1
|
Morimoto J. Nutrigonometry IV: Thales' theorem to measure the rules of dietary compromise in animals. Sci Rep 2023; 13:7466. [PMID: 37156830 PMCID: PMC10167223 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-34722-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Diet specialists and generalists face a common challenge: they must regulate the intake and balance of nutrients to achieve a target diet for optimum nutrition. When optimum nutrition is unattainable, organisms must cope with dietary imbalances and trade-off surplus and deficits of nutrients that ensue. Animals achieve this through compensatory rules that dictate how to cope with nutrient imbalances, known as 'rules of compromise'. Understanding the patterns of the rules of compromise can provide invaluable insights into animal physiology and behaviour, and shed light into the evolution of diet specialisation. However, we lack an analytical method for quantitative comparisons of the rules of compromise within and between species. Here, I present a new analytical method that uses Thales' theorem as foundation, and that enables fast comparisons of the rules of compromise within and between species. I then apply the method on three landmark datasets to show how the method enables us to gain insights into how animals with different diet specialisation cope with nutrient imbalances. The method opens new avenues of research to understand how animals cope with nutrient imbalances in comparative nutrition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juliano Morimoto
- Institute of Mathematics, University of Aberdeen, King's College, Aberdeen, AB24 3FX, Scotland.
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Zoology Building, Tillydrone Ave, Aberdeen, AB24 2TZ, Scotland.
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, 82590-300, Brazil.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Chen Y, Hong B, Zhang Y, Chen X, Zhang T, Zhong G, Yi X. FoxO directly regulates the expression of odorant receptor genes to govern olfactory plasticity upon starvation in Bactrocera dorsalis. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2023; 153:103907. [PMID: 36610504 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2023.103907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2022] [Revised: 01/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Under nutrient-poor conditions, animals must save energy by adjusting their behavior and physiology in order to survive. Although the impact of feeding state on olfactory sensory neuron activity has been well studied, the regulatory mechanisms underlying the transcriptional changes in odorant receptors (Ors) induced by feeding signals are seldom mentioned. Here, we showed that starvation could attenuate antennal responses of Bactrocera dorsalis toward multiple odorants, which could be reverted by sugar re-feeding, but not by a protein-rich diet. Using methyl eugenol (ME) as a paradigm, our study provided molecular evidence that Forkhead Box protein O (FoxO) can be expressed in antennal tissues to govern starvation-induced olfactory modifications by binding to the upstream regulatory regions of ME-responsive Ors and regulating their expressions. Since the consensus FoxO binding motif was also identified in other 17 Ors whose expression levels were also significantly altered upon FoxO knockdown and starvation, our data suggest that FoxO-dependent binding is likely a universal regulatory mechanism for Or genes during starvation and re-feeding cycles. Taken together, the FoxO-Ors axis elucidated in this study provides an improved understanding of how the insulin signaling pathway senses the feeding state and certain macronutrient composition to shape olfactory plasticity, allowing flies to dynamically alter chemosensory sensitivities toward different odors. Our study also highlights sugar as a satiety signal, which could increase ME-mediated trap efficiency in the field.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yaoyao Chen
- Key Laboratory of Crop Integrated Pest Management in South China, Ministry of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China; Key Laboratory of Natural Pesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Boer Hong
- Key Laboratory of Crop Integrated Pest Management in South China, Ministry of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China; Key Laboratory of Natural Pesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuhua Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Crop Integrated Pest Management in South China, Ministry of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China; Key Laboratory of Natural Pesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaolian Chen
- Key Laboratory of Crop Integrated Pest Management in South China, Ministry of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China; Key Laboratory of Natural Pesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tong Zhang
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, College of Plant Protection, South China Agricultural University, Guangdong, China
| | - Guohua Zhong
- Key Laboratory of Crop Integrated Pest Management in South China, Ministry of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China; Key Laboratory of Natural Pesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Xin Yi
- Key Laboratory of Crop Integrated Pest Management in South China, Ministry of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China; Key Laboratory of Natural Pesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Neupane S, Hall B, Brooke G, Nayduch D. Sex-specific Feeding Behavior of Adult House Flies, Musca domestica L. (Diptera: Muscidae). JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2023; 60:7-13. [PMID: 36305732 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjac161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
House flies, Musca domestica L., (Diptera: Muscidae) mechanically vector diverse disease-causing microorganisms while foraging for food in agricultural and urban habitats. Although flies are diverse feeders, nutrient composition of food is important for both fly longevity and reproduction, especially for anautogenous females who require protein for egg production. We investigated whether fly sex and/or mating status influenced their preference for foods with varying macronutrient composition. Presumably mated or unmated male and female flies were separated by sex and offered four food, each in 10% solution offered on cotton wicks: sugar (carbohydrate-rich), fat-free milk (protein-rich, moderate carbohydrate), egg-yolk (protein and lipid-rich), and water (no macronutrients). Foods were colored with nontoxic dyes, which were rotated between replicates. After 4h exposure, flies were dissected to determine the type of food(s) ingested. The interaction of house fly sex and food type significantly influenced food preference, where females preferred milk (protein and carbohydrate-rich food), and males preferred mainly sugar (carbohydrate-rich). Furthermore, 32.8% of females and 10.6% of males foraged on multiple foods. While interaction of sex and mating status had no effect on food preference, milk preference was significantly higher in presumably mated than unmated females. We also tested whether food color influenced fly feeding preference, and found that color was most significant when flies were offered one food type, but negligible when multiple food types were present. This study suggests that bait-based fly control strategies should consider sex-specific preferences for various food attractants if aiming to target and control both male and female house flies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Saraswoti Neupane
- Department of Entomology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
| | - Brandon Hall
- Department of Entomology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
| | - Grant Brooke
- Department of Entomology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
- Arthropod-Borne Animal Diseases Research Unit, Center for Grain and Animal Health Research, USDA-ARS, Manhattan, KS 66502, USA
| | - Dana Nayduch
- Arthropod-Borne Animal Diseases Research Unit, Center for Grain and Animal Health Research, USDA-ARS, Manhattan, KS 66502, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Morimoto J, Conceição P, Mirth C, Lihoreau M. Nutrigonometry I: using right-angle triangles to quantify nutritional trade-offs in performance landscapes. Am Nat 2022; 201:725-740. [PMID: 37130232 DOI: 10.1086/723599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
AbstractAnimals regulate their food intake to maximize the expression of fitness traits but are forced to trade off the optimal expression of some fitness traits because of differences in the nutrient requirements of each trait ("nutritional trade-offs"). Nutritional trade-offs have been experimentally uncovered using the geometric framework for nutrition (GF). However, current analytical methods to measure such responses rely on either visual inspection or complex models of vector calculations applied to multidimensional performance landscapes, making these approaches subjective or conceptually difficult, computationally expensive, and, in some cases, inaccurate. Here, we present a simple trigonometric model to measure nutritional trade-offs in multidimensional landscapes (nutrigonometry) that relies on the trigonometric relationships of right-angle triangles and thus is both conceptually and computationally easier to understand and use than previous quantitative approaches. We applied nutrigonometry to a landmark GF data set for comparison of several standard statistical models to assess model performance in finding regions in the performance landscapes. This revealed that polynomial (Bayesian) regressions can be used for precise and accurate predictions of peaks and valleys in performance landscapes, irrespective of the underlying structure of the data (i.e., individual food intakes vs. fixed diet ratios). We then identified the known nutritional trade-off between life span and reproductive rate in terms of both nutrient balance and concentration for validation of the model. This showed that nutrigonometry enables a fast, reliable, and reproducible quantification of nutritional trade-offs in multidimensional performance landscapes, thereby broadening the potential for future developments in comparative research on the evolution of animal nutrition.
