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Ferveur JF, Cortot J, Cobb M, Everaerts C. Natural Diversity of Cuticular Pheromones in a Local Population of Drosophila after Laboratory Acclimation. INSECTS 2024; 15:273. [PMID: 38667403 PMCID: PMC11050499 DOI: 10.3390/insects15040273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2024] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Experimental studies of insects are often based on strains raised for many generations in constant laboratory conditions. However, laboratory acclimation could reduce species diversity reflecting adaptation to varied natural niches. Hydrocarbons covering the insect cuticle (cuticular hydrocarbons; CHCs) are reliable adaptation markers. They are involved in dehydration reduction and protection against harmful factors. CHCs can also be involved in chemical communication principally related to reproduction. However, the diversity of CHC profiles in nature and their evolution in the laboratory have rarely been investigated. Here, we sampled CHC natural diversity in Drosophila melanogaster flies from a particular location in a temperate region. We also measured cis-Vaccenyl acetate, a male-specific volatile pheromone. After trapping flies using varied fruit baits, we set up 21 D. melanogaster lines and analysed their pheromones at capture and after 1 to 40 generations in the laboratory. Under laboratory conditions, the broad initial pheromonal diversity found in male and female flies rapidly changed and became more limited. In some females, we detected CHCs only reported in tropical populations: the presence of flies with a novel CHC profile may reflect the rapid adaptation of this cosmopolitan species to global warming in a temperate area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-François Ferveur
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l’Alimentation, Unité Mixte de Recherche 6265 Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte de Recherche 1324 Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 6, Bd Gabriel, 21000 Dijon, France; (J.C.); (C.E.)
| | - Jérôme Cortot
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l’Alimentation, Unité Mixte de Recherche 6265 Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte de Recherche 1324 Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 6, Bd Gabriel, 21000 Dijon, France; (J.C.); (C.E.)
| | - Matthew Cobb
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, UK;
| | - Claude Everaerts
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l’Alimentation, Unité Mixte de Recherche 6265 Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte de Recherche 1324 Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 6, Bd Gabriel, 21000 Dijon, France; (J.C.); (C.E.)
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2
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Wang Z, Receveur JP, Pu J, Cong H, Richards C, Liang M, Chung H. Desiccation resistance differences in Drosophila species can be largely explained by variations in cuticular hydrocarbons. eLife 2022; 11:e80859. [PMID: 36473178 PMCID: PMC9757832 DOI: 10.7554/elife.80859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Maintaining water balance is a universal challenge for organisms living in terrestrial environments, especially for insects, which have essential roles in our ecosystem. Although the high surface area to volume ratio in insects makes them vulnerable to water loss, insects have evolved different levels of desiccation resistance to adapt to diverse environments. To withstand desiccation, insects use a lipid layer called cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) to reduce water evaporation from the body surface. It has long been hypothesized that the water-proofing capability of this CHC layer, which can confer different levels of desiccation resistance, depends on its chemical composition. However, it is unknown which CHC components are important contributors to desiccation resistance and how these components can determine differences in desiccation resistance. In this study, we used machine-learning algorithms, correlation analyses, and synthetic CHCs to investigate how different CHC components affect desiccation resistance in 50 Drosophila and related species. We showed that desiccation resistance differences across these species can be largely explained by variation in CHC composition. In particular, length variation in a subset of CHCs, the methyl-branched CHCs (mbCHCs), is a key determinant of desiccation resistance. There is also a significant correlation between the evolution of longer mbCHCs and higher desiccation resistance in these species. Given that CHCs are almost ubiquitous in insects, we suggest that evolutionary changes in insect CHC components can be a general mechanism for the evolution of desiccation resistance and adaptation to diverse and changing environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zinan Wang
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State UniversityEast LansingUnited States
- Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Program, Michigan State UniversityEast LansingUnited States
| | - Joseph P Receveur
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State UniversityEast LansingUnited States
- Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Program, Michigan State UniversityEast LansingUnited States
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of MarylandBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Jian Pu
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State UniversityEast LansingUnited States
- College of Agriculture, Sichuan Agricultural UniversitySichuanChina
| | - Haosu Cong
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State UniversityEast LansingUnited States
| | - Cole Richards
