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Möllerke A, Montes Vidal D, Petter Leinaas H, Schulz S. Socialane, a Nonaprenyl Terpene Hydrocarbon Surface Lipid from the Collembola Hypogastrura socialis. Chemistry 2024; 30:e202400272. [PMID: 38445549 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202400272] [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: 01/22/2024] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
Springtails use unique compounds for their outermost epicuticular wax layer, often of terpenoid origin. We report here the structure and synthesis of socialane, the major cuticular constituent of the Collembola Hypogastrura socialis. Socialane is also the first regular nonaprenyl terpene with a cyclic head group. The saturated side chain has seven stereogenic centers, making the determination of the configuration difficult. We describe here the identification of socialane and a synthetic approach using the building blocks farnesol and phytol, enantioselective hydrogenation, and α-alkylation of sulfones for the synthesis of various stereoisomers. NMR experiments showed the presence of an anti-configuration of the methyl groups closest to the benzene ring and that the other methyl groups of the polyprenyl side-chain are not uniformly configured. Furthermore, socialane is structurally different from [6+2]-terpene viaticene of the closely related H. viatica, showing species specificity of the epicuticular lipids of this genus and hinting at a possible role of surface lipids in the communication of these gregarious arthropods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anton Möllerke
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Hagenring 30, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Diogo Montes Vidal
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Hagenring 30, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany
- Department of Chemistry, ICEx, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antonio Carlos 6627, 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Hans Petter Leinaas
- Department of Bioscience, University of Oslo, Postboks, 1066, Blindern, 0316, Oslo, Norway
| | - Stefan Schulz
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Hagenring 30, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany
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2
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Lima LD, Michelutti KB, Cardoso CAL, Lima-Junior SE, Graciolli G, Antonialli-Junior WF. Low Intraspecific Aggression Level, Cuticular Hydrocarbons, and Polydomy in the Bullet Ant. J Chem Ecol 2024:10.1007/s10886-024-01497-8. [PMID: 38713323 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-024-01497-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 12/09/2023] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Ants use chemical cues known as cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) for both intraspecific and interspecific recognition. These compounds serve ants in distinguishing between nestmates and non-nestmates, enabling them to coexist in polydomous colonies characterized by socially connected yet spatially separated nests. Hence, the aim of this study was to investigate the intraspecific aggression level between nestmates and non-nestmates of the bullet ant Paraponera clavata (Fabricius, 1775), analyze and compare their CHCs, and evaluate the occurrence of polydomy in this species. We conducted aggression tests between foragers, both in laboratory and field settings. To identify the chemical profiles, we utilized gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). We marked the foragers found at nest entrances and subsequently recaptured these marked ants to validate workers exchange among nests. Across all nests, a low intraspecific aggression level was observed within the same area. However, a significant difference in aggression correlated to distance between nests. Analysis of the cuticular chemical profile of P. clavata unveiled colony-specific CHCs, both qualitatively and quantitatively. Notably, we observed instances of ants from certain nests entering or exiting different nests. This behavior, in conjunction with the observed low intraspecific aggression despite differences in CHCs suggests polydomy for this species. Polydomy can offer several benefits, including risk spreading, efficient exploitation of resources, potential for colony size increasing and reduced costs associated with foraging and competition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luan Dias Lima
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul - UFMS, Campo Grande, MS, 79090-900, Brazil.
- Centro de Estudos em Recursos Naturais, Programa de Pós-graduação em Recursos Naturais, Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul. Rodovia Dourados/Itahum, Km 12, Caixa Postal 351, Dourados, MS, 79804-970, Brazil.
- Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Departamento de Biologia, Universidade de São Paulo - USP, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14040-901, Brazil.
| | - Kamylla Balbuena Michelutti
- Centro de Estudos em Recursos Naturais, Programa de Pós-graduação em Recursos Naturais, Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul. Rodovia Dourados/Itahum, Km 12, Caixa Postal 351, Dourados, MS, 79804-970, Brazil
| | - Claudia Andrea Lima Cardoso
- Centro de Estudos em Recursos Naturais, Programa de Pós-graduação em Recursos Naturais, Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul. Rodovia Dourados/Itahum, Km 12, Caixa Postal 351, Dourados, MS, 79804-970, Brazil
| | - Sidnei Eduardo Lima-Junior
- Centro de Estudos em Recursos Naturais, Programa de Pós-graduação em Recursos Naturais, Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul. Rodovia Dourados/Itahum, Km 12, Caixa Postal 351, Dourados, MS, 79804-970, Brazil
| | - Gustavo Graciolli
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul - UFMS, Campo Grande, MS, 79090-900, Brazil
| | - William Fernando Antonialli-Junior
- Centro de Estudos em Recursos Naturais, Programa de Pós-graduação em Recursos Naturais, Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul. Rodovia Dourados/Itahum, Km 12, Caixa Postal 351, Dourados, MS, 79804-970, Brazil
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Dos Santos PG, Dos Santos EG, de Carvalho Guimarães I, Cardoso CAL, Lima-Junior SE, Antonialli-Junior WF. Hydrocarbons in Formicidae: influence of chemical footprints on ant behavioral strategies. THE SCIENCE OF NATURE - NATURWISSENSCHAFTEN 2024; 111:24. [PMID: 38634907 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-024-01908-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Revised: 03/16/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
When an insect walks, it leaves chemical cues that derive from the arolium, a tarsal structure. These cues may contain important information about other species that occur in their community and can then mediate interactions of competition, predation, and information about resources with ants from their own colony. The compounds of these cues are released into the substrate in the form of chemical footprints. There are still few species studied, and little is known about the behavior of ants regarding these signals and how they use them in their interactions. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the behavioral strategy of different ant species when confronted with chemical footprints left by other ants, as well as identify their compounds and their relationship with the cuticular hydrocarbon profile. The experiments were performed using a Y-maze, where in one of the arms, there were chemical footprints of their own species or of other species, and the other Y arm was footprint-free. The chemical compounds of footprints and cuticle were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The results show that foragers of all species detect and respond to the presence of chemical cues in the form of footprints left by other ants. Foragers of all species followed footprints of individuals of the same species both nestmates and non-nestmates; however, Neoponera villosa avoided the footprints of Cephalotes borgmeieri, and C. borgmeieri avoided the footprints of the other two species. The chemical compositions of the cuticle and footprints are related to each other and are specific to each species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Poliana Galvão Dos Santos
- Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental, Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso Do Sul, Dourados, Mato Grosso Do Sul, 79804-970, Brazil.
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Entomologia e Conservação da Biodiversidade, Universidade Federal da Grande Dourados, Dourados, Mato Grosso Do Sul, 79804-970, Brazil.
- Centro de Estudos Em Recursos Naturais, Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso Do Sul, Dourados, Mato Grosso Do Sul, 79804-970, Brazil.
| | - Elane Galvão Dos Santos
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Ciência E Tecnologia Ambiental, Universidade Federal da Grande Dourados, Dourados, Mato Grosso Do Sul, 79804-970, Brazil
| | - Ingrid de Carvalho Guimarães
- Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental, Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso Do Sul, Dourados, Mato Grosso Do Sul, 79804-970, Brazil
- Centro de Estudos Em Recursos Naturais, Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso Do Sul, Dourados, Mato Grosso Do Sul, 79804-970, Brazil
| | - Claudia Andrea Lima Cardoso
- Centro de Estudos Em Recursos Naturais, Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso Do Sul, Dourados, Mato Grosso Do Sul, 79804-970, Brazil
| | - Sidnei Eduardo Lima-Junior
- Centro de Estudos Em Recursos Naturais, Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso Do Sul, Dourados, Mato Grosso Do Sul, 79804-970, Brazil
| | - William Fernando Antonialli-Junior
- Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental, Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso Do Sul, Dourados, Mato Grosso Do Sul, 79804-970, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Entomologia e Conservação da Biodiversidade, Universidade Federal da Grande Dourados, Dourados, Mato Grosso Do Sul, 79804-970, Brazil
- Centro de Estudos Em Recursos Naturais, Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso Do Sul, Dourados, Mato Grosso Do Sul, 79804-970, Brazil
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4
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Couto A, Marty S, Dawson EH, d'Ettorre P, Sandoz JC, Montgomery SH. Evolution of the neuronal substrate for kin recognition in social Hymenoptera. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2023; 98:2226-2242. [PMID: 37528574 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13003] [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: 08/11/2022] [Revised: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023]
Abstract
In evolutionary terms, life is about reproduction. Yet, in some species, individuals forgo their own reproduction to support the reproductive efforts of others. Social insect colonies for example, can contain up to a million workers that actively cooperate in tasks such as foraging, brood care and nest defence, but do not produce offspring. In such societies the division of labour is pronounced, and reproduction is restricted to just one or a few individuals, most notably the queen(s). This extreme eusocial organisation exists in only a few mammals, crustaceans and insects, but strikingly, it evolved independently up to nine times in the order Hymenoptera (including ants, bees and wasps). Transitions from a solitary lifestyle to an organised society can occur through natural selection when helpers obtain a fitness benefit from cooperating with kin, owing to the indirect transmission of genes through siblings. However, this process, called kin selection, is vulnerable to parasitism and opportunistic behaviours from unrelated individuals. An ability to distinguish kin from non-kin, and to respond accordingly, could therefore critically facilitate the evolution of eusociality and the maintenance of non-reproductive workers. The question of how the hymenopteran brain has adapted to support this function is therefore a fundamental issue in evolutionary neuroethology. Early neuroanatomical investigations proposed that social Hymenoptera have expanded integrative brain areas due to selection for increased cognitive capabilities in the context of processing social information. Later studies challenged this assumption and instead pointed to an intimate link between higher social organisation and the existence of developed sensory structures involved in recognition and communication. In particular, chemical signalling of social identity, known to be mediated through cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs), may have evolved hand in hand with a specialised chemosensory system in Hymenoptera. Here, we compile the current knowledge on this recognition system, from emitted identity signals, to the molecular and neuronal basis of chemical detection, with particular emphasis on its evolutionary history. Finally, we ask whether the evolution of social behaviour in Hymenoptera could have driven the expansion of their complex olfactory system, or whether the early origin and conservation of an olfactory subsystem dedicated to social recognition could explain the abundance of eusocial species in this insect order. Answering this question will require further comparative studies to provide a comprehensive view on lineage-specific adaptations in the olfactory pathway of Hymenoptera.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Couto
