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Magner ET, Freund Saxhaug K, Zambre A, Bruns K, Carroll P, Snell-Rood EC, Hegeman AD, Carter CJ. A multifunctional role for riboflavin in the yellow nectar of Capsicum baccatum and Capsicum pubescens. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2024. [PMID: 38874372 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024]
Abstract
A few Capsicum (pepper) species produce yellow-colored floral nectar, but the chemical identity and biological function of the yellow pigment are unknown. A combination of analytical biochemistry techniques was used to identify the pigment that gives Capsicum baccatum and Capsicum pubescens nectars their yellow color. Microbial growth assays, visual modeling, and honey bee preference tests for artificial nectars containing riboflavin were used to assess potential biological roles for the nectar pigment. High concentrations of riboflavin (vitamin B2) give the nectars their intense yellow color. Nectars containing riboflavin generate reactive oxygen species when exposed to light and reduce microbial growth. Visual modeling also indicates that the yellow color is highly conspicuous to bees within the context of the flower. Lastly, field experiments demonstrate that honey bees prefer artificial nectars containing riboflavin. Some Capsicum nectars contain a yellow-colored vitamin that appears to play roles in (1) limiting microbial growth, (2) the visual attraction of bees, and (3) as a reward to nectar-feeding flower visitors (potential pollinators), which is especially interesting since riboflavin is an essential nutrient for brood rearing in insects. These results cumulatively suggest that the riboflavin found in some Capsicum nectars has several functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evin T Magner
- Department of Plant & Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, 1479 Gortner Avenue, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | | | - Amod Zambre
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Kaitlyn Bruns
- Department of Plant & Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, 1479 Gortner Avenue, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Patrick Carroll
- Department of Plant & Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, 1479 Gortner Avenue, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Emilie C Snell-Rood
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Adrian D Hegeman
- Department of Plant & Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, 1479 Gortner Avenue, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA
- Department of Horticultural Science, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Clay J Carter
- Department of Plant & Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, 1479 Gortner Avenue, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA
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Sivaprakasam N, Vaithiyanathan S, Gandhi K, Narayanan S, Kavitha PS, Rajasekaran R, Muthurajan R. Metagenomics approaches in unveiling the dynamics of Plant Growth-Promoting Microorganisms (PGPM) vis-à-vis Phytophthora sp. suppression in various crop ecological systems. Res Microbiol 2024:104217. [PMID: 38857835 DOI: 10.1016/j.resmic.2024.104217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2024] [Revised: 05/02/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024]
Abstract
Phytophthora species are destructive pathogens causing yield losses in different ecological systems, such as potato, black pepper, pepper, avocado, citrus, and tobacco. The diversity of plant growth-promoting microorganisms (PGPM) plays a crucial role in disease suppression. Knowledge of metagenomics approaches is essential for assessing the dynamics of PGPM and Phytophthora species across various ecosystems, facilitating effective management strategies for better crop protection. This review discusses the dynamic interplay between PGPM and Phytophthora sp. using metagenomics approaches that sheds light on the potential of PGPM strains tailored to specific crop ecosystems to bolster pathogen suppressiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Navarasu Sivaprakasam
- Department of Plant Pathology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
| | | | - Karthikeyan Gandhi
- Department of Plant Pathology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Swarnakumari Narayanan
- Department of Nematology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - P S Kavitha
- School of Post Graduate Studies, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Raghu Rajasekaran
- Centre for Plant Molecular Biology & Biotechnology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Raveendran Muthurajan
- Centre for Plant Molecular Biology & Biotechnology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
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3
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Rering CC, Rudolph AB, Li QB, Read QD, Muñoz PR, Ternest JJ, Hunter CT. A quantitative survey of the blueberry (Vaccinium spp.) culturable nectar microbiome: variation between cultivars, locations, and farm management approaches. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2024; 100:fiae020. [PMID: 38366934 PMCID: PMC10903978 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiae020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Microbes in floral nectar can impact both their host plants and floral visitors, yet little is known about the nectar microbiome of most pollinator-dependent crops. In this study, we examined the abundance and composition of the fungi and bacteria inhabiting Vaccinium spp. nectar, as well as nectar volume and sugar concentrations. We compared wild V. myrsinites with two field-grown V. corymbosum cultivars collected from two organic and two conventional farms. Differences in nectar traits and microbiomes were identified between V. corymbosum cultivars but not Vaccinium species. The microbiome of cultivated plants also varied greatly between farms, whereas management regime had only subtle effects, with higher fungal populations detected under organic management. Nectars were hexose-dominant, and high cell densities were correlated with reduced nectar sugar concentrations. Bacteria were more common than fungi in blueberry nectar, although both were frequently detected and co-occurred more often than would be predicted by chance. "Cosmopolitan" blueberry nectar microbes that were isolated in all plants, including Rosenbergiella sp. and Symmetrospora symmetrica, were identified. This study provides the first systematic report of the blueberry nectar microbiome, which may have important implications for pollinator and crop health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin C Rering
- Chemistry Research Unit, Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, 1700 SW 23rd Dr, Gainesville, FL 32608, United States
| | - Arthur B Rudolph
- Chemistry Research Unit, Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, 1700 SW 23rd Dr, Gainesville, FL 32608, United States
| | - Qin-Bao Li
- Chemistry Research Unit, Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, 1700 SW 23rd Dr, Gainesville, FL 32608, United States
| | - Quentin D Read
- Agricultural Research Service, Southeast Area, United States Department of Agriculture, 840 Oval Drive, Raleigh, NC 27606, United States
| | - Patricio R Muñoz
- Horticultural Sciences Department, University of Florida, 2550 Hull Rd, Gainesville, FL 32611, United States
| | - John J Ternest
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of Florida, 1881 Natural Area Dr, Gainesville, FL 32611, United States
| | - Charles T Hunter
- Chemistry Research Unit, Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, 1700 SW 23rd Dr, Gainesville, FL 32608, United States
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4
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de Morais JS, Cabral L, Bezerril FF, Uhlmann LO, Dos Santos Lima M, Noronha MF, Dos Santos SA, Madruga MS, Olegario LS, Wagner R, Sant'Ana AS, Magnani M. Farming system impacts the bioactive compounds, microbial diversity, aroma and color in edible red mini-roses (Rosa chinensis Jacq.). Food Res Int 2023; 173:113233. [PMID: 37803548 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2023.113233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/08/2023]
Abstract
Mini-roses (Rosa chinensis Jacq.) is largely used in salty dishes and desserts. This study evaluated instrumental color, sugars, organic acids, phenolics, volatiles, and the indigenous microbiota (fungi and bacteria) in edible mini-roses farmed in discarded fruits biocompost and animal manure systems. A descriptive sensory analysis of flowers was also performed. Mini-roses farmed in biocompost had higher luminosity and intensity of instrumental red color, a higher concentration of phenolic compounds, including anthocyanins related to red color, and fructose than mini-roses farmed in animal manure (p < 0.05). Furthermore, mini-roses farmed in biocompost had higher concentrations of various volatiles (p < 0.05), including hexyl acetate and cis-3 -hexenyl butyrate related to the fruity aroma. Bacterial groups related to plant growth-promoting such as Stenotrophomonas and endophilic fungal groups such as Eurotiales sp, Pleosporales sp were found in higher abundance (p < 0.05) in mini-roses farmed in biocompost. Mini-rose farmed in biocompost also received higher score (p < 0.05) for fruity aroma and red color than mini-rose mini-roses farmed in animal manure. Results indicate that farming mini-roses using biocompost from discarded fruits impacts the synthesis of phenolics and volatiles, resulting in a more intense fruity aroma and red color. Findings also suggest that the microbiota of mini-roses farmed in biocompost or animal manure do not represent a major risk for the safety of these products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janne Santos de Morais
- Laboratory of Microbial Processes in Foods, Department of Food Engineering, Center of Technology, Federal University of Paraíba, Campus I, 58051-900 João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil
| | - Lucélia Cabral
