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Potdar S, Dinakar M, Westerman EL. Behavioural changes in aposematic Heliconius melpomene butterflies in response to their predatory bird calls. Behav Processes 2024; 220:105071. [PMID: 38908610 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2024.105071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2024] [Revised: 06/16/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/24/2024]
Abstract
Prey-predator interactions have resulted in the evolution of many anti-predatory traits. One of them is the ability for prey to listen to predators and avoid them. Although prey anti-predatory behavioural responses to predator auditory cues are well described in a wide range of taxa, studies on whether butterflies change their behaviours in response to their predatory calls are lacking. Heliconius butterflies are unpalatable and form Müllerian mimicry rings as morphological defence strategies against their avian predators. Like many other butterflies in the Nymphalidae family, some Heliconius butterflies possess auditory organs, which are hypothesized to assist with predator detection. Here we test whether Heliconius melpomene change their behaviour in response to their predatory bird calls by observing the behaviour of male and female H. m. plessini exposed to calls of Heliconius avian predators: rufous-tailed jacamar, migratory Eastern kingbird, and resident tropical kingbird. We also exposed them to the calls of the toco toucan, a frugivorous bird as a control bird call, and an amplified greenhouse background noise as a noise control. We found that individuals changed their behaviour in response to jacamar calls only. Males increased their walking and fluttering behaviour, while females did not change their behaviour during the playback of the jacamar call. Intersexual behaviours like courtship, copulation, and abdomen lifting did not change in response to bird calls. Our findings suggest that despite having primary predatory defences like toxicity and being in a mimicry ring, H. m. plessini butterflies changed their behaviour in response to predator calls. Furthermore, this response was predator specific, as H. m. plesseni did not respond to either the Eastern kingbird or the tropical kingbird calls. This suggests that Heliconius butterflies may be able to differentiate predatory calls, and potentially the birds associated with those calls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sushant Potdar
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA.
| | | | - Erica L Westerman
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA
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Rosser N, Seixas F, Queste LM, Cama B, Mori-Pezo R, Kryvokhyzha D, Nelson M, Waite-Hudson R, Goringe M, Costa M, Elias M, Mendes Eleres de Figueiredo C, Freitas AVL, Joron M, Kozak K, Lamas G, Martins ARP, McMillan WO, Ready J, Rueda-Muñoz N, Salazar C, Salazar P, Schulz S, Shirai LT, Silva-Brandão KL, Mallet J, Dasmahapatra KK. Hybrid speciation driven by multilocus introgression of ecological traits. Nature 2024; 628:811-817. [PMID: 38632397 PMCID: PMC11041799 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07263-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
Hybridization allows adaptations to be shared among lineages and may trigger the evolution of new species1,2. However, convincing examples of homoploid hybrid speciation remain rare because it is challenging to demonstrate that hybridization was crucial in generating reproductive isolation3. Here we combine population genomic analysis with quantitative trait locus mapping of species-specific traits to examine a case of hybrid speciation in Heliconius butterflies. We show that Heliconius elevatus is a hybrid species that is sympatric with both parents and has persisted as an independently evolving lineage for at least 180,000 years. This is despite pervasive and ongoing gene flow with one parent, Heliconius pardalinus, which homogenizes 99% of their genomes. The remaining 1% introgressed from the other parent, Heliconius melpomene, and is scattered widely across the H. elevatus genome in islands of divergence from H. pardalinus. These islands contain multiple traits that are under disruptive selection, including colour pattern, wing shape, host plant preference, sex pheromones and mate choice. Collectively, these traits place H. elevatus on its own adaptive peak and permit coexistence with both parents. Our results show that speciation was driven by introgression of ecological traits, and that speciation with gene flow is possible with a multilocus genetic architecture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neil Rosser
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Biology, University of York, York, UK.
| | - Fernando Seixas
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Bruna Cama
- Department of Biology, University of York, York, UK
| | - Ronald Mori-Pezo
- URKU Estudios Amazónicos, Tarapoto, Perú
- Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Alto Amazona, Yurimaguas, Perú
| | - Dmytro Kryvokhyzha
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University Diabetes Centre, Malmö, Sweden
| | | | | | - Matt Goringe
- Department of Biology, University of York, York, UK
| | | | - Marianne Elias
- Institut Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité, UMR 7205 MNHN-CNRS-EPHE-UPMC Sorbonne Universités, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
| | - Clarisse Mendes Eleres de Figueiredo
- Institute for Biological Sciences, Federal University of Pará (UFPA), Belém, Brazil
- Centre for Advanced Studies of Biodiversity (CEABIO), Belém, Brazil
| | - André Victor Lucci Freitas
- Departamento de Biologia Animal and Museu de Diversidade Biológica, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Mathieu Joron
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, UMR 5175 CNRS, Université de Montpellier-Université Paul Valéry Montpellier-EPHE, Montpellier, France
| | - Krzysztof Kozak
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
| | - Gerardo Lamas
- Museo de Historia Natural, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Peru
| | | | - W Owen McMillan
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
| | - Jonathan Ready
- Institute for Biological Sciences, Federal University of Pará (UFPA), Belém, Brazil
- Centre for Advanced Studies of Biodiversity (CEABIO), Belém, Brazil
| | - Nicol Rueda-Muñoz
- Biology Program, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Camilo Salazar
- Biology Program, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Patricio Salazar
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Stefan Schulz
- Institut für Organische Chemie, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Leila T Shirai
- Departamento de Biologia Animal and Museu de Diversidade Biológica, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Karina L Silva-Brandão
- Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Museum de Natur Hamburg Zoology, Hamburg, Germany
| | - James Mallet
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Kanchon K Dasmahapatra
- Department of Biology, University of York, York, UK
- Leverhulme Centre for Anthropocene Biodiversity, Department of Biology, University of York, York, UK
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Nakano M, Sakamoto T, Kitano Y, Bono H, Simpson RJ, Tabunoki H. An extract from the frass of swallowtail butterfly (Papilio machaon) larvae inhibits HCT116 colon cancer cell proliferation but not other cancer cell types. BMC Genomics 2023; 24:735. [PMID: 38049715 PMCID: PMC10696813 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-023-09841-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The frass of several herbivorous insect species has been utilised as natural medicines in Asia; however, the metabolite makeup and pharmaceutical activities of insect frass have yet to be investigated. Oligophagous Papilionidae insects utilise specific kinds of plants, and it has been suggested that the biochemicals from the plants may be metabolised by cytochrome P450 (CYP) in Papilionidae insects. In this study, we extracted the components of the frass of Papilio machaon larvae reared on Angelica keiskei, Oenanthe javanica or Foeniculum vulgare and examined the biological activity of each component. Then, we explored the expression of CYP genes in the midgut of P. machaon larvae and predicted the characteristics of their metabolic system. RESULTS The components that were extracted using hexane, chloroform or methanol were biochemically different between larval frass and the host plants on which the larvae had fed. Furthermore, a fraction obtained from the chloroform extract from frass of A. keiskei-fed larvae specifically inhibited the cell proliferation of the human colon cancer cell line HCT116, whereas fractions obtained from the chloroform extracts of O. javanica- or F. vulgare-fed larval frass did not affect HCT116 cell viability. The metabolites from the chloroform extract from frass of A. keiskei-fed larvae prevented cell proliferation and induced apoptosis in HCT116 cells. Next, we explored the metabolic enzyme candidates in A. keiskei-fed larvae by RNA-seq analysis. We found that the A. keiskei-fed larval midgut might have different characteristics from the O. javanica- or F. vulgare-fed larval metabolic systems, and we found that the CYP6B2 transcript was highly expressed in the A. keiskei-fed larval midgut. CONCLUSIONS These findings indicate that P. machaon metabolites might be useful as pharmaceutical agents against human colon cancer subtypes. Importantly, our findings show that it might be possible to use insect metabolic enzymes for the chemical structural conversion of plant-derived compounds with complex structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miho Nakano
- Cooperative Major in Advanced Health Science, Graduate School of Bio-Applications and System Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo, Fuchu, 183-8509, Japan
| | - Takuma Sakamoto
- Department of Science of Biological Production, Graduate School of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoshikazu Kitano
- Department of Applied Biological Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 3-5-8 Saiwai- cho, Fuchu-shi, Tokyo, 183-8509, Japan
| | - Hidemasa Bono
- Laboratory of Bio-DX, Genome Editing Innovation Center, Hiroshima University, 3-10-23 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima City, 739-0046, Japan
- Laboratory of Genome Informatics, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, 3- 10-23 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima City, 739-0046, Japan
| | - Richard J Simpson
- Department of Biochemistry and Chemistry, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science (LIMS), School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, 3086, Australia
- Institute of Global Innovation Research, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 3-5-8 Saiwai-cho, Fuchu, Tokyo, 183-8509, Japan
| | - Hiroko Tabunoki
- Cooperative Major in Advanced Health Science, Graduate School of Bio-Applications and System Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo, Fuchu, 183-8509, Japan.
- Department of Science of Biological Production, Graduate School of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo, Japan.
- Institute of Global Innovation Research, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 3-5-8 Saiwai-cho, Fuchu, Tokyo, 183-8509, Japan.
