1
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Arellano AA, Young EB, Coon KL. An inquiline mosquito modulates microbial diversity and function in an aquatic microecosystem. Mol Ecol 2024; 33:e17314. [PMID: 38441172 PMCID: PMC10989397 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 02/03/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
Understanding microbial roles in ecosystem function requires integrating microscopic processes into food webs. The carnivorous pitcher plant, Sarracenia purpurea, offers a tractable study system where diverse food webs of macroinvertebrates and microbes facilitate digestion of captured insect prey, releasing nutrients supporting the food web and host plant. However, how interactions between these macroinvertebrate and microbial communities contribute to ecosystem functions remains unclear. We examined the role of the pitcher plant mosquito, Wyeomyia smithii, in top-down control of the composition and function of pitcher plant microbial communities. Mosquito larval abundance was enriched or depleted across a natural population of S. purpurea pitchers over a 74-day field experiment. Bacterial community composition and microbial community function were characterized by 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing and profiling of carbon substrate use, bulk metabolic rate, hydrolytic enzyme activity, and macronutrient pools. Bacterial communities changed from pitcher opening to maturation, but larvae exerted minor effects on high-level taxonomic composition. Higher larval abundance was associated with lower diversity communities with distinct functions and elevated nitrogen availability. Treatment-independent clustering also supported roles for larvae in curating pitcher microbial communities through shifts in community diversity and function. These results demonstrate top-down control of microbial functions in an aquatic microecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aldo A. Arellano
- Microbiology Doctoral Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI USA
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI USA
| | - Erica B. Young
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI USA
- School of Freshwater Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI USA
| | - Kerri L. Coon
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI USA
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2
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Ye Z, Pfrender ME, Lynch M. Evolutionary Genomics of Sister Species Differing in Effective Population Sizes and Recombination Rates. Genome Biol Evol 2023; 15:evad202. [PMID: 37946625 PMCID: PMC10664402 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evad202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Studies of closely related species with known ecological differences provide exceptional opportunities for understanding the genetic mechanisms of evolution. In this study, we compared population-genomics data between Daphnia pulex and Daphnia pulicaria, two reproductively compatible sister species experiencing ecological speciation, the first largely confined to intermittent ponds and the second to permanent lakes in the same geographic region. Daphnia pulicaria has lower genome-wide nucleotide diversity, a smaller effective population size, a higher incidence of private alleles, and a substantially more linkage disequilibrium than D. pulex. Positively selected genes in D. pulicaria are enriched in potentially aging-related categories such as cellular homeostasis, which may explain the extended life span in D. pulicaria. We also found that opsin-related genes, which may mediate photoperiodic responses, are under different selection pressures in these two species. Genes involved in mitochondrial functions, ribosomes, and responses to environmental stimuli are found to be under positive selection in both species. Additionally, we found that the two species have similar average evolutionary rates at the DNA-sequence level, although approximately 160 genes have significantly different rates in the two lineages. Our results provide insights into the physiological traits that differ within this regionally sympatric sister-species pair that occupies unique microhabitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiqiang Ye
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
| | - Michael E Pfrender
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
| | - Michael Lynch
- Biodesign Center for Mechanisms of Evolution, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
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3
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Martins da Silva R, de Oliveira Daumas Filho CR, Calixto C, Nascimento da Silva J, Lopes C, da Silva Vaz I, Logullo C. PEPCK and glucose metabolism homeostasis in arthropods. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2023; 160:103986. [PMID: 37454751 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2023.103986] [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: 02/06/2023] [Revised: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