- Laboratory of Microbial Processes in Foods, Department of Food Engineering, Center of Technology, Federal University of Paraíba, Campus I, 58051-900 João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil
| | - Fabricia França Bezerril
- Laboratory of Microbial Processes in Foods, Department of Food Engineering, Center of Technology, Federal University of Paraíba, Campus I, 58051-900 João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil
| | - Lilian Osmari Uhlmann
- Department of Phytotechnics, Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM), Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
| | - Marcos Dos Santos Lima
- Department of Food Technology, Federal Institute of Sertão Pernambucano, Petrolina, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Melline F Noronha
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL, USA
| | - Silvana Alves Dos Santos
- Empresa Paraibana de Abastecimento e Serviços Agrícolas - EMPASA, João Pessoa, Paraíba 58071-000, Brazil
| | - Marta Suely Madruga
- Laboratory of Flavor Analysis, Department of Food Engineering, Center of Technology, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa, Brazil
| | - Lary Souza Olegario
- Laboratory of Flavor Analysis, Department of Food Engineering, Center of Technology, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa, Brazil
| | - Roger Wagner
- Department of Food Science Technology, Federal University Santa Maria (UFSM), Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
| | - Anderson S Sant'Ana
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Faculty of Food Engineering, University of Campinas, Campinas, State of São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marciane Magnani
- Laboratory of Microbial Processes in Foods, Department of Food Engineering, Center of Technology, Federal University of Paraíba, Campus I, 58051-900 João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil.
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5
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Nguyen PN, Rehan SM. Environmental Effects on Bee Microbiota. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2023; 86:1487-1498. [PMID: 37099156 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-023-02226-6] [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: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Anthropogenic activities and increased land use, which include industrialization, agriculture and urbanization, directly affect pollinators by changing habitats and floral availability, and indirectly by influencing their microbial composition and diversity. Bees form vital symbioses with their microbiota, relying on microorganisms to perform physiological functions and aid in immunity. As altered environments and climate threaten bees and their microbiota, characterizing the microbiome and its complex relationships with its host offers insights into understanding bee health. This review summarizes the role of sociality in microbiota establishment, as well as examines if such factors result in increased susceptibility to altered microbiota due to environmental changes. We characterize the role of geographic distribution, temperature, precipitation, floral resources, agriculture, and urbanization on bee microbiota. Bee microbiota are affected by altered surroundings regardless of sociality. Solitary bees that predominantly acquire their microbiota through the environment are particularly sensitive to such effects. However, the microbiota of obligately eusocial bees are also impacted by environmental changes despite typically well conserved and socially inherited microbiota. We provide an overview of the role of microbiota in plant-pollinator relationships and how bee microbiota play a larger role in urban ecology, offering microbial connections between animals, humans, and the environment. Understanding bee microbiota presents opportunities for sustainable land use restoration and aiding in wildlife conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sandra M Rehan
- Department of Biology, York University, Toronto, Canada.
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6
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Raguso RA. Hidden worlds within flowers. Curr Biol 2023; 33:R506-R512. [PMID: 37279684 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.04.054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
There is a growing realization that ecological interactions take place at many scales, from acorns to forests, and that formerly overlooked community members, particularly microbes, can play outsized ecological roles. Beyond their primary function as the reproductive organs of angiosperms, flowers constitute resource-rich, ephemeral habitats teeming with flower-loving symbionts, or 'anthophiles'. The physical, chemical, and structural properties of flowers combine to create a habitat filter, selectively determining which anthophiles can reside there, and how, and when they interact. The microhabitats within flowers can provide shelter from predators or inclement weather, places to eat, sleep, thermoregulate, hunt, mate or reproduce. In turn, floral microhabitats contain the full range of mutualists, antagonists and apparent commensals, whose complex interactions impact how flowers look and smell, how profitable they are to foraging pollinators, and how selection feeds back upon the traits shaping those interactions. Recent studies suggest coevolutionary paths by which floral symbionts might be co-opted as mutualists and provide compelling examples in which ambush predators or florivores are recruited as floral allies. Unbiased studies that include the full roster of floral symbionts are likely to reveal novel links and additional nuance in the rich ecological communities hidden within flowers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert A Raguso
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
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7
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Kardas E, González-Rosario AM, Giray T, Ackerman JD, Godoy-Vitorino F. Gut microbiota variation of a tropical oil-collecting bee species far exceeds that of the honeybee. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1122489. [PMID: 37266018 PMCID: PMC10229882 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1122489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Interest for bee microbiota has recently been rising, alleviating the gap in knowledge in regard to drivers of solitary bee gut microbiota. However, no study has addressed the microbial acquisition routes of tropical solitary bees. For both social and solitary bees, the gut microbiota has several essential roles such as food processing and immune responses. While social bees such as honeybees maintain a constant gut microbiota by direct transmission from individuals of the same hive, solitary bees do not have direct contact between generations. They thus acquire their gut microbiota from the environment and/or the provision of their brood cell. To establish the role of life history in structuring the gut microbiota of solitary bees, we characterized the gut microbiota of Centris decolorata from a beach population in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. Females provide the initial brood cell provision for the larvae, while males patrol the nest without any contact with it. We hypothesized that this behavior influences their gut microbiota, and that the origin of larval microbiota is from brood cell provisions. Methods We collected samples from adult females and males of C. decolorata (n = 10 each, n = 20), larvae (n = 4), and brood cell provisions (n = 10). For comparison purposes, we also sampled co-occurring female foragers of social Apis mellifera (n = 6). The samples were dissected, their DNA extracted, and gut microbiota sequenced using 16S rRNA genes. Pollen loads of A. mellifera and C. decolorata were analyzed and interactions between bee species and their plant resources were visualized using a pollination network. Results While we found the gut of A. mellifera contained the same phylotypes previously reported in the literature, we noted that the variability in the gut microbiota of solitary C. decolorata was significantly higher than that of social A. mellifera. Furthermore, the microbiota of adult C. decolorata mostly consisted of acetic acid bacteria whereas that of A. mellifera mostly had lactic acid bacteria. Among C. decolorata, we found significant differences in alpha and beta diversity between adults and their brood cell provisions (Shannon and Chao1 p < 0.05), due to the higher abundance of families such as Rhizobiaceae and Chitinophagaceae in the brood cells, and of Acetobacteraceae in adults. In addition, the pollination network analysis indicated that A. mellifera had a stronger interaction with Byrsonima sp. and a weaker interaction with Combretaceae while interactions between C. decolorata and its plant resources were constant with the null model. Conclusion Our data are consistent with the hypothesis that behavioral differences in brood provisioning between solitary and social bees is a factor leading to relatively high variation in the microbiota of the solitary bee.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elif Kardas
- Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR, United States
- Department of Microbiology and Medical Zoology, School of Medicine, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR, United States
| | | | - Tugrul Giray
- Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR, United States
| | - James D. Ackerman
- Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR, United States
| | - Filipa Godoy-Vitorino
- Department of Microbiology and Medical Zoology, School of Medicine, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR, United States
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8
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Almeida EL, Ribiere C, Frei W, Kenny D, Coffey MF, O'Toole PW. Geographical and Seasonal Analysis of the Honeybee Microbiome. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2023; 85:765-778. [PMID: 35284961 PMCID: PMC9957864 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-022-01986-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
