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Pilgrim J. Comparative genomics of a novel Erwinia species associated with the Highland midge ( Culicoides impunctatus). Microb Genom 2024; 10. [PMID: 38630610 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.001242] [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] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Erwinia (Enterobacterales: Erwiniaceae) are a group of cosmopolitan bacteria best known as the causative agents of various plant diseases. However, other species in this genus have been found to play important roles as insect endosymbionts supplementing the diet of their hosts. Here, I describe Candidatus Erwinia impunctatus (Erwimp) associated with the Highland midge Culicoides impunctatus (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), an abundant biting pest in the Scottish Highlands. The genome of this new Erwinia species was assembled using hybrid long and short read techniques, and a comparative analysis was undertaken with other members of the genus to understand its potential ecological niche and impact. Genome composition analysis revealed that Erwimp is similar to other endophytic and ectophytic species in the genus and is unlikely to be restricted to its insect host. Evidence for an additional plant host includes the presence of a carotenoid synthesis operon implicated as a virulence factor in plant-associated members in the sister genus Pantoea. Unique features of Erwimp include several copies of intimin-like proteins which, along with signs of genome pseudogenization and a loss of certain metabolic pathways, suggests an element of host restriction seen elsewhere in the genus. Furthermore, a screening of individuals over two field seasons revealed the absence of the bacteria in Culicoides impunctatus during the second year indicating this microbe-insect interaction is likely to be transient. These data suggest that Culicoides impunctatus may have an important role to play beyond a biting nuisance, as an insect vector transmitting Erwimp alongside any conferred impacts to surrounding biota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack Pilgrim
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
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Maurastoni M, Han J, Whitfield AE, Rotenberg D. A call to arms: novel strategies for thrips and tospovirus control. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2023; 57:101033. [PMID: 37030512 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2023.101033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Thrips and the tospoviruses they transmit are some of the most significant threats to food and ornamental crop production globally. Control of the insect and virus is challenging and new strategies are needed. Characterizing the thrips-virus interactome provides new targets for disrupting the transmission cycle. Viral and insect determinants of vector competence are being defined, including the viral attachment protein and its structure as well as thrips proteins that interact with and respond to tospovirus infection. Additional thrips control strategies such as RNA interference need further refinement and field-applicable delivery systems, but they show promise for the knockdown of essential genes for thrips survival and virus transmission. The identification of a toxin that acts to deter thrips oviposition on cotton also presents new opportunities for control of this important pest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marlonni Maurastoni
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Jinlong Han
- Department of Agricultural Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Anna E Whitfield
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Dorith Rotenberg
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA.
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Whitten MMA, Xue Q, Taning CNT, James R, Smagghe G, del Sol R, Hitchings M, Dyson P. A narrow host-range and lack of persistence in two non-target insect species of a bacterial symbiont exploited to deliver insecticidal RNAi in Western Flower Thrips. FRONTIERS IN INSECT SCIENCE 2023; 3:1093970. [PMID: 38469480 PMCID: PMC10926499 DOI: 10.3389/finsc.2023.1093970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
Introduction Insecticidal RNAi is a targeted pest insect population control measure. The specificity of insecticidal RNAi can theoretically be enhanced by using symbiotic bacteria with a narrow host range to deliver RNAi, an approach termed symbiont-mediated RNAi (SMR), a technology we have previously demonstrated in the globally-invasive pest species Western Flower Thrips (WFT). Methods Here we examine distribution of the two predominant bacterial symbionts of WFT, BFo1 and BFo2, among genome-sequenced insects. Moreover, we have challenged two non-target insect species with both bacterial species, namely the pollinating European bumblebee, Bombus terrestris, and an insect predator of WFT, the pirate bug Orius laevigatus. Results Our data indicate a very limited distribution of either symbiont among insects other than WFT. Moreover, whereas BFo1 could establish itself in both bees and pirate bugs, albeit with no significant effects on insect fitness, BFo2 was unable to persist in either species. Discussion In terms of biosafety, these data, together with its more specific growth requirements, vindicate the choice of BFo2 for delivery of RNAi and precision pest management of WFT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miranda M. A. Whitten
- Institute of Life Science, Swansea University Medical School, Singleton Park, Swansea, United Kingdom
| | - Qi Xue
- Department of Plants and Crops, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Clauvis Nji Tizi Taning
- Department of Plants and Crops, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Reuben James
- Institute of Life Science, Swansea University Medical School, Singleton Park, Swansea, United Kingdom
| | - Guy Smagghe
- Department of Plants and Crops, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Ricardo del Sol
- Institute of Life Science, Swansea University Medical School, Singleton Park, Swansea, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew Hitchings
- Institute of Life Science, Swansea University Medical School, Singleton Park, Swansea, United Kingdom
| | - Paul Dyson
- Institute of Life Science, Swansea University Medical School, Singleton Park, Swansea, United Kingdom
