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Scheifler M, Wilhelm L, Visser B. Lipid Metabolism in Parasitoids and Parasitized Hosts. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2024. [PMID: 38977639 DOI: 10.1007/5584_2024_812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
Parasitoids have an exceptional lifestyle where juvenile development is spent on or in a single host insect, but the adults are free-living. Unlike parasites, parasitoids kill the host. How parasitoids use such a limiting resource, particularly lipids, can affect chances to survive and reproduce. In part 1, we describe the parasitoid lifestyle, including typical developmental strategies. Lipid metabolism in parasitoids has been of interest to researchers since the 1960s and continues to fascinate ecologists, evolutionists, physiologists, and entomologists alike. One reason of this interest is that the majority of parasitoids do not accumulate triacylglycerols as adults. Early research revealed that some parasitoid larvae mimic the fatty acid composition of the host, which may result from a lack of de novo triacylglycerol synthesis. More recent work has focused on the evolution of lack of adult triacylglycerol accumulation and consequences for life history traits. In part 2 of this chapter, we discuss research efforts on lipid metabolism in parasitoids from the 1960s onwards. Parasitoids are also master manipulators of host physiology, including lipid metabolism, having evolved a range of mechanisms to affect the release, synthesis, transport, and take-up of lipids from the host. We lay out the effects of parasitism on host physiology in part 3 of this chapter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathilde Scheifler
- Evolution and Ecophysiology Group, Department of Functional and Evolutionary Entomology, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, Gembloux, Belgium
| | - Léonore Wilhelm
- Evolution and Ecophysiology Group, Department of Functional and Evolutionary Entomology, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, Gembloux, Belgium
| | - Bertanne Visser
- Evolution and Ecophysiology Group, Department of Functional and Evolutionary Entomology, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, Gembloux, Belgium.
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2
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Quicray M, Wilhelm L, Enriquez T, He S, Scheifler M, Visser B. The Drosophila-parasitizing wasp Leptopilina heterotoma: A comprehensive model system in ecology and evolution. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e9625. [PMID: 36703713 PMCID: PMC9871341 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The parasitoid Leptopilina heterotoma has been used as a model system for more than 70 years, contributing greatly to diverse research areas in ecology and evolution. Here, we synthesized the large body of work on L. heterotoma with the aim to identify new research avenues that could be of interest also for researchers studying other parasitoids and insects. We start our review with a description of typical L. heterotoma characteristics, as well as that of the higher taxonomic groups to which this species belongs. We then continue discussing host suitability and immunity, foraging behaviors, as well as fat accumulation and life histories. We subsequently shift our focus towards parasitoid-parasitoid interactions, including L. heterotoma coexistence within the larger guild of Drosophila parasitoids, chemical communication, as well as mating and population structuring. We conclude our review by highlighting the assets of L. heterotoma as a model system, including its intermediate life history syndromes, the ease of observing and collecting natural hosts and wasps, as well as recent genomic advances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maude Quicray
- Evolution and Ecophysiology Group, Department of Functional and Evolutionary EntomologyUniversity of Liège ‐ Gembloux Agro‐Bio TechGemblouxBelgium
| | - Léonore Wilhelm
- Evolution and Ecophysiology Group, Department of Functional and Evolutionary EntomologyUniversity of Liège ‐ Gembloux Agro‐Bio TechGemblouxBelgium
| | - Thomas Enriquez
- Evolution and Ecophysiology Group, Department of Functional and Evolutionary EntomologyUniversity of Liège ‐ Gembloux Agro‐Bio TechGemblouxBelgium
| | - Shulin He
- Evolution and Ecophysiology Group, Department of Functional and Evolutionary EntomologyUniversity of Liège ‐ Gembloux Agro‐Bio TechGemblouxBelgium
| | - Mathilde Scheifler
- Evolution and Ecophysiology Group, Department of Functional and Evolutionary EntomologyUniversity of Liège ‐ Gembloux Agro‐Bio TechGemblouxBelgium
| | - Bertanne Visser
- Evolution and Ecophysiology Group, Department of Functional and Evolutionary EntomologyUniversity of Liège ‐ Gembloux Agro‐Bio TechGemblouxBelgium