We previously showed that colonies of thriving and non-thriving honeybees co-located in a single geographically isolated apiary harboured strikingly different microbiomes when sampled at a single time point in the honey season. Here, we profiled the microbiome in returning forager bees from 10 to 12 hives in each of 6 apiaries across the southern half of Ireland, at early, middle, and late time points in the 2019 honey production season. Despite the wide range of geographical locations and forage available, apiary site was not the strongest determinant of the honeybee microbiome. However, there was clear clustering of the honeybee microbiome by time point across all apiaries, independent of which apiary was sampled. The clustering of microbiome by time was weaker although still significant in three of the apiaries, which may be connected to their geographic location and other external factors. The potential forage effect was strongest at the second timepoint (June-July) when the apiaries also displayed greatest difference in microbiome diversity. We identified bacteria in the forager bee microbiome that correlated with hive health as measured by counts of larvae, bees, and honey production. These findings support the hypothesis that the global honeybee microbiome and its constituent species support thriving hives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo L Almeida
- School of Microbiology and APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, T12 K8AF, Ireland
| | - Celine Ribiere
- School of Microbiology and APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, T12 K8AF, Ireland
| | - Werner Frei
- School of Microbiology and APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, T12 K8AF, Ireland
| | - Denis Kenny
- Keeling's Farm, Food Central, St. Margaret's, Co. Dublin, K67 YC83, Ireland
| | - Mary F Coffey
- Department of Agriculture Food & the Marine, Backweston Campus, Celbridge, Co. Kildare, W23 X3PH, Ireland
| | - Paul W O'Toole
- School of Microbiology and APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, T12 K8AF, Ireland.
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Doane MP, Johnson CJ, Johri S, Kerr EN, Morris MM, Desantiago R, Turnlund AC, Goodman A, Mora M, Lima LFO, Nosal AP, Dinsdale EA. The Epidermal Microbiome Within an Aggregation of Leopard Sharks (Triakis semifasciata) Has Taxonomic Flexibility with Gene Functional Stability Across Three Time-points. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2023; 85:747-764. [PMID: 35129649 PMCID: PMC9957878 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-022-01969-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
The epidermis of Chondrichthyan fishes consists of dermal denticles with production of minimal but protein-rich mucus that collectively, influence the attachment and biofilm development of microbes, facilitating a unique epidermal microbiome. Here, we use metagenomics to provide the taxonomic and functional characterization of the epidermal microbiome of the Triakis semifasciata (leopard shark) at three time-points collected across 4 years to identify links between microbial groups and host metabolism. Our aims include (1) describing the variation of microbiome taxa over time and identifying recurrent microbiome members (present across all time-points); (2) investigating the relationship between the recurrent and flexible taxa (those which are not found consistently across time-points); (3) describing the functional compositions of the microbiome which may suggest links with the host metabolism; and (4) identifying whether metabolic processes are shared across microbial genera or are unique to specific taxa. Microbial members of the microbiome showed high similarity between all individuals (Bray-Curtis similarity index = 82.7, where 0 = no overlap, 100 = total overlap) with the relative abundance of those members varying across sampling time-points, suggesting flexibility of taxa in the microbiome. One hundred and eighty-eight genera were identified as recurrent, including Pseudomonas, Erythrobacter, Alcanivorax, Marinobacter, and Sphingopxis being consistently abundant across time-points, while Limnobacter and Xyella exhibited switching patterns with high relative abundance in 2013, Sphingobium and Sphingomona in 2015, and Altermonas, Leeuwenhoekiella, Gramella, and Maribacter in 2017. Of the 188 genera identified as recurrent, the top 19 relatively abundant genera formed three recurrent groups. The microbiome also displayed high functional similarity between individuals (Bray-Curtis similarity index = 97.6) with gene function composition remaining consistent across all time-points. These results show that while the presence of microbial genera exhibits consistency across time-points, their abundances do fluctuate. Microbial functions however remain stable across time-points; thus, we suggest the leopard shark microbiomes exhibit functional redundancy. We show coexistence of microbes hosted in elasmobranch microbiomes that encode genes involved in utilizing nitrogen, but not fixing nitrogen, degrading urea, and resistant to heavy metal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael P. Doane
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia Australia
| | - Colton J. Johnson
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA USA
| | - Shaili Johri
- Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA USA
| | - Emma N. Kerr
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia Australia
| | | | - Ric Desantiago
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA USA
| | - Abigail C. Turnlund
- Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD Australia
| | - Asha Goodman
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA USA
| | - Maria Mora
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA USA
| | | | - Andrew P. Nosal
- Department of Environmental and Ocean Sciences, University of San Diego, San Diego, CA USA
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California – San Diego, CA La Jolla, USA
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10
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Barberis M, Calabrese D, Galloni M, Nepi M. Secondary Metabolites in Nectar-Mediated Plant-Pollinator Relationships. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:plants12030550. [PMID: 36771634 PMCID: PMC9920422 DOI: 10.3390/plants12030550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, our understanding of the complex chemistry of floral nectar and its ecological implications for plant-pollinator relationships has certainly increased. Nectar is no longer considered merely a reward for pollinators but rather a plant interface for complex interactions with insects and other organisms. A particular class of compounds, i.e., nectar secondary compounds (NSCs), has contributed to this new perspective, framing nectar in a more comprehensive ecological context. The aim of this review is to draft an overview of our current knowledge of NSCs, including emerging aspects such as non-protein amino acids and biogenic amines, whose presence in nectar was highlighted quite recently. After considering the implications of the different classes of NSCs in the pollination scenario, we discuss hypotheses regarding the evolution of such complex nectar profiles and provide cues for future research on plant-pollinator relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Barberis
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Via Irnerio 42, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Daniele Calabrese
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli 4, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Marta Galloni
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Via Irnerio 42, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Massimo Nepi
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli 4, 53100 Siena, Italy
- National Biodiversity Future Centre (NBFC), 90123 Palermo, Italy
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11
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Hietaranta E, Juottonen H, Kytöviita MM. Honeybees affect floral microbiome composition in a central food source for wild pollinators in boreal ecosystems. Oecologia 2023; 201:59-72. [PMID: 36434466 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-022-05285-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Basic knowledge on dispersal of microbes in pollinator networks is essential for plant, insect, and microbial ecology. Thorough understanding of the ecological consequences of honeybee farming on these complex plant-pollinator-microbe interactions is a prerequisite for sustainable honeybee keeping. Most research on plant-pollinator-microbe interactions have focused on temperate agricultural systems. Therefore, information on a wild plant that is a seasonal bottleneck for pollinators in cold climate such as Salix phylicifolia is of specific importance. We investigated how floral visitation by insects influences the community structure of bacteria and fungi in Salix phylicifolia inflorescences under natural conditions. Insect visitors were experimentally excluded with net bags. We analyzed the microbiome and measured pollen removal in open and bagged inflorescences in sites where honeybees were foraging and in sites without honeybees. Site and plant individual explained most of the variation in floral microbial communities. Insect visitation and honeybees had a smaller but significant effect on the community composition of microbes. Honeybees had a specific effect on the inflorescence microbiome and, e.g., increased the relative abundance of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) from the bacterial order Lactobacillales. Site had a significant effect on the amount of pollen removed from inflorescences but this was not due to honeybees. Insect visitors increased bacterial and especially fungal OTU richness in the inflorescences. Pollinator visits explained 38% variation in fungal richness, but only 10% in bacterial richness. Our work shows that honeybee farming affects the floral microbiome in a wild plant in rural boreal ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elsi Hietaranta
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, 40014, Jyväskylä, Finland.
