101 Bagby Avenue, Waco, TX, 76706, USA
- Department of Biological and Molecular Sciences, George Fox University, 414 N Meridian Street, Newberg, OR, 97132, USA
| | - Anna L Erdei
- Department of Plant Protection Biology, Chemical Ecology. Lomma - Campus Alnarp, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 234 56, Alnarp, Sweden
| | - R Jason Pitts
- Department of Biology, Baylor University, 101 Bagby Avenue, Waco, TX, 76706, USA
| | - William B Walker
- Department of Plant Protection Biology, Chemical Ecology. Lomma - Campus Alnarp, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 234 56, Alnarp, Sweden.
- USDA-ARS, Temperate Tree Fruit and Vegetable Research Unit, 5230 Konnowac Pass Road, Wapato, WA, 98951, USA.
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4
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Xiao Y, Lei CM, Yin F, Peng ZK, Zhang YJ, Zalucki MP, Li ZY. Molecular evidence for the role of the ovipositor of the fall armyworm: Where to lay or not to lay? INSECT SCIENCE 2025. [PMID: 39835427 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.13491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2024] [Revised: 10/08/2024] [Accepted: 10/27/2024] [Indexed: 01/22/2025]
Abstract
Oviposition behavior in insects has received considerable attention, but studies have mainly focused on the antennae, neglecting the role of the ovipositor. In this study, we investigated the functional characteristics of the ovipositor in oviposition site selection by the fall armyworm (FAW) Spodoptera frugiperda, a destructive invasive pest of maize and other cereals. In oviposition choice assays females exhibited significant repellency to isothiocyanate (ITC), volatiles specific to non-preferred cruciferous plants. Females retained repellency to ITC or attraction to maize volatiles even after antennae removal. Scanning electron microscopy indicated the presence of olfactory-associated sensilla on the ovipositor. Comparative transcriptome analysis and in vitro functional studies showed that S. frugiperda odorant binding protein 30 (SfruOBP30), exclusively expressed in the ovipositor, displayed a broad sensitivity toward 18 maize volatiles and 10 ITC compounds. Site-directed mutant assay revealed that Ser71 and Ser85 were the key binding sites for SfruOBP30 interacting with ITCs and key maize volatiles, respectively. Silencing the expression of SfruOBP30 resulted in the loss of bias in oviposition of FAW, significantly inhibiting their ability to avoid ITCs and locate the maize substrate. Overall, we propose that the ovipositor does not just seek out advantageous conditions for immature stages but more importantly, avoids potential risks during the oviposition process. Apparently, the involvement of SfruOBP30 plays a critical role in detecting both beneficial and harmful substances during this intricate process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Xiao
- Institute of Plant Protection, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Green Prevention and Control on Fruits and Vegetables in South China Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of High Technology for Plant Protection, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chun-Mei Lei
- Institute of Plant Protection, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Green Prevention and Control on Fruits and Vegetables in South China Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of High Technology for Plant Protection, Guangzhou, China
- Institute of Biological Control, Jilin Agricultural University, Engineering Research Center of Biological Control in Jilin province, Changchun, China
| | - Fei Yin
- Institute of Plant Protection, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Green Prevention and Control on Fruits and Vegetables in South China Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of High Technology for Plant Protection, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zheng-Ke Peng
- Institute of Plant Protection, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Green Prevention and Control on Fruits and Vegetables in South China Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of High Technology for Plant Protection, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yong-Jun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Myron P Zalucki
- School of the Environment, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
- Shandong Engineering Research Center for Environment-Friendly Agricultural Pest Management, College of Plant Health and Medicine, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, China
| | - Zhen-Yu Li
- Institute of Plant Protection, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Green Prevention and Control on Fruits and Vegetables in South China Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of High Technology for Plant Protection, Guangzhou, China
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Mi T, Sheng C, Lee CK, Nguyen P, Zhang YV. Harnessing Insect Chemosensory and Mechanosensory Receptors Involved in Feeding for Precision Pest Management. Life (Basel) 2025; 15:110. [PMID: 39860050 PMCID: PMC11766477 DOI: 10.3390/life15010110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2024] [Accepted: 01/09/2025] [Indexed: 01/27/2025] Open
Abstract
Chemosensation and mechanosensation are vital to insects' survival and behavior, shaping critical physiological processes such as feeding, metabolism, mating, and reproduction. During feeding, insects rely on diverse chemosensory and mechanosensory receptors to distinguish between nutritious and harmful substances, enabling them to select suitable food sources while avoiding toxins. These receptors are distributed across various body parts, allowing insects to detect environmental cues about food quality and adjust their behaviors accordingly. A deeper understanding of insect sensory physiology, especially during feeding, not only enhances our knowledge of insect biology but also offers significant opportunities for practical applications. This review highlights recent advancements in research on feeding-related sensory receptors, covering a wide range of insect species, from the model organism Drosophila melanogaster to agricultural and human pests. Additionally, this review examines the potential of targeting insect sensory receptors for precision pest control. Disrupting behaviors such as feeding and reproduction emerges as a promising strategy for pest management. By interfering with these essential behaviors, we can effectively control pest populations while minimizing environmental impacts and promoting ecological balance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingwei Mi
- Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; (T.M.); (C.S.); (C.K.L.)
| | - Chengwang Sheng
- Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; (T.M.); (C.S.); (C.K.L.)
- Department of Pesticide Science, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Cassidy Kylene Lee
- Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; (T.M.); (C.S.); (C.K.L.)
| | - Peter Nguyen
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA;
| | - Yali V. Zhang
- Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; (T.M.); (C.S.); (C.K.L.)
- Department of Physiology, The Institute for Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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6
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Kalita AI, Keller Valsecchi CI. Dosage compensation in non-model insects - progress and perspectives. Trends Genet 2025; 41:76-98. [PMID: 39341686 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2024.08.010] [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: 05/06/2024] [Revised: 08/26/2024] [Accepted: 08/28/2024] [Indexed: 10/01/2024]
Abstract
In many multicellular eukaryotes, heteromorphic sex chromosomes are responsible for determining the sexual characteristics and reproductive functions of individuals. Sex chromosomes can cause a dosage imbalance between sexes, which in some species is re-equilibrated by dosage compensation (DC). Recent genomic advances have extended our understanding of DC mechanisms in insects beyond model organisms such as Drosophila melanogaster. We review current knowledge of insect DC, focusing on its conservation and divergence across orders, the evolutionary dynamics of neo-sex chromosomes, and the diversity of molecular mechanisms. We propose a framework to uncover DC regulators in non-model insects that relies on integrating evolutionary, genomic, and functional approaches. This comprehensive approach will facilitate a deeper understanding of the evolution and essentiality of gene regulatory mechanisms.
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Sinha A, Lee J, Kim J, So H. An evaluation of recent advancements in biological sensory organ-inspired neuromorphically tuned biomimetic devices. MATERIALS HORIZONS 2024; 11:5181-5208. [PMID: 39114942 DOI: 10.1039/d4mh00522h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/29/2024]
Abstract
In the field of neuroscience, significant progress has been made regarding how the brain processes information. Unlike computer processors, the brain comprises neurons and synapses instead of memory blocks and transistors. Despite advancements in artificial neural networks, a complete understanding concerning brain functions remains elusive. For example, to achieve more accurate neuron replication, we must better understand signal transmission during synaptic processes, neural network tunability, and the creation of nanodevices featuring neurons and synapses. This study discusses the latest algorithms utilized in neuromorphic systems, the production of synaptic devices, differences between single and multisensory gadgets, recent advances in multisensory devices, and the promising research opportunities available in this field. We also explored the ability of an artificial synaptic device to mimic biological neural systems across diverse applications. Despite existing challenges, neuroscience-based computing technology holds promise for attracting scientists seeking to enhance solutions and augment the capabilities of neuromorphic devices, thereby fostering future breakthroughs in algorithms and the widespread application of cutting-edge technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Animesh Sinha
- Department of Mechanical Convergence Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, South Korea.
| | - Jihun Lee
- Department of Mechanical Convergence Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, South Korea.
| | - Junho Kim
- Department of Mechanical Convergence Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, South Korea.
| | - Hongyun So
- Department of Mechanical Convergence Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, South Korea.
- Institute of Nano Science and Technology, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, South Korea
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8
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Sato R. Molecular Functions and Physiological Roles of Gustatory Receptors of the Silkworm Bombyx mori. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:10157. [PMID: 39337641 PMCID: PMC11432556 DOI: 10.3390/ijms251810157] [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: 09/03/2024] [Revised: 09/16/2024] [Accepted: 09/18/2024] [Indexed: 09/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Complete elucidation of members of the gustatory receptor (Gr) family in lepidopteran insects began in the silkworm Bombyx mori. Grs of lepidopteran insects were initially classified into four subfamilies based on the results of phylogenetic studies and analyses of a few ligands. However, with further ligand analysis, it has become clear that plant secondary metabolites are important targets not only for Grs in the bitter subfamily but also for the Drosophila melanogaster Gr43a orthologue subfamily and Grs in the sugar subfamily. Gene knockout experiments showed that B. mori Gr6 (BmGr6) and BmGr9 are involved in the recognition of the feeding-promoting compounds chlorogenic acid and isoquercetin in mulberry leaves by the maxillary palps, suggesting that these Grs are responsible for palpation-dependent host recognition without biting. On the other hand, BmGr expression was also confirmed in nonsensory organs. Midgut enteroendocrine cells that produce specific neuropeptides were shown to express specific BmGrs, suggesting that BmGrs are involved in the induction of endocrine secretion in response to changes in the midgut contents. Furthermore, gene knockout experiments indicated that BmGr6 is indeed involved in the secretion of myosuppressin. On the other hand, BmGr9 was shown to induce signal transduction that is not derived from the intracellular signaling cascade mediated by G proteins but from the fructose-regulated cation channel of BmGr9 itself. Cryogenic electron microscopy revealed the mechanism by which the ion channel of the BmGr9 homotetramer opens upon binding of fructose to the ligand-binding pocket. Research on BmGrs has contributed greatly to our understanding of the functions and roles of Grs in insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryoichi Sato
- Graduate School of Bio-Application and Systems Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Naka 2-24-16, Koganei 184-8588, Tokyo, Japan
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9
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Dort H, van der Bijl W, Wahlberg N, Nylin S, Wheat CW. Genome-Wide Gene Birth-Death Dynamics Are Associated with Diet Breadth Variation in Lepidoptera. Genome Biol Evol 2024; 16:evae095. [PMID: 38976568 PMCID: PMC11229701 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evae095] [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] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Comparative analyses of gene birth-death dynamics have the potential to reveal gene families that played an important role in the evolution of morphological, behavioral, or physiological variation. Here, we used whole genomes of 30 species of butterflies and moths to identify gene birth-death dynamics among the Lepidoptera that are associated with specialist or generalist feeding strategies. Our work advances this field using a uniform set of annotated proteins for all genomes, investigating associations while correcting for phylogeny, and assessing all gene families rather than a priori subsets. We discovered that the sizes of several important gene families (e.g. those associated with pesticide resistance, xenobiotic detoxification, and/or protein digestion) are significantly correlated with diet breadth. We also found 22 gene families showing significant shifts in gene birth-death dynamics at the butterfly (Papilionoidea) crown node, the most notable of which was a family of pheromone receptors that underwent a contraction potentially linked with a shift to visual-based mate recognition. Our findings highlight the importance of uniform annotations, phylogenetic corrections, and unbiased gene family analyses in generating a list of candidate genes that warrant further exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna Dort
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Wouter van der Bijl
- Department of Zoology & Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | | | - Sören Nylin
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
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Zhang SS, Wang PC, Ning C, Yang K, Li GC, Cao LL, Huang LQ, Wang CZ. The larva and adult of Helicoverpa armigera use differential gustatory receptors to sense sucrose. eLife 2024; 12:RP91711. [PMID: 38814697 PMCID: PMC11139476 DOI: 10.7554/elife.91711] [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] [Indexed: 05/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Almost all herbivorous insects feed on plants and use sucrose as a feeding stimulant, but the molecular basis of their sucrose reception remains unclear. Helicoverpa armigera as a notorious crop pest worldwide mainly feeds on reproductive organs of many plant species in the larval stage, and its adult draws nectar. In this study, we determined that the sucrose sensory neurons located in the contact chemosensilla on larval maxillary galea were 100-1000 times more sensitive to sucrose than those on adult antennae, tarsi, and proboscis. Using the Xenopus expression system, we discovered that Gr10 highly expressed in the larval sensilla was specifically tuned to sucrose, while Gr6 highly expressed in the adult sensilla responded to fucose, sucrose and fructose. Moreover, using CRISPR/Cas9, we revealed that Gr10 was mainly used by larvae to detect lower sucrose, while Gr6 was primarily used by adults to detect higher sucrose and other saccharides, which results in differences in selectivity and sensitivity between larval and adult sugar sensory neurons. Our results demonstrate the sugar receptors in this moth are evolved to adapt toward the larval and adult foods with different types and amounts of sugar, and fill in a gap in sweet taste of animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuai-Shuai Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Pei-Chao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Chao Ning
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Ke Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Guo-Cheng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Lin-Lin Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Ling-Qiao Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Chen-Zhu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
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Chen R, Yan J, Wickham JD, Gao Y. Genomic identification and evolutionary analysis of chemosensory receptor gene families in two Phthorimaea pest species: insights into chemical ecology and host adaptation. BMC Genomics 2024; 25:493. [PMID: 38762533 PMCID: PMC11102633 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-024-10428-6] [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: 04/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/20/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Insects rely on sophisticated sensitive chemosensory systems to sense their complex chemical environment. This sensory process involves a combination of odorant receptors (ORs), gustatory receptors (GRs) and ionotropic receptors (IRs) in the chemosensory system. This study focused on the identification and characterization of these three types of chemosensory receptor genes in two closely related Phthorimaea pest species, Phthorimaea operculella (potato tuber moth) and Phthorimaea absoluta (tomato leaf miner). RESULTS Based on manual annotation of the genome, we identified a total of 349 chemoreceptor genes from the genome of P. operculella, including 93 OR, 206 GR and 50 IR genes, while for P. absoluta, we identified 72 OR, 122 GR and 46 IR genes. Through phylogenetic analysis, we observed minimal differences in the number and types of ORs and IRs between the potato tuber moth and tomato leaf miner. In addition, we found that compared with those of tomato leaf miners, the gustatory receptor branch of P. operculella has undergone a large expansion, which may be related to P. absoluta having a narrower host range than P. operculella. Through analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of male and female antennae, we uncovered 45 DEGs (including 32ORs, 9 GRs, and 4 IRs). CONCLUSIONS Our research provides a foundation for exploring the chemical ecology of these two pests and offers new insights into the dietary differentiation of lepidopteran insects, while simultaneously providing molecular targets for developing environmentally friendly pest control methods based on insect chemoreception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruipeng Chen
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Junjie Yan
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Jacob D Wickham
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119071, Russia
- Department of Entomology, Rutgers University, 93 Lipman Drive, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
| | - Yulin Gao
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China.