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK
- Evolution, Genomes, Behaviour and Ecology (UMR 9191), IDEEV, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, IRD, 12 route 128, Gif-sur-Yvette, 91190, France
| | - Simon Marty
- Evolution, Genomes, Behaviour and Ecology (UMR 9191), IDEEV, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, IRD, 12 route 128, Gif-sur-Yvette, 91190, France
| | - Erika H Dawson
- Laboratory of Experimental and Comparative Ethology, UR 4443 (LEEC), Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, 99 avenue J.-B. Clément, Villetaneuse, 93430, France
| | - Patrizia d'Ettorre
- Laboratory of Experimental and Comparative Ethology, UR 4443 (LEEC), Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, 99 avenue J.-B. Clément, Villetaneuse, 93430, France
- Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), 103 Boulevard Saint-Michel, Paris, 75005, France
| | - Jean-Christophe Sandoz
- Evolution, Genomes, Behaviour and Ecology (UMR 9191), IDEEV, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, IRD, 12 route 128, Gif-sur-Yvette, 91190, France
| | - Stephen H Montgomery
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK
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Dos Santos AT, Souza JPA, Jorge IR, Andrade SMM, Rosa BB, Moura MO, Zarbin PHG. Can Pheromones Contribute to Phylogenetic Hypotheses? A Case Study of Chrysomelidae. J Chem Ecol 2023; 49:611-641. [PMID: 37856061 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-023-01450-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Revised: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
Pheromones mediate species-level communication in the search for mates, nesting, and feeding sites. Although the role of pheromones has long been discussed by various authors, their existence was not proven until the mid-twentieth century when the first sex pheromone was identified. From this finding, much has been speculated about whether this communication mechanism has acted as a regulatory agent in the process of speciation, competition, and sexual selection since it acts as an intraspecific barrier. Chrysomelidae is one of the major Phytophaga lineages, with approximately 40,000 species. Due to this immense diversity the internal relationships remain unstable when analyzed only with morphological data, consequently recent efforts have been directed to molecular analyses to establish clarity for the relationships and found their respective monophyly. Therefore, our goals are twofold 1) to synthesize the current literature on Chrysomelidae sex pheromones and 2) to test whether Chrysomelidae sex pheromones and their chemical structures could be used in phylogenetic analysis for the group. The results show that, although this is the first analysis in Chrysomelidae to use pheromones as a phylogenetic character, much can be observed in agreement with previous analyses, thus confirming that pheromones, when known in their entirety within lineages, can be used as characters in phylogenetic analyses, bringing elucidation to the relationships and evolution of organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aluska T Dos Santos
- Setor de Ciências Exatas, Departamento de Química, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, CEP 81531-980, Brazil
- Setor de Ciências Biológicas, Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, CEP 81531-980, Brazil
| | - João P A Souza
- Setor de Ciências Exatas, Departamento de Química, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, CEP 81531-980, Brazil
| | - Isaac R Jorge
- Setor de Ciências Biológicas, Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, CEP 81531-980, Brazil
| | - Samara M M Andrade
- Natural Resources Canada - Great Lakes Forestry Centre, Sault Ste Marie, Ontario, P6A 2E5, Canada
- Graduate Department of Forestry, John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3B3, Canada
| | - Brunno B Rosa
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, 14040-901, Brazil
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Center for Integrative Biodiversity Discovery, Invalidenstraße 43, 10115, Berlin, Germany
| | - Maurício O Moura
- Setor de Ciências Biológicas, Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, CEP 81531-980, Brazil
| | - Paulo H G Zarbin
- Setor de Ciências Exatas, Departamento de Química, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, CEP 81531-980, Brazil.
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Caminer MA, Libbrecht R, Majoe M, Ho DV, Baumann P, Foitzik S. Task-specific odorant receptor expression in worker antennae indicates that sensory filters regulate division of labor in ants. Commun Biol 2023; 6:1004. [PMID: 37783732 PMCID: PMC10545721 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05273-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Division of labor (DOL) is a characteristic trait of insect societies, where tasks are generally performed by specialized individuals. Inside workers focus on brood or nest care, while others take risks by foraging outside. Theory proposes that workers have different thresholds to perform certain tasks when confronted with task-related stimuli, leading to specialization and consequently DOL. Workers are presumed to vary in their response to task-related cues rather than in how they perceive such information. Here, we test the hypothesis that DOL instead stems from workers varying in their efficiency to detect stimuli of specific tasks. We use transcriptomics to measure mRNA expression levels in the antennae and brain of nurses and foragers of the ant Temnothorax longispinosus. We find seven times as many genes to be differentially expressed between behavioral phenotypes in the antennae compared to the brain. Moreover, half of all odorant receptors are differentially expressed, with an overrepresentation of the 9-exon gene family upregulated in the antennae of nurses. Nurses and foragers thus apparently differ in the perception of their olfactory environment and task-related signals. Our study supports the hypothesis that antennal sensory filters predispose workers to specialize in specific tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcel A Caminer
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
| | - Romain Libbrecht
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
- Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l'Insecte, UMR 7261, CNRS, University of Tours, Tours, France
| | - Megha Majoe
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - David V Ho
- Institute of Developmental and Neurobiology, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Peter Baumann
- Institute of Developmental and Neurobiology, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Mainz, Germany
| | - Susanne Foitzik
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
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Fladerer JP, Grollitsch S, Bucar F. Three cuticular amides in the tripartite symbiosis of leafcutter ants. ARCHIVES OF INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 114:1-13. [PMID: 37518892 DOI: 10.1002/arch.22041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 07/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) play various roles in insects' chemical ecology. As leafcutter ants live in a specific symbiosis with fungi, they harvest and with different bacteria, some of these CHCs might be associated with a mutualistic function within this symbiosis. To obtain a more precise picture in that respect we compared the CHC profiles of the leafcutter ants, Atta sexdens, Atta cephalotes, and Acromyrmex octospinosus inhabited by mutualistic bacteria with the profiles of Polyrhachis dives and Messor aciculatus by GC-EI-MS analysis and 28 other ant species by data from the literature. We were able to identify three alkyl amides (hexadecanamide, hexadecenamide, and tetradecanamide), occurring only in the CHC profiles of leafcutter ants inhabited by symbiotic bacteria. Our results lead to the conclusion that those alkyl amides could have a function in the tripartite symbiosis of leafcutter ants.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Franz Bucar
- Karl-Franzens-Universitat Graz Pharmacognosy, Graz, Austria
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8
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Sun W, Lange MI, Gadau J, Buellesbach J. Decoding the genetic and chemical basis of sexual attractiveness in parasitic wasps. eLife 2023; 12:e86182. [PMID: 37431891 PMCID: PMC10435230 DOI: 10.7554/elife.86182] [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: 01/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Attracting and securing potential mating partners is of fundamental importance for reproduction. Therefore, signaling sexual attractiveness is expected to be tightly coordinated in communication systems synchronizing senders and receivers. Chemical signaling has permeated through all taxa of life as the earliest and most widespread form of communication and is particularly prevalent in insects. However, it has been notoriously difficult to decipher how exactly information related to sexual signaling is encoded in complex chemical profiles. Similarly, our knowledge of the genetic basis of sexual signaling is very limited and usually restricted to a few case studies with comparably simple pheromonal communication mechanisms. The present study jointly addresses these two knowledge gaps by characterizing two fatty acid synthase genes that most likely evolved by tandem gene duplication and that simultaneously impact sexual attractiveness and complex chemical surface profiles in parasitic wasps. Gene knockdown in female wasps dramatically reduces their sexual attractiveness coinciding with a drastic decrease in male courtship and copulation behavior. Concordantly, we found a striking shift of methyl-branching patterns in the female surface pheromonal compounds, which we subsequently demonstrate to be the main cause for the greatly reduced male mating response. Intriguingly, this suggests a potential coding mechanism for sexual attractiveness mediated by specific methyl-branching patterns in complex cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) profiles. So far, the genetic underpinnings of methyl-branched CHCs are not well understood despite their high potential for encoding information. Our study sheds light on how biologically relevant information can be encoded in complex chemical profiles and on the genetic basis of sexual attractiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weizhao Sun
- Institute for Evolution & Biodiversity, University of Münster, HüfferstrMünsterGermany
| | - Michelle Ina Lange
- Institute for Evolution & Biodiversity, University of Münster, HüfferstrMünsterGermany
| | - Jürgen Gadau
- Institute for Evolution & Biodiversity, University of Münster, HüfferstrMünsterGermany
| | - Jan Buellesbach
- Institute for Evolution & Biodiversity, University of Münster, HüfferstrMünsterGermany
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9
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Microstructures at the distal tip of ant chemosensory sensilla. Sci Rep 2022; 12:19328. [PMID: 36369461 PMCID: PMC9652420 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-21507-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ants and other eusocial insects emit and receive chemical signals to communicate important information within the colony. In ants, nestmate recognition, task allocation, and reproductive distribution of labor are largely mediated through the detection of cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) that cover the exoskeleton. With their large size and limited volatility, these CHCs are believed to be primarily detected through direct contact with the antennae during behavioral interactions. Here we first use scanning electron microscopy to investigate the unique morphological features of CHC-sensitive basiconic sensilla of two ant species, the black carpenter ant Camponotus pennsylvanicus and the Indian jumping ant Harpegnathos saltator. These basiconic sensilla possess an abundance of small pores typical of most insect olfactory sensilla, but also have a large concave depression at the terminal end. Basiconic sensilla are enriched at the distal segments of the antennae in both species, which aligns with their proposed role in contact chemosensation of CHCs. A survey of these sensilla across additional ant species shows varied microstructures at their tips, but each possess surface textures that would also increase sensory surface area. These unique ant chemosensory sensilla represent yet another example of how specialized structures have evolved to serve the functional requirements of eusocial communication.