| | - Heli Juottonen
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, 40014, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Minna-Maarit Kytöviita
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, 40014, Jyväskylä, Finland
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12
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Donald ML, Galbraith JA, Erastova DA, Podolyan A, Miller TEX, Dhami MK. Nectar resources affect bird-dispersed microbial metacommunities in suburban and rural gardens. Environ Microbiol 2022; 24:5654-5665. [PMID: 36102191 PMCID: PMC10087401 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
As cities expand, understanding how urbanization affects biodiversity is a key ecological goal. Yet, little is known about how host-associated microbial diversity responds to urbanization. We asked whether communities of microbial (bacterial and fungal) in floral nectar and sugar-water feeders and vectored by nectar-feeding birds-thus forming a metacommunity-differed in composition and diversity between suburban and rural gardens. Compared to rural birds, we found that suburban birds vectored different and more diverse bacterial communities. These differences were not detected in the nectar of common plant species, suggesting that nectar filters microbial taxa and results in metacommunity convergence. However, when considering all the nectar sources present, suburban beta diversity was elevated compared to rural beta diversity due to turnover of bacterial taxa across a plant species and sugar-water feeders. While fungal metacommunity composition and beta diversity in nectar were similar between suburban and rural sites, alpha diversity was elevated in suburban sites, which mirrored the trend of increased fungal alpha diversity on birds. These results emphasize the interdependence of host, vector, and microbial diversity and demonstrate that human decisions can shape nectar microbial diversity in contrasting ways for bacteria and fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion L Donald
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA.,Biocontrol & Molecular Ecology, Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research, Lincoln, New Zealand
| | - Josie A Galbraith
- Department of Natural Sciences, Auckland Museum, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Daria A Erastova
- School of Biological Science, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Anastasija Podolyan
- Biocontrol & Molecular Ecology, Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research, Lincoln, New Zealand
| | - Tom E X Miller
- Program in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Manpreet K Dhami
- Biocontrol & Molecular Ecology, Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research, Lincoln, New Zealand
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13
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Chemical and volatile composition, and microbial communities in edible purple flowers (Torenia fournieri F. Lind.) cultivated in different organic systems. Food Res Int 2022; 162:111973. [DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2022.111973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Revised: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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14
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Martin VN, Schaeffer RN, Fukami T. Potential effects of nectar microbes on pollinator health. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210155. [PMID: 35491594 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Floral nectar is prone to colonization by nectar-adapted yeasts and bacteria via air-, rain-, and animal-mediated dispersal. Upon colonization, microbes can modify nectar chemical constituents that are plant-provisioned or impart their own through secretion of metabolic by-products or antibiotics into the nectar environment. Such modifications can have consequences for pollinator perception of nectar quality, as microbial metabolism can leave a distinct imprint on olfactory and gustatory cues that inform foraging decisions. Furthermore, direct interactions between pollinators and nectar microbes, as well as consumption of modified nectar, have the potential to affect pollinator health both positively and negatively. Here, we discuss and integrate recent findings from research on plant-microbe-pollinator interactions and their consequences for pollinator health. We then explore future avenues of research that could shed light on the myriad ways in which nectar microbes can affect pollinator health, including the taxonomic diversity of vertebrate and invertebrate pollinators that rely on this reward. This article is part of the theme issue 'Natural processes influencing pollinator health: from chemistry to landscapes'.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Tadashi Fukami
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
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15
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Nicolson SW. Sweet solutions: nectar chemistry and quality. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210163. [PMID: 35491604 PMCID: PMC9058545 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Nectar, the main floral reward for pollinators, varies greatly in composition and concentration. The assumption that nectar quality is equivalent to its sugar (energy) concentration is too simple. Diverse non-sugar components, especially amino acids and secondary metabolites, play various roles in nutrition and health of pollinators. Many nectar compounds have indirect effects by altering the foraging behaviour of pollinators or protecting them from disease. This review also emphasizes the water component of nectar, often ignored because of evaporative losses and difficulties in sampling small nectar volumes. Nectar properties vary with environmental factors, pollinator visits and microbial contamination. Pollination mutualisms depend on the ability of insect and vertebrate pollinators to cope with and benefit from the variation and diversity in nectar chemistry. This article is part of the theme issue 'Natural processes influencing pollinator health: from chemistry to landscapes'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan W. Nicolson
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa
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16
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Félix CR, Nascimento BEDS, Valente P, Landell MF. Different plant compartments, different yeasts: the example of the bromeliad phyllosphere. Yeast 2022; 39:363-400. [PMID: 35715939 DOI: 10.1002/yea.3804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Revised: 05/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The plant phyllosphere is one of the largest sources of microorganisms, including yeasts. In bromeliads, the knowledge of yeasts is dispersed and still incipient. To understand the extent of our knowledge on the subject, this review proposes to compile and synthesize existing knowledge, elucidating possible patterns, biotechnological and taxonomic potentials, bringing to light new knowledge, and identifying information gaps. For such, we systematically review scientific production on yeasts in bromeliads using various databases. The results indicated that the plant compartments flowers, fruits, leaves, and water tank (phytotelma) have been studied when focusing on the yeast community in the bromeliad phyllosphere. More than 180 species of yeasts and yeast-like fungi were recorded from the phyllosphere, 70% were exclusively found in one of these four compartments and only 2% were shared among all. In addition, most of the community had a low frequency of occurrence, and approximately half of the species had a single record. Variables such as bromeliad subfamilies and functional types, as well as plant compartments, were statistically significant, though inconclusive and with low explanatory power. At least 50 yeast species with some biotechnological potentials have been isolated from bromeliads. More than 90% of these species were able to produce extracellular enzymes. In addition, other biotechnological applications have also been recorded. Moreover, new species have been described, though yeasts were only exploited in approximately 1% of the existing bromeliads species, which highlights that there is still much to be explored. Nevertheless, it appears that we are still far from recovering the completeness of the diversity of yeasts in this host. Furthermore, bromeliads proved to be a good ecological model for prospecting new yeasts and for studies on the interaction between plants and yeasts. In addition, the yeast community diverged among plant compartments, establishing bromeliads as a microbiologically complex and heterogeneous mosaic. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ciro Ramon Félix
- Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Maceió, AL, Brazil.,Programa de Pós-graduação em Diversidade Biológica e Conservação nos Trópicos, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Maceió, AL, Brazil
| | | | - Patrícia Valente
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Melissa Fontes Landell
- Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Maceió, AL, Brazil
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17
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Grupstra CGB, Lemoine NP, Cook C, Correa AMS. Thank you for biting: dispersal of beneficial microbiota through 'antagonistic' interactions. Trends Microbiol 2022; 30:930-939. [PMID: 35393166 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2022.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Multicellular organisms harbor populations of microbial symbionts; some of these symbionts can be dispersed through the feeding activities of consumers. Studies of consumer-mediated microbiota dispersal generally focus on pathogenic microorganisms; the dispersal of beneficial microorganisms has received less attention, especially in the context of 'antagonistic' trophic interactions (e.g., herbivory, parasitism, predation). Yet, this 'trophic transmission' of beneficial symbionts has significant implications for microbiota assembly and resource species (e.g., prey) health. For example, trophic transmission of microorganisms could assist with environmental acclimatization and help resource species to suppress other consumers or competitors. Here, we highlight model systems and approaches that have revealed these potential 'silver-linings' of antagonism as well as opportunities and challenges for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- C G B Grupstra
- BioSciences Department, Rice University, Houston, TX 77098, USA.