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12
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Endo H, Tsuneto K, Mang D, Zhang W, Yamagishi T, Ito K, Nagata S, Sato R. Molecular basis of host plant recognition by silkworm larvae. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 154:104628. [PMID: 38387524 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2024.104628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2024] [Revised: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Herbivorous insects can identify their host plants by sensing plant secondary metabolites as chemical cues. We previously reported the two-factor host acceptance system of the silkworm Bombyx mori larvae. The chemosensory neurons in the maxillary palp (MP) of the larvae detect mulberry secondary metabolites, chlorogenic acid (CGA), and isoquercetin (ISQ), with ultrahigh sensitivity, for host plant recognition and feeding initiation. Nevertheless, the molecular basis for the ultrasensitive sensing of these compounds remains unknown. In this study, we demonstrated that two gustatory receptors (Grs), BmGr6 and BmGr9, are responsible for sensing the mulberry compounds with attomolar sensitivity for host plant recognition by silkworm larvae. Calcium imaging assay using cultured cells expressing the silkworm putative sugar receptors (BmGr4-10) revealed that BmGr6 and BmGr9 serve as receptors for CGA and ISQ with attomolar sensitivity in human embryonic kidney 293T cells. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout (KO) of BmGr6 and BmGr9 resulted in a low probability of making a test bite of the mulberry leaves, suggesting that they lost the ability to recognize host leaves. Electrophysiological recordings showed that the loss of host recognition ability in the Gr-KO strains was due to a drastic decrease in MP sensitivity toward ISQ in BmGr6-KO larvae and toward CGA and ISQ in BmGr9-KO larvae. Our findings have revealed that the two Grs, previously considered to be sugar receptors, are molecules responsible for detecting plant phenolics in host plant recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haruka Endo
- Graduate School of Bio-Applications and Systems Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan; Department of Integrated Bioscience, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8562, Japan.
| | - Kana Tsuneto
- Graduate School of Bio-Applications and Systems Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan
| | - Dingze Mang
- Graduate School of Bio-Applications and Systems Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan; College of Life Science, Institute of Life Science and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China
| | - Wenjing Zhang
- College of Life Science, Institute of Life Science and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China
| | - Takayuki Yamagishi
- Graduate School of Bio-Applications and Systems Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan
| | - Katsuhiko Ito
- Department of Science of Biological Production, Graduate School of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Fuchu,Tokyo 183-8509, Japan
| | - Shinji Nagata
- Department of Integrated Bioscience, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8562, Japan
| | - Ryoichi Sato
- Graduate School of Bio-Applications and Systems Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan.
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13
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Wang Q, Smid HM, Dicke M, Haverkamp A. The olfactory system of Pieris brassicae caterpillars: from receptors to glomeruli. INSECT SCIENCE 2024; 31:469-488. [PMID: 38105530 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.13304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
The olfactory system of adult lepidopterans is among the best described neuronal circuits. However, comparatively little is known about the organization of the olfactory system in the larval stage of these insects. Here, we explore the expression of olfactory receptors and the organization of olfactory sensory neurons in caterpillars of Pieris brassicae, a significant pest species in Europe and a well-studied species for its chemical ecology. To describe the larval olfactory system in this species, we first analyzed the head transcriptome of third-instar larvae (L3) and identified 16 odorant receptors (ORs) including the OR coreceptor (Orco), 13 ionotropic receptors (IRs), and 8 gustatory receptors (GRs). We then quantified the expression of these 16 ORs in different life stages, using qPCR, and found that the majority of ORs had significantly higher expression in the L4 stage than in the L3 and L5 stages, indicating that the larval olfactory system is not static throughout caterpillar development. Using an Orco-specific antibody, we identified all olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) expressing the Orco protein in L3, L4, and L5 caterpillars and found a total of 34 Orco-positive ORNs, distributed among three sensilla on the antenna. The number of Orco-positive ORNs did not differ among the three larval instars. Finally, we used retrograde axon tracing of the antennal nerve and identified a mean of 15 glomeruli in the larval antennal center (LAC), suggesting that the caterpillar olfactory system follows a similar design as the adult olfactory system, although with a lower numerical redundancy. Taken together, our results provide a detailed analysis of the larval olfactory neurons in P. brassicae, highlighting both the differences as well as the commonalities with the adult olfactory system. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the development of the olfactory system in insects and its life-stage-specific adaptations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Wang
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Hans M Smid
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Marcel Dicke
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Alexander Haverkamp
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
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14
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Peláez JN, Bernstein S, Okoro J, Rodas E, Liang I, Leipertz A, Marion-Poll F, Whiteman NK. Taste evolution in an herbivorous drosophilid. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.27.582299. [PMID: 38464294 PMCID: PMC10925181 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.27.582299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Plant secondary metabolites pose a challenge for generalist herbivorous insects because they are not only potentially toxic, they also may trigger aversion. On the contrary, some highly specialized herbivorous insects evolved to use these same compounds as 'token stimuli' for unambiguous determination of their host plants. Two questions that emerge from these observations are how recently derived herbivores evolve to overcome this aversion to plant secondary metabolites and the extent to which they evolve increased attraction to these same compounds. In this study, we addressed these questions by focusing on the evolution of bitter taste preferences in the herbivorous drosophilid Scaptomyza flava, which is phylogenetically nested deep in the paraphyletic Drosophila. We measured behavioral and neural responses of S. flava and a set of non-herbivorous species representing a phylogenetic gradient (S. pallida, S. hsui, and D. melanogaster) towards host- and non-host derived bitter plant compounds. We observed that S. flava evolved a shift in bitter detection, rather than a narrow shift towards glucosinolates, the precursors of mustard-specific defense compounds. In a dye-based consumption assay, S. flava exhibited shifts in aversion toward the non-mustard bitter, plant-produced alkaloids caffeine and lobeline, and reduced aversion towards glucosinolates, whereas the non-herbivorous species each showed strong aversion to all bitter compounds tested. We then examined whether these changes in bitter preferences of S. flava could be explained by changes in sensitivity in the peripheral nervous system and compared electrophysiological responses from the labellar sensilla of S. flava, S. pallida, and D. melanogaster. Using scanning electron microscopy, we also created a map of labellar sensilla in S. flava and S. pallida. We assigned each sensillum to a functional sensilla class based on their morphology and initial response profiles to bitter and sweet compounds. Despite a high degree of conservation in the morphology and spatial placement of sensilla between S. flava and S. pallida, electrophysiological studies revealed that S. flava had reduced sensitivity to glucosinolates to varying degrees. We found this reduction only in I type sensilla. Finally, we speculate on the potential role that evolutionary genetic changes in gustatory receptors between S. pallida and S. flava may play in driving these patterns. Specifically, we hypothesize that the evolution of bitter receptors expressed in I type sensilla may have driven the reduced sensitivity observed in S. flava, and ultimately, its reduced bitter aversion. The S. flava system showcases the importance of reduced aversion to bitter defense compounds in relatively young herbivorous lineages, and how this may be achieved at the molecular and physiological level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julianne N. Peláez
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Susan Bernstein
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Judith Okoro
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Esteban Rodas
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Irene Liang
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Anna Leipertz
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Frédéric Marion-Poll
- Evolution, Genomes, Behaviour and Ecology, IDEEV, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, IRD, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, AgroParisTech, 91120 Palaiseau, France
| | - Noah K. Whiteman
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
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15
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Walker III WB, Cattaneo AM, Stout JL, Evans ML, Garczynski SF. Chemosensory Receptor Expression in the Abdomen Tip of the Female Codling Moth, Cydia pomonella L. (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). INSECTS 2023; 14:948. [PMID: 38132621 PMCID: PMC10743790 DOI: 10.3390/insects14120948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
In insects, the chemical senses influence most vital behaviors, including mate seeking and egg laying; these sensory modalities are predominantly governed by odorant receptors (ORs), ionotropic receptors (IRs), and gustatory receptors (GRs). The codling moth, Cydia pomonella, is a global pest of apple, pear, and walnut, and semiochemically based management strategies limit the economic impacts of this species. The previous report of expression of a candidate pheromone-responsive OR in female codling moth ovipositor and pheromone glands raises further questions about the chemosensory capacity of these organs. With an RNA-sequencing approach, we examined chemoreceptors' expression in the female codling moth abdomen tip, sampling tissues from mated and unmated females and pupae. We report 37 ORs, 22 GRs, and 18 IRs expressed in our transcriptome showing overlap with receptors expressed in adult antennae as well as non-antennal candidate receptors. A quantitative PCR approach was also taken to assess the effect of mating on OR expression in adult female moths, revealing a few genes to be upregulated or downregulating after mating. These results provide a better understanding of the chemosensory role of codling moth female abdomen tip organs in female-specific behaviors. Future research will determine the function of specific receptors to augment current semiochemical-based strategies for codling moth management.
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Affiliation(s)
- William B. Walker III
- Temperate Tree Fruit and Vegetable Research Unit, United States Department of Agriculture—Agricultural Research Service, Wapato, WA 98951, USA; (J.L.S.); (M.L.E.)
| | - Alberto M. Cattaneo
- Chemical Ecology Group, Department of Plant Protection Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Lomma (Campus Alnarp), 234 56 Skåne, Sweden;
| | - Jennifer L. Stout
- Temperate Tree Fruit and Vegetable Research Unit, United States Department of Agriculture—Agricultural Research Service, Wapato, WA 98951, USA; (J.L.S.); (M.L.E.)
| | - MacKenzie L. Evans
- Temperate Tree Fruit and Vegetable Research Unit, United States Department of Agriculture—Agricultural Research Service, Wapato, WA 98951, USA; (J.L.S.); (M.L.E.)
| | - Stephen F. Garczynski
- Temperate Tree Fruit and Vegetable Research Unit, United States Department of Agriculture—Agricultural Research Service, Wapato, WA 98951, USA; (J.L.S.); (M.L.E.)