The fat body is responsible for a variety of functions related to energy metabolism in arthropods, by controlling the processes of de novo glucose production (gluconeogenesis) and glycogen metabolism. The rate-limiting factor of gluconeogenesis is the enzyme phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK), generally considered to be the first committed step in this pathway. Although the study of PEPCK and gluconeogenesis has been for decades restricted to mammalian models, especially focusing on muscle and liver tissue, current research has demonstrated particularities about the regulation of this enzyme in arthropods, and described new functions. This review will focus on arthropod PEPCK, discuss different aspects to PEPCK regulation and function, its general role in the regulation of gluconeogenesis and other pathways. The text also presents our views on potentially important new directions for research involving this enzyme in a variety of metabolic adaptations (e.g. diapause), discussing enzyme isoforms, roles during arthropod embryogenesis, as well as involvement in vector-pathogen interactions, contributing to a better understanding of insect vectors of diseases and their control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renato Martins da Silva
- Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil; Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular - INCT, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Carlos Renato de Oliveira Daumas Filho
- Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil; Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular - INCT, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Christiano Calixto
- Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil; Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular - INCT, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Jhenifer Nascimento da Silva
- Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil; Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular - INCT, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Cintia Lopes
- Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil; Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular - INCT, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Itabajara da Silva Vaz
- Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular - INCT, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil; Centro de Biotecnologia and Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Carlos Logullo
- Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil; Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular - INCT, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
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Marzec S, Siperstein A, Zhou A, Holzapfel CM, Bradshaw WE, Meuti ME, Armbruster PA. MicroRNA Expression Prior to Biting in a Vector Mosquito Anticipates Physiological Processes Related to Energy Utilization, Reproduction and Immunity. INSECTS 2023; 14:700. [PMID: 37623410 PMCID: PMC10455316 DOI: 10.3390/insects14080700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Revised: 07/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the molecular and physiological processes underlying biting behavior in vector mosquitoes has important implications for developing novel strategies to suppress disease transmission. Here, we conduct small-RNA sequencing and qRT-PCR to identify differentially expressed microRNAs (miRNAs) in the head tissues of two subspecies of Culex pipiens that differ in biting behavior and the ability to produce eggs without blood feeding. We identified eight differentially expressed miRNAs between biting C. pipiens pipiens (Pipiens) and non-biting C. pipiens molestus (Molestus); six of these miRNAs have validated functions or predicted targets related to energy utilization (miR8-5-p, miR-283, miR-2952-3p, miR-1891), reproduction (miR-1891), and immunity (miR-2934-3p, miR-92a, miR8-5-p). Although miRNAs regulating physiological processes associated with blood feeding have previously been shown to be differentially expressed in response to a blood meal, our results are the first to demonstrate differential miRNA expression in anticipation of a blood meal before blood is actually imbibed. We compare our current miRNA results to three previous studies of differential messenger RNA expression in the head tissues of mosquitoes. Taken together, the combined results consistently show that biting mosquitoes commit to specific physiological processes in anticipation of a blood meal, while non-biting mosquitoes mitigate these anticipatory costs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Marzec
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA; (S.M.); (A.Z.)
| | - Alden Siperstein
- Department of Entomology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; (A.S.); (M.E.M.)
| | - Angela Zhou
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA; (S.M.); (A.Z.)
| | - Christina M. Holzapfel
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA; (C.M.H.); (W.E.B.)
| | - William E. Bradshaw
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA; (C.M.H.); (W.E.B.)
| | - Megan E. Meuti
- Department of Entomology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; (A.S.); (M.E.M.)
| | - Peter A. Armbruster
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA; (S.M.); (A.Z.)