| | - N P Lemoine
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI 53233, USA; Department of Zoology, Milwaukee Public Museum, Milwaukee, WI 53233, USA
| | - C Cook
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI 53233, USA
| | - A M S Correa
- BioSciences Department, Rice University, Houston, TX 77098, USA
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18
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Weinhold A. Bowel Movement: Integrating Host Mobility and Microbial Transmission Across Host Taxa. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:826364. [PMID: 35242121 PMCID: PMC8886138 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.826364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The gut microbiota of animals displays a high degree of plasticity with respect to environmental or dietary adaptations and is shaped by factors like social interactions, diet diversity or the local environment. But the contribution of these drivers varies across host taxa and our ability to explain microbiome variability within wild populations remains limited. Terrestrial animals have divergent mobility ranges and can either crawl, walk or fly, from a couple of centimeters toward thousands of kilometers. Animal movement has been little regarded in host microbiota frameworks, though it can directly influence major drivers of the host microbiota: (1) Aggregation movement can enhance social transmissions, (2) foraging movement can extend range of diet diversity, and (3) dispersal movement determines the local environment of a host. Here, I would like to outline how movement behaviors of different host taxa matter for microbial acquisition across mammals, birds as well as insects. Host movement can have contrasting effects and either reduce or enlarge spatial scale. Increased dispersal movement could dissolve local effects of sampling location, while aggregation could enhance inter-host transmissions and uniformity among social groups. Host movement can also extend the boundaries of microbial dispersal limitations and connect habitat patches across plant-pollinator networks, while the microbiota of wild populations could converge toward a uniform pattern when mobility is interrupted in captivity or laboratory settings. Hence, the implementation of host movement would be a valuable addition to the metacommunity concept, to comprehend microbial dispersal within and across trophic levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arne Weinhold
- Faculty of Biology, Cellular and Organismic Networks, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
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19
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Crowley-Gall A, Trouillas FP, Niño EL, Schaeffer RN, Nouri MT, Crespo M, Vannette RL. Floral Microbes Suppress Growth of Monilinia laxa with Minimal Effects on Honey Bee Feeding. PLANT DISEASE 2022; 106:432-438. [PMID: 34455807 DOI: 10.1094/pdis-03-21-0549-re] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Management of Monilinia laxa, the causal agent of brown rot blossom blight in almond (Prunus dulcis), relies heavily on the use of chemical fungicides during bloom. However, chemical fungicides can have nontarget effects on beneficial arthropods, including pollinators, and select for resistance in the pathogen of concern. Almond yield is heavily reliant on successful pollination by healthy honey bees (Apis mellifera); thus, identifying sustainable, effective, and pollinator-friendly control methods for blossom blight during bloom is desirable. Flower-inhabiting microbes could provide a natural, sustainable form of biocontrol for M. laxa, while potentially minimizing costly nontarget effects on almond pollinators and the services they provide. As pollinators are sensitive to floral microbes and their associated taste and scent cues, assessing effects of prospective biocontrol species on pollinator attraction is also necessary. Here, our objective was to isolate and identify potential biocontrol microbes from an array of agricultural and natural flowering hosts and test their efficacy in suppressing M. laxa growth in culture. Out of an initial 287 bacterial and fungal isolates identified, 56 were screened using a dual culture plate assay. Most strains reduced M. laxa growth in vitro. Ten particularly effective candidate microbes were further screened for their effect on honey bee feeding. Of the 10, nine were found to both strongly suppress M. laxa growth in culture and not reduce honey bee feeding. These promising results suggest a number of strong candidates for augmentative microbial biocontrol of brown rot blossom blight in almond with potentially minimal effects on honey bee pollination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amber Crowley-Gall
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University California-Davis, Davis, CA 95616
| | - Florent P Trouillas
- Department of Plant Pathology, University California-Davis and Kearney Agriculture Research and Extension Center, Davis, CA 95616
| | - Elina L Niño
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University California-Davis, Davis, CA 95616
| | | | - Mohamed T Nouri
- University of California Cooperative Extension San Joaquin County, Stockton, CA 95206
| | - Maria Crespo
- Department of Plant Pathology, University California-Davis and Kearney Agriculture Research and Extension Center, Davis, CA 95616
| | - Rachel L Vannette
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University California-Davis, Davis, CA 95616
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20
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Tiwari S, Jadhav R, Avchar R, Lanjekar V, Datar M, Baghela A. Nectar Yeast Community of Tropical Flowering Plants and Assessment of Their Osmotolerance and Xylitol-Producing Potential. Curr Microbiol 2021; 79:28. [PMID: 34905093 DOI: 10.1007/s00284-021-02700-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Floral nectar is colonised by microbes, especially yeasts which alter the scent, temperature, and chemical composition of nectar, thereby playing an essential role in pollination. The yeast communities inhabiting the nectar of tropical flowers of India are not well explored. We isolated 48 yeast strains from seven different tropical flowering plants. Post MSP-PCR-based screening, 23 yeast isolates and two yeast-like fungi were identified, which belonged to 16 species of 12 genera viz. Candida (2 species), Aureobasidium (2 species), Metschnikowia (2 species), Meyerozyma (1 species), Saitozyma (1 species), Wickerhamomyces (1 species), Kodamaea (2 species), Pseudozyma (1 species), Starmerella (1 species), Hanseniaspora (1 species), Rhodosporidiobolus (1 species), Moesziomyces (1 species), and two putative novel species. All yeast strains were assessed for their osmotolerance abilities in high salt and sugar concentration. Among all the isolates, C. nivariensis (SRA2.2, SRA1.1 and SRA2.1), M. caribbica (SRA4.8 and SRA4.6), S. flava SRA4.2, and M. reukaufii SRA3.2 showed significant growth in high concentrations of sugar (40-50% glucose), as well as salt (12-15% NaCl). All 25 strains were also screened for their ability to utilise xylose to produce xylitol. Meyerozyma caribbica was the most efficient xylitol producer, wherein three strains of this species (SRA4.6, SRA4.1, and SRA4.8) generated 18.61 to 21.56 g l-1 of xylitol, with 0.465-0.539 g g-1 yields. Through this study, we draw attention towards the tropical floral nectar as a potential niche for the isolation of diverse, osmotolerant, and xylitol-producing yeasts. Such osmotolerant yeasts have potential applications in food industries and biofuel production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Snigdha Tiwari
- National Fungal Culture Collection of India (NFCCI), Biodiversity and Palaeobiology Group, MACS-Agharkar Research Institute, G.G. Agarkar Road, Pune, 411004, India.,Savitribai Phule Pune University, Ganeshkhind, Pune, 411007, India
| | - Reshma Jadhav
- National Fungal Culture Collection of India (NFCCI), Biodiversity and Palaeobiology Group, MACS-Agharkar Research Institute, G.G. Agarkar Road, Pune, 411004, India
