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Martin FM, van der Heijden MGA. The mycorrhizal symbiosis: research frontiers in genomics, ecology, and agricultural application. New Phytol 2024; 242:1486-1506. [PMID: 38297461 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
Mycorrhizal symbioses between plants and fungi are vital for the soil structure, nutrient cycling, plant diversity, and ecosystem sustainability. More than 250 000 plant species are associated with mycorrhizal fungi. Recent advances in genomics and related approaches have revolutionized our understanding of the biology and ecology of mycorrhizal associations. The genomes of 250+ mycorrhizal fungi have been released and hundreds of genes that play pivotal roles in regulating symbiosis development and metabolism have been characterized. rDNA metabarcoding and metatranscriptomics provide novel insights into the ecological cues driving mycorrhizal communities and functions expressed by these associations, linking genes to ecological traits such as nutrient acquisition and soil organic matter decomposition. Here, we review genomic studies that have revealed genes involved in nutrient uptake and symbiosis development, and discuss adaptations that are fundamental to the evolution of mycorrhizal lifestyles. We also evaluated the ecosystem services provided by mycorrhizal networks and discuss how mycorrhizal symbioses hold promise for sustainable agriculture and forestry by enhancing nutrient acquisition and stress tolerance. Overall, unraveling the intricate dynamics of mycorrhizal symbioses is paramount for promoting ecological sustainability and addressing current pressing environmental concerns. This review ends with major frontiers for further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francis M Martin
- Université de Lorraine, INRAE, UMR IAM, Champenoux, 54280, France
- Institute of Applied Mycology, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China
| | - Marcel G A van der Heijden
- Department of Agroecology & Environment, Plant-Soil Interactions, Agroscope, Zürich, 8046, Switzerland
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zürich, Zürich, 8057, Switzerland
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2
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Bogar LM. Modified source-sink dynamics govern resource exchange in ectomycorrhizal symbiosis. New Phytol 2024; 242:1523-1528. [PMID: 37691279 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
Ectomycorrhizal symbiosis between roots and fungi is founded on the movement of carbon from plants to fungi, and of soil resources from fungi to plants. Framing this movement as a trade can facilitate an understanding of how this mutualism has developed over evolutionary time, but fails to explain experimental observations of carbon and nutrient movement. Here, I propose that source-sink dynamics are an essential basic model to explain the movement of plant and fungal resources, which may be modified by plant immune response, variability in fungal molecular repertoires, and competition in the soil. Source-sink dynamics provide testable hypotheses to illuminate mechanisms of ectomycorrhizal resource movement and its consequences for mutualism stability and forest function under climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura M Bogar
- Department of Plant Biology, University of California, Davis, 605 Hutchison Dr., Davis, CA, 95616, USA
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3
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Gayford JH. The multidimensional spectrum of eco-evolutionary relationships between sharks and remoras. J Fish Biol 2024. [PMID: 38622824 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.15759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
Remoras are a highly specialised group of fishes known to associate with a range of marine megafauna, including elasmobranchs, cetaceans and marine reptiles. Remoras appear to benefit from these interspecific interactions through consumption of host dermal parasites or reduced cost of transport. Shark-remora associations are widely documented, yet our understanding of the costs and benefits involved in these interactions is poor. Studies frequently make claims about mutualistic, commensalistic or parasitic relationships without providing the necessary quantitative information necessary to make these claims. Here I explain why this approach is problematic, and proceed to examine shark-remora interactions in a rigorous eco-evolutionary framework. These interactions cannot be properly classified without considering net evolutionary fitness and context dependence. In reality, shark-remora interactions are best defined by a multidimensional spectrum of fitness consequences, with net fitness outcomes shifting between mutualism and parasitism (and vice versa) through space and time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel H Gayford
- Department of Life Sciences, Silwood Park Campus, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Shark Measurements, London, UK
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4
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Abstract
The bacterium responsible for a disease that infects citrus plants across Asia facilitates its own proliferation by increasing the fecundity of its host insect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Songdou Zhang
- Department of Entomology, China Agricultural UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Shiheng An
- Department of Entomology, Henan Agricultural UniversityZhengzhouChina
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5
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Zhang H, Niu H, Steele MA, Peng L, He H, Li A, Yi X, Li H, Zhang Z. Masting promotes transformation from predation to mutualism in an oak-weevil-rodent system. Sci China Life Sci 2024:10.1007/s11427-023-2517-1. [PMID: 38558376 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-023-2517-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
The significance of ecological non-monotonicity (a function whose first derivative changes signs) in shaping the structure and functions of the ecosystem has recently been recognized, but such studies involving high-order interactions are rare. Here, we have proposed a three-trophic conceptual diagram on interactions among trees, rodents, and insects in mast and non-mast years and tested the hypothesis that oak (Quercus wutaishanica) masting could result in increased mutualism and less predation in an oak-weevil-rodent system in a warm temperate forest of China. Our 14-year dataset revealed that mast years coincided with a relatively low rodent abundance but a high weevil abundance. Masting not only benefited seedling recruitment of oaks through increased dispersal by rodents but also a decrease in predation by rodents and weevils, as well as an increase in the overwintering survival of rodents. Masting appeared to have increased weevil survival by reducing predation of infested acorns by rodents. These results suggest that masting benefits all participants in the plant-insect-rodent system by increasing mutualism and reducing predation behavior (i.e., a non-monotonic function). Our study highlights the significance of masting in maintaining the diversity and function of the forest ecosystem by facilitating the transformation from predation to mutualism among trophic species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongmao Zhang
- Institute of Evolution and Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, China.
| | - Hongyu Niu
- Institute of Evolution and Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, China
| | - Michael A Steele
- Department of Biology, Wilkes University, Wilkes-Barre, 18766, USA
| | - Liqing Peng
- Institute of Evolution and Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, China
| | - Huimin He
- Institute of Evolution and Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, China
| | - Aoqiang Li
- Institute of Evolution and Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, China
| | - Xianfeng Yi
- School of Life Sciences, Qufu Normal University, Qufu, 273165, China
| | - Hongjun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents in Agriculture, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Zhibin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents in Agriculture, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
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6
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McPeek MA, Hicks Pries C. The complex circuitry of interactions determining coexistence among plants and mycorrhizal fungi. Ecology 2024:e4281. [PMID: 38507266 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
We present a mechanistic model of coexistence among a mycorrhizal fungus and one or two plant species that compete for a single nutrient. Plant-fungal coexistence is more likely if the fungus is better at extracting the environmental nutrient than the plant and the fungus acquires carbon from the plant above a minimum rate. When they coexist, their interaction can shift from mutualistic to parasitic at high nutrient availability. The fungus is a second nutrient source for plants and can promote the coexistence of two plant competitors if one is better at environmental nutrient extraction and the other is better at acquiring the nutrient from the fungus. Because it extracts carbon from both plants, the fungus also serves as a conduit of apparent competition between the plants. Consequently, the plant with the lower environmental nutrient extraction rate can drive the plant with the higher environmental nutrient extraction rate extinct at high carbon supply rates. This model illustrates mechanisms to explain several observed patterns, including shifts in plant-mycorrhizal growth responses and coexistence along nutrient gradients, equivocal results among experiments testing the effect of mycorrhizal fungi on plant diversity, and differences in plant diversity among ecosystems dominated by different mycorrhizal groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark A McPeek
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Caitlin Hicks Pries
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
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7
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Bisesi AT, Möbius W, Nadell CD, Hansen EG, Bowden SD, Harcombe WR. Bacteriophage specificity is impacted by interactions between bacteria. mSystems 2024; 9:e0117723. [PMID: 38376179 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.01177-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Predators play a central role in shaping community structure, function, and stability. The degree to which bacteriophage predators (viruses that infect bacteria) evolve to be specialists with a single bacterial prey species versus generalists able to consume multiple types of prey has implications for their effect on microbial communities. The presence and abundance of multiple bacterial prey types can alter selection for phage generalists, but less is known about how interactions between prey shape predator specificity in microbial systems. Using a phenomenological mathematical model of phage and bacterial populations, we find that the dominant phage strategy depends on prey ecology. Given a fitness cost for generalism, generalist predators maintain an advantage when prey species compete, while specialists dominate when prey are obligately engaged in cross-feeding interactions. We test these predictions in a synthetic microbial community with interacting strains of Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica by competing a generalist T5-like phage able to infect both prey against P22vir, an S. enterica-specific phage. Our experimental data conform to our modeling expectations when prey species are competing or obligately mutualistic, although our results suggest that the in vitro cost of generalism is caused by a combination of biological mechanisms not anticipated in our model. Our work demonstrates that interactions between bacteria play a role in shaping ecological selection on predator specificity in obligately lytic bacteriophages and emphasizes the diversity of ways in which fitness trade-offs can manifest. IMPORTANCE There is significant natural diversity in how many different types of bacteria a bacteriophage can infect, but the mechanisms driving this diversity are unclear. This study uses a combination of mathematical modeling and an in vitro system consisting of Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica, a T5-like generalist phage, and the specialist phage P22vir to highlight the connection between bacteriophage specificity and interactions between their potential microbial prey. Mathematical modeling suggests that competing bacteria tend to favor generalist bacteriophage, while bacteria that benefit each other tend to favor specialist bacteriophage. Experimental results support this general finding. The experiments also show that the optimal phage strategy is impacted by phage degradation and bacterial physiology. These findings enhance our understanding of how complex microbial communities shape selection on bacteriophage specificity, which may improve our ability to use phage to manage antibiotic-resistant microbial infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ave T Bisesi
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
| | - Wolfram Möbius
- Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Carey D Nadell
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Eleanore G Hansen
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
| | - Steven D Bowden
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
| | - William R Harcombe
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
- BioTechnology Institute, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
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8
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Slimani A, Ait-El-Mokhtar M, Ben-Laouane R, Boutasknit A, Anli M, Abouraicha EF, Oufdou K, Meddich A, Baslam M. Signals and Machinery for Mycorrhizae and Cereal and Oilseed Interactions towards Improved Tolerance to Environmental Stresses. Plants (Basel) 2024; 13:826. [PMID: 38592805 PMCID: PMC10975020 DOI: 10.3390/plants13060826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2024] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
In the quest for sustainable agricultural practices, there arises an urgent need for alternative solutions to mineral fertilizers and pesticides, aiming to diminish the environmental footprint of farming. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) emerge as a promising avenue, bestowing plants with heightened nutrient absorption capabilities while alleviating plant stress. Cereal and oilseed crops benefit from this association in a number of ways, including improved growth fitness, nutrient uptake, and tolerance to environmental stresses. Understanding the molecular mechanisms shaping the impact of AMF on these crops offers encouraging prospects for a more efficient use of these beneficial microorganisms to mitigate climate change-related stressors on plant functioning and productivity. An increased number of studies highlighted the boosting effect of AMF on grain and oil crops' tolerance to (a)biotic stresses while limited ones investigated the molecular aspects orchestrating the different involved mechanisms. This review gives an extensive overview of the different strategies initiated by mycorrhizal cereal and oilseed plants to manage the deleterious effects of environmental stress. We also discuss the molecular drivers and mechanistic concepts to unveil the molecular machinery triggered by AMF to alleviate the tolerance of these crops to stressors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aiman Slimani
