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Adhikari BN, Paskey AC, Frey KG, Bennett AJ, Long KA, Kuhn JH, Hamilton T, Glang L, Cer RZ, Goldberg TL, Bishop-Lilly KA. Virome profiling of fig wasps (Ceratosolen spp.) reveals virus diversity spanning four realms. Virology 2024; 591:109992. [PMID: 38246037 PMCID: PMC10849055 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2024.109992] [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: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
We investigated the virome of agaonid fig wasps (Ceratosolen spp.) inside syconia ("fruits") of various Ficus trees fed upon by frugivores such as pteropodid bats in Sub-Saharan Africa. This virome includes representatives of viral families spanning four realms and includes near-complete genome sequences of three novel viruses and fragments of five additional potentially novel viruses evolutionarily associated with insects, fungi, plants, and vertebrates. Our study provides evidence that frugivorous animals are exposed to a plethora of viruses by coincidental consumption of fig wasps, which are obligate pollinators of figs worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bishwo N Adhikari
- Genomics and Bioinformatics Department, Biological Defense Research Directorate, Naval Medical Research Command, Frederick, Fort Detrick, MD 21702, USA; Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Fort Belvoir, VA 22060, USA
| | - Adrian C Paskey
- Genomics and Bioinformatics Department, Biological Defense Research Directorate, Naval Medical Research Command, Frederick, Fort Detrick, MD 21702, USA; Leidos, Inc., Reston, VA 20190, USA
| | - Kenneth G Frey
- Genomics and Bioinformatics Department, Biological Defense Research Directorate, Naval Medical Research Command, Frederick, Fort Detrick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Andrew J Bennett
- Genomics and Bioinformatics Department, Biological Defense Research Directorate, Naval Medical Research Command, Frederick, Fort Detrick, MD 21702, USA; Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA; Leidos, Inc., Reston, VA 20190, USA
| | - Kyle A Long
- Genomics and Bioinformatics Department, Biological Defense Research Directorate, Naval Medical Research Command, Frederick, Fort Detrick, MD 21702, USA; Leidos, Inc., Reston, VA 20190, USA
| | - Jens H Kuhn
- Integrated Research Facility at Fort Detrick, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Theron Hamilton
- Genomics and Bioinformatics Department, Biological Defense Research Directorate, Naval Medical Research Command, Frederick, Fort Detrick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Lindsay Glang
- Genomics and Bioinformatics Department, Biological Defense Research Directorate, Naval Medical Research Command, Frederick, Fort Detrick, MD 21702, USA; Leidos, Inc., Reston, VA 20190, USA
| | - Regina Z Cer
- Genomics and Bioinformatics Department, Biological Defense Research Directorate, Naval Medical Research Command, Frederick, Fort Detrick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Tony L Goldberg
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA; Global Health Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA; Department of Zoology, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Kimberly A Bishop-Lilly
- Genomics and Bioinformatics Department, Biological Defense Research Directorate, Naval Medical Research Command, Frederick, Fort Detrick, MD 21702, USA.