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Visser B, Le Lann C, Hahn DA, Lammers M, Nieberding CM, Alborn HT, Enriquez T, Scheifler M, Harvey JA, Ellers J. Many parasitoids lack adult fat accumulation, despite fatty acid synthesis: A discussion of concepts and considerations for future research. CURRENT RESEARCH IN INSECT SCIENCE 2023; 3:100055. [PMID: 37124650 PMCID: PMC10139962 DOI: 10.1016/j.cris.2023.100055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Fat reserves, specifically the accumulation of triacylglycerols, are a major energy source and play a key role for life histories. Fat accumulation is a conserved metabolic pattern across most insects, yet in most parasitoid species adults do not gain fat mass, even when nutrients are readily available and provided ad libitum. This extraordinary physiological phenotype has evolved repeatedly in phylogenetically dispersed parasitoid species. This poses a conundrum because it could lead to significant constraints on energy allocation toward key adult functions such as survival and reproduction. Recent work on the underlying genetic and biochemical mechanisms has spurred a debate on fat accumulation versus fat production, because of incongruent interpretation of results obtained using different methodologies. This debate is in part due to semantics, highlighting the need for a synthetic perspective on fat accumulation that reconciles previous debates and provides new insights and terminology. In this paper, we propose updated, unambiguous terminology for future research in the field, including "fatty acid synthesis" and "lack of adult fat accumulation", and describe the distinct metabolic pathways involved in the complex process of lipogenesis. We then discuss the benefits and drawbacks of the main methods available to measure fatty acid synthesis and adult fat accumulation. Most importantly, gravimetric/colorimetric and isotope tracking methods give complementary information, provided that they are applied with appropriate controls and interpreted correctly. We also compiled a comprehensive list of fat accumulation studies performed during the last 25 years. We present avenues for future research that combine chemistry, ecology, and evolution into an integrative approach, which we think is needed to understand the dynamics of fat accumulation in parasitoids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bertanne Visser
- Evolution and Ecophysiology Group, Department of Functional and Evolutionary Entomology, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, Gembloux, Belgium
- Corresponding author.
| | - Cécile Le Lann
- CNRS, ECOBIO (écosystèmes, Biodiversité, Évolution) – UMR, Université de Rennes, 6553, France
| | - Daniel A. Hahn
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, The University of Florida, USA
| | - Mark Lammers
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, Germany
| | | | - Hans T. Alborn
- United States Department of Agriculture, Chemistry Research Unit, Gainesville, USA
| | - Thomas Enriquez
- Evolution and Ecophysiology Group, Department of Functional and Evolutionary Entomology, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, Gembloux, Belgium
| | - Mathilde Scheifler
- Evolution and Ecophysiology Group, Department of Functional and Evolutionary Entomology, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, Gembloux, Belgium
| | - Jeffrey A. Harvey
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology, the Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Life and Environment, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Jacintha Ellers
- Amsterdam Institute for Life and Environment, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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Pupal size as a proxy for fat content in laboratory-reared and field-collected Drosophila species. Sci Rep 2022; 12:12855. [PMID: 35896578 PMCID: PMC9329298 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-15325-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
In arthropods, larger individuals tend to have more fat reserves, but data for many taxa are still missing. For the vinegar fly Drosophila melanogaster, only few studies have provided experimental data linking body size to fat content. This is rather surprising considering the widespread use of D. melanogaster as a model system in biology. Here, we hypothesized that fat content in D. melanogaster is positively correlated with body size. To test this, we manipulated the developmental environment of D. melanogaster by decreasing food availability. We then measured pupal size and quantified fat content of laboratory-reared D. melanogaster. We subsequently measured pupal size and fat content of several field-caught Drosophila species. Starvation, crowding, and reduced nutrient content led to smaller laboratory-reared pupae that contained less fat. Pupal size was indeed found to be positively correlated with fat content. The same correlation was found for field-caught Drosophila pupae belonging to different species. As fat reserves are often strongly linked to fitness in insects, further knowledge on the relationship between body size and fat content can provide important information for studies on insect ecology and physiology.