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State UniversityEast LansingUnited States
| | - Muxuan Liang
- Department of Biostatistics, University of FloridaGainesvilleUnited States
| | - Henry Chung
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State UniversityEast LansingUnited States
- Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Program, Michigan State UniversityEast LansingUnited States
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3
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Wu X, Wang S, Zhao X, Wen J, Li Y, Zhao Z, Du J. Analysis of sleep in individual Drosophila melanogaster reveals a self-regulatory role for cuticular hydrocarbons pheromones. INSECT SCIENCE 2022; 29:1737-1746. [PMID: 35199930 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.13022] [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: 10/27/2021] [Revised: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
It is well established that pheromones are used by insects to transmit information between individuals. However, research has revealed that individual insects can be both the sender and the receiver of some pheromonal signals. It is therefore interesting to consider whether the pheromonal state of an individual insect can exert an effect on itself. In this study, we monitored the sleep activity of single flies exhibiting a mutation that leads to pheromonal deficiency and found that cuticular hydrocarbons (CHs) exerted self-regulatory effects on the amount of sleep experienced by these flies. To identify the physiological significance of this mechanism, we compared the amounts of sleep in individual young flies and individual old flies (flies are known to sleep less as they get older) and compared this data with young and old flies exhibiting mutations that lead to CH reception defects. The differences in the amount of sleep experienced by young and old mutant flies were significantly lower than those of the control flies. Our data show that hydrocarbon signals produced by the cuticle in Drosophila can be self-perceived and regulate the amount of sleep acquired in a maturation-dependent manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyu Wu
- Department of Entomology, MOA Key Lab of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Su Wang
- Department of Entomology, MOA Key Lab of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Xianguo Zhao
- Department of Entomology, MOA Key Lab of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Jing Wen
- Department of Entomology, MOA Key Lab of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Yahong Li
- Department of Entomology, MOA Key Lab of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhangwu Zhao
- Department of Entomology, MOA Key Lab of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Juan Du
- Department of Entomology, MOA Key Lab of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
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4
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Simmons LW, Lovegrove M, Du B, Ren Y, Thomas ML. Ontogeny can provide insight into the roles of natural and sexual selection in cricket cuticular hydrocarbon evolution. J Exp Biol 2022; 225:276022. [PMID: 35848820 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.244375] [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: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The often complex cocktails of hydrocarbon compounds found on the cuticles of insects can serve both naturally and sexually selected functions, contributing to an individual's ability to withstand water loss and attract mating partners. However, whether natural and sexual selection act synergistically or antagonistically on a species' cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) profile remains unclear. Here we examined the ontogeny of the CHC profile in a species of cricket Teleogryllus oceanicus while manipulating humidity during development. We predicted that juvenile crickets should produce only those compounds that contribute to desiccation resistance, while those compounds contributing specifically to male attractiveness should be produced only at sexual maturity. Further, if attractive CHCs come at a cost to desiccation resistance as predicted by some models of sexual selection, then males reared under low humidity should be constrained to invest less in attractive CHCs. Crickets reared under low humidity produced more long chained methyl branched alkanes, alkenes and alkadienes than did crickets reared under high humidity. The abundance of n-alkanes was unaffected by humidity treatment. Sexual dimorphism in the CHC profile was not apparent until adult emergence and became exaggerated 10 days after emergence when crickets were sexually mature. Males produced more of the same compounds that were increased in both sexes under low humidity, but the humidity treatment did not interact with sex in determining CHC abundance. The data suggest that CHC profiles which protect crickets from desiccation might have synergistic effects on male attractiveness, as there was no evidence to suggest males trade-off a CHC profile produced in response to low humidity for one associated with sexual signalling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leigh W Simmons
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley 6009, Australia
| | - Maxine Lovegrove
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley 6009, Australia
| | - Bob Du
- Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Perth 6150, Australia
| | - Yonglin Ren
- Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Perth 6150, Australia
| | - Melissa L Thomas
- Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Perth 6150, Australia.,CSIRO Health and Biosecurity, CSIRO Land and Water, Floreat 6014, Australia