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10
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Qiao JW, Fan YL, Wu BJ, Bai TT, Wang YH, Zhang ZF, Wang D, Liu TX. Downregulation of NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase via RNA interference increases the susceptibility of Acyrthosiphon pisum to desiccation and insecticides. INSECT SCIENCE 2022; 29:1105-1119. [PMID: 34723412 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.12982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2021] [Revised: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH)-cytochrome P450 reductase (CPR) is involved in the metabolism of endogenous and exogenous substances, and detoxification of insecticides. RNA interference (RNAi) of CPR in certain insects causes developmental defects and enhanced susceptibility to insecticides. However, the CPR of Acyrthosiphon pisum has not been characterized, and its function is still not understood. In this study, we investigated the biochemical functions of A. pisum CPR (ApCPR). ApCPR was found to be transcribed in all developmental stages and was abundant in the embryo stage, and in the gut, head, and abdominal cuticle. After optimizing the dose and silencing duration of RNAi for downregulating ApCPR, we found that ApCPR suppression resulted in a significant decrease in the production of cuticular and internal hydrocarbon contents, and of cuticular waxy coatings. Deficiency in cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) decreased the survival rate of A. pisum under desiccation stress and increased its susceptibility to contact insecticides. Moreover, desiccation stress induced a significant increase in ApCPR mRNA levels. We further confirmed that ApCPR participates in CHC production. These results indicate that ApCPR modulates CHC production, desiccation tolerance, and insecticide susceptibility in A. pisum, and presents a novel target for pest control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian-Wen Qiao
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on Crops in Northwestern Loess Plateau, Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Yong-Liang Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on Crops in Northwestern Loess Plateau, Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Bing-Jin Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on Crops in Northwestern Loess Plateau, Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Tian-Tian Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on Crops in Northwestern Loess Plateau, Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Ying-Hao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on Crops in Northwestern Loess Plateau, Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Zhan-Feng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on Crops in Northwestern Loess Plateau, Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Dun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on Crops in Northwestern Loess Plateau, Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Tong-Xian Liu
- Key Lab of Integrated Crop Pest Management of Shandong Province, College of Plant Health and Medicine, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, Shandong Province, China
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11
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Using weapons instead of perfume: chemical association strategies of the myrmecophilous bug Scolopostethus pacificus (Rhyparochromidae). CHEMOECOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00049-022-00374-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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12
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Buellesbach J, Holze H, Schrader L, Liebig J, Schmitt T, Gadau J, Niehuis O. Genetic and genomic architecture of species-specific cuticular hydrocarbon variation in parasitoid wasps. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20220336. [PMID: 35673870 PMCID: PMC9174729 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.0336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) serve two fundamental functions in insects: protection against desiccation and chemical signalling. How the interaction of genes shapes CHC profiles, which are essential for insect survival, adaptation and reproductive success, is still poorly understood. Here we investigate the genetic and genomic basis of CHC biosynthesis and variation in parasitoid wasps of the genus Nasonia. We mapped 91 quantitative trait loci (QTL) explaining the variation of a total of 43 CHCs in F2 hybrid males from interspecific crosses between three Nasonia species. To identify candidate genes, we localized orthologues of CHC biosynthesis-related genes in the Nasonia genomes. We discovered multiple genomic regions where the location of QTL coincides with the location of CHC biosynthesis-related candidate genes. Most conspicuously, on a region close to the centromere of chromosome 1, multiple CHC biosynthesis-related candidate genes co-localize with several QTL explaining variation in methyl-branched alkanes. The genetic underpinnings behind this compound class are not well understood so far, despite their high potential for encoding chemical information as well as their prevalence in hymenopteran CHC profiles. Our study considerably extends our knowledge on the genetic architecture governing this important compound class, establishing a model for methyl-branched alkane genetics in the Hymenoptera in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Buellesbach
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, Hüfferstr. 1, DE-48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Henrietta Holze
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, Hüfferstr. 1, DE-48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Lukas Schrader
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, Hüfferstr. 1, DE-48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Jürgen Liebig
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, PO Box 874701, Tempe, AZ 85287-4501, USA
| | - Thomas Schmitt
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, D-97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Juergen Gadau
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, Hüfferstr. 1, DE-48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Oliver Niehuis
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, Institute of Biology I (Zoology), Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg, Hauptstr. 1, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
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13
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da Silva RC, Prato A, Tannure-Nascimento I, Akemi Oi C, Wenseleers T, Nascimento F. Cuticular hydrocarbons as caste-linked cues in Neotropical swarm-founding wasps. PeerJ 2022; 10:e13571. [PMID: 35694385 PMCID: PMC9186331 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.13571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Wasps (Vespidae) are important organisms to understand the evolution of social behaviour. Wasps show different levels of sociality, which includes solitary to highly eusocial organisms. In social insect species, queens and workers differ in physiology and morphology. The Neotropical swarm-founding wasps (Epiponini) show a variety of caste syndromes. In this clade, the caste-flexibility is a unique characteristic, in which workers can become queens and swarm to start a new nest. The investigation of the caste system comparing several Epiponini species show a clear-cut morphological distinction between queens and workers, with a morphological continuum between queens and workers. However, whether cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) are used as cues for caste recognition in swarm-founding wasps is still unknown. We studied whether CHCs may display caste-linked differences in eleven species of Epiponini wasps and if CHCs differences would follow morphological patterns. Our results suggest that queens and workers of Epiponini wasps are chemically different from each other at two levels, qualitatively and quantitatively, or merely quantitatively. This variation seems to exist regardless of their morphological traits and may be useful to help us understanding how chemical communication evolved differently in these species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Carvalho da Silva
- Departamento de Biologia/Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Amanda Prato
- Departamento de Biologia/Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ivelize Tannure-Nascimento
- Departamento de Biologia/Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil,Departamento de Morfologia e Fisiologia Animal, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Cintia Akemi Oi
- Laboratory of Socioecology and Social Evolution, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium,Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, University College London, University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Tom Wenseleers
- Laboratory of Socioecology and Social Evolution, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Fabio Nascimento
- Departamento de Biologia/Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
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14
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Zeng H, Millar JG, Chen L, Keller L, Ross KG. Characterization of Queen Supergene Pheromone in the Red Imported Fire Ant Using Worker Discrimination Assays. J Chem Ecol 2021; 48:109-120. [PMID: 34850312 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-021-01336-0] [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: 06/14/2021] [Revised: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Ants use chemical signals to communicate for various purposes related to colony function. Social organization in the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, is determined by the Sb supergene, with colonies of the monogyne (single-queen) form lacking the element and colonies of the polygyne (multiple-queen) form possessing it. Polygyne workers accept new reproductive queens in their nest, but only those carrying Sb; young winged queens lacking this genetic element are executed as they mature sexually in their natal nest or as they attempt to enter a foreign nest to initiate reproduction after mating and shedding their wings. It has been suggested that queen supergene genotype status is signaled to workers by unsaturated cuticular hydrocarbons, while queen reproductive status is signaled by piperidines (venom alkaloids). We used high-throughput behavioral assays to study worker acceptance of paper dummies dosed with fractions of extracts of polygyne queens, or blends of synthetic counterparts of queen cuticular compounds. We show that the queen supergene pheromone comprises a blend of monoene and diene unsaturated hydrocarbons. Our assays also reveal that unsaturated hydrocarbons elicit discrimination by polygyne workers only when associated with additional compounds that signal queen fertility. This synergistic effect was obtained with a polar fraction of queen extracts, but not by the piperidine alkaloids, suggesting that the chemical(s) indicating queen reproductive status are compounds more polar than cuticular hydrocarbons but are not the piperidine alkaloids. Our results advance understanding of the role of chemical signaling that is central to the regulation of social organization in an important invasive pest and model ant species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haolin Zeng
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.