| | - Rameshwar Avchar
- National Fungal Culture Collection of India (NFCCI), Biodiversity and Palaeobiology Group, MACS-Agharkar Research Institute, G.G. Agarkar Road, Pune, 411004, India.,Savitribai Phule Pune University, Ganeshkhind, Pune, 411007, India
| | - Vikram Lanjekar
- Bioenergy Group, MACS-Agharkar Research Institute, G.G. Agarkar Road, Pune, 411004, India
| | - Mandar Datar
- Biodiversity and Palaeobiology Group, Agharkar Research Institute, G.G. Agarkar Road, Pune, 411004, India
| | - Abhishek Baghela
- National Fungal Culture Collection of India (NFCCI), Biodiversity and Palaeobiology Group, MACS-Agharkar Research Institute, G.G. Agarkar Road, Pune, 411004, India. .,Savitribai Phule Pune University, Ganeshkhind, Pune, 411007, India.
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21
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Vannette RL, McMunn MS, Hall GW, Mueller TG, Munkres I, Perry D. Culturable bacteria are more common than fungi in floral nectar and are more easily dispersed by thrips, a ubiquitous flower visitor. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2021; 97:6430164. [PMID: 34791198 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiab150] [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: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Variation in dispersal ability among taxa affects community assembly and biodiversity maintenance within metacommunities. Although fungi and bacteria frequently coexist, their relative dispersal abilities are poorly understood. Nectar-inhabiting microbial communities affect plant reproduction and pollinator behavior, and are excellent models for studying dispersal of bacteria and fungi in a metacommunity framework. Here, we assay dispersal ability of common nectar bacteria and fungi in an insect-based dispersal experiment. We then compare these results with the incidence and abundance of culturable flower-inhabiting bacteria and fungi within naturally occurring flowers across two coflowering communities in California across two flowering seasons. Our microbial dispersal experiment demonstrates that bacteria disperse via thrips among artificial habitat patches more readily than fungi. In the field, incidence and abundance of culturable bacteria and fungi were positively correlated, but bacteria were much more widespread. These patterns suggest shared dispersal routes or habitat requirements among culturable bacteria and fungi, but differences in dispersal or colonization frequency by thrips, common flower visitors. The finding that culturable bacteria are more common among nectar sampled here, in part due to superior thrips-mediated dispersal, may have relevance for microbial life history, community assembly of microbes, and plant-pollinator interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel L Vannette
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Marshall S McMunn
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Griffin W Hall
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Tobias G Mueller
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Ivan Munkres
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Douglas Perry
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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22
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Behind the nectar: the yeast community in bromeliads inflorescences after the exudate removal. Mycol Prog 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s11557-021-01728-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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23
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Alvarez-Perez S, Baker LJ, Morris MM, Tsuji K, Sanchez VA, Fukami T, Vannette RL, Lievens B, Hendry TA. Acinetobacter pollinis sp. nov., Acinetobacter baretiae sp. nov. and Acinetobacter rathckeae sp. nov., isolated from floral nectar and honey bees. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2021; 71. [PMID: 33970854 DOI: 10.1099/ijsem.0.004783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
A detailed evaluation of eight bacterial isolates from floral nectar and animal visitors to flowers shows evidence that they represent three novel species in the genus Acinetobacter. Phylogenomic analysis shows the closest relatives of these new isolates are Acinetobacter apis, Acinetobacter boissieri and Acinetobacter nectaris, previously described species associated with floral nectar and bees, but high genome-wide sequence divergence defines these isolates as novel species. Pairwise comparisons of the average nucleotide identity of the new isolates compared to known species is extremely low (<83 %), thus confirming that these samples are representative of three novel Acinetobacter species, for which the names Acinetobacter pollinis sp. nov., Acinetobacter baretiae sp. nov. and Acinetobacter rathckeae sp. nov. are proposed. The respective type strains are SCC477T (=TSD-214T=LMG 31655T), B10AT (=TSD-213T=LMG 31702T) and EC24T (=TSD-215T=LMG 31703T=DSM 111781T).
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Alvarez-Perez
- Department of Animal Health, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain.,Laboratory for Process Microbial Ecology and Bioinspirational Management (PME&BIM), Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems, KU Leuven, Willem De Croylaan 46, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Lydia J Baker
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Megan M Morris
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, CA 94550, USA
| | - Kaoru Tsuji
- Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University Hirano 2, Otsu, Shiga 520-2113, Japan
| | | | - Tadashi Fukami
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Rachel L Vannette
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Bart Lievens
- Laboratory for Process Microbial Ecology and Bioinspirational Management (PME&BIM), Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems, KU Leuven, Willem De Croylaan 46, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Tory A Hendry
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
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24
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Callegari M, Crotti E, Fusi M, Marasco R, Gonella E, De Noni I, Romano D, Borin S, Tsiamis G, Cherif A, Alma A, Daffonchio D. Compartmentalization of bacterial and fungal microbiomes in the gut of adult honeybees. NPJ Biofilms Microbiomes 2021; 7:42. [PMID: 33963194 PMCID: PMC8105395 DOI: 10.1038/s41522-021-00212-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The core gut microbiome of adult honeybee comprises a set of recurring bacterial phylotypes, accompanied by lineage-specific, variable, and less abundant environmental bacterial phylotypes. Several mutual interactions and functional services to the host, including the support provided for growth, hormonal signaling, and behavior, are attributed to the core and lineage-specific taxa. By contrast, the diversity and distribution of the minor environmental phylotypes and fungal members in the gut remain overlooked. In the present study, we hypothesized that the microbial components of forager honeybees (i.e., core bacteria, minor environmental phylotypes, and fungal members) are compartmentalized along the gut portions. The diversity and distribution of such three microbial components were investigated in the context of the physico-chemical conditions of different gut compartments. We observed that changes in the distribution and abundance of microbial components in the gut are consistently compartment-specific for all the three microbial components, indicating that the ecological and physiological interactions among the host and microbiome vary with changing physico-chemical and metabolic conditions of the gut.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Callegari
- Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division (BESE), Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Elena Crotti
- Dipartimento di Scienze per gli Alimenti, la Nutrizione e l'Ambiente (DeFENS), Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.