- Centre d’Agrobiotechnologie et Bioingénierie, Unité de Recherche Labellisée CNRST (Centre AgroBiotech-URL-CNRST-05), Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakesh 40000, Morocco
- Laboratory of Agro-Food, Biotechnologies and Valorization of Plant Bioresources (AGROBIOVAL), Department of Biology, Faculty of Science Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakesh 40000, Morocco
- Laboratory of Microbial Biotechnologies, Agrosciences, and Environment, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakesh 40000, Morocco
| | - Mohamed Ait-El-Mokhtar
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Environment & Agri-Food URAC 36, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Techniques—Mohammedia, Hassan II University, Mohammedia 28800, Morocco
| | - Raja Ben-Laouane
- Laboratory of Environment and Health, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Techniques, Errachidia 52000, Morocco
| | - Abderrahim Boutasknit
- Centre d’Agrobiotechnologie et Bioingénierie, Unité de Recherche Labellisée CNRST (Centre AgroBiotech-URL-CNRST-05), Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakesh 40000, Morocco
- Laboratory of Agro-Food, Biotechnologies and Valorization of Plant Bioresources (AGROBIOVAL), Department of Biology, Faculty of Science Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakesh 40000, Morocco
- Multidisciplinary Faculty of Nador, Mohammed First University, Nador 62700, Morocco
| | - Mohamed Anli
- Laboratory of Agro-Food, Biotechnologies and Valorization of Plant Bioresources (AGROBIOVAL), Department of Biology, Faculty of Science Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakesh 40000, Morocco
- Department of Life, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Comoros, Patsy University Center, Moroni 269, Comoros
| | - El Faiza Abouraicha
- Centre d’Agrobiotechnologie et Bioingénierie, Unité de Recherche Labellisée CNRST (Centre AgroBiotech-URL-CNRST-05), Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakesh 40000, Morocco
- Laboratory of Agro-Food, Biotechnologies and Valorization of Plant Bioresources (AGROBIOVAL), Department of Biology, Faculty of Science Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakesh 40000, Morocco
- Higher Institute of Nursing and Health Techniques (ISPITS), Essaouira 44000, Morocco
| | - Khalid Oufdou
- Laboratory of Microbial Biotechnologies, Agrosciences, and Environment, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakesh 40000, Morocco
- AgroBiosciences Program, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, University Mohammed VI Polytechnic (UM6P), Ben Guerir 43150, Morocco
| | - Abdelilah Meddich
- Centre d’Agrobiotechnologie et Bioingénierie, Unité de Recherche Labellisée CNRST (Centre AgroBiotech-URL-CNRST-05), Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakesh 40000, Morocco
- Laboratory of Agro-Food, Biotechnologies and Valorization of Plant Bioresources (AGROBIOVAL), Department of Biology, Faculty of Science Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakesh 40000, Morocco
| | - Marouane Baslam
- Centre d’Agrobiotechnologie et Bioingénierie, Unité de Recherche Labellisée CNRST (Centre AgroBiotech-URL-CNRST-05), Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakesh 40000, Morocco
- Laboratory of Agro-Food, Biotechnologies and Valorization of Plant Bioresources (AGROBIOVAL), Department of Biology, Faculty of Science Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakesh 40000, Morocco
- GrowSmart, Seoul 03129, Republic of Korea
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9
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Burgunter-Delamare B, Shetty P, Vuong T, Mittag M. Exchange or Eliminate: The Secrets of Algal-Bacterial Relationships. Plants (Basel) 2024; 13:829. [PMID: 38592793 PMCID: PMC10974524 DOI: 10.3390/plants13060829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2024] [Revised: 03/09/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Algae and bacteria have co-occurred and coevolved in common habitats for hundreds of millions of years, fostering specific associations and interactions such as mutualism or antagonism. These interactions are shaped through exchanges of primary and secondary metabolites provided by one of the partners. Metabolites, such as N-sources or vitamins, can be beneficial to the partner and they may be assimilated through chemotaxis towards the partner producing these metabolites. Other metabolites, especially many natural products synthesized by bacteria, can act as toxins and damage or kill the partner. For instance, the green microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii establishes a mutualistic partnership with a Methylobacterium, in stark contrast to its antagonistic relationship with the toxin producing Pseudomonas protegens. In other cases, as with a coccolithophore haptophyte alga and a Phaeobacter bacterium, the same alga and bacterium can even be subject to both processes, depending on the secreted bacterial and algal metabolites. Some bacteria also influence algal morphology by producing specific metabolites and micronutrients, as is observed in some macroalgae. This review focuses on algal-bacterial interactions with micro- and macroalgal models from marine, freshwater, and terrestrial environments and summarizes the advances in the field. It also highlights the effects of temperature on these interactions as it is presently known.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bertille Burgunter-Delamare
- Matthias Schleiden Institute of Genetics, Bioinformatics and Molecular Botany, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, 07743 Jena, Germany; (P.S.); (T.V.)
| | - Prateek Shetty
- Matthias Schleiden Institute of Genetics, Bioinformatics and Molecular Botany, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, 07743 Jena, Germany; (P.S.); (T.V.)
- Cluster of Excellence Balance of the Microverse, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Trang Vuong
- Matthias Schleiden Institute of Genetics, Bioinformatics and Molecular Botany, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, 07743 Jena, Germany; (P.S.); (T.V.)
| | - Maria Mittag
- Matthias Schleiden Institute of Genetics, Bioinformatics and Molecular Botany, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, 07743 Jena, Germany; (P.S.); (T.V.)
- Cluster of Excellence Balance of the Microverse, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, 07743 Jena, Germany
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10
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Chuang YC, Haas NW, Pepin R, Behringer MG, Oda Y, LaSarre B, Harwood CS, McKinlay JB. Bacterial adenine cross-feeding stems from a purine salvage bottleneck. ISME J 2024:wrae034. [PMID: 38452196 DOI: 10.1093/ismejo/wrae034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
Diverse ecosystems host microbial relationships that are stabilized by nutrient cross-feeding. Cross-feeding can involve metabolites that should hold value for the producer. Externalization of such communally valuable metabolites is often unexpected and difficult to predict. Previously, we discovered purine externalization by Rhodopseudomonas palustris by its ability to rescue an Escherichia coli purine auxotroph. Here we found that an E. coli purine auxotroph can stably coexist with R. palustris due to purine cross-feeding. We identified the cross-fed purine as adenine. Adenine was externalized by R. palustris under diverse growth conditions. Computational modeling suggested that adenine externalization occurs via diffusion across the cytoplasmic membrane. RNAseq analysis led us to hypothesize that adenine accumulation and externalization stems from a salvage pathway bottleneck at the enzyme encoded by apt. Ectopic expression of apt eliminated adenine externalization, supporting our hypothesis. A comparison of 49 R. palustris strains suggested that purine externalization is relatively common, with 16 strains exhibiting the trait. Purine externalization was correlated with the genomic orientation of apt, but apt orientation alone could not always explain purine externalization. Our results provide a mechanistic understanding of how a communally valuable metabolite can participate in cross-feeding. Our findings also highlight the challenge in identifying genetic signatures for metabolite externalization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying-Chih Chuang
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
- Biochemistry Program, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
| | - Nicholas W Haas
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
| | - Robert Pepin
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
| | - Megan G Behringer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Yasuhiro Oda
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Breah LaSarre
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
| | - Caroline S Harwood
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - James B McKinlay
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
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11
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Holdgrafer JP, Mason DS, Coleman TS, Lashley MA. Food resource richness increases seed disperser visitations and seed rain richness. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11093. [PMID: 38440083 PMCID: PMC10911962 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Within the context of global change, seed dispersal research often focuses on changes in disperser communities (i.e., seed dispersers, such as birds, in an area) resulting from habitat fragmentation. This approach may not be completely illustrative due to certain seed disperser communities being more robust to fragmentation. Additionally, this top-down approach overlooks how changing food resources on landscapes impacts resource tracking and, subsequently, seed dispersal. We hypothesized resource tracking may promote diffuse plant-animal dispersal mutualisms if resource richness is positively linked to disperser and seed rain richness. We predicted increasing food resource richness attracts more visits and species of avian dispersers, resulting in higher counts and greater species richness of seeds deposited at sites (i.e., seed rain). We tested this mechanism in two replicated field experiments using a model system with bird feeders positioned above seed traps. In the first experiment, we demonstrated resource presence skews seed rain. In the second experiment, we explored how species richness of food resources (0, 4, 8, or 12 species) affected the species richness and visitation of avian seed dispersers at feeders and in subsequent seed rain. Collectively, we observed a positive relationship between available food resources and seed rain, likely mediated by resource tracking behavior of avian dispersers. Our findings underscore a potential key mechanism that may facilitate ecological diversity, whereby accumulating species richness in the plant community attracts a more diverse seed disperser community and indirectly promotes more species in seed rain. Importantly, the resource tracking mechanism driving this potential positive feedback loop may also result in negative ecosystem effects if global change diminishes resource availability through homogenization processes, such as invasive species colonization. Future research should explore the bottom-up effects of global change on food resources and seed disperser behavior to complement the literature on changing disperser communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- James P. Holdgrafer
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and ConservationUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
| | - David S. Mason
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and ConservationUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
| | - Tyler Steven Coleman
- Florida Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Wildlife Ecology and ConservationUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
| | - Marcus A. Lashley
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and ConservationUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
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12
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Burdine LW, Moczek AP, Rohner PT. Sexually transmitted mutualist nematodes shape host growth across dung beetle species. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11089. [PMID: 38469044 PMCID: PMC10925520 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Revised: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Many symbionts are sexually transmitted and impact their host's development, ecology, and evolution. While the significance of symbionts that cause sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) is relatively well understood, the prevalence and potential significance of the sexual transmission of mutualists remain elusive. Here, we study the effects of sexually transmitted mutualist nematodes on their dung beetle hosts. Symbiotic Diplogastrellus monhysteroides nematodes are present on the genitalia of male and female Onthophagus beetles and are horizontally transmitted during mating and vertically passed on to offspring during oviposition. A previous study indicates that the presence of nematodes benefits larval development and life history in a single host species, Onthophagus taurus. However, Diplogastrellus nematodes can be found in association with a variety of beetle species. Here, we replicate these previous experiments, assess whether the beneficial effects extend to other host species, and test whether nematode-mediated effects differ between male and female host beetles. Rearing three relatively distantly related dung beetle species with and without nematodes, we find that the presence of nematodes benefits body size, but not development time or survival across all three species. Likewise, we found no difference in the benefit of nematodes to male compared to female beetles. These findings highlight the role of sexually transmitted mutualists in the evolution and ecology of dung beetles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Levi W. Burdine
- Department of BiologyIndiana University BloomingtonBloomingtonIndianaUSA
| | - Armin P. Moczek
- Department of BiologyIndiana University BloomingtonBloomingtonIndianaUSA
| | - Patrick T. Rohner
- Department of BiologyIndiana University BloomingtonBloomingtonIndianaUSA
- Department of Ecology, Behavior, and EvolutionUniversity of California San DiegoLa JollaCaliforniaUSA
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13
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Mougi A. Dual species interaction and ecological community stability. Ecology 2024; 105:e4251. [PMID: 38272678 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