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Mendes RJ, Amaro C, Luz JP, Tavares F, Santos C. Variability within a clonal population of Erwinia amylovora disclosed by phenotypic analysis. PeerJ 2022; 10:e13695. [PMID: 35891645 PMCID: PMC9308965 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.13695] [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: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Fire blight is a destructive disease of pome trees, caused by Erwinia amylovora, leading to high losses of chain-of-values fruits. Major outbreaks were registered between 2010 and 2017 in Portugal, and the first molecular epidemiological characterization of those isolates disclosed a clonal population with different levels of virulence and susceptibility to antimicrobial peptides. Methods This work aimed to further disclose the genetic characterization and unveil the phenotypic diversity of this E. amylovora population, resorting to MLSA, growth kinetics, biochemical characterization, and antibiotic susceptibility. Results While MLSA further confirmed the genetic clonality of those isolates, several phenotypic differences were recorded regarding their growth, carbon sources preferences, and chemical susceptibility to several antibiotics, disclosing a heterogeneous population. Principal component analysis regarding the phenotypic traits allows to separate the strains Ea 630 and Ea 680 from the remaining. Discussion Regardless the genetic clonality of these E. amylovora strains isolated from fire blight outbreaks, the phenotypic characterization evidenced a population diversity beyond the genotype clonality inferred by MLSA and CRISPR, suggesting that distinct sources or environmental adaptations of this pathogen may have occurred. Conclusion Attending the characteristic clonality of E. amylovora species, the data gathered here emphasizes the importance of phenotypic assessment of E. amylovora isolates to better understand their epidemiological behavior, namely by improving source tracking, make risk assessment analysis, and determine strain-specific environmental adaptations, that might ultimately lead to prevent new outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael J. Mendes
- Biology Department, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal,LAQV-REQUIMTE, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal,CITAB, University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal,CIBIO, Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, InBIO, Associated Laboratory, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Vairão, Portugal,BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Conceição Amaro
- QRural, School of Agriculture, Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco, Castelo Branco, Portugal
| | - João Pedro Luz
- QRural, School of Agriculture, Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco, Castelo Branco, Portugal
| | - Fernando Tavares
- Biology Department, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal,CIBIO, Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, InBIO, Associated Laboratory, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Vairão, Portugal,BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Conceição Santos
- Biology Department, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal,LAQV-REQUIMTE, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
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Andongma AA, Whitten MMA, Sol RD, Hitchings M, Dyson PJ. Bacterial Competition Influences the Ability of Symbiotic Bacteria to Colonize Western Flower Thrips. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:883891. [PMID: 35875566 PMCID: PMC9301076 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.883891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Symbiont mediated RNAi (SMR) is a promising method for precision control of pest insect species such as Western Flower Thrips (WFT). Two species of bacteria are known to be dominant symbiotic bacteria in WFT, namely BFo1 and BFo2 (Bacteria from Frankliniella occidentalis 1 and 2), as we here confirm by analysis of next-generation sequence data derived to obtain a reference WFT genome sequence. Our first demonstration of SMR in WFT used BFo2, related to Pantoea, isolated from a domesticated Dutch thrips population. However, for successful use of SMR as a thrips control measure, these bacteria need to successfully colonize different environmental thrips populations. Here, we describe a United Kingdom thrips population that does not harbour BFo2, but does contain BFo1, a species related to Erwinia. Attempts to introduce BFo2 indicate that this bacterium is unable to establish itself in the United Kingdom thrips, in contrast to successful colonization by a strain of BFo1 expressing green fluorescent protein. Fluorescence microscopy indicates that BFo1 occupies similar regions of the thrips posterior midgut and hindgut as BFo2. Bacterial competition assays revealed that a barrier to BFo2 establishing itself in thrips is the identity of the resident BFo1; BFo1 isolated from the United Kingdom thrips suppresses growth of BFo2 to a greater extent than BFo1 from the Dutch thrips that is permissive for BFo2 colonization. The ability of the latter strain of BFo1 to colonize the United Kingdom thrips is also likely attributable to its ability to out-compete the resident BFo1. Lastly, we observed that United Kingdom thrips pre-exposed to the Dutch BFo1 could then be successfully colonized by BFo2. These results indicate, for the first time, that microbial competition and strain differences can have a large influence on how symbiotic bacteria can colonize different populations of an insect species.
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RNA Interference-Based Pesticides and Antiviral Agents: Microbial Overproduction Systems for Double-Stranded RNA for Applications in Agriculture and Aquaculture. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/app12062954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
RNA interference (RNAi)-based pesticides are pest control agents that use RNAi mechanisms as the basis of their action. They are regarded as environmentally friendly and are a promising alternative to conventional chemical pesticides. The effective substance in RNAi-based pesticides is double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) designed to match the nucleotide sequence of a target essential gene of the pest of concern. When taken up by the pest, this exerts an RNAi effect and inhibits some vital biochemical/biological process in the pest. dsRNA products are also expected to be applied for the control of viral diseases in aquaculture by RNAi, especially in shrimp farming. A critical issue in the practical application of RNAi agents is that production of the dsRNA must be low-cost. Here, we review recent methods for microbial production of dsRNAs using representative microorganisms (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas syringae, Corynebacterium glutamicum, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, and others) as host strains. The characteristics of each dsRNA production system are discussed.
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Symbiont-Mediated RNA Interference (SMR): Using Symbiotic Bacteria as Vectors for Delivering RNAi to Insects. METHODS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY (CLIFTON, N.J.) 2021; 2360:295-306. [PMID: 34495522 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1633-8_21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/29/2022]
Abstract
RNA interference (RNAi) has emerged as a widely used approach for reverse genetic analysis in eukaryotes. In insects, RNAi also has an application in the control of insect pests. Several methods have been developed for delivery of interfering RNA in insects, with varying outcomes for different species. Here we describe how a bacterial symbiont can be exploited for continuous synthesis of interfering double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) in its insect host. This approach, termed symbiont-mediated RNAi (SMR), can overcome problems associated with instability of dietary dsRNA due to action of salivary or foregut nucleases. As insects do not possess RNA-dependent RNA polymerase activity that can amplify and extend RNAi in other organisms, SMR also offers the possibility of long-term systemic RNAi not afforded by single applications of dsRNA to insects by other delivery methods. Here, we describe how SMR can be applied in a globally distributed agricultural pest species, western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis).