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Di Giusto B, Bain A. Local ecological factors, not interference competition, drive the foundress number of two species of fig wasp sharing Ficus septica figs. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0290439. [PMID: 38165887 PMCID: PMC10760673 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0290439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Recent studies have challenged assumptions about the classic fig-fig wasp pollination mutualism model, suggesting that further investigation into the receptive phase of fig development is needed. This study assessed the pollination mechanisms of Ficus septica in southern Taiwan and identified two species of wasps as the primary pollinators. Machine learning was used to identify and rank the factors that explain the relative abundance of these wasps. The two wasp species showed the highest level of cohabitation ever reported in the literature, with three-quarters of the figs containing multiple foundresses. The study also reported re-emerged foundresses and a 10% ratio of pollinated figs without foundresses. Local factors, such as the sampling period and tree identity, were the best predictors of the presence and number of each foundress species, with fig size also affecting the number of foundresses. The study highlights the variability in pollinator abundance between figs, crops, and trees. It also shows that the local environment of the trees and the availability of figs are crucial factors in determining which figs the pollinator wasps choose. These findings challenge assumptions about the classic mutualism model and suggest that long-term surveys are needed to estimate the relative contributions of each partner and provide data for evolutionary and ecological models. This study also provides valuable insights into the factors that affect the abundance and interactions of pollinator wasps during the receptive phase of fig development, with implications for understanding the behaviour of pollinating wasps and advancing our knowledge of population dynamics in Ficus species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Di Giusto
- Journalism and Mass Communication Program, International College, Ming Chuan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Anthony Bain
- Department of Biological Sciences, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- International Ph.D. Program for Science, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
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3
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Liao Z, Zhang T, Lei W, Wang Y, Yu J, Wang Y, Chai K, Wang G, Zhang H, Zhang X. A telomere-to-telomere reference genome of ficus ( Ficus hispida) provides new insights into sex determination. HORTICULTURE RESEARCH 2024; 11:uhad257. [PMID: 38269293 PMCID: PMC10807705 DOI: 10.1093/hr/uhad257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
A high-quality reference genome is indispensable for resolving biologically essential traits. Ficus hispida is a dioecious plant. A complete Ficus reference genome will be crucial for understanding their sex evolution and important biological characteristics, such as aerial roots, mutualistic symbiosis with ficus-wasps, and fruiting from old stems. Here, we generated a telomere-to-telomere (T2T) genome for F. hispida using PacBio HiFi and Oxford Nanopore Ultra-long sequencing technologies. The genome contiguity and completeness has shown improvement compared with the previously released genome, with the annotation of six centromeres and 28 telomeres. We have refined our previously reported 2-Mb male-specific region into a 7.2-Mb genomic region containing 51 newly predicted genes and candidate sex-determination genes AG2 and AG3. Many of these genes showed extremely low expression, likely attributed to hypermethylation in the gene body and promoter regions. Gene regulatory networks (GRNs) revealed that AG2 and AG3 are related to the regulation of stamen development in male flowers, while the AG1 gene is responsible for regulating female flowers' defense responses and secondary metabolite processes. Comparative analysis of GRNs showed that the NAC, WRKY, and MYB transcription factor families dominate the female GRN, whereas the MADS and MYB transcription factor families are prevalent in the male GRN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenyang Liao
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518120, China
| | - Tianwen Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, Yunnan 666303, China
- College of Landscape Architecture, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Wenlong Lei
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518120, China
| | - Yibin Wang
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518120, China
| | - Jiaxin Yu
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518120, China
| | - Yinghao Wang
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518120, China
| | - Kun Chai
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518120, China
| | - Gang Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, Yunnan 666303, China
| | - Huahao Zhang
- College of Pharmacy and Life Science, Jiujiang University, Jiujiang 332005, China
| | - Xingtan Zhang
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518120, China
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Hu Y, Wang X, Xu Y, Yang H, Tong Z, Tian R, Xu S, Yu L, Guo Y, Shi P, Huang S, Yang G, Shi S, Wei F. Molecular mechanisms of adaptive evolution in wild animals and plants. SCIENCE CHINA. LIFE SCIENCES 2023; 66:453-495. [PMID: 36648611 PMCID: PMC9843154 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-022-2233-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Wild animals and plants have developed a variety of adaptive traits driven by adaptive evolution, an important strategy for species survival and persistence. Uncovering the molecular mechanisms of adaptive evolution is the key to understanding species diversification, phenotypic convergence, and inter-species interaction. As the genome sequences of more and more non-model organisms are becoming available, the focus of studies on molecular mechanisms of adaptive evolution has shifted from the candidate gene method to genetic mapping based on genome-wide scanning. In this study, we reviewed the latest research advances in wild animals and plants, focusing on adaptive traits, convergent evolution, and coevolution. Firstly, we focused on the adaptive evolution of morphological, behavioral, and physiological traits. Secondly, we reviewed the phenotypic convergences of life history traits and responding to environmental pressures, and the underlying molecular convergence mechanisms. Thirdly, we summarized the advances of coevolution, including the four main types: mutualism, parasitism, predation and competition. Overall, these latest advances greatly increase our understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms for diverse adaptive traits and species interaction, demonstrating that the development of evolutionary biology has been greatly accelerated by multi-omics technologies. Finally, we highlighted the emerging trends and future prospects around the above three aspects of adaptive evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yibo Hu
- CAS Key Lab of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
| | - Xiaoping Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, China
| | - Yongchao Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Hui Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China
| | - Zeyu Tong
- Institute of Evolution and Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, China
| | - Ran Tian
- College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Shaohua Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Key Lab of Plant Resources, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Li Yu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, China.
| | - Yalong Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China.
| | - Peng Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China.
| | - Shuangquan Huang
- Institute of Evolution and Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, China.
| | - Guang Yang
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, 511458, China.