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5
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Riskin DK, Carter GG. The evolution of sanguivory in vampire bats: origins and convergences. CAN J ZOOL 2023. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2022-0115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
Blood-feeding (sanguivory) has evolved more than two dozen times among birds, fishes, insects, arachnids, molluscs, crustaceans, and annelids; however, among mammals, it is restricted to the vampire bats. Here, the authors revisit the question of how it evolved in that group. Evidence to date suggests that the ancestors of phyllostomids were insectivorous, and that carnivory, omnivory, and nectarivory evolved among phyllostomids after vampire bats diverged. Frugivory likely also evolved after vampire bats diverged, but the phylogeny is ambiguous on that point. However, vampire bats lack any genetic evidence of a frugivorous past, and the behavioural progression from frugivory to sanguivory is difficult to envision. Thus, the most parsimonious scenario is that sanguivory evolved in an insectivorous ancestor to vampire bats via ectoparasite-eating, wound-feeding, or some combination of the two—all feeding habits found among blood-feeding birds today. Comparing vampire bats with other sanguivores, the authors find several remarkable examples of convergence. Further, it was found that blood-feeding has been ca. 50 times more likely to evolve in a vertebrate lineage than in an invertebrate one. The authors hypothesize that this difference exists because vertebrates are more likely than invertebrates to have the biochemical necessities required to assimilate the components of vertebrate blood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel K. Riskin
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6, Canada
| | - Gerald G. Carter
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancón, Republic of Panamá
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
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6
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Smith LB, Chagas AC, Martin-Martin I, Ribeiro JMC, Calvo E. An insight into the female and male Sabethes cyaneus mosquito salivary glands transcriptome. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2023; 153:103898. [PMID: 36587808 PMCID: PMC9899327 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2022.103898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 12/26/2022] [Accepted: 12/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Mosquitoes are responsible for the death and debilitation of millions of people every year due to the pathogens they can transmit while blood feeding. While a handful of mosquitoes, namely those in the Aedes, Anopheles, and Culex genus, are the dominant vectors, many other species belonging to different genus are also involved in various pathogen cycles. Sabethes cyaneus is one of the many poorly understood mosquito species involved in the sylvatic cycle of Yellow Fever Virus. Here, we report the expression profile differences between male and female of Sa.cyaneus salivary glands (SGs). We find that female Sa.cyaneus SGs have 165 up-regulated and 18 down-regulated genes compared to male SGs. Most of the up-regulated genes have unknown functions, however, odorant binding proteins, such as those in the D7 protein family, and mucins were among the top 30 genes. We also performed various in vitro activity assays of female SGs. In the activity analysis we found that female SG extracts inhibit coagulation by blocking factor Xa and has endonuclease activity. Knowledge about mosquitoes and their physiology are important for understanding how different species differ in their ability to feed on and transmits pathogens to humans. These results provide us with an insight into the Sabethes SG activity and gene expression that expands our understanding of mosquito salivary glands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leticia Barion Smith
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institutes of Health, 12735 Twinbrook Parkway, Room 2W09, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Andrezza Campos Chagas
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institutes of Health, 12735 Twinbrook Parkway, Room 2W09, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Ines Martin-Martin
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institutes of Health, 12735 Twinbrook Parkway, Room 2W09, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Jose M C Ribeiro
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institutes of Health, 12735 Twinbrook Parkway, Room 2W09, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Eric Calvo
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institutes of Health, 12735 Twinbrook Parkway, Room 2W09, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
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7
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Bradshaw WE, Kizziar P, Borowczak RJ, Kirsch E, Holzapfel CM. Latent Genetic Effects of Past Selection on Blood Feeding: History Matters. INSECTS 2022; 13:939. [PMID: 36292887 PMCID: PMC9604244 DOI: 10.3390/insects13100939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Revised: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Conventional wisdom is that selection decreases genetic variation in populations, variation that should enable and be essential for population persistence in an ever-changing world. Basically, we find the opposite. Response to selection on biting in the pitcher-plant mosquito, Wyeomyia smithii, increases from 20 to 80% in 19 generations, but reverts back to the original 20% after seven generations of relaxed (not reversed) selection. At the same time, biting in the control line remains at the original 20% through 30 generations without blood feeding. Imposition of selection on biting in both lines elicits a rapid response in the previously selected line, but, importantly, not in the control line. Genetic variation for biting has increased, not decreased, as a consequence of long-term directional selection, contrary to expectations. Convergent phenotypes belie the underlying difference in future adaptive potential. Selection events over time in the background of individuals or populations will determine outcomes of applied research, be it in the fields of medicine, agriculture, or conservation. In short, history matters.
