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Montini P, Fischer S. Oviposition site selection and subsequent offspring performance of Aedes aegypti in short- and long-term detritus accumulation conditions. Acta Trop 2024; 255:107222. [PMID: 38685339 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2024.107222] [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: 02/23/2024] [Revised: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
The "oviposition preference-offspring performance" hypothesis proposes that females lay their eggs in habitats that maximize the fitness of their offspring. The aim of this study was to assess the oviposition site selection by Aedes aegypti females and the success of their larvae in habitats with different detritus accumulation times, under conditions representative of the natural spatial variability of detritus quality and quantity in the Metropolitan Area of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Two experiments were performed, one assessing oviposition site selection and the other analyzing developmental success. In both experiments, two levels of detritus accumulation time were compared, one with short-time detritus accumulation (2 weeks), and the other with long-time detritus accumulation (8 weeks). Naturally fallen detritus was used in both experiments, collected in ten sites across the Metropolitan Area of Buenos Aires. In the oviposition experiment, two contiguous ovitraps corresponding to each accumulation time were placed at each of the ten sites and the number of eggs received for each accumulation time was compared. In the development experiment, always 19 larvae were raised in containers of both accumulation times and overall performance was compared using an integrated index that considers survival, development time and female size. A large variability in the amount of detritus collected at the different sites was observed. The number of eggs was significantly higher in the long-time than in the short-time detritus accumulation containers, and approximately proportional to the amount of detritus in each ovitrap. The performance was not affected by the detritus accumulation time, but a better performance was detected in containers that received a higher amount of organic detritus, regardless of the accumulation time. Leaves were on average the most abundant type of detritus, with an average of 53 % of the total detritus collected. The amount of leaves added 2 weeks before hatching showed a positive effect on larval performance. Our results do not support the "oviposition preference-offspring performance" hypothesis, since Ae. aegypti females laid eggs in containers where larvae did not show a better performance. Moreover, at larval densities related to the number of eggs actually laid in each of the accumulation times, it is expected that the performance would be even worse in the most selected containers, due to the density-dependent effects of crowding. Since the results obtained reflect the natural heterogeneity of the environmental conditions in the region studied, they might be a fairly good indicator of what occurs in natural larval habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Montini
- Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución, and Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires (UBA-CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria, Pabellón 2, 4to Piso, Laboratorio 54. C1428EHA, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Sylvia Fischer
- Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución, and Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires (UBA-CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria, Pabellón 2, 4to Piso, Laboratorio 54. C1428EHA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Polycarpo CR, Walter-Nuno AB, Azevedo-Reis L, Paiva-Silva GO. The vector-symbiont affair: a relationship as (im)perfect as it can be. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2024; 63:101203. [PMID: 38705385 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2024.101203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
Vector-borne diseases are globally prevalent and represent a major socioeconomic problem worldwide. Blood-sucking arthropods transmit most pathogenic agents that cause these human infections. The pathogens transmission to their vertebrate hosts depends on how efficiently they infect their vector, which is particularly impacted by the microbiota residing in the intestinal lumen, as well as its cells or internal organs such as ovaries. The balance between costs and benefits provided by these interactions ultimately determines the outcome of the relationship. Here, we will explore aspects concerning the nature of microbe-vector interactions, including the adaptive traits required for their establishment, the varied outcomes of symbiotic interactions, as well as the factors influencing the transition of these relationships across a continuum from parasitism to mutualism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla R Polycarpo
- Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil; Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular (INCT-EM), Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil
| | - Ana B Walter-Nuno
- Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil; Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular (INCT-EM), Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil
| | - Leonan Azevedo-Reis
- Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil; Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular (INCT-EM), Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil
| | - Gabriela O Paiva-Silva
- Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil; Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular (INCT-EM), Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil.