- College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023, China.
| | - Suhua Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Key Lab of Plant Resources, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China.
| | - Fuwen Wei
- CAS Key Lab of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, 511458, China.
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5
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When two are better than one. Nat Ecol Evol 2021; 5:1199-1200. [PMID: 34267367 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-021-01499-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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6
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Hearn J, Blaxter M, Schönrogge K, Nieves-Aldrey JL, Pujade-Villar J, Huguet E, Drezen JM, Shorthouse JD, Stone GN. Genomic dissection of an extended phenotype: Oak galling by a cynipid gall wasp. PLoS Genet 2019; 15:e1008398. [PMID: 31682601 PMCID: PMC6855507 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2019] [Revised: 11/14/2019] [Accepted: 10/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Galls are plant tissues whose development is induced by another organism for the inducer's benefit. 30,000 arthropod species induce galls, and in most cases the inducing effectors and target plant systems are unknown. Cynipid gall wasps are a speciose monophyletic radiation that induce structurally complex galls on oaks and other plants. We used a model system comprising the gall wasp Biorhiza pallida and the oak Quercus robur to characterise inducer and host plant gene expression at defined stages through the development of galled and ungalled plant tissues, and tested alternative hypotheses for the origin and type of galling effectors and plant metabolic pathways involved. Oak gene expression patterns diverged markedly during development of galled and normal buds. Young galls showed elevated expression of oak genes similar to legume root nodule Nod factor-induced early nodulin (ENOD) genes and developmental parallels with oak buds. In contrast, mature galls showed substantially different patterns of gene expression to mature leaves. While most oak transcripts could be functionally annotated, many gall wasp transcripts of interest were novel. We found no evidence in the gall wasp for involvement of third-party symbionts in gall induction, for effector delivery using virus-like-particles, or for gallwasp expression of genes coding for plant hormones. Many differentially and highly expressed genes in young larvae encoded secretory peptides, which we hypothesise are effector proteins exported to plant tissues. Specifically, we propose that host arabinogalactan proteins and gall wasp chitinases interact in young galls to generate a somatic embryogenesis-like process in oak tissues surrounding the gall wasp larvae. Gall wasp larvae also expressed genes encoding multiple plant cell wall degrading enzymes (PCWDEs). These have functional orthologues in other gall inducing cynipids but not in figitid parasitoid sister groups, suggesting that they may be evolutionary innovations associated with cynipid gall induction. Plant galls are induced by organisms that manipulate host plant development to produce novel structures. The organisms involved range from mutualistic (such as nitrogen fixing bacteria) to parasitic. In the case of parasites, the gall benefits only the gall-inducing partner. A wide range of organisms can induce galls, but the processes involved are understood only for some bacterial and fungal galls. Cynipid gall wasps induce diverse and structurally complex galls, particularly on oaks (Quercus). We used transcriptome and genome sequencing for one gall wasp and its host oak to identify genes active in gall development. On the plant side, when compared to normally developing bud tissues, young gall tissues showed elevated expression of loci similar to those found in nitrogen-fixing root nodules of leguminous plants. On the wasp side, we found no evidence for involvement of viruses or microorganisms carried by the insects in gall induction or delivery of inducing stimuli. We found that gall wasps express many genes whose products may be secreted to the host, including enzymes that degrade plant cell walls. Genome comparisons between galling and non-galling relatives showed cell wall-degrading enzymes are restricted to gall inducers, and hence potentially key components of a gall inducing lifestyle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack Hearn
- Vector Biology Department, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, King’s Buildings, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (JH); (GNS)
| | - Mark Blaxter
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, King’s Buildings, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | | | - José-Luis Nieves-Aldrey
- Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Elisabeth Huguet
- UMR 7261 CNRS, Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l’Insecte, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Université de Tours, France
| | - Jean-Michel Drezen
- UMR 7261 CNRS, Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l’Insecte, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Université de Tours, France
| | | | - Graham N. Stone
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, King’s Buildings, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (JH); (GNS)
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8