| | - Jocelyn G Millar
- Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Li Chen
- School of Life Sciences, Institute of Life Science and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding, Hebei, China
| | - Laurent Keller
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Kenneth G Ross
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
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15
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Lorenzi MC. Chemically Insignificant Social Parasites Exhibit More Anti-Dehydration Behaviors than Their Hosts. INSECTS 2021; 12:insects12111006. [PMID: 34821806 PMCID: PMC8624806 DOI: 10.3390/insects12111006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Revised: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary Social parasites use a variety of deceptive mechanisms to avoid detection by their social-insect hosts and get tolerance in their colonies. One of these mechanisms is chemical insignificance, where social parasites have reduced amounts of recognition cues—hydrocarbons—on their cuticle, thus evading host chemical detection. This exposes social parasites to dehydration stress, as cuticular hydrocarbons also limit body water loss. By analyzing behavioral data from field observations, here we show that a Polistes wasp social parasite exhibits water-saving behaviors; parasites were less active than their cohabiting host foundresses, spent more time at the nest, and rested in the shadow, contradicting the rule that dominant individuals occupy prominent positions at the nest. Abstract Social parasites have evolved adaptations to overcome host resistance as they infiltrate host colonies and establish there. Among the chemical adaptations, a few species are chemically “insignificant”; they are poor in recognition cues (cuticular hydrocarbons) and evade host detection. As cuticular hydrocarbons also serve a waterproofing function, chemical insignificance is beneficial as it protects parasites from being detected but is potentially harmful because it exposes parasites to desiccation stress. Here I tested whether the social parasites Polistes atrimandibularis employ behavioral water-saving strategies when they live at Polistes biglumis colonies. Observations in the field showed that parasites were less active than their cohabiting host foundresses, spent more time at the nest, and rested in the shadowy, back face of the nest, rather than at the front face, which contradicted expectations for the use of space for dominant females—typically, dominants rest at the nest front-face. These data suggest that behavioral adaptations might promote resistance to desiccation stress in chemical insignificant social parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Cristina Lorenzi
- Laboratoire d'Ethologie Expérimentale et Comparée, LEEC, UR 4443, Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, F-93430 Villetaneuse, France
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16
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Sprenger PP, Gerbes LJ, Sahm J, Menzel F. Cuticular hydrocarbon profiles differ between ant body parts: implications for communication and our understanding of CHC diffusion. Curr Zool 2021; 67:531-540. [PMID: 34616951 PMCID: PMC8489164 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoab012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Insect cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) serve as communication signals and protect against desiccation. They form complex blends of up to 150 different compounds. Due to differences in molecular packing, CHC classes differ in melting point. Communication is especially important in social insects like ants, which use CHCs to communicate within the colony and to recognize nestmates. Nestmate recognition models often assume a homogenous colony odor, where CHCs are collected, mixed, and redistributed in the postpharyngeal gland (PPG). Via diffusion, recognition cues should evenly spread over the body surface. Hence, CHC composition should be similar across body parts and in the PPG. To test this, we compared CHC composition among whole-body extracts, PPG, legs, thorax, and gaster, across 17 ant species from 3 genera. Quantitative CHC composition differed between body parts, with consistent patterns across species and CHC classes. Early-melting CHC classes were most abundant in the PPG. In contrast, whole body, gaster, thorax, and legs had increasing proportions of CHC classes with higher melting points. Intraindividual CHC variation was highest for rather solid, late-melting CHC classes, suggesting that CHCs differ in their diffusion rates across the body surface. Our results show that body parts strongly differ in CHC composition, either being rich in rather solid, late-melting, or rather liquid, early-melting CHCs. This implies that recognition cues are not homogenously present across the insect body. However, the unequal diffusion of different CHCs represents a biophysical mechanism that enables caste differences despite continuous CHC exchange among colony members.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp P Sprenger
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution (iomE), Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Hanns-Dieter-Hüsch-Weg 15, Mainz, 55128, Germany
| | - Lisa J Gerbes
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution (iomE), Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Hanns-Dieter-Hüsch-Weg 15, Mainz, 55128, Germany
| | - Jacqueline Sahm
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution (iomE), Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Hanns-Dieter-Hüsch-Weg 15, Mainz, 55128, Germany.,Department of Evolutionary Animal Ecology, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, Bayreuth, 95477, Germany
| | - Florian Menzel
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution (iomE), Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Hanns-Dieter-Hüsch-Weg 15, Mainz, 55128, Germany
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17
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Li W, Zhang Y, Peng H, Zhang R, Wang Z, Huang ZY, Chen YP, Han R. The cell invasion preference of Varroa destructor between the original and new honey bee hosts. Int J Parasitol 2021; 52:125-134. [PMID: 34543630 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2021.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Revised: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Honey bees (Apis) are important pollinators for food crops and wild plants, but are facing great threats from pathogens and parasites, especially an obligate ectoparasitic mite, Varroa destructor. Cell invasion is a key step for V. destructor to reproduce, and the parasite displays remarkable host preference in this process. Varroa destructor made its host-shift from its original host, the Asian honey bee Apis cerana, to the new host, the European honey bee Apis mellifera several decades ago. However, it remains largely unstudied whether V. destructor shows a cell invasion preference between the two host species. Using cell invasion bioassays on a modified four-well arena, we showed that V. destructor significantly preferred to invade the worker and drone larvae of A. mellifera rather than A. cerana, suggesting that the new host is much more attractive to the parasite than the original one. Using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), we revealed significant differences between the cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) profiles of worker and drone larvae of the two bee hosts. The amounts of methyl-branched alkanes and alkenes (unsaturated CHCs), but not n-alkanes, were significantly different, and A. mellifera worker and drone larvae were found to express significantly higher amounts of methyl-alkanes, while A. cerana larvae produced higher amounts of alkenes. Cell invasion bioassays with glass dummies showed that the mites preferred the glass dummies coated with the CHCs of A. mellifera worker or drone larvae, which indicates a role of larval CHCs in mediating the preferential cell invasion of Varroa. The findings from this study extend our understanding of the host preference of V. destructor, and can potentially contribute to the development of effective strategies for mite control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenfeng Li
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510260, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510260, China
| | - Hui Peng
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510260, China
| | - Ruonan Zhang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510260, China
| | - Zhengwei Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650000, China; Center for Plant Ecology, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla 666303, China
| | - Zachary Y Huang
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Yan Ping Chen
- USDA-ARS Bee Research Laboratory, Bldg. 306, BARC-East, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - Richou Han
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510260, China.
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18
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Qiao JW, Fan YL, Bai TT, Wu BJ, Pei XJ, Wang D, Liu TX. Lipophorin receptor regulates the cuticular hydrocarbon accumulation and adult fecundity of the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum. INSECT SCIENCE 2021; 28:1018-1032. [PMID: 32558147 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.12828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2020] [Revised: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Cuticular hydrocarbons form a barrier that protects terrestrial insects from water loss via the epicuticle. Lipophorin loads and transports lipids, including hydrocarbons, from one tissue to another. In some insects, the lipophorin receptor (LpR), which binds to lipophorin and accepts its lipid cargo, is essential for female fecundity because it mediates the incorporation of lipophorin by developing oocytes. However, it is unclear whether LpR is involved in the accumulation of cuticular hydrocarbons and its precise role in aphid reproduction remains unknown. We herein present the results of our molecular characterization, phylogenetic analysis, and functional annotation of the pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum) LpR gene (ApLpR). This gene was transcribed throughout the A. pisum life cycle, but especially during the embryonic stage and in the abdominal cuticle. Furthermore, we optimized the RHA interference (RNAi) parameters by determining the ideal dose and duration for gene silencing in the pea aphid. We observed that the RNAi-based ApLpR suppression significantly decreased the internal and cuticular hydrocarbon contents as well as adult fecundity. Additionally, a deficiency in cuticular hydrocarbons increased the susceptibility of aphids to desiccation stress, with decreased survival rates under simulated drought conditions. Moreover, ApLpR expression levels significantly increased in response to the desiccation treatment. These results confirm that ApLpR is involved in transporting hydrocarbons and protecting aphids from desiccation stress. Furthermore, this gene is vital for aphid reproduction. Therefore, the ApLpR gene of A. pisum may be a novel RNAi target relevant for insect pest management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian-Wen Qiao
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on Crops in Northwestern Loess Plateau, Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yong-Liang Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on Crops in Northwestern Loess Plateau, Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Tian-Tian Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on Crops in Northwestern Loess Plateau, Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Bing-Jin Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on Crops in Northwestern Loess Plateau, Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Xiao-Jin Pei
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on Crops in Northwestern Loess Plateau, Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Dun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on Crops in Northwestern Loess Plateau, Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Tong-Xian Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on Crops in Northwestern Loess Plateau, Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
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19
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Li DT, Pei XJ, Ye YX, Wang XQ, Wang ZC, Chen N, Liu TX, Fan YL, Zhang CX. Cuticular Hydrocarbon Plasticity in Three Rice Planthopper Species. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22147733. [PMID: 34299353 PMCID: PMC8304831 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22147733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Revised: 07/18/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Insect cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) are organic compounds of the surface lipid layer, which function as a barrier against water loss and xenobiotic penetration, while also serving as chemical signals. Plasticity of CHC profiles can vary depending upon numerous biological and environmental factors. Here, we investigated potential sources of variation in CHC profiles of Nilaparvata lugens, Laodelphax striatellus and Sogatella furcifera, which are considered to be the most important rice pests in Asia. CHC profiles were quantified by GC/MS, and factors associated with variations were explored by conducting principal component analysis (PCA). Transcriptomes were further compared under different environmental conditions. The results demonstrated that CHC profiles differ among three species and change with different developmental stages, sexes, temperature, humidity and host plants. Genes involved in cuticular lipid biosynthesis pathways are modulated, which might explain why CHC profiles vary among species under different environments. Our study illustrates some biological and ecological variations in modifying CHC profiles, and the underlying molecular regulation mechanisms of the planthoppers in coping with changes of environmental conditions, which is of great importance for identifying potential vulnerabilities relating to pest ecology and developing novel pest management strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan-Ting Li
- Institute of Insect Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Institute of Plant Virology, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China
| | - Xiao-Jin Pei
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on Crops in Northwestern Loess Plateau, Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest AandF University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Yu-Xuan Ye
- Institute of Insect Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Xin-Qiu Wang
- Institute of Insect Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Zhe-Chao Wang
- Institute of Insect Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Nan Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Tong-Xian Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on Crops in Northwestern Loess Plateau, Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest AandF University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Yong-Liang Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on Crops in Northwestern Loess Plateau, Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest AandF University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Chuan-Xi Zhang
- Institute of Insect Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Institute of Plant Virology, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China
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20
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The Inquiline Ant Myrmica karavajevi Uses Both Chemical and Vibroacoustic Deception Mechanisms to Integrate into Its Host Colonies. BIOLOGY 2021; 10:biology10070654. [PMID: 34356510 PMCID: PMC8301377 DOI: 10.3390/biology10070654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Revised: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Social parasitism represents a particular type of agonistic interaction in which a parasite exploits an entire society instead of a single organism. One fascinating form of social parasitism in ants is the "inquilinism", in which a typically worker-less parasitic queen coexists with the resident queen in the host colony and produces sexual offspring. To bypass the recognition system of host colonies, inquilines have evolved a repertoire of deceiving strategies. We tested the level of integration of the inquiline Myrmica karavajevi within the host colonies of M. scabrinodis and we investigated the mechanisms of chemical and vibroacoustic deception used by the parasite. M. karavajevi is integrated into the ant colony to such an extent that, in rescue experiments, the parasite pupae were saved prior to the host's brood. M. karavajevi gynes perfectly imitated the cuticular hydrocarbon profiles of M. scabrinodis queens and the parasite vibroacoustic signals resembled those emitted by the host queens eliciting the same levels of attention in the host workers during playback experiments. Our results suggest that M. karavajevi has evolved ultimate deception strategies to reach the highest social status in the colony hierarchy, encouraging the use of a combined molecular and behavioural approach when studying host-parasite interactions.