How diverse species coexist in nature remains a challenging issue that is not yet resolved in ecology. The traditional approach to tackling this problem uses an ecological community network comprising various biological interaction links between species, such as predator-prey, mutualism, and competition. However, in nature, the interaction between any species pair is not limited to a singular interaction; instead, various interactions occur mostly in two ways, such as competition/facilitation in plants, mutualism/antagonism in consumer-resource mutualisms, and reciprocal predation. Here, using an ecological community model, I show that such so-called dual interactions play a key role in stabilizing ecological communities. Theory predicts that dual interactions can stabilize ecological communities through the balance of positive and negative effects, which behave as if the interactions disappear. Communities with dual interactions are inherently more stable than a classical random community with multiple types of singular interactions, suggesting that dual interactions are more widespread than expected in nature and help to maintain ecological communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akihiko Mougi
- Institute of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Academic Assembly, Shimane University, Matsue, Japan
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14
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Martignoni MM, Tyson RC, Kolodny O, Garnier J. Mutualism at the leading edge: insights into the eco-evolutionary dynamics of host-symbiont communities during range expansion. J Math Biol 2024; 88:24. [PMID: 38308102 DOI: 10.1007/s00285-023-02037-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2024]
Abstract
The evolution of mutualism between host and symbiont communities plays an essential role in maintaining ecosystem function and should therefore have a profound effect on their range expansion dynamics. In particular, the presence of mutualistic symbionts at the leading edge of a host-symbiont community should enhance its propagation in space. We develop a theoretical framework that captures the eco-evolutionary dynamics of host-symbiont communities, to investigate how the evolution of resource exchange may shape community structure during range expansion. We consider a community with symbionts that are mutualistic or parasitic to various degrees, where parasitic symbionts receive the same amount of resource from the host as mutualistic symbionts, but at a lower cost. The selective advantage of parasitic symbionts over mutualistic ones is increased with resource availability (i.e. with host density), promoting mutualism at the range edges, where host density is low, and parasitism at the population core, where host density is higher. This spatial selection also influences the speed of spread. We find that the host growth rate (which depends on the average benefit provided by the symbionts) is maximal at the range edges, where symbionts are more mutualistic, and that host-symbiont communities with high symbiont density at their core (e.g. resulting from more mutualistic hosts) spread faster into new territories. These results indicate that the expansion of host-symbiont communities is pulled by the hosts but pushed by the symbionts, in a unique push-pull dynamic where both the host and symbionts are active and tightly-linked players.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria M Martignoni
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, A. Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.
| | - Rebecca C Tyson
- CMPS Department (Mathematics), University of British Columbia Okanagan, Kelowna, BC, Canada
| | - Oren Kolodny
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, A. Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Jimmy Garnier
- Laboratory of Mathematics, CNRS, Université Savoie-Mont Blanc, Université Grenoble Alpes, Chambery, France
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15
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Baruah N, Haajanen R, Rahman MT, Pirttilä AM, Koskimäki JJ. Biosynthesis of polyhydroxybutyrate by Methylorubrum extorquens DSM13060 is essential for intracellular colonization in plant endosymbiosis. Front Plant Sci 2024; 15:1302705. [PMID: 38390299 PMCID: PMC10883064 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1302705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Methylorubrum extorquens DSM13060 is an endosymbiont that lives in the cells of shoot tip meristems. The bacterium is methylotrophic and consumes plant-derived methanol for the production of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB). The PHB provides protection against oxidative stress for both host and endosymbiont cells through its fragments, methyl-esterified 3-hydroxybutyrate (ME-3HB) oligomers. We evaluated the role of the genes involved in the production of ME-3HB oligomers in the host colonization by the endosymbiont M. extorquens DSM13060 through targeted genetic mutations. The strains with deletions in PHB synthase (phaC), PHB depolymerase (phaZ1), and a transcription factor (phaR) showed altered PHB granule characteristics, as ΔphaC had a significantly low number of granules, ΔphaR had a significantly increased number of granules, and ΔphaZ1 had significantly large PHB granules in the bacterial cells. When the deletion strains were exposed to oxidative stress, the ΔphaC strain was sensitive to 10 mM HO· and 20 mM H2O2. The colonization of the host, Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), by the deletion strains varied greatly. The deletion strain ΔphaR colonized the host mainly intercellularly, whereas the ΔphaZ1 strain was a slightly poorer colonizer than the control. The deletion strain ΔphaC lacked the colonization potential, living mainly on the surfaces of the epidermis of pine roots and shoots in contrast to the control, which intracellularly colonized all pine tissues within the study period. In earlier studies, deletions within the PHB metabolic pathway have had a minor effect on plant colonization by rhizobia. We have previously shown the association between ME-3HB oligomers, produced by PhaC and PhaZ1, and the ability to alleviate host-generated oxidative stress during plant infection by the endosymbiont M. extorquens DSM13060. Our current results show that the low capacity for PHB synthesis leads to poor tolerance of oxidative stress and loss of colonization potential by the endosymbiont. Altogether, our findings demonstrate that the metabolism of PHB in M. extorquens DSM13060 is an important trait in the non-rhizobial endosymbiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Namrata Baruah
- Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Roosa Haajanen
- Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Mohammad Tanvir Rahman
- Disease Networks, Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | | | - Janne J Koskimäki
- Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
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16
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Burin G, Campbell LCE, Renner SS, Kiers ET, Chomicki G. Mutualisms drive plant trait evolution beyond interaction-related traits. Ecol Lett 2024; 27:e14379. [PMID: 38361469 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Mutualisms have driven the evolution of extraordinary structures and behavioural traits, but their impact on traits beyond those directly involved in the interaction remains unclear. We addressed this gap using a highly evolutionarily replicated system - epiphytes in the Rubiaceae forming symbioses with ants. We employed models that allow us to test the influence of discrete mutualistic traits on continuous non-mutualistic traits. Our findings are consistent with mutualism shaping the pace of morphological evolution, strength of selection and long-term mean of non-mutualistic traits in function of mutualistic dependency. While specialised and obligate mutualisms are associated with slower trait change, less intimate, facultative and generalist mutualistic interactions - which are the most common - have a greater impact on non-mutualistic trait evolution. These results challenge the prevailing notion that mutualisms solely affect the evolution of interaction-related traits via stabilizing selection and instead demonstrate a broader role for mutualisms in shaping trait evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Susanne S Renner
- Department of Biology, Washington University, Saint Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - E Toby Kiers
- Amsterdam Institute for Life and Environment, Section Ecology and Evolution, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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17
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Quiles P, Barrientos R. Interspecific interactions disrupted by roads. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024. [PMID: 38303408 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
Roads have pervasive impacts on wildlife, including habitat loss and fragmentation, road mortality, habitat pollution and increased human use of habitats surrounding them. However, the effects of roads on interspecific interactions are less understood. Here we provide a synthesis of the existing literature on how species interactions may be disrupted by roads, identify knowledge gaps, and suggest avenues for future research and conservation management. We conducted a systematic search using the Web of Science database for each species interaction (predation, competition, mutualism, parasitism, commensalism and amensalism). These searches yielded 2144 articles, of which 195 were relevant to our topic. Most of these studies focused on predation (50%) or competition (24%), and less frequently on mutualism (17%) or, parasitism (9%). We found no studies on commensalism or amensalism. Studies were biased towards mammals from high-income countries, with most conducted in the USA (34%) or Canada (18%). Our literature review identified several patterns. First, roads disrupt predator-prey relationships, usually with negative impacts on prey populations. Second, new disturbed habitats created in road corridors often benefit more competitive species, such as invasive species, although some native or endangered species can also thrive there. Third, roads degrade mutualistic interactions like seed dispersal and pollination. Fourth, roads can increase parasitism rates, although the intensity of the alteration is species specific. To reduce the negative impacts of roads on interspecific interactions, we suggest the following management actions: (i) verges should be as wide and heterogenous as possible, as this increases microhabitat diversity, thus enhancing ecosystem services like pollination and seed dispersal; (ii) combining different mowing regimes can increase the complexity of the habitat corridor, enabling it to act as a habitat for more species; (iii) the use of de-icing salts should be gradually reduced and replaced with less harmful products or maintenance practices; (iv) wildlife passes should be implemented in groups to reduce animal concentrations inside them; (v) periodic removal of carcasses from the road to reduce the use of this resource by wildlife; and (vi) implementation of traffic-calming schemes could enhance interspecific interactions like pollination and avoid disruption of predator-prey relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Quiles
- Road Ecology Lab, Department of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, C/ José Antonio Novais 12, E-28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Rafael Barrientos
- Road Ecology Lab, Department of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, C/ José Antonio Novais 12, E-28040, Madrid, Spain
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18
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Gordon SCC, Martin JGA, Kerr JT. Dispersal mediates trophic interactions and habitat connectivity to alter metacommunity composition. Ecology 2024; 105:e4215. [PMID: 38037245 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
Dispersal contributes vitally to metacommunity structure. However, interactions between dispersal and other key processes have rarely been explored, particularly in the context of multitrophic metacommunities. We investigated such a metacommunity in naturally fragmented habitats populated by butterfly species (whose dispersal capacities were previously assessed), flowering plants, and butterfly predators. Using data on butterfly species abundance, floral abundance, and predation (on experimentally placed clay butterfly models), we asked how dispersal ability mediates interactions with predators, mutualists, and the landscape matrix. In contrast to expectations, high densities of strong dispersers were found in more isolated sites and sites with low floral resource density, while intermediate dispersers maintained similar densities across isolation and floral gradients, and higher densities of poor dispersers were found in more connected sites and sites with higher floral density. These findings raise questions about how strong dispersers experience the landscape matrix and the quality of isolated and low-resource sites. Strong dispersers were able to escape habitat patches with high predation, while intermediate dispersers maintained similar densities along a predation gradient, and poor dispersers occurred at high densities in these patches, exposing them to interactions with predators. This work demonstrates that species that vary in dispersal capacities interact differently with predators and mutualist partners in a landscape context, shaping metacommunity composition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan C C Gordon
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Julien G A Martin
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jeremy T Kerr
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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19
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Hammer TJ. Why do hosts malfunction without microbes? Missing benefits versus evolutionary addiction. Trends Microbiol 2024; 32:132-141. [PMID: 37652785 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2023.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
Microbes are widely recognized to be vital to host health. This new consensus rests, in part, on experiments showing how hosts malfunction when microbes are removed. More and more microbial dependencies are being discovered, even in fundamental processes such as development, immunity, physiology, and behavior. But why do they exist? The default explanation is that microbes are beneficial; when hosts lose microbes, they also lose benefits. Here I call attention to evolutionary addiction, whereby a host trait evolves a need for microbes without having been improved by them. Evolutionary addiction should be considered when interpreting microbe-removal experiments, as it is a distinct and potentially common process. Further, it may have unique implications for the evolution and stability of host-microbe interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobin J Hammer
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.