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Lee S, Eom S, Pyeon M, Moon M, Yun J, Lee J, Choi YS, Lee JH. Identification of 2,4-Di- tert-butylphenol as a Novel Agonist for Insect Odorant Receptors. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 25:220. [PMID: 38203390 PMCID: PMC10779170 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25010220] [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: 11/22/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Odorant molecules interact with odorant receptors (ORs) lining the pores on the surface of the sensilla on an insect's antennae and maxillary palps. This interaction triggers an electrical signal that is transmitted to the insect's nervous system, thereby influencing its behavior. Orco, an OR coreceptor, is crucial for olfactory transduction, as it possesses a conserved sequence across the insect lineage. In this study, we focused on 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol (DTBP), a single substance present in acetic acid bacteria culture media. We applied DTBP to oocytes expressing various Drosophila melanogaster odor receptors and performed electrophysiology experiments. After confirming the activation of DTBP on the receptor, the binding site was confirmed through point mutations. Our findings confirmed that DTBP interacts with the insect Orco subunit. The 2-heptanone, octanol, and 2-hexanol were not activated for the Orco homomeric channel, but DTBP was activated, and the EC50 value was 13.4 ± 3.0 μM. Point mutations were performed and among them, when the W146 residue changed to alanine, the Emax value was changed from 1.0 ± 0 in the wild type to 0.0 ± 0 in the mutant type, and all activity was decreased. Specifically, DTBP interacted with the W146 residue of the Orco subunit, and the activation manner was concentration-dependent and voltage-independent. This molecular-level analysis provides the basis for novel strategies to minimize pest damage. DTBP, with its specific binding to the Orco subunit, shows promise as a potential pest controller that can exclusively target insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinhui Lee
- Department of Biotechnology, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Republic of Korea; (S.L.); (S.E.); (J.Y.)
| | - Sanung Eom
- Department of Biotechnology, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Republic of Korea; (S.L.); (S.E.); (J.Y.)
| | - Minsu Pyeon
- Department of Biotechnology, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Republic of Korea; (S.L.); (S.E.); (J.Y.)
| | - Myungmi Moon
- Department of Biotechnology, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Republic of Korea; (S.L.); (S.E.); (J.Y.)
| | - Jihwon Yun
- Department of Biotechnology, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Republic of Korea; (S.L.); (S.E.); (J.Y.)
| | - Jaehyeong Lee
- Organic Agriculture Division, National Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Wanju 55365, Republic of Korea;
| | - Yong-Seok Choi
- Bioenvironmental Division, Chungnam Agricultural Research and Extension Services, Yesan 32418, Republic of Korea
| | - Junho H. Lee
- Department of Biotechnology, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Republic of Korea; (S.L.); (S.E.); (J.Y.)
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Zhang G, Fu Y, Shao Y, Zhao J, Lei X, Fu Y, Li L, Zhou A. Semiochemicals Produced by Microbes in Mealybug Honeydew Attract Fire Ants. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2023; 71:15456-15465. [PMID: 37843466 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.3c04444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
Semiochemicals produced by microbes in hemipteran honeydew play an important role in mediating the ant-hemipteran interaction. However, the specific volatile compounds and their origins remain unclear. Here, we found that honeydew produced by Phenacoccus solenopsis exhibited strong attractiveness to fire ant workers, but sterilized honeydew was much less attractive. Four compounds were identified from the honeydew volatiles, including 1-octen-3-ol, limonene, phenylethyl alcohol, and 2,4-ditert-butylphenol. All the identified compounds triggered strong electroantennography response of fire ants and showed repellence at relatively high concentrations while attractiveness at low concentrations to fire ant workers. Furthermore, six bacterial isolates were identified based on 16S rRNA sequencing, namely, Bacillus, Brachybacterium, Kocuria, Microbacterium, Pseudomonas, and Staphylococcus. Fire ants exhibited a strong preference for Brachybacterium, Kocuria, and Microbacterium, suggesting that these bacterial isolates are involved in the attracting effect of honeydew. Both limonene and phenylethyl alcohol were detected from Brachybacterium, while limonene was only detected from Kocuria, and phenylethyl alcohol was exclusively detected from Microbacterium. Reinoculation of these bacteria restored the attractiveness of honeydew to fire ants, and the active compounds, limonene and phenylethyl alcohol, were detectable in bacteria-reinoculated honeydew. Collectively, our results reveal the active compounds in hemipteran honeydew and their association with honeydew bacteria. The findings will contribute to the development of novel attractants for efficient monitoring of fire ants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guoqing Zhang