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Ehlers S, Blow R, Szczerbowski D, Jiggins C, Schulz S. Variation of Clasper Scent Gland Composition of Heliconius Butterflies from a Biodiversity Hotspot. Chembiochem 2023; 24:e202300537. [PMID: 37650217 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202300537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
Male Heliconius butterflies possess two pheromone emitting structures, wing androconia and abdominal clasper scent glands. The composition of the clasper scent gland of males of 17 Heliconius and Eueides species from an overlapping area in Ecuador, comprising three mimicry groups, was investigated by GC/MS. The chemical signal serves as an anti-aphrodisiac signal that is transferred from males to females during mating, indicating the mating status of the female to prevent them from harassment by other males. In addition, the odour may also serve in predator defence. There is potential for convergence driven by mimicry, although, such convergence might be detrimental for species recognition of the butterflies within the mimicry ring, making mating more difficult. More than 500 compounds were detected, consisting of volatile, semi-volatile or non-volatile compounds, including terpenes, fatty acid esters or aromatic compounds. Several novel esters were identified by GC/MS and GC/IR data, microderivatisation and synthesis, including butyl (Z)-3-dodecenoate and other (Z)-3-alkenoates, 3-oxohexyl citronellate and 5-methylhexa-3,5-dienyl (E)-2,3-dihydrofarnesoate. The secretions were found to be species specific, potentially allowing for species differentiation. Statistical analysis of the compounds showed differentiation by phylogenetic clade and species, but not by mimicry group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Ehlers
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Hagenring 30, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Rachel Blow
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Daiane Szczerbowski
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Hagenring 30, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Chris Jiggins
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Stefan Schulz
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Hagenring 30, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany
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Matignon L, Lo MM, Monpierre M, Correia MV, Valencia DP, Palmeira-Mello MV, Sylvestre MN, Pruneau L, Sylvestre M, Domenech A, Benfodda Z, Meffre P, Cebrián-Torrejón G. Phytochemical and Biological Study of Trophic Interaction between Pseudosphinx Tetrio L. Larvae and Allamanda Cathartica L. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:520. [PMID: 36771605 PMCID: PMC9921458 DOI: 10.3390/plants12030520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
In this article, we propose to explore the chemical interaction between Pseudosphinx tetrio L. and Allamanda cathartica L. using different analytical methods, including an innovative electrochemical approach (called electrochemical ecology) and multivariate analysis, and we investigate the potential antimicrobial effects (antibacterial and antifungal activities) of this interaction in order to gain a better understanding of their specific interaction. The analytical study presents a similar chemical profile between the leaves of healthy and herbivorous A. cathartica and the excretions of the caterpillars. The similar analytical profile of the leaves of A. cathartica and the excretions of P. tetrio, and the difference with the caterpillar bodies, suggests a selective excretion of compounds by the caterpillar. The measured antimicrobial activities support the physicochemical tests. The natural products found selectively in the excretions (rather than in the body) could explain the ability of P. tetrio to feed on this toxic Apocynaceae species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Matignon
- COVACHIM-M2E Laboratory EA 3592, Department of Chemistry, Fouillole Campus, University of the French West Indies, UFR SEN, CEDEX, 97157 Pointe-à-Pitre, France
| | - Mame Marietou Lo
- CHROME Laboratory, EA7352, University of Nîmes, CEDEX 1, 30021 Nîmes, France
| | - Magneric Monpierre
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Department of Chemistry, Fouillole Campus, University of the French West Indies, UFR SEN, CEDEX, 97157 Pointe-à-Pitre, France
| | - Mauro Vicentini Correia
- Instituto de Química, Campus Universitário Darcy Ribeiro, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília 70910-900, Brazil
| | - Drochss Pettry Valencia
- Departamento de Ciencias Naturales y Matemáticas, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana sede Cali, Calle 18 No. 118-250, Cali 760031, Colombia
| | - Marcos V. Palmeira-Mello
- Instituto de Química, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Outeiro S. João Batista S/N, Niterói 24020-141, Brazil
| | - Marie-Noëlle Sylvestre
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Department of Chemistry, Fouillole Campus, University of the French West Indies, UFR SEN, CEDEX, 97157 Pointe-à-Pitre, France
| | - Ludovic Pruneau
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Department of Chemistry, Fouillole Campus, University of the French West Indies, UFR SEN, CEDEX, 97157 Pointe-à-Pitre, France
| | - Muriel Sylvestre
- COVACHIM-M2E Laboratory EA 3592, Department of Chemistry, Fouillole Campus, University of the French West Indies, UFR SEN, CEDEX, 97157 Pointe-à-Pitre, France
| | - Antonio Domenech
- Departament de Química Analítica, Facultat de Química, Universitat de València, Dr. Moliner 50, 46100 Valencia, Spain
| | - Zohra Benfodda
- CHROME Laboratory, EA7352, University of Nîmes, CEDEX 1, 30021 Nîmes, France
| | - Patrick Meffre
- CHROME Laboratory, EA7352, University of Nîmes, CEDEX 1, 30021 Nîmes, France
| | - Gerardo Cebrián-Torrejón
- COVACHIM-M2E Laboratory EA 3592, Department of Chemistry, Fouillole Campus, University of the French West Indies, UFR SEN, CEDEX, 97157 Pointe-à-Pitre, France
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Kamala Jayanthi PD, Vyas M. Exploring the Transient Microbe Population on Citrus Butterfly Wings. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0205521. [PMID: 35856677 PMCID: PMC9431565 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02055-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbes carve out dwelling niches in unusual environments. Insects, in general, have been hosts to microbes in different ways. Some insects incorporate microbes as endosymbionts that help with metabolic functions, while some vector pathogenic microbes that cause serious plant and animal diseases, including humans. Microbes isolated from insect sources have been beneficial and a huge information repository. The fascinating and evolutionarily successful insect community has survived mass extinctions as a result of their unique biological traits. Wings have been one of the most important factors contributing to the evolutionary success of insects. In the current study, wings of Papilio polytes, a citrus butterfly, were investigated for the presence of ecologically significant microbes within hours of eclosing under aseptic conditions. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed the presence of bacteria dwelling in crevices created by a specific arrangement of scales on the butterfly wing. A total of 38 bacterial isolates were obtained from the patched wings of the citrus butterfly, and Bacillus spp. were predominant among them. We probed the occurrence of these microbes to assess their significance to the insect. Many of the isolates displayed antibacterial, antifungal, and biosurfactant properties. Interestingly, one of the isolates displayed entomopathogenic potential toward the notorious agricultural pest mealybug. All the wing isolates were seen to cluster together consistently in a phylogenetic analysis, except for one isolate of Bacillus zhangzhouensis (Papilio polytes isolate [Pp] no. 28), suggesting they are distinct strains. IMPORTANCE This is a first study reporting the presence of culturable microbes on an unusual ecological niche such as butterfly wings. Our findings also establish that microbes inhabit these niches before the butterfly has contact with the environment. The findings in this report have opened up a new area of research which will not only help understand the microbiome of insect wings but might prove beneficial in other specialized studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- P. D. Kamala Jayanthi
- Division of Crop Protection, ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
| | - Meenal Vyas
- Division of Crop Protection, ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
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Szczerbowski D, Ehlers S, Darragh K, Jiggins C, Schulz S. Head and Tail Oxidized Terpenoid Esters from Androconia of Heliconius erato Butterflies. JOURNAL OF NATURAL PRODUCTS 2022; 85:1428-1435. [PMID: 35587731 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.2c00300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Heliconius erato is a neotropical butterfly species that is part of a complex mimicry ring, with colorful wing patterns. For intraspecific communication, males use pheromones that are released from two different scent-emitting structures. Scent glands located near the abdominal claspers of males, containing antiaphrodisiac pheromones, release a highly complex mixture of compounds that is transferred to females during mating, rendering them unattractive to other males. On the other hand, androconia, scent-emitting scale areas on the wings of male butterflies, release a structurally more restricted set of compounds that likely serves an aphrodisiac role. We report here on two structurally related compounds that are the major androconial constituents, produced in high amounts and are not volatile due to their high molecular mass. Their structures were established by extensive analysis of mass, infrared, and NMR spectra, as well as microderivatization reactions of the natural extract. After establishing synthetic access, the compounds were unequivocally identified as two unusual head and tail oxidized terpenoids, (4E,8E,12E)-4,8,12-trimethyl-16-oxoheptadeca-4,8,12-trien-1-yl oleate (1) and stearate (2). Although behavioral assays are necessary to fully comprehend their role in the chemical communication of the species, hypotheses for their use by the butterflies are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daiane Szczerbowski
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Technische Universität Braunschweig, 38106 Braunschweig Germany
| | - Stephanie Ehlers
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Technische Universität Braunschweig, 38106 Braunschweig Germany
| | - Kathy Darragh
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, California 95616, United States
| | - Chris Jiggins
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, CB2 3EJ, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Stefan Schulz
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Technische Universität Braunschweig, 38106 Braunschweig Germany
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8
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Petschenka G, Halitschke R, Züst T, Roth A, Stiehler S, Tenbusch L, Hartwig C, Gámez JFM, Trusch R, Deckert J, Chalušová K, Vilcinskas A, Exnerová A. Sequestration of defenses against predators drives specialized host plant associations in preadapted milkweed bugs (Heteroptera: Lygaeinae). Am Nat 2022; 199:E211-E228. [DOI: 10.1086/719196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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9
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Beran F, Petschenka G. Sequestration of Plant Defense Compounds by Insects: From Mechanisms to Insect-Plant Coevolution. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ENTOMOLOGY 2022; 67:163-180. [PMID: 34995091 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ento-062821-062319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Plant defense compounds play a key role in the evolution of insect-plant associations by selecting for behavioral, morphological, and physiological insect adaptations. Sequestration, the ability of herbivorous insects to accumulate plant defense compounds to gain a fitness advantage, represents a complex syndrome of adaptations that has evolved in all major lineages of herbivorous insects and involves various classes of plant defense compounds. In this article, we review progress in understanding how insects selectively accumulate plant defense metabolites and how the evolution of specific resistance mechanisms to these defense compounds enables sequestration. These mechanistic considerations are further integrated into the concept of insect-plant coevolution. Comparative genome and transcriptome analyses, combined with approaches based on analytical chemistry that are centered in phylogenetic frameworks, will help to reveal adaptations underlying the sequestration syndrome, which is essential to understanding the influence of sequestration on insect-plant coevolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Beran
- Research Group Sequestration and Detoxification in Insects, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena 07745, Germany;
| | - Georg Petschenka
- Department of Applied Entomology, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart 70599, Germany;
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10
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Ehlers S, Szczerbowski D, Harig T, Stell M, Hötling S, Darragh K, Jiggins CD, Schulz S. Identification and Composition of Clasper Scent Gland Components of the Butterfly Heliconius erato and Its Relation to Mimicry. Chembiochem 2021; 22:3300-3313. [PMID: 34547164 PMCID: PMC9293309 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202100372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Revised: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
The butterfly Heliconius erato occurs in various mimetic morphs. The male clasper scent gland releases an anti‐aphrodisiac pheromone and additionally contains a complex mixture of up to 350 components, varying between individuals. In 114 samples of five different mimicry groups and their hybrids 750 different compounds were detected by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Many unknown components occurred, which were identified using their mass spectra, gas chromatography/infrared spectroscopy (GC/IR)‐analyses, derivatization, and synthesis. Key compounds proved to be various esters of 3‐oxohexan‐1‐ol and (Z)‐3‐hexen‐1‐ol with (S)‐2,3‐dihydrofarnesoic acid, accompanied by a large variety of other esters with longer terpene acids, fatty acids, and various alcohols. In addition, linear terpenes with up to seven uniformly connected isoprene units occur, e. g. farnesylfarnesol. A large number of the compounds have not been reported before from nature. Discriminant analyses of principal components of the gland contents showed that the iridescent mimicry group differs strongly from the other, mostly also separated, mimicry groups. Comparison with data from other species indicated that Heliconius recruits different biosynthetic pathways in a species‐specific manner for semiochemical formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Ehlers
- Technische Universität Braunschweig, Hagenring 30, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Daiane Szczerbowski
- Technische Universität Braunschweig, Hagenring 30, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Tim Harig
- Technische Universität Braunschweig, Hagenring 30, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Matthew Stell
- Technische Universität Braunschweig, Hagenring 30, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Susan Hötling
- Technische Universität Braunschweig, Hagenring 30, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Kathy Darragh
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, Storer Hall University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Chris D Jiggins
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, CB2 3EJ, Cambridge, UK
| | - Stefan Schulz
- Technische Universität Braunschweig, Hagenring 30, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany
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11