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Bennett AJ, Bushmaker T, Cameron K, Ondzie A, Niama FR, Parra HJ, Mombouli JV, Olson SH, Munster VJ, Goldberg TL. Diverse RNA viruses of arthropod origin in the blood of fruit bats suggest a link between bat and arthropod viromes. Virology 2018; 528:64-72. [PMID: 30576861 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2018.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2018] [Revised: 12/09/2018] [Accepted: 12/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Bats host diverse viruses due to their unique ecology, behavior, and immunology. However, the role of other organisms with which bats interact in nature is understudied as a contributor to bat viral diversity. We discovered five viruses in the blood of fruit bats (Hypsignathus monstrosus) from the Republic of Congo. Of these five viruses, four have phylogenetic and genomic features suggesting an arthropod origin (a dicistrovirus, a nodavirus, and two tombus-like viruses), while the fifth (a hepadnavirus) is clearly of mammalian origin. We also report the parallel discovery of related tombus-like viruses in fig wasps and primitive crane flies from bat habitats, as well as high infection rates of bats with haemosporidian parasites (Hepatocystis sp.). These findings suggest transmission between arthropods and bats, perhaps through ingestion or hyperparasitism (viral infection of bat parasites). Some "bat-associated" viruses may be epidemiologically linked to bats through their ecological associations with invertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J Bennett
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Trenton Bushmaker
- Laboratory of Virology, Virus Ecology Unit, Division of Intramural Research, National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, Hamilton, USA
| | - Kenneth Cameron
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Wildlife Health Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Alain Ondzie
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Wildlife Health Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Fabien R Niama
- Laboratoire National de Santé Publique, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
| | | | | | - Sarah H Olson
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Wildlife Health Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Vincent J Munster
- Laboratory of Virology, Virus Ecology Unit, Division of Intramural Research, National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, Hamilton, USA
| | - Tony L Goldberg
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
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Darwell CT, Cook JM. Cryptic diversity in a fig wasp community-morphologically differentiated species are sympatric but cryptic species are parapatric. Mol Ecol 2017; 26:937-950. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.13985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2016] [Accepted: 11/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- C. T. Darwell
- School of Biological Sciences; University of Reading; Reading RG6 6AS UK
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University; 1919-1 Tancha Onna-son Okinawa 904-0495 Japan
| | - J. M. Cook
- School of Biological Sciences; University of Reading; Reading RG6 6AS UK
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment; Western Sydney University; Locked Bag 1797 Penrith South DC NSW 1797 Australia
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10
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Sutton TL, Riegler M, Cook JM. One step ahead: a parasitoid disperses farther and forms a wider geographic population than its fig wasp host. Mol Ecol 2016; 25:882-94. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.13445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2015] [Revised: 10/26/2015] [Accepted: 10/28/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Timothy L. Sutton
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment; Western Sydney University; Locked Bag 1797 Penrith NSW 2751 Australia
| | - Markus Riegler
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment; Western Sydney University; Locked Bag 1797 Penrith NSW 2751 Australia
| | - James M. Cook
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment; Western Sydney University; Locked Bag 1797 Penrith NSW 2751 Australia
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11
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Sutton TL, Reuter C, Riegler M, Cook JM. Characterisation of microsatellite markers for fig-pollinating wasps in the Pleistodontes imperialis species complex. AUST J ZOOL 2015. [DOI: 10.1071/zo15011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
We characterised a set of nine polymorphic microsatellite loci for Pleistodontes imperialis sp. 1, the pollinator wasp of Port Jackson fig (Ficus rubiginosa) in south-eastern Australia. Characterisation was performed on 30 female individuals collected from a population in Sydney, Australia. The average number of alleles per locus was 7.33, and eight loci were not in Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium. This was expected as fig wasps are known to be highly inbred. A test of genetic differentiation between two natural populations of P. imperialis sp. 1 (Sydney and Newcastle, Australia – some 120 km apart) yielded a very low FST value of 0.012, suggesting considerable gene flow. Bayesian clustering analysis using TESS 2.3.1, which does not assume Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium, however, indicated potential spatial substructuring between the Sydney and Newcastle populations, as well as within the Sydney population. The described loci were also characterised for two other species in the P. imperialis complex: P. imperialis sp. 2 (Townsville, Australia) and P. imperialis sp. 4 (Brisbane, Australia). Seven and six of the nine loci were polymorphic for P. imperialis sp. 2 and P. imperialis sp. 4, respectively.