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16
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Vertacnik KL, Herrig DK, Godfrey RK, Hill T, Geib SM, Unckless RL, Nelson DR, Linnen CR. Evolution of five environmentally responsive gene families in a pine-feeding sawfly, Neodiprion lecontei (Hymenoptera: Diprionidae). Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10506. [PMID: 37791292 PMCID: PMC10542623 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023] Open
Abstract
A central goal in evolutionary biology is to determine the predictability of adaptive genetic changes. Despite many documented cases of convergent evolution at individual loci, little is known about the repeatability of gene family expansions and contractions. To address this void, we examined gene family evolution in the redheaded pine sawfly Neodiprion lecontei, a noneusocial hymenopteran and exemplar of a pine-specialized lineage evolved from angiosperm-feeding ancestors. After assembling and annotating a draft genome, we manually annotated multiple gene families with chemosensory, detoxification, or immunity functions before characterizing their genomic distributions and molecular evolution. We find evidence of recent expansions of bitter gustatory receptor, clan 3 cytochrome P450, olfactory receptor, and antimicrobial peptide subfamilies, with strong evidence of positive selection among paralogs in a clade of gustatory receptors possibly involved in the detection of bitter compounds. In contrast, these gene families had little evidence of recent contraction via pseudogenization. Overall, our results are consistent with the hypothesis that in response to novel selection pressures, gene families that mediate ecological interactions may expand and contract predictably. Testing this hypothesis will require the comparative analysis of high-quality annotation data from phylogenetically and ecologically diverse insect species and functionally diverse gene families. To this end, increasing sampling in under-sampled hymenopteran lineages and environmentally responsive gene families and standardizing manual annotation methods should be prioritized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kim L. Vertacnik
- Department of EntomologyUniversity of KentuckyLexingtonKentuckyUSA
| | | | - R. Keating Godfrey
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, University of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
| | - Tom Hill
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious DiseasesBethesdaMarylandUSA
| | - Scott M. Geib
- Tropical Crop and Commodity Protection Research UnitUnited States Department of Agriculture: Agriculture Research Service Pacific Basin Agricultural Research CenterHiloHawaiiUSA
| | - Robert L. Unckless
- Department of Molecular BiosciencesUniversity of KansasLawrenceKansasUSA
| | - David R. Nelson
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and BiochemistryUniversity of Tennessee Health Science CenterMemphisTennesseeUSA
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17
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Chakraborty M, Lara AG, Dang A, McCulloch KJ, Rainbow D, Carter D, Ngo LT, Solares E, Said I, Corbett-Detig RB, Gilbert LE, Emerson JJ, Briscoe AD. Sex-linked gene traffic underlies the acquisition of sexually dimorphic UV color vision in Heliconius butterflies. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2301411120. [PMID: 37552755 PMCID: PMC10438391 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2301411120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The acquisition of novel sexually dimorphic traits poses an evolutionary puzzle: How do new traits arise and become sex-limited? Recently acquired color vision, sexually dimorphic in animals like primates and butterflies, presents a compelling model for understanding how traits become sex-biased. For example, some Heliconius butterflies uniquely possess UV (ultraviolet) color vision, which correlates with the expression of two differentially tuned UV-sensitive rhodopsins, UVRh1 and UVRh2. To discover how such traits become sexually dimorphic, we studied Heliconius charithonia, which exhibits female-specific UVRh1 expression. We demonstrate that females, but not males, discriminate different UV wavelengths. Through whole-genome shotgun sequencing and assembly of the H. charithonia genome, we discovered that UVRh1 is present on the W chromosome, making it obligately female-specific. By knocking out UVRh1, we show that UVRh1 protein expression is absent in mutant female eye tissue, as in wild-type male eyes. A PCR survey of UVRh1 sex-linkage across the genus shows that species with female-specific UVRh1 expression lack UVRh1 gDNA in males. Thus, acquisition of sex linkage is sufficient to achieve female-specific expression of UVRh1, though this does not preclude other mechanisms, like cis-regulatory evolution from also contributing. Moreover, both this event, and mutations leading to differential UV opsin sensitivity, occurred early in the history of Heliconius. These results suggest a path for acquiring sexual dimorphism distinct from existing mechanistic models. We propose a model where gene traffic to heterosomes (the W or the Y) genetically partitions a trait by sex before a phenotype shifts (spectral tuning of UV sensitivity).
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahul Chakraborty
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA92697
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX77843
| | | | - Andrew Dang
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA92697
| | - Kyle J. McCulloch
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA92697
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN55108
| | - Dylan Rainbow
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA92697
| | - David Carter
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA92521
| | - Luna Thanh Ngo
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA92697
| | - Edwin Solares
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA92697
| | - Iskander Said
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering and Genomics Institute, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA95064
| | - Russell B. Corbett-Detig
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering and Genomics Institute, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA95064
| | | | - J. J. Emerson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA92697
| | - Adriana D. Briscoe
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA92697
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18
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Peláez JN, Gloss AD, Goldman-Huertas B, Kim B, Lapoint RT, Pimentel-Solorio G, Verster KI, Aguilar JM, Nelson Dittrich AC, Singhal M, Suzuki HC, Matsunaga T, Armstrong EE, Charboneau JLM, Groen SC, Hembry DH, Ochoa CJ, O’Connor TK, Prost S, Zaaijer S, Nabity PD, Wang J, Rodas E, Liang I, Whiteman NK. Evolution of chemosensory and detoxification gene families across herbivorous Drosophilidae. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2023; 13:jkad133. [PMID: 37317982 PMCID: PMC10411586 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkad133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2023] [Revised: 03/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Herbivorous insects are exceptionally diverse, accounting for a quarter of all known eukaryotic species, but the genomic basis of adaptations that enabled this dietary transition remains poorly understood. Many studies have suggested that expansions and contractions of chemosensory and detoxification gene families-genes directly mediating interactions with plant chemical defenses-underlie successful plant colonization. However, this hypothesis has been challenging to test because the origins of herbivory in many insect lineages are ancient (>150 million years ago (mya)), obscuring genomic evolutionary patterns. Here, we characterized chemosensory and detoxification gene family evolution across Scaptomyza, a genus nested within Drosophila that includes a recently derived (<15 mya) herbivore lineage of mustard (Brassicales) specialists and carnation (Caryophyllaceae) specialists, and several nonherbivorous species. Comparative genomic analyses revealed that herbivorous Scaptomyza has among the smallest chemosensory and detoxification gene repertoires across 12 drosophilid species surveyed. Rates of gene turnover averaged across the herbivore clade were significantly higher than background rates in over half of the surveyed gene families. However, gene turnover was more limited along the ancestral herbivore branch, with only gustatory receptors and odorant-binding proteins experiencing strong losses. The genes most significantly impacted by gene loss, duplication, or changes in selective constraint were those involved in detecting compounds associated with feeding on living plants (bitter or electrophilic phytotoxins) or their ancestral diet (fermenting plant volatiles). These results provide insight into the molecular and evolutionary mechanisms of plant-feeding adaptations and highlight gene candidates that have also been linked to other dietary transitions in Drosophila.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julianne N Peláez
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02453, USA
| | - Andrew D Gloss
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
- Department of Biology and Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Benjamin Goldman-Huertas
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Bernard Kim
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94305, USA
| | - Richard T Lapoint
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20894, USA
| | | | - Kirsten I Verster
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94305, USA
| | - Jessica M Aguilar
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Anna C Nelson Dittrich
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
- Boyce Thompson Institute, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Malvika Singhal
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Hiromu C Suzuki
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Teruyuki Matsunaga
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Ellie E Armstrong
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94305, USA
| | - Joseph L M Charboneau
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Simon C Groen
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
- Department of Biology and Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
- Department of Nematology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
- Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
- Center for Plant Cell Biology and Institute for Integrative Genome Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - David H Hembry
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Texas Permian Basin, Odessa, TX 79762, USA
| | - Christopher J Ochoa
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Molecular Biology Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Timothy K O’Connor
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Stefan Prost
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94305, USA
| | - Sophie Zaaijer
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
- Jacobs Institute, Cornell Tech, New York, NY 10044, USA
- FIND Genomics, New York, NY 10044, USA
| | - Paul D Nabity
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
- Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Jiarui Wang
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90007, USA
| | - Esteban Rodas
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Irene Liang
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Noah K Whiteman
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
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19
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Borrero J, Wright DS, Bacquet CN, Merrill RM. Oviposition behavior is not affected by ultraviolet light in a butterfly with sexually-dimorphic expression of a UV-sensitive opsin. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10243. [PMID: 37408633 PMCID: PMC10318619 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2023] [Revised: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Animal vision is important for mediating multiple complex behaviors. In Heliconius butterflies, vision guides fundamental behaviors such as oviposition, foraging, and mate choice. Color vision in Heliconius involves ultraviolet (UV), blue and long-wavelength-sensitive photoreceptors (opsins). Additionally, Heliconius possess a duplicated UV opsin, and its expression varies widely within the genus. In Heliconius erato, opsin expression is sexually dimorphic; only females express both UV-sensitive opsins, enabling UV wavelength discrimination. However, the selective pressures responsible for sex-specific differences in opsin expression and visual perception remain unresolved. Female Heliconius invest heavily in finding suitable hostplants for oviposition, a behavior heavily dependent on visual cues. Here, we tested the hypothesis that UV vision is important for oviposition in H. erato and Heliconius himera females by manipulating the availability of UV in behavioral experiments under natural conditions. Our results indicate that UV does not influence the number of oviposition attempts or eggs laid, and the hostplant, Passiflora punctata, does not reflect UV wavelengths. Models of H. erato female vision suggest only minimal stimulation of the UV opsins. Overall, these findings suggest that UV wavelengths do not directly affect the ability of Heliconius females to find suitable oviposition sites. Alternatively, UV discrimination could be used in the context of foraging or mate choice, but this remains to be tested.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose Borrero
- Division of Evolutionary BiologyLMU MunichMunichGermany
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20
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Wang Q, Dicke M, Haverkamp A. Sympatric Pieris butterfly species exhibit a high conservation of chemoreceptors. Front Cell Neurosci 2023; 17:1155405. [PMID: 37252192 PMCID: PMC10210156 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1155405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Sensory processes have often been argued to play a central role in the selection of ecological niches and in the formation of new species. Butterflies are among the best studied animal groups with regards to their evolutionary and behavioral ecology and thereby offer an attractive system to investigate the role of chemosensory genes in sympatric speciation. We focus on two Pieris butterflies with overlapping host-plant ranges: P. brassicae and P. rapae. Host-plant choice in lepidopterans is largely based on their olfactory and gustatory senses. Although the chemosensory responses of the two species have been well characterized at the behavioral and physiological levels, little is known about their chemoreceptor genes. Here, we compared the chemosensory genes of P. brassicae and P. rapae to investigate whether differences in these genes might have contributed to their evolutionary separation. We identified a total of 130 and 122 chemoreceptor genes in the P. brassicae genome and antennal transcriptome, respectively. Similarly, 133 and 124 chemoreceptors were identified in the P. rapae genome and antennal transcriptome. We found some chemoreceptors being differentially expressed in the antennal transcriptomes of the two species. The motifs and gene structures of chemoreceptors were compared between the two species. We show that paralogs share conserved motifs and orthologs have similar gene structures. Our study therefore found surprisingly few differences in the numbers, sequence identities and gene structures between the two species, indicating that the ecological differences between these two butterflies might be more related to a quantitative shift in the expression of orthologous genes than to the evolution of novel receptors as has been found in other insects. Our molecular data supplement the wealth of behavioral and ecological studies on these two species and will thereby help to better understand the role of chemoreceptor genes in the evolution of lepidopterans.