- College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Yu Fu
- College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Yikang Shao
- College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Jing Zhao
- College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Xin Lei
- College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Yueguan Fu
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on Tropical Crops, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Environment and Plant Protection Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Sciences, Haikou 571101, China
| | - Lei Li
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on Tropical Crops, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Environment and Plant Protection Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Sciences, Haikou 571101, China
| | - Aiming Zhou
- College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
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Khan Z, Bohman B, Ignell R, Hill SR. Odour-mediated oviposition site selection in Aedes aegypti depends on aquatic stage and density. Parasit Vectors 2023; 16:264. [PMID: 37542293 PMCID: PMC10403918 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-023-05867-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Olfaction plays an important role in the selection and assessment of oviposition sites by mosquitoes. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) associated with potential breeding sites affect the behaviour of gravid mosquitoes, with VOCs from aquatic stages of conspecific mosquitoes influencing and regulating oviposition. The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic analysis of the behavioural response of gravid Aedes aegypti to conspecific aquatic stage-conditioned water, to identify the associated bioactive VOCs and to determine how blends of these VOCs regulate oviposition site selection and stimulate egg-laying. METHODS Using a multi-choice olfactory oviposition assay, controlling for other sensory modalities, the responses of individual females to water conditioned with different densities of conspecific aquatic stages were assessed. The conditioned water samples from the most preferred density of each aquatic stage were subsequently compared to each other using the same oviposition assay and analysed using an analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by a Tukey post-hoc test. Using combined gas chromatography and electroantennographic detection or mass spectrometry, bioactive VOCs from the preferred density of each aquatic stage were identified. Synthetic blends were prepared based on the identified ratios of bioactive VOCs in the aquatic stages, and then tested to determine the oviposition choice of Ae. aegypti in a dose-dependent manner, against a solvent control, using a dual-choice assay. This dataset was analysed using nominal logistic regression followed by an odds ratio comparison. RESULTS Gravid Ae. aegypti responded stage- and density-dependently to water conditioned with eggs, second- and fourth-instar larvae, and pupal exuviae, but not to water conditioned with pupae alone. Multi-choice assays demonstrated that gravid mosquitoes preferred to oviposit in water conditioned with fourth-instar larvae, over the other aquatic stage-conditioned water. Gravid Ae. aegypti were attracted, and generally stimulated, to oviposit in a dose-dependent manner to the individual identified synthetic odour blends for the different aquatic stages. CONCLUSIONS Intraspecific VOCs regulate oviposition site selection in Ae. aegypti in a stage- and density-dependent manner. We discuss the need for further studies to evaluate the identified synthetic blends to modulate the odour-mediated oviposition of Ae. aegypti under field conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zaid Khan
- Disease Vector Group, Department of Plant Protection Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 190, 234 22, Lomma, Sweden
| | - Björn Bohman
- Disease Vector Group, Department of Plant Protection Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 190, 234 22, Lomma, Sweden
| | - Rickard Ignell
- Disease Vector Group, Department of Plant Protection Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 190, 234 22, Lomma, Sweden
| | - Sharon Rose Hill
- Disease Vector Group, Department of Plant Protection Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 190, 234 22, Lomma, Sweden.