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Complexity and local specificity of the virome associated with tospovirus-transmitting thrips species. J Virol 2021; 95:e0059721. [PMID: 34232724 PMCID: PMC8513489 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00597-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Frankliniella occidentalis (western flower thrips=WFT) and Thrips tabaci (onion thrips=OT) are insect species that greatly impact horticultural crops through direct damage and their efficient vectoring of tomato spotted wilt virus and iris yellow spot virus. In this study we collected thrips of these species from 12 field populations in various regions in Italy. We also included one field population of Neohydatothrips variabilis (soybean thrips=ST) from the U.S.A. Total RNAseq from high-throughput sequencing (HTS) was used to assemble the virome and then we assigned putative viral contigs to each thrips sample by qRT-PCR. Excluding plant and fungal viruses, we were able to identify 61 viral segments, corresponding to 41 viruses: 14 were assigned to WFT, 17 to OT, one from ST and 9 viruses could not be assigned to any species based on our stringent criteria. All these viruses are putative representative of new species (with only the exception of a sobemo-like virus that is 100% identical to a virus recently characterized in ST) and some belong to new higher-ranking taxa. These additions to the viral phylogeny suggest previously undescribed evolutionary niches. Most of the Baltimore's classes of RNA viruses were present (positive- and minus- strand and dsRNA viruses), but only one DNA virus was identified in our collection. Repeated sampling in a subset of locations in 2019 and 2020 and further virus characterization in a subset of four thrips populations maintained in laboratory allowed us to provide evidence of a locally persistent thrips core virome that characterizes each population. IMPORTANCE Harnessing the insect microbiome can result in new approaches to contain their populations or the damage they cause vectoring viruses of medical, veterinary, or agricultural importance. Persistent insect viruses are a neglected component of their microbiota. Here for the first time, we characterize the virome associated with the two model systems for tospovirus-transmitting thrips species, of utmost importance for the direct and indirect damage they cause to a number of different crops. The thrips virome here characterized includes several novel viruses, that in some cases reveal previously undescribed clades. More importantly, some of the viruses we describe are part of a core virome that is specific and consistently present in distinct geographical locations monitored over the years, hinting at a possible mutualistic symbiotic relationship with their host.
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Cornelius AJ, Huq M, On SLW, French NP, Vandenberg O, Miller WG, Lastovica AJ, Istivan T, Biggs PJ. Genetic characterisation of Campylobacter concisus: Strategies for improved genomospecies discrimination. Syst Appl Microbiol 2021; 44:126187. [PMID: 33677170 DOI: 10.1016/j.syapm.2021.126187] [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: 11/07/2020] [Revised: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Although at least two genetically distinct groups, or genomospecies, have been well documented for Campylobacter concisus, no phenotype has yet been identified for their differentiation and thus formal description as separate species. C. concisus has been isolated from a variety of sites in the human body, including saliva and stool samples from both healthy and diarrhoeic individuals. We evaluated the ability of a range of whole genome-based tools to distinguish between the two C. concisus genomospecies (GS) using a collection of 190 C. concisus genomes. Nine genomes from related Campylobacter species were included in some analyses to provide context. Analyses incorporating sequence analysis of multiple ribosomal genes generated similar levels of C. concisus GS discrimination as genome-wide comparisons. The C. concisus genomes formed two groups; GS1 represented by ATCC 33237T and GS2 by CCUG 19995. The two C. concisus GS were separated from the nine genomes of related species. GS1 and GS2 also differed in G+C content with medians of 37.56% and 39.51%, respectively. The groups are consistent with previously established GS and are supported by DNA reassociation results. Average Nucleotide Identity using MUMmer (ANIm) and Genome BLAST Distance Phylogeny generated in silico DNA-DNA hybridisation (isDDH) (against ATCC 33237T and CCUG 19995), plus G+C content provides cluster-independent GS discrimination suitable for routine use. Pan-genomic analysis identified genes specific to GS1 and GS2. WGS data and genomic species identification methods support the existence of two GS within C. concisus. These data provide genome-level metrics for strain identification to genomospecies level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela J Cornelius
- Institute of Environmental Science and Research Ltd, P.O. Box 29181, Christchurch 8540, New Zealand.
| | - Mohsina Huq
- School of Science, RMIT University, G.P.O. Box 2476, Bundoora, Victoria 3001, Australia
| | - Stephen L W On
- Lincoln University, P.O. Box 85084, Lincoln 7647, New Zealand
| | - Nigel P French
- Massey University, Private Bag 11 222, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand
| | - Olivier Vandenberg
- National Reference Centre for Campylobacter, Laboratoire Hospitalier Universitaire de Bruxelles, 322 rue Haute, 1000 Brussels, Belgium; School of Public Health, Campus Erasme - Bâtiment A, Route de Lennik 808 - CP591, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 1070 Bruxelles, Belgium
| | - William G Miller
- Produce Safety and Microbiology Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, 800 Buchanan Street, Albany, CA 94710, USA
| | - Albert J Lastovica
- University of Western Cape, Private Bag X17, Bellville 7535, South Africa
| | - Taghrid Istivan
- School of Science, RMIT University, G.P.O. Box 2476, Bundoora, Victoria 3001, Australia
| | - Patrick J Biggs
- Massey University, Private Bag 11 222, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand
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Comparative genomics of a novel clade shed light on the evolution of the genus Erysipelothrix and characterise an emerging species. Sci Rep 2021; 11:3383. [PMID: 33564084 PMCID: PMC7873064 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-82959-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Erysipelothrix sp. isolates obtained from a deadly outbreak in farmed turkeys were sequenced and compared to representatives of the genus. Phylogenetic trees—supported by digital DNA:DNA hybridization and Average Nucleotide Identity—revealed a novel monophyletic clade comprising isolates from pigs, turkeys, and fish, including isolates previously described as E. sp. Strain 2. Genes coding for the SpaC protein, typically found in E. sp. Strain 2, were detected in all isolates of the clade. Therefore, we confirm E. sp. Strain 2 represents a unique species, that despite its official name “Erysipelothrix piscisicarius” (meaning a killer of fish), may be isolated from a broad host range. Core genome analysis showed that the pathogenic species of this genus, E. rhusiopathiae and the clade E. sp. Strain 2, are enriched in core functionalities related to nutrient uptake and transport, but not necessarily homologous pathways. For instance, whereas the aerobic DctA transporter may uptake C4-dicarboxylates in both species, the anaerobic DcuC transporter is exclusive of the E. sp. Strain 2. Remarkably, the pan-genome analysis uncovered that genes related to transport and metabolism, recombination and repair, translation and transcription in the fish isolate, within the novel clade, have undergone a genomic reduction through pseudogenization. This reflects distinct selective pressures shaping the genome of species and strains within the genus Erysipelothrix while adapting to their respective niches.