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Pokharel P, Steppuhn A, Petschenka G. Dietary cardenolides enhance growth and change the direction of the fecundity-longevity trade-off in milkweed bugs (Heteroptera: Lygaeinae). Ecol Evol 2021; 11:18042-18054. [PMID: 35003656 PMCID: PMC8717354 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Sequestration, that is, the accumulation of plant toxins into body tissues for defense, was predicted to incur physiological costs and may require resistance traits different from those of non-sequestering insects. Alternatively, sequestering species could experience a cost in the absence of toxins due to selection on physiological homeostasis under permanent exposure of sequestered toxins in body tissues. Milkweed bugs (Heteroptera: Lygaeinae) sequester high amounts of plant-derived cardenolides. Although being potent inhibitors of the ubiquitous animal enzyme Na+/K+-ATPase, milkweed bugs can tolerate cardenolides by means of resistant Na+/K+-ATPases. Both adaptations, resistance and sequestration, are ancestral traits of the Lygaeinae. Using four milkweed bug species (Heteroptera: Lygaeidae: Lygaeinae) and the related European firebug (Heteroptera: Pyrrhocoridae: Pyrrhocoris apterus) showing different combinations of the traits "cardenolide resistance" and "cardenolide sequestration," we tested how the two traits affect larval growth upon exposure to dietary cardenolides in an artificial diet system. While cardenolides impaired the growth of P. apterus nymphs neither possessing a resistant Na+/K+-ATPase nor sequestering cardenolides, growth was not affected in the non-sequestering milkweed bug Arocatus longiceps, which possesses a resistant Na+/K+-ATPase. Remarkably, cardenolides increased growth in the sequestering dietary specialists Caenocoris nerii and Oncopeltus fasciatus but not in the sequestering dietary generalist Spilostethus pandurus, which all possess a resistant Na+/K+-ATPase. We furthermore assessed the effect of dietary cardenolides on additional life history parameters, including developmental speed, longevity of adults, and reproductive success in O. fasciatus. Unexpectedly, nymphs under cardenolide exposure developed substantially faster and lived longer as adults. However, fecundity of adults was reduced when maintained on cardenolide-containing diet for their entire lifetime but not when adults were transferred to non-toxic sunflower seeds. We speculate that the resistant Na+/K+-ATPase of milkweed bugs is selected for working optimally in a "toxic environment," that is, when sequestered cardenolides are stored in the body.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prayan Pokharel
- Department of Applied EntomologyInstitute of PhytomedicineUniversity of HohenheimStuttgartGermany
| | - Anke Steppuhn
- Department of Molecular BotanyInstitute of BiologyUniversity of HohenheimStuttgartGermany
| | - Georg Petschenka
- Department of Applied EntomologyInstitute of PhytomedicineUniversity of HohenheimStuttgartGermany
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12
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Mattila ALK, Jiggins CD, Opedal ØH, Montejo-Kovacevich G, Pinheiro de Castro ÉC, McMillan WO, Bacquet C, Saastamoinen M. Evolutionary and ecological processes influencing chemical defense variation in an aposematic and mimetic Heliconius butterfly. PeerJ 2021; 9:e11523. [PMID: 34178447 PMCID: PMC8216171 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.11523] [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: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Chemical defences against predators underlie the evolution of aposematic coloration and mimicry, which are classic examples of adaptive evolution. Surprisingly little is known about the roles of ecological and evolutionary processes maintaining defence variation, and how they may feedback to shape the evolutionary dynamics of species. Cyanogenic Heliconius butterflies exhibit diverse warning color patterns and mimicry, thus providing a useful framework for investigating these questions. We studied intraspecific variation in de novo biosynthesized cyanogenic toxicity and its potential ecological and evolutionary sources in wild populations of Heliconius erato along environmental gradients, in common-garden broods and with feeding treatments. Our results demonstrate substantial intraspecific variation, including detectable variation among broods reared in a common garden. The latter estimate suggests considerable evolutionary potential in this trait, although predicting the response to selection is likely complicated due to the observed skewed distribution of toxicity values and the signatures of maternal contributions to the inheritance of toxicity. Larval diet contributed little to toxicity variation. Furthermore, toxicity profiles were similar along steep rainfall and altitudinal gradients, providing little evidence for these factors explaining variation in biosynthesized toxicity in natural populations. In contrast, there were striking differences in the chemical profiles of H. erato from geographically distant populations, implying potential local adaptation in the acquisition mechanisms and levels of defensive compounds. The results highlight the extensive variation and potential for adaptive evolution in defense traits for aposematic and mimetic species, which may contribute to the high diversity often found in these systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anniina L K Mattila
- Research Centre for Ecological Change, Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Helsinki Life Science Institute, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Current affiliation: Finnish Museum of Natural History (LUOMUS), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Chris D Jiggins
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Marjo Saastamoinen
- Research Centre for Ecological Change, Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Helsinki Life Science Institute, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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13
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Sculfort O, McClure M, Nay B, Elias M, Llaurens V. Assessing the Role of Developmental and Environmental Factors in Chemical Defence Variation in Heliconiini Butterflies. J Chem Ecol 2021; 47:577-587. [PMID: 34003420 PMCID: PMC8217024 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-021-01278-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Revised: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Chemical defences in animals are both incredibly widespread and highly diverse. Yet despite the important role they play in mediating interactions between predators and prey, extensive differences in the amounts and types of chemical compounds can exist between individuals, even within species and populations. Here we investigate the potential role of environment and development on the chemical defences of warningly coloured butterfly species from the tribe Heliconiini, which can both synthesize and sequester cyanogenic glycosides (CGs). We reared 5 Heliconiini species in captivity, each on a single species-specific host plant as larvae, and compared them to individuals collected in the wild to ascertain whether the variation in CG content observed in the field might be the result of differences in host plant availability. Three of these species were reared as larvae on the same host plant, Passiflora riparia, to further test how species, sex, and age affected the type and amount of different defensive CGs, and how they affected the ratio of synthesized to sequestered compounds. Then, focusing on the generalist species Heliconius numata, we specifically explored variation in chemical profiles as a result of the host plant consumed by caterpillars and their brood line, using rearing experiments carried out on two naturally co-occurring host plants with differing CG profiles. Our results show significant differences in both the amount of synthesized and sequestered compounds between butterflies reared in captivity and those collected in the field. We also found a significant effect of species and an effect of sex in some, but not all, species. We show that chemical defences in H. numata continue to increase throughout their life, likely because of continued biosynthesis, and we suggest that variation in the amount of synthesized CGs in this species does not appear to stem from larval host plants, although this warrants further study. Interestingly, we detected a significant effect of brood lines, consistent with heritability influencing CG concentrations in H. numata. Altogether, our results point to multiple factors resulting in chemical defence variation in Heliconiini butterflies and highlight the overlooked effect of synthesis capabilities, which may be genetically determined to some extent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ombeline Sculfort
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National D'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne-Université, EPHE, Université Des Antilles, 45 rue Buffon, 75005, Paris, France. .,Unité Molécules de Communication Et Adaptations Des Micro-Organismes (MCAM), Muséum National D'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, 57 rue Cuvier (BP 54), 75005, Paris, France. .,Laboratoire Écologie, Évolution, Interactions Des Systèmes Amazoniens (LEEISA), Université de Guyane, CNRS, IFREMER, 97300, Cayenne, France.
| | - Melanie McClure
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National D'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne-Université, EPHE, Université Des Antilles, 45 rue Buffon, 75005, Paris, France.,Laboratoire Écologie, Évolution, Interactions Des Systèmes Amazoniens (LEEISA), Université de Guyane, CNRS, IFREMER, 97300, Cayenne, France
| | - Bastien Nay
- Unité Molécules de Communication Et Adaptations Des Micro-Organismes (MCAM), Muséum National D'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, 57 rue Cuvier (BP 54), 75005, Paris, France.,Laboratoire de Synthèse Organique, Ecole Polytechnique, CNRS, ENSTA, Route de Saclay, 91128, Palaiseau Cedex, France
| | - Marianne Elias
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National D'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne-Université, EPHE, Université Des Antilles, 45 rue Buffon, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Violaine Llaurens
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National D'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne-Université, EPHE, Université Des Antilles, 45 rue Buffon, 75005, Paris, France
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14
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de Castro ÉCP, Musgrove J, Bak S, McMillan WO, Jiggins CD. Phenotypic plasticity in chemical defence of butterflies allows usage of diverse host plants. Biol Lett 2021; 17:20200863. [PMID: 33784874 PMCID: PMC8086984 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2020.0863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Host plant specialization is a major force driving ecological niche partitioning and diversification in insect herbivores. The cyanogenic defences of Passiflora plants keep most herbivores at bay, but not the larvae of Heliconius butterflies, which can both sequester and biosynthesize cyanogenic compounds. Here, we demonstrate that both Heliconius cydno chioneus and H. melpomene rosina have remarkable plasticity in their chemical defences. When feeding on Passiflora species with cyanogenic compounds that they can readily sequester, both species downregulate the biosynthesis of these compounds. By contrast, when fed on Passiflora plants that do not contain cyanogenic glucosides that can be sequestered, both species increase biosynthesis. This biochemical plasticity comes at a fitness cost for the more specialist H. m. rosina, as adult size and weight for this species negatively correlate with biosynthesis levels, but not for the more generalist H. c. chioneus. By contrast, H. m rosina has increased performance when sequestration is possible on its specialized host plant. In summary, phenotypic plasticity in biochemical responses to different host plants offers these butterflies the ability to widen their range of potential hosts within the Passiflora genus, while maintaining their chemical defences.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Søren Bak
- Plant Biochemistry, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen
| | | | - Chris D. Jiggins
- Butterfly Genetics Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, UK
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15
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Whitaker MRL, Salzman S. Ecology and evolution of cycad-feeding Lepidoptera. Ecol Lett 2020; 23:1862-1877. [PMID: 32969575 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Revised: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Cycads are an ancient group of tropical gymnosperms that are toxic to most animals - including humans - though the larvae of many moths and butterflies (order: Lepidoptera) feed on cycads with apparent immunity. These insects belong to distinct lineages with varying degrees of specialisation and diverse feeding ecologies, presenting numerous opportunities for comparative studies of chemically mediated eco-evolutionary dynamics. This review presents the first evolutionary evaluation of cycad-feeding among Lepidoptera along with a comprehensive review of their ecology. Our analysis suggests that multiple lineages have independently colonised cycads from angiosperm hosts, yet only a few clades appear to have radiated following their transitions to cycads. Defensive traits are likely important for diversification, as many cycad specialists are warningly coloured and sequester cycad toxins. The butterfly family Lycaenidae appears to be particularly predisposed to cycad-feeding and several cycadivorous lycaenids are warningly coloured and chemically defended. Cycad-herbivore interactions provide a promising but underutilised study system for investigating plant-insect coevolution, convergent and divergent adaptations, and the multi-trophic significance of defensive traits; therefore the review ends by suggesting specific research gaps that would be fruitfully addressed in Lepidoptera and other cycad-feeding insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa R L Whitaker
- Entomological Collection, Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich, Weinbergstrasse 56/58, Zürich, 8092, Switzerland.,Museum of Comparative Zoology, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Shayla Salzman
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.,School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, 502 Mann Library, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
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16
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Jones TKL, Medina RF. Corn Stunt Disease: An Ideal Insect-Microbial-Plant Pathosystem for Comprehensive Studies of Vector-Borne Plant Diseases of Corn. PLANTS 2020; 9:plants9060747. [PMID: 32545891 PMCID: PMC7356856 DOI: 10.3390/plants9060747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2020] [Revised: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 06/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Over 700 plant diseases identified as vector-borne negatively impact plant health and food security globally. The pest control of vector-borne diseases in agricultural settings is in urgent need of more effective tools. Ongoing research in genetics, molecular biology, physiology, and vector behavior has begun to unravel new insights into the transmission of phytopathogens by their insect vectors. However, the intricate mechanisms involved in phytopathogen transmission for certain pathosystems warrant further investigation. In this review, we propose the corn stunt pathosystem (Zea mays-Spiroplasma kunkelii-Dalbulus maidis) as an ideal model for dissecting the molecular determinants and mechanisms underpinning the persistent transmission of a mollicute by its specialist insect vector to an economically important monocotyledonous crop. Corn stunt is the most important disease of corn in the Americas and the Caribbean, where it causes the severe stunting of corn plants and can result in up to 100% yield loss. A comprehensive study of the corn stunt disease system will pave the way for the discovery of novel molecular targets for genetic pest control targeting either the insect vector or the phytopathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tara-kay L. Jones
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, TAMU 2475, College Station, TX 77843-2475, USA;
- Texas A&M AgriLife Research—Weslaco, 2415 E. Business 83, Weslaco, TX 78596-8344, USA
| | - Raul F. Medina
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, TAMU 2475, College Station, TX 77843-2475, USA;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-979-845-4775
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17
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Host Plant and Antibiotic Effects on Scent Bouquet Composition of Anastrepha ludens and Anastrepha obliqua Calling Males, Two Polyphagous Tephritid Pests. INSECTS 2020; 11:insects11050309. [PMID: 32423147 PMCID: PMC7290347 DOI: 10.3390/insects11050309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Revised: 05/02/2020] [Accepted: 05/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
In insects, the quality of sex pheromones plays a critical role in mating success and can be determined by the ability of larvae/adults to accrue chemical precursors. We tested the host-quality-effect hypothesis by analyzing the chemical composition of scent bouquets emitted by calling males of two polyphagous tephritid species (Anastrephaludens and A. obliqua) that originated from 13 fruit species representing diverse plant families. In A. ludens, we worked with an ancestral host (Rutaceae), nine exotic ones (Rutaceae, Anacardiaceae, Rosaceae, Solanaceae, Lythraceae), and two species never attacked in nature but that represent candidates for host-range expansion (Solanaceae, Myrtaceae). In A. obliqua, we tested an ancestral, a native, and an exotic host (Anacardiaceae), one occasional (Myrtaceae), and one fruit never attacked in nature (Solanaceae). We identified a core scent bouquet and significant variation in the bouquet’s composition depending on the fruit the larvae developed in. We also tested the possible microbial role on the scent bouquet by treating adults with antibiotics, finding a significant effect on quantity but not composition. We dwell on plasticity to partially explain our results and discuss the influence hosts could have on male competitiveness driven by variations in scent bouquet composition and how this could impact insect sterile technique programs.