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21
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Castillo P, Le N, Sun Q. Comparative Antennal Morphometry and Sensilla Organization in the Reproductive and Non-Reproductive Castes of the Formosan Subterranean Termite. INSECTS 2021; 12:576. [PMID: 34202744 PMCID: PMC8307099 DOI: 10.3390/insects12070576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Revised: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Antennae are the primary sensory organs in insects, where a variety of sensilla are distributed for the perception of the chemical environment. In eusocial insects, colony function is maintained by a division of labor between reproductive and non-reproductive castes, and chemosensation is essential for regulating their specialized social activities. Several social species in Hymenoptera display caste-specific characteristics in antennal morphology and diversity of sensilla, reflecting their differential tasks. In termites, however, little is known about how the division of labor is associated with chemosensory morphology among castes. Using light and scanning electron microscopy, we performed antennal morphometry and characterized the organization of sensilla in reproductive (female and male alates) and non-reproductive (worker and soldier) castes in the Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki. Here, we show that the antennal sensilla in alates are twice as abundant as in workers and soldiers, along with the greater number of antennal segments and antennal length in alates. However, all castes exhibit the same types of antennal sensilla, including basiconicum, campaniformium, capitulum, chaeticum I, chaeticum II, chaeticum III, marginal, trichodeum I, and trichodeum I. The quantitative composition of sensilla diverges between reproductive and non-reproductive castes, but not between female and male alates or between worker and soldier castes. The sensilla display spatial-specific distribution, with basiconicum exclusively and capitulum predominantly found on the ventral side of antennae. In addition, the abundance of chemosensilla increases toward the distal end of antennae in each caste. This research provides morphological signatures of chemosensation and their implications for the division of labor, and suggests future neurophysiological and molecular studies to address the mechanisms of chemical communication in termites.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Qian Sun
- Department of Entomology, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA; (P.C.); (N.L.)
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22
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Ômura H, Morozumi Y, Noguchi T, Ohta S. Variation in cuticular lipid profiles of black butterflies of the genus Papilio in Japan. BIOCHEM SYST ECOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bse.2021.104265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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23
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Pulliainen U, Bos N, d'Ettorre P, Sundström L. The Scent of Ant Brood: Caste Differences in Surface Hydrocarbons of Formica exsecta Pupae. J Chem Ecol 2021; 47:513-524. [PMID: 33900528 PMCID: PMC8217064 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-021-01275-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Revised: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Chemical communication is common across all organisms. Insects in particular use predominantly chemical stimuli in assessing their environment and recognizing their social counterparts. One of the chemical stimuli used for recognition in social insects, such as ants, is the suite of long-chain, cuticular hydrocarbons. In addition to providing waterproofing, these surface hydrocarbons serve as a signature mixture, which ants can perceive, and use to distinguish between strangers and colony mates, and to determine caste, sex, and reproductive status of another individual. They can be both environmentally and endogenously acquired. The surface chemistry of adult workers has been studied extensively in ants, yet the pupal stage has rarely been considered. Here we characterized the surface chemistry of pupae of Formica exsecta, and examine differences among sexes, castes (reproductive vs. worker), and types of sample (developing individual vs. cocoon envelope). We found quantitative and qualitative differences among both castes and types of sample, but male and female reproductives did not differ in their surface chemistry. We also found that the pupal surface chemistry was more complex than that of adult workers in this species. These results improve our understanding of the information on which ants base recognition, and highlights the diversity of surface chemistry in social insects across developmental stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Unni Pulliainen
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Tväminne Zoological Station, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Nick Bos
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Patrizia d'Ettorre
- Laboratory of Experimental and Comparative Ethology, University of Paris, 13, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Liselotte Sundström
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
- Tväminne Zoological Station, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
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24
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Xu T, Chen L. Chemical communication in ant-hemipteran mutualism: potential implications for ant invasions. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2021; 45:121-129. [PMID: 33901733 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2021.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Revised: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Ant-hemipteran mutualism is one of the most frequently observed food-for-protection associations in nature, and is recently found to contribute to the invasions of several of the most destructive invasive ants. Chemical communication underlies establishment and maintenance of such associations, in which a multitude of semiochemicals, such as pheromones, cuticular hydrocarbons, honeydew sugars and bacteria-produced honeydew volatiles mediate location, recognition, selection, learning of mutualistic partners. Here, we review what is known about the chemical communication between ants and honeydew-producing hemipterans, and discuss how invasive ants can rapidly recognize and establish a mutualistic relationship with the hemipterans with which they have never coevolved. We also highlight some future directions for a clearer understanding of the chemical communication in ant-hemipteran mutualism and its role in ant invasions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tian Xu
- College of Life Science, Institute of Life Science and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, PR China
| | - Li Chen
- College of Life Science, Institute of Life Science and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, PR China.
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25
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Sprenger PP, Hartke J, Schmitt T, Menzel F, Feldmeyer B. Candidate genes involved in cuticular hydrocarbon differentiation between cryptic, parabiotic ant species. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2021; 11:6174692. [PMID: 33729492 PMCID: PMC8104948 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkab078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Insect cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) are highly diverse and have multiple functions, including communication and waterproofing. CHC profiles form species-specific, complex blends of up to 150 compounds. Especially in ants, even closely related species can have largely different profiles, raising the question how CHC differences are mirrored in the regulation of biosynthetic pathways. The neotropical ants Crematogaster levior and Camponotus femoratus both consist of two cryptic species each that are morphologically similar, but express strongly different CHC profiles. This is ideal to study the molecular basis of CHC differences. We thus investigated gene expression differences in fat-body transcriptomes of these ants. Despite common garden conditions, we found several thousand differentially expressed transcripts within each cryptic species pair. Many of these were related to metabolic processes, probably accounting for physiological differences. Moreover, we identified candidate genes from five gene families involved in CHC biosynthesis. By assigning candidate transcripts to orthologs in Drosophila, we inferred which CHCs might be influenced by differential gene expression. Expression of these candidate genes was often mirrored in the CHC profiles. For example, Cr. levior A, which has longer CHCs than its cryptic sister species, had a higher expression of elongases and a lower expression of fatty acyl- CoA reductases. This study is one of the first to identify CHC candidate genes in ants and will provide a basis for further research on the genetic basis of CHC biosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp P Sprenger
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Faculty of Biology, Johannes-Gutenberg-University Mainz, 55128 Mainz, Germany.,Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, University of Würzburg, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Juliane Hartke
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Faculty of Biology, Johannes-Gutenberg-University Mainz, 55128 Mainz, Germany.,Senckenberg Research Institute, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Thomas Schmitt
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, University of Würzburg, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Florian Menzel
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Faculty of Biology, Johannes-Gutenberg-University Mainz, 55128 Mainz, Germany
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26
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Goldberg JK, Pintel G, Pruett JA, Weiss SL. Whiptail lizards (
Aspidoscelis exsanguis
) recognize invertebrate prey via cuticular hydrocarbons. Ethology 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jay K. Goldberg
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Arizona Tucson AZ USA
- Department of Biology Indiana University Bloomington IN USA
| | | | - Jake A. Pruett
- Department of Biology Indiana State University Terre Haute IN USA
- Department of Biological Sciences Southeastern Oklahoma State University Durant OK USA
| | - Stacey L. Weiss
- Department of Biology University of Puget Sound Tacoma WA USA
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Abstract
Social behavior is one of the most fascinating and complex behaviors in humans and animals. A fundamental process of social behavior is communication among individuals. It relies on the capability of the nervous system to sense, process, and interpret various signals (e.g., pheromones) and respond with appropriate decisions and actions. Eusocial insects, including ants, some bees, some wasps, and termites, display intriguing cooperative social behavior. Recent advances in genetic and genomic studies have revealed key genes that are involved in pheromone synthesis, chemosensory perception, and physiological and behavioral responses to varied pheromones. In this review, we highlight the genes and pathways that regulate queen pheromone-mediated social communication, discuss the evolutionary changes in genetic systems, and outline prospects of functional studies in sociobiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua Yan
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA
- Center for Smell and Taste, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610, USA
| | - Jürgen Liebig
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, USA
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28
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Zorzal G, Camarota F, Dias M, Vidal DM, Lima E, Fregonezi A, Campos RI. The dear enemy effect drives conspecific aggressiveness in an Azteca-Cecropia system. Sci Rep 2021; 11:6158. [PMID: 33731789 PMCID: PMC7970830 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-85070-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Territoriality is costly, and the accurate identification of intruders and the decision to perform aggressive responses are key behavioral traits in social animals. We studied aggression among individuals belonging to close and distant nests of the plant-ant Azteca muelleri, which lives in stems of the pioneer tree Cecropia glaziovii. More specifically, we aim to investigate if the DE (dear-enemy effect-less aggression towards neighbors than strangers) or NN (nasty-neighbor effect-less aggression to strangers than neighbors) effects or even none of them apply for this iconic Azteca-Cecropia system. We further checked if ant aggression towards conspecifics is related to cuticular hydrocarbon profiles (CHCs), which provide chemical cues for nestmate recognition. Therefore, we sampled 46 nests of A. muelleri in three Brazilian Atlantic forest fragments and performed behavioral trials within and between sites. Consistently with the DE effect, we found higher aggression levels in 'between sites' versus 'within sites' treatments as well as a positive effect of spatial distance on ant aggressiveness. We found no effect of the overall dissimilarities on CHC blend on ant aggressiveness, but of one CHC class, the methylated alkanes. Overall, we provide key insights on nest-mate recognition in obligatory ant-plant mutualisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Zorzal
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Ecologia, Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, 36570900, Brazil
| | - Flávio Camarota
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Ecologia, Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, 36570900, Brazil
| | - Marcondes Dias
- Departamento de Entomologia, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Diogo M Vidal
- Departamento de Química, Instituto de Ciências Exatas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Eraldo Lima
- Departamento de Entomologia, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Aline Fregonezi
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Ecologia, Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, 36570900, Brazil
| | - Ricardo I Campos
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Ecologia, Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, 36570900, Brazil.