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Rotenberg D, Baumann AA, Ben-Mahmoud S, Christiaens O, Dermauw W, Ioannidis P, Jacobs CGC, Vargas Jentzsch IM, Oliver JE, Poelchau MF, Rajarapu SP, Schneweis DJ, Snoeck S, Taning CNT, Wei D, Widana Gamage SMK, Hughes DST, Murali SC, Bailey ST, Bejerman NE, Holmes CJ, Jennings EC, Rosendale AJ, Rosselot A, Hervey K, Schneweis BA, Cheng S, Childers C, Simão FA, Dietzgen RG, Chao H, Dinh H, Doddapaneni HV, Dugan S, Han Y, Lee SL, Muzny DM, Qu J, Worley KC, Benoit JB, Friedrich M, Jones JW, Panfilio KA, Park Y, Robertson HM, Smagghe G, Ullman DE, van der Zee M, Van Leeuwen T, Veenstra JA, Waterhouse RM, Weirauch MT, Werren JH, Whitfield AE, Zdobnov EM, Gibbs RA, Richards S. Genome-enabled insights into the biology of thrips as crop pests. BMC Biol 2020; 18:142. [PMID: 33070780 PMCID: PMC7570057 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-020-00862-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande), is a globally invasive pest and plant virus vector on a wide array of food, fiber, and ornamental crops. The underlying genetic mechanisms of the processes governing thrips pest and vector biology, feeding behaviors, ecology, and insecticide resistance are largely unknown. To address this gap, we present the F. occidentalis draft genome assembly and official gene set. RESULTS We report on the first genome sequence for any member of the insect order Thysanoptera. Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Ortholog (BUSCO) assessments of the genome assembly (size = 415.8 Mb, scaffold N50 = 948.9 kb) revealed a relatively complete and well-annotated assembly in comparison to other insect genomes. The genome is unusually GC-rich (50%) compared to other insect genomes to date. The official gene set (OGS v1.0) contains 16,859 genes, of which ~ 10% were manually verified and corrected by our consortium. We focused on manual annotation, phylogenetic, and expression evidence analyses for gene sets centered on primary themes in the life histories and activities of plant-colonizing insects. Highlights include the following: (1) divergent clades and large expansions in genes associated with environmental sensing (chemosensory receptors) and detoxification (CYP4, CYP6, and CCE enzymes) of substances encountered in agricultural environments; (2) a comprehensive set of salivary gland genes supported by enriched expression; (3) apparent absence of members of the IMD innate immune defense pathway; and (4) developmental- and sex-specific expression analyses of genes associated with progression from larvae to adulthood through neometaboly, a distinct form of maturation differing from either incomplete or complete metamorphosis in the Insecta. CONCLUSIONS Analysis of the F. occidentalis genome offers insights into the polyphagous behavior of this insect pest that finds, colonizes, and survives on a widely diverse array of plants. The genomic resources presented here enable a more complete analysis of insect evolution and biology, providing a missing taxon for contemporary insect genomics-based analyses. Our study also offers a genomic benchmark for molecular and evolutionary investigations of other Thysanoptera species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorith Rotenberg
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA.
| | - Aaron A Baumann
- Virology Section, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, A239 VTH, 2407 River Drive, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA
| | - Sulley Ben-Mahmoud
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Olivier Christiaens
- Laboratory of Agrozoology, Department of Plants and Crops, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Wannes Dermauw
- Laboratory of Agrozoology, Department of Plants and Crops, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Panagiotis Ioannidis
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Vassilika Vouton, 70013, Heraklion, Greece
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva Medical School, and Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Chris G C Jacobs
- Institute of Biology, Leiden University, 2333 BE, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Iris M Vargas Jentzsch
- Institute for Zoology: Developmental Biology, University of Cologne, 50674, Cologne, Germany
| | - Jonathan E Oliver
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Georgia - Tifton Campus, Tifton, GA, 31793-5737, USA
| | | | - Swapna Priya Rajarapu
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA
| | - Derek J Schneweis
- Department of Plant Pathology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA
| | - Simon Snoeck
- Laboratory of Agrozoology, Department of Plants and Crops, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98105, USA
| | - Clauvis N T Taning
- Laboratory of Agrozoology, Department of Plants and Crops, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Dong Wei
- Laboratory of Agrozoology, Department of Plants and Crops, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Entomology and Pest Control Engineering, College of Plant Protection, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- International Joint Laboratory of China-Belgium on Sustainable Crop Pest Control, Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China and Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Daniel S T Hughes
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Shwetha C Murali
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Samuel T Bailey
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA
| | | | - Christopher J Holmes
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA
| | - Emily C Jennings
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA
| | - Andrew J Rosendale
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA
- Department of Biology, Mount St. Joseph University, Cincinnati, OH, 45233, USA
| | - Andrew Rosselot
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA
| | - Kaylee Hervey
- Department of Plant Pathology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA
| | - Brandi A Schneweis
- Department of Plant Pathology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA
| | - Sammy Cheng
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA
| | | | - Felipe A Simão
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva Medical School, and Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Ralf G Dietzgen
- Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Hsu Chao
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Huyen Dinh
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Harsha Vardhan Doddapaneni
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Shannon Dugan
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Yi Han
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Sandra L Lee
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Donna M Muzny
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Jiaxin Qu
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Kim C Worley
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Joshua B Benoit
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA
| | - Markus Friedrich
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, 48202, USA
| | - Jeffery W Jones
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, 48202, USA
| | - Kristen A Panfilio
- Institute for Zoology: Developmental Biology, University of Cologne, 50674, Cologne, Germany
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Campus, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK
| | - Yoonseong Park
- Department of Entomology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA
| | - Hugh M Robertson
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Guy Smagghe
- Laboratory of Agrozoology, Department of Plants and Crops, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Entomology and Pest Control Engineering, College of Plant Protection, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- International Joint Laboratory of China-Belgium on Sustainable Crop Pest Control, Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China and Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Diane E Ullman