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18
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Smiley J, Morrison CR. Using a portable hydrogen cyanide gas meter to uncover a dynamic phytochemical landscape. APPLICATIONS IN PLANT SCIENCES 2020; 8:e11336. [PMID: 32351797 PMCID: PMC7186902 DOI: 10.1002/aps3.11336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2019] [Accepted: 01/20/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Over 3000 species of plants and animals release toxic hydrogen cyanide (HCN) gas when their tissues are crushed. To investigate the role of cyanogenesis in Passiflora-herbivore interactions, we developed an inexpensive, rapid, sensitive method for measuring HCN emissions from crushed tissues. METHODS The method includes crushed tissue confinement in a closed chamber, where cyanogenesis reactions occur, followed by evacuation of gas to a portable HCN meter. Parts per million readings are repeated at 5-min intervals until HCN is depleted. Three versions of the closed reaction chamber apparatus were tested: plastic cup, airtight combination mortar-pestle, and glass desiccator jar. RESULTS We calibrated the method by comparing with a closed chamber measurement apparatus. The procedure's repeatability was demonstrated with a standard curve using known quantities of cyanogenic glycoside standard. Data collected with this method were also compared with the conventional colorimetric procedure. We processed over 2000 samples using this technique, revealing diverse elements of cyanogenic variation. CONCLUSIONS These methods produced well-defined data with minimal error. Results illustrated a one to four order-of-magnitude variation at organizational levels ranging from individual leaves to the entire Passiflora community. We now have a promising tool for uncovering the HCN phytochemical landscape in unprecedented detail.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Smiley
- Office of Research AffairsUniversity of California San DiegoLa JollaCaliforniaUSA
| | - Colin R. Morrison
- Department of Integrative BiologyGraduate Program in Ecology, Evolution and BehaviorThe University of Texas at AustinAustinTexasUSA
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19
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The effect of cyanogenic glucosides and their breakdown products on predation by domestic chicks. CHEMOECOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s00049-020-00304-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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20
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Sculfort O, de Castro ECP, Kozak KM, Bak S, Elias M, Nay B, Llaurens V. Variation of chemical compounds in wild Heliconiini reveals ecological factors involved in the evolution of chemical defenses in mimetic butterflies. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:2677-2694. [PMID: 32185010 PMCID: PMC7069300 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2019] [Revised: 01/06/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Evolutionary convergence of color pattern in mimetic species is tightly linked with the evolution of chemical defenses. Yet, the evolutionary forces involved in natural variations of chemical defenses in aposematic species are still understudied. Herein, we focus on the evolution of chemical defenses in the butterfly tribe Heliconiini. These neotropical butterflies contain large concentrations of cyanogenic glucosides, cyanide-releasing compounds acting as predator deterrent. These compounds are either de novo synthesized or sequestered from their Passiflora host plant, so that their concentrations may depend on host plant specialization and host plant availability. We sampled 375 wild Heliconiini butterflies across Central and South America, covering 43% species of this clade, and quantify individual variations in the different CGs using liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. We detected new compounds and important variations in chemical defenses both within and among species. Based on the most recent and well-studied phylogeny of Heliconiini, we show that ecological factors such as mimetic interactions and host plant specialization have a significant association with chemical profiles, but these effects are largely explained by phylogenetic relationships. Our results therefore suggest that shared ancestries largely contribute to chemical defense variation, pointing out at the interaction between historical and ecological factors in the evolution of Müllerian mimicry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ombeline Sculfort
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB)Muséum National d'Histoire NaturelleCNRSSorbonne‐UniversitéEPHEUniversité des AntillesParisFrance
- Unité Molécules de Communication et Adaptations des Micro‐organismes (MCAM)Muséum National d'Histoire NaturelleCNRSParisFrance
| | | | | | - Søren Bak
- Department of Plant and Environmental SciencesUniversity of CopenhagenFrederiksbergDenmark
| | - Marianne Elias
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB)Muséum National d'Histoire NaturelleCNRSSorbonne‐UniversitéEPHEUniversité des AntillesParisFrance
| | - Bastien Nay
- Unité Molécules de Communication et Adaptations des Micro‐organismes (MCAM)Muséum National d'Histoire NaturelleCNRSParisFrance
- Laboratoire de Synthèse OrganiqueEcole PolytechniqueCNRSENSTAInstitut Polytechnique de ParisPalaiseau CedexFrance
| | - Violaine Llaurens
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB)Muséum National d'Histoire NaturelleCNRSSorbonne‐UniversitéEPHEUniversité des AntillesParisFrance
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21
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Havlikova M, Bosakova T, Petschenka G, Cabala R, Exnerova A, Bosakova Z. Analysis of defensive secretion of a milkweed bug Lygaeus equestris by 1D GC-MS and GC×GC-MS: sex differences and host-plant effect. Sci Rep 2020; 10:3092. [PMID: 32080314 PMCID: PMC7033152 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-60056-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2019] [Accepted: 02/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The composition of defensive secretion produced by metathoracic scent glands was analysed in males and females of the milkweed bug Lygaeus equestris (Heteroptera) using gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection (GC-MS). The bugs were raised either on cardenolide-containing Adonis vernalis or on control sunflower seeds in order to determine whether the possibility to sequester cardenolides from their host plants would affect the composition of defensive scent-gland secretion. Profiles of the composition of defensive secretions of males and females raised on sunflower were closely similar, with predominant presence of (E)-2-octenal, (E)-2-octen-1-ol, decanal and 3-octen-1-ol acetate. The secretion of bugs raised on A. vernalis was more sexually dimorphic, and some chemicals e.g. (E,E)-2,4-hexadienyl acetate and 2-phenylethyl acetate were dominant in males, but absent in females. Compared to bugs from sunflower, the scent-gland secretion of bugs raised on A. vernalis was characterized by lower overall intensity of the peaks obtained for detected chemicals and by absence of some chemicals that have supposedly antipredatory function ((E)-2-hexenal, (E)-4-oxo-hex-2-enal, 2,4-octadienal). The results suggest that there might be a trade-off between the sequestration of defensive chemicals from host plants and their synthesis in metathoracic scent-glands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Havlikova
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Tereza Bosakova
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Georg Petschenka
- Department of Insect Biotechnology, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Radomir Cabala
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.,Toxicology Department, Institute of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, General University Hospital in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Alice Exnerova
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.
| | - Zuzana Bosakova
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.
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22
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Sikkink KL, Hostager R, Kobiela ME, Fremling N, Johnston K, Zambre A, Snell-Rood EC. Tolerance of Novel Toxins through Generalized Mechanisms: Simulating Gradual Host Shifts of Butterflies. Am Nat 2020; 195:485-503. [PMID: 32097036 DOI: 10.1086/707195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Organisms encounter a wide range of toxic compounds in their environments, from chemicals that serve anticonsumption or anticompetition functions to pollutants and pesticides. Although we understand many detoxification mechanisms that allow organisms to consume toxins typical of their diet, we know little about why organisms vary in their ability to tolerate entirely novel toxins. We tested whether variation in generalized stress responses, such as antioxidant pathways, may underlie variation in reactions to novel toxins and, if so, their associated costs. We used an artificial diet to present cabbage white butterfly caterpillars (Pieris rapae) with plant material containing toxins not experienced in their evolutionary history. Families that maintained high performance (e.g., high survival, fast development time, large body size) on diets containing one novel toxic plant also performed well when exposed to two other novel toxic plants, consistent with a generalized response. Variation in constitutive (but not induced) expression of genes involved in oxidative stress responses was positively related to performance on the novel diets. While we did not detect reproductive trade-offs of this generalized response, there was a tendency to have less melanin investment in the wings, consistent with the role of melanin in oxidative stress responses. Taken together, our results support the hypothesis that variation in generalized stress responses, such as genes involved in oxidative stress responses, may explain the variation in tolerance to entirely novel toxins and may facilitate colonization of novel hosts and environments.
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23
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Pinheiro de Castro ÉC, Demirtas R, Orteu A, Olsen CE, Motawie MS, Zikan Cardoso M, Zagrobelny M, Bak S. The dynamics of cyanide defences in the life cycle of an aposematic butterfly: Biosynthesis versus sequestration. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2020; 116:103259. [PMID: 31698083 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2019.103259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2019] [Revised: 10/22/2019] [Accepted: 10/29/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Heliconius butterflies are highly specialized in Passiflora plants, laying eggs and feeding as larvae only on them. Interestingly, both Heliconius butterflies and Passiflora plants contain cyanogenic glucosides (CNglcs). While feeding on specific Passiflora species, Heliconius melpomene larvae are able to sequester simple cyclopentenyl CNglcs, the most common CNglcs in this plant genus. Yet, aromatic, aliphatic, and modified CNglcs have been reported in Passiflora species and they were never tested for sequestration by heliconiine larvae. As other cyanogenic lepidopterans, H. melpomene also biosynthesize the aliphatic CNglcs linamarin and lotaustralin, and their toxicity does not rely exclusively on sequestration. Although the genes encoding the enzymes in the CNglc biosynthesis have not yet been biochemically characterized in butterflies, the cytochromes P450 CYP405A4, CYP405A5, CYP405A6 and CYP332A1 have been hypothesized to be involved in this pathway in H. melpomene. In this study, we determine how the CNglc composition and expression of the putative P450s involved in the biosynthesis of these compounds vary at different developmental stages of Heliconius butterflies. We also establish which kind of CNglcs H. melpomene larvae can sequester from Passiflora. By analysing the chemical composition of the haemolymph from larvae fed with different Passiflora diets, we show that H. melpomene is able to sequestered prunasin, an aromatic CNglcs, from P. platyloba. They are also able to sequester amygdalin, gynocardin, [C13/C14]linamarin and [C13/C14]lotaustralin painted on the plant leaves. The CNglc tetraphyllin B-sulphate from P. caerulea is not detected in the larval haemolymph, suggesting that such modified CNglcs cannot be sequestered by Heliconius. Although pupae and virgin adults contain dihydrogynocardin resulting from larval sequestration, this compound was metabolized during adulthood, and not used as nuptial gift or transferred to the offspring. Thus, we speculate that dihydrogynocardin is catabolized to recycle nitrogen and glucose, and/or to produce fitness signals during courtship. Mature adults have a higher concentration of CNglcs than any other developmental stages due to increased de novo biosynthesis of linamarin and lotaustralin. Accordingly, all CYP405As are expressed in adults, whereas larvae mostly express CYP405A4. Our results shed light on the importance of CNglcs for Heliconius biology and their coevolution with Passiflora.
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Affiliation(s)
- Érika C Pinheiro de Castro
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, DK-1871, Frederiksberg, Denmark; Department of Zoology, Cambridge University. Downing Street, CB3 3EJ, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Rojan Demirtas
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, DK-1871, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Anna Orteu
- Department of Zoology, Cambridge University. Downing Street, CB3 3EJ, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Carl Erik Olsen
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, DK-1871, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Mohammed Saddik Motawie
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, DK-1871, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Márcio Zikan Cardoso
- Department of Ecology, Federal University of Rio Grande Do Norte, Natal, RN, 59078-900, Brazil
| | - Mika Zagrobelny
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, DK-1871, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Søren Bak
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, DK-1871, Frederiksberg, Denmark.