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12
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Darwell CT, al-Beidh S, Cook JM. Molecular species delimitation of a symbiotic fig-pollinating wasp species complex reveals extreme deviation from reciprocal partner specificity. BMC Evol Biol 2014; 14:189. [PMID: 25927719 PMCID: PMC4172794 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-014-0189-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2014] [Accepted: 08/13/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Symbiotic relationships have contributed to major evolutionary innovations, the maintenance of fundamental ecosystem functions, and the generation and maintenance of biodiversity. However, the exact nature of host/symbiont associations, which has important consequences for their dynamics, is often poorly known due to limited understanding of symbiont taxonomy and species diversity. Among classical symbioses, figs and their pollinating wasps constitute a highly diverse keystone resource in tropical forest and savannah environments. Historically, they were considered to exemplify extreme reciprocal partner specificity (one-to-one host-symbiont species relationships), but recent work has revealed several more complex cases. However, there is a striking lack of studies with the specific aims of assessing symbiont diversity and how this varies across the geographic range of the host. RESULTS Here, we use molecular methods to investigate cryptic diversity in the pollinating wasps of a widespread Australian fig species. Standard barcoding genes and methods were not conclusive, but incorporation of phylogenetic analyses and a recently developed nuclear barcoding gene (ITS2), gave strong support for five pollinator species. Each pollinator species was most common in a different geographic region, emphasising the importance of wide geographic sampling to uncover diversity, and the scope for divergence in coevolutionary trajectories across the host plant range. In addition, most regions had multiple coexisting pollinators, raising the question of how they coexist in apparently similar or identical resource niches. CONCLUSION Our study offers a striking example of extreme deviation from reciprocal partner specificity over the full geographical range of a fig-wasp system. It also suggests that superficially identical species may be able to co-exist in a mutualistic setting albeit at different frequencies in relation to their fig host's range. We show that comprehensive sampling and molecular taxonomic techniques may be required to uncover the true structure of cryptic biodiversity underpinning intimate ecological interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clive T Darwell
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, RG6 6AS, UK.
- Department of Biology, Syracuse University, 107 College Place, Syracuse, NY, 13244, USA.
| | - Sarah al-Beidh
- Royal Horticultural Society, Wisley Garden, Woking, Surrey, GU23 6QB, UK.
| | - James M Cook
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, RG6 6AS, UK.
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, University of Western Sydney, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith South DC, NSW, 1797, Australia.