Collapse
|
5
|
Morimoto J, Conceição P, Smoczyk K. Nutrigonometry III: curvature, area and differences between performance landscapes. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 9:221326. [PMID: 36465681 PMCID: PMC9709515 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.221326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Nutrition is one of the underlying factors necessary for the expression of life-histories and fitness across the tree of life. In recent decades, the geometric framework (GF) has become a powerful framework to obtain biological insights through the construction of multidimensional performance landscapes. However, to date, many properties of these multidimensional landscapes have remained inaccessible due to our lack of mathematical and statistical frameworks for GF analysis. This has limited our ability to understand, describe and estimate parameters which may contain useful biological information from GF multidimensional performance landscapes. Here, we propose a new model to investigate the curvature of GF multidimensional landscapes by calculating the parameters from differential geometry known as Gaussian and mean curvatures. We also estimate the surface area of multidimensional performance landscapes as a way to measure landscape deviations from flat. We applied the models to a landmark dataset in the field, where we also validate the assumptions required for the calculations of curvature. In particular, we showed that linear models perform as well as other models used in GF data, enabling landscapes to be approximated by quadratic polynomials. We then introduced the Hausdorff distance as a metric to compare the similarity of multidimensional landscapes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juliano Morimoto
- Institute of Mathematics, University of Aberdeen, King’s College, Aberdeen AB24 3FX, UK
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Zoology Building, Tillydrone Avenue, Aberdeen AB24 2TZ, UK
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba 82590-300, Brazil
- Institute of Differential Geometry, Riemann Centre for Geometry and Physics, Welfengarten 1, Hannover 30167, Germany
| | - Pedro Conceição
- Institute of Mathematics, University of Aberdeen, King’s College, Aberdeen AB24 3FX, UK
| | - Knut Smoczyk
- Institute of Differential Geometry, Riemann Centre for Geometry and Physics, Welfengarten 1, Hannover 30167, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Macartney EL, Crean AJ, Bonduriansky R. Parental dietary protein effects on offspring viability in insects and other oviparous invertebrates: a meta-analysis. CURRENT RESEARCH IN INSECT SCIENCE 2022; 2:100045. [PMID: 36683954 PMCID: PMC9846472 DOI: 10.1016/j.cris.2022.100045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Revised: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Dietary protein is a key regulator of reproductive effort in animals, but protein consumption also tends to accelerate senescence and reduce longevity. Given this protein-mediated trade-off between reproduction and survival, how does protein consumption by parents affect the viability of their offspring? In insects, protein consumption by females enhances fecundity, but trade-offs between offspring quantity and quality could result in negative effects of protein consumption on offspring viability. Likewise, protein consumption by males tends to enhance the expression of sexual traits but could have negative effects on offspring viability, mediated by epigenetic factors transmitted via the ejaculate. It remains unclear whether dietary protein has consistent effects on offspring viability across species, and whether these effects are sex-specific. To address this, we conducted a meta-analysis of experimental studies that examined the effects of protein content in the maternal and/or paternal diet in insects and other oviparous invertebrates. We did not find consistent effects of paternal or maternal protein consumption on offspring viability. Rather, effects of dietary protein on offspring vary in both magnitude and sign across taxonomic groups. Further studies are needed to determine how the effects of dietary protein on offspring relate to variation in reproductive biology across species. Our findings also highlight important gaps in the literature and limitations in experiment design.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Erin L. Macartney
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Angela J Crean
- Charles Perkins Centre, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Russell Bonduriansky
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Morimoto J. Nutrigonometry II: Experimental strategies to maximize nutritional information in multidimensional performance landscapes. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9174. [PMID: 35949523 PMCID: PMC9353123 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals regulate their nutrient consumption to maximize the expression of fitness traits with competing nutritional needs (“nutritional trade‐offs”). Nutritional trade‐offs have been studied using a response surface modeling approach known as the Geometric Framework for nutrition (GF). Current experimental design in GF studies does not explore the entire area of the nutritional space resulting in performance landscapes that may be incomplete. This hampers our ability to understand the properties of the performance landscape (e.g., peak shape) from which meaningful biological insights can be obtained. Here, I tested alternative experimental designs to explore the full range of the performance landscape in GF studies. I compared the performance of the standard GF design strategy with three alternatives: hexagonal, square, and random points grid strategies with respect to their accuracy in reconstructing baseline performance landscapes from a landmark GF dataset. I showed that standard GF design did not reconstruct the properties of baseline performance landscape appropriately particularly for traits that respond strongly to the interaction between nutrients. Moreover, the peak estimates in the reconstructed performance landscape using standard GF design were accurate in terms of the nutrient ratio but incomplete in terms of peak shape. All other grid designs provided more accurate reconstructions of the baseline performance landscape while also providing accurate estimates of nutrient ratio and peak shape. Thus, alternative experimental designs can maximize information from performance landscapes in GF studies, enabling reliable biological insights into nutritional trade‐offs and physiological limits within and across species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juliano Morimoto
- Institute of Mathematics King's College, University of Aberdeen Aberdeen UK
- School of Biological Sciences University of Aberdeen Aberdeen UK