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5
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Baumgart L, Wittke M, Morsbach S, Abou B, Menzel F. Why do ants differ in acclimatory ability? Biophysical mechanisms behind cuticular hydrocarbon acclimation across species. J Exp Biol 2022; 225:275883. [PMID: 35775442 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.243847] [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: 11/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Maintaining water balance is vital for terrestrial organisms. Insects protect themselves against desiccation via cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs). CHC layers are complex mixtures of solid and liquid hydrocarbons, with a surprisingly diverse composition across species. This variation may translate to differential phase behaviour, and hence varying waterproofing capacity. This is especially relevant when temperatures change, which requires acclimatory CHC changes to maintain waterproofing. Nevertheless, the physical consequences of CHC variation are still little understood. We studied acclimatory responses and their consequences for CHC composition, phase behaviour, and drought survival in three congeneric ant species. Colony fragments were kept under cool, warm, and fluctuating temperature regimes. Lasius niger and platythorax, both of which are rich in methyl-branched alkanes, showed largely predictable acclimatory changes of the CHC profile. In both species, warm acclimation increased drought resistance. Warm acclimation increased the proportion of solid compounds in L. niger but not in L. platythorax. In both species, the CHC layer formed a liquid matrix of constantly low viscosity, which contained highly viscous and solid parts. This phase heterogeneity may be adaptive, increasing robustness to temperature fluctuations. In L. brunneus, which is rich in unsaturated hydrocarbons, acclimatory CHC changes were less predictable, and warm acclimation did not enhance drought survival. The CHC layer was more homogenous, but matrix viscosity changed with acclimation. We showed that ant species use different physical mechanisms to enhance waterproofing during acclimation. Hence, the ability to acclimate, and thus climatic niche breadth, may strongly depend on species-specific CHC profile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Baumgart
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution (iomE), Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Hanns-Dieter-Hüsch-Weg 15, 55128 Mainz, Germany.,Institute of Biology II, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 2, 52074 Aachen, Germany.,Matière et Systèmes Complexes (MSC), UMR CNRS 7057, Université de Paris, 75205 Paris Cedex 13, France
| | - Marti Wittke
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution (iomE), Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Hanns-Dieter-Hüsch-Weg 15, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Svenja Morsbach
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Bérengère Abou
- Matière et Systèmes Complexes (MSC), UMR CNRS 7057, Université de Paris, 75205 Paris Cedex 13, France
| | - Florian Menzel
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution (iomE), Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Hanns-Dieter-Hüsch-Weg 15, 55128 Mainz, Germany
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6
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Keosentse O, Mutamiswa R, Nyamukondiwa C. Interaction effects of desiccation and temperature stress resistance across Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae) developmental stages. NEOBIOTA 2022. [DOI: 10.3897/neobiota.73.76011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Insects encounter multiple overlapping physiologically challenging environmental stressors in their habitats. As such, the ability of insects to withstand these stressors singly or interactively is fundamental in population persistence. Following its invasion in Africa, Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) has successfully established and spread in most parts of the continent. However, the mechanisms behind its successful survival across arid and semi-arid African environments are relatively unknown. Here, we investigated the water balance of S. frugiperda across its developmental stages. Given the relationships between desiccation stress, temperature stress and other life history traits in arid ecosystems, we also measured interaction effects across metrics of these traits. Specifically, we measured basal body water content (BWC), water loss rates (WLRs) and the effects of desiccation pre-treatment on critical thermal minimum (CTmin), critical thermal maximum (CTmax) and fecundity. Body water content and WLR increased with age across larval instars. However, the effects of desiccation environments on WLRs were more dramatic for 5th and 6th larval instars. The 5th and 6th instars exhibited highest BWC and magnitude of WLRs plastic responses following desiccation treatment. The effects of desiccation pre-treatment on temperature tolerance were less apparent, only significantly improving CTmin in 2nd and 3rd larval instars and reducing CTmax in 5th instars. In addition, desiccation pre-treatment showed no significant effects on fecundity. These results show that water balance traits differ with developmental stage, while the effects of desiccation pre-treatment were more dramatic and inconclusive. The differential desiccation resistance, high proportional BWC and no desiccation pre-treatment effects on fecundity may help the species survive in arid and semi-arid environments. This information provides insights into understanding S. frugiperda survival under desiccating arid and semi-arid tropical environments and is significant in predicting pest outbreaks.