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Cuny MAC, La Forgia D, Desurmont GA, Glauser G, Benrey B. Role of cyanogenic glycosides in the seeds of wild lima bean, Phaseolus lunatus: defense, plant nutrition or both? PLANTA 2019; 250:1281-1292. [PMID: 31240396 DOI: 10.1007/s00425-019-03221-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2019] [Accepted: 06/19/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Cyanogenic glycosides present in the seeds of wild lima bean plants are associated with seedling defense but do not affect seed germination and seedling growth. Wild lima bean plants contain cyanogenic glycosides (CNGs) that are known to defend the plant against leaf herbivores. However, seed feeders appear to be unaffected despite the high levels of CNGs in the seeds. We investigated a possible role of CNGs in seeds as nitrogen storage compounds that influence plant growth, as well as seedling resistance to herbivores. Using seeds from four different wild lima bean natural populations that are known to vary in CNG levels, we tested two non-mutually exclusive hypotheses: (1) seeds with higher levels of CNGs produce seedlings that are more resistant against generalist herbivores and, (2) seeds with higher levels of CNGs germinate faster and produce plants that exhibit better growth. Levels of CNGs in the seeds were negatively correlated with germination rates and not correlated with seedling growth. However, levels of CNGs increased significantly soon after germination and seeds with the highest CNG levels produced seedlings with higher CNG levels in cotyledons. Moreover, the growth rate of the generalist herbivore Spodoptera littoralis was lower in cotyledons with high-CNG levels. We conclude that CNGs in lima bean seeds do not play a role in seed germination and seedling growth, but are associated with seedling defense. Our results provide insight into the potential dual function of plant secondary metabolites as defense compounds and storage molecules for growth and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maximilien A C Cuny
- Institute of Biology, Laboratory of Evolutive Entomology, University of Neuchâtel, Rue Emile-Argand 11, 2000, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Diana La Forgia
- Institute of Biology, Laboratory of Evolutive Entomology, University of Neuchâtel, Rue Emile-Argand 11, 2000, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
- Department of Functional and Evolutionary Entomology, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liege, Passage des Déportés 2, 5030, Liege, Belgium
| | - Gaylord A Desurmont
- European Biological Control Laboratory (EBCL), USDA-ARS, 810 Avenue de Baillarguet, 34980, Montferrier sur Lez, France
| | - Gaetan Glauser
- Neuchâtel Platform of Analytical Chemistry, University of Neuchâtel, Avenue de Bellevaux 51, 2000, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Betty Benrey
- Institute of Biology, Laboratory of Evolutive Entomology, University of Neuchâtel, Rue Emile-Argand 11, 2000, Neuchâtel, Switzerland.
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Chouteau M, Dezeure J, Sherratt TN, Llaurens V, Joron M. Similar predator aversion for natural prey with diverse toxicity levels. Anim Behav 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2019.04.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Darragh K, Byers KJRP, Merrill RM, McMillan WO, Schulz S, Jiggins CD. Male pheromone composition depends on larval but not adult diet in Heliconius melpomene. ECOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2019; 44:397-405. [PMID: 31217661 PMCID: PMC6563479 DOI: 10.1111/een.12716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2018] [Revised: 11/29/2018] [Accepted: 11/30/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
1. Condition-dependent traits can act as honest signals of mate quality, with fitter individuals being able to display preferred phenotypes. Nutrition is known to be an important determinant of individual condition, with diet known to affect many secondary sexual traits. 2. In Heliconius butterflies, male chemical signalling plays an important role in female mate choice. Potential male sex pheromone components have been identified previously, although it is unclear what information they convey to the female. 3. In the present study, the effect of diet on androconial and genital compound production is tested in male Heliconius melpomene rosina. To manipulate larval diet, larvae are reared on three different Passiflora host plants: Passiflora menispermifolia, the preferred host plant, Passiflora vitifolia and Passiflora platyloba. To manipulate adult diet, adult butterflies are reared with and without access to pollen, a key component of their diet. 4. No evidence is found to suggest that adult pollen consumption affects compound production in the first 10 days after eclosion. There is also a strong overlap in the chemical profiles of individuals reared on different larval host plants. The most abundant compounds produced by the butterflies do not differ between host plant groups. However, some compounds found in small amounts differ both qualitatively and quantitatively. Some of these compounds are predicted to be of plant origin and the others synthesised by the butterfly. Further electrophysiological and behavioural experiments will be needed to determine the biological significance of these differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathy Darragh
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeU.K.
- Smithsonian Tropical Research InstitutePanama
| | - Kelsey J. R. P. Byers
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeU.K.
- Smithsonian Tropical Research InstitutePanama
| | - Richard M. Merrill
- Smithsonian Tropical Research InstitutePanama
- Division of Evolutionary BiologyLudwig‐Maximilians‐UniversitätMunichGermany
| | | | - Stefan Schulz
- Department of Life Sciences, Institute of Organic Chemistry, Institute of Organic ChemistryTechnische Universität BraunschweigBraunschweigGermany
| | - Chris D. Jiggins
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeU.K.
- Smithsonian Tropical Research InstitutePanama
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Pinheiro de Castro ÉC, Zagrobelny M, Zurano JP, Zikan Cardoso M, Feyereisen R, Bak S. Sequestration and biosynthesis of cyanogenic glucosides in passion vine butterflies and consequences for the diversification of their host plants. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:5079-5093. [PMID: 31110663 PMCID: PMC6509390 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2018] [Revised: 01/13/2019] [Accepted: 02/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The colorful heliconiine butterflies are distasteful to predators due to their content of defense compounds called cyanogenic glucosides (CNglcs), which they biosynthesize from aliphatic amino acids. Heliconiine larvae feed exclusively on Passiflora plants where ~30 kinds of CNglcs have been reported. Among them, some CNglcs derived from cyclopentenyl glycine can be sequestered by some Heliconius species. In order to understand the evolution of biosynthesis and sequestration of CNglcs in these butterflies and its consequences for their arms race with Passiflora plants, we analyzed the CNglc distribution in selected heliconiine and Passiflora species. Sequestration of cyclopentenyl CNglcs is not an exclusive trait of Heliconius, since these compounds were present in other heliconiines such as Philaethria, Dryas and Agraulis, and in more distantly related genera Cethosia and Euptoieta. Thus, it is likely that the ability to sequester cyclopentenyl CNglcs arose in an ancestor of the Heliconiinae subfamily. Biosynthesis of aliphatic CNglcs is widespread in these butterflies, although some species from the sara-sapho group seem to have lost this ability. The CNglc distribution within Passiflora suggests that they might have diversified their cyanogenic profile to escape heliconiine herbivory. This systematic analysis improves our understanding on the evolution of cyanogenesis in the heliconiine-Passiflora system.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mika Zagrobelny
- Department of Plant and Environmental SciencesUniversity of CopenhagenFrederiksberg C, CopenhagenDenmark
| | - Juan Pablo Zurano
- Department of Systematic and EcologyFederal University of ParaibaJoão PessoaParaíbaBrazil
| | - Márcio Zikan Cardoso
- Department of EcologyFederal University of Rio Grande do NorteNatalRio Grande do NorteBrazil
| | - René Feyereisen
- Department of Plant and Environmental SciencesUniversity of CopenhagenFrederiksberg C, CopenhagenDenmark
| | - Søren Bak
- Department of Plant and Environmental SciencesUniversity of CopenhagenFrederiksberg C, CopenhagenDenmark
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28
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O'Reilly LJ, Agassiz DJL, Neil TR, Holderied MW. Deaf moths employ acoustic Müllerian mimicry against bats using wingbeat-powered tymbals. Sci Rep 2019; 9:1444. [PMID: 30723216 PMCID: PMC6363749 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-37812-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2018] [Accepted: 11/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Emitting ultrasound upon hearing an attacking bat is an effective defence strategy used by several moth taxa. Here we reveal how Yponomeuta moths acquire sophisticated acoustic protection despite being deaf themselves and hence unable to respond to bat attacks. Instead, flying Yponomeuta produce bursts of ultrasonic clicks perpetually; a striated patch in their hind wing clicks as the beating wing rotates and bends. This wing structure is strikingly similar to the thorax tymbals with which arctiine moths produce their anti-bat sounds. And indeed, Yponomeuta sounds closely mimic such arctiine signals, revealing convergence in form and function. Because both moth taxa contain noxious compounds, we conclude they are mutual Müllerian acoustic mimics. Yponomeuta's perpetual clicking would however also attract bat predators. In response, their click amplitude is reduced and affords acoustic protection just as far as required, matching the distance over which bat biosonar would pick up Yponomeuta echoes anyway - advanced acoustic defences for a deaf moth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liam J O'Reilly
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - David J L Agassiz
- Department of Life Sciences, Insect Division, Natural History Museum, London, UK
| | - Thomas R Neil
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Marc W Holderied
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
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Boevé JL, Nyman T, Shinohara A, Schmidt S. Endogenous toxins and the coupling of gregariousness to conspicuousness in Argidae and Pergidae sawflies. Sci Rep 2018; 8:17636. [PMID: 30518939 PMCID: PMC6281571 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-35925-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2018] [Accepted: 11/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Phytophagous insects tend to be either cryptic and solitary, or brightly colored and gregarious, as a defense against vertebrate predators. Here, we tested whether potent defensive chemicals produced de novo by larvae of Argidae and Pergidae sawflies have influenced the evolutionary relationship between larval appearance and levels of gregariousness. Phylogeny-based correlation analyses indicated only a weak trend for solitary species to be cryptic, and for gregarious ones to be conspicuous. Numerous Argidae were cryptic-solitary or conspicuous-gregarious, whereas most Pergidae were conspicuous-gregarious. Both families also included not truly gregarious but aggregated species, i.e. with individuals more evenly distributed on the host plant. By considering two specific morphological traits, predominant body coloration and contrasting spots on body, each one was (weakly) associated with appearance but none with gregariousness, which reflects the functional relevance of appearance as a whole. Furthermore, Argidae can display alternate appearances during successive larval instars. Finally, an independent contrasts test showed no obvious correlation between two major toxic peptides. Our results point towards diversely combined patterns of linked ecological traits in these insects. By assuming that warning coloration is more warranted against vertebrate than invertebrate predators, we suggest that the occurrence itself of toxins allowed this diversity via differing predator guilds and environmental factors, to which these insects were confronted during evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Luc Boevé
- OD Taxonomy and Phylogeny, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Rue Vautier 29, B-1000, Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Tommi Nyman
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 111, FI-80101, Joensuu, Finland
- Department of Ecosystems in the Barents Region, Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, Svanhovd Research Station, NO-9925, Svanvik, Norway
| | - Akihiko Shinohara
- Department of Zoology, National Museum of Nature and Science, 4-1-1 Amakubo, Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki, 305-0005, Japan
| | - Stefan Schmidt
- SNSB - Zoologische Staatssammlung München, Münchhausenstr. 21, 81247, Munich, Germany
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30
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Westerman EL, VanKuren NW, Massardo D, Tenger-Trolander A, Zhang W, Hill RI, Perry M, Bayala E, Barr K, Chamberlain N, Douglas TE, Buerkle N, Palmer SE, Kronforst MR. Aristaless Controls Butterfly Wing Color Variation Used in Mimicry and Mate Choice. Curr Biol 2018; 28:3469-3474.e4. [PMID: 30415702 PMCID: PMC6234856 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2018.08.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2018] [Revised: 07/24/2018] [Accepted: 08/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Neotropical Heliconius butterflies display a diversity of warningly colored wing patterns, which serve roles in both Müllerian mimicry and mate choice behavior. Wing pattern diversity in Heliconius is controlled by a small number of unlinked, Mendelian "switch" loci [1]. One of these, termed the K locus, switches between yellow and white color patterns, important mimicry signals as well as mating cues [2-4]. Furthermore, mate preference behavior is tightly linked to this locus [4]. K controls the distribution of white versus yellow scales on the wing, with a dominant white allele and a recessive yellow allele. Here, we combine fine-scale genetic mapping, genome-wide association studies, gene expression analyses, population and comparative genomics, and genome editing with CRISPR/Cas9 to characterize the molecular basis of the K locus in Heliconius and to infer its evolutionary history. We show that white versus yellow color variation in Heliconius cydno is due to alternate haplotypes at a putative cis-regulatory element (CRE) downstream of a tandem duplication of the homeodomain transcription factor aristaless. Aristaless1 (al1) and aristaless2 (al2) are differentially regulated between white and yellow wings throughout development with elevated expression of al1 in developing white wings, suggesting a role in repressing pigmentation. Consistent with this, knockout of al1 causes white wings to become yellow. The evolution of wing color in this group has been marked by retention of the ancestral yellow color in many lineages, a single origin of white coloration in H. cydno, and subsequent introgression of white color from H. cydno into H. melpomene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica L Westerman
- Department of Ecology & Evolution, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
| | - Nicholas W VanKuren
- Department of Ecology & Evolution, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Darli Massardo
- Department of Ecology & Evolution, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | | | - Wei Zhang
- Department of Ecology & Evolution, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, and Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Ryan I Hill
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA 95211, USA
| | - Michael Perry
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Erick Bayala
- Department of Ecology & Evolution, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Kenneth Barr