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21
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Gauthier J, Meier J, Legeai F, McClure M, Whibley A, Bretaudeau A, Boulain H, Parrinello H, Mugford ST, Durbin R, Zhou C, McCarthy S, Wheat CW, Piron-Prunier F, Monsempes C, François MC, Jay P, Noûs C, Persyn E, Jacquin-Joly E, Meslin C, Montagné N, Lemaitre C, Elias M. First chromosome scale genomes of ithomiine butterflies (Nymphalidae: Ithomiini): Comparative models for mimicry genetic studies. Mol Ecol Resour 2023; 23:872-885. [PMID: 36533297 PMCID: PMC7617422 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The ithomiine butterflies (Nymphalidae: Danainae) represent the largest known radiation of Müllerian mimetic butterflies. They dominate by number the mimetic butterfly communities, which include species such as the iconic neotropical Heliconius genus. Recent studies on the ecology and genetics of speciation in Ithomiini have suggested that sexual pheromones, colour pattern and perhaps hostplant could drive reproductive isolation. However, no reference genome was available for Ithomiini, which has hindered further exploration on the genetic architecture of these candidate traits, and more generally on the genomic patterns of divergence. Here, we generated high-quality, chromosome-scale genome assemblies for two Melinaea species, M. marsaeus and M. menophilus, and a draft genome of the species Ithomia salapia. We obtained genomes with a size ranging from 396 to 503 Mb across the three species and scaffold N50 of 40.5 and 23.2 Mb for the two chromosome-scale assemblies. Using collinearity analyses we identified massive rearrangements between the two closely related Melinaea species. An annotation of transposable elements and gene content was performed, as well as a specialist annotation to target chemosensory genes, which is crucial for host plant detection and mate recognition in mimetic species. A comparative genomic approach revealed independent gene expansions in ithomiines and particularly in gustatory receptor genes. These first three genomes of ithomiine mimetic butterflies constitute a valuable addition and a welcome comparison to existing biological models such as Heliconius, and will enable further understanding of the mechanisms of adaptation in butterflies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Joana Meier
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Fabrice Legeai
- BIPAA, IGEPP, INRAE, Institut Agro, Univ Rennes, Rennes, France
- Univ Rennes, Inria, CNRS, IRISA, Rennes, France
| | - Melanie McClure
- Institut Systématique Évolution Biodiversité (ISYEB), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, MNHN, EPHE, Sorbonne Université, Université des Antilles, Paris, France
- Laboratoire Écologie, Évolution, Interactions des Systèmes Amazoniens (LEEISA), Université de Guyane, CNRS, IFREMER, Cayenne, France
| | - Annabel Whibley
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Anthony Bretaudeau
- BIPAA, IGEPP, INRAE, Institut Agro, Univ Rennes, Rennes, France
- Univ Rennes, Inria, CNRS, IRISA, Rennes, France
| | - Hélène Boulain
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Hugues Parrinello
- MGX-Montpellier GenomiX, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, France
| | - Sam T. Mugford
- Department of Crop Genetics, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | - Richard Durbin
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Tree of Life Programme, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, UK
| | - Chenxi Zhou
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Tree of Life Programme, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, UK
| | - Shane McCarthy
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Tree of Life Programme, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, UK
| | | | - Florence Piron-Prunier
- Institut Systématique Évolution Biodiversité (ISYEB), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, MNHN, EPHE, Sorbonne Université, Université des Antilles, Paris, France
| | - Christelle Monsempes
- Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences of Paris, Sorbonne Université, INRAE, CNRS, IRD, UPEC, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Marie-Christine François
- Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences of Paris, Sorbonne Université, INRAE, CNRS, IRD, UPEC, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Paul Jay
- Ecologie Systématique Evolution, Bâtiment 360, CNRS, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, Orsay, France
| | | | - Emma Persyn
- Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences of Paris, Sorbonne Université, INRAE, CNRS, IRD, UPEC, Université de Paris, Paris, France
- CIRAD, UMR PVBMT, St Pierre, France
| | - Emmanuelle Jacquin-Joly
- Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences of Paris, Sorbonne Université, INRAE, CNRS, IRD, UPEC, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Camille Meslin
- Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences of Paris, Sorbonne Université, INRAE, CNRS, IRD, UPEC, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Nicolas Montagné
- Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences of Paris, Sorbonne Université, INRAE, CNRS, IRD, UPEC, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | | | - Marianne Elias
- Institut Systématique Évolution Biodiversité (ISYEB), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, MNHN, EPHE, Sorbonne Université, Université des Antilles, Paris, France
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22
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Pelaez JN, Gloss AD, Goldman-Huertas B, Kim B, Lapoint RT, Pimentel-Solorio G, Verster KI, Aguilar JM, Dittrich ACN, Singhal M, Suzuki HC, Matsunaga T, Armstrong EE, Charboneau JL, Groen SC, Hembry DH, Ochoa CJ, O’Connor TK, Prost S, Zaaijer S, Nabity PD, Wang J, Rodas E, Liang I, Whiteman NK. Evolution of chemosensory and detoxification gene families across herbivorous Drosophilidae. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.16.532987. [PMID: 36993186 PMCID: PMC10055167 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.16.532987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Herbivorous insects are exceptionally diverse, accounting for a quarter of all known eukaryotic species, but the genetic basis of adaptations that enabled this dietary transition remains poorly understood. Many studies have suggested that expansions and contractions of chemosensory and detoxification gene families - genes directly mediating interactions with plant chemical defenses - underlie successful plant colonization. However, this hypothesis has been challenging to test because the origins of herbivory in many lineages are ancient (>150 million years ago [mya]), obscuring genomic evolutionary patterns. Here, we characterized chemosensory and detoxification gene family evolution across Scaptomyza, a genus nested within Drosophila that includes a recently derived (<15 mya) herbivore lineage of mustard (Brassicales) specialists and carnation (Caryophyllaceae) specialists, and several non-herbivorous species. Comparative genomic analyses revealed that herbivorous Scaptomyza have among the smallest chemosensory and detoxification gene repertoires across 12 drosophilid species surveyed. Rates of gene turnover averaged across the herbivore clade were significantly higher than background rates in over half of the surveyed gene families. However, gene turnover was more limited along the ancestral herbivore branch, with only gustatory receptors and odorant binding proteins experiencing strong losses. The genes most significantly impacted by gene loss, duplication, or changes in selective constraint were those involved in detecting compounds associated with feeding on plants (bitter or electrophilic phytotoxins) or their ancestral diet (yeast and fruit volatiles). These results provide insight into the molecular and evolutionary mechanisms of plant-feeding adaptations and highlight strong gene candidates that have also been linked to other dietary transitions in Drosophila .
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Affiliation(s)
- Julianne N. Pelaez
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02453, USA
| | - Andrew D. Gloss
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
- Department of Biology and Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Benjamin Goldman-Huertas
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Bernard Kim
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94305, USA
| | - Richard T. Lapoint
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, Bethesda, MD 20894, USA
| | | | - Kirsten I. Verster
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94305, USA
| | - Jessica M. Aguilar
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Anna C. Nelson Dittrich
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
- Boyce Thompson Institute, Ithaca NY 14853 USA
| | - Malvika Singhal
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Oregon, OR, CA 97403, USA
| | - Hiromu C. Suzuki
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Teruyuki Matsunaga
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | | | - Joseph L.M. Charboneau
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Simon C. Groen
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
- Department of Biology and Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
- Department of Nematology, University of California-Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
- Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California-Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
- Center for Plant Cell Biology and Institute for Integrative Genome Biology, University of California-Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - David H. Hembry
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Texas Permian Basin, Odessa, TX 79762, USA
| | - Christopher J. Ochoa
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Molecular Biology Institute, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Timothy K. O’Connor
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Stefan Prost
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94305, USA
| | - Sophie Zaaijer
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
- Jacobs Institute, Cornell Tech, New York, NY 10044, USA
- FIND Genomics, New York, NY 10044, USA
| | - Paul D. Nabity
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
- Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California-Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Jiarui Wang
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90007, USA
| | - Esteban Rodas
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Irene Liang
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Noah K. Whiteman
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
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23
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Reisenman CE, Wong J, Vedagarbha N, Livelo C, Scott K. Taste adaptations associated with host specialization in the specialist Drosophila sechellia. J Exp Biol 2023; 226:jeb244641. [PMID: 36637369 PMCID: PMC10088416 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.244641] [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: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Chemosensory-driven host plant specialization is a major force mediating insect ecological adaptation and speciation. Drosophila sechellia, a species endemic to the Seychelles islands, feeds and oviposits on Morinda citrifolia almost exclusively. This fruit is harmless to D. sechellia but toxic to other Drosophilidae, including the closely related generalists D. simulans and D. melanogaster, because of its high content of fatty acids. While several olfactory adaptations mediating D. sechellia's preference for its host have been uncovered, the role of taste has been much less examined. We found that D. sechellia has reduced taste and feeding aversion to bitter compounds and host fatty acids that are aversive to D. melanogaster and D. simulans. The loss of aversion to canavanine, coumarin and fatty acids arose in the D. sechellia lineage, as its sister species D. simulans showed responses akin to those of D. melanogaster. Drosophila sechellia has increased taste and feeding responses towards M. citrifolia. These results are in line with D. sechellia's loss of genes that encode bitter gustatory receptors (GRs) in D. melanogaster. We found that two GR genes which are lost in D. sechellia, GR39a.a and GR28b.a, influence the reduction of aversive responses to some bitter compounds. Also, D. sechellia has increased appetite for a prominent host fatty acid compound that is toxic to its relatives. Our results support the hypothesis that changes in the taste system, specifically a reduction of sensitivity to bitter compounds that deter generalist ancestors, contribute to the specialization of D. sechellia for its host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina E. Reisenman
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3200, USA
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3200, USA
- Essig Museum of Entomology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Joshua Wong
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3200, USA
| | - Namrata Vedagarbha
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3200, USA
| | | | - Kristin Scott
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3200, USA
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24
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Mulhair PO, Crowley L, Boyes DH, Harper A, Lewis OT, Holland PWH. Diversity, duplication, and genomic organization of homeobox genes in Lepidoptera. Genome Res 2023; 33:32-44. [PMID: 36617663 PMCID: PMC9977156 DOI: 10.1101/gr.277118.122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Homeobox genes encode transcription factors with essential roles in patterning and cell fate in developing animal embryos. Many homeobox genes, including Hox and NK genes, are arranged in gene clusters, a feature likely related to transcriptional control. Sparse taxon sampling and fragmentary genome assemblies mean that little is known about the dynamics of homeobox gene evolution across Lepidoptera or about how changes in homeobox gene number and organization relate to diversity in this large order of insects. Here we analyze an extensive data set of high-quality genomes to characterize the number and organization of all homeobox genes in 123 species of Lepidoptera from 23 taxonomic families. We find most Lepidoptera have around 100 homeobox loci, including an unusual Hox gene cluster in which the lab gene is repositioned and the ro gene is next to pb A topologically associating domain spans much of the gene cluster, suggesting deep regulatory conservation of the Hox cluster arrangement in this insect order. Most Lepidoptera have four Shx genes, divergent zen-derived loci, but these loci underwent dramatic duplication in several lineages, with some moths having over 165 homeobox loci in the Hox gene cluster; this expansion is associated with local LINE element density. In contrast, the NK gene cluster content is more stable, although there are differences in organization compared with other insects, as well as major rearrangements within butterflies. Our analysis represents the first description of homeobox gene content across the order Lepidoptera, exemplifying the potential of newly generated genome assemblies for understanding genome and gene family evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter O Mulhair
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SZ, United Kingdom
| | - Liam Crowley
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SZ, United Kingdom
| | - Douglas H Boyes
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SZ, United Kingdom
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Wallingford OX10 8BB, United Kingdom
| | - Amber Harper
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SZ, United Kingdom
| | - Owen T Lewis
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SZ, United Kingdom
| | - Peter W H Holland
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SZ, United Kingdom
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25
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Bastide H, López-Villavicencio M, Ogereau D, Lledo J, Dutrillaux AM, Debat V, Llaurens V. Genome assembly of 3 Amazonian Morpho butterfly species reveals Z-chromosome rearrangements between closely related species living in sympatry. Gigascience 2022; 12:giad033. [PMID: 37216769 PMCID: PMC10202424 DOI: 10.1093/gigascience/giad033] [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: 10/25/2022] [Revised: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The genomic processes enabling speciation and species coexistence in sympatry are still largely unknown. Here we describe the whole-genome sequencing and assembly of 3 closely related species from the butterfly genus Morpho: Morpho achilles (Linnaeus, 1758), Morpho helenor (Cramer, 1776), and Morpho deidamia (Höbner, 1819). These large blue butterflies are emblematic species of the Amazonian rainforest. They live in sympatry in a wide range of their geographical distribution and display parallel diversification of dorsal wing color pattern, suggesting local mimicry. By sequencing, assembling, and annotating their genomes, we aim at uncovering prezygotic barriers preventing gene flow between these sympatric species. We found a genome size of 480 Mb for the 3 species and a chromosomal number ranging from 2n = 54 for M. deidamia to 2n = 56 for M. achilles and M. helenor. We also detected inversions on the sex chromosome Z that were differentially fixed between species, suggesting that chromosomal rearrangements may contribute to their reproductive isolation. The annotation of their genomes allowed us to recover in each species at least 12,000 protein-coding genes and to discover duplications of genes potentially involved in prezygotic isolation like genes controlling color discrimination (L-opsin). Altogether, the assembly and the annotation of these 3 new reference genomes open new research avenues into the genomic architecture of speciation and reinforcement in sympatry, establishing Morpho butterflies as a new eco-evolutionary model.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Manuela López-Villavicencio
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution et Biodiversité (UMR 7205 CNRS/MNHN/SU/EPHE/UA), Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle–CP50, 75005 Paris, France
| | | | - Joanna Lledo
- GeT-PlaGe, Bât G2, INRAe, 31326 Castanet-Tolosan Cedex, France
| | - Anne-Marie Dutrillaux
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution et Biodiversité (UMR 7205 CNRS/MNHN/SU/EPHE/UA), Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle–CP50, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Vincent Debat
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution et Biodiversité (UMR 7205 CNRS/MNHN/SU/EPHE/UA), Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle–CP50, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Violaine Llaurens
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution et Biodiversité (UMR 7205 CNRS/MNHN/SU/EPHE/UA), Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle–CP50, 75005 Paris, France
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26
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Li F, Di Z, Tian J, Dewer Y, Qu C, Yang S, Luo C. Silencing the gustatory receptor BtGR11 affects the sensing of sucrose in the whitefly Bemisia tabaci. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:1054943. [PMID: 36452214 PMCID: PMC9702514 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.1054943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2023] Open
Abstract
RNA interference (RNAi) is powerful biotechnology for studying the in vivo functions of key genes. Based on this property, RNAi can also be used for pest control as an effective alternative to chemical pesticides. The management of phloem-sucking pests is a tricky issue in current agricultural and forestry pest control. RNAi can silence key chemoreceptor genes of phloem-sucking pests; thereby regulating the behavior of these pests can be manipulated. So, it is considered to be a promising new type of ecological pest management strategy. In this study, we identified a candidate taste receptor gene, BtGR11, that controls the taste sensitivity to sucrose in the whitefly Bemisia tabaci, which is a serious invasive phloem-sucking pest worldwide. Functional analyses using the Xenopus oocyte expression system and the two-electrode voltage-clamp system revealed that the oocytes expressing BtGR11 responded to sucrose. Furthermore, we found that silencing BtGR11 by RNAi inhibited the function of sensing sucrose in the whitefly. This study reports a key chemoreceptor gene that can be used for the understanding of the gustatory sensing mechanisms of whitefly to deterrent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fengqi Li
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Environment Friendly Management on Fruit Diseases and Pests in North China, Institute of Plant Protection, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhongjuan Di
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Environment Friendly Management on Fruit Diseases and Pests in North China, Institute of Plant Protection, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biotechnology, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Jiahui Tian
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Environment Friendly Management on Fruit Diseases and Pests in North China, Institute of Plant Protection, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, China
- School of Ecology and Environment, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China
| | - Youssef Dewer
- Phytotoxicity Research Department, Central Agricultural Pesticide Laboratory, Agricultural Research Center, Giza, Egypt
| | - Cheng Qu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Environment Friendly Management on Fruit Diseases and Pests in North China, Institute of Plant Protection, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shiyong Yang
- School of Ecology and Environment, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China
| | - Chen Luo
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Environment Friendly Management on Fruit Diseases and Pests in North China, Institute of Plant Protection, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, China
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27
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Zhang S, Tang J, Li Y, Li D, Chen G, Chen L, Yang Z, He N. The silkworm gustatory receptor BmGr63 is dedicated to the detection of isoquercetin in mulberry. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20221427. [DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.1427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Gustatory systems in phytophagous insects are used to perceive feeding stimulants and deterrents, and are involved in insect decisions to feed on particular plants. During the process, gustatory receptors (Grs) can recognize diverse phytochemicals and provide a molecular basis for taste perception. The silkworm, as a representative Lepidoptera species, has developed a strong feeding preference for mulberry leaves. The mulberry-derived flavonoid glycoside, isoquercetin, is required to induce feeding behaviours. However, the corresponding Grs for isoquercetin and underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we used molecular methods, voltage clamp recordings and feeding assays to identify silkworm BmGr63, which was tuned to isoquercetin. The use of qRT-PCR confirmed that
BmGr63
was highly expressed in the mouthpart of fourth and fifth instar larvae. Functional analysis showed that oocytes expressing
BmGr63
from the ‘bitter’ clade responded to mulberry extracts. Among 20 test chemicals, BmGr63 specifically recognized isoquercetin. The preference for isoquercetin was not observed in
BmGr63
knock-down groups. The tuning between BmGr63 and isoquercetin has been demonstrated, which is meaningful to explain the silkworm-mulberry feeding mechanism from molecular levels and thus provides evidence for further feeding relationship studies between phytophagous insects and host plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaoyu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiaqi Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Yunfeng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Dong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Guo Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Lin Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhen Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Ningjia He
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
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28
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Functional analysis of a bitter gustatory receptor highly expressed in the larval maxillary galea of Helicoverpa armigera. PLoS Genet 2022; 18:e1010455. [PMID: 36206313 PMCID: PMC9581421 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Many plant secondary substances are feeding deterrents for insects and play a key role in the selection of host plants. The taste sensilla of phytophagous insects contain gustatory sensory neurons sensitive to deterrents but the molecular basis of deterrent chemoreception remains unknown. We investigated the function of Gr180, the most highly expressed bitter gustatory receptor in the maxillary galea of Helicoverpa armigera larvae. Functional analyses using the Xenopus oocyte expression system and two-electrode voltage clamp revealed that the oocytes expressing Gr180 responded to coumarin. Tip recording results showed that the medial sensilla styloconica of the maxilla of fifth instar larvae exhibited electrophysiological responses to coumarin. Two-choice feeding bioassays confirmed that coumarin inhibited larval feeding. A homozygous mutant strain of H. armigera with truncated Gr180 proteins (Gr180-/-) was established using the CRISPR-Cas9 system. The responses of the medial sensilla styloconica in Gr180-/- to coumarin were almost abolished, and the responses to sinigrin and strychnine were also significantly decreased. Knockout of Gr180 alleviated the feeding deterrent effects of coumarin, sinigrin, and strychnine. Thus, we conclude that Gr180 is a receptor responding to coumarin,and also participates in sensing sinigrin and strychnine. These results enhance our understanding of the gustatory sensing mechanisms of phytophagous insects to deterrents.