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7
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Stress Resistance Traits under Different Thermal Conditions in Drosophila subobscura from Two Altitudes. INSECTS 2022; 13:insects13020138. [PMID: 35206712 PMCID: PMC8875991 DOI: 10.3390/insects13020138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary The global warming and rapid climate change that we are witnessing is generally influencing all of the living world, so all species must necessarily cope with these changes in order to survive. The ability to withstand environmental stress, especially during the last two decades, has been of great importance for any species’ long-term survival. For that purpose, we studied these abilities in the Drosophila subobscura species, which is known to be a good model organism for studying adaptations to environmental changes such as in temperature. We chose to investigate thermal stress responses in D. subobscura populations from two different altitudes, through four traits linked to stress tolerance: desiccation resistance, heat knock-down resistance, starvation resistance, and chill coma recovery time. Correlations between the populations’ origin and these traits were found, as well as the significant influence of the laboratory thermal conditions and sex on these traits showing that males and cold-adapted populations are expected to fare much worse in a fast-changing warming environment. Abstract Global warming and climate change are affecting many insect species in numerous ways. These species can develop diverse mechanisms as a response to variable environmental conditions. The rise in mean and extreme temperatures due to global warming and the importance of the population’s ability to adapt to temperature stress will further increase. In this study, we investigated thermal stress response, which is considered to be one of the crucial elements of population fitness and survival in fast-changing environments. The dynamics and variation of thermal stress resistance traits in D. subobscura flies originating from two natural populations sampled from different altitudes were analysed. Three different temperature regimes (25 °C, 19 °C, and 16 °C) were used for the F1 progeny from both localities to establish six experimental groups and investigate stress resistance traits: desiccation resistance, heat knock-down resistance, starvation resistance, and chill-coma recovery time. We detected that laboratory thermal conditions and population origin may have an effect on the analysed traits, and that sex also significantly influences stress resistance. Individuals from the lower altitude reared at higher temperatures show inferior resistance to thermal shock.
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Eickelberg V, Lüersen K, Staats S, Rimbach G. Phenotyping of Drosophila Melanogaster-A Nutritional Perspective. Biomolecules 2022; 12:221. [PMID: 35204721 PMCID: PMC8961528 DOI: 10.3390/biom12020221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Revised: 01/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The model organism Drosophila melanogaster was increasingly applied in nutrition research in recent years. A range of methods are available for the phenotyping of D. melanogaster, which are outlined in the first part of this review. The methods include determinations of body weight, body composition, food intake, lifespan, locomotor activity, reproductive capacity and stress tolerance. In the second part, the practical application of the phenotyping of flies is demonstrated via a discussion of obese phenotypes in response to high-sugar diet (HSD) and high-fat diet (HFD) feeding. HSD feeding and HFD feeding are dietary interventions that lead to an increase in fat storage and affect carbohydrate-insulin homeostasis, lifespan, locomotor activity, reproductive capacity and stress tolerance. Furthermore, studies regarding the impacts of HSD and HFD on the transcriptome and metabolome of D. melanogaster are important for relating phenotypic changes to underlying molecular mechanisms. Overall, D. melanogaster was demonstrated to be a valuable model organism with which to examine the pathogeneses and underlying molecular mechanisms of common chronic metabolic diseases in a nutritional context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginia Eickelberg
- Department of Food Science, Institute of Human Nutrition and Food Science, University of Kiel, Hermann-Rodewald-Strasse 6-8, D-24118 Kiel, Germany; (K.L.); (S.S.); (G.R.)
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9
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Prado A, Brunet JL, Peruzzi M, Bonnet M, Bordier C, Crauser D, Le Conte Y, Alaux C. Warmer winters are associated with lower levels of the cryoprotectant glycerol, a slower decrease in vitellogenin expression and reduced virus infections in winter honeybees. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 136:104348. [PMID: 34906562 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2021.104348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Revised: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Within the context of climate change, winter temperatures at high latitudes are predicted to rise faster than summer temperatures. This phenomenon is expected to negatively affect the diapause performance and survival of insects, since they largely rely on low temperatures to lower their metabolism and preserve energy. However, some insects like honeybees, remain relatively active during the winter and elevate their metabolic rate to produce endothermic heat when temperatures drop. Warming winters are thus expected to improve overwintering performance of honeybees. In order to verify this hypothesis, for two consecutive years, we exposed honeybee colonies to either a mild or cold winter. We then monitored the influence of wintering conditions on several parameters of honeybee overwintering physiology, such as levels of the cryoprotectant glycerol, expression levels of immune and antioxidant genes, and genes encoding multifunctional proteins, including vitellogenin, which promotes bee longevity. Winter conditions had no effect on the expression of antioxidant genes, and genes related to immunity were not consistently affected. However, mild winters were consistently associated with a lower investment in glycerol synthesis and a higher expression of fat body genes, especially apidaecin and vitellogenin. Finally, while we found that viral loads generally decreased through the winter, this trend was more pronounced under mild winter conditions. In conclusion, and without considering how warming temperatures might affect other aspects of honeybee biology before overwintering, our data suggest that warming temperatures will likely benefit honeybee vitality by notably reducing their viral loads over the winter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Prado
- Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores, Unidad Juriquilla, UNAM Querétaro, Mexico
| | | | | | - Marc Bonnet
- INRAE, Abeilles & Environnement, 84914 Avignon, France
| | - Celia Bordier
- INRAE, Abeilles & Environnement, 84914 Avignon, France
| | | | - Yves Le Conte
- INRAE, Abeilles & Environnement, 84914 Avignon, France
| | - Cedric Alaux
- INRAE, Abeilles & Environnement, 84914 Avignon, France.