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | | | - Thomas Van Leeuwen
- Laboratory of Agrozoology, Department of Plants and Crops, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Jan A Veenstra
- INCIA UMR 5287 CNRS, University of Bordeaux, Pessac, France
| | - Robert M Waterhouse
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Lausanne, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Matthew T Weirauch
- Center for Autoimmune Genomics and Etiology, Divisions of Biomedical Informatics and Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - John H Werren
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA
| | - Anna E Whitfield
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA
| | - Evgeny M Zdobnov
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva Medical School, and Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Richard A Gibbs
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Stephen Richards
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
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12
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Andongma AA, Greig C, Dyson PJ, Flynn N, Whitten MMA. Optimization of dietary RNA interference delivery to western flower thrips Frankliniella occidentalis and onion thrips Thrips tabaci. ARCHIVES OF INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY 2020; 103:e21645. [PMID: 31742774 DOI: 10.1002/arch.21645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
In insect reverse genetics, dietary delivery of interfering RNAs is a practical approach in nonmodel species, such as thrips, whose small size, and feeding behavior restricts the use of other delivery methods. In a laboratory context, an unsuitable diet could confound the interpretation of an RNA interference (RNAi) phenotype, however well-formulated artificial diets can minimize experimental variability, reduce the need for insect handling, and can further be used for roles, such as delivering double-strand RNA (dsRNA)-expressing recombinant bacteria. In this study, artificial diets for oral delivery of dsRNA were developed for two important pest thrips species, western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis) and onion thrips (Thrips tabaci), with the goal of (a) stimulating feeding behavior, (b) supporting optimal growth rates of dsRNA-expressing symbiotic bacteria, and (c) nutritionally supporting the thrips for sufficient periods to observe RNAi phenotypes. The efficacy of artificial diets for ingesting "naked" dsRNA or dsRNA-expressing symbionts and dsRNA delivery via host plant uptake was evaluated. Compared with previously published diet formulations, new combinations based on tryptone, yeast, and soy were superior for enhancing feeding and longevity. However, simply adding "naked" dsRNA to an artificial diet was an unreliable form of RNAi delivery in our hands due to dsRNA degradation. Delivery via host plants was more successful, and the new diet formulation was suitable for symbiont-mediated dsRNA delivery, which we believe is the most convenient approach for large-scale knockdown experiments. This study, therefore, provides alternative methodologies for thrips rearing, dietary RNAi delivery, and insights into the challenges of performing dietary RNAi in nonmodel insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Awawing A Andongma
- Applied Molecular Microbiology Group, Swansea University School of Medicine, Institute of Life Sciences, Swansea, UK
| | - Carolyn Greig
- Applied Molecular Microbiology Group, Swansea University School of Medicine, Institute of Life Sciences, Swansea, UK
- Department of Physics, College of Science, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - Paul J Dyson
- Applied Molecular Microbiology Group, Swansea University School of Medicine, Institute of Life Sciences, Swansea, UK
| | - Natasha Flynn
- Applied Molecular Microbiology Group, Swansea University School of Medicine, Institute of Life Sciences, Swansea, UK
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Miranda M A Whitten
- Applied Molecular Microbiology Group, Swansea University School of Medicine, Institute of Life Sciences, Swansea, UK
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13
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Cheng X, Garcés-Carrera S, Whitworth RJ, Fellers JP, Park Y, Chen MS. A Horizontal Gene Transfer Led to the Acquisition of a Fructan Metabolic Pathway in a Gall Midge. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 4:e1900275. [PMID: 32293157 DOI: 10.1002/adbi.201900275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2019] [Revised: 01/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Animals are thought to use only glucose polymers (glycogen) as energy reserve, whereas both glucose (starch) and fructose polymers (fructans) are used by microbes and plants. Here, it is reported that the gall midge Mayetiola destructor, and likely other herbivorous animal species, gained the ability to utilize dietary fructans directly as storage polysaccharides by a single horizontal gene transfer (HGT) of bacterial levanase/inulinase gene followed by gene expansion and differentiation. Multiple genes encoding levanases/inulinases have their origin in a single HGT event from a bacterium and they show high expression levels and enzymatic activities in different tissues of the gall midge, including nondigestive fat bodies and eggs, both of which contained significant amounts of fructans. This study provides evidence that animals can also use fructans as energy reserve by incorporating bacterial genes in their genomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyan Cheng
- Department of Entomology, Kansas State University, 123 Waters Hall, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA
| | | | - Robert Jeff Whitworth
- Department of Entomology, Kansas State University, 123 Waters Hall, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA
| | - John P Fellers
- Hard Winter Wheat Genetics Research Unit, Center for Grain and Animal Health Research Center, USDA-ARS, 4008 Throckmorton, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA
| | - Yoonseong Park
- Department of Entomology, Kansas State University, 123 Waters Hall, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA
| | - Ming-Shun Chen
- Department of Entomology, Kansas State University, 123 Waters Hall, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA
- Hard Winter Wheat Genetics Research Unit, Center for Grain and Animal Health Research Center, USDA-ARS, 4008 Throckmorton, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA
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14
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Blow F, Gioti A, Goodhead IB, Kalyva M, Kampouraki A, Vontas J, Darby AC. Functional Genomics of a Symbiotic Community: Shared Traits in the Olive Fruit Fly Gut Microbiota. Genome Biol Evol 2020; 12:3778-3791. [PMID: 31830246 PMCID: PMC6999849 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evz258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The olive fruit fly Bactrocera oleae is a major pest of olives worldwide and houses a specialized gut microbiota dominated by the obligate symbiont "Candidatus Erwinia dacicola." Candidatus Erwinia dacicola is thought to supplement dietary nitrogen to the host, with only indirect evidence for this hypothesis so far. Here, we sought to investigate the contribution of the symbiosis to insect fitness and explore the ecology of the insect gut. For this purpose, we examined the composition of bacterial communities associated with Cretan olive fruit fly populations, and inspected several genomes and one transcriptome assembly. We identified, and reconstructed the genome of, a novel component of the gut microbiota, Tatumella sp. TA1, which is stably associated with Mediterranean olive fruit fly populations. We also reconstructed a number of pathways related to nitrogen assimilation and interactions with the host. The results show that, despite variation in taxa composition of the gut microbial community, core functions related to the symbiosis are maintained. Functional redundancy between different microbial taxa was observed for genes involved in urea hydrolysis. The latter is encoded in the obligate symbiont genome by a conserved urease operon, likely acquired by horizontal gene transfer, based on phylogenetic evidence. A potential underlying mechanism is the action of mobile elements, especially abundant in the Ca. E. dacicola genome. This finding, along with the identification, in the studied genomes, of extracellular surface structure components that may mediate interactions within the gut community, suggest that ongoing and past genetic exchanges between microbes may have shaped the symbiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frances Blow