| | - Marco Fusi
- Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division (BESE), Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
- School of Applied Sciences, Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Ramona Marasco
- Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division (BESE), Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Elena Gonella
- Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie, Forestali e Alimentari (DISAFA), Università degli Studi di Torino, Grugliasco, Italy
| | - Ivano De Noni
- Dipartimento di Scienze per gli Alimenti, la Nutrizione e l'Ambiente (DeFENS), Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Diego Romano
- Dipartimento di Scienze per gli Alimenti, la Nutrizione e l'Ambiente (DeFENS), Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Sara Borin
- Dipartimento di Scienze per gli Alimenti, la Nutrizione e l'Ambiente (DeFENS), Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - George Tsiamis
- Department of Environmental Engineering, University of Patras, Agrinion, Greece
| | - Ameur Cherif
- Institut Supérieur de Biotechnologie Sidi Thabet (ISBST), BVBGR-LR11ES31, Biotechpole Sidi Thabet, University Manouba, Ariana, Tunisia
| | - Alberto Alma
- Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie, Forestali e Alimentari (DISAFA), Università degli Studi di Torino, Grugliasco, Italy
| | - Daniele Daffonchio
- Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division (BESE), Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.
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25
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Rering CC, Rudolph AB, Beck JJ. Pollen and yeast change nectar aroma and nutritional content alone and together, but honey bee foraging reflects only the avoidance of yeast. Environ Microbiol 2021; 23:4141-4150. [PMID: 33876542 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Floral nectar often contains pollen and microorganisms, which may change nectar's chemical composition, and in turn impact pollinator affinity. However, their individual and combined effects remain understudied. Here, we examined the impacts of the nectar specialist yeast, Metschnikowia reukaufii, and the addition of sunflower (Hellianthus annus) pollen. Pollen grains remained intact, yet still increased yeast growth and amino acid concentrations in nectar, whereas yeast depleted amino acids. Pollen, but not yeast, changed nectar sugar concentrations by converting sucrose to its monomers. Both pollen and yeast contributed emissions from nectar, though yeast volatiles were more abundant than pollen volatiles. Yeast volatile emission was positively correlated with pollen concentration and cell density, and yeast depleted a subset of pollen-derived volatiles. Honey bees avoided foraging on yeast-inoculated nectar and foraged equally among uninoculated nectars regardless of pollen content, underscoring the importance of microbial metabolites in mediating pollinator foraging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin C Rering
- Chemistry Research Unit, Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Gainesville, FL, 32608, USA
| | - Arthur B Rudolph
- Chemistry Research Unit, Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Gainesville, FL, 32608, USA
| | - John J Beck
- Chemistry Research Unit, Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Gainesville, FL, 32608, USA
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26
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Obón C, Rivera D, Fonollá E, Alcaraz F, Attieh L. A Comparison Study on Traditional Mixtures of Herbal Teas Used in Eastern Mediterranean Area. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:632692. [PMID: 33967769 PMCID: PMC8103161 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.632692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Multipurpose herbal teas with numerous ingredients, in which flowers are the main component, are common in the traditional medicine and pharmacy of Greece and the Eastern Mediterranean countries. In this study, we combine ethnobotany and ethnopharmacology field work techniques and botany and pharmacognosy laboratory methods for the study of traditional herbal mixtures with flowers, we identify their botanical ingredients and record the local medicinal uses of these mixtures, in Greece, Lebanon, Syria, Iran and Turkey. These, and their industrial versions, are analyzed, using morphological and multivariate analysis techniques in order to determine marker species, relevant patterns of combination and local styles. The medicinal properties attributed to the different flowers are discussed in relation with their role in the mixtures. These blends are consumed for their relaxing, digestive, and anti-infective properties. These mixtures are not consumed as a treatment when one is sick but rather to avoid getting sick, as a preventive measure. The formulations can reach forty ingredients (sarantha in Greek, arbain in Arabic language of Palestine), usually entire or coarsely chopped in the more traditional formulations, leading to extreme variability of individual doses. We ask what biological signification this randomness can have. To give an answer requires new and more comprehensive pharmacological approaches. The flowers of Rosaceae, Asteraceae, Lamiaceae, Malvaceae and Fabaceae species characterize these mixtures in which other materials (roots, leaves, and fruits) and other species are present as well. Flowers of some species, particularly of Fabaceae, are exclusively used in mixtures, and their use in monospecific herbal teas is not yet recorded. We draw attention on the urgent need in exhaustively recording in Greece and the Near East, the formulation and use of traditional herbal mixtures and their numerous local variants. To consider these mixtures and the contribution of flowers (most mixtures receive the general name of tea of flowers) merits further extensive study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Concepción Obón
- Departamento de Biología Aplicada, EPSO, Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche, Orihuela, Spain
| | - Diego Rivera
- Departamento de Biología Vegetal, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Elena Fonollá
- Departamento de Biología Vegetal, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Francisco Alcaraz
- Departamento de Biología Vegetal, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Latifa Attieh
- International School of Business (ISB), Modern University for Business and Science (MUBS), Beirut, Lebanon
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27
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Wei N, Russell AL, Jarrett AR, Ashman TL. Pollinators mediate floral microbial diversity and microbial network under agrochemical disturbance. Mol Ecol 2021; 30:2235-2247. [PMID: 33738885 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Revised: 03/07/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
How pollinators mediate microbiome assembly in the anthosphere is a major unresolved question of theoretical and applied importance in the face of anthropogenic disturbance. We addressed this question by linking visitation of diverse pollinator functional groups (bees, wasps, flies, butterflies, beetles, true bugs and other taxa) to the key properties of the floral microbiome (microbial α- and β-diversity and microbial network) under agrochemical disturbance, using a field experiment of bactericide and fungicide treatments on cultivated strawberries that differ in flower abundance. Structural equation modelling was used to link agrochemical disturbance and flower abundance to pollinator visitation to floral microbiome properties. Our results revealed that (i) pollinator visitation influenced the α- and β-diversity and network centrality of the floral microbiome, with different pollinator functional groups affecting different microbiome properties; (ii) flower abundance influenced the floral microbiome both directly by governing the source pool of microbes and indirectly by enhancing pollinator visitation; and (iii) agrochemical disturbance affected the floral microbiome primarily directly by fungicide, and less so indirectly via pollinator visitation. These findings improve the mechanistic understanding of floral microbiome assembly, and may be generalizable to many other plants that are visited by diverse insect pollinators in natural and managed ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Wei
- The Holden Arboretum, Kirtland, Ohio, USA.,Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Avery L Russell
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Biology, Missouri State University, Springfield, Missouri, USA
| | - Abigail R Jarrett
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Tia-Lynn Ashman
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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28