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29
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Zhang G, Cao S, Guo T, Wang H, Qi X, Ren X, Niu C. Identification and expression profiles of gustatory receptor genes in Bactrocera minax larvae (Diptera: Tephritidae): Role of BminGR59f in larval growth. INSECT SCIENCE 2022; 29:1240-1250. [PMID: 35146929 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.13014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Revised: 01/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Insects employ various types of gustatory receptors (GRs) to identify nutrient-rich food and avoid toxic substances. The larval gustatory system is the critical checkpoint for food acceptance or rejection. As a specialist herbivore, the larvae of Bactrocera minax feed only on unripe citrus fruits. However, how larvae use GRs to check and adapt to the secondary metabolites in unripe citrus fruits remains unknown. In this study, we first performed developmental expression profiles showing that most BminGRs genes were highly expressed in 1st and 2nd instar larvae and that tissue-specific expression indicated high expression of most BminGRs genes in the mouthparts of 2nd instar larvae. Furthermore, we found that silencing BminGR59f by RNA interference (RNAi) affected the growth of 2nd instar B. minax larvae. Hesperidin and naringin were screened as ligands of BminGR59f via RNAi and cell calcium imaging, and the combination of these two flavones increased the body weight of larvae. In summary, we identified a novel gustatory perception pattern in B. minax for detecting hesperidin and naringin, which boosted the growth of B. minax larvae. These results shed light on how specialist herbivores detect and adapt to host metabolites in adverse environments depending on larval GRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guijian Zhang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Insect Resource Application and Sustainable Pest Control, College of Plant Science & Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Shuai Cao
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Insect Resource Application and Sustainable Pest Control, College of Plant Science & Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Tong Guo
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Insect Resource Application and Sustainable Pest Control, College of Plant Science & Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Haoran Wang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Insect Resource Application and Sustainable Pest Control, College of Plant Science & Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xuewei Qi
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Insect Resource Application and Sustainable Pest Control, College of Plant Science & Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xueming Ren
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Insect Resource Application and Sustainable Pest Control, College of Plant Science & Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Changying Niu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Insect Resource Application and Sustainable Pest Control, College of Plant Science & Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
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Yin NN, Yang AJ, Wu C, Xiao HY, Guo YR, Liu NY. Genome-Wide Analysis of Odorant-Binding Proteins in Papilio xuthus with Focus on the Perception of Two PxutGOBPs to Host Odorants and Insecticides. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2022; 70:10747-10761. [PMID: 36002911 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.2c03396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we annotated 49 odorant-binding proteins (OBPs) in Papilio xuthus, with four novel genes and seven improved sequences. Expression profiles identified numerous OBPs in antennae or reproductive tissues. Using two antenna-enriched general OBPs (PxutGOBP1 and PxutGOBP2) as targets, we screened three key compounds by a reverse chemical ecology strategy. Of these, an oviposition stimulant vicenin-2 could strongly interact with PxutGOBP1, representing a dissociation constant (Ki) value of 10.34 ± 0.07 μM. Molecular simulations and site-directed mutagenesis revealed the importance of His66, Thr73, and Phe118 between PxutGOBP1 and vicenin-2 interactions. Two other compounds, an ordinary floral scent β-ionone and a widely used insecticide chlorpyrifos, exhibited high affinities to PxutGOBPs (Ki < 13 μM). Furthermore, two mutations His66Ala and Thr73Ala of PxutGOBP1 significantly reduced the binding to chlorpyrifos. Our study provides insights into the putative roles of PxutGOBPs in odorant perception and identifies key binding sites of PxutGOBP1 to vicenin-2 and chlorpyrifos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning-Na Yin
- Key Laboratory of Forest Disaster Warning and Control of Yunnan Province, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China
| | - An-Jin Yang
- Key Laboratory of Forest Disaster Warning and Control of Yunnan Province, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China
| | - Chun Wu
- Key Laboratory of Forest Disaster Warning and Control of Yunnan Province, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China
| | - Hai-Yan Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Forest Disaster Warning and Control of Yunnan Province, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China
| | - Yu-Ruo Guo
- Key Laboratory of Forest Disaster Warning and Control of Yunnan Province, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China
| | - Nai-Yong Liu
- Key Laboratory of Forest Disaster Warning and Control of Yunnan Province, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China
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Wu Z, Tong N, Li Y, Guo J, Lu M, Liu X. Foreleg Transcriptomic Analysis of the Chemosensory Gene Families in Plagiodera versicolora (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). INSECTS 2022; 13:763. [PMID: 36135464 PMCID: PMC9503008 DOI: 10.3390/insects13090763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2022] [Revised: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Plagiodera versicolora (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) is a worldwide leaf-eating forest pest in salicaceous trees. The forelegs play important roles in the chemoreception of insects. In this study, we conducted a transcriptome analysis of adult forelegs in P. versicolora and identified a total of 53 candidate chemosensory genes encoding 4 chemosensory proteins (CSPs), 19 odorant binding proteins (OBPs), 10 odorant receptors (ORs), 10 gustatory receptors (GRs), 6 ionotropic receptors (IRs), and 4 sensory neuron membrane proteins (SNMPs). Compared with the previous antennae transcriptome data, 1 CSP, 4 OBPs, 1 OR, 3 IRs, and 4 GRs were newly identified in the forelegs. Subsequently, the tissue expression profiles of 10 P. versicolora chemosensory genes were performed by real-time quantitative PCR. The results showed that PverOBP25, PverOBP27, and PverCSP6 were highly expressed in the antennae of both sexes. PverCSP11 and PverIR9 are predominately expressed in the forelegs than in the antennae. In addition, the expression levels of PverGR15 in female antennae and forelegs were significantly higher than those in the male antennae, implying that it may be involved in some female-specific behaviors such as oviposition site seeking. This work would greatly further the understanding of the chemoreception mechanism in P. versicolora.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheran Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Na Tong
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Yang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Jinmeng Guo
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Crop Disease and Pests, Ministry of Education/Department of Entomology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Min Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Xiaolong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
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32
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Ai D, Dong C, Yang B, Yu C, Wang G. A fructose receptor gene influences development and feed intake in Helicoverpa armigera. INSECT SCIENCE 2022; 29:993-1005. [PMID: 34780113 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.12984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Revised: 10/24/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Gustatory receptors (GRs) are critical for multiple life activities of insects. Owing to the rapid development of genome and transcriptome sequencing, numerous insect GRs have been identified. However, the expression patterns and functions of these receptors are poorly understood. In this study, we analyzed the expression pattern of GRs in Helicoverpa armigera and found that the fructose receptor HarmGR9 was highly expressed in the foregut and abdomen. The function of HarmGR9 was identified using the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) system. Knockout of the HarmGR9 gene shortened the developmental period of the larval stages and increased food consumption in both larvae and adults. This study revealed the tissue distribution of sugar-sense-related receptors in H. armigera and thereby expanded the understanding of insect feeding regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Ai
- School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chenxi Dong
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Bin Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Caihong Yu
- School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), Beijing, China
| | - Guirong Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
- Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
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Nieberding CM, Beldade P, Baumlé V, San Martin G, Arun A, Lognay G, Montagné N, Bastin-Héline L, Jacquin-Joly E, Noirot C, Klopp C, Visser B. Mosaic Evolution of Molecular Pathways for Sex Pheromone Communication in a Butterfly. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:1372. [PMID: 36011283 PMCID: PMC9407440 DOI: 10.3390/genes13081372] [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: 06/21/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Unraveling the origin of molecular pathways underlying the evolution of adaptive traits is essential for understanding how new lineages emerge, including the relative contribution of conserved ancestral traits and newly evolved derived traits. Here, we investigated the evolutionary divergence of sex pheromone communication from moths (mostly nocturnal) to butterflies (mostly diurnal) that occurred ~119 million years ago. In moths, it is the females that typically emit pheromones to attract male mates, but in butterflies males emit pheromones that are used by females for mate choice. The molecular bases of sex pheromone communication are well understood in moths, but they have remained relatively unexplored in butterflies. We used a combination of transcriptomics, real time qPCR, and phylogenetics to identify genes involved in the different steps (i.e., production, regulation, and reception) of sex pheromone communication of the butterfly Bicyclus anynana. Our results show that the biosynthesis and reception of sex pheromones relies both on moth-specific gene families (reductases) and on more ancestral insect gene families (desaturases, olfactory receptors, odorant binding proteins). Interestingly, B. anynana appears to use what was believed to be the moth-specific neuropeptide Pheromone Biosynthesis Activating Neuropeptide (PBAN) for regulating sex pheromone production. Altogether, our results suggest that a mosaic pattern best explains how sex pheromone communication evolved in butterflies, with some molecular components derived from moths, and others conserved from more ancient insect ancestors. This is the first large-scale investigation of the genetic pathways underlying sex pheromone communication in a butterfly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline M. Nieberding
- Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics Group, Earth and Life Institute, UC Louvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium; (V.B.); (G.S.M.); (A.A.); (G.L.)
| | - Patrícia Beldade
- Center for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c) & Global Change and Sustainability Institute (CHANGE), Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon (FCUL), 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal;
| | - Véronique Baumlé
- Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics Group, Earth and Life Institute, UC Louvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium; (V.B.); (G.S.M.); (A.A.); (G.L.)
| | - Gilles San Martin
- Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics Group, Earth and Life Institute, UC Louvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium; (V.B.); (G.S.M.); (A.A.); (G.L.)
| | - Alok Arun
- Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics Group, Earth and Life Institute, UC Louvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium; (V.B.); (G.S.M.); (A.A.); (G.L.)
| | - Georges Lognay
- Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics Group, Earth and Life Institute, UC Louvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium; (V.B.); (G.S.M.); (A.A.); (G.L.)