- Department of Ecology & Evolution, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; Department of Medicine, Section of Genetic Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Nicola Chamberlain
- FAS Center for Systems Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Tracy E Douglas
- Department of BioSciences, Rice University, Houston, TX 77251, USA
| | - Nathan Buerkle
- Department of Organismal Biology & Anatomy, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Stephanie E Palmer
- Department of Organismal Biology & Anatomy, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Marcus R Kronforst
- Department of Ecology & Evolution, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
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31
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Morawo T, Fadamiro H. Chemical-mediated counter defense: attraction of two parasitoid species to the defensive secretion of host larvae. CHEMOECOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00049-018-0268-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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32
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Burdfield-Steel E, Brain M, Rojas B, Mappes J. The price of safety: food deprivation in early life influences the efficacy of chemical defence in an aposematic moth. OIKOS 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.05420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Emily Burdfield-Steel
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Dept of Biological and Environmental Science; PO Box 35 FI-40014 Univ. of Jyväskylä Finland
| | - Morgan Brain
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Dept of Biological and Environmental Science; PO Box 35 FI-40014 Univ. of Jyväskylä Finland
| | - Bibiana Rojas
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Dept of Biological and Environmental Science; PO Box 35 FI-40014 Univ. of Jyväskylä Finland
| | - Johanna Mappes
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Dept of Biological and Environmental Science; PO Box 35 FI-40014 Univ. of Jyväskylä Finland
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33
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Dell'Aglio DD, Troscianko J, McMillan WO, Stevens M, Jiggins CD. The appearance of mimetic Heliconius butterflies to predators and conspecifics. Evolution 2018; 72:2156-2166. [PMID: 30129174 PMCID: PMC6221148 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2017] [Revised: 08/01/2018] [Accepted: 08/10/2018] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Adaptive coloration is under conflicting selection pressures: choosing potential mates and warning signaling against visually guided predators. Different elements of the color signal may therefore be tuned by evolution for different functions. We investigated how mimicry in four pairs of Heliconius comimics is potentially seen both from the perspective of butterflies and birds. Visual sensitivities of eight candidate avian predators were predicted through genetic analysis of their opsin genes. Using digital image color analysis, combined with bird and butterfly visual system models, we explored how predators and conspecifics may visualize mimetic patterns. Ultraviolet vision (UVS) birds are able to discriminate between the yellow and white colors of comimics better than violet vision (VS) birds. For Heliconius vision, males and females differ in their ability to discriminate comimics. Female vision and red filtering pigments have a significant effect on the perception of the yellow forewing band and the red ventral forewing pattern. A behavioral experiment showed that UV cues are used in mating behavior; removal of such cues was associated with an increased tendency to approach comimics as compared to conspecifics. We have therefore shown that visual signals can act to both reduce the cost of confusion in courtship and maintain the advantages of mimicry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denise Dalbosco Dell'Aglio
- Butterfly Genetics Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
| | - Jolyon Troscianko
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, United Kingdom
| | - W Owen McMillan
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
| | - Martin Stevens
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, United Kingdom
| | - Chris D Jiggins
- Butterfly Genetics Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
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Zagrobelny M, de Castro ÉCP, Møller BL, Bak S. Cyanogenesis in Arthropods: From Chemical Warfare to Nuptial Gifts. INSECTS 2018; 9:E51. [PMID: 29751568 PMCID: PMC6023451 DOI: 10.3390/insects9020051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2018] [Revised: 04/23/2018] [Accepted: 04/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Chemical defences are key components in insect⁻plant interactions, as insects continuously learn to overcome plant defence systems by, e.g., detoxification, excretion or sequestration. Cyanogenic glucosides are natural products widespread in the plant kingdom, and also known to be present in arthropods. They are stabilised by a glucoside linkage, which is hydrolysed by the action of β-glucosidase enzymes, resulting in the release of toxic hydrogen cyanide and deterrent aldehydes or ketones. Such a binary system of components that are chemically inert when spatially separated provides an immediate defence against predators that cause tissue damage. Further roles in nitrogen metabolism and inter- and intraspecific communication has also been suggested for cyanogenic glucosides. In arthropods, cyanogenic glucosides are found in millipedes, centipedes, mites, beetles and bugs, and particularly within butterflies and moths. Cyanogenic glucosides may be even more widespread since many arthropod taxa have not yet been analysed for the presence of this class of natural products. In many instances, arthropods sequester cyanogenic glucosides or their precursors from food plants, thereby avoiding the demand for de novo biosynthesis and minimising the energy spent for defence. Nevertheless, several species of butterflies, moths and millipedes have been shown to biosynthesise cyanogenic glucosides de novo, and even more species have been hypothesised to do so. As for higher plant species, the specific steps in the pathway is catalysed by three enzymes, two cytochromes P450, a glycosyl transferase, and a general P450 oxidoreductase providing electrons to the P450s. The pathway for biosynthesis of cyanogenic glucosides in arthropods has most likely been assembled by recruitment of enzymes, which could most easily be adapted to acquire the required catalytic properties for manufacturing these compounds. The scattered phylogenetic distribution of cyanogenic glucosides in arthropods indicates that the ability to biosynthesise this class of natural products has evolved independently several times. This is corroborated by the characterised enzymes from the pathway in moths and millipedes. Since the biosynthetic pathway is hypothesised to have evolved convergently in plants as well, this would suggest that there is only one universal series of unique intermediates by which amino acids are efficiently converted into CNglcs in different Kingdoms of Life. For arthropods to handle ingestion of cyanogenic glucosides, an effective detoxification system is required. In butterflies and moths, hydrogen cyanide released from hydrolysis of cyanogenic glucosides is mainly detoxified by β-cyanoalanine synthase, while other arthropods use the enzyme rhodanese. The storage of cyanogenic glucosides and spatially separated hydrolytic enzymes (β-glucosidases and α-hydroxynitrile lyases) are important for an effective hydrogen cyanide release for defensive purposes. Accordingly, such hydrolytic enzymes are also present in many cyanogenic arthropods, and spatial separation has been shown in a few species. Although much knowledge regarding presence, biosynthesis, hydrolysis and detoxification of cyanogenic glucosides in arthropods has emerged in recent years, many exciting unanswered questions remain regarding the distribution, roles apart from defence, and convergent evolution of the metabolic pathways involved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mika Zagrobelny
- Plant Biochemistry Laboratory, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 1871 Frederiksberg C, Denmark.
| | | | - Birger Lindberg Møller
- Plant Biochemistry Laboratory, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 1871 Frederiksberg C, Denmark.
- VILLUM Center for Plant Plasticity, University of Copenhagen, 1871 Frederiksberg C, Denmark.
| | - Søren Bak
- Plant Biochemistry Laboratory, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 1871 Frederiksberg C, Denmark.
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Burdfield-Steel E, Pakkanen H, Rojas B, Galarza JA, Mappes J. De novo Synthesis of Chemical Defenses in an Aposematic Moth. JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2018; 18:4939106. [PMID: 29718491 PMCID: PMC5946834 DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/iey020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Many animals protect themselves from predation with chemicals, both self-made or sequestered from their diet. The potential drivers of the diversity of these chemicals have been long studied, but our knowledge of these chemicals and their acquisition mode is heavily based on specialist herbivores that sequester their defenses. The wood tiger moth (Arctia plantaginis, Linnaeus, 1758) is a well-studied aposematic species, but the nature of its chemical defenses has not been fully described . Here, we report the presence of two methoxypyrazines, 2-sec-butyl-3-methoxypyrazine and 2-isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine, in the moths' defensive secretions. By raising larvae on an artificial diet, we confirm, for the first time, that their defensive compounds are produced de novo rather than sequestered from their diet. Pyrazines are known for their defensive function in invertebrates due to their distinctive odor, inducing aversion and facilitating predator learning. While their synthesis has been suspected, it has never previously been experimentally confirmed. Our results highlight the importance of considering de novo synthesis, in addition to sequestration, when studying the defensive capabilities of insects and other invertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Burdfield-Steel
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Department of Biology and Environmental Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, FI, Finland
| | - Hannu Pakkanen
- Department of Chemistry, University of Jyväskylä, Survontie, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Bibiana Rojas
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Department of Biology and Environmental Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, FI, Finland
| | - Juan A Galarza
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Department of Biology and Environmental Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, FI, Finland
| | - Johanna Mappes
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Department of Biology and Environmental Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, FI, Finland
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de Castro ÉCP, Zagrobelny M, Cardoso MZ, Bak S. The arms race between heliconiine butterflies and Passiflora plants - new insights on an ancient subject. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2017; 93:555-573. [PMID: 28901723 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2017] [Revised: 07/04/2017] [Accepted: 07/05/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Heliconiines are called passion vine butterflies because they feed exclusively on Passiflora plants during the larval stage. Many features of Passiflora and heliconiines indicate that they have radiated and speciated in association with each other, and therefore this model system was one of the first examples used to exemplify coevolution theory. Three major adaptations of Passiflora plants supported arguments in favour of their coevolution with heliconiines: unusual variation of leaf shape within the genus; the occurrence of yellow structures mimicking heliconiine eggs; and their extensive diversity of defence compounds called cyanogenic glucosides. However, the protection systems of Passiflora plants go beyond these three features. Trichomes, mimicry of pathogen infection through variegation, and production of extrafloral nectar to attract ants and other predators of their herbivores, are morphological defences reported in this plant genus. Moreover, Passiflora plants are well protected chemically, not only by cyanogenic glucosides, but also by other compounds such as alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, tannins and phenolics. Heliconiines can synthesize cyanogenic glucosides themselves, and their ability to handle these compounds was probably one of the most crucial adaptations that allowed the ancestor of these butterflies to feed on Passiflora plants. Indeed, it has been shown that Heliconius larvae can sequester cyanogenic glucosides and alkaloids from their host plants and utilize them for their own benefit. Recently, it was discovered that Heliconius adults have highly accurate visual and chemosensory systems, and the expansion of brain structures that can process such information allows them to memorize shapes and display elaborate pre-oviposition behaviour in order to defeat visual barriers evolved by Passiflora species. Even though the heliconiine-Passiflora model system has been intensively studied, the forces driving host-plant preference in these butterflies remain unclear. New studies have shown that host-plant preference seems to be genetically controlled, but in many species there is some plasticity in this choice and preferences can even be induced. Although much knowledge regarding the coevolution of Passiflora plants and heliconiine butterflies has accumulated in recent decades, there remain many exciting unanswered questions concerning this model system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Érika C P de Castro
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, DK-1871, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Mika Zagrobelny
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, DK-1871, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Márcio Z Cardoso
- Department of Ecology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, 59078-900, Brazil
| | - Søren Bak
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, DK-1871, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Abstract
Cyanide is generated in larvae of the glucosinolate-specialist Pieris rapae (Lepidoptera:Pieridae) upon ingestion of plant material containing phenylalanine-derived glucosinolates as chemical defenses. As these glucosinolates were widespread within ancient Brassicales, the ability to detoxify cyanide may therefore have been essential for the host plant shift of Pierid species from Fabales to Brassicales species giving rise to the Pierinae subfamily. Previous research identified β-cyanoalanine and thiocyanate as products of cyanide detoxification in P. rapae larvae as well as three cDNAs encoding the β-cyanoalanine synthases PrBSAS1-PrBSAS3. Here, we analyzed a total of eight species of four lepidopteran families to test if their cyanide detoxification capacity correlates with their feeding specialization. We detected β-cyanoalanine synthase activity in gut protein extracts of all six species tested, which included Pierid species with glucosinolate-containing host plants, Pierids with other hosts, and other Lepidoptera with varying food specialization. Rhodanese activity was only scarcely detectable with the highest levels appearing in the two glucosinolate-feeding Pierids. We then amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) 14 cDNAs encoding β-cyanoalanine synthases from seven species. Enzyme characterization and phylogenetic analysis indicated that lepidopterans are generally equipped with one PrBSAS2 homolog with high affinity for cyanide. A second β-cyanoalanine synthase which grouped with PrBSAS3 was restricted to Pierid species, while a third variant (i.e., homologs of PrBSAS1), was only present in members of the Pierinae subfamily. These results are in agreement with the hypothesis that the host shift to Brassicales was associated with the requirement for a specialized cyanide detoxification machinery.