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Pileggi MT, Chase JR, Shu R, Teng L, Jeong KC, Kaufman PE, Wong ACN. Prevalence of Field-Collected House Flies and Stable Flies With Bacteria Displaying Cefotaxime and Multidrug Resistance. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2021; 58:921-928. [PMID: 33210705 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjaa241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Antibiotic use in livestock accounts for 80% of total antibiotic use in the United States and has been described as the driver for resistance evolution and spread. As clinical infections with multidrug-resistant pathogens are rapidly rising, there remains a missing link between agricultural antibiotic use and its impact on human health. In this study, two species of filth flies from a livestock operation were collected over the course of 11 mo: house flies Musca domestica (L.) (Diptera: Muscidae), representing a generalist feeder, and stable flies Stomoxys calcitrans (L.) (Diptera: Muscidae), representing a specialist (blood) feeder. The prevalence of flies carrying cefotaxime-resistant (CTX-R) bacteria in whole bodies and dissected guts were assayed by culturing on antibiotic-selective media, with distinct colonies identified by Sanger sequencing. Of the 149 flies processed, including 81 house flies and 68 stable flies, 18 isolates of 12 unique bacterial species resistant to high-level cefotaxime were recovered. These isolates also showed resistance to multiple classes of antibiotics. The CTX-R isolates were predominantly recovered from female flies, which bore at least two resistant bacterial species. The majority of resistant bacteria were isolated from the guts encompassing both enteric pathogens and commensals, sharing no overlap between the two fly species. Together, we conclude that house flies and stable flies in the field could harbor multidrug-resistant bacteria. The fly gut may serve as a reservoir for the acquisition and dissemination of resistance genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew T Pileggi
- Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
| | - John R Chase
- Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
| | - Runhang Shu
- Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
| | - Lin Teng
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
| | - Kwangcheol C Jeong
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
| | - Phillip E Kaufman
- Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
| | - Adam C N Wong
- Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
- Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
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29
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Evolutionary and Ecological Considerations on Nectar-Mediated Tripartite Interactions in Angiosperms and Their Relevance in the Mediterranean Basin. PLANTS 2021; 10:plants10030507. [PMID: 33803275 PMCID: PMC7999006 DOI: 10.3390/plants10030507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Revised: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The Mediterranean basin hosts a high diversity of plants and bees, and it is considered one of the world's biodiversity hotspots. Insect pollination, i.e., pollen transfer from male reproductive structures to conspecific female ones, was classically thought to be a mutualistic relationship that links these two groups of organisms, giving rise to an admirable and complex network of interactions. Although nectar is often involved in mediating these interactions, relatively little is known about modifications in its chemical traits during the evolution of plants. Here, we examine how the current sucrose-dominated floral nectar of most Mediterranean plants could have arisen in the course of evolution of angiosperms. The transition from hexose-rich to sucrose-rich nectar secretion was probably triggered by increasing temperature and aridity during the Cretaceous period, when most angiosperms were radiating. This transition may have opened new ecological niches for new groups of insects that were co-diversifying with angiosperms and for specific nectar-dwelling yeasts that originated later (i.e., Metschnikowiaceae). Our hypothesis embeds recent discoveries in nectar biology, such as the involvement of nectar microbiota and nectar secondary metabolites in shaping interactions with pollinators, and it suggests a complex, multifaceted ecological and evolutionary scenario that we are just beginning to discover.
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30
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Zemenick AT, Vanette RL, Rosenheim JA. Linked networks reveal dual roles of insect dispersal and species sorting for bacterial communities in flowers. OIKOS 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.06818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ash T. Zemenick
- Dept of Entomology and Nematology, Univ. of California, Davis Davis CA USA
- Dept of Plant Biology, Michigan State Univ. East Lansing MI USA
| | - Rachel L. Vanette
- Dept of Entomology and Nematology, Univ. of California, Davis Davis CA USA
| | - Jay A. Rosenheim
- Dept of Entomology and Nematology, Univ. of California, Davis Davis CA USA
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31
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Hayes RA, Rebolleda‐Gómez M, Butela K, Cabo LF, Cullen N, Kaufmann N, O'Neill S, Ashman T. Spatially explicit depiction of a floral epiphytic bacterial community reveals role for environmental filtering within petals. Microbiologyopen 2021; 10:e1158. [PMID: 33650801 PMCID: PMC7859501 DOI: 10.1002/mbo3.1158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The microbiome of flowers (anthosphere) is an understudied compartment of the plant microbiome. Within the flower, petals represent a heterogeneous environment for microbes in terms of resources and environmental stress. Yet, little is known of drivers of structure and function of the epiphytic microbial community at the within-petal scale. We characterized the petal microbiome in two co-flowering plants that differ in the pattern of ultraviolet (UV) absorption along their petals. Bacterial communities were similar between plant hosts, with only rare phylogenetically distant species contributing to differences. The epiphyte community was highly culturable (75% of families) lending confidence in the spatially explicit isolation and characterization of bacteria. In one host, petals were heterogeneous in UV absorption along their length, and in these, there was a negative relationship between growth rate and position on the petal, as well as lower UV tolerance in strains isolated from the UV-absorbing base than from UV reflecting tip. A similar pattern was not seen in microbes isolated from a second host whose petals had uniform patterning along their length. Across strains, the variation in carbon usage and chemical tolerance followed common phylogenetic patterns. This work highlights the value of petals for spatially explicit explorations of bacteria of the anthosphere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca A. Hayes
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of PittsburghPittsburghPAUSA
| | - Maria Rebolleda‐Gómez
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of PittsburghPittsburghPAUSA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyYale UniversityNew HavenCTUSA
| | - Kristen Butela
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of PittsburghPittsburghPAUSA
| | - Leah F. Cabo
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of PittsburghPittsburghPAUSA
| | - Nevin Cullen
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of PittsburghPittsburghPAUSA
| | - Nancy Kaufmann
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of PittsburghPittsburghPAUSA
| | - Steffani O'Neill
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of PittsburghPittsburghPAUSA
| | - Tia‐Lynn Ashman
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of PittsburghPittsburghPAUSA
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32
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Vannette RL. The Floral Microbiome: Plant, Pollinator, and Microbial Perspectives. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY EVOLUTION AND SYSTEMATICS 2020. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-011720-013401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Flowers at times host abundant and specialized communities of bacteria and fungi that influence floral phenotypes and interactions with pollinators. Ecological processes drive variation in microbial abundance and composition at multiple scales, including among plant species, among flower tissues, and among flowers on the same plant. Variation in microbial effects on floral phenotype suggests that microbial metabolites could cue the presence or quality of rewards for pollinators, but most plants are unlikely to rely on microbes for pollinator attraction or reproduction. From a microbial perspective, flowers offer opportunities to disperse between habitats, but microbial species differ in requirements for and benefits received from such dispersal. The extent to which floral microbes shape the evolution of floral traits, influence fitness of floral visitors, and respond to anthropogenic change is unclear. A deeper understanding of these phenomena could illuminate the ecological and evolutionary importance of floral microbiomes and their role in the conservation of plant–pollinator interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel L. Vannette
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA
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