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8
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Siperstein A, Marzec S, Fritz ML, Holzapfel CM, Bradshaw WE, Armbruster PA, Meuti ME. Conserved molecular pathways underlying biting in two divergent mosquito genera. Evol Appl 2022; 15:878-890. [PMID: 35603026 PMCID: PMC9108309 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Mosquitoes transmit a wide variety of devastating pathogens when they bite vertebrate hosts and feed on their blood. However, three entire mosquito genera and many individual species in other genera have evolved a nonbiting life history in which blood is not required to produce eggs. Our long-term goal is to develop novel interventions that reduce or eliminate the biting behavior in vector mosquitoes. A previous study used biting and nonbiting populations of a nonvector mosquito, Wyeomyia smithii, as a model to uncover the transcriptional basis of the evolutionary transition from a biting to a nonbiting life history. Herein, we ask whether the molecular pathways that were differentially expressed due to differences in biting behavior in W. smithii are also differentially expressed between subspecies of Culex pipiens that are obligate biting (Culex pipiens pipiens) and facultatively nonbiting (Culex pipiens molestus). Results from RNAseq of adult heads show dramatic upregulation of transcripts in the ribosomal protein pathway in biting C. pipiens, recapitulating the results in W. smithii, and implicating the ancient and highly conserved ribosome as the intersection to understanding the evolutionary and physiological basis of blood feeding in mosquitoes. Biting Culex also strongly upregulate energy production pathways, including oxidative phosphorylation and the citric acid (TCA) cycle relative to nonbiters, a distinction that was not observed in W. smithii. Amino acid metabolism pathways were enriched for differentially expressed genes in biting versus nonbiting Culex. Relative to biters, nonbiting Culex upregulated sugar metabolism and transcripts contributing to reproductive allocation (vitellogenin and cathepsins). These results provide a foundation for developing strategies to determine the natural evolutionary transition between a biting and nonbiting life history in vector mosquitoes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alden Siperstein
- Department of EntomologyThe Ohio State UniversityColumbusOhioUSA
| | - Sarah Marzec
- Department of BiologyGeorgetown UniversityWashingtonDistrict of ColumbiaUSA
| | - Megan L. Fritz
- Department of EntomologyUniversity of MarylandCollege ParkMarylandUSA
| | - Christina M. Holzapfel
- Laboratory of Evolutionary GeneticsInstitute of Ecology and EvolutionUniversity of OregonEugeneOregonUSA
| | - William E. Bradshaw
- Laboratory of Evolutionary GeneticsInstitute of Ecology and EvolutionUniversity of OregonEugeneOregonUSA
| | | | - Megan E. Meuti
- Department of EntomologyThe Ohio State UniversityColumbusOhioUSA
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Martinson EO, Chen K, Valzania L, Brown MR, Strand MR. Insulin-like peptide 3 stimulates hemocytes to proliferate in anautogenous and facultatively autogenous mosquitoes. J Exp Biol 2022; 225:274275. [PMID: 35129195 PMCID: PMC8976944 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.243460] [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: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Most mosquito species are anautogenous, which means they must blood feed on a vertebrate host to produce eggs, while a few are autogenous and can produce eggs without blood feeding. Egg formation is best understood in the anautogenous mosquito Aedes aegypti, where insulin-like peptides (ILPs), ovary ecdysteroidogenic hormone (OEH) and 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) interact to regulate gonadotrophic cycles. Circulating hemocytes also approximately double in abundance in conjunction with a gonadotrophic cycle, but the factors responsible for stimulating this increase remain unclear. Focusing on Ae. aegypti, we determined that hemocyte abundance similarly increased in intact blood-fed females and decapitated blood-fed females that were injected with ILP3, whereas OEH, 20E or heat-killed bacteria had no stimulatory activity. ILP3 upregulated insulin-insulin growth factor signaling in hemocytes, but few genes - including almost no transcripts for immune factors - were differentially expressed. ILP3 also stimulated circulating hemocytes to increase in two other anautogenous (Anopheles gambiae and Culex quinquefasciatus) and two facultatively autogenous mosquitoes (Aedes atropalpus and Culex pipiens molestus), but had no stimulatory activity in the obligately autogenous mosquito Toxorhynchites amboinensis. Altogether, our results identify ILPs as the primary regulators of hemocyte proliferation in association with egg formation, but also suggest this response has been lost in the evolution of obligate autogeny.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen O Martinson
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Kangkang Chen