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13
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Wang B, Xiao JH, Bian SN, Gu HF, Huang DW. Adaptive evolution of vertebrate-type cryptochrome in the ancestors of Hymenoptera. Biol Lett 2013; 9:20120958. [PMID: 23221878 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2012.0958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the most mysterious aspects of insect clock mechanisms is that some insects, including Hymenoptera and Tribolium, only express a vertebrate-type cryptochrome (cry2). It is unknown whether or not cry2 underwent adaptive evolution in these insects. In the present study, we cloned and sequenced the full-length cry2 from a fig pollinator species, Ceratosolen solmsi (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Agaonidae), and examined the molecular evolution and daily expression of this gene. Our results suggest that cry2 underwent positive selection in the branch leading to hymenopteran insects. The function of CRY2 might have been fixed since undergoing natural selection in the ancestor of Hymenoptera. Male pollinators showed stronger rhythmicity in the host figs, which reflect an adaptation to their life cycles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Wang
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, People's Republic of China
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14
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Wang B, Xiao JH, Bian SN, Niu LM, Murphy RW, Huang DW. Evolution and expression plasticity of opsin genes in a fig pollinator, Ceratosolen solmsi. PLoS One 2013; 8:e53907. [PMID: 23342036 PMCID: PMC3547053 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0053907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2012] [Accepted: 12/04/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Figs and fig pollinators have co-evolved species-specific systems of mutualism. So far, it was unknown how visual opsin genes of pollinators have evolved in the light conditions inside their host figs. We cloned intact full-length mRNA sequences of four opsin genes from a species of fig pollinator, Ceratosolen solmsi, and tested for selective pressure and expressional plasticity of these genes. Molecular evolutionary analysis indicated that the four opsin genes evolved under different selective constraints. Subsets of codons in the two long wavelength sensitive opsin (LW1, LW2) genes were positively selected in ancestral fig pollinators. The ultraviolet sensitive opsin (UV) gene was under strong purifying selection, whereas a relaxation of selective constrains occurred on several amino acids in the blue opsin. RT-qPCR analysis suggested that female and male fig pollinators had different expression patterns possibly due to their distinct lifestyles and different responses to light within the syconia. Co-evolutionary history with figs might have influenced the evolution and expression plasticity of opsin genes in fig pollinators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Wang
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jin-Hua Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Sheng-Nan Bian
- Plant Protection College, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an, China
| | - Li-Ming Niu
- Environment and Plant Protection Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Danzhou, Hainan, China
| | - Robert W. Murphy
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
- Department of Natural History, Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Da-Wei Huang
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Plant Protection College, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an, China
- * E-mail:
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Hu HY, Jiang ZF, Niu LM, Fu YG, Peng ZQ, Huang DW. Different Stimuli Reduce Attraction to Pollinators in Male and Female Figs in the Dioecious FigFicus hispida. Biotropica 2009. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1744-7429.2009.00536.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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16
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Cruaud A, Jabbour-Zahab R, Genson G, Cruaud C, Couloux A, Kjellberg F, van Noort S, Rasplus JY. Laying the foundations for a new classification of Agaonidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea), a multilocus phylogenetic approach. Cladistics 2009; 26:359-387. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1096-0031.2009.00291.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
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17
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Dunn DW, Yu DW, Ridley J, Cook JM. Longevity, early emergence and body size in a pollinating fig wasp--implications for stability in a fig-pollinator mutualism. J Anim Ecol 2008; 77:927-35. [PMID: 18624736 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2656.2008.01416.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
1. Fig trees (Ficus) are pollinated only by agaonid wasps, whose larvae also gall fig ovules. Each ovule develops into either a seed (when pollinated) or a wasp (when an egg is also laid inside) but not both. 2. Ovipositing wasps (foundresses) favour ovules near the centre of the enclosed inflorescence (syconium or 'fig'), leaving ovules near the outer wall to develop into seeds. This spatial stratification of wasps and seeds ensures reproduction in both partners, and thereby enables mutualism persistence. However, the mechanism(s) responsible remain(s) unknown. 3. Theory shows that foundresses will search for increasingly rare inner ovules and ignore outer ovules, as long as ovipositing in outer ovules is sufficiently slow and/or if inner ovules confer greater fitness to wasps. The fig-pollinator mutualism can therefore be stabilized by strong time constraints on foundresses and by offspring fitness gradients over variation in ovule position. 4. Female fig wasps cannot leave their galls without male assistance. We found that females in outer ovules were unlikely to be released. Inner ovules thus have added value to foundresses, because their female offspring are more likely to mate and disperse. 5. For those offspring that did emerge, gall position (inner/outer) and body size did not influence the order in which female pollinators exited syconia, nor did early emerging wasps enjoy increased life spans. 6. We also found that the life spans of female wasps nearly doubled when given access to moisture. We suggest that conflict resolution in the fig-pollinator mutualism may thus be influenced by tropical seasonality, because wasps may be less able to over-exploit ovules in dry periods due to time constraints.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derek W Dunn
- Division of Biology, Imperial College London, Silwood Park, UK.
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