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29
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Blomquist GJ, Ginzel MD. Chemical Ecology, Biochemistry, and Molecular Biology of Insect Hydrocarbons. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ENTOMOLOGY 2021; 66:45-60. [PMID: 33417824 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ento-031620-071754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Insect cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) consist of complex mixtures of straight-chain alkanes and alkenes, and methyl-branched hydrocarbons. In addition to restricting water loss through the cuticle and preventing desiccation, they have secondarily evolved to serve a variety of functions in chemical communication and play critical roles as signals mediating the life histories of insects. In this review, we describe the physical properties of CHCs that allow for both waterproofing and signaling functions, summarize their roles as inter- and intraspecific chemical signals, and discuss the influences of diet and environment on CHC profiles. We also present advances in our understanding of hydrocarbon biosynthesis. Hydrocarbons are biosynthesized in oenocytes and transported to the cuticle by lipophorin proteins. Recent work on the synthesis of fatty acids and their ultimate reductive decarbonylation to hydrocarbons has taken advantage of powerful new tools of molecular biology, including genomics and RNA interference knockdown of specific genes, to provide new insights into the biosynthesis of hydrocarbons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gary J Blomquist
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada 89557, USA;
| | - Matthew D Ginzel
- Department of Entomology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA;
- Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA
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30
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The male swallowtail butterfly, Papilio polytes, uses cuticular hydrocarbons for mate discrimination. Anim Behav 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.10.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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31
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Gordon JM, Šobotník J, Chouvenc T. Colony-age-dependent variation in cuticular hydrocarbon profiles in subterranean termite colonies. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:10095-10104. [PMID: 33005366 PMCID: PMC7520186 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Revised: 07/11/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) have, in insects, important physiological and ecological functions, such as protection against desiccation and as semiochemicals in social taxa, including termites. CHCs are, in termites, known to vary qualitatively and/or quantitatively among species, populations, castes, or seasons. Changes to hydrocarbon profile composition have been linked to varying degrees of aggression between termite colonies, although the variability of results among studies suggests that additional factors might have been involved. One source of such variability may be colony age, as termite colony demographics significantly change over time, with different caste and instar compositions throughout the life of the colony. We here hypothesize that the intracolonial chemical profile heterogeneity would be high in incipient termite colonies but would homogenize over time as a colony ages and accumulates older workers in improved homeostatic conditions. We studied caste-specific patterns of CHC profiles in Coptotermes gestroi colonies of four different age classes (6, 18, 30, and 42 months). The CHC profiles were variable among castes in the youngest colonies, but progressively converged toward a colony-wide homogenized chemical profile. Young colonies had a less-defined CHC identity, which implies a potentially high acceptance threshold for non-nestmates conspecifics in young colonies. Our results also suggest that there was no selective pressure for an early-defined colony CHC profile to evolve in termites, potentially allowing an incipient colony to merge nonagonistically with another conspecific incipient colony, with both colonies indirectly and passively avoiding mutual destruction as a result.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johnalyn M. Gordon
- Entomology and Nematology DepartmentFt. Lauderdale Research and Education CenterInstitute of Food and Agricultural SciencesUniversity of FloridaDavieFLUSA
| | - Jan Šobotník
- Faculty of Tropical AgriSciencesCULSPragueCzech Republic
| | - Thomas Chouvenc
- Entomology and Nematology DepartmentFt. Lauderdale Research and Education CenterInstitute of Food and Agricultural SciencesUniversity of FloridaDavieFLUSA
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Müller C, Caspers BA, Gadau J, Kaiser S. The Power of Infochemicals in Mediating Individualized Niches. Trends Ecol Evol 2020; 35:981-989. [PMID: 32723498 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2020.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2020] [Revised: 06/26/2020] [Accepted: 07/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Infochemicals, including hormones, pheromones, and allelochemicals, play a central role in mediating information and shaping interactions within and between individuals. Due to their high plasticity, infochemicals are predestined mediators in facilitating individualized niches of organisms. Only recently it has become clear that individual differences are essential to understand how and why individuals realize a tiny subset of the species' niche. Moreover, individual differences have a central role in both ecological adjustment and evolutionary adaptation in a rapidly changing world. Here we highlight that infochemicals act as key signals or cues and empower the realization of the individualized niche through three proposed processes: niche choice, niche conformance, and niche construction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Müller
- Chemical Ecology, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstr. 25, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany.
| | - Barbara A Caspers
- Behavioral Ecology, Bielefeld University, Konsequenz 45, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Jürgen Gadau
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, Hüfferstraße 1, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Sylvia Kaiser
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Badestr. 13, 48149 Münster, Germany
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33
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Qiu HL, Qin CS, Fox EGP, Wang DS, He YR. Differential Behavioral Responses of Solenopsis invicta (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Workers Toward Nestmate and Non-Nestmate Corpses. JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2020; 20:5877675. [PMID: 32725158 PMCID: PMC7387867 DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/ieaa069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The removal of corpses (aka 'necrophoric behavior') is critical to sanitation in ant colonies. However, little is known about differences in the necrophoric responses of Solenopsis invicta workers towards corpses of nestmates and non-nestmates. We introduced corpses of S. invicta workers from either intracolony (i.e., nestmate) or intercolony (i.e., non-nestmate) origin at the entrance of artificial nests, and recorded workers' aggressive responses and necrophoric behaviors for analysis. Solenopsis invicta workers displayed distinct responses towards corpses of different origins. Specifically, resident workers were more likely to remove fresh non-nestmate corpses than nestmate corpses, but there was no difference regarding corpses that had been dead for 15 min or longer. Resident workers reacted more aggressively to, and removed more quickly, fresh non-nestmate corpses than corpses of their nestmates. On the other hand, there was no significant difference in the removal time between nestmate and non-nestmate corpses that had been dead for 15 min or longer. Resident workers always displayed stronger aggressiveness towards non-nestmate corpses than nestmate corpses, excepting to corpses that had been dead for 6 h, which elicited a response. No significant correlation between the removal times and aggressiveness levels were detected in any treatments. It remains to be tested whether this differential response is adaptive in how it influences colony fitness and competition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua-Long Qiu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Silviculture, Protection and Utilization/Guangdong Academy of Forestry, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Chang-Sheng Qin
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Silviculture, Protection and Utilization/Guangdong Academy of Forestry, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Eduardo G P Fox
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - De-Sen Wang
- College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangdong, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yu-Rong He
- College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangdong, Guangzhou, China
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34
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Walsh J, Pontieri L, d'Ettorre P, Linksvayer TA. Ant cuticular hydrocarbons are heritable and associated with variation in colony productivity. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20201029. [PMID: 32517627 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.1029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In social insects, cuticular hydrocarbons function in nest-mate recognition and also provide a waxy barrier against desiccation, but basic evolutionary features, including the heritability of hydrocarbon profiles and how they are shaped by natural selection are largely unknown. We used a new pharaoh ant (Monomorium pharaonis) laboratory mapping population to estimate the heritability of individual cuticular hydrocarbons, genetic correlations between hydrocarbons, and fitness consequences of phenotypic variation in the hydrocarbons. Individual hydrocarbons had low to moderate estimated heritability, indicating that some compounds provide more information about genetic relatedness and can also better respond to natural selection. Strong genetic correlations between compounds are likely to constrain independent evolutionary trajectories, which is expected, given that many hydrocarbons share biosynthetic pathways. Variation in cuticular hydrocarbons was associated with variation in colony productivity, with some hydrocarbons experiencing strong directional selection. Altogether, this study builds on our knowledge of the genetic architecture of the social insect hydrocarbon profile and indicates that hydrocarbon variation is shaped by natural selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin Walsh
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Luigi Pontieri
- Section for Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Patrizia d'Ettorre
- Laboratory of Experimental and Comparative Ethology (LEEC), University of Paris 13, Sorbonne Paris Cité, France
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35
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Johnson DJ, Stahlschmidt ZR. City limits: Heat tolerance is influenced by body size and hydration state in an urban ant community. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:4944-4955. [PMID: 32551072 PMCID: PMC7297767 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2019] [Revised: 03/16/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Cities are rapidly expanding, and global warming is intensified in urban environments due to the urban heat island effect. Therefore, urban animals may be particularly susceptible to warming associated with ongoing climate change. We used a comparative and manipulative approach to test three related hypotheses about the determinants of heat tolerance or critical thermal maximum (CT max) in urban ants-specifically, that (a) body size, (b) hydration status, and (c) chosen microenvironments influence CT max. We further tested a fourth hypothesis that native species are particularly physiologically vulnerable in urban environments. We manipulated water access and determined CT max for 11 species common to cities in California's Central Valley that exhibit nearly 300-fold variation in body size. There was a moderate phylogenetic signal influencing CT max, and inter (but not intra) specific variation in body size influenced CT max where larger species had higher CT max. The sensitivity of ants' CT max to water availability exhibited species-specific thresholds where short-term water limitation (8 hr) reduced CT max and body water content in some species while longer-term water limitation (32 hr) was required to reduce these traits in other species. However, CT max was not related to the temperatures chosen by ants during activity. Further, we found support for our fourth hypothesis because CT max and estimates of thermal safety margin in native species were more sensitive to water availability relative to non-native species. In sum, we provide evidence of links between heat tolerance and water availability, which will become critically important in an increasingly warm, dry, and urbanized world that others have shown may be selecting for smaller (not larger) body size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dustin J. Johnson
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of the PacificStocktonCalifornia
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36
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Sapp JR, Yost J, Lyon BE. The socially parasitic ant Polyergus mexicanus has host-associated genetic population structure and related neighbouring colonies. Mol Ecol 2020; 29:2050-2062. [PMID: 32402118 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2018] [Revised: 03/25/2020] [Accepted: 04/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The genetic structure of populations can be both a cause and a consequence of ecological interactions. For parasites, genetic structure may be a consequence of preferences for host species or of mating behaviour. Conversely, genetic structure can influence where conspecific interactions among parasites lay on a spectrum from cooperation to conflict. We used microsatellite loci to characterize the genetic structure of a population of the socially parasitic dulotic (aka "slave-making") ant (Polyergus mexicanus), which is known for its host-specificity and conspecific aggression. First, we assessed whether the pattern of host species use by the parasite has influenced parasite population structure. We found that host species use was correlated with subpopulation structure, but this correlation was imperfect: some subpopulations used one host species nearly exclusively, while others used several. Second, we examined the viscosity of the parasite population by measuring the relatedness of pairs of neighbouring parasitic ant colonies at varying distances from each other. Although natural history observations of local dispersal by queens suggested the potential for viscosity, there was no strong correlation between relatedness and distance between colonies. However, 35% of colonies had a closely related neighbouring colony, indicating that kinship could potentially affect the nature of some interactions between colonies of this social parasite. Our findings confirm that ecological forces like host species selection can shape the genetic structure of parasite populations, and that such genetic structure has the potential to influence parasite-parasite interactions in social parasites via inclusive fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph R Sapp