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Luca Valzania
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Mark R Brown
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Michael R Strand
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
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10
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Arellano AA, Coon KL. Bacterial communities in carnivorous pitcher plants colonize and persist in inquiline mosquitoes. Anim Microbiome 2022; 4:13. [PMID: 35172907 PMCID: PMC8848819 DOI: 10.1186/s42523-022-00164-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The leaves of carnivorous pitcher plants harbor diverse communities of inquiline species, including bacteria and larvae of the pitcher plant mosquito (Wyeomyia smithii), which aid the plant by processing captured prey. Despite the growing appreciation for this microecosystem as a tractable model in which to study food web dynamics and the moniker of W. smithii as a 'keystone predator', very little is known about microbiota acquisition and assembly in W. smithii mosquitoes or the impacts of W. smithii-microbiota interactions on mosquito and/or plant fitness. RESULTS In this study, we used high throughput sequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA gene amplicons to characterize and compare microbiota diversity in field- and laboratory-derived W. smithii larvae. We then conducted controlled experiments in the laboratory to better understand the factors shaping microbiota acquisition and persistence across the W. smithii life cycle. Methods were also developed to produce axenic (microbiota-free) W. smithii larvae that can be selectively recolonized with one or more known bacterial species in order to study microbiota function. Our results support a dominant role for the pitcher environment in shaping microbiota diversity in W. smithii larvae, while also indicating that pitcher-associated microbiota can persist in and be dispersed by adult W. smithii mosquitoes. We also demonstrate the successful generation of axenic W. smithii larvae and report variable fitness outcomes in gnotobiotic larvae monocolonized by individual bacterial isolates derived from naturally occurring pitchers in the field. CONCLUSIONS This study provides the first information on microbiota acquisition and assembly in W. smithii mosquitoes. This study also provides the first evidence for successful microbiota manipulation in this species. Altogether, our results highlight the value of such methods for studying host-microbiota interactions and lay the foundation for future studies to understand how W. smithii-microbiota interactions shape the structure and stability of this important model ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aldo A. Arellano
- Microbiology Doctoral Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706 USA
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706 USA
| | - Kerri L. Coon
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706 USA
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Aardema ML, Zimmerman KI. The establishment of a new autogenous line of the Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, from its current northern range limit in the United States. JOURNAL OF VECTOR ECOLOGY : JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR VECTOR ECOLOGY 2021; 46:112-115. [PMID: 35229588 DOI: 10.52707/1081-1710-46.1.112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew L Aardema
- Department of Biology, Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ, U.S.A.,
- Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, U.S.A
| | - Kelly I Zimmerman
- Environmental Science and Management Program, Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ, U.S.A
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12
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Kang DS, Kim S, Cotten MA, Sim C. Transcript Assembly and Quantification by RNA-Seq Reveals Significant Differences in Gene Expression and Genetic Variants in Mosquitoes of the Culex pipiens (Diptera: Culicidae) Complex. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2021; 58:139-145. [PMID: 32865206 PMCID: PMC7801747 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjaa167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The taxonomy of Culex pipiens complex of mosquitoes is still debated, but in North America it is generally regarded to include Culex pipiens pipiens, Culex pipiens molestus, and Culex quinquefasciatus (or Culex pipiens quinquefasciatus). Although these mosquitoes have very similar morphometry, they each have unique life strategies specifically adapted to their ecological niche. Differences include the capability for overwintering diapause, bloodmeal preference, mating behaviors, and reliance on blood meals to produce eggs. Here, we used RNA-seq transcriptome analysis to investigate the differential gene expression and nucleotide polymorphisms that may link to the divergent traits specifically between Cx. pipiens pipiens and Cx. pipiens molestus.
