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Liu X, Tian Z, Cai L, Shen Z, Michaud JP, Zhu L, Yan S, Ros VID, Hoover K, Li Z, Zhang S, Liu X. Baculoviruses hijack the visual perception of their caterpillar hosts to induce climbing behavior, thus promoting virus dispersal. Mol Ecol 2022; 31:2752-2765. [PMID: 35258140 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Baculoviruses can induce climbing behavior in their caterpillar hosts to ensure they die at elevated positions to enhance virus transmission, providing an excellent model to study parasitic manipulation of host behavior. Here, we demonstrate that climbing behavior occurred mostly during daylight hours, and that the height at death of Helicoverpa armigera single nucleopolyhedrovirus (HearNPV)-infected larvae increases with the height of the light source. Phototaxic and electroretinogram (ERG) responses were enhanced after HearNPV-infection in host larvae, and ablation of stemmata in infected larvae prevented both phototaxis and climbing behavior. Through transcriptome and quantitative PCR, we confirmed that two opsin genes (a blue light-sensitive gene, HaBL; and a long wave-sensitive gene, HaLW) as well as the TRPL (transient receptor potential-like channel protein) gene, all integral to the host's visual perception pathway, were significantly up-regulated after HearNPV infection. Knockout of HaBL, HaLW, or TRPL genes using the CRISPR/Cas9 system resulted in significantly reduced ERG responses, phototaxis, and climbing behavior in HearNPV-infected larvae. These results reveal that HearNPV alters the expression of specific genes to hijack host visual perception at fundamental levels - photoreception and phototransduction - in order to induce climbing behavior in host larvae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoming Liu
- Department of Entomology and MOA Key Lab of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, 100193, Beijing, China.,College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, 100193, Beijing, China
| | - Zhiqiang Tian
- Department of Entomology and MOA Key Lab of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, 100193, Beijing, China
| | - Limei Cai
- Department of Entomology and MOA Key Lab of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, 100193, Beijing, China
| | - Zhongjian Shen
- Department of Entomology and MOA Key Lab of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, 100193, Beijing, China
| | - J P Michaud
- Department of Entomology, Kansas State University, Agricultural Research Station-Hays, Hays, KS, 67601, USA
| | - Lin Zhu
- Department of Entomology and MOA Key Lab of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, 100193, Beijing, China
| | - Shuo Yan
- Department of Entomology and MOA Key Lab of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, 100193, Beijing, China
| | - Vera I D Ros
- Laboratory of Virology, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Kelli Hoover
- Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA16802, USA
| | - Zhen Li
- Department of Entomology and MOA Key Lab of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, 100193, Beijing, China
| | - Songdou Zhang
- Department of Entomology and MOA Key Lab of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, 100193, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoxia Liu
- Department of Entomology and MOA Key Lab of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, 100193, Beijing, China
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Beani L, Mariotti Lippi M, Mulinacci N, Manfredini F, Cecchi L, Giuliani C, Tani C, Meriggi N, Cavalieri D, Cappa F. Altered feeding behavior and immune competence in paper wasps: A case of parasite manipulation? PLoS One 2020; 15:e0242486. [PMID: 33326432 PMCID: PMC7743958 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0242486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Paper wasps (Polistes dominula), parasitized by the strepsipteran Xenos vesparum, are castrated and desert the colony to gather on plants where the parasite mates and releases primary larvae, thus completing its lifecycle. One of these plants is the trumpet creeper Campsis radicans: in a previous study the majority of all wasps collected from this plant were parasitized and focused their foraging activity on C. radicans buds. The unexpected prevalence and unusual feeding strategy prompted us to investigate the influence of this plant on wasp behavior and physiology through a multidisciplinary approach. First, in a series of laboratory bioassays, we observed that parasitized wasps spent more time than non-parasitized ones on fresh C. radicans buds, rich of extra-floral nectaries (EFNs), while the same wasps ignored treated buds that lacked nectar drops. Then, we described the structure and ultra-structure of EFNs secreting cells, compatible with the synthesis of phenolic compounds. Subsequently, we analysed extracts from different bud tissues by HPLC-DAD-MS and found that verbascoside was the most abundant bioactive molecule in those tissues rich in EFNs. Finally, we tested the immune-stimulant properties of verbascoside, as the biochemical nature of this compound indicates it might function as an antibacterial and antioxidant. We measured bacterial clearance in wasps, as a proxy for overall immune competence, and observed that it was enhanced after administration of verbascoside-even more so if the wasp was parasitized. We hypothesize that the parasite manipulates wasp behavior to preferentially feed on C. radicans EFNs, since the bioactive properties of verbascoside likely increase host survival and thus the parasite own fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Beani
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Firenze, Firenze, Italia
- * E-mail: (LB); (DC)
| | | | - Nadia Mulinacci
- Dipartimento di NEUROFARBA, Università di Firenze, Firenze, Italia
| | - Fabio Manfredini
- School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, United Kingdom
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Lorenzo Cecchi
- Dipartimento di NEUROFARBA, Università di Firenze, Firenze, Italia
| | - Claudia Giuliani
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italia
| | - Corrado Tani
- Dipartimento di NEUROFARBA, Università di Firenze, Firenze, Italia
| | - Niccolò Meriggi
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Firenze, Firenze, Italia
| | - Duccio Cavalieri
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Firenze, Firenze, Italia
- * E-mail: (LB); (DC)
| | - Federico Cappa
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Firenze, Firenze, Italia
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