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20
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Liu M, Wang H, Lin Z, Ke J, Zhang P, Zhang F, Ru D, Zhang L, Xiao Y, Liu X. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi inhibit necrotrophic, but not biotrophic, aboveground plant pathogens: a meta-analysis and experimental study. New Phytol 2024; 241:1308-1320. [PMID: 37964601 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023]
Abstract
Microbial mutualists can profoundly modify host species ecology and evolution, by extension altering interactions with other microbial species, including pathogens. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) may moderate infections by pathogens, but the direction and strength of these effects can be idiosyncratic. To assess how the introduction of AMF impacts the incidence and severity of aboveground plant diseases (i.e. 'disease impact'), we conducted a meta-analysis of 130 comparisons derived from 69 published studies. To elucidate the potential mechanisms underlying the influence of AMF on pathogens, we conducted three glasshouse experiments involving six non-woody plant species, yielded crucial data on leaf nutrient composition, plant defense compounds, and transcriptomes. Our meta-analysis revealed that the inoculation of AMF lead to a reduction in disease impact. More precisely, AMF inoculation was associated with a decrease in necrotrophic diseases, while no significant impact on biotrophic diseases. Chemical and transcriptome analyses suggested that these effects may be driven by AMF regulation of jasmonic acid and salicylic acid signaling pathways in glasshouse experiments. However, changes in plant nutritional status and secondary chemicals may also regulate disease impact. These results emphasize the importance of incorporating pathogen life history when predicting how microbial mutualisms affect disease impact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mu Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Hongqian Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Ziyuan Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Junsheng Ke
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Peng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Feng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Dafu Ru
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Li Zhang
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210037, China
- Bamboo Research Institute, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210037, China
| | - Yao Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Xiang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
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21
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Smith CI, Leebens-Mack JH. 150 Years of Coevolution Research: Evolution and Ecology of Yucca Moths (Prodoxidae) and Their Hosts. Annu Rev Entomol 2024; 69:375-391. [PMID: 37758220 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ento-022723-104346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
Yucca moths (Tegeticula and Parategeticula) are specialized pollinators of yucca plants, possessing unique, tentacle-like mouthparts used to actively collect pollen and deposit it onto the flowers of their hosts. The moths' larvae feed on the developing seeds and fruit tissue. First described in 1873, the yucca-yucca moth pollination system is now considered the archetypical example of a coevolved intimate mutualism. Research conducted over the past three decades has transformed our understanding of yucca moth diversity and host plant interactions. We summarize the current understanding of the diversity, ecology, and evolution of this group, review evidence for coevolution of the insects and their hosts, and describe how the nature of the interaction varies across evolutionary time and ecological contexts. Finally, we identify unresolved questions and areas for future research.
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22
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Lima LD, Ceballos-González AV, Prato A, Cavalleri A, Trigo JR, do Nascimento FS. Chemical Camouflage Induced by Diet in a Pest Treehopper on Host Plants. Plants (Basel) 2024; 13:216. [PMID: 38256769 PMCID: PMC10820158 DOI: 10.3390/plants13020216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Ants patrol foliage and exert a strong selective pressure on herbivorous insects, being their primary predators. As ants are chemically oriented, some organisms that interact with them (myrmecophiles) use chemical strategies mediated by their cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) to deal with ants. Thus, a better understanding of the ecology and evolution of the mutualistic interactions between myrmecophiles and ants depends on the accurate recognition of these chemical strategies. Few studies have examined whether treehoppers may use an additional strategy called chemical camouflage to reduce ant aggression, and none considered highly polyphagous pest insects. We analyzed whether the chemical similarity of the CHC profiles of three host plants from three plant families (Fabaceae, Malvaceae, and Moraceae) and the facultative myrmecophilous honeydew-producing treehopper Aetalion reticulatum (Hemiptera: Aetalionidae), a pest of citrus plants, may play a role as a proximate mechanism serving as a protection against ant attacks on plants. We found a high similarity (>80%) between the CHCs of the treehoppers and two of their host plants. The treehoppers acquire CHCs through their diet, and the chemical similarity varies according to host plant. Chemical camouflage on host plants plays a role in the interaction of treehoppers with their ant mutualistic partners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luan Dias Lima
- Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Departamento de Biologia, Universidade de São Paulo—USP, Ribeirão Preto 14040-901, SP, Brazil; (A.V.C.-G.); (A.P.); (F.S.d.N.)
| | - Amalia Victoria Ceballos-González
- Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Departamento de Biologia, Universidade de São Paulo—USP, Ribeirão Preto 14040-901, SP, Brazil; (A.V.C.-G.); (A.P.); (F.S.d.N.)
| | - Amanda Prato
- Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Departamento de Biologia, Universidade de São Paulo—USP, Ribeirão Preto 14040-901, SP, Brazil; (A.V.C.-G.); (A.P.); (F.S.d.N.)
| | - Adriano Cavalleri
- Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande—FURG, Rio Grande 96203-900, RS, Brazil;
| | - José Roberto Trigo
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas—UNICAMP, Campinas 13083-970, SP, Brazil
| | - Fábio Santos do Nascimento
- Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Departamento de Biologia, Universidade de São Paulo—USP, Ribeirão Preto 14040-901, SP, Brazil; (A.V.C.-G.); (A.P.); (F.S.d.N.)
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23
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Avilés JM. The evolutionary ecology of bird-ant interactions: a pervasive but under-studied connection. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20232023. [PMID: 38166423 PMCID: PMC10762437 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Birds and ants are among the most ubiquitous taxa co-occurring in terrestrial ecosystems, but how they mutually interact is almost unknown. Here, the main features of this neglected interaction are synthetized in a systematic literature review. Interaction with ants has been recorded in 1122 bird species (11.2% of extant species) belonging to 131 families widely distributed across the globe and the avian phylogeny. On the other hand, 47 genus of ants (14.4% of extant genus) belonging to eight subfamilies interact with birds. Interactions include competition, antagonism (either ant-bird mutual predation or parasitism) and living together commensally or mutualistically. Competition (48.9%) and antagonism (36.1%) were the most common reported interactions. The potential for engaging in commensalism and competition with ants has a phylogenetic structure in birds and was present in the birds' ancestor. Interaction is better studied in the tropics, in where the network is less dense and more nested than in temperate or arid biomes. This review demonstrates that ant-bird interactions are a pervasive phenomenon across ecological domains, playing a key role in ecosystem function. Future studies need to combine sensible experimentation within anthropogenic disturbance gradients in order to achieve a better understanding of this interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesús M. Avilés
- Departamento de Ecología Funcional y Evolutiva, EEZA-CSIC, Almería E-04120, Spain
- Unidad Asociada (CSIC-UNEX): Ecología en el Antropoceno, Badajoz E-06006, Spain
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24
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Yang N, Røder HL, Wicaksono WA, Wassermann B, Russel J, Li X, Nesme J, Berg G, Sørensen SJ, Burmølle M. Interspecific interactions facilitate keystone species in a multispecies biofilm that promotes plant growth. ISME J 2024; 18:wrae012. [PMID: 38365935 PMCID: PMC10938371 DOI: 10.1093/ismejo/wrae012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
Microorganisms colonizing plant roots co-exist in complex, spatially structured multispecies biofilm communities. However, little is known about microbial interactions and the underlying spatial organization within biofilm communities established on plant roots. Here, a well-established four-species biofilm model (Stenotrophomonas rhizophila, Paenibacillus amylolyticus, Microbacterium oxydans, and Xanthomonas retroflexus, termed as SPMX) was applied to Arabidopsis roots to study the impact of multispecies biofilm on plant growth and the community spatial dynamics on the roots. SPMX co-culture notably promoted root development and plant biomass. Co-cultured SPMX increased root colonization and formed multispecies biofilms, structurally different from those formed by monocultures. By combining 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and fluorescence in situ hybridization with confocal laser scanning microscopy, we found that the composition and spatial organization of the four-species biofilm significantly changed over time. Monoculture P. amylolyticus colonized plant roots poorly, but its population and root colonization were highly enhanced when residing in the four-species biofilm. Exclusion of P. amylolyticus from the community reduced overall biofilm production and root colonization of the three species, resulting in the loss of the plant growth-promoting effects. Combined with spatial analysis, this led to identification of P. amylolyticus as a keystone species. Our findings highlight that weak root colonizers may benefit from mutualistic interactions in complex communities and hereby become important keystone species impacting community spatial organization and function. This work expands the knowledge on spatial organization uncovering interspecific interactions in multispecies biofilm communities on plant roots, beneficial for harnessing microbial mutualism promoting plant growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Yang
- Section of Microbiology, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 2100, Denmark
| | - Henriette L Røder
- Section of Microbiology, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 2100, Denmark
- Section for Microbiology and Fermentation, Department of Food Science, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 2100, Denmark
| | - Wisnu Adi Wicaksono
- Institute of Environmental Biotechnology, Graz University of Technology, Graz 8010, Austria
| | - Birgit Wassermann
- Institute of Environmental Biotechnology, Graz University of Technology, Graz 8010, Austria
| | - Jakob Russel
- Section of Microbiology, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 2100, Denmark
| | - Xuanji Li
- Section of Microbiology, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 2100, Denmark
| | - Joseph Nesme
- Section of Microbiology, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 2100, Denmark
| | - Gabriele Berg
- Institute of Environmental Biotechnology, Graz University of Technology, Graz 8010, Austria
| | - Søren J Sørensen
- Section of Microbiology, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 2100, Denmark
| | - Mette Burmølle
- Section of Microbiology, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 2100, Denmark