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Affiliation(s)
- David S Kang
- Department of Biology, Baylor University, Waco, TX
| | - Sungshil Kim
- Department of Biology, Baylor University, Waco, TX
| | | | - Cheolho Sim
- Department of Biology, Baylor University, Waco, TX
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13
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Host feeding patterns of Nyssorhynchus darlingi (Diptera: Culicidae) in the Brazilian Amazon. Acta Trop 2021; 213:105751. [PMID: 33166514 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2020.105751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 10/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Nyssorhynchus darlingi (Root) is the dominant malaria vector in the Brazilian Amazon River basin, with additional Anophelinae Grassi species involved in local and regional transmission. Mosquito blood-feeding behavior is an essential component to define the mosquito-human contact rate and shape the transmission cycle of vector-borne diseases. However, there is little information on the host preferences and blood-feeding behavior of Anophelinae vectors in rural Amazonian landscapes. The barrier screen sampling (BSS) method was employed to sample females from 34 peridomestic habitats in 27 rural communities from 11 municipalities in the Brazilian Amazon states of Acre, Amazonas, Pará and Rondônia, from August 2015 to November 2017. Nyssorhynchus darlingi comprised 97.94% of the females collected resting on barrier screens, and DNA sequence comparison detected 9 vertebrate hosts species. The HBI index ranged from 0.03-1.00. Results revealed the plasticity of Ny. darlingi in blood-feeding on a wide range of mainly mammalian hosts. In addition, the identification of blood meal sources using silica-dried females is appropriate for studies of human malaria vectors in remote locations.
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14
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Wheelwright M, Whittle CR, Riabinina O. Olfactory systems across mosquito species. Cell Tissue Res 2021; 383:75-90. [PMID: 33475852 PMCID: PMC7873006 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-020-03407-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
There are 3559 species of mosquitoes in the world (Harbach 2018) but, so far, only a handful of them have been a focus of olfactory neuroscience and neurobiology research. Here we discuss mosquito olfactory anatomy and function and connect these to mosquito ecology. We highlight the least well-known and thus most interesting aspects of mosquito olfactory systems and discuss promising future directions. We hope this review will encourage the insect neuroscience community to work more broadly across mosquito species instead of focusing narrowly on the main disease vectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Wheelwright
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Stockton Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Catherine R Whittle
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Stockton Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Olena Riabinina
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Stockton Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK.
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15
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Basrur NS, De Obaldia ME, Morita T, Herre M, von Heynitz RK, Tsitohay YN, Vosshall LB. Fruitless mutant male mosquitoes gain attraction to human odor. eLife 2020; 9:e63982. [PMID: 33284111 PMCID: PMC7806257 DOI: 10.7554/elife.63982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The Aedesaegypti mosquito shows extreme sexual dimorphism in feeding. Only females are attracted to and obtain a blood-meal from humans, which they use to stimulate egg production. The fruitless gene is sex-specifically spliced and encodes a BTB zinc-finger transcription factor proposed to be a master regulator of male courtship and mating behavior across insects. We generated fruitless mutant mosquitoes and showed that males failed to mate, confirming the ancestral function of this gene in male sexual behavior. Remarkably, fruitless males also gain strong attraction to a live human host, a behavior that wild-type males never display, suggesting that male mosquitoes possess the central or peripheral neural circuits required to host-seek and that removing fruitless reveals this latent behavior in males. Our results highlight an unexpected repurposing of a master regulator of male-specific sexual behavior to control one module of female-specific blood-feeding behavior in a deadly vector of infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nipun S Basrur
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Behavior, The Rockefeller UniversityNew YorkUnited States
| | - Maria Elena De Obaldia
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Behavior, The Rockefeller UniversityNew YorkUnited States
| | - Takeshi Morita
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Behavior, The Rockefeller UniversityNew YorkUnited States
| | - Margaret Herre
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Behavior, The Rockefeller UniversityNew YorkUnited States
- Kavli Neural Systems InstituteNew YorkUnited States
| | - Ricarda K von Heynitz
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Behavior, The Rockefeller UniversityNew YorkUnited States
| | - Yael N Tsitohay
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Behavior, The Rockefeller UniversityNew YorkUnited States
| | - Leslie B Vosshall
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Behavior, The Rockefeller UniversityNew YorkUnited States
- Kavli Neural Systems InstituteNew YorkUnited States
- Howard Hughes Medical InstituteNew YorkUnited States
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16