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Arias M, Meichanetzoglou A, Elias M, Rosser N, de-Silva DL, Nay B, Llaurens V. Variation in cyanogenic compounds concentration within a Heliconius butterfly community: does mimicry explain everything? BMC Evol Biol 2016; 16:272. [PMID: 27978820 PMCID: PMC5160018 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-016-0843-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2016] [Accepted: 11/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Aposematic species advertise their unpalatability using warning signals such as striking coloration. Given that predators need to sample aposematic prey to learn that they are unprofitable, prey with similar warning signals share the cost of predator learning. This reduction in predation risk drives evolutionary convergence of warning signals among chemically defended prey (Müllerian mimicry). Whether such warning signal convergence is associated to similar defence levels among co-mimics is still an open question that has rarely been tested in wild populations. We quantified variation in cyanide-based (CN) chemical protection in wild caught individuals of eight aposematic Heliconius butterfly species belonging to four sympatric mimicry rings. We then tested for correlations between chemical protection and ecological species-specific traits. Results We report significant differences in CN concentrations both within and between sympatric species, even when accounting for the phylogeny, and within and between mimicry rings, even after considering inter-specific variation. We found significant correlations between CN concentration and both hostplant specialization and gregarious behaviour in adults and larvae. However, differences in CN concentrations were not significantly linked to mimicry ring abundance, although the two most toxic species did belong to the rarest mimicry ring. Conclusions Our results suggest that mimicry can explain the variation in the levels of chemical defence to a certain extent, although other ecological factors are also relevant to the evolution of such variability. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12862-016-0843-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mónica Arias
- Institut Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité, UMR 7205 MNHN-CNRS-EPHE-UPMC- Sorbonne Universités, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Bâtiment d'entomologie, CP050, 57 rue Cuvier, 75005, Paris, France.
| | - Aimilia Meichanetzoglou
- Institut Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité, UMR 7205 MNHN-CNRS-EPHE-UPMC- Sorbonne Universités, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Bâtiment d'entomologie, CP050, 57 rue Cuvier, 75005, Paris, France.,Unité Molécules de Communication et Adaptation des Micro-organismes, UMR 7245 MNHN-CNRS, Sorbonne Universités, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle and CNRS, 57 rue Cuvier, CP 54, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Marianne Elias
- Institut Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité, UMR 7205 MNHN-CNRS-EPHE-UPMC- Sorbonne Universités, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Bâtiment d'entomologie, CP050, 57 rue Cuvier, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Neil Rosser
- Department of Biology, University of York, Heslington, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Donna Lisa de-Silva
- Institut Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité, UMR 7205 MNHN-CNRS-EPHE-UPMC- Sorbonne Universités, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Bâtiment d'entomologie, CP050, 57 rue Cuvier, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Bastien Nay
- Unité Molécules de Communication et Adaptation des Micro-organismes, UMR 7245 MNHN-CNRS, Sorbonne Universités, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle and CNRS, 57 rue Cuvier, CP 54, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Violaine Llaurens
- Institut Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité, UMR 7205 MNHN-CNRS-EPHE-UPMC- Sorbonne Universités, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Bâtiment d'entomologie, CP050, 57 rue Cuvier, 75005, Paris, France
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Zvereva EL, Zverev V, Kruglova OY, Kozlov MV. Strategies of chemical anti-predator defences in leaf beetles: is sequestration of plant toxins less costly than de novo synthesis? Oecologia 2016; 183:93-106. [PMID: 27718063 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-016-3743-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2016] [Accepted: 09/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The evolution of defensive traits is driven both by benefits gained from protection against enemies and by costs of defence production. We tested the hypothesis that specialisation of herbivores on toxic host plants, accompanied by the ability to acquire plant defensive compounds for herbivore defence, is favoured by the lower costs of sequestration compared to de novo synthesis of defensive compounds. We measured physiological costs of chemical defence as a reduction in larval performance in response to repeated removal of secretions (simulating predator attack) and compared these costs between five species synthesising defences de novo and three species sequestering salicylic glucosides (SGs) from their host plants. Experiments simulating low predator pressure revealed no physiological costs in terms of survival, weight and duration of development in any of study species. However, simulation of high predation caused reduction in relative growth rate in Chrysomela lapponica larvae producing autogenous defences more frequently, than in larvae sequestering SGs. Still meta-analysis of combined data showed no overall difference in costs of autogenous and sequestered defences. However, larvae synthesising their defences de novo demonstrated secretion-conserving behaviour, produced smaller amounts of secretions, replenished them at considerably lower rates and employed other types of defences (regurgitation, evasion) more frequently when compared to sequestering larvae. These latter results provide indirect evidence for biosynthetic constraints for amounts of defensive secretions produced de novo, resulting in low defence effectiveness. Lifting these constraints by sequestration may have driven some leaf beetle lineages toward sequestration of plant allelochemicals as the main defensive strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena L Zvereva
- Section of Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Turku, 20014, Turku, Finland.
| | - Vitali Zverev
- Section of Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Turku, 20014, Turku, Finland
| | | | - Mikhail V Kozlov
- Section of Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Turku, 20014, Turku, Finland
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40
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Yu QY, Fang SM, Zhang Z, Jiggins CD. The transcriptome response ofHeliconius melpomenelarvae to a novel host plant. Mol Ecol 2016; 25:4850-65. [PMID: 27572947 DOI: 10.1111/mec.13826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2016] [Revised: 08/25/2016] [Accepted: 08/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Quan-You Yu
- School of Life Sciences; Chongqing University; Chongqing 401331 China
- Department of Zoology; University of Cambridge; Downing Street Cambridge CB2 3EJ UK
| | - Shou-Min Fang
- College of Life Science; China West Normal University; Nanchang 637002 China
| | - Ze Zhang
- School of Life Sciences; Chongqing University; Chongqing 401331 China
| | - Chris D. Jiggins
- Department of Zoology; University of Cambridge; Downing Street Cambridge CB2 3EJ UK
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41
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Petschenka G, Agrawal AA. How herbivores coopt plant defenses: natural selection, specialization, and sequestration. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2016; 14:17-24. [PMID: 27436642 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2015.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2015] [Revised: 12/10/2015] [Accepted: 12/20/2015] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
We review progress in understanding sequestration by herbivorous insects, the use of plant chemical defenses for their own defense. We incorporate sequestration into the framework of plant-insect coevolution by integrating three hierarchical issues: (1) the relationship between dietary specialization and sequestration of plant defenses, (2) the physiological mechanisms involved in sequestration, and (3) how sequestration evolves via interactions between trophic levels. Sequestration is often associated with specialization, but even specialized sequestration is not an evolutionary dead-end. Despite considerable progress in understanding physiological mechanisms, detailed knowledge of how plant toxins cross the insect gut epithelium is still largely lacking. Sequestration is likely a major vehicle for coevolutionary escalation in speciose plant-insect-predator interactions, suggesting that a strictly bitrophic view is untenable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georg Petschenka
- Institut für Insektenbiotechnologie, Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, 35392 Giessen, Germany.
| | - Anurag A Agrawal
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, E425 Corson Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853 USA
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42
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van Schooten B, Jiggins CD, Briscoe AD, Papa R. Genome-wide analysis of ionotropic receptors provides insight into their evolution in Heliconius butterflies. BMC Genomics 2016; 17:254. [PMID: 27004525 PMCID: PMC4804616 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-016-2572-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2015] [Accepted: 03/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In a world of chemical cues, smell and taste are essential senses for survival. Here we focused on Heliconius, a diverse group of butterflies that exhibit variation in pre- and post-zygotic isolation and chemically-mediated behaviors across their phylogeny. Our study examined the ionotropic receptors, a recently discovered class of receptors that are some of the most ancient chemical receptors. RESULTS We found more ionotropic receptors in Heliconius (31) than in Bombyx mori (25) or in Danaus plexippus (27). Sixteen genes in Lepidoptera were not present in Diptera. Only IR7d4 was exclusively found in butterflies and two expansions of IR60a were exclusive to Heliconius. A genome-wide comparison between 11 Heliconius species revealed instances of pseudogenization, gene gain, and signatures of positive selection across the phylogeny. IR60a2b and IR60a2d are unique to the H. melpomene, H. cydno, and H. timareta clade, a group where chemosensing is likely involved in pre-zygotic isolation. IR60a2b also displayed copy number variations (CNVs) in distinct populations of H. melpomene and was the only gene significantly higher expressed in legs and mouthparts than in antennae, which suggests a gustatory function. dN/dS analysis suggests more frequent positive selection in some intronless IR genes and in particular in the sara/sapho and melpomene/cydno/timareta clades. IR60a1 was the only gene with an elevated dN/dS along a major phylogenetic branch associated with pupal mating. Only IR93a was differentially expressed between sexes. CONCLUSIONS All together these data make Heliconius butterflies one of the very few insects outside Drosophila where IRs have been characterized in detail. Our work outlines a dynamic pattern of IR gene evolution throughout the Heliconius radiation which could be the result of selective pressure to find potential mates or host-plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bas van Schooten
- Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
| | - Chris D Jiggins
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Adriana D Briscoe
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Riccardo Papa
- Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras, San Juan, Puerto Rico
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The functional basis of wing patterning in Heliconius butterflies: the molecules behind mimicry. Genetics 2016; 200:1-19. [PMID: 25953905 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.114.172387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Wing-pattern mimicry in butterflies has provided an important example of adaptation since Charles Darwin and Alfred Russell Wallace proposed evolution by natural selection >150 years ago. The neotropical butterfly genus Heliconius played a central role in the development of mimicry theory and has since been studied extensively in the context of ecology and population biology, behavior, and mimicry genetics. Heliconius species are notable for their diverse color patterns, and previous crossing experiments revealed that much of this variation is controlled by a small number of large-effect, Mendelian switch loci. Recent comparative analyses have shown that the same switch loci control wing-pattern diversity throughout the genus, and a number of these have now been positionally cloned. Using a combination of comparative genetic mapping, association tests, and gene expression analyses, variation in red wing patterning throughout Heliconius has been traced back to the action of the transcription factor optix. Similarly, the signaling ligand WntA has been shown to control variation in melanin patterning across Heliconius and other butterflies. Our understanding of the molecular basis of Heliconius mimicry is now providing important insights into a variety of additional evolutionary phenomena, including the origin of supergenes, the interplay between constraint and evolvability, the genetic basis of convergence, the potential for introgression to facilitate adaptation, the mechanisms of hybrid speciation in animals, and the process of ecological speciation.
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44
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45
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Merrill RM, Dasmahapatra KK, Davey JW, Dell'Aglio DD, Hanly JJ, Huber B, Jiggins CD, Joron M, Kozak KM, Llaurens V, Martin SH, Montgomery SH, Morris J, Nadeau NJ, Pinharanda AL, Rosser N, Thompson MJ, Vanjari S, Wallbank RWR, Yu Q. The diversification of Heliconius butterflies: what have we learned in 150 years? J Evol Biol 2015; 28:1417-38. [PMID: 26079599 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2015] [Revised: 06/03/2015] [Accepted: 06/07/2015] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Research into Heliconius butterflies has made a significant contribution to evolutionary biology. Here, we review our understanding of the diversification of these butterflies, covering recent advances and a vast foundation of earlier work. Whereas no single group of organisms can be sufficient for understanding life's diversity, after years of intensive study, research into Heliconius has addressed a wide variety of evolutionary questions. We first discuss evidence for widespread gene flow between Heliconius species and what this reveals about the nature of species. We then address the evolution and diversity of warning patterns, both as the target of selection and with respect to their underlying genetic basis. The identification of major genes involved in mimetic shifts, and homology at these loci between distantly related taxa, has revealed a surprising predictability in the genetic basis of evolution. In the final sections, we consider the evolution of warning patterns, and Heliconius diversity more generally, within a broader context of ecological and sexual selection. We consider how different traits and modes of selection can interact and influence the evolution of reproductive isolation.