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Jenn Yost
- Biological Sciences Department, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA, USA
| | - Bruce E Lyon
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
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Crumière AJJ, Stephenson CJ, Nagel M, Shik JZ. Using Nutritional Geometry to Explore How Social Insects Navigate Nutritional Landscapes. INSECTS 2020; 11:E53. [PMID: 31952303 PMCID: PMC7022258 DOI: 10.3390/insects11010053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2019] [Revised: 01/11/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Insects face many cognitive challenges as they navigate nutritional landscapes that comprise their foraging environments with potential food items. The emerging field of nutritional geometry (NG) can help visualize these challenges, as well as the foraging solutions exhibited by insects. Social insect species must also make these decisions while integrating social information (e.g., provisioning kin) and/or offsetting nutrients provisioned to, or received from unrelated mutualists. In this review, we extend the logic of NG to make predictions about how cognitive challenges ramify across these social dimensions. Focusing on ants, we outline NG predictions in terms of fundamental and realized nutritional niches, considering when ants interact with related nestmates and unrelated bacterial, fungal, plant, and insect mutualists. The nutritional landscape framework we propose provides new avenues for hypothesis testing and for integrating cognition research with broader eco-evolutionary principles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonin J. J. Crumière
- Section for Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Calum J. Stephenson
- Section for Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Manuel Nagel
- Section for Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jonathan Z. Shik
- Section for Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado Postal 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancon, Panama
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Distinct Roles of Cuticular Aldehydes as Pheromonal Cues in Two Cotesia Parasitoids. J Chem Ecol 2020; 46:128-137. [PMID: 31907752 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-019-01142-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2019] [Revised: 12/04/2019] [Accepted: 12/20/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Cuticular compounds (CCs) that cover the surface of insects primarily serve as protection against entomopathogens, harmful substances, and desiccation. However, CCs may also have secondary signaling functions. By studying the role of CCs in intraspecific interactions, we may advance our understanding of the evolution of pheromonal communication in insects. We previously found that the gregarious parasitoid, Cotesia glomerata (L.), uses heptanal as a repellent pheromone to help avoid mate competition among sibling males, whereas another cuticular aldehyde, nonanal, is part of the female-produced attractive sex pheromone. Here, we show that the same aldehydes have different pheromonal functions in a related solitary parasitoid, Cotesia marginiventris (Cresson). Heptanal enhances the attractiveness of the female's sex pheromone, whereas nonanal does not affect a female's attractiveness. Hence, these common aldehydes are differentially used by the two Cotesia species to mediate, synergistically, the attractiveness of the main constituents of their respective sex pheromones. The specificity of the complete sex pheromone blend is apparently regulated by two specific, less volatile compounds, which evoke strong electroantennographic (EAG) responses. This is the first demonstration that volatile CCs have evolved distinct pheromonal functions to aid divergent mating strategies in closely related species. We discuss the possibility that additional compounds are involved in attraction and that, like the aldehydes, they are likely oxidative products of unsaturated cuticular hydrocarbons.
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Environmental and genetic constraints on cuticular hydrocarbon composition and nestmate recognition in ants. Anim Behav 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2019.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Chemical Deception and Structural Adaptation in Microdon (Diptera, Syrphidae, Microdontinae), a Genus of Hoverflies Parasitic on Social Insects. J Chem Ecol 2019; 45:959-971. [PMID: 31792663 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-019-01121-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2019] [Revised: 10/18/2019] [Accepted: 10/28/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Various organisms, especially arthropods, are able to live as parasites in ant nests and to prey upon ant broods without eliciting any aggressive behaviour in the hosts. Understanding how these intruders are able to break the ants' communication codes in their favour represents a challenging and intriguing evolutionary question. We studied the chemical strategies of three European hoverfly species, Microdon mutabilis (parasitic on Formica cunicularia), M. analis (parasitic on Lasius emarginatus) and M. devius (parasitic on L. distinguendus). The peculiar slug-like larvae of these three species live inside ant nests feeding upon their broods. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analyses show that: 1) these parasites mimic the host brood rather than the ant workers, although each differs distinctly in the extent of chemical mimicry; 2) isolation experiments indicate that after 14 days the responsible cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) are not passively acquired but synthesized by the fly larvae. Additionally, Microdon larvae show an array of protective structural features, such as a thick and multi-layered cuticle, retractable head, dome-shaped tergum and a flat and strongly adhesive "foot" (sternum). This combination of protective chemical and structural features represents a successful key innovation by Microdon species, and one that may facilitate host switching. The results of a preliminary adoption analysis confirm that Microdon larvae of at least some species can readily be accepted by different species of ants.
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Neves EF, Lima LD, Sguarizi-Antonio D, Andrade LHC, Lima SM, Lima-Junior SE, Antonialli-Junior WF. Intraspecific Cuticular Chemical Profile Variation in the Social Wasp Mischocyttarus consimilis (Hymenoptera, Vespidae). NEOTROPICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2019; 48:1030-1038. [PMID: 31456168 DOI: 10.1007/s13744-019-00711-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2018] [Accepted: 08/06/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Chemical compounds present on the cuticle of social insects are important in communication, as they are used in recognition of nestmates and sexual partners as well as in caste distinction, varying according to several factors, such as genetic and environmental. In this context, some studies have explored the cuticular chemical profile as a tool for assessing intra- and interspecific differences in social insects, although few studies have investigated this in social wasps. This study aimed to assess the differences in cuticular chemical profiles among different geographic samples of the wasp Mischocyttarus consimilis Zikán. Our hypothesis was that environmental factors are decisive to compose the cuticular chemical profiles of colonies of these social wasps and that there are differences regarding the geographic distribution among colonies. We used Fourier Transform Infrared-Photoacoustic Spectroscopy (FTIR-PAS) to assess the chemical profiles of samples. Our results show that despite there are differences between the cuticular chemical composition of the wasps' samples from different populations, there is no significant correlation compared to the spatial distribution of the colonies nor with the environment. Thus, our hypothesis was refuted, and we can infer that in this species neither exogenous nor genetic factors stand out to differentiate the chemical signature of their colonies, but a combination of both.
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Affiliation(s)
- E F Neves
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Entomologia e Conservação da Biodiversidade, Univ Federal da Grande Dourados, Dourados, MS, Brasil.
- Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental, Univ Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul, Rodovia Dourados/ Itahum, Km 12, 79804-970, Dourados, MS, Brasil.
| | - L D Lima
- Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental, Univ Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul, Rodovia Dourados/ Itahum, Km 12, 79804-970, Dourados, MS, Brasil
| | - D Sguarizi-Antonio
- Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental, Univ Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul, Rodovia Dourados/ Itahum, Km 12, 79804-970, Dourados, MS, Brasil
| | - L H C Andrade
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Recursos Naturais, Univ Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul, Dourados, MS, Brasil
| | - S M Lima
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Recursos Naturais, Univ Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul, Dourados, MS, Brasil
| | - S E Lima-Junior
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Recursos Naturais, Univ Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul, Dourados, MS, Brasil
| | - W F Antonialli-Junior
- Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental, Univ Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul, Rodovia Dourados/ Itahum, Km 12, 79804-970, Dourados, MS, Brasil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Recursos Naturais, Univ Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul, Dourados, MS, Brasil
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Peignier M, Pokorny T, Heinze J, Lindgren R, Helanterä H, Schultner E. Honesty of Larval Begging Signals Covaries With Colony Kin Structure in Formica Ants. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Phenotypic Plasticity of Nest-Mate Recognition Cues in Formica exsecta Ants. J Chem Ecol 2019; 45:735-740. [PMID: 31475301 PMCID: PMC6754345 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-019-01103-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2019] [Revised: 08/17/2019] [Accepted: 08/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
It is well established that many ant species have evolved qualitatively distinct species-specific chemical profile that are stable over large geographical distances. Within these species profiles quantitative variations in the chemical profile allows distinct colony-specific odours to arise (chemotypes) that are shared by all colony members. This help maintains social cohesion, including defence of their colonies against all intruders, including con-specifics. How these colony -level chemotypes are maintained among nest-mates has long been debated. The two main theories are; each ant is able to biochemically adjust its chemical profile to ‘match’ that of its nest-mates and or the queen, or all nest-mates share their individually generated chemical profile via trophollaxis resulting in an average nest-mate profile. This ‘mixing’ idea is better known as the Gestalt model. Unfortunately, it has been very difficult to experimentally test these two ideas in a single experimental design. However, it is now possible using the ant Formica exsecta because the compounds used in nest-mate recognition compounds are known. We demonstrate that workers adjust their profile to ‘match’ the dominant chemical profile within that colony, hence maintaining the colony-specific chemotype and indicates that a ‘gestalt’ mechanism, i.e. profile mixing, plays no or only a minor role.
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Sprenger PP, Hartke J, Feldmeyer B, Orivel J, Schmitt T, Menzel F. Influence of Mutualistic Lifestyle, Mutualistic Partner, and Climate on Cuticular Hydrocarbon Profiles in Parabiotic Ants. J Chem Ecol 2019; 45:741-754. [DOI: 10.1007/s10886-019-01099-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Revised: 07/31/2019] [Accepted: 08/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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45
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Satoi S, Iwasa Y. Chemical mimicry or crypsis—the evolutionary game played by parasitic ants invading other colonies. THEOR ECOL-NETH 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s12080-018-0406-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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46
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Menzel F, Morsbach S, Martens JH, Räder P, Hadjaje S, Poizat M, Abou B. Communication vs. waterproofing: the physics of insect cuticular hydrocarbons. J Exp Biol 2019; 222:jeb.210807. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.210807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2019] [Accepted: 10/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the evolution of complex traits is among the major challenges in biology. One such trait is the cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) layer in insects. It protects against desiccation and provides communication signals, especially in social insects. CHC composition is highly diverse within and across species. To understand the adaptive value of this chemical diversity, we must understand how it affects biological functionality. So far, CHCs received ample research attention, but their physical properties were little studied. We argue that these properties determine their biological functionality, and are vital to understand how CHC composition affects their adaptive value. We investigated melting behaviour and viscosity of CHCs from eleven ant species using differential scanning calorimetry and a novel microrheological technique.