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Naven Narayanan, Shaw AK. Mutualisms impact species' range expansion speeds and spatial distributions. Ecology 2024; 105:e4171. [PMID: 37776264 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 10/02/2023]
Abstract
Species engage in mutually beneficial interspecific interactions (mutualisms) that shape their population dynamics in ecological communities. Species engaged in mutualisms vary greatly in their degree of dependence on their partner from complete dependence (e.g., yucca and yucca moth mutualism) to low dependence (e.g., generalist bee with multiple plant species). While current empirical studies show that, in mutualisms, partner dependence can alter the speed of a species' range expansion, there is no theory that provides conditions when expansion is sped up or slowed down. To address this, we built a spatially explicit model incorporating the population dynamics of two dispersing species interacting mutualistically. We explored how mutualisms impacted range expansion across a gradient of dependence (from complete independence to obligacy) between the two species. We then studied the conditions in which the magnitude of the mutualistic benefits could hinder versus enhance the speed of range expansion. We showed that either complete dependence, no dependence, or intermediate degree of dependence on a mutualist partner can lead to the greatest speeds of a focal species' range expansion based on the magnitude of benefits exchanged between partner species in the mutualism. We then showed how different degrees of dependence between species could alter the spatial distribution of the range expanding populations. Finally, we identified the conditions under which mutualistic interactions can turn exploitative across space, leading to the formation of a species' range limits. Our work highlights how couching mutualisms and mutualist dependence in a spatial context can provide insights about species range expansions, limits, and ultimately their distributions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naven Narayanan
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, Behavior, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA
| | - Allison K Shaw
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, Behavior, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA
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Nian X, Luo Y, He X, Wu S, Li J, Wang D, Holford P, Beattie GAC, Cen Y, Zhang S, He Y. Infection with 'Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus' improves the fecundity of Diaphorina citri aiding its proliferation: A win-win strategy. Mol Ecol 2024; 33:e17214. [PMID: 38018658 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Revised: 10/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023]
Abstract
The evolution of insect vector-pathogen relationships has long been of interest in the field of molecular ecology. One system of special relevance, due to its economic impacts, is that between Diaphorina citri and 'Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus' (CLas), the cause of the severe Asian form of huanglongbing. CLas-positive D. citri are more fecund than their CLas-negative counterparts, boosting opportunities for pathogens to acquire new vector hosts. The molecular mechanism behind this life-history shift remains unclear. Here, we found that CLas promoted ovarian development and increased the expression of the vitellogenin receptor (DcVgR) in ovaries. DcVgR RNAi significantly decreased fecundity and CLas titer in ovaries, extended the preoviposition period, shortened the oviposition period and blocked ovarian development. Given their importance in gene regulation, we explored the role of miRNAs in shaping these phenotypes and their molecular triggers. Our results showed that one miRNA, miR-275, suppressed DcVgR expression by binding to its 3' UTR. Overexpression of miR-275 knocked down DcVgR expression and CLas titer in ovaries, causing reproductive defects that mimicked DcVgR knockdown phenotypes. We focused, further, on roles of the Juvenile Hormone (JH) pathway in shaping the observed fecundity phenotype, given its known impacts on ovarian development. After CLas infection, this pathway was upregulated, thereby increasing DcVgR expression. From these combined results, we conclude that CLas hijacks the JH signalling pathway and miR-275, thereby targeting DcVgR to increase D. citri fecundity. These changes simultaneously increase CLas replication, suggesting a pathogen-vector host mutualism, or a seemingly helpful, but cryptically costly life-history manipulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoge Nian
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- Henry Fok School of Biology and Agriculture, Shaoguan University, Shaoguan, China
| | - Yaru Luo
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xinyu He
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shujie Wu
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jiayun Li
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Desen Wang
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Paul Holford
- School of Science, Western Sydney University, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia
| | | | - Yijing Cen
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Songdou Zhang
- Department of Entomology and MOA Key Lab of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Yurong He
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
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Steffan SA, Dharampal PS, Kueneman JG, Keller A, Argueta-Guzmán MP, McFrederick QS, Buchmann SL, Vannette RL, Edlund AF, Mezera CC, Amon N, Danforth BN. Microbes, the 'silent third partners' of bee-angiosperm mutualisms. Trends Ecol Evol 2024; 39:65-77. [PMID: 37940503 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2023.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
While bee-angiosperm mutualisms are widely recognized as foundational partnerships that have shaped the diversity and structure of terrestrial ecosystems, these ancient mutualisms have been underpinned by 'silent third partners': microbes. Here, we propose reframing the canonical bee-angiosperm partnership as a three-way mutualism between bees, microbes, and angiosperms. This new conceptualization casts microbes as active symbionts, processing and protecting pollen-nectar provisions, consolidating nutrients for bee larvae, enhancing floral attractancy, facilitating plant fertilization, and defending bees and plants from pathogens. In exchange, bees and angiosperms provide their microbial associates with food, shelter, and transportation. Such microbial communities represent co-equal partners in tripartite mutualisms with bees and angiosperms, facilitating one of the most important ecological partnerships on land.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shawn A Steffan
- US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, 1575 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA; Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin, 1630 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
| | - Prarthana S Dharampal
- Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin, 1630 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA; Biology Department, McHenry County College, 8900 Northwest Hwy #14, Crystal Lake, IL 60012, USA
| | - Jordan G Kueneman
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Comstock Hall, 2126, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Alexander Keller
- Cellular and Organismic Networks, Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Martinsried, Germany
| | | | - Quinn S McFrederick
- Department of Entomology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Stephen L Buchmann
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Rachel L Vannette
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Anna F Edlund
- Department of Biology, Bethany College, 31 E Campus Drive, Bethany, WV 26032, USA
| | - Celeste C Mezera
- Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin, 1630 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Nolan Amon
- Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin, 1630 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Bryan N Danforth
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Comstock Hall, 2126, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
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Harrison TL, Parshuram ZA, Frederickson ME, Stinchcombe JR. Is there a latitudinal diversity gradient for symbiotic microbes? A case study with sensitive partridge peas. Mol Ecol 2024; 33:e17191. [PMID: 37941312 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
Mutualism is thought to be more prevalent in the tropics than temperate zones and may therefore play an important role in generating and maintaining high species richness found at lower latitudes. However, results on the impact of mutualism on latitudinal diversity gradients are mixed, and few empirical studies sample both temperate and tropical regions. We investigated whether a latitudinal diversity gradient exists in the symbiotic microbial community associated with the legume Chamaecrista nictitans. We sampled bacteria DNA from nodules and the surrounding soil of plant roots across a latitudinal gradient (38.64-8.68 °N). Using 16S rRNA sequence data, we identified many non-rhizobial species within C. nictitans nodules that cannot form nodules or fix nitrogen. Species richness increased towards lower latitudes in the non-rhizobial portion of the nodule community but not in the rhizobial community. The microbe community in the soil did not effectively predict the non-rhizobia community inside nodules, indicating that host selection is important for structuring non-rhizobia communities in nodules. We next factorially manipulated the presence of three non-rhizobia strains in greenhouse experiments and found that co-inoculations of non-rhizobia strains with rhizobia had a marginal effect on nodule number and no effect on plant growth. Our results suggest that these non-rhizobia bacteria are likely commensals-species that benefit from associating with a host but are neutral for host fitness. Overall, our study suggests that temperate C. nictitans plants are more selective in their associations with the non-rhizobia community, potentially due to differences in soil nitrogen across latitude.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tia L Harrison
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Zoe A Parshuram
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Megan E Frederickson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - John R Stinchcombe
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Prout JN, Williams A, Wanke A, Schornack S, Ton J, Field KJ. Mucoromycotina 'fine root endophytes': a new molecular model for plant-fungal mutualisms? Trends Plant Sci 2023:S1360-1385(23)00373-4. [PMID: 38102045 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2023.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
The most studied plant-fungal symbioses to date are the interactions between plants and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi of the Glomeromycotina clade. Advancements in phylogenetics and microbial community profiling have distinguished a group of symbiosis-forming fungi that resemble AM fungi as belonging instead to the Mucoromycotina. These enigmatic fungi are now known as Mucoromycotina 'fine root endophytes' and could provide a means to understand the origins of plant-fungal symbioses. Most of our knowledge of the mechanisms of fungal symbiosis comes from investigations using AM fungi. Here, we argue that inclusion of Mucoromycotina fine root endophytes in future studies will expand our understanding of the mechanisms, evolution, and ecology of plant-fungal symbioses.
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Affiliation(s)
- James N Prout
- Plants, Photosynthesis and Soil, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK.
| | - Alex Williams
- Plants, Photosynthesis and Soil, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Alan Wanke
- Sainsbury Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1LR, UK
| | | | - Jurriaan Ton
- Plants, Photosynthesis and Soil, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Katie J Field
- Plants, Photosynthesis and Soil, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK.