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Helfrich‐Förster C, Bertolini E, Menegazzi P. Flies as models for circadian clock adaptation to environmental challenges. Eur J Neurosci 2020; 51:166-181. [PMID: 30269385 PMCID: PMC7027873 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2018] [Revised: 08/14/2018] [Accepted: 08/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Life on earth is assumed to have developed in tropical regions that are characterized by regular 24 hr cycles in irradiance and temperature that remain the same throughout the seasons. All organisms developed circadian clocks that predict these environmental cycles and prepare the organisms in advance for them. A central question in chronobiology is how endogenous clocks changed in order to anticipate very different cyclical environmental conditions such as extremely short and long photoperiods existing close to the poles. Flies of the family Drosophilidae can be found all over the world-from the tropics to subarctic regions-making them unprecedented models for studying the evolutionary processes that underlie the adaptation of circadian clocks to different latitudes. This review summarizes our current understanding of these processes. We discuss evolutionary changes in the clock genes and in the clock network in the brain of different Drosophilids that may have caused behavioural adaptations to high latitudes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Enrico Bertolini
- Neurobiology and GeneticsTheodor‐Boveri InstituteBiocentre, University of WürzburgWürzburgGermany
| | - Pamela Menegazzi
- Neurobiology and GeneticsTheodor‐Boveri InstituteBiocentre, University of WürzburgWürzburgGermany
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17
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Zeng F, Xu P, Leal WS. Odorant receptors from Culex quinquefasciatus and Aedes aegypti sensitive to floral compounds. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2019; 113:103213. [PMID: 31442487 PMCID: PMC6733653 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2019.103213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Revised: 08/14/2019] [Accepted: 08/15/2019] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Mosquitoes rely heavily on the olfactory system to find a host for a bloodmeal, plants for a source of energy and suitable sites for oviposition. Here, we examined a cluster of eight odorant receptors (ORs), which includes one OR, CquiOR1, previously identified to be sensitive to plant-derived compounds. We cloned 5 ORs from Culex quinquefasciatus and two ORs from Aedes aegypti, ie, CquiOR2, CquiOR4, CquiOR5, CquiOR84, CquiOR85, AaegOR14, and AaegOR15 and then deorphanized these receptors using the Xenopus oocyte recording system and a large panel of odorants. 2-Phenylethanol, phenethyl formate, and phenethyl propionate were the best ligands for CquiOR4 somewhat resembling the profile of AaegOR15, which gave the strongest responses to phenethyl propionate, phenethyl formate, and acetophenone. In contrast, the best ligands for CquiOR5 were linalool, PMD, and linalool oxide. CquiOR4 was predominantly expressed in antennae of nonblood fed female mosquitoes, with transcript levels significantly reduced after a blood meal. 2-Phenylethanol showed repellency activity comparable to that of DEET at 1%. RNAi experiments suggest that at least in part 2-phenylethanol-elicited repellency is mediated by CquiOR4 activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangfang Zeng
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Pingxi Xu
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Walter S Leal
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA.
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18
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Benoit JB, Lazzari CR, Denlinger DL, Lahondère C. Thermoprotective adaptations are critical for arthropods feeding on warm-blooded hosts. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2019; 34:7-11. [PMID: 31247421 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2019.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2018] [Revised: 01/30/2019] [Accepted: 02/04/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Blood feeding in arthropods has evolved in multiple lineages. This feeding preference provides a source of ample proteins and lipids for egg production and survival, but ingestion of a large warm blood-meal can boost the arthropod's body temperature 15°-20°C within seconds to minutes. This represents one of, if not the most, rapid thermal change documented under a natural setting. Here, we describe mechanisms of thermoregulation and thermotolerance in arthropods during blood feeding. The ability to prevent blood-induced thermal damage is a fundamental physiological adaptation linked to the use of warm-blooded vertebrates as food sources. Specific functional and comparative studies have identified unique and divergent mechanisms that suppress or repair thermal stress during blood feeding. These mechanisms include countercurrent heat exchange, evaporative cooling, and upregulation of stress associated proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua B Benoit
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA
| | - Claudio R Lazzari
- Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l'Insecte, UMR CNRS 7261, Université de Tours, France
| | - David L Denlinger
- Department of Entomology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Chloé Lahondère
- Department of Biochemistry, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA.
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19
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Ruzzante L, Reijnders MJ, Waterhouse RM. Of Genes and Genomes: Mosquito Evolution and Diversity. Trends Parasitol 2019; 35:32-51. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2018.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Revised: 10/07/2018] [Accepted: 10/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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20
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