Cuticular hydrocarbons began melting below -45°C, and often were entirely liquid only above 30°C. Thus, they formed a solid-liquid mixture at ambient conditions, which contrasts to previous assumptions of entirely solid layers in many species. This may be adaptive since only biphasic CHC layers ensure uniform coating of the insect body, which is necessary for waterproofing. CHC viscosity was mostly between 0.1 and 0.2 Pa.s, thus similar to motor oils. Surprisingly, chemically different CHC profiles had similar viscosities, suggesting that a certain viscosity level is adaptive and ensures that communication signals can be perceived.
With this study, we draw attention to the importance of studying the physics of CHC layers. Only by understanding how chemical and physical mechanisms enable CHC functionality can we understand the causes and consequences of CHC diversification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Menzel
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Faculty of Biology, University of Mainz, Hanns-Dieter-Hüsch-Weg 15, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Svenja Morsbach
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Jiska H. Martens
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Faculty of Biology, University of Mainz, Hanns-Dieter-Hüsch-Weg 15, 55128 Mainz, Germany
- Matière et Systèmes Complexes (MSC), UMR CNRS 7057, Université de Paris, 75205 Paris Cedex 13, France
| | - Petra Räder
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Simon Hadjaje
- Matière et Systèmes Complexes (MSC), UMR CNRS 7057, Université de Paris, 75205 Paris Cedex 13, France
| | - Marine Poizat
- Matière et Systèmes Complexes (MSC), UMR CNRS 7057, Université de Paris, 75205 Paris Cedex 13, France
| | - Bérengère Abou
- Matière et Systèmes Complexes (MSC), UMR CNRS 7057, Université de Paris, 75205 Paris Cedex 13, France
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Bodner M, Vagalinski B, Raspotnig G. Chemotaxonomic potential of exocrine alkyl esters in julid millipedes (Diplopoda: Julidae: Cylindroiulini). BIOCHEM SYST ECOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bse.2018.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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48
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Engl T, Michalkova V, Weiss BL, Uzel GD, Takac P, Miller WJ, Abd-Alla AMM, Aksoy S, Kaltenpoth M. Effect of antibiotic treatment and gamma-irradiation on cuticular hydrocarbon profiles and mate choice in tsetse flies (Glossina m. morsitans). BMC Microbiol 2018; 18:145. [PMID: 30470188 PMCID: PMC6251160 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-018-1292-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Symbiotic microbes represent a driving force of evolutionary innovation by conferring novel ecological traits to their hosts. Many insects are associated with microbial symbionts that contribute to their host's nutrition, digestion, detoxification, reproduction, immune homeostasis, and defense. In addition, recent studies suggest a microbial involvement in chemical communication and mating behavior, which can ultimately impact reproductive isolation and, hence, speciation. Here we investigated whether a disruption of the microbiota through antibiotic treatment or irradiation affects cuticular hydrocarbon profiles, and possibly mate choice behavior in the tsetse fly, Glossina morsitans morsitans. Four independent experiments that differentially knock down the multiple bacterial symbionts of tsetse flies were conducted by subjecting tsetse flies to ampicillin, tetracycline, or gamma-irradiation and analyzing their cuticular hydrocarbon profiles in comparison to untreated controls by gas chromatography - mass spectrometry. In two of the antibiotic experiments, flies were mass-reared, while individual rearing was done for the third experiment to avoid possible chemical cross-contamination between individual flies. RESULTS All three antibiotic experiments yielded significant effects of antibiotic treatment (particularly tetracycline) on cuticular hydrocarbon profiles in both female and male G. m. morsitans, while irradiation itself had no effect on the CHC profiles. Importantly, tetracycline treatment reduced relative amounts of 15,19,23-trimethyl-heptatriacontane, a known compound of the female contact sex pheromone, in two of the three experiments, suggesting a possible implication of microbiota disturbance on mate choice decisions. Concordantly, both female and male flies preferred non-treated over tetracycline-treated flies in direct choice assays. CONCLUSIONS While we cannot exclude the possibility that antibiotic treatment had a directly detrimental effect on fly vigor as we are unable to recolonize antibiotic treated flies with individual symbiont taxa, our results are consistent with an effect of the microbiota, particularly the obligate nutritional endosymbiont Wigglesworthia, on CHC profiles and mate choice behavior. These findings highlight the importance of considering host-microbiota interactions when studying chemical communication and mate choice in insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Engl
- Insect Symbiosis Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany.
- Department for Evolutionary Ecology, Institute for Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
| | - Veronika Michalkova
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
- Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
- Present Address: Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Brian L Weiss
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Güler D Uzel
- Insect Pest Control Laboratory, Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food & Agriculture, Vienna, Austria
- Institute of Chemical, Environmental and Biological Engineering, Research Area Biochemical Technology, Vienna University of Technology, Vienna, Austria
| | - Peter Takac
- Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Wolfgang J Miller
- Laboratories of Genome Dynamics, Department Cell and Developmental Biology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Adly M M Abd-Alla
- Insect Pest Control Laboratory, Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food & Agriculture, Vienna, Austria
| | - Serap Aksoy
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Martin Kaltenpoth
- Insect Symbiosis Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany.
- Department for Evolutionary Ecology, Institute for Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
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Buellesbach J, Whyte BA, Cash E, Gibson JD, Scheckel KJ, Sandidge R, Tsutsui ND. Desiccation Resistance and Micro-Climate Adaptation: Cuticular Hydrocarbon Signatures of Different Argentine Ant Supercolonies Across California. J Chem Ecol 2018; 44:1101-1114. [PMID: 30430363 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-018-1029-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2018] [Revised: 10/01/2018] [Accepted: 10/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs), the dominant fraction of the insects' epicuticle and the primary barrier to desiccation, form the basis for a wide range of chemical signaling systems. In eusocial insects, CHCs are key mediators of nestmate recognition, and colony identity appears to be maintained through a uniform CHC profile. In the unicolonial Argentine ant Linepithema humile, an unparalleled invasive expansion has led to vast supercolonies whose nestmates can still recognize each other across thousands of miles. CHC profiles are expected to display considerable variation as they adapt to fundamentally differing environmental conditions across the Argentine ant's expanded range, yet this variation would largely conflict with the vastly extended nestmate recognition based on CHC uniformity. To shed light on these seemingly contradictory selective pressures, we attempt to decipher which CHC classes enable adaptation to such a wide array of environmental conditions and contrast them with the overall CHC profile uniformity postulated to maintain nestmate recognition. n-Alkanes and n-alkenes showed the largest adaptability to environmental conditions most closely associated with desiccation, pointing at their function for water-proofing. Trimethyl alkanes, on the other hand, were reduced in environments associated with higher desiccation stress. However, CHC patterns correlated with environmental conditions were largely overriden when taking overall CHC variation across the expanded range of L. humile into account, resulting in conserved colony-specific CHC signatures. This delivers intriguing insights into the hierarchy of CHC functionality integrating both adaptation to a wide array of different climatic conditions and the maintenance of a universally accepted chemical profile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Buellesbach
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, & Management, University of California, 130 Mulford Hall #3114, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA. .,Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, Hüfferstr. 1, 48149, Münster, Germany.
| | - Brian A Whyte
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, & Management, University of California, 130 Mulford Hall #3114, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Elizabeth Cash
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, & Management, University of California, 130 Mulford Hall #3114, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Joshua D Gibson
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, & Management, University of California, 130 Mulford Hall #3114, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.,Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, P.O. Box 8042-1, Statesboro, GA, 30460, USA
| | - Kelsey J Scheckel
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, & Management, University of California, 130 Mulford Hall #3114, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Rebecca Sandidge
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, & Management, University of California, 130 Mulford Hall #3114, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Neil D Tsutsui
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, & Management, University of California, 130 Mulford Hall #3114, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
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50
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Chen G, Wang ZW, Wen P, Wei W, Chen Y, Ai H, Sun WB. Hydrocarbons mediate seed dispersal: a new mechanism of vespicochory. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2018; 220:714-725. [PMID: 29677396 DOI: 10.1111/nph.15166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2017] [Accepted: 03/13/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Vespicochory, seed dispersal by hornets, is an uncommon seed dispersal pattern in angiosperms. To date, this phenomenon has been recorded in only four families. Because of its rarity, the causes and consequences of vespicochory remain unclear. Hence, this seed dispersal syndrome is often regarded as anecdotal. Through field investigations, chemical analyses, electrophysiological tests, identification of chemosensory proteins from the antennae of hornets, and behavioral assays, we investigated whether olfactory and/or visual cues of the diaspores of Stemona tuberosa mediate the behavior of the social hornets and maintain their mutualism. This study demonstrated that the elaiosome of S. tuberosa emits hydrocarbons, which are attractive to hornets. However, these compounds, which induce responses in the antennae of naive hornets, are ubiquitous substances on insect cuticle surfaces. Innate preference and experienced foraging behavior of hornets can increase their seed dispersal efficiency. This is the first example in which hydrocarbons have been identified as a diaspore odour involved in the attraction of hornets. Given that the ubiquity of hornets, and the communication function of hydrocarbons in insects, we predict that this rare seed dispersal mechanism may be an overlooked mechanism of insect-plant mutualism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gao Chen
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Integrative Conservation for Plant Species with Extremely Small Populations, Kunming, 650204, China
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650204, China
| | - Zheng-Wei Wang
- Chemical Ecology Group of Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Science, Kunming, 650204, China
| | - Ping Wen
- Chemical Ecology Group of Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Science, Kunming, 650204, China
| | - Wei Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Ya Chen
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, China
| | - Hui Ai
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, China
| | - Wei-Bang Sun
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Integrative Conservation for Plant Species with Extremely Small Populations, Kunming, 650204, China
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650204, China
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