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Moeller AH, Sanders JG, Sprockett DD, Landers A. Assessing co-diversification in host-associated microbiomes. J Evol Biol 2023; 36:1659-1668. [PMID: 37750599 PMCID: PMC10843161 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.14221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
When lineages of hosts and microbial symbionts engage in intimate interactions over evolutionary timescales, they can diversify in parallel (i.e., co-diversify), producing associations between the lineages' phylogenetic histories. Tests for co-diversification of individual microbial lineages and their hosts have been developed previously, and these have been applied to discover ancient symbioses in diverse branches of the tree of life. However, most host-microbe relationships are not binary but multipartite, in that a single host-associated microbiota can contain many microbial lineages, generating challenges for assessing co-diversification. Here, we review recent evidence for co-diversification in complex microbiota, highlight the limitations of prior studies, and outline a hypothesis testing approach designed to overcome some of these limitations. We advocate for the use of microbiota-wide scans for co-diversifying symbiont lineages and discuss tools developed for this purpose. Tests for co-diversification for simple host symbiont systems can be extended to entire phylogenies of microbial lineages (e.g., metagenome-assembled or isolate genomes, amplicon sequence variants) sampled from host clades, thereby providing a means for identifying co-diversifying symbionts present within complex microbiota. The relative ages of symbiont clades can corroborate co-diversification, and multi-level permutation tests can account for multiple comparisons and phylogenetic non-independence introduced by repeated sampling of host species. Discovering co-diversifying lineages will generate powerful opportunities for interrogating the molecular evolution and lineage turnover of ancestral, host-species specific symbionts within host-associated microbiota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew H. Moeller
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Jon G. Sanders
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Daniel D. Sprockett
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Abigail Landers
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
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31
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Reeves IM, Totterdell JA, Betty EL, Donnelly DM, George A, Holmes S, Moller L, Stockin KA, Wellard R, White C, Foote AD. Ancestry testing of "Old Tom," a killer whale central to mutualistic interactions with human whalers. J Hered 2023; 114:598-611. [PMID: 37821799 PMCID: PMC10650950 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esad058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Cooperative hunting between humans and killer whales (Orcinus orca) targeting baleen whales was reported in Eden, New South Wales, Australia, for almost a century. By 1928, whaling operations had ceased, and local killer whale sightings became scarce. A killer whale from the group, known as "Old Tom," washed up dead in 1930 and his skeleton was preserved. How these killer whales from Eden relate to other populations globally and whether their genetic descendants persist today remains unknown. We extracted and sequenced DNA from Old Tom using ancient DNA techniques. Genomic sequences were then compared with a global dataset of mitochondrial and nuclear genomes. Old Tom shared a most recent common ancestor with killer whales from Australasia, the North Atlantic, and the North Pacific, having the highest genetic similarity with contemporary New Zealand killer whales. However, much of the variation found in Old Tom's genome was not shared with these widespread populations, suggesting ancestral rather than ongoing gene flow. Our genetic comparisons also failed to find any clear descendants of Tom, raising the possibility of local extinction of this group. We integrated Traditional Custodian knowledge to recapture the events in Eden and recognize that Indigenous Australians initiated the relationship with the killer whales before European colonization and the advent of commercial whaling locally. This study rectifies discrepancies in local records and provides new insight into the origins of the killer whales in Eden and the history of Australasian killer whales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabella M Reeves
- Flinders University, College of Science and Engineering, Bedford Park, Adelaide,South Australia, Australia
- Cetacean Research Centre (CETREC WA), Esperance, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - John A Totterdell
- Cetacean Research Centre (CETREC WA), Esperance, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Emma L Betty
- Cetacean Ecology Research Group, School of Natural Sciences, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - David M Donnelly
- Killer Whales Australia, Mornington, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Angela George
- Eden Killer Whale Museum, New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Steven Holmes
- Eden Killer Whale Museum, New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Luciana Moller
- Flinders University, College of Science and Engineering, Bedford Park, Adelaide,South Australia, Australia
- Cetacean Ecology, Behaviour and Evolution Laboratory, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
- Molecular Ecology Laboratory, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Karen A Stockin
- Cetacean Ecology Research Group, School of Natural Sciences, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand
| | | | - Charlie White
- Flinders University, College of Science and Engineering, Bedford Park, Adelaide,South Australia, Australia
- Cetacean Ecology, Behaviour and Evolution Laboratory, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Andrew D Foote
- Department of Natural History, NTNU University Museum, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
- Department of Biosciences, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
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Cram DL, Lloyd-Jones DJ, van der Wal JEM, Lund J, Buanachique IO, Muamedi M, Nanguar CI, Ngovene A, Raveh S, Boner W, Spottiswoode CN. Guides and cheats: producer-scrounger dynamics in the human-honeyguide mutualism. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20232024. [PMID: 37935365 PMCID: PMC10645085 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Foraging animals commonly choose whether to find new food (as 'producers') or scavenge from others (as 'scroungers'), and this decision has ecological and evolutionary consequences. Understanding these tactic decisions is particularly vital for naturally occurring producer-scrounger systems of economic importance, because they determine the system's productivity and resilience. Here, we investigate how individuals' traits predict tactic decisions, and the consistency and pay-offs of these decisions, in the remarkable mutualism between humans (Homo sapiens) and greater honeyguides (Indicator indicator). Honeyguides can either guide people to bees' nests and eat the resulting beeswax (producing), or scavenge beeswax (scrounging). Our results suggest that honeyguides flexibly switched tactics, and that guiding yielded greater access to the beeswax. Birds with longer tarsi scrounged more, perhaps because they are more competitive. The lightest females rarely guided, possibly to avoid aggression, or because genetic matrilines may affect female body mass and behaviour in this species. Overall, aspects of this producer-scrounger system probably increase the productivity and resilience of the associated human-honeyguide mutualism, because the pay-offs incentivize producing, and tactic-switching increases the pool of potential producers. Broadly, our findings suggest that even where tactic-switching is prevalent and producing yields greater pay-offs, certain phenotypes may be predisposed to one tactic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominic L. Cram
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - David J. Lloyd-Jones
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa
| | - Jessica E. M. van der Wal
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa
| | - Jess Lund
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB2 3EJ, UK
| | | | | | | | - Antonio Ngovene
- EO Wilson Biodiversity Laboratory, Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique
| | - Shirley Raveh
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Graham Kerr Building, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Winnie Boner
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Graham Kerr Building, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Claire N. Spottiswoode
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB2 3EJ, UK
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa
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Stoy KS, Díaz-Almeyda EM, Bartelt C, Acosta A, Morran LT, Gerardo NM. Host-associated transmission favors transition of a commensal toward antagonism. Evolution 2023; 77:2512-2521. [PMID: 37739788 DOI: 10.1093/evolut/qpad173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/24/2023]
Abstract
The impacts of host-associated microbes on their hosts vary along a continuum of antagonistic, neutral, and beneficial interactions. Transmission mode is predicted to contribute to transitions along the continuum by altering opportunities for the alignment of host and microbe fitness interests. Under vertical transmission, microbial evolution is tightly coupled to the host environment, which may facilitate fitness alignment. In contrast, environmentally transmitted microbes spend time in the external environment, outside of hosts, partially decoupling their evolution from the host. This decoupling may misalign host and microbe fitness interests, potentially favoring antagonistic microbial traits. Here, we tested whether transmission environment alters microbial evolution by manipulating the interaction between a commensal Serratia marcescens bacteria and their insect host Anasa tristis, which is the primary vector of these bacteria into plants, where they cause disease. We experimentally evolved S. marcescens through several selection environments. The bacteria were passaged between A. tristis hosts, between A. tristis hosts and soil, through soil, or through standard culture media. We observed rapid evolution of virulence toward hosts across treatments when bacterial evolution occurred within the host environment, indicating that direct host-to-host transmission can increase opportunities for microbes to adapt to hosts and evolve antagonistic traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kayla S Stoy
- Emory University, Department of Biology, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Erika M Díaz-Almeyda
- Emory University, Department of Biology, Atlanta, GA, United States
- New College of Florida, Department of Natural Sciences, Sarasota, FL, United States
| | - Chris Bartelt
- Emory University, Department of Biology, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Alice Acosta
- Emory University, Department of Biology, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Levi T Morran
- Emory University, Department of Biology, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Nicole M Gerardo
- Emory University, Department of Biology, Atlanta, GA, United States
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34
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Barbosa BC, Delgado de Lima TD, Mota GV, Nogueira A. The role of intraspecific variation in bumblebee body size and behavior on buzz pollination of a tropical legume species. Am J Bot 2023; 110:e16236. [PMID: 37661849 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.16236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE The outcomes of generalized mutualisms rely on partner trait variation. In pollination mutualisms, although less explored, intraspecific variation in pollinator traits can be pivotal for successful pollination. We investigated the role of intraspecific body size and behavioral trait variations of bumblebee Bombus morio on the pollination of a buzz-pollinated legume species, Chamaecrista latistipula. METHODS To explore the impact of body size and behavior of B. morio on the pollination of C. latistipula, we observed visits to virgin flowers and quantified the pollen removal and deposition (pollination performance) and fruit and seed production (reproductive fitness). By analyzing video and sound recordings, we measured B. morio body size and behavior on each flower, including bee vibration descriptors. RESULTS We observed intraspecific behavioral differences among B. morio bumblebees associated with different body sizes. Larger bumblebees had half the handling time and vibrational pulses, less angular displacement within flowers, and larger relative peak amplitudes during vibrations than smaller bumblebees did. Regardless of their large variation in size and behavior, bumblebees were equally effective in removing pollen and pollinating flowers. The high female reproductive fitness was independent of bumblebee body size and behavior, likely due to the interaction between both. On the other hand, larger bumblebees visited flowers for shorter periods, probably promoting higher male reproductive fitness. CONCLUSIONS This study is the first to highlight the large intraspecific variation of bumblebee body size and behavior in buzz-pollinated flowers in the field. Together, body size and behavior effects unexpectedly cancel each other, generating a high buzz pollination efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruna C Barbosa
- Laboratório de Interações Planta-Animal (LIPA), Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas, Universidade Federal do ABC, São Bernardo do Campo, SP, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Evolução e Diversidade, Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas, Universidade Federal do ABC, São Bernardo do Campo, SP, Brazil
| | - Tamiris D Delgado de Lima
- Laboratório de Interações Planta-Animal (LIPA), Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas, Universidade Federal do ABC, São Bernardo do Campo, SP, Brazil
- Programa de Graduação em Ciências Biológicas (Botânica), Instituto de Biociências, UNESP - Universidade Estadual Paulista, Botucatu, SP, Brazil
| | - Guilherme V Mota
- Laboratório de Interações Planta-Animal (LIPA), Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas, Universidade Federal do ABC, São Bernardo do Campo, SP, Brazil
| | - Anselmo Nogueira
- Laboratório de Interações Planta-Animal (LIPA), Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas, Universidade Federal do ABC, São Bernardo do Campo, SP, Brazil
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35
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Ingham CS, Engl T, Kaltenpoth M. Protection of a defensive symbiont does not constrain the composition of the multifunctional hydrocarbon profile in digger wasps. Biol Lett 2023; 19:20230301. [PMID: 37909057 PMCID: PMC10618855 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2023.0301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Hydrocarbons (HCs) fulfil indispensable functions in insects, protecting against desiccation and serving chemical communication. However, the link between composition and function, and the selection pressures shaping HC profiles remain poorly understood. Beewolf digger wasps (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae) use an antennal gland secretion rich in linear unsaturated HCs to form a hydrophobic barrier around their defensive bacterial symbiont, protecting it from brood cell fumigation by toxic egg-produced nitric oxide (NO). Virtually identical HC compositions mediate desiccation protection and prey preservation from moulding in underground beewolf brood cells. It is unknown whether this composition presents an optimized adaptation to all functions, or a compromise due to conflicting selection pressures. Here, we reconstitute the NO barrier with single and binary combinations of synthetic linear saturated and unsaturated HCs, corresponding to HCs found in beewolves. The results show that pure alkanes as well as 3 : 1 mixtures of alkanes and alkenes resembling the composition of beewolf HCs form efficient protective barriers against NO, indicating that protection can be achieved by different mixtures of HCs. Since in vitro assays with symbiont cultures from different beewolf hosts indicate widespread NO sensitivity, HC-mediated protection from NO is likely important across Philanthini wasps. We conclude that HC-mediated protection of the symbiont from NO does not exert a conflicting selection pressure on the multifunctional HC profile of beewolves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chantal Selina Ingham