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Affiliation(s)
- R M Merrill
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
| | | | - J W Davey
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - D D Dell'Aglio
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - J J Hanly
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - B Huber
- Department of Biology, University of York, York, UK.,Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité, ISYEB - UMR 7205 - CNRS, MNHN, UPMC, EPHE, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Sorbonne Universités, Paris, France
| | - C D Jiggins
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
| | - M Joron
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama.,Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité, ISYEB - UMR 7205 - CNRS, MNHN, UPMC, EPHE, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Sorbonne Universités, Paris, France.,Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, CEFE UMR 5175, CNRS - Université de Montpellier - Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier - EPHE, Montpellier 5, France
| | - K M Kozak
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - V Llaurens
- Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité, ISYEB - UMR 7205 - CNRS, MNHN, UPMC, EPHE, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Sorbonne Universités, Paris, France
| | - S H Martin
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - S H Montgomery
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK
| | - J Morris
- Department of Biology, University of York, York, UK
| | - N J Nadeau
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - A L Pinharanda
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - N Rosser
- Department of Biology, University of York, York, UK
| | - M J Thompson
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK
| | - S Vanjari
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - R W R Wallbank
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Q Yu
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Shapingba District, Chongqing, China
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46
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Finkbeiner SD, Briscoe AD, Reed RD. Warning signals are seductive: relative contributions of color and pattern to predator avoidance and mate attraction in Heliconius butterflies. Evolution 2014; 68:3410-20. [PMID: 25200939 DOI: 10.1111/evo.12524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2013] [Accepted: 08/16/2014] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Visual signaling in animals can serve many uses, including predator deterrence and mate attraction. In many cases, signals used to advertise unprofitability to predators are also used for intraspecific communication. Although aposematism and mate choice are significant forces driving the evolution of many animal phenotypes, the interplay between relevant visual signals remains little explored. Here, we address this question in the aposematic passion-vine butterfly Heliconius erato by using color- and pattern-manipulated models to test the contributions of different visual features to both mate choice and warning coloration. We found that the relative effectiveness of a model at escaping predation was correlated with its effectiveness at inducing mating behavior, and in both cases wing color was more predictive of presumptive fitness benefits than wing pattern. Overall, however, a combination of the natural (local) color and pattern was most successful for both predator deterrence and mate attraction. By exploring the relative contributions of color versus pattern composition in predation and mate preference studies, we have shown how both natural and sexual selection may work in parallel to drive the evolution of specific animal color patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan D Finkbeiner
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, California, 92697; Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, 0843-03092, Panama.
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47
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Fürstenberg-Hägg J, Zagrobelny M, Jørgensen K, Vogel H, Møller BL, Bak S. Chemical defense balanced by sequestration and de novo biosynthesis in a lepidopteran specialist. PLoS One 2014; 9:e108745. [PMID: 25299618 PMCID: PMC4191964 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0108745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2014] [Accepted: 08/25/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The evolution of sequestration (uptake and accumulation) relative to de novo biosynthesis of chemical defense compounds is poorly understood, as is the interplay between these two strategies. The Burnet moth Zygaena filipendulae (Lepidoptera) and its food-plant Lotus corniculatus (Fabaceae) poses an exemplary case study of these questions, as Z. filipendulae belongs to the only insect family known to both de novo biosynthesize and sequester the same defense compounds directly from its food-plant. Z. filipendulae and L. corniculatus both contain the two cyanogenic glucosides linamarin and lotaustralin, which are defense compounds that can be hydrolyzed to liberate toxic hydrogen cyanide. The overall amounts and ratios of linamarin and lotaustralin in Z. filipendulae are tightly regulated, and only to a low extent reflect the ratio in the ingested food-plant. We demonstrate that Z. filipendulae adjusts the de novo biosynthesis of CNglcs by regulation at both the transcriptional and protein level depending on food plant composition. Ultimately this ensures that the larva saves energy and nitrogen while maintaining an effective defense system to fend off predators. By using in situ PCR and immunolocalization, the biosynthetic pathway was resolved to the larval fat body and integument, which infers rapid replenishment of defense compounds following an encounter with a predator. Our study supports the hypothesis that de novo biosynthesis of CNglcs in Z. filipendulae preceded the ability to sequester, and facilitated a food-plant switch to cyanogenic plants, after which sequestration could evolve. Preservation of de novo biosynthesis allows fine-tuning of the amount and composition of CNglcs in Z. filipendulae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel Fürstenberg-Hägg
- Plant Biochemistry Laboratory, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Copenhagen Plant Science Centre, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- VILLUM Research Center “Plant Plasticity”, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Mika Zagrobelny
- Plant Biochemistry Laboratory, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Copenhagen Plant Science Centre, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- VILLUM Research Center “Plant Plasticity”, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kirsten Jørgensen
- Plant Biochemistry Laboratory, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Copenhagen Plant Science Centre, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- VILLUM Research Center “Plant Plasticity”, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Heiko Vogel
- Department of Entomology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - Birger Lindberg Møller
- Plant Biochemistry Laboratory, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Copenhagen Plant Science Centre, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- VILLUM Research Center “Plant Plasticity”, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Søren Bak
- Plant Biochemistry Laboratory, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Copenhagen Plant Science Centre, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- VILLUM Research Center “Plant Plasticity”, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- * E-mail:
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48
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Hammer TJ, McMillan WO, Fierer N. Metamorphosis of a butterfly-associated bacterial community. PLoS One 2014; 9:e86995. [PMID: 24466308 PMCID: PMC3900687 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0086995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2013] [Accepted: 12/17/2013] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Butterflies are charismatic insects that have long been a focus of biological research. They are also habitats for microorganisms, yet these microbial symbionts are little-studied, despite their likely importance to butterfly ecology and evolution. In particular, the diversity and composition of the microbial communities inhabiting adult butterflies remain uncharacterized, and it is unknown how the larval (caterpillar) and adult microbiota compare. To address these knowledge gaps, we used Illumina sequencing of 16S rRNA genes from internal bacterial communities associated with multiple life stages of the neotropical butterfly Heliconius erato. We found that the leaf-chewing larvae and nectar- and pollen-feeding adults of H. erato contain markedly distinct bacterial communities, a pattern presumably rooted in their distinct diets. Larvae and adult butterflies host relatively small and similar numbers of bacterial phylotypes, but few are common to both stages. The larval microbiota clearly simplifies and reorganizes during metamorphosis; thus, structural changes in a butterfly's bacterial community parallel those in its own morphology. We furthermore identify specific bacterial taxa that may mediate larval and adult feeding biology in Heliconius and other butterflies. Although male and female Heliconius adults differ in reproductive physiology and degree of pollen feeding, bacterial communities associated with H. erato are not sexually dimorphic. Lastly, we show that captive and wild individuals host different microbiota, a finding that may have important implications for the relevance of experimental studies using captive butterflies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobin J. Hammer
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, United States of America
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Republic of Panama
| | - W. Owen McMillan
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Republic of Panama
| | - Noah Fierer
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, United States of America
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The Genomics of an Adaptive Radiation: Insights Across the Heliconius Speciation Continuum. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2014; 781:249-71. [DOI: 10.1007/978-94-007-7347-9_13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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50
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Zagrobelny M, Olsen CE, Pentzold S, Fürstenberg-Hägg J, Jørgensen K, Bak S, Møller BL, Motawia MS. Sequestration, tissue distribution and developmental transmission of cyanogenic glucosides in a specialist insect herbivore. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2014; 44:44-53. [PMID: 24269868 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2013.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2013] [Revised: 11/13/2013] [Accepted: 11/14/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Considering the staggering diversity of bioactive natural products present in plants, insects are only able to sequester a small number of phytochemicals from their food plants. The mechanisms of how only some phytochemicals are sequestered and how the sequestration process takes place remains largely unknown. In this study the model system of Zygaena filipendulae (Lepidoptera) and their food plant Lotus corniculatus is used to advance the knowledge of insect sequestration. Z. filipendulae larvae are dependent on sequestration of the cyanogenic glucosides linamarin and lotaustralin from their food plant, and have a much lower fitness if reared on plants without these compounds. This study investigates the fate of the cyanogenic glucosides during ingestion, sequestration in the larvae, and in the course of insect ontogeny. To this purpose, double-labeled linamarin and lotaustralin were chemically synthesized carrying two stable isotopes, a (2)H labeled aglucone and a (13)C labeled glucose moiety. In addition, a small amount of (14)C was incorporated into the glucose residue. The isotope-labeled compounds were applied onto cyanogenic L. corniculatus leaves that were subsequently presented to the Z. filipendulae larvae. Following ingestion by the larvae, the destiny of the isotope labeled cyanogenic glucosides was monitored in different tissues of larvae and adults at selected time points, using radio-TLC and LC-MS analyses. It was shown that sequestered compounds are taken up intact, contrary to earlier hypotheses where it was suggested that the compounds would have to be hydrolyzed before transport across the gut. The uptake from the larval gut was highly stereo selective as the β-glucosides were retained while the α-glucosides were excreted and recovered in the frass. Sequestered compounds were rapidly distributed into all analyzed tissues of the larval body, partly retained throughout metamorphosis and transferred into the adult insect where they were distributed to all tissues. During subsequent mating, isotope labeled cyanogenic glucosides were transferred from the male to the female in the nuptial gift.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mika Zagrobelny
- Plant Biochemistry Laboratory, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 40 Thorvaldsensvej, DK-1871 Frederiksberg C, Copenhagen, Denmark; Villum research center "Plant Plasticity" University of Copenhagen, 40 Thorvaldsensvej, DK-1871 Frederiksberg C, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Carl Erik Olsen
- Plant Biochemistry Laboratory, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 40 Thorvaldsensvej, DK-1871 Frederiksberg C, Copenhagen, Denmark; Villum research center "Plant Plasticity" University of Copenhagen, 40 Thorvaldsensvej, DK-1871 Frederiksberg C, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Stefan Pentzold
- Plant Biochemistry Laboratory, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 40 Thorvaldsensvej, DK-1871 Frederiksberg C, Copenhagen, Denmark; Villum research center "Plant Plasticity" University of Copenhagen, 40 Thorvaldsensvej, DK-1871 Frederiksberg C, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Joel Fürstenberg-Hägg
- Plant Biochemistry Laboratory, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 40 Thorvaldsensvej, DK-1871 Frederiksberg C, Copenhagen, Denmark; Villum research center "Plant Plasticity" University of Copenhagen, 40 Thorvaldsensvej, DK-1871 Frederiksberg C, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kirsten Jørgensen
- Plant Biochemistry Laboratory, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 40 Thorvaldsensvej, DK-1871 Frederiksberg C, Copenhagen, Denmark; Villum research center "Plant Plasticity" University of Copenhagen, 40 Thorvaldsensvej, DK-1871 Frederiksberg C, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Søren Bak
- Plant Biochemistry Laboratory, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 40 Thorvaldsensvej, DK-1871 Frederiksberg C, Copenhagen, Denmark; Villum research center "Plant Plasticity" University of Copenhagen, 40 Thorvaldsensvej, DK-1871 Frederiksberg C, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Birger Lindberg Møller
- Plant Biochemistry Laboratory, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 40 Thorvaldsensvej, DK-1871 Frederiksberg C, Copenhagen, Denmark; Villum research center "Plant Plasticity" University of Copenhagen, 40 Thorvaldsensvej, DK-1871 Frederiksberg C, Copenhagen, Denmark; Center for Biosustainability, Novo Nordisk Foundation, Technical University of Denmark, Denmark
| | - Mohammed Saddik Motawia
- Plant Biochemistry Laboratory, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 40 Thorvaldsensvej, DK-1871 Frederiksberg C, Copenhagen, Denmark; Villum research center "Plant Plasticity" University of Copenhagen, 40 Thorvaldsensvej, DK-1871 Frederiksberg C, Copenhagen, Denmark
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