| | - Nicolas Montagné
- INRAE, CNRS, IRD, UPEC, Sorbonne Université, Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences of Paris, Université de Paris, 78000 Versailles, France; (N.M.); (L.B.-H.); (E.J.-J.)
| | - Lucie Bastin-Héline
- INRAE, CNRS, IRD, UPEC, Sorbonne Université, Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences of Paris, Université de Paris, 78000 Versailles, France; (N.M.); (L.B.-H.); (E.J.-J.)
| | - Emmanuelle Jacquin-Joly
- INRAE, CNRS, IRD, UPEC, Sorbonne Université, Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences of Paris, Université de Paris, 78000 Versailles, France; (N.M.); (L.B.-H.); (E.J.-J.)
| | - Céline Noirot
- Plateforme Bio-Informatique GenoToul, MIAT, INRAE, UR875 Mathématiques et Informatique Appliquées Toulouse, 31326 Castanet-Tolosan, France; (C.N.); (C.K.)
| | - Christophe Klopp
- Plateforme Bio-Informatique GenoToul, MIAT, INRAE, UR875 Mathématiques et Informatique Appliquées Toulouse, 31326 Castanet-Tolosan, France; (C.N.); (C.K.)
| | - Bertanne Visser
- Evolution and Ecophysiology Group, Department of Functional and Evolutionary Entomology, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium;
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34
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Meslin C, Mainet P, Montagné N, Robin S, Legeai F, Bretaudeau A, Johnston JS, Koutroumpa F, Persyn E, Monsempès C, François MC, Jacquin-Joly E. Spodoptera littoralis genome mining brings insights on the dynamic of expansion of gustatory receptors in polyphagous noctuidae. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2022; 12:6598846. [PMID: 35652787 PMCID: PMC9339325 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkac131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
The bitter taste, triggered via gustatory receptors, serves as an important natural defense against the ingestion of poisonous foods in animals, and the increased host breadth is usually linked to an increase in the number of gustatory receptor genes. This has been especially observed in polyphagous insect species, such as noctuid species from the Spodoptera genus. However, the dynamic and physical mechanisms leading to these gene expansions and the evolutionary pressures behind them remain elusive. Among major drivers of genome dynamics are the transposable elements but, surprisingly, their potential role in insect gustatory receptor expansion has not been considered yet. In this work, we hypothesized that transposable elements and possibly positive selection would be involved in the highly dynamic evolution of gustatory receptor in Spodoptera spp. We first sequenced de novo the full 465 Mb genome of S. littoralis, and manually annotated the main chemosensory genes, including a large repertoire of 373 gustatory receptor genes (including 19 pseudogenes). We also improved the completeness of S. frugiperda and S. litura gustatory receptor gene repertoires. Then, we annotated transposable elements and revealed that a particular category of class I retrotransposons, the SINE transposons, was significantly enriched in the vicinity of gustatory receptor gene clusters, suggesting a transposon-mediated mechanism for the formation of these clusters. Selection pressure analyses indicated that positive selection within the gustatory receptor gene family is cryptic, only 7 receptors being identified as positively selected. Altogether, our data provide a new good quality Spodoptera genome, pinpoint interesting gustatory receptor candidates for further functional studies and bring valuable genomic information on the mechanisms of gustatory receptor expansions in polyphagous insect species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille Meslin
- INRAE, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, IRD, UPEC, Université de Paris, Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris (iEES-Paris), 78026 Versailles, France
| | - Pauline Mainet
- INRAE, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, IRD, UPEC, Université de Paris, Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris (iEES-Paris), 78026 Versailles, France
| | - Nicolas Montagné
- INRAE, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, IRD, UPEC, Université de Paris, Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris (iEES-Paris), 78026 Versailles, France
| | - Stéphanie Robin
- INRAE, UMR Institut de Génétique, Environnement et Protection des Plantes (IGEPP), BioInformatics Platform for Agroecosystems Arthropods (BIPAA), Campus Beaulieu, 35042 Rennes, France.,INRIA, IRISA, GenOuest Core Facility, Campus de Beaulieu, Rennes 5042, France
| | - Fabrice Legeai
- INRAE, UMR Institut de Génétique, Environnement et Protection des Plantes (IGEPP), BioInformatics Platform for Agroecosystems Arthropods (BIPAA), Campus Beaulieu, 35042 Rennes, France.,INRIA, IRISA, GenOuest Core Facility, Campus de Beaulieu, Rennes 5042, France
| | - Anthony Bretaudeau
- INRAE, UMR Institut de Génétique, Environnement et Protection des Plantes (IGEPP), BioInformatics Platform for Agroecosystems Arthropods (BIPAA), Campus Beaulieu, 35042 Rennes, France.,INRIA, IRISA, GenOuest Core Facility, Campus de Beaulieu, Rennes 5042, France
| | - J Spencer Johnston
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Fotini Koutroumpa
- INRAE, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, IRD, UPEC, Université de Paris, Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris (iEES-Paris), 78026 Versailles, France.,Present address: INRAE, Université Tours, Infectiologie et Santé Publique (ISP), 37380 Nouzilly, France
| | - Emma Persyn
- INRAE, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, IRD, UPEC, Université de Paris, Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris (iEES-Paris), 78026 Versailles, France.,CIRAD, UMR PVBMT, Réunion, France
| | - Christelle Monsempès
- INRAE, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, IRD, UPEC, Université de Paris, Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris (iEES-Paris), 78026 Versailles, France
| | - Marie-Christine François
- INRAE, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, IRD, UPEC, Université de Paris, Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris (iEES-Paris), 78026 Versailles, France
| | - Emmanuelle Jacquin-Joly
- INRAE, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, IRD, UPEC, Université de Paris, Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris (iEES-Paris), 78026 Versailles, France
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35
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Frederick AR, Heras J, Friedman CS, German DP. Withering syndrome induced gene expression changes and a de-novo transcriptome for the Pinto abalone, Haliotis kamtschatkana. COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY. PART D, GENOMICS & PROTEOMICS 2022; 41:100930. [PMID: 34837736 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbd.2021.100930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Revised: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
In the abalone and Candidatus Xenohaliotis californiensis (Ca. Xc) system, the Ca. Xc bacterium infects abalone digestive tissues and leads to extreme starvation and a characteristic "withering" of the gastropod foot. First identified in black abalone in California after an El Niño event, withering syndrome (WS) has caused large declines in wild black and captive white abalone on the northeastern Pacific coast, but disease resistance levels are species-, and possibly population-specific. This study compared gene expression patterns in the digestive gland of Ca. Xc-exposed and unexposed (control) Pinto abalone (Haliotis kamtschatkana), a particularly susceptible species. Lab-induced Ca. Xc infections were followed over 7 months and RNAseq was used to identify differential gene expression. Exposed Pinto abalone showed distinct changes in expression of 68 genes at 3 and 7 months post-infection relative to those in control animals. Upregulation of an orexin-like receptor (which is involved in feeding signaling) and a zinc peptidase-like region (many amino peptidases are zinc peptidases) in animals infected for 7 months indicates that animals with Ca. Xc infection may be starving and upregulating processes associated with feeding and digestion. Other groups of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were upregulated or downregulated across control and exposed individuals over the 7-month experiment, including DEG groups that likely correspond to early disease state and to general stress response of being held in captivity. No patterns emerged in genes known to be involved in molluscan immune response, despite this being an expectation during a 7-month infection; digestion-related genes and unannotated DEGs were identified as targets for future research on potential immune response to WS in abalone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa R Frederick
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, 321 Steinhaus Hall, Irvine, CA 92697, USA.
| | - Joseph Heras
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, 321 Steinhaus Hall, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Carolyn S Friedman
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Box 355020, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
| | - Donovan P German
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, 321 Steinhaus Hall, Irvine, CA 92697, USA.
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36
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Dell’Aglio DD, McMillan WO, Montgomery SH. Shifting balances in the weighting of sensory modalities are predicted by divergence in brain morphology in incipient species of Heliconius butterflies. Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
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37
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Plant Secondary Metabolites as Defense Tools against Herbivores for Sustainable Crop Protection. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23052690. [PMID: 35269836 PMCID: PMC8910576 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23052690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 183] [Impact Index Per Article: 61.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Revised: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Plants have evolved several adaptive strategies through physiological changes in response to herbivore attacks. Plant secondary metabolites (PSMs) are synthesized to provide defensive functions and regulate defense signaling pathways to safeguard plants against herbivores. Herbivore injury initiates complex reactions which ultimately lead to synthesis and accumulation of PSMs. The biosynthesis of these metabolites is regulated by the interplay of signaling molecules comprising phytohormones. Plant volatile metabolites are released upon herbivore attack and are capable of directly inducing or priming hormonal defense signaling pathways. Secondary metabolites enable plants to quickly detect herbivore attacks and respond in a timely way in a rapidly changing scenario of pest and environment. Several studies have suggested that the potential for adaptation and/or resistance by insect herbivores to secondary metabolites is limited. These metabolites cause direct toxicity to insect pests, stimulate antixenosis mechanisms in plants to insect herbivores, and, by recruiting herbivore natural enemies, indirectly protect the plants. Herbivores adapt to secondary metabolites by the up/down regulation of sensory genes, and sequestration or detoxification of toxic metabolites. PSMs modulate multi-trophic interactions involving host plants, herbivores, natural enemies and pollinators. Although the role of secondary metabolites in plant-pollinator interplay has been little explored, several reports suggest that both plants and pollinators are mutually benefited. Molecular insights into the regulatory proteins and genes involved in the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites will pave the way for the metabolic engineering of biosynthetic pathway intermediates for improving plant tolerance to herbivores. This review throws light on the role of PSMs in modulating multi-trophic interactions, contributing to the knowledge of plant-herbivore interactions to enable their management in an eco-friendly and sustainable manner.
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38
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Divekar PA, Narayana S, Divekar BA, Kumar R, Gadratagi BG, Ray A, Singh AK, Rani V, Singh V, Singh AK, Kumar A, Singh RP, Meena RS, Behera TK. Plant Secondary Metabolites as Defense Tools against Herbivores for Sustainable Crop Protection. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23052690. [PMID: 35269836 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23052690/s1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Revised: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 05/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Plants have evolved several adaptive strategies through physiological changes in response to herbivore attacks. Plant secondary metabolites (PSMs) are synthesized to provide defensive functions and regulate defense signaling pathways to safeguard plants against herbivores. Herbivore injury initiates complex reactions which ultimately lead to synthesis and accumulation of PSMs. The biosynthesis of these metabolites is regulated by the interplay of signaling molecules comprising phytohormones. Plant volatile metabolites are released upon herbivore attack and are capable of directly inducing or priming hormonal defense signaling pathways. Secondary metabolites enable plants to quickly detect herbivore attacks and respond in a timely way in a rapidly changing scenario of pest and environment. Several studies have suggested that the potential for adaptation and/or resistance by insect herbivores to secondary metabolites is limited. These metabolites cause direct toxicity to insect pests, stimulate antixenosis mechanisms in plants to insect herbivores, and, by recruiting herbivore natural enemies, indirectly protect the plants. Herbivores adapt to secondary metabolites by the up/down regulation of sensory genes, and sequestration or detoxification of toxic metabolites. PSMs modulate multi-trophic interactions involving host plants, herbivores, natural enemies and pollinators. Although the role of secondary metabolites in plant-pollinator interplay has been little explored, several reports suggest that both plants and pollinators are mutually benefited. Molecular insights into the regulatory proteins and genes involved in the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites will pave the way for the metabolic engineering of biosynthetic pathway intermediates for improving plant tolerance to herbivores. This review throws light on the role of PSMs in modulating multi-trophic interactions, contributing to the knowledge of plant-herbivore interactions to enable their management in an eco-friendly and sustainable manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pratap Adinath Divekar
- Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Indian Institute of Vegetable Research (IIVR), Varanasi 221305, India
| | - Srinivasa Narayana
- Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221305, India
| | | | - Rajeev Kumar
- Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Indian Institute of Vegetable Research (IIVR), Varanasi 221305, India
| | - Basana Gowda Gadratagi
- Indian Council of Agricultural Research-National Rice Research Institute, Cuttack 753006, India
| | - Aishwarya Ray
- Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Raipur 492012, India
| | - Achuit Kumar Singh
- Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Indian Institute of Vegetable Research (IIVR), Varanasi 221305, India
| | - Vijaya Rani
- Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Indian Institute of Vegetable Research (IIVR), Varanasi 221305, India
| | - Vikas Singh
- Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Indian Institute of Vegetable Research, Regional Research Station, Sargatia, Kushinagar 274406, India
| | - Akhilesh Kumar Singh
- College of Horticulture, Banda University of Agriculture and Technology, Banda 210001, India
| | - Amit Kumar
- Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya, Sheopur 476339, India
| | - Rudra Pratap Singh
- Acharya Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology, Ayodhya, Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Kotwa, Azamgarh 276207, India
| | - Radhe Shyam Meena
- Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221305, India
| | - Tusar Kanti Behera
- Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Indian Institute of Vegetable Research (IIVR), Varanasi 221305, India
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Crava CM, Bobkov YV, Sollai G, Anfora G, Crnjar R, Cattaneo AM. Chemosensory Receptors in the Larval Maxilla of Papilio hospiton. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.795994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Among the butterflies of the genus Papilio (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae), Papilio hospiton (Géné) has a geographical distribution limited to the Mediterranean islands of Sardinia (Italy) and Corsica (France). This is mainly due to the host range that includes only a few plant species of Apiaceae and Rutaceae growing on these islands. In a previous electrophysiological investigation conducted on the maxillary gustatory system of larvae of P. hospiton and its closely phylogenetically related species Papilio machaon, a significantly higher spike activity was shown for the gustatory neurons of lateral and medial styloconic sensilla in P. hospiton when bitter compounds were tested. This effect was possibly correlated to the limited host choice range for P. hospiton. To shed light on the molecular aspects of this phenomenon, we investigated the expression pattern of sensory-related sequences by conducting a transcriptomic analysis from total RNA isolates of P. hospiton larval maxillae. We identified several transcripts that may be involved in taste (one gustatory receptor, one divergent ionotropic receptor, and several transient receptor potential channels, TRPs) as well as transcripts supporting an olfactory function for this appendage, including odorant receptors (ORs), antennal ionotropic receptors (A-IRs), sensory neuron membrane proteins (SNMPs), and odorant-binding proteins (OBPs). We used Human Embryonic Kidney (HEK293A) cells to heterologously express two of the identified receptors, PhospOR1 and PhospPain, together with their orthologs from P. machaon, for functional characterization. While our data suggest no activation of these two receptors by the ligands known so far to activate the electrophysiological response in larval maxillary neurons of Papilio species, nor temperature activation of both Papilio TRPA-channel Painless, they represent the first attempt in connecting neuronal activity with their molecular bases to unravel diet specialization between closely related Papilio species.