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Multerer MT, Wendler M, Ruther J. The biological significance of lipogenesis in Nasonia vitripennis. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20220208. [PMID: 35414234 PMCID: PMC9006012 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.0208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Parasitic wasps have long been thought to be unable to synthesize fatty acids de novo, but recent 13C-labelling studies have challenged this view. It remained unclear, however, whether the reported biosynthesis rates are of biological relevance. Here, we show in Nasonia vitripennis that ageing females with partly depleted lipid reserves produce biologically relevant amounts of fatty acids de novo. Females with varying oviposition history (0-48 h) prior to feeding 20% 13C-labelled glucose solution showed 13C-incorporation rates of (mean ± SEM) 30 ± 2%, 50 ± 2%, 49 ± 3% and 21 ± 2% in palmitic, stearic, oleic and linoleic acid, respectively. The absolute amounts of fatty acids synthesized de novo across treatments corresponded to 28 ± 3 egg lipid equivalents. Females incorporated de novo synthesized fatty acids into their eggs, and glucose-fed females laid more eggs than water-fed control females. The number of eggs laid prior to glucose feeding did not correlate with the degree of lipogenesis, but the amounts of de novo synthesized fatty acids correlated with constitutive (not synthesized de novo) fatty acids. Hence, glucose feeding has a twofold effect on the fatty acid status of N. vitripennis females by decelerating the catabolism of existing fat reserves and partially replenishing ebbing fat reserves by lipogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie-Theres Multerer
- Institute of Zoology, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Martina Wendler
- Institute of Zoology, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Joachim Ruther
- Institute of Zoology, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
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Ruther J, Prager L, Pokorny T. Parasitic wasps do not lack lipogenesis. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20210548. [PMID: 34034524 PMCID: PMC8150038 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.0548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Fatty acids are crucial primary metabolites for virtually all creatures on earth. Most organisms thus do not rely exclusively on a nutritional supply containing fatty acids, but have the ability to synthesize fatty acids and triacylglycerides de novo from carbohydrates in a process called lipogenesis. The ubiquity of lipogenesis has been questioned by a series of studies reporting that many parasitic wasps (parasitoids) do not accumulate lipid mass despite having unlimited access to sugar. This has been interpreted as an evolutionary metabolic trait loss in parasitoids. Here, we demonstrate de novo biosynthesis of fatty acids from 13C-labelled α-d-glucose in 13 species of parasitoids from seven families. We furthermore show in the model organism Nasonia vitripennis that lipogenesis occurs even when lipid reserves are still intact, but relative 13C-incorporation rates increase in females with widely depleted fat reserves. We therefore conclude that the presumed 'lack of lipogenesis' in parasitoids needs to be re-evaluated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joachim Ruther
- Institute of Zoology, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Lorena Prager
- Institute of Zoology, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Tamara Pokorny
- Institute of Zoology, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
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Visser B, Alborn HT, Rondeaux S, Haillot M, Hance T, Rebar D, Riederer JM, Tiso S, van Eldijk TJB, Weissing FJ, Nieberding CM. Phenotypic plasticity explains apparent reverse evolution of fat synthesis in parasitic wasps. Sci Rep 2021; 11:7751. [PMID: 33833245 PMCID: PMC8032832 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-86736-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Numerous cases of evolutionary trait loss and regain have been reported over the years. Here, we argue that such reverse evolution can also become apparent when trait expression is plastic in response to the environment. We tested this idea for the loss and regain of fat synthesis in parasitic wasps. We first show experimentally that the wasp Leptopilina heterotoma switches lipogenesis on in a fat-poor environment, and completely off in a fat-rich environment. Plasticity suggests that this species did not regain fat synthesis, but that it can be switched off in some environmental settings. We then compared DNA sequence variation and protein domains of several more distantly related parasitoid species thought to have lost lipogenesis, and found no evidence for non-functionality of key lipogenesis genes. This suggests that other parasitoids may also show plasticity of fat synthesis. Last, we used individual-based simulations to show that a switch for plastic expression can remain functional in the genome for thousands of generations, even if it is only used sporadically. The evolution of plasticity could thus also explain other examples of apparent reverse evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bertanne Visser
- grid.7942.80000 0001 2294 713XEvolution and Ecophysiology Group, Biodiversity Research Centre, Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain, Croix du Sud 4-5, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Hans T. Alborn
- grid.417548.b0000 0004 0478 6311Chemistry Research Unit, Center of Medical, Agricultural, and Veterinary Entomology, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, 1600 SW 23rd Drive, Gainesville, FL 32608 USA
| | - Suzon Rondeaux
- grid.7942.80000 0001 2294 713XEvolution and Ecophysiology Group, Biodiversity Research Centre, Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain, Croix du Sud 4-5, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Manon Haillot