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, United Kingdom
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
| | - Anastasia Gioti
- Bioinformatics Facility, Perrotis College, American Farm School, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Ian B Goodhead
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, United Kingdom
- School of Environment and Life Sciences, University of Salford, United Kingdom
| | - Maria Kalyva
- Bioinformatics Facility, Perrotis College, American Farm School, Thessaloniki, Greece
- Department of Biology, University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece
| | - Anastasia Kampouraki
- Institute of Molecular Biology & Biotechnology, Foundation for Research & Technology Hellas, Heraklion, Greece
- Pesticide Science, Agricultural University of Athens, Greece
| | - John Vontas
- Institute of Molecular Biology & Biotechnology, Foundation for Research & Technology Hellas, Heraklion, Greece
- Pesticide Science, Agricultural University of Athens, Greece
| | - Alistair C Darby
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, United Kingdom
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15
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Reitz SR, Gao Y, Kirk WDJ, Hoddle MS, Leiss KA, Funderburk JE. Invasion Biology, Ecology, and Management of Western Flower Thrips. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ENTOMOLOGY 2020; 65:17-37. [PMID: 31536711 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ento-011019-024947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis, first arose as an important invasive pest of many crops during the 1970s-1980s. The tremendous growth in international agricultural trade that developed then fostered the invasiveness of western flower thrips. We examine current knowledge regarding the biology of western flower thrips, with an emphasis on characteristics that contribute to its invasiveness and pest status. Efforts to control this pest and the tospoviruses that it vectors with intensive insecticide applications have been unsuccessful and have created significant problems because of the development of resistance to numerous insecticides and associated outbreaks of secondary pests. We synthesize information on effective integrated management approaches for western flower thrips that have developed through research on its biology, behavior, and ecology. We further highlight emerging topics regarding the species status of western flower thrips, as well as its genetics, biology, and ecology that facilitate its use as a model study organism and will guide development of appropriate management practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stuart R Reitz
- Department of Crop and Soil Science, Oregon State University, Ontario, Oregon 97914, USA;
| | - Yulin Gao
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Disease and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, PR China;
| | - William D J Kirk
- Centre for Applied Entomology and Parasitology, School of Life Sciences, Keele University, Newcastle Under Lyme, Staffordshire ST5 5BG, United Kingdom;
| | - Mark S Hoddle
- Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, California 92521;
| | - Kirsten A Leiss
- Horticulture, Wageningen University and Research, 2665 ZG Bleiswijk, The Netherlands;
| | - Joe E Funderburk
- North Florida Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Quincy, Florida 32351, USA;
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16
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Medlar AJ, Törönen P, Holm L. AAI-profiler: fast proteome-wide exploratory analysis reveals taxonomic identity, misclassification and contamination. Nucleic Acids Res 2019; 46:W479-W485. [PMID: 29762724 PMCID: PMC6030964 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gky359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2018] [Accepted: 04/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
We present AAI-profiler, a web server for exploratory analysis and quality control in comparative genomics. AAI-profiler summarizes proteome-wide sequence search results to identify novel species, assess the need for taxonomic reclassification and detect multi-isolate and contaminated samples. AAI-profiler visualises results using a scatterplot that shows the Average Amino-acid Identity (AAI) from the query proteome to all similar species in the sequence database. Taxonomic groups are indicated by colour and marker styles, making outliers easy to spot. AAI-profiler uses SANSparallel to perform high-performance homology searches, making proteome-wide analysis possible. We demonstrate the efficacy of AAI-profiler in the discovery of a close relationship between two bacterial symbionts of an omnivorous pirate bug (Orius) and a thrip (Frankliniella occidentalis), an important pest in agriculture. The symbionts represent novel species within the genus Rosenbergiella so far described only in floral nectar. AAI-profiler is easy to use, the analysis presented only required two mouse clicks and was completed in a few minutes. AAI-profiler is available at http://ekhidna2.biocenter.helsinki.fi/AAI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan J Medlar
- Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Sciences (HiLife), University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland.,School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh, UK
| | - Petri Törönen
- Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Sciences (HiLife), University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Liisa Holm
- Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Sciences (HiLife), University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland.,Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Program, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
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17
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Rotenberg D, Whitfield AE. Molecular interactions between tospoviruses and thrips vectors. Curr Opin Virol 2018; 33:191-197. [PMID: 30500681 DOI: 10.1016/j.coviro.2018.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2018] [Revised: 11/14/2018] [Accepted: 11/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Thrips-transmitted tospoviruses are an emerging and re-emerging threat to crop production worldwide. Tospoviruses are transstadially transmitted from larval to pupal stages of development, with adults serving as the primary inoculators of plants. A unique feature of the transmission cycle is that adults-while they can acquire virus from plants directly-are competent as vectors only if they acquire virus as larvae. Thrips vectors also serve as hosts for the virus, supporting its replication in midgut tissues and salivary glands. There is a tight link between thrips development and virus dissemination in the insect, and recent transcriptome studies point to stage-specific responses that coincide with localization of the virus in the insect body. Transcriptome sequencing of thrips vectors is leading to identification of virus-responsive thrips genes and possibly new targets to disrupt the virus transmission cycle. Accumulation of thrips-omics resources and advancements in functional biology tools will propel new and exciting molecular studies of thrips-tospoviruses interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorith Rotenberg
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA.