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Wang ZQ, Wu C, Li GC, Nuo SM, Yin NN, Liu NY. Transcriptome Analysis and Characterization of Chemosensory Genes in the Forest Pest, Dioryctria abietella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.748199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
In Lepidoptera, RNA sequencing has become a useful tool in identifying chemosensory genes from antennal transcriptomes, but little attention is paid to non-antennal tissues. Though the antennae are primarily responsible for olfaction, studies have found that a certain number of chemosensory genes are exclusively or highly expressed in the non-antennal tissues, such as proboscises, legs and abdomens. In this study, we report a global transcriptome of 16 tissues from Dioryctria abietella, including chemosensory and non-chemosensory tissues. Through Illumina sequencing, totally 952,658,466 clean reads were generated, summing to 142.90 gigabases of data. Based on the transcriptome, 235 chemosensory-related genes were identified, comprising 42 odorant binding proteins (OBPs), 23 chemosensory proteins (CSPs), 75 odorant receptors (ORs), 62 gustatory receptors (GRs), 30 ionotropic receptors (IRs), and 3 sensory neuron membrane proteins (SNMPs). Compared to a previous study in this species, 140 novel genes were found. A transcriptome-wide analysis combined with PCR results revealed that except for GRs, the majority of other five chemosensory gene families in Lepidoptera were expressed in the antennae, including 160 chemosensory genes in D. abietella. Using phylogenetic and expression profiling analyses, members of the six chemosensory gene repertoires were characterized, in which 11 DabiORs were candidates for detecting female sex pheromones in D. abietella, and DabiOR23 may be involved in the sensing of plant-derived phenylacetaldehyde. Intriguingly, more than half of the genes were detected in the proboscises, and one fourth of the genes were found to have the expression in the legs. Our study not only greatly extends and improves the description of chemosensory genes in D. abietella, but also identifies potential molecular targets involved in olfaction, gustation and non-chemosensory functions for control of this pest.
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Piron-Prunier F, Persyn E, Legeai F, McClure M, Meslin C, Robin S, Alves-Carvalho S, Mohammad A, Blugeon C, Jacquin-Joly E, Montagné N, Elias M, Gauthier J. Comparative transcriptome analysis at the onset of speciation in a mimetic butterfly-The Ithomiini Melinaea marsaeus. J Evol Biol 2021; 34:1704-1721. [PMID: 34570954 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Revised: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Ecological speciation entails divergent selection on specific traits and ultimately on the developmental pathways responsible for these traits. Selection can act on gene sequences but also on regulatory regions responsible for gene expression. Mimetic butterflies are a relevant system for speciation studies because wing colour pattern (WCP) often diverges between closely related taxa and is thought to drive speciation through assortative mating and increased predation on hybrids. Here, we generate the first transcriptomic resources for a mimetic butterfly of the tribe Ithomiini, Melinaea marsaeus, to examine patterns of differential expression between two subspecies and between tissues that express traits that likely drive reproductive isolation; WCP and chemosensory genes. We sequenced whole transcriptomes of three life stages to cover a large catalogue of transcripts, and we investigated differential expression between subspecies in pupal wing discs and antennae. Eighteen known WCP genes were expressed in wing discs and 115 chemosensory genes were expressed in antennae, with a remarkable diversity of chemosensory protein genes. Many transcripts were differentially expressed between subspecies, including two WCP genes and one odorant receptor. Our results suggest that in M. marsaeus the same genes as in other mimetic butterflies are involved in traits causing reproductive isolation, and point at possible candidates for the differences in those traits between subspecies. Differential expression analyses of other developmental stages and body organs and functional studies are needed to confirm and expand these results. Our work provides key resources for comparative genomics in mimetic butterflies, and more generally in Lepidoptera.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florence Piron-Prunier
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité, MNHN, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, Paris, France
| | - Emma Persyn
- Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences of Paris, Sorbonne Université, INRAE, CNRS, IRD, UPEC, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Fabrice Legeai
- BIPAA, IGEPP, INRAE, Institut Agro, Univ Rennes, Rennes, France.,Univ Rennes, INRIA, CNRS, IRISA, Rennes, France
| | - Melanie McClure
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité, MNHN, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, Paris, France.,Laboratoire Écologie, Évolution,Interactions des Systèmes Amazoniens (LEEISA), Université de Guyane, CNRS, IFREMER, Cayenne, France
| | - Camille Meslin
- Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences of Paris, Sorbonne Université, INRAE, CNRS, IRD, UPEC, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Stéphanie Robin
- BIPAA, IGEPP, INRAE, Institut Agro, Univ Rennes, Rennes, France.,Univ Rennes, INRIA, CNRS, IRISA, Rennes, France
| | | | - Ammara Mohammad
- Département de Biologie, Genomics Core Facility, Institut de Biologie de l'ENS (IBENS), École Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, Université PSL, Paris, France
| | - Corinne Blugeon
- Département de Biologie, Genomics Core Facility, Institut de Biologie de l'ENS (IBENS), École Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, Université PSL, Paris, France
| | - Emmanuelle Jacquin-Joly
- Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences of Paris, Sorbonne Université, INRAE, CNRS, IRD, UPEC, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Nicolas Montagné
- Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences of Paris, Sorbonne Université, INRAE, CNRS, IRD, UPEC, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Marianne Elias
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité, MNHN, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, Paris, France
| | - Jérémy Gauthier
- Univ Rennes, INRIA, CNRS, IRISA, Rennes, France.,Geneva Natural History Museum, Geneva, Switzerland
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42
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Ernst DA, Westerman EL. Stage- and sex-specific transcriptome analyses reveal distinctive sensory gene expression patterns in a butterfly. BMC Genomics 2021; 22:584. [PMID: 34340656 PMCID: PMC8327453 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-021-07819-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Animal behavior is largely driven by the information that animals are able to extract and process from their environment. However, the function and organization of sensory systems often change throughout ontogeny, particularly in animals that undergo indirect development. As an initial step toward investigating these ontogenetic changes at the molecular level, we characterized the sensory gene repertoire and examined the expression profiles of genes linked to vision and chemosensation in two life stages of an insect that goes through metamorphosis, the butterfly Bicyclus anynana. Results Using RNA-seq, we compared gene expression in the heads of late fifth instar larvae and newly eclosed adults that were reared under identical conditions. Over 50 % of all expressed genes were differentially expressed between the two developmental stages, with 4,036 genes upregulated in larval heads and 4,348 genes upregulated in adult heads. In larvae, upregulated vision-related genes were biased toward those involved with eye development, while phototransduction genes dominated the vision genes that were upregulated in adults. Moreover, the majority of the chemosensory genes we identified in the B. anynana genome were differentially expressed between larvae and adults, several of which share homology with genes linked to pheromone detection, host plant recognition, and foraging in other species of Lepidoptera. Conclusions These results revealed promising candidates for furthering our understanding of sensory processing and behavior in the disparate developmental stages of butterflies and other animals that undergo metamorphosis. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12864-021-07819-4.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Ernst
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, 72701, Fayetteville, AR, USA.
| | - Erica L Westerman
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, 72701, Fayetteville, AR, USA
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43
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Yang J, Guo H, Jiang NJ, Tang R, Li GC, Huang LQ, van Loon JJA, Wang CZ. Identification of a gustatory receptor tuned to sinigrin in the cabbage butterfly Pieris rapae. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1009527. [PMID: 34264948 PMCID: PMC8282186 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2020] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Glucosinolates are token stimuli in host selection of many crucifer specialist
insects, but the underlying molecular basis for host selection in these insects
remains enigmatic. Using a combination of behavioral, electrophysiological, and
molecular methods, we investigate glucosinolate receptors in the cabbage
butterfly Pieris rapae. Sinigrin, as a potent feeding
stimulant, elicited activity in larval maxillary lateral sensilla styloconica,
as well as in adult medial tarsal sensilla. Two P.
rapae gustatory receptor genes PrapGr28
and PrapGr15 were identified with high expression in female
tarsi, and the subsequent functional analyses showed that
Xenopus oocytes only expressing PrapGr28
had specific responses to sinigrin; when ectopically expressed in
Drosophila sugar sensing neurons, PrapGr28 conferred
sinigrin sensitivity to these neurons. RNA interference experiments further
showed that knockdown of PrapGr28 reduced the sensitivity of
adult medial tarsal sensilla to sinigrin. Taken together, we conclude that
PrapGr28 is a gustatory receptor tuned to sinigrin in P.
rapae, which paves the way for revealing the molecular
basis of the relationships between crucifer plants and their specialist
insects. Preference of crucifer specialist insects to glucosinolates is well known in the
field of insect-plant interactions, but its molecular basis is unclear. This
study uses an integrative approach to investigate the molecular basis of
glucosinolate detection by gustatory receptor neurons in the larval mouthparts
and adult forelegs of the cabbage butterfly Pieris rapae, and
finally reveal that PrapGr28 is a bitter receptor tuned to sinigrin. The current
work takes a significant step towards identifying gustatory receptors tuned to
glucosinolates, crucial recognition signals in crucifer host plants, providing
insights into co-evolution of herbivorous insects and their host plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and
Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing,
China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese
Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hao Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and
Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing,
China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese
Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Nan-Ji Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and
Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing,
China
| | - Rui Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and
Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing,
China
| | - Guo-Cheng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and
Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing,
China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese
Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ling-Qiao Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and
Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing,
China
| | - Joop J. A. van Loon
- Laboratory of Entomology, Plant Sciences Group, Wageningen University and
Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Chen-Zhu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and
Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing,
China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese
Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- * E-mail:
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Identification and expression profiling of chemosensory membrane protein genes in Achelura yunnanensis (Lepidoptera: Zygaenidae). COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY D-GENOMICS & PROTEOMICS 2021; 40:100876. [PMID: 34246924 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbd.2021.100876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2021] [Revised: 06/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
During the past decade, antennal transcriptome sequencing has been applied to at least 50 species from 16 families of the Lepidoptera order of insects, emphasizing the identification and characterization of chemosensory-related genes. However, little is known about the chemosensory genes in the Zygaenidae family of Lepidoptera. Herein, we report the transmembrane protein gene repertoires involved in chemoreception from Achelura yunnanensis (Lepidoptera: Zygaenidae) through transcriptome sequencing, bioinformatics, phylogenetics and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) approaches. Transcriptome analysis led to the generation of 555.47 million clean reads and accumulation of 83.30 gigabases of data. From this transcriptome, 132 transcripts encoding 69 odorant receptors (ORs), 33 gustatory receptors (GRs), 26 ionotropic receptors (IRs), and four sensory neuron membrane proteins (SNMPs) were identified, 69 of which were full-length sequences. Notably, the number of SNMPs in A. yunnanensis was the largest set in Lepidoptera to date. Phylogenetic analysis combined with sequence homology highlighted several conserved groups of chemoreceptors, including pheromone receptors (a so-called pheromone receptor (PR) clade: AyunOR50 and novel PR members: AyunOR39 and OR40), a phenylacetaldehyde-sensing OR (AyunOR28), carbon dioxide receptors (AyunGR1-3), and antennal IRs (13 A-IRs). In addition, a Zygaenidae-specific OR expansion was observed, including 15 A. yunnanensis members. Expression profiles revealed 99 detectable chemosensory genes in the antennae and 20 in the reproductive tissues, some of which displayed a sex-biased expression. This study identifies potential olfactory molecular candidates for sensing sex pheromones, phenylacetaldehyde or other odorants, and provides preliminary evidence for the putative reproductive function of chemosensory membrane protein genes in A. yunnanensis.