- Programa de Pós‐graduação em Ecologia e Conservação Universidade Federal do Paraná Curitiba Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Garlovsky MD, Holman L, Brooks AL, Novicic ZK, Snook RR. Experimental sexual selection affects the evolution of physiological and life-history traits. J Evol Biol 2022; 35:742-751. [PMID: 35384100 PMCID: PMC9322299 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.14003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Revised: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Sexual selection and sexual conflict are expected to affect all aspects of the phenotype, not only traits that are directly involved in reproduction. Here, we show coordinated evolution of multiple physiological and life-history traits in response to long-term experimental manipulation of the mating system in populations of Drosophila pseudoobscura. Development time was extended under polyandry relative to monogamy in both sexes, potentially due to higher investment in traits linked to sexual selection and sexual conflict. Individuals (especially males) evolving under polyandry had higher metabolic rates and locomotor activity than those evolving under monogamy. Polyandry individuals also invested more in metabolites associated with increased endurance capacity and efficient energy metabolism and regulation, namely lipids and glycogen. Finally, polyandry males were less desiccation- and starvation resistant than monogamy males, suggesting trade-offs between resistance and sexually selected traits. Our results provide experimental evidence that mating systems can impose selection that influences the evolution of non-sexual phenotypes such as development, activity, metabolism and nutrient homeostasis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Martin D Garlovsky
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Luke Holman
- School of Applied Sciences, Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Andrew L Brooks
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Zorana K Novicic
- Animal Ecology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Evolutionary Biology Center, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Rhonda R Snook
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Dobler R, Charette M, Kaplan K, Turnell BR, Reinhardt K. Divergent natural selection alters male sperm competition success in
Drosophila melanogaster. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8567. [PMID: 35222953 PMCID: PMC8848461 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2021] [Revised: 12/18/2021] [Accepted: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexually selected traits may also be subject to non‐sexual selection. If optimal trait values depend on environmental conditions, then “narrow sense” (i.e., non‐sexual) natural selection can lead to local adaptation, with fitness in a certain environment being highest among individuals selected under that environment. Such adaptation can, in turn, drive ecological speciation via sexual selection. To date, most research on the effect of narrow‐sense natural selection on sexually selected traits has focused on precopulatory measures like mating success. However, postcopulatory traits, such as sperm function, can also be under non‐sexual selection, and have the potential to contribute to population divergence between different environments. Here, we investigate the effects of narrow‐sense natural selection on male postcopulatory success in Drosophila melanogaster. We chose two extreme environments, low oxygen (10%, hypoxic) or high CO2 (5%, hypercapnic) to detect small effects. We measured the sperm defensive (P1) and offensive (P2) capabilities of selected and control males in the corresponding selection environment and under control conditions. Overall, selection under hypoxia decreased both P1 and P2, while selection under hypercapnia had no effect. Surprisingly, P1 for both selected and control males was higher under both ambient hypoxia and ambient hypercapnia, compared to control conditions, while P2 was lower under hypoxia. We found limited evidence for local adaptation: the positive environmental effect of hypoxia on P1 was greater in hypoxia‐selected males than in controls. We discuss the implications of our findings for the evolution of postcopulatory traits in response to non‐sexual and sexual selection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ralph Dobler
- Animal Evolutionary Ecology Institute of Evolution and Ecology Eberhard Karls University of Tubingen Tübingen Germany
- Applied Zoology Institute of Zoology Technische Universität Dresden Dresden Germany
| | - Marc Charette
- Department of Biology University of Ottawa Ottawa Ontario Canada
| | - Katrin Kaplan
- Animal Evolutionary Ecology Institute of Evolution and Ecology Eberhard Karls University of Tubingen Tübingen Germany
| | - Biz R. Turnell
- Applied Zoology Institute of Zoology Technische Universität Dresden Dresden Germany
| | - Klaus Reinhardt
- Animal Evolutionary Ecology Institute of Evolution and Ecology Eberhard Karls University of Tubingen Tübingen Germany
- Applied Zoology Institute of Zoology Technische Universität Dresden Dresden Germany
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Carey MR, Archer CR, Rapkin J, Castledine M, Jensen K, House CM, Hosken DJ, Hunt J. Mapping sex differences in the effects of protein and carbohydrates on lifespan and reproduction in Drosophila melanogaster: is measuring nutrient intake essential? Biogerontology 2022; 23:129-144. [PMID: 35122572 PMCID: PMC8888493 DOI: 10.1007/s10522-022-09953-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Understanding how diet affects reproduction and survival is a central aim in evolutionary biology. Although this relationship is likely to differ between the sexes, we lack data relating diet to male reproductive traits. One exception to this general pattern is Drosophila melanogaster, where male dietary intake was quantified using the CApillary FEeder (CAFE) method. However, CAFE feeding reduces D. melanogaster survival and reproduction, so may distort diet-fitness outcomes. Here, we use the Geometric Framework of Nutrition to create nutrient landscapes that map sex-specific relationships between protein, carbohydrate, lifespan and reproduction in D. melanogaster. Rather than creating landscapes with consumption data, we map traits onto the nutrient composition of forty agar-based diets, generating broad coverage of nutrient space. We find that male and female lifespan was maximised on low protein, high carbohydrate blends (~ 1P:15.9C). This nutrient ratio also maximised male reproductive rates, but females required more protein to maximise daily fecundity (1P:1.22C). These results are consistent with CAFE assay outcomes. However, the approach employed here improved female fitness relative to CAFE assays, while effects of agar versus CAFE feeding on male fitness traits depended on the nutrient composition of experimental diets. We suggest that informative nutrient landscapes can be made without measuring individual nutrient intake and that in many cases, this may be preferable to using the CAFE approach. The most appropriate method will depend on the question and species being studied, but the approach adopted here has the advantage of creating nutritional landscapes when dietary intake is hard to quantify.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew R Carey
- Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Imperial College London, London, UK.,Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Cornwall, UK
| | - C Ruth Archer
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Cornwall, UK.,Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein Allee 11, 89069, Ulm, Germany
| | - James Rapkin
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Cornwall, UK
| | - Meaghan Castledine
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Cornwall, UK
| | - Kim Jensen
- Department of Animal Science - ANIS Nutrition, Aarhus University, Tjele, Denmark
| | - Clarissa M House
- School of Science, Western Sydney University, Hawkesbury Campus, Richmond, NSW, Australia
| | - David J Hosken
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Cornwall, UK
| | - John Hunt
- School of Science, Western Sydney University, Hawkesbury Campus, Richmond, NSW, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Phenotyping of Drosophila melanogaster—A Nutritional Perspective. Biomolecules 2022; 12:biom12020221. [PMID: 35204721 PMCID: PMC8961528 DOI: 10.3390/biom12020221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [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.