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Hanns-Dieter-Hüsch-Weg 15, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Tobias Engl
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Hanns-Dieter-Hüsch-Weg 15, 55128 Mainz, Germany
- Department of Insect Symbiosis, Max-Planck-Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Str. 8, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Martin Kaltenpoth
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Hanns-Dieter-Hüsch-Weg 15, 55128 Mainz, Germany
- Department of Insect Symbiosis, Max-Planck-Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Str. 8, 07745 Jena, Germany
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Mondal S, Somani J, Roy S, Babu A, Pandey AK. Insect Microbial Symbionts: Ecology, Interactions, and Biological Significance. Microorganisms 2023; 11:2665. [PMID: 38004678 PMCID: PMC10672782 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11112665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The guts of insect pests are typical habitats for microbial colonization and the presence of bacterial species inside the gut confers several potential advantages to the insects. These gut bacteria are located symbiotically inside the digestive tracts of insects and help in food digestion, phytotoxin breakdown, and pesticide detoxification. Different shapes and chemical assets of insect gastrointestinal tracts have a significant impact on the structure and makeup of the microbial population. The number of microbial communities inside the gastrointestinal system differs owing to the varying shape and chemical composition of digestive tracts. Due to their short generation times and rapid evolutionary rates, insect gut bacteria can develop numerous metabolic pathways and can adapt to diverse ecological niches. In addition, despite hindering insecticide management programs, they still have several biotechnological uses, including industrial, clinical, and environmental uses. This review discusses the prevalent bacterial species associated with insect guts, their mode of symbiotic interaction, their role in insecticide resistance, and various other biological significance, along with knowledge gaps and future perspectives. The practical consequences of the gut microbiome and its interaction with the insect host may lead to encountering the mechanisms behind the evolution of pesticide resistance in insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sankhadeep Mondal
- Deparment of Entomology, Tea Research Association, Tocklai Tea Research Institute, Jorhat 785008, Assam, India; (S.M.)
| | - Jigyasa Somani
- Deparment of Entomology, Tea Research Association, Tocklai Tea Research Institute, Jorhat 785008, Assam, India; (S.M.)
| | - Somnath Roy
- Deparment of Entomology, Tea Research Association, Tocklai Tea Research Institute, Jorhat 785008, Assam, India; (S.M.)
| | - Azariah Babu
- Deparment of Entomology, Tea Research Association, Tocklai Tea Research Institute, Jorhat 785008, Assam, India; (S.M.)
| | - Abhay K. Pandey
- Deparment of Mycology & Microbiology, Tea Research Association, North Bengal Regional R & D Centre, Nagrakata, Jalpaiguri 735225, West Bengal, India
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d’Entremont TW, Kivlin SN. Specificity in plant-mycorrhizal fungal relationships: prevalence, parameterization, and prospects. Front Plant Sci 2023; 14:1260286. [PMID: 37929168 PMCID: PMC10623146 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1260286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
Species interactions exhibit varying degrees of specialization, ranging from generalist to specialist interactions. For many interactions (e.g., plant-microbiome) we lack standardized metrics of specialization, hindering our ability to apply comparative frameworks of specificity across niche axes and organismal groups. Here, we discuss the concept of plant host specificity of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and ectomycorrhizal (EM) fungi, including the predominant theories for their interactions: Passenger, Driver, and Habitat Hypotheses. We focus on five major areas of interest in advancing the field of plant-mycorrhizal fungal host specificity: phylogenetic specificity, host physiology specificity, functional specificity, habitat specificity, and mycorrhizal fungal-mediated plant rarity. Considering the need to elucidate foundational concepts of specificity in this globally important symbiosis, we propose standardized metrics and comparative studies to enhance our understanding. We also emphasize the importance of analyzing global mycorrhizal data holistically to draw meaningful conclusions and suggest a shift toward single-species analyses to unravel the complexities underlying these associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler W. d’Entremont
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, United States
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Porto GF, Pezzonia JH, Del-Claro K. Extrafloral Nectary-Bearing Plants Recover Ant Association Benefits Faster and More Effectively after Frost-Fire Events Than Frost. Plants (Basel) 2023; 12:3592. [PMID: 37896055 PMCID: PMC10610396 DOI: 10.3390/plants12203592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
The Cerrado confronts threats such as fire and frost due to natural or human-induced factors. These disturbances trigger attribute changes that impact biodiversity. Given escalating climate extremes, understanding the effects of these phenomena on ecological relationships is crucial for biodiversity conservation. To understand how fire and frost affect interactions and influence biological communities in the Cerrado, our study aimed to comprehend the effects of these two disturbances on extrafloral nectar (EFN)-bearing plants (Ouratea spectabilis, Ochnaceae) and their interactions. Our main hypothesis was that plants affected by fire would grow again more quickly than those affected only by frost due to the better adaptation of Cerrado flora to fire. The results showed that fire accelerated the regrowth of O. spectabilis. Regrowth in plants with EFNs attracted ants that proved to be efficient in removing herbivores, significantly reducing foliar herbivory rates in this species, when compared to the species without EFNs, or when ant access was prevented through experimental manipulation. Post-disturbance ant and herbivore populations were low, with frost leading to greater reductions. Ant richness and diversity are higher where frost precedes fire, suggesting that fire restores Cerrado ecological interactions better than frost, with less impact on plants, ants, and herbivores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Fraga Porto
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Vegetal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade de Uberlândia, Uberlândia 38400-902, MG, Brazil;
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Entomologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto—FFCLRP, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14040-901, SP, Brazil;
- Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental e de Interações, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia 38400-902, MG, Brazil
| | - José Henrique Pezzonia
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Entomologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto—FFCLRP, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14040-901, SP, Brazil;
- Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental e de Interações, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia 38400-902, MG, Brazil
| | - Kleber Del-Claro
- Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental e de Interações, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia 38400-902, MG, Brazil
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Juarez-Estrada MA, Graham D, Hernandez-Velasco X, Tellez-Isaias G. Editorial: Parasitism: the good, the bad and the ugly. Front Vet Sci 2023; 10:1304206. [PMID: 37915945 PMCID: PMC10616899 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1304206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Marco A. Juarez-Estrada
- Department of Medicine and Zootechnics of Birds, College of Veterinary Medicine and Zootechnics, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Danielle Graham
- Division of Agriculture, Department of Poultry Science, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, United States
| | - Xochitl Hernandez-Velasco
- Department of Medicine and Zootechnics of Birds, College of Veterinary Medicine and Zootechnics, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Guillermo Tellez-Isaias
- Division of Agriculture, Department of Poultry Science, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, United States
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Dzierozynski L, Queen J, Sears CL. Subtle, persistent shaping of the gut microbiome by host genes: A critical determinant of host biology. Cell Host Microbe 2023; 31:1569-1573. [PMID: 37827115 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2023.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 09/10/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
Although environmental impacts on the host microbiome have been well studied, it is less certain whether and how host genetics impact the microbiome. This commentary discusses current literature supporting host genetic influences on resident species and pathogenic microbes. Mechanistic experimental studies are warranted to understand host gene-microbiome interplay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsey Dzierozynski
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jessica Queen
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Cynthia L Sears
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Bloomberg∼Kimmel Institute for Immunotherapy, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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Seto M, Kondoh M. Microbial redox cycling enhances ecosystem thermodynamic efficiency and productivity. Ecol Lett 2023; 26:1714-1725. [PMID: 37458207 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023]
Abstract
Microbial life in low-energy ecosystems relies on individual energy conservation, optimizing energy use in response to interspecific competition and mutualistic interspecific syntrophy. Our study proposes a novel community-level strategy for increasing energy use efficiency. By utilizing an oxidation-reduction (redox) reaction network model that represents microbial redox metabolic interactions, we investigated multiple species-level competition and cooperation within the network. Our results suggest that microbial functional diversity allows for metabolic handoffs, which in turn leads to increased energy use efficiency. Furthermore, the mutualistic division of labour and the resulting complexity of redox pathways actively drive material cycling, further promoting energy exploitation. Our findings reveal the potential of self-organized ecological interactions to develop efficient energy utilization strategies, with important implications for microbial ecosystem functioning and the co-evolution of life and Earth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayumi Seto
- Department of Chemistry, Biology, and Environmental Sciences, Nara Women's University, Nara, Japan
| | - Michio Kondoh
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
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42
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Nathan P, Economo EP, Guénard B, Simonsen AK, Frederickson ME. Generalized mutualisms promote range expansion in both plant and ant partners. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20231083. [PMID: 37700642 PMCID: PMC10498038 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.1083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Mutualism improves organismal fitness, but strong dependence on another species can also limit a species' ability to thrive in a new range if its partner is absent. We assembled a large, global dataset on mutualistic traits and species ranges to investigate how multiple plant-animal and plant-microbe mutualisms affect the spread of legumes and ants to novel ranges. We found that generalized mutualisms increase the likelihood that a species establishes and thrives beyond its native range, whereas specialized mutualisms either do not affect or reduce non-native spread. This pattern held in both legumes and ants, indicating that specificity between mutualistic partners is a key determinant of ecological success in a new habitat. Our global analysis shows that mutualism plays an important, if often overlooked, role in plant and insect invasions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pooja Nathan
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks Street, Toronto M5S 3B2, Ontario, Canada
| | - Evan P. Economo
- Biodiversity and Biocomplexity Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan
| | - Benoit Guénard
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong
| | - Anna K. Simonsen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, 11200 SW 8th St, Miami, FL 33199, USA
| | - Megan E. Frederickson
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks Street, Toronto M5S 3B2, Ontario, Canada
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Tasnim A, Jahan I, Azim T, Karmoker D, Seraj ZI. Paired growth of cultivated and halophytic wild rice under salt stress induces bacterial endophytes and gene expression responses. Front Plant Sci 2023; 14:1244743. [PMID: 37746015 PMCID: PMC10516563 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1244743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Introduction Utilizing salt-affected marginal lands in coastal regions can help meet the growing demand for rice. We explored a nature-based solution involving wild halophytic rice (O. coarctata, Oc) and commercial rice BRRI Dhan 67 (O. sativa, Os) grown in close proximity to each other under salt stress. Methods This was to investigate whether a paired planting strategy could help complement rice growth and yield under stress. We also investigated the gene expression and endophytic bacterial profiles of both Os and Oc in unpaired and paired conditions without and with salt. Results Paired plants exhibited lower salt damage indicators such as smaller reduction in plant height, electrolyte leakage and chlorophyll loss, as well as higher K+/Na+ ratio under saline stress. Some of the 39 endophytic bacteria in the mutualism experiment were unique to Oc and transferred to Os when paired. Differentially expressed genes in leaves of paired Os versus unpaired Os were 1097 (994 up-regulated, 101 down-regulated) without salt and 893 (763 up-regulated, 130 down-regulated) under salt stress. The presence of Oc plants under salt stress influenced major biological processes in Os, including oxidative stress; chitinase activity; phenylalanine catabolic process and response to ABA. Protein binding and serine/threonine kinase activity were primarily affected in molecular function. The downregulated WRKY transcription factor 22 in paired conditions under salt stress played a role in the MAPK signaling pathway, reducing respiratory cell death. The upregulated auxin-responsive protein IAA18 gene, involved in hormone signaling and cell enlargement, was present only in paired plants. Discussion Our findings therefore, offer insights into developing more effective cultivation strategies for sustainable rice production.