| | - Anna E Whitfield
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
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18
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Abstract
Insect pests are responsible for substantial crop losses worldwide through direct damage and transmission of plant diseases, and novel approaches that complement or replace broad-spectrum chemical insecticides will facilitate the sustainable intensification of food production in the coming decades. Multiple strategies for improved crop resistance to insect pests, especially strategies relating to plant secondary metabolism and immunity and microbiome science, are becoming available. Recent advances in metabolic engineering of plant secondary chemistry offer the promise of specific toxicity or deterrence to insect pests; improved understanding of plant immunity against insects provides routes to optimize plant defenses against insects; and the microbiomes of insect pests can be exploited, either as a target or as a vehicle for delivery of insecticidal agents. Implementation of these advances will be facilitated by ongoing advances in plant breeding and genetic technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela E Douglas
- Department of Entomology and Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14850, USA;
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19
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Schausberger P. Herbivore-Associated Bacteria as Potential Mediators and Modifiers of Induced Plant Defense Against Spider Mites and Thrips. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2018; 9:1107. [PMID: 30105044 PMCID: PMC6077224 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2018.01107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2018] [Accepted: 07/09/2018] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Induced plant defense, comprising contact with exogenous stimuli, production of endogenous signals alerting the plant, associated biochemical cascades, and local and/or systemic expression of the defense mechanisms, critically depends on the nature of the inducing agents. At large, bio-trophic pathogenic microorganisms and viruses usually trigger the salicylate (SA)-mediated pathway, whereas necro-trophic pathogens and herbivores usually trigger the jasmonate (JA)-mediated pathway in plants. The SA- and JA-mediated pathways do not operate independently but commonly interfere with each other. Several recent studies revealed abnormal plant responses upon herbivore attack in diverse plant-herbivore systems. Observed abnormalities range from suppression of the common JA-pathway, induction of the SA-pathway to no response, yet the underlying proximate causes and ultimate consequences of these variations are elusive. Strikingly, some studies provide compelling evidence that anti-herbivore plant responses may decisively depend on bacteria associated with the herbivore attacking the plant (HAB for herbivore-associated bacteria). HAB may influence herbivore recognition by the plant and alter the biochemical cascades inside plants. Here, I report cases in point of HAB manipulating induced anti-herbivore plant responses, suggest spatial and temporal categorization of HAB, and point at proximate and ultimate aspects of plant defense manipulation by HAB. Following, I overview the diversity of HAB of spider mites and herbivorous thrips, argue that, considering recently reported phenomena of abnormal plant responses upon spider mite attack, some of these HAB could represent important, but hitherto largely neglected, mediators/modifiers of induced plant defense against spider mites and thrips, and conclude with suggestions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Schausberger
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Sugadaira Research Station, Mountain Science Center, University of Tsukuba, Ueda, Japan
- *Correspondence: Peter Schausberger,
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20
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Chen X, Hitchings MD, Mendoza JE, Balanza V, Facey PD, Dyson PJ, Bielza P, Del Sol R. Comparative Genomics of Facultative Bacterial Symbionts Isolated from European Orius Species Reveals an Ancestral Symbiotic Association. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:1969. [PMID: 29067021 PMCID: PMC5641365 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.01969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2017] [Accepted: 09/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Pest control in agriculture employs diverse strategies, among which the use of predatory insects has steadily increased. The use of several species within the genus Orius in pest control is widely spread, particularly in Mediterranean Europe. Commercial mass rearing of predatory insects is costly, and research efforts have concentrated on diet manipulation and selective breeding to reduce costs and improve efficacy. The characterisation and contribution of microbial symbionts to Orius sp. fitness, behaviour, and potential impact on human health has been neglected. This paper provides the first genome sequence level description of the predominant culturable facultative bacterial symbionts associated with five Orius species (O. laevigatus, O. niger, O. pallidicornis, O. majusculus, and O. albidipennis) from several geographical locations. Two types of symbionts were broadly classified as members of the genera Serratia and Leucobacter, while a third constitutes a new genus within the Erwiniaceae. These symbionts were found to colonise all the insect specimens tested, which evidenced an ancestral symbiotic association between these bacteria and the genus Orius. Pangenome analyses of the Serratia sp. isolates offered clues linking Type VI secretion system effector–immunity proteins from the Tai4 sub-family to the symbiotic lifestyle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaorui Chen
- Institute of Life Science 1, Swansea University Medical School, Swansea University, Swansea, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew D Hitchings
- Institute of Life Science 1, Swansea University Medical School, Swansea University, Swansea, United Kingdom
| | - José E Mendoza
- Departamento de Producción Vegetal, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Agronómica, Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena, Cartagena, Spain
| | - Virginia Balanza
- Departamento de Producción Vegetal, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Agronómica, Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena, Cartagena, Spain
| | - Paul D Facey
- Institute of Life Science 1, Swansea University Medical School, Swansea University, Swansea, United Kingdom
| | - Paul J Dyson
- Institute of Life Science 1, Swansea University Medical School, Swansea University, Swansea, United Kingdom
| | - Pablo Bielza
- Departamento de Producción Vegetal, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Agronómica, Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena, Cartagena, Spain
| | - Ricardo Del Sol
- Institute of Life Science 1, Swansea University Medical School, Swansea University, Swansea, United Kingdom
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21
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Carro L, Nouioui I. Taxonomy and systematics of plant probiotic bacteria in the genomic era. AIMS Microbiol 2017; 3:383-412. [PMID: 31294168 PMCID: PMC6604993 DOI: 10.3934/microbiol.2017.3.383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2017] [Accepted: 05/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent decades have predicted significant changes within our concept of plant endophytes, from only a small number specific microorganisms being able to colonize plant tissues, to whole communities that live and interact with their hosts and each other. Many of these microorganisms are responsible for health status of the plant, and have become known in recent years as plant probiotics. Contrary to human probiotics, they belong to many different phyla and have usually had each genus analysed independently, which has resulted in lack of a complete taxonomic analysis as a group. This review scrutinizes the plant probiotic concept, and the taxonomic status of plant probiotic bacteria, based on both traditional and more recent approaches. Phylogenomic studies and genes with implications in plant-beneficial effects are discussed. This report covers some representative probiotic bacteria of the phylum Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes, but also includes minor representatives and less studied groups within these phyla which have been identified as plant probiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorena Carro
- School of Biology, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Imen Nouioui
- School of Biology, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
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22
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Transcriptomic responses of the olive fruit fly Bactrocera oleae and its symbiont Candidatus Erwinia dacicola to olive feeding. Sci Rep 2017; 7:42633. [PMID: 28225009 PMCID: PMC5320501 DOI: 10.1038/srep42633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2016] [Accepted: 01/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The olive fruit fly, Bactrocera oleae, is the most destructive pest of olive orchards worldwide. The monophagous larva has the unique capability of feeding on olive mesocarp, coping with high levels of phenolic compounds and utilizing non-hydrolyzed proteins present, particularly in the unripe, green olives. On the molecular level, the interaction between B. oleae and olives has not been investigated as yet. Nevertheless, it has been associated with the gut obligate symbiotic bacterium Candidatus Erwinia dacicola. Here, we used a B.oleae microarray to analyze the gene expression of larvae during their development in artificial diet, unripe (green) and ripe (black) olives. The expression profiles of Ca. E. dacicola were analyzed in parallel, using the Illumina platform. Several genes were found overexpressed in the olive fly larvae when feeding in green olives. Among these, a number of genes encoding detoxification and digestive enzymes, indicating a potential association with the ability of B. oleae to cope with green olives. In addition, a number of biological processes seem to be activated in Ca. E. dacicola during the development of larvae in olives, with the most notable being the activation of amino-acid metabolism.