Collapse
|
12
|
Simmons LW, Ng SH, Lovegrove M. Condition‐dependent seminal fluid gene expression and intergenerational paternal effects on ejaculate quality. Funct Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Leigh W. Simmons
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology School of Biological Sciences The University of Western Australia Crawley WA Australia
| | - Soon Hwee Ng
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology School of Biological Sciences The University of Western Australia Crawley WA Australia
| | - Maxine Lovegrove
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology School of Biological Sciences The University of Western Australia Crawley WA Australia
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Nguyen B, Dinh H, Morimoto J, Ponton F. Sex-specific effects of the microbiota on adult carbohydrate intake and body composition in a polyphagous fly. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 134:104308. [PMID: 34474015 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2021.104308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The microbiota influences hosts' health and fitness. However, the extent to which the microbiota affects host' foraging decisions and related life history traits remains to be fully understood. Our study explored the effects of microbiota manipulation on foraging preference and phenotypic traits of larval and adult stages of the polyphagous fruit fly Bactrocera tryoni, one of the main horticultural pests in Australia. We generated three treatments: control (non-treated microbiota), axenic (removed microbiota), and reinoculation (individuals which had their microbiota removed then re-introduced). Our results confirmed that axenic larvae and immature (i.e., newly emerged 0 day-old, sexually-immature) adults were lighter than control and reinoculated individuals. Interestingly, we found a sex-specific effect of the microbiota manipulation on carbohydrate intake and body composition of 10 day-old mature adults. Axenic males ate less carbohydrate, and had lower body weight and total body fat relative to control and reinoculated males. Conversely, axenic females ate more carbohydrate than control and reinoculated ones, although body weight and lipid reserves were similar across treatments. Axenic females produced fewer eggs than control and reinoculated females. Our findings corroborate the far-reaching effects of microbiota in insects found in previous studies and show, for the first time, a sex-specific effect of microbiota on feeding behaviour in flies. Our results underscore the dynamic relationship between the microbiota and the host with the reinoculation of microbes restoring some traits that were affected in axenic individuals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Binh Nguyen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
| | - Hue Dinh
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Juliano Morimoto
- School of Biological Sciences, Zoology Building, Tillydrone Ave, Aberdeen AB24 2TZ, United Kingdom
| | - Fleur Ponton
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Křemenová J, Bartonička T, Balvín O, Massino C, Reinhardt K, Sasínková M, Weig AR, Otti O. Male diet affects female fitness and sperm competition in human- and bat-associated lineages of the common bedbug, Cimex lectularius. Sci Rep 2021; 11:15538. [PMID: 34330972 PMCID: PMC8324850 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-94622-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Sperm performance can vary in ecologically divergent populations, but it is often not clear whether the environment per se or genomic differences arising from divergent selection cause the difference. One powerful and easily manipulated environmental effect is diet. Populations of bedbugs (Cimex lectularius) naturally feed either on bat or human blood. These are diverging genetically into a bat-associated and a human-associated lineage. To measure how male diet affects sperm performance, we kept males of two HL and BL populations each on either their own or the foreign diet. Then we investigated male reproductive success in a single mating and sperm competition context. We found that male diet affected female fecundity and changed the outcome of sperm competition, at least in the human lineage. However, this influence of diet on sperm performance was moulded by an interaction. Bat blood generally had a beneficial effect on sperm competitiveness and seemed to be a better food source in both lineages. Few studies have examined the effects of male diet on sperm performance generally, and sperm competition specifically. Our results reinforce the importance to consider the environment in which sperm are produced. In the absence of gene flow, such differences may increase reproductive isolation. In the presence of gene flow, however, the generally better sperm performance after consuming bat blood suggests that the diet is likely to homogenise rather than isolate populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jana Křemenová
- grid.10267.320000 0001 2194 0956Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 611 37 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Tomáš Bartonička
- grid.10267.320000 0001 2194 0956Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 611 37 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Ondřej Balvín
- grid.15866.3c0000 0001 2238 631XDepartment of Ecology, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 129, 165 21 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Christian Massino
- grid.4488.00000 0001 2111 7257Applied Zoology, Department of Biology, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany
| | - Klaus Reinhardt
- grid.4488.00000 0001 2111 7257Applied Zoology, Department of Biology, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany
| | - Markéta Sasínková
- grid.15866.3c0000 0001 2238 631XDepartment of Ecology, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 129, 165 21 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Alfons R. Weig
- grid.7384.80000 0004 0467 6972Genomics and Bioinformatics, Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER), University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstrasse 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Oliver Otti
- grid.7384.80000 0004 0467 6972Animal Population Ecology, Animal Ecology I, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstrasse 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Bath E, Buzzoni D, Ralph T, Wigby S, Sepil I. Male condition influences female post mating aggression and feeding in
Drosophila. Funct Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor Bath
- Department of Zoology University of Oxford Oxford UK
| | - Daisy Buzzoni
- Department of Zoology University of Oxford Oxford UK
- University of Victoria Victoria BC Canada
| | - Toby Ralph
- Department of Zoology University of Oxford Oxford UK
| | - Stuart Wigby
- Department of Zoology University of Oxford Oxford UK
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behaviour Institute of Infection, Veterinary & Ecological Sciences University of Liverpool Liverpool UK
| | - Irem Sepil
- Department of Zoology University of Oxford Oxford UK
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
De Nardo AN, Roy J, Sbilordo SH, Lüpold S. Condition-dependent interaction between mating success and competitive fertilization success in Drosophila melanogaster. Evolution 2021; 75:2014-2026. [PMID: 33834478 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Revised: 02/06/2021] [Accepted: 03/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Dietary restriction during development can affect adult body size and condition. In many species, larger (high-condition) males gain higher mating success through male-male competition and female choice, and female condition can affect the extent of both female mate choice and male investment in courtship or ejaculates. However, few studies have examined the joint effects and interplay of male and female condition during both the pre- and the postcopulatory phases of sexual selection. We therefore manipulated the larval diet of male and female Drosophila melanogaster to study how body size variation in both sexes biases competitive outcomes at different reproductive stages, from mating to paternity. We did not find a difference in mate preference or mating latency between females of different conditions, nor any interaction between male and female conditions. However, large males were more successful in gaining matings, but only when in direct competition, whereas mating latencies were shorter for low-condition males in noncompetitive settings. Small males also transferred more sperm to nonvirgin females, displaced a larger proportion of resident sperm, and achieved higher paternity shares per mating than large males. In agreement with existing theory, we suggest that small males might partially compensate for their low mating success by strategically investing in larger sperm numbers and potentially other, unmeasured ejaculate traits, when they do have a mating opportunity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alessio N De Nardo