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Kim D, Crippen TL, Jordan HR, Tomberlin JK. Quorum sensing gene regulation in Staphylococcus epidermidis reduces the attraction of Aedes aegypti (L.) (Diptera: Culicidae). Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1208241. [PMID: 37426032 PMCID: PMC10324375 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1208241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Identifying mechanisms regulating mosquito attraction to hosts is key to suppressing pathogen transmission. Historically, the ecology of the host microbial community and its influence on mosquito attraction, specifically, whether bacterial communication through quorum sensing (QS) modulates VOC production that affects mosquito behavior have not been extensively considered. Methods Behavioral choice assays were applied along with volatile collection, followed by GC-MS and RNA transcriptome analyses of bacteria with and without a quorum-sensing inhibitor, furanone C-30. Results Utilizing the quorum-sensing inhibitor on a skin-inhabiting bacterium, Staphylococcus epidermidis, we disrupted its interkingdom communication with adult Aedes aegypti and mitigated their attraction to a blood-meal by 55.1%. Discussion One potential mechanism suppressing mosquito attraction could be the reduction (31.6% in our study) of bacterial volatiles and their associated concentrations by shifting S. epidermidis metabolic (12 of 29 up regulated genes) and stress (5 of 36 down regulated genes) responses. Manipulating the quorum-sensing pathways could serve as a mechanism to reduce mosquito attraction to a host. Such manipulations could be developed into novel control methods for pathogen-transmitting mosquitoes and other arthropods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongmin Kim
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Tawni L. Crippen
- Southern Plains Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Heather R. Jordan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS, United States
| | - Jeffery K. Tomberlin
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
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Mosquera KD, Martínez Villegas LE, Rocha Fernandes G, Rocha David M, Maciel-de-Freitas R, A Moreira L, Lorenzo MG. Egg-laying by female Aedes aegypti shapes the bacterial communities of breeding sites. BMC Biol 2023; 21:97. [PMID: 37101136 PMCID: PMC10134544 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-023-01605-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Aedes aegypti, the main arboviral mosquito vector, is attracted to human dwellings and makes use of human-generated breeding sites. Past research has shown that bacterial communities associated with such sites undergo compositional shifts as larvae develop and that exposure to different bacteria during larval stages can have an impact on mosquito development and life-history traits. Based on these facts, we hypothesized that female Ae. aegypti shape the bacteria communities of breeding sites during oviposition as a form of niche construction to favor offspring fitness. RESULTS To test this hypothesis, we first verified that gravid females can act as mechanical vectors of bacteria. We then elaborated an experimental scheme to test the impact of oviposition on breeding site microbiota. Five different groups of experimental breeding sites were set up with a sterile aqueous solution of larval food, and subsequently exposed to (1) the environment alone, (2) surface-sterilized eggs, (3) unsterilized eggs, (4) a non-egg laying female, or (5) oviposition by a gravid female. The microbiota of these differently treated sites was assessed by amplicon-oriented DNA sequencing once the larvae from the sites with eggs had completed development and formed pupae. Microbial ecology analyses revealed significant differences between the five treatments in terms of diversity. In particular, between-treatment shifts in abundance profiles were detected, showing that females induce a significant decrease in microbial alpha diversity through oviposition. In addition, indicator species analysis pinpointed bacterial taxa with significant predicting values and fidelity coefficients for the samples in which single females laid eggs. Furthermore, we provide evidence regarding how one of these indicator taxa, Elizabethkingia, exerts a positive effect on the development and fitness of mosquito larvae. CONCLUSIONS Ovipositing females impact the composition of the microbial community associated with a breeding site, promoting certain bacterial taxa over those prevailing in the environment. Among these bacteria, we found known mosquito symbionts and showed that they can improve offspring fitness if present in the water where eggs are laid. We deem this oviposition-mediated bacterial community shaping as a form of niche construction initiated by the gravid female.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine D Mosquera
- Vector Behavior and Pathogen Interaction Group, René Rachou Institute-FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Luis Eduardo Martínez Villegas
- Department of Entomology, The Ohio State University, 2001 Fyffe Rd., Room 232 Howlett Hall, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
- Mosquito Vectors: Endosymbionts and Pathogen-Vector Interactions Group, René Rachou Institute-FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | | | - Mariana Rocha David
- Laboratory of Hematozoa Transmitting Mosquitoes, Oswaldo Cruz Institute-FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Rafael Maciel-de-Freitas
- Laboratory of Hematozoa Transmitting Mosquitoes, Oswaldo Cruz Institute-FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Luciano A Moreira
- Mosquito Vectors: Endosymbionts and Pathogen-Vector Interactions Group, René Rachou Institute-FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Marcelo G Lorenzo
- Vector Behavior and Pathogen Interaction Group, René Rachou Institute-FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
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