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Chen S, Zhou A, Xu Y. Symbiotic Bacteria Regulating Insect-Insect/Fungus/Virus Mutualism. Insects 2023; 14:741. [PMID: 37754709 PMCID: PMC10531535 DOI: 10.3390/insects14090741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/02/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023]
Abstract
Bacteria associated with insects potentially provide many beneficial services and have been well documented. Mutualism that relates to insects is widespread in ecosystems. However, the interrelation between "symbiotic bacteria" and "mutualism" has rarely been studied. We introduce three systems of mutualism that relate to insects (ants and honeydew-producing Hemiptera, fungus-growing insects and fungi, and plant persistent viruses and vector insects) and review the species of symbiotic bacteria in host insects, as well as their functions in host insects and the mechanisms underlying mutualism regulation. A deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms and role of symbiotic bacteria, based on metagenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and microbiology, will be required for describing the entire interaction network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siqi Chen
- Red Imported Fire Ant Research Center, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China;
| | - Aiming Zhou
- Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management, Key Laboratory, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Yijuan Xu
- Red Imported Fire Ant Research Center, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China;
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45
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Sasaki Y, González-Tobón J, Hino Y, Jin C, Li T, Nguyen TAN, Oakley B, Stevens D. 12th Japan-US Seminar in Plant Pathology Meeting Report. Mol Plant Microbe Interact 2023; 36:549-553. [PMID: 37102778 DOI: 10.1094/mpmi-04-23-0041-mr] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
The 12th iteration of the Japan-US Seminar in Plant Pathology was held in Ithaca, New York at Cornell University in the fall of 2022. Presentations covered a range of topics under the theme "Remodeling of the Plant-Microbe Environment During Disease, Defense, and Mutualism," and the meeting included a panel discussion of best practices in science communication. This report presents highlights of the meeting, from the perspective of early career participants of the seminar. [Formula: see text] Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yumino Sasaki
- Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, U.S.A
| | - Juliana González-Tobón
- Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, U.S.A
| | - Yuta Hino
- Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Chujia Jin
- Laboratory of Plant Pathology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Tianrun Li
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, U.S.A
| | - Tan Anh Nhi Nguyen
- Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Blake Oakley
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, U.S.A
| | - Danielle Stevens
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, U.S.A
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46
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Le Roux JJ, Leishman MR, Geraghty DM, Manea A. Rewiring critical plant-soil microbial interactions to assist ecological restoration. Am J Bot 2023; 110:e16228. [PMID: 37708536 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.16228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Dylan M Geraghty
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Anthony Manea
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
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47
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Magnoli SM, Bever JD. Plant productivity response to inter- and intra-symbiont diversity: Mechanisms, manifestations and meta-analyses. Ecol Lett 2023; 26:1614-1628. [PMID: 37317651 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Revised: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Symbiont diversity can have large effects on plant growth but the mechanisms generating this relationship remain opaque. We identify three potential mechanisms underlying symbiont diversity-plant productivity relationships: provisioning with complementary resources, differential impact of symbionts of varying quality and interference between symbionts. We connect these mechanisms to descriptive representations of plant responses to symbiont diversity, develop analytical tests differentiating these patterns and test them using meta-analysis. We find generally positive symbiont diversity-plant productivity relationships, with relationship strength varying with symbiont type. Inoculation with symbionts from different guilds (e.g. mycorrhizal fungi and rhizobia) yields strongly positive relationships, consistent with complementary benefits from functionally distinct symbionts. In contrast, inoculation with symbionts from the same guild yields weak relationships, with co-inoculation not consistently generating greater growth than the best individual symbiont, consistent with sampling effects. The statistical approaches we outline, along with our conceptual framework, can be used to further explore plant productivity and community responses to symbiont diversity, and we identify critical needs for additional research to explore context dependency in these relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan M Magnoli
- Kansas Biological Survey and Center for Ecological Research, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA
| | - James D Bever
- Kansas Biological Survey and Center for Ecological Research and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA
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Bruninga‐Socolar B, Socolar JB, Konzmann S, Lunau K. Pollinator-mediated plant coexistence requires high levels of pollinator specialization. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10349. [PMID: 37539071 PMCID: PMC10394160 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023] Open
Abstract
In pollen-limited plant communities, the foraging behavior of pollinators might mediate coexistence and competitive exclusion of plant species by determining which plants receive conspecific pollen. A key question is whether realistic pollinator foraging behavior promotes coexistence or exclusion of plant species. We use a simulation model to understand how pollinator foraging behavior impacts the coexistence dynamics of pollen-limited plants. To determine whether pollinators are likely to provide a biologically important coexistence mechanism, we compare our results to bee foraging data from the literature and from a novel experimental analysis. Model results indicate that strong specialization at the level of individual foraging paths is required to promote coexistence. However, few empirical studies have robustly quantified within-bout specialization. Species-level data suggest that foraging behavior is sufficient to permit pollinator-mediated coexistence in species-poor plant communities and possibly in diverse communities where congeneric plants co-occur. Our experiments using bumblebees show that individual-level specialization does exist, but not at levels sufficient to substantially impact coexistence dynamics. The literature on specialization within natural foraging paths suffers from key limitations, but overall suggests that pollinator-mediated coexistence should be rare in diverse plant communities.
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49
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Smith CA, Ashby B. Tolerance-conferring defensive symbionts and the evolution of parasite virulence. Evol Lett 2023; 7:262-272. [PMID: 37475754 PMCID: PMC10355178 DOI: 10.1093/evlett/qrad015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Defensive symbionts in the host microbiome can confer protection from infection or reduce the harms of being infected by a parasite. Defensive symbionts are therefore promising agents of biocontrol that could be used to control or ameliorate the impact of infectious diseases. Previous theory has shown how symbionts can evolve along the parasitism-mutualism continuum to confer greater or lesser protection to their hosts and in turn how hosts may coevolve with their symbionts to potentially form a mutualistic relationship. However, the consequences of introducing a defensive symbiont for parasite evolution and how the symbiont may coevolve with the parasite have received relatively little theoretical attention. Here, we investigate the ecological and evolutionary implications of introducing a tolerance-conferring defensive symbiont into an established host-parasite system. We show that while the defensive symbiont may initially have a positive impact on the host population, parasite and symbiont evolution tend to have a net negative effect on the host population in the long term. This is because the introduction of the defensive symbiont always selects for an increase in parasite virulence and may cause diversification into high- and low-virulence strains. Even if the symbiont experiences selection for greater host protection, this simply increases selection for virulence in the parasite, resulting in a net negative effect on the host population. Our results therefore suggest that tolerance-conferring defensive symbionts may be poor biocontrol agents for population-level infectious disease control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cameron A Smith
- Corresponding author: Department of Mathematical Sciences, 4 West, Claverton Down, University of Bath, Bath, Somerset, BA2 7AY, United Kingdom.
| | - Ben Ashby
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Bath, Bath, Somerset, United Kingdom
- Milner Centre for Evolution, University of Bath, Bath, Somerset, United Kingdom
- Department of Mathematics, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, British Colombia, Canada
- The Pacific Institute on Pathogens, Pandemics and Society (PIPPS), Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, British Colombia, Canada
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Filipiak ZM, Ollerton J, Filipiak M. Uncovering the significance of the ratio of food K:Na in bee ecology and evolution. Ecology 2023; 104:e4110. [PMID: 37232411 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Bees provide important ecological services, and many species are threatened globally, yet our knowledge of wild bee ecology and evolution is limited. While evolving from carnivorous ancestors, bees had to develop strategies for coping with limitations imposed on them by a plant-based diet, with nectar providing energy and essential amino acids and pollen as an extraordinary, protein- and lipid-rich food nutritionally similar to animal tissues. Both nectar and pollen display one characteristic common to plants, a high ratio of potassium to sodium (K:Na), potentially leading to bee underdevelopment, health problems, and death. We discuss why and how the ratio of K:Na contributes to bee ecology and evolution and how considering this factor in future studies will provide new knowledge, more accurately depicting the relationship of bees with their environments. Such knowledge is essential for understanding how plants and bees function and interact and is needed to effectively protect wild bees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zuzanna M Filipiak
- Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Jeff Ollerton
- Faculty or Arts, Science and Technology, University of Northampton, Northampton, UK
- Kunming Institute of Botany, Kunming, China
| | - Michał Filipiak
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
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