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, CH-8057, Switzerland
| | - Jeannine Roy
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, CH-8057, Switzerland
| | - Sonja H Sbilordo
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, CH-8057, Switzerland
| | - Stefan Lüpold
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, CH-8057, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Churchill ER, Bridle JR, Thom MD. Spatially clustered resources increase male aggregation and mating duration in Drosophila melanogaster. Anim Behav 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
|
18
|
Moatt JP, Savola E, Regan JC, Nussey DH, Walling CA. Lifespan Extension Via Dietary Restriction: Time to Reconsider the Evolutionary Mechanisms? Bioessays 2020; 42:e1900241. [DOI: 10.1002/bies.201900241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2019] [Revised: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Joshua P. Moatt
- Institute of Evolutionary BiologySchool of Biological ScienceUniversity of Edinburgh Edinburgh EH9 3FL UK
| | - Eevi Savola
- Institute of Evolutionary BiologySchool of Biological ScienceUniversity of Edinburgh Edinburgh EH9 3FL UK
| | - Jennifer C. Regan
- Institute for Immunology and InfectionSchool of Biological ScienceUniversity of Edinburgh Edinburgh EH9 3FL UK
| | - Daniel H. Nussey
- Institute of Evolutionary BiologySchool of Biological ScienceUniversity of Edinburgh Edinburgh EH9 3FL UK
| | - Craig A. Walling
- Institute of Evolutionary BiologySchool of Biological ScienceUniversity of Edinburgh Edinburgh EH9 3FL UK
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Sugar Promotes Feeding in Flies via the Serine Protease Homolog scarface. Cell Rep 2019; 24:3194-3206.e4. [PMID: 30232002 PMCID: PMC6167639 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.08.059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2018] [Revised: 05/08/2018] [Accepted: 08/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
A balanced diet of macronutrients is critical for animal health. A lack of specific elements can have profound effects on behavior, reproduction, and lifespan. Here, we used Drosophila to understand how the brain responds to carbohydrate deprivation. We found that serine protease homologs (SPHs) are enriched among genes that are transcriptionally regulated in flies deprived of carbohydrates. Stimulation of neurons expressing one of these SPHs, Scarface (Scaf), or overexpression of scaf positively regulates feeding on nutritious sugars, whereas inhibition of these neurons or knockdown of scaf reduces feeding. This modulation of food intake occurs only in sated flies while hunger-induced feeding is unaffected. Furthermore, scaf expression correlates with the presence of sugar in the food. As Scaf and Scaf neurons promote feeding independent of the hunger state, and the levels of scaf are positively regulated by the presence of sugar, we conclude that scaf mediates the hedonic control of feeding. The fly brain responds to specific macronutrients via distinct signaling pathways Serine protease homologs act as neuromodulators under sugar deprivation Sugar is both necessary and sufficient to maintain expression levels of scarface Scarface and Scarface neurons mediate hedonic control of feeding in flies
Collapse
|
20
|
Camus MF, O'Leary M, Reuter M, Lane N. Impact of mitonuclear interactions on life-history responses to diet. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 375:20190416. [PMID: 31787037 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Mitochondria are central to both energy metabolism and biosynthesis. Mitochondrial function could therefore influence resource allocation. Critically, mitochondrial function depends on interactions between proteins encoded by the mitochondrial and nuclear genomes. Severe incompatibilities between these genomes can have pervasive effects on both fitness and longevity. How milder deficits in mitochondrial function affect life-history trade-offs is less well understood. Here, we analyse how mitonuclear interactions affect the trade-off between fecundity and longevity in Drosophila melanogaster. We consider a panel of 10 different mitochondrial DNA haplotypes against two contrasting nuclear backgrounds (w1118 (WE) and Zim53 (ZIM)) in response to high-protein versus standard diet. We report strikingly different responses between the two nuclear backgrounds. WE females have higher fecundity and decreased longevity on high protein. ZIM females have much greater fecundity and shorter lifespan than WE flies on standard diet. High protein doubled their fecundity with no effect on longevity. Mitochondrial haplotype reflected nuclear life-history trade-offs, with a negative correlation between longevity and fecundity in WE flies and no correlation in ZIM flies. Mitonuclear interactions had substantial effects but did not reflect genetic distance between mitochondrial haplotypes. We conclude that mitonuclear interactions can have significant impact on life-history trade-offs, but their effects are not predictable by relatedness. This article is part of the theme issue 'Linking the mitochondrial genotype to phenotype: a complex endeavour'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M Florencia Camus
- Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Michael O'Leary
- Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Max Reuter
- Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Nick Lane
- Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
BMP signaling inhibition in Drosophila secondary cells remodels the seminal proteome and self and rival ejaculate functions. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:24719-24728. [PMID: 31740617 PMCID: PMC6900634 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1914491116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Seminal fluid proteins (SFPs) exert potent effects on male and female fitness. Rapidly evolving and molecularly diverse, they derive from multiple male secretory cells and tissues. In Drosophila melanogaster, most SFPs are produced in the accessory glands, which are composed of ∼1,000 fertility-enhancing "main cells" and ∼40 more functionally cryptic "secondary cells." Inhibition of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling in secondary cells suppresses secretion, leading to a unique uncoupling of normal female postmating responses to the ejaculate: refractoriness stimulation is impaired, but offspring production is not. Secondary-cell secretions might therefore make highly specific contributions to the seminal proteome and ejaculate function; alternatively, they might regulate more global-but hitherto undiscovered-SFP functions and proteome composition. Here, we present data that support the latter model. We show that in addition to previously reported phenotypes, secondary-cell-specific BMP signaling inhibition compromises sperm storage and increases female sperm use efficiency. It also impacts second male sperm, tending to slow entry into storage and delay ejection. First male paternity is enhanced, which suggests a constraint on ejaculate evolution whereby high female refractoriness and sperm competitiveness are mutually exclusive. Using quantitative proteomics, we reveal changes to the seminal proteome that surprisingly encompass alterations to main-cell-derived proteins, indicating important cross-talk between classes of SFP-secreting cells. Our results demonstrate that ejaculate composition and function emerge from the integrated action of multiple secretory cell types, suggesting that modification to the cellular make-up of seminal-fluid-producing tissues is an important factor in ejaculate evolution.