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Kozak KM, Joron M, McMillan WO, Jiggins CD. Rampant Genome-Wide Admixture across the Heliconius Radiation. Genome Biol Evol 2021; 13:evab099. [PMID: 33944917 PMCID: PMC8283734 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evab099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
How frequent is gene flow between species? The pattern of evolution is typically portrayed as a phylogenetic tree, yet gene flow between good species may be an important mechanism in diversification, spreading adaptive traits and leading to a complex pattern of phylogenetic incongruence. This process has thus far been studied mainly among a few closely related species, or in geographically restricted areas such as islands, but not on the scale of a continental radiation. Using a genomic representation of 40 out of 47 species in the genus, we demonstrate that admixture has played a role throughout the evolution of the charismatic Neotropical butterflies Heliconius. Modeling of phylogenetic networks based on the exome uncovers up to 13 instances of interspecific gene flow. Admixture is detected among the relatives of Heliconius erato, as well as between the ancient lineages leading to modern clades. Interspecific gene flow played a role throughout the evolution of the genus, although the process has been most frequent in the clade of Heliconius melpomene and relatives. We identify Heliconius hecalesia and relatives as putative hybrids, including new evidence for introgression at the loci controlling the mimetic wing patterns. Models accounting for interspecific gene flow yield a more complete picture of the radiation as a network, which will improve our ability to study trait evolution in a realistic comparative framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krzysztof M Kozak
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panamá, Panamá
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Mathieu Joron
- Centre d’Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE), CNRS, Université de Montpellier, Université Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, EPHE, IRD, France
| | | | - Chris D Jiggins
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panamá, Panamá
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
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46
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Mullins AN, Bradbury SP, Sappington TW, Adelman JS. Oviposition Response of Monarch Butterfly (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) to Imidacloprid-Treated Milkweed. ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY 2021; 50:541-549. [PMID: 34008844 DOI: 10.1093/ee/nvab024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) populations have declined over the last two decades, attributable in part to declines in its larval host plant, milkweed (Asclepias spp.), across its breeding range. Conservation efforts in the United States call for restoration of 1.3 billion milkweed stems into the Midwestern landscape. Reaching this goal will require habitat establishment in marginal croplands, where there is a high potential for exposure to agrochemicals. Corn and soybean crops may be treated with neonicotinoid insecticides systemically or through foliar applications to provide protection against insect pests. Here, we investigate whether ovipositing monarchs discriminate against milkweed plants exposed to the neonicotinoid insecticide imidacloprid, either systemically or through foliar application. In our first experiment, we placed gravid females in enclosures containing a choice of two cut stems for oviposition: one in 15 ml of a 0.5 mg/ml aqueous solution of imidacloprid and one in 15 ml water. In a second experiment, females were given a choice of milkweed plants whose leaves were treated with 30 µl of a 0.825 mg/ml imidacloprid-surfactant solution or plants treated with surfactant alone. To evaluate oviposition preference, we counted and removed eggs from all plants daily for 3 d. We also collected video data on a subset of butterflies to evaluate landing behavior. Results indicate that neither systemic nor foliar treatment with imidacloprid influenced oviposition behavior in female monarchs. The implications of these findings for monarch conservation practices will be informed by the results of ongoing egg and larval toxicity studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander N Mullins
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Iowa State University, 339 Science Hall II, 2310 Pammel Drive, Ames, IA 50011, USA
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Interdepartmental Program, Iowa State University, 1009 Agronomy, 716 Farmhouse Lane, Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - Steven P Bradbury
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Iowa State University, 339 Science Hall II, 2310 Pammel Drive, Ames, IA 50011, USA
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Interdepartmental Program, Iowa State University, 1009 Agronomy, 716 Farmhouse Lane, Ames, IA 50011, USA
- Department of Entomology, Iowa State University, 339 Science Hall II, 2310 Pammel Drive, Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - Thomas W Sappington
- Corn Insects and Crop Genetics Research Unit, USDA Agricultural Research Service, 503 Science Hall II, 2310 Pammel Drive, Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - James S Adelman
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Iowa State University, 339 Science Hall II, 2310 Pammel Drive, Ames, IA 50011, USA
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Interdepartmental Program, Iowa State University, 1009 Agronomy, 716 Farmhouse Lane, Ames, IA 50011, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Memphis, Life Sciences 239 Ellington Hall, 3700 Walker Avenue, Memphis, TN 38152, USA
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47
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Seixas FA, Edelman NB, Mallet J. Synteny-Based Genome Assembly for 16 Species of Heliconius Butterflies, and an Assessment of Structural Variation across the Genus. Genome Biol Evol 2021; 13:6207971. [PMID: 33792688 PMCID: PMC8290116 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evab069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Heliconius butterflies (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) are a group of 48 neotropical species widely studied in evolutionary research. Despite the wealth of genomic data generated in past years, chromosomal level genome assemblies currently exist for only two species, Heliconius melpomene and Heliconius erato, each a representative of one of the two major clades of the genus. Here, we use these reference genomes to improve the contiguity of previously published draft genome assemblies of 16 Heliconius species. Using a reference-assisted scaffolding approach, we place and order the scaffolds of these genomes onto chromosomes, resulting in 95.7-99.9% of their genomes anchored to chromosomes. Genome sizes are somewhat variable among species (270-422 Mb) and in one small group of species (Heliconius hecale, Heliconius elevatus, and Heliconius pardalinus) expansions in genome size are driven mainly by repetitive sequences that map to four small regions in the H. melpomene reference genome. Genes from these repeat regions show an increase in exon copy number, an absence of internal stop codons, evidence of constraint on nonsynonymous changes, and increased expression, all of which suggest that at least some of the extra copies are functional. Finally, we conducted a systematic search for inversions and identified five moderately large inversions fixed between the two major Heliconius clades. We infer that one of these inversions was transferred by introgression between the lineages leading to the erato/sara and burneyi/doris clades. These reference-guided assemblies represent a major improvement in Heliconius genomic resources that enable further genetic and evolutionary discoveries in this genus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando A Seixas
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Nathaniel B Edelman
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.,Yale Institute for Biospheric Studies, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - James Mallet
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
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48
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Dweck HK, Talross GJ, Wang W, Carlson JR. Evolutionary shifts in taste coding in the fruit pest Drosophila suzukii. eLife 2021; 10:64317. [PMID: 33616529 PMCID: PMC7899650 DOI: 10.7554/elife.64317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 01/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Although most Drosophila species lay eggs in overripe fruit, the agricultural pest Drosophila suzukii lays eggs in ripe fruit. We found that changes in bitter taste perception have accompanied this adaptation. We show that bitter-sensing mutants of Drosophila melanogaster undergo a shift in egg laying preference toward ripe fruit. D. suzukii has lost 20% of the bitter-sensing sensilla from the labellum, the major taste organ of the head. Physiological responses to various bitter compounds are lost. Responses to strawberry purées are lost from two classes of taste sensilla. Egg laying is not deterred by bitter compounds that deter other species. Profiling of labellar transcriptomes reveals reduced expression of several bitter Gr genes (gustatory receptors). These findings support a model in which bitter compounds in early ripening stages deter egg laying in most Drosophila species, but a loss of bitter response contributes to the adaptation of D. suzukii to ripe fruit. A new agricultural pest has recently emerged in the United States and Northern Europe. The invasive species is a type of fruit fly that normally lives in Southeast Asia called Drosophila suzukii (also known as the spotted wing Drosophila). This fly poses a threat to fruit crops – including strawberries, blueberries, cherries, peaches and grapes – because, while other fruit flies lay eggs in overripe fruit, D. suzukii lays eggs in ripe fruit, leading to agricultural losses. This shift in where fruit flies prefer to lay their eggs is related to changes in the senses of smell and touch, and taste could also play a role. Insects have evolved mechanisms that dissuade them from eating or laying eggs in plants with high levels of toxins, which taste bitter. If D. suzukii is less sensitive to bitter tastes than other flies, this could help explain why it lays eggs in just-ripe fruit, since the levels of certain bitter compounds are higher in the early stages of ripening than later on. To figure out if this is the case, Dweck et al. studied different species of fruit fly. Compared to Drosophila melanogaster (a fruit fly common in America and Europe that is regularly used in scientific studies), D. suzukii had fewer bitter taste receptor neurons on the major taste organ of the fly head. These receptor neurons were also less responsive to a variety of bitter compounds. Next, Dweck et al. tested whether D. melanogaster and D. suzukii showed different preferences for where to lay their eggs by offering them strawberry purées made from fruit at different ripening stages. In this experiment, D. suzukii preferred to lay its eggs on purées made from unripe or just-ripe strawberries, while D. melanogaster showed a preference for fermented (overripe) purée. Furthermore, when D. melanogaster flies were genetically modified so that they became less sensitive to bitter taste, they preferred to lay their eggs in ripe (rather than overripe) fruit, similar to D. suzukii. These results suggest that taste has a major role in the egg laying preferences of D. suzukii. Further research is needed to determine which bitter compounds influence egg-laying decisions in each species of fruit fly, and what receptors respond to these compounds. However, Dweck et al.’s results lay the groundwork for new approaches to reducing D. suzukii’s impact on agriculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hany Km Dweck
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, United States
| | - Gaëlle Js Talross
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, United States
| | - Wanyue Wang
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, United States
| | - John R Carlson
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, United States
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Yang K, Gong XL, Li GC, Huang LQ, Ning C, Wang CZ. A gustatory receptor tuned to the steroid plant hormone brassinolide in Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae). eLife 2020; 9:64114. [PMID: 33305735 PMCID: PMC7806260 DOI: 10.7554/elife.64114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Feeding and oviposition deterrents help phytophagous insects to identify host plants. The taste organs of phytophagous insects contain bitter gustatory receptors (GRs). To explore their function, the GRs in Plutella xylostella were analyzed. Through RNA sequencing and qPCR, we detected abundant PxylGr34 transcripts in the larval head and adult antennae. Functional analyses using the Xenopus oocyte expression system and 24 diverse phytochemicals showed that PxylGr34 is tuned to the canonical plant hormones brassinolide (BL) and 24-epibrassinolide (EBL). Electrophysiological analyses revealed that the medial sensilla styloconica of 4th instar larvae are responsive to BL and EBL. Dual-choice bioassays demonstrated that BL inhibits larval feeding and female oviposition. Knock-down of PxylGr34 by RNAi attenuates the taste responses to BL, and abolishes BL-induced feeding inhibition. These results increase our understanding of how herbivorous insects detect compounds that deter feeding and oviposition, and may be useful for designing plant hormone-based pest management strategies. Plant-eating insects use their sense of taste to decide where to feed and where to lay their eggs. They do this using taste sensors called gustatory receptors which reside in the antennae and legs of adults, and in the mouthparts of larvae. Some of these sensors detect sugars which signal to the insect that the plant is a nutritious source of food. While others detect bitter compounds, such as poisons released by plants in self-defense. One of the most widespread plant-eating insects is the diamondback moth, which feeds and lays its eggs on cruciferous vegetable crops, like cabbage, oilseed rape and broccoli. Before laying its eggs, female diamondback moths pat the vegetable’s leaves with their antennae, tasting for the presence of chemicals. But little was known about the identity of these chemicals. Cabbages produce large amounts of a hormone called brassinolide, which is known to play a role in plant growth. To find out whether diamondback moths can taste this hormone, Yang et al. examined all their known gustatory receptors. This revealed that the adult antennae and larval mouthparts of these moths make high levels of a receptor called PxylGr34. To investigate the role of PxylGr34, Yang et al. genetically modified frog eggs to produce this receptor. Various tests on these receptors, as well as receptors in the mouthparts of diamondback larvae, showed that PxylGr34 is able to sense the hormone brassinolide. To find out how this affects the behavior of the moths, Yang et al. investigated how adults and larvae responded to different levels of the hormone. This revealed that the presence of brassinolide significantly decreased both larval feeding and the amount of eggs laid by adult moths. Farmers already use brassinolide to enhance plant growth and protect crops from stress. These results suggest that the hormone might also help to shield plants from insect damage. However, more research is needed to understand how this hormone acts as a deterrent. Further studies could improve understanding of insect behavior and potentially identify more chemicals that can be used for pest control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xin-Lin Gong
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Guo-Cheng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ling-Qiao Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chao Ning
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chen-Zhu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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Couto A, Wainwright JB, Morris BJ, Montgomery SH. Linking ecological specialisation to adaptations in butterfly brains and sensory systems. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2020; 42:55-60. [PMID: 32979531 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2020.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2020] [Revised: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Butterflies display incredible ecological and behavioural diversity. As such, they have been subject to intense study since the birth of evolutionary biology. However, with some possible exceptions, they are underused models in comparative and functional neurobiology. We highlight a series of areas, spanning sensory ecology to cognition, in which butterflies are particularly promising systems for investigating the neurobiological basis for behavioural or ecological variation. These fields benefit from a history of molecular and quantitative genetics, and basic comparative neuroanatomy, but these strands of research are yet to be widely integrated. We discuss areas for potential growth and argue that new experimental techniques, growing genomic resources, and tools for functional genetics will accelerate the use of butterflies in neurobiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Couto
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - J Benito Wainwright
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Billy J Morris
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Stephen H Montgomery
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK.
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