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23
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Whitten M, Dyson P. Gene silencing in non-model insects: Overcoming hurdles using symbiotic bacteria for trauma-free sustainable delivery of RNA interference. Bioessays 2017; 39. [DOI: 10.1002/bies.201600247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Miranda Whitten
- Institute of Life Science; Swansea University Medical School; Singleton Park Swansea UK
| | - Paul Dyson
- Institute of Life Science; Swansea University Medical School; Singleton Park Swansea UK
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24
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Whitten MMA, Facey PD, Del Sol R, Fernández-Martínez LT, Evans MC, Mitchell JJ, Bodger OG, Dyson PJ. Symbiont-mediated RNA interference in insects. Proc Biol Sci 2016; 283:20160042. [PMID: 26911963 PMCID: PMC4810840 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.0042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
RNA interference (RNAi) methods for insects are often limited by problems with double-stranded (ds) RNA delivery, which restricts reverse genetics studies and the development of RNAi-based biocides. We therefore delegated to insect symbiotic bacteria the task of: (i) constitutive dsRNA synthesis and (ii) trauma-free delivery. RNaseIII-deficient, dsRNA-expressing bacterial strains were created from the symbionts of two very diverse pest species: a long-lived blood-sucking bug, Rhodnius prolixus, and a short-lived globally invasive polyphagous agricultural pest, western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis). When ingested, the manipulated bacteria colonized the insects, successfully competed with the wild-type microflora, and sustainably mediated systemic knockdown phenotypes that were horizontally transmissible. This represents a significant advance in the ability to deliver RNAi, potentially to a large range of non-model insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miranda M A Whitten
- Institute of Life Science, College of Medicine, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
| | - Paul D Facey
- Institute of Life Science, College of Medicine, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
| | - Ricardo Del Sol
- Institute of Life Science, College of Medicine, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
| | | | - Meirwyn C Evans
- Institute of Life Science, College of Medicine, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
| | - Jacob J Mitchell
- Institute of Life Science, College of Medicine, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
| | - Owen G Bodger
- Institute of Life Science, College of Medicine, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
| | - Paul J Dyson
- Institute of Life Science, College of Medicine, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
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Latorre A, Manzano-Marín A. Dissecting genome reduction and trait loss in insect endosymbionts. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2016; 1389:52-75. [DOI: 10.1111/nyas.13222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2016] [Revised: 08/02/2016] [Accepted: 08/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Amparo Latorre
- Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat I Biologia Evolutiva; Universitat de Valencia; C/Catedrático José Beltrán Paterna Valencia Spain
- Área de Genómica y Salud de la Fundación para el fomento de la Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de la Comunitat Valenciana (FISABIO)-Salud Pública; València Spain
| | - Alejandro Manzano-Marín
- Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat I Biologia Evolutiva; Universitat de Valencia; C/Catedrático José Beltrán Paterna Valencia Spain
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Zhang YC, Lin K. Phylogeny Inference of Closely Related Bacterial Genomes: Combining the Features of Both Overlapping Genes and Collinear Genomic Regions. Evol Bioinform Online 2015; 11:1-9. [PMID: 26715828 PMCID: PMC4686347 DOI: 10.4137/ebo.s33491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2015] [Revised: 11/10/2015] [Accepted: 11/16/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Overlapping genes (OGs) represent one type of widespread genomic feature in bacterial genomes and have been used as rare genomic markers in phylogeny inference of closely related bacterial species. However, the inference may experience a decrease in performance for phylogenomic analysis of too closely or too distantly related genomes. Another drawback of OGs as phylogenetic markers is that they usually take little account of the effects of genomic rearrangement on the similarity estimation, such as intra-chromosome/genome translocations, horizontal gene transfer, and gene losses. To explore such effects on the accuracy of phylogeny reconstruction, we combine phylogenetic signals of OGs with collinear genomic regions, here called locally collinear blocks (LCBs). By putting these together, we refine our previous metric of pairwise similarity between two closely related bacterial genomes. As a case study, we used this new method to reconstruct the phylogenies of 88 Enterobacteriale genomes of the class Gammaproteobacteria. Our results demonstrated that the topological accuracy of the inferred phylogeny was improved when both OGs and LCBs were simultaneously considered, suggesting that combining these two phylogenetic markers may reduce, to some extent, the influence of gene loss on phylogeny inference. Such phylogenomic studies, we believe, will help us to explore a more effective approach to increasing the robustness of phylogeny reconstruction of closely related bacterial organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Cong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China. ; MOE Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Kui Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China. ; MOE Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
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