Collapse
|
22
|
Morimoto J, Lihoreau M. Quantifying Nutritional Trade-Offs across Multidimensional Performance Landscapes. Am Nat 2019; 193:E168-E181. [DOI: 10.1086/701898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
|
23
|
Morimoto J, Nguyen B, Dinh H, Than AT, Taylor PW, Ponton F. Crowded developmental environment promotes adult sex-specific nutrient consumption in a polyphagous fly. Front Zool 2019; 16:4. [PMID: 30820236 PMCID: PMC6379967 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-019-0302-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2018] [Accepted: 02/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The fitness of holometabolous insects depends largely on resources acquired at the larval stage. Larval density is an important factor modulating larval resource-acquisition, influencing adult survival, reproduction, and population maintenance. To date, however, our understanding of how larval crowding affects adult physiology and behaviour is limited, and little is known about how larval crowding affects adult non-reproductive ecological traits. Here, larval density in the rearing environment of the polyphagous fruit fly Bactrocera tryoni (‘Queensland fruit-fly’) was manipulated to generate crowded and uncrowded larval treatments. The effects of larval crowding on pupal weight, adult emergence, adult body weight, energetic reserves, fecundity, feeding patterns, flight ability, as well as adult predation risk were investigated. Results Adults from the crowded larval treatment had lower adult emergence, body weight, energetic reserves, flight ability and fecundity compared to adults from the uncrowded larval treatment. Adults from the crowded larval treatment had greater total food consumption (i.e., consumption of yeast plus sucrose) relative to body weight for both sexes compared to adults from the uncrowded treatment. Furthermore, males from the crowded treatment consumed more yeast relative to their body weight than males from the uncrowded treatment, while females from the crowded treatment consumed more sucrose relative to their body weight than females from the uncrowded treatment. Importantly, an interaction between the relative consumptions of sucrose and yeast and sex revealed that the density of conspecifics in the developmental environment differentially affects feeding of adult males and females. We found no effect of larval treatment on adult predation probability. However, males were significantly more likely to be captured by ants than females. Conclusion We show that larvae crowding can have important implications to ecological traits in a polyphagous fly, including traits such as adult energetic reserve, flight ability, and adult sex-specific nutrient intake. Our findings contextualise the effects of larval developmental conditions into a broad ecological framework, hence providing a better understanding of their significance to adult behaviour and fitness. Furthermore, the knowledge presented here can help us better understanding downstream density-dependent effects of mass rearing conditions of this species, with potential relevance to Sterile Insect Technique. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12983-019-0302-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juliano Morimoto
- 1Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW 2109 Australia
| | - Binh Nguyen
- 1Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW 2109 Australia
| | - Hue Dinh
- 1Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW 2109 Australia
| | - Anh The Than
- 1Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW 2109 Australia.,2Department of Entomology, Vietnam National University of Agriculture, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Phillip W Taylor
- 1Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW 2109 Australia
| | - Fleur Ponton
- 1Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW 2109 Australia
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Scolari F, Attardo GM, Aksoy E, Weiss B, Savini G, Takac P, Abd-Alla A, Parker AG, Aksoy S, Malacrida AR. Symbiotic microbes affect the expression of male reproductive genes in Glossina m. morsitans. BMC Microbiol 2018; 18:169. [PMID: 30470198 PMCID: PMC6251095 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-018-1289-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Tsetse flies (Diptera, Glossinidae) display unique reproductive biology traits. Females reproduce through adenotrophic viviparity, nourishing the growing larva into their modified uterus until parturition. Males transfer their sperm and seminal fluid, produced by both testes and male accessory glands, in a spermatophore capsule transiently formed within the female reproductive tract upon mating. Both sexes are obligate blood feeders and have evolved tight relationships with endosymbionts, already shown to provide essential nutrients lacking in their diet. However, the partnership between tsetse and its symbionts has so far been investigated, at the molecular, genomic and metabolomics level, only in females, whereas the roles of microbiota in male reproduction are still unexplored. Results Here we begin unravelling the impact of microbiota on Glossina m. morsitans (G. morsitans) male reproductive biology by generating transcriptomes from the reproductive tissues of males deprived of their endosymbionts (aposymbiotic) via maternal antibiotic treatment and dietary supplementation. We then compared the transcriptional profiles of genes expressed in the male reproductive tract of normal and these aposymbiotic flies. We showed that microbiota removal impacts several male reproductive genes by depressing the activity of genes in the male accessory glands (MAGs), including sequences encoding seminal fluid proteins, and increasing expression of genes in the testes. In the MAGs, in particular, the expression of genes related to mating, immunity and seminal fluid components’ synthesis is reduced. In the testes, the absence of symbionts activates genes involved in the metabolic apparatus at the basis of male reproduction, including sperm production, motility and function. Conclusions Our findings mirrored the complementary roles male accessory glands and testes play in supporting male reproduction and open new avenues for disentangling the interplay between male insects and endosymbionts. From an applied perspective, unravelling the metabolic and functional relationships between tsetse symbionts and male reproductive physiology will provide fundamental information useful to understanding the biology underlying improved male reproductive success in tsetse. This information is of particular importance in the context of tsetse population control via Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) and its impact on trypanosomiasis transmission. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12866-018-1289-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Scolari
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Geoffrey Michael Attardo
- Yale School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA.,Present Address: Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Emre Aksoy
- Yale School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Brian Weiss
- Yale School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Grazia Savini
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Peter Takac
- Section of Molecular and Applied Zoology, Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 845 06, Bratislava, SR, Slovakia
| | - Adly Abd-Alla
- International Atomic Energy Agency, Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, IPC Laboratory, A-1400, Vienna, Austria
| | - Andrew Gordon Parker
- International Atomic Energy Agency, Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, IPC Laboratory, A-1400, Vienna, Austria
| | - Serap Aksoy
- Yale School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
25
|
Firman RC, Garcia‐Gonzalez F, Simmons LW, André GI. A competitive environment influences sperm production, but not testes tissue composition, in house mice. J Evol Biol 2018; 31:1647-1654. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2018] [Revised: 07/26/2018] [Accepted: 07/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Renée C. Firman
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology School of Biological Sciences (M092) The University of Western Australia Crawley WA Australia
| | - Francisco Garcia‐Gonzalez
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology School of Biological Sciences (M092) The University of Western Australia Crawley WA Australia
- Estacion Biológica de Doñana CSIC Sevilla Spain
| | - Leigh W. Simmons
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology School of Biological Sciences (M092) The University of Western Australia Crawley WA Australia
| | - Gonçalo I. André
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology School of Biological Sciences (M092) The University of Western Australia Crawley WA Australia
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Ng SH, Simpson SJ, Simmons LW. Macronutrients and micronutrients drive trade‐offs between male pre‐ and postmating sexual traits. Funct Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Soon Hwee Ng
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological SciencesUniversity of Western Australia Crawley Western Australia Australia
| | - Stephen J. Simpson
- Charles Perkins Centre and School of Life and Environmental SciencesThe University of Sydney Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Leigh W. Simmons
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological SciencesUniversity of Western Australia Crawley Western Australia Australia