- grid.7942.80000 0001 2294 713XEvolution and Ecophysiology Group, Biodiversity Research Centre, Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain, Croix du Sud 4-5, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Thierry Hance
- grid.7942.80000 0001 2294 713XEcology of Interactions and Biological Control Group, Biodiversity Research Centre, Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain, Croix du Sud 4-5, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Darren Rebar
- grid.255525.00000 0001 0722 577XDepartment of Biological Sciences, Emporia State University, 1 Kellogg Circle, Campus Box 4050, Emporia, KS 66801 USA
| | - Jana M. Riederer
- grid.4830.f0000 0004 0407 1981Groningen Institute of Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Stefano Tiso
- grid.4830.f0000 0004 0407 1981Groningen Institute of Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Timo J. B. van Eldijk
- grid.4830.f0000 0004 0407 1981Groningen Institute of Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Franz J. Weissing
- grid.4830.f0000 0004 0407 1981Groningen Institute of Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Caroline M. Nieberding
- grid.7942.80000 0001 2294 713XEvolutionary Ecology and Genetics Group, Biodiversity Research Centre, Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain, Croix du Sud 4-5, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
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Corbin C, Jones JE, Chrostek E, Fenton A, Hurst GDD. Thermal sensitivity of the Spiroplasma-Drosophila hydei protective symbiosis: The best of climes, the worst of climes. Mol Ecol 2021; 30:1336-1344. [PMID: 33428287 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Revised: 07/02/2020] [Accepted: 07/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The outcome of natural enemy attack in insects is commonly influenced by the presence of protective symbionts in the host. The degree to which protection functions in natural populations, however, will depend on the robustness of the phenotype and symbiosis to variation in the abiotic environment. We studied the impact of a key environmental parameter-temperature-on the efficacy of the protective effect of the symbiont Spiroplasma on its host Drosophila hydei, against attack by the parasitoid wasp Leptopilina heterotoma. In addition, we investigated the thermal sensitivity of the symbiont's vertical transmission, which may be a key determinant of the ability of the symbiont to persist. We found that vertical transmission was more robust than previously considered, with Spiroplasma being maintained at 25°C, at 18°C and with 18/15°C diurnal cycles, with rates of segregational loss only increasing at 15°C. Protection against wasp attack was ablated before symbiont transmission was lost, with the symbiont failing to rescue the fly host at 18°C. We conclude that the presence of a protective symbiosis in natural populations cannot be simply inferred from the presence of a symbiont whose protective capacity has been tested under narrow controlled conditions. More broadly, we argue that the thermal environment is likely to represent an important determinant of the evolutionary ecology of defensive symbioses in natural environments, potentially driving seasonal, latitudinal and altitudinal variation in symbiont frequency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris Corbin
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Jordan E Jones
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Ewa Chrostek
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Andy Fenton
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Gregory D D Hurst
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
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Symbiont-mediated protection varies with wasp genotype in the Drosophila melanogaster-Spiroplasma interaction. Heredity (Edinb) 2020; 124:592-602. [PMID: 31896821 PMCID: PMC7080759 DOI: 10.1038/s41437-019-0291-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2019] [Revised: 12/02/2019] [Accepted: 12/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability of an insect to survive attack by natural enemies can be modulated by the presence of defensive symbionts. Study of aphid-symbiont-enemy interactions has indicated that protection may depend on the interplay of symbiont, host and attacking parasite genotypes. However, the importance of these interactions is poorly understood outside of this model system. Here, we study interactions within a Drosophila model system, in which Spiroplasma protect their host against parasitoid wasps and nematodes. We examine whether the strength of protection conferred by Spiroplasma to its host, Drosophila melanogaster varies with strain of attacking Leptopilina heterotoma wasp. We perform this analysis in the presence and absence of ethanol, an environmental factor that also impacts the outcome of parasitism. We observed that Spiroplasma killed all strains of wasp. However, the protection produced by Spiroplasma following wasp attack depended on wasp strain. A composite measure of protection, including both the chance of the fly surviving attack and the relative fecundity/fertility of the survivors, varied from a <4% positive effect of the symbiont following attack of the fly host by the Lh14 strain of wasp to 21% for the Lh-Fr strain in the absence of ethanol. We also observed that environmental ethanol altered the pattern of protection against wasp strains. These data indicate that the dynamics of the Spiroplasma-Drosophila-wasp tripartite interaction depend upon the genetic diversity within the attacking wasp population, and that prediction of symbiont dynamics in natural systems will thus require analysis across natural enemy genotypes and levels of environmental ethanol.
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