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10
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Tarusikirwa VL, Cuthbert RN, Mutamiswa R, Gotcha N, Nyamukondiwa C. Water Balance and Desiccation Tolerance of the Invasive South American Tomato Pinworm. JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 2021; 114:1743-1751. [PMID: 34231839 DOI: 10.1093/jee/toab128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Temperature and dehydration stress are two major co-occurring environmental stressors threatening the physiology, biochemistry, and ecology of insects. As such, understanding adaptive responses to desiccation stress is critical for predicting climate change impacts, particularly its influence on insect invasions. Here, we assessed water balance and desiccation resistance of the invasive Tuta absoluta (Meyrick, 1917) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), and infer how eco-physiology shapes its niche. We measured basal body water and lipid content, water loss rates (WLRs), and desiccation resistance in larvae (second to fourth instars) and adults. Body -water, -lipid, and WLRs significantly varied across life stages. Second instars recorded the lowest while fourth instars exhibited the highest body water and lipid content. Adult body water and lipid content were higher than second and third instars and lower than fourth instars while proportion of body water and lipid contents were highest in adults and second larval instars respectively. Water loss rates were significantly highest in fourth-instar larvae compared to other life stages, but differences among stages were less apparent at longer exposure durations (48 h). Desiccation resistance assays showed that second instars had greatest mortality while fourth-instar larvae and adults were the most desiccation tolerant. Our results show that T. absoluta fourth-instar larvae and adults are the most resilient developmental stages and potentially contribute most to the invasion success of the pest in arid environments. Incorporation of these species-specific eco-physiological traits in predictive models can help refine invasive species potential spread under changing climates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vimbai L Tarusikirwa
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Botswana International University of Science and Technology, P. Bag 16, Palapye, Botswana
| | - Ross N Cuthbert
- GEOMAR Helmholtz-Zentrum für Ozeanforschung Kiel, Düsternbrooker Weg 20, 24105 Kiel, Germany
| | - Reyard Mutamiswa
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa
| | - Nonofo Gotcha
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Botswana International University of Science and Technology, P. Bag 16, Palapye, Botswana
| | - Casper Nyamukondiwa
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Botswana International University of Science and Technology, P. Bag 16, Palapye, Botswana
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11
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Wang Y, Ferveur JF, Moussian B. Eco-genetics of desiccation resistance in Drosophila. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2021; 96:1421-1440. [PMID: 33754475 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2020] [Revised: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Climate change globally perturbs water circulation thereby influencing ecosystems including cultivated land. Both harmful and beneficial species of insects are likely to be vulnerable to such changes in climate. As small animals with a disadvantageous surface area to body mass ratio, they face a risk of desiccation. A number of behavioural, physiological and genetic strategies are deployed to solve these problems during adaptation in various Drosophila species. Over 100 desiccation-related genes have been identified in laboratory and wild populations of the cosmopolitan fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster and its sister species in large-scale and single-gene approaches. These genes are involved in water sensing and homeostasis, and barrier formation and function via the production and composition of surface lipids and via pigmentation. Interestingly, the genetic strategy implemented in a given population appears to be unpredictable. In part, this may be due to different experimental approaches in different studies. The observed variability may also reflect a rich standing genetic variation in Drosophila allowing a quasi-random choice of response strategies through soft-sweep events, although further studies are needed to unravel any underlying principles. These findings underline that D. melanogaster is a robust species well adapted to resist climate change-related desiccation. The rich data obtained in Drosophila research provide a framework to address and understand desiccation resistance in other insects. Through the application of powerful genetic tools in the model organism D. melanogaster, the functions of desiccation-related genes revealed by correlative studies can be tested and the underlying molecular mechanisms of desiccation tolerance understood. The combination of the wealth of available data and its genetic accessibility makes Drosophila an ideal bioindicator. Accumulation of data on desiccation resistance in Drosophila may allow us to create a world map of genetic evolution in response to climate change in an insect genome. Ultimately these efforts may provide guidelines for dealing with the effects of climate-related perturbations on insect population dynamics in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiwen Wang