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Camus MF, Fowler K, Piper MWD, Reuter M. Sex and genotype effects on nutrient-dependent fitness landscapes in Drosophila melanogaster. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 284:rspb.2017.2237. [PMID: 29263276 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.2237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2017] [Accepted: 11/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The sexes perform different reproductive roles and have evolved sometimes strikingly different phenotypes. One focal point of adaptive divergence occurs in the context of diet and metabolism, and males and females of a range of species have been shown to require different nutrients to maximize their fitness. Biochemical analyses in Drosophila melanogaster have confirmed that dimorphism in dietary requirements is associated with molecular sex differences in metabolite titres. In addition, they also showed significant within-sex genetic variation in the metabolome. To date however, it is unknown whether this metabolic variation translates into differences in reproductive fitness. The answer to this question is crucial to establish whether genetic variation is selectively neutral or indicative of constraints on sex-specific physiological adaptation and optimization. Here we assay genetic variation in consumption and metabolic fitness effects by screening male and female fitness of thirty D. melanogaster genotypes across four protein-to-carbohydrate ratios. In addition to confirming sexual dimorphism in consumption and fitness, we find significant genetic variation in male and female dietary requirements. Importantly, these differences are not explained by feeding responses and probably reflect metabolic variation that, in turn, suggests the presence of genetic constraints on metabolic dimorphism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M Florencia Camus
- Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Kevin Fowler
- Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Matthew W D Piper
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Max Reuter
- Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Martin-Creuzburg D, Massier T, Wacker A. Sex-Specific Differences in Essential Lipid Requirements of Daphnia magna. Front Ecol Evol 2018. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2018.00089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
|
29
|
Young Y, Buckiewicz N, Long TAF. Nutritional geometry and fitness consequences in Drosophila suzukii, the Spotted-Wing Drosophila. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:2842-2851. [PMID: 29531699 PMCID: PMC5838031 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2017] [Revised: 12/13/2017] [Accepted: 12/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Since its arrival to North America less than a decade ago, the invasive Spotted-Wing Drosophila (Drosophila suzukii) has inflicted substantial economic losses on soft fruit agriculture due to its ability to oviposit into ripening fruits. More effective management approaches for this species are needed, but little is known about the factors that influence behavioral choices made by D. suzukii when selecting hosts, or the consequences that their offspring experience when developing in different environments. Using a nutritional geometry methodology, we found that the ratio of proteins-to-carbohydrates (P:C) present in media greatly influenced adult D. suzukii behavior and subsequent offspring development. Whereas adult flies showed a strong bias in their oviposition and association behaviors toward carbohydrate-rich foods, larval survival and eclosion rate were strongly dependent on protein availability. Here, we explore the preference-performance hypothesis (PPH), in which females are predicted to oviposit on medias that provide the greatest offspring benefits, in regard to its relevance in D. suzukii behavior and consequences for management. Our results provide valuable insight into the ecology and evolution of this species that may hopefully lead to more effective management strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yvonne Young
- Department of BiologyWilfrid Laurier UniversityWaterlooONCanada
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
30
|
Jang T, Lee KP. Comparing the impacts of macronutrients on life-history traits in larval and adult Drosophila melanogaster: the use of nutritional geometry and chemically defined diets. J Exp Biol 2018; 221:jeb.181115. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.181115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2018] [Accepted: 08/28/2018] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Protein and carbohydrate are the two major macronutrients that exert profound influences over fitness in many organisms, including Drosophila melanogaster. Our understanding of how these macronutrients shape the components of fitness in D. melanogaster has been greatly enhanced by the use of nutritional geometry, but most nutritional geometric analyses on this species have been conducted using semi-synthetic diets that are not chemically well-defined. Here we combined the use of nutritional geometry and chemically defined diets to compare the patterns of larval and adult life-history traits expressed across 34 diets systematically varying in protein:carbohydrate (P:C) ratio and in protein plus carbohydrate (P+C) concentration. The shape of the response surfaces constructed for all larval and adult traits differed significantly from one another, with the nutritional optima being identified at P:C 1:4 for lifespan (P+C 120 g l−1), 1:2 for egg-to-adult viability (120 g l−1), 1:1 for female body mass at adult eclosion (240 g l−1) and lifetime fecundity (360 g l−1), 2:1 for larval developmental rate (60 g l−1), and 8:1 for egg production rate (120 g l−1). Such divergence in nutritional optima among life-history traits indicates that D. melanogaster confined to a single diet cannot maximize the expression of these traits simultaneously and thus may face a life-history trade-off. Our data provide the most comprehensive and nutritionally explicit analysis of the impacts of macronutrients on life-history traits in D. melanogaster and support the emerging notion that the fundamental trade-offs among life-history traits are mediated by macronutrients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Taehwan Jang
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Kwang Pum Lee
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Chandegra B, Tang JLY, Chi H, Alic N. Sexually dimorphic effects of dietary sugar on lifespan, feeding and starvation resistance in Drosophila. Aging (Albany NY) 2017; 9:2521-2528. [PMID: 29207375 PMCID: PMC5764390 DOI: 10.18632/aging.101335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2017] [Accepted: 11/26/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Lifespan and health in older age are strongly influenced by diet. Feeding Drosophila melanogaster diets high in sugar has increasingly been used as an experimental model to understand the physiological effects of unhealthy, contemporary human diets. Several metabolic parameters and physiological responses to nutrition are known to be dependent on the sex of the animal. However, sexual dimorphism in the responses to high-sugar diets in fruit flies has not been examined. Here we show that a high-sugar diet in Drosophila melanogaster elicits sexually dimorphic effects on feeding behaviour, starvation resistance and lifespan. Females feed less on such diets, while males feed more, and these feeding responses may have secondary consequences. Females, more than males, gain the ability to resist periods of starvation from high-sugar diets, indicating that the female response to excess sugar may be geared towards surviving food shortages in early life. At the same time, female lifespan is more susceptible to the detrimental effects of high sugar diets. Our study reveals differences between Drosophila sexes in their responses to sugar-rich diets, indicating the fruit fly could be used as a model to understand the sexually dimorphic features of human metabolic health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bhakti Chandegra
- Institute of Healthy Ageing and Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, WC1E 6BT, London, UK
| | - Jocelyn Lok Yee Tang
- Institute of Healthy Ageing and Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, WC1E 6BT, London, UK
| | - Haoyu Chi
- Institute of Healthy Ageing and Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, WC1E 6BT, London, UK
| | - Nazif Alic
- Institute of Healthy Ageing and Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, WC1E 6BT, London, UK
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Morimoto J, Simpson SJ, Ponton F. Direct and trans-generational effects of male and female gut microbiota in Drosophila melanogaster. Biol Lett 2017; 13:rsbl.2016.0966. [PMID: 28724687 PMCID: PMC5543016 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2016.0966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2016] [Accepted: 06/12/2017] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
There is increasing evidence of the far-reaching effects of gut bacteria on physiological and behavioural traits, yet the fitness-related consequences of changes in the gut bacteria composition of sexually interacting individuals remain unknown. To address this question, we manipulated the gut microbiota of fruit flies, Drosophila melanogaster, by monoinfecting flies with either Acetobacter pomorum (AP) or Lactobacillus plantarum (LP). Re-inoculated individuals were paired in all treatment combinations. LP-infected males had longer mating duration and induced higher short-term offspring production in females compared with AP-infected males. Furthermore, females of either re-inoculation state mated with AP-infected males were more likely to have zero offspring after mating, suggesting a negative effect of AP on male fertility. Finally, we found that the effects of male and female gut bacteria interacted to modulate their daughters', but not sons' body mass, revealing a new trans-generational effect of parental gut microbiota. In conclusion, this study shows direct and trans-generational effects of the gut microbiota on mating and reproduction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juliano Morimoto
- Department of Zoology, Edward Grey Institute, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PS, United Kingdom .,Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales 2006, Australia.,Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba 19031, CEP 81531-990, Brazil
| | - Stephen J Simpson
- Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales 2006, Australia.,School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney 2050, Australia
| | - Fleur Ponton
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, New South Wales 2109, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Polak M, Simmons LW, Benoit JB, Ruohonen K, Simpson SJ, Solon-Biet SM. Nutritional geometry of paternal effects on embryo mortality. Proc Biol Sci 2017; 284:20171492. [PMID: 29021174 PMCID: PMC5647300 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.1492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2017] [Accepted: 09/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Well-established causal links exist between maternal nutritional deficits and embryo health and viability. By contrast, environmental effects operating through the father that could influence embryo mortality have seldom been examined. Yet, ejaculates can require non-trivial resource allocation, and seminal plasma components are increasingly recognized to exert wide-ranging effects on females and offspring, so paternal dietary effects on the embryo should be expected. We test for effects of varying levels of protein (P), carbohydrate (C) and caloric load in adult male diet on embryo mortality in Drosophila melanogaster We demonstrate that macronutrient balance and caloric restriction exert significant effects, and that nutritional effects are more impactful when a prior mating has occurred. Once-mated males produced embryos with marginally elevated mortality under high-caloric densities and a 1 : 8 P : C ratio. In contrast, embryos produced by twice-mated males were significantly more likely to die under male caloric restriction, an outcome that may have resulted from shifts in ejaculate quality and/or epigenetic paternal effects. Body nutrient reserves were strongly and predictably altered by diet, and body condition, in turn, was negatively related to embryo mortality. Thus, sire nutritional history and resultant shifts in metabolic state predict embryo viability and post-fertilization fitness outcomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michal Polak
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati OH 42551-0006, USA
| | - Leigh W Simmons
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley WA 2009, Australia
| | - Joshua B Benoit
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati OH 42551-0006, USA
| | - Kari Ruohonen
- Cargill Aqua Nutrition, Hanaveien17, 4327 Sandnes, Norway
| | - Stephen J Simpson
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney NSW 2006, Australia
| | | |
Collapse
|
34
|
Zajitschek F, Zajitschek S, Manier M. Paternal diet affects differential gene expression, but not sperm competition, in sons. Biol Lett 2017; 13:rsbl.2016.0914. [PMID: 28202685 PMCID: PMC5326516 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2016.0914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2016] [Accepted: 01/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Parental environment can widely influence offspring phenotype, but paternal effects in the absence of parental care remain poorly understood. We asked if protein content in the larval diet of fathers affected paternity success and gene expression in their sons. We found that males reared on high-protein diet had sons that fared better during sperm competition, suggesting that postcopulatory sexual selection is subject to transgenerational paternal effects. Moreover, immune response genes were downregulated in sons of low-protein fathers, while genes involved in metabolic and reproductive processes were upregulated.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Felix Zajitschek
- Department of Biological Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA.,School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Susanne Zajitschek
- Department of Biological Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA.,School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.,Doñana Biological Station, EBD-CSIC, Seville, Spain
| | - Mollie Manier
- Department of Biological Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Nestel D, Papadopoulos NT, Pascacio-Villafán C, Righini N, Altuzar-Molina AR, Aluja M. Resource allocation and compensation during development in holometabolous insects. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2016; 95:78-88. [PMID: 27650504 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2016.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2016] [Revised: 09/15/2016] [Accepted: 09/16/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
We provide an extensive review on current knowledge and future research paths on the topic of resource allocation and compensation during development in holometabolous insects, emphasizing the role of resource management during development, and how compensatory mechanisms may be acting to remediate nutritional deficiencies carried over from earlier stages of development. We first review resource allocation in "open" and "closed" developmental stages and then move on to the topic of modelling resource allocation and its trade-offs. In doing so, we review novel methodological developments such as response-surface methods and mixture experiments as well as nutritional geometry. We also dwell on the fascinating topic of compensatory physiology and behavior. We finish by discussing future research paths, among them the emerging field of nutrigenomics and gut microbiome, which will shed light into the yet poorly understood role of the symbiotic microbiota in nutrient compensation or assimilation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David Nestel
- Institute of Plant Protection, Dept. of Entomology, ARO, The Volcani Ctr., Beit Dagan 50250, Israel.
| | - Nikos T Papadopoulos
- Laboratory of Entomology and Agricultural Zoology, Dept. of Agriculture Crop Production and Rural Environment, University of Thessaly, N. Ionia, Volos, Greece
| | - Carlos Pascacio-Villafán
- Instituto de Ecología, A.C., Clúster Científico y Tecnológico BioMimic®, Red de Manejo Biorracional de Plagas y Vectores, 91070 Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - Nicoletta Righini
- Instituto de Ecología, A.C., Clúster Científico y Tecnológico BioMimic®, Red de Manejo Biorracional de Plagas y Vectores, 91070 Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - Alma R Altuzar-Molina
- Instituto de Ecología, A.C., Clúster Científico y Tecnológico BioMimic®, Red de Manejo Biorracional de Plagas y Vectores, 91070 Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - Martín Aluja
- Instituto de Ecología, A.C., Clúster Científico y Tecnológico BioMimic®, Red de Manejo Biorracional de Plagas y Vectores, 91070 Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Rho MS, Lee KP. Balanced intake of protein and carbohydrate maximizes lifetime reproductive success in the mealworm beetle, Tenebrio molitor (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae). JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2016; 91-92:93-99. [PMID: 27405009 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2016.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2016] [Revised: 07/05/2016] [Accepted: 07/06/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Recent developments in insect gerontological and nutritional research have suggested that the dietary protein:carbohydrate (P:C) balance is a critical determinant of lifespan and reproduction in many insects. However, most studies investigating this important role of dietary P:C balance have been conducted using dipteran and orthopteran species. In this study, we used the mealworm beetles, Tenebrio molitor L. (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), to test the effects of dietary P:C balance on lifespan and reproduction. Regardless of their reproductive status, both male and female beetles had the shortest lifespan at the protein-biased ratio of P:C 5:1. Mean lifespan was the longest at P:C 1:1 for males and at both P:C 1:1 and 1:5 for females. Mating significantly curtailed the lifespan of both males and females, indicating the survival cost of mating. Age-specific egg laying was significantly higher at P:C 1:1 than at the two imbalanced P:C ratios (1:5 or 5:1) at any given age throughout their lives, resulting in the highest lifetime reproductive success at P:C 1:1. When given a choice, beetles actively regulated their intake of protein and carbohydrate to a slightly carbohydrate-biased ratio (P:C 1:1.54-1:1.64 for males and P:C 1:1.3-1:1.36 for females). The self-selected P:C ratio was significantly higher for females than males, reflecting a higher protein requirement for egg production. Collectively, our results add to a growing body of evidence suggesting the key role played by dietary macronutrient balance in shaping lifespan and reproduction in insects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Myung Suk Rho
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Kwang Pum Lee
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea.
| |
Collapse
|