- Interfaculty Institute of Cell Biology, Section Animal Genetics, University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 15, Tübingen, 72076, Germany.,School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Jean-François Ferveur
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, UMR-CNRS 6265, Université de Bourgogne, 6, Bd Gabriel, Dijon, 21000, France
| | - Bernard Moussian
- Interfaculty Institute of Cell Biology, Section Animal Genetics, University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 15, Tübingen, 72076, Germany.,Institute of Biology Valrose, Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Inserm, Parc Valrose, Nice CEDEX 2, 06108, France
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12
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Low temperatures induce physiological changes in lipids, fatty acids and hydrocarbons, in two rare winter scorpions of genus Urophonius (Scorpiones, Bothriuridae). J Therm Biol 2021; 96:102841. [PMID: 33627278 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2021.102841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2020] [Revised: 12/28/2020] [Accepted: 01/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Different organisms (mainly poikilotherms) are subject to environmental fluctuations that could affect their normal physiological functioning (e.g., by destabilization of biomembranes and rupture of biomolecules). As a result, animals regulate their body temperature and adapt to different environmental conditions through various physiological strategies. These adaptations are crucial in all organisms, although they are more relevant in those that have reached a great adaptive diversity such as scorpions. Within scorpions, the genus Urophonius presents species with winter activity, being this a peculiarity within the Order and an opportunity to study the strategies deployed by these organisms when facing different temperatures. Here, we explore three basic issues of lipid remodeling under high and low temperatures, using adults and juveniles of Urophonius achalensis and U. brachycentrus. First, as an indicator of metabolic state, we analyzed the lipidic changes in different tissues observing that low temperatures generate higher quantities of triacylglycerols and fewer amount of structural lipids and sphyngomielin. Furthermore, we studied the participation of fatty acids in adaptive homeoviscosity, showing that there are changes in the quantity of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids at low temperature (mainly 16:0, 18:0, 18:1 and 18:2). Finally, we observe that there are quantitative and qualitative variations in the cuticular hydrocarbons (with possible water barrier and chemical recognition function). These fluctuations are in some cases species-specific, metabolic-specific, tissue-specific and in others depend on the ontogenetic state.
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Rajpurohit S, Vrkoslav V, Hanus R, Gibbs AG, Cvačka J, Schmidt PS. Post-eclosion temperature effects on insect cuticular hydrocarbon profiles. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:352-364. [PMID: 33437434 PMCID: PMC7790616 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Revised: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
The insect cuticle is the interface between internal homeostasis and the often harsh external environment. Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) are key constituents of this hard cuticle and are associated with a variety of functions including stress response and communication. CHC production and deposition on the insect cuticle vary among natural populations and are affected by developmental temperature; however, little is known about CHC plasticity in response to the environment experienced following eclosion, during which time the insect cuticle undergoes several crucial changes. We targeted this crucial to important phase and studied post-eclosion temperature effects on CHC profiles in two natural populations of Drosophila melanogaster. A forty-eight hour post-eclosion exposure to three different temperatures (18, 25, and 30°C) significantly affected CHCs in both ancestral African and more recently derived North American populations of D. melanogaster. A clear shift from shorter to longer CHCs chain length was observed with increasing temperature, and the effects of post-eclosion temperature varied across populations and between sexes. The quantitative differences in CHCs were associated with variation in desiccation tolerance among populations. Surprisingly, we did not detect any significant differences in water loss rate between African and North American populations. Overall, our results demonstrate strong genetic and plasticity effects in CHC profiles in response to environmental temperatures experienced at the adult stage as well as associations with desiccation tolerance, which is crucial in understanding holometabolan responses to stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subhash Rajpurohit
- Division of Biological and Life SciencesSchool of Arts and SciencesAhmedabad UniversityAhmedabadIndia
- Department of BiologyUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPAUSA
| | - Vladimír Vrkoslav
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry AS CRPragueCzech Republic
| | - Robert Hanus
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry AS CRPragueCzech Republic
| | - Allen G. Gibbs
- School of Life SciencesUniversity of NevadaLas VegasNVUSA
| | - Josef Cvačka
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry AS CRPragueCzech Republic
| | - Paul S Schmidt
- Department of BiologyUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPAUSA
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