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Silva FJ, Domínguez-Santos R, Latorre A, García-Ferris C. Comparative Transcriptomics of Fat Bodies between Symbiotic and Quasi-Aposymbiotic Adult Females of Blattella germanica with Emphasis on the Metabolic Integration with Its Endosymbiont Blattabacterium and Its Immune System. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4228. [PMID: 38673813 PMCID: PMC11050582 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25084228] [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: 02/21/2024] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
We explored the metabolic integration of Blattella germanica and its obligate endosymbiont Blattabacterium cuenoti by the transcriptomic analysis of the fat body of quasi-aposymbiotic cockroaches, where the endosymbionts were almost entirely removed with rifampicin. Fat bodies from quasi-aposymbiotic insects displayed large differences in gene expression compared to controls. In quasi-aposymbionts, the metabolism of phenylalanine and tyrosine involved in cuticle sclerotization and pigmentation increased drastically to compensate for the deficiency in the biosynthesis of these amino acids by the endosymbionts. On the other hand, the uricolytic pathway and the biosynthesis of uric acid were severely decreased, probably because the reduced population of endosymbionts was unable to metabolize urea to ammonia. Metabolite transporters that could be involved in the endosymbiosis process were identified. Immune system and antimicrobial peptide (AMP) gene expression was also reduced in quasi-aposymbionts, genes encoding peptidoglycan-recognition proteins, which may provide clues for the maintenance of the symbiotic relationship, as well as three AMP genes whose involvement in the symbiotic relationship will require additional analysis. Finally, a search for AMP-like factors that could be involved in controlling the endosymbiont identified two orphan genes encoding proteins smaller than 200 amino acids underexpressed in quasi-aposymbionts, suggesting a role in the host-endosymbiont relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco J. Silva
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), University of Valencia and Spanish Research Council, 46980 Paterna, Spain; (R.D.-S.); (A.L.)
- Genomics and Health Area, Foundation for the Promotion of Sanitary and Biomedical Research of the Valencia Region, 46020 Valencia, Spain
| | - Rebeca Domínguez-Santos
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), University of Valencia and Spanish Research Council, 46980 Paterna, Spain; (R.D.-S.); (A.L.)
- Genomics and Health Area, Foundation for the Promotion of Sanitary and Biomedical Research of the Valencia Region, 46020 Valencia, Spain
| | - Amparo Latorre
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), University of Valencia and Spanish Research Council, 46980 Paterna, Spain; (R.D.-S.); (A.L.)
- Genomics and Health Area, Foundation for the Promotion of Sanitary and Biomedical Research of the Valencia Region, 46020 Valencia, Spain
| | - Carlos García-Ferris
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), University of Valencia and Spanish Research Council, 46980 Paterna, Spain; (R.D.-S.); (A.L.)
- Genomics and Health Area, Foundation for the Promotion of Sanitary and Biomedical Research of the Valencia Region, 46020 Valencia, Spain
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Valencia, 46100 Burjassot, Spain
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2
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Domínguez-Santos R, Baixeras J, Moya A, Latorre A, Gil R, García-Ferris C. Gut Microbiota Is Not Essential for Survival and Development in Blattella germanica, but Affects Uric Acid Storage. Life (Basel) 2024; 14:153. [PMID: 38276282 PMCID: PMC10821347 DOI: 10.3390/life14010153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Cockroaches harbor two coexisting symbiotic systems: the obligate endosymbiont Blattabacterium cuenotii, and a complex gut microbiota. Blattabacterium is the only bacterium present in the eggs, as the gut microbiota is acquired by horizontal transmission after hatching, mostly through coprophagy. Blattella germanica, a cosmopolitan omnivorous cockroach living in intimate association with humans, is an appropriate model system for studying whether the gut microbiota is essential for the cockroach's survival, development, or welfare. We obtained a germ-free cockroach population (i.e., containing normal amounts of the endosymbiont, but free of microbes on the insects' surface and digestive tract). Non-significant differences with the controls were detected in most fitness parameters analyzed, except for a slight shortening in the hatching time of the second generation and a reduction in female weight at 10 days after adult ecdysis. The latter is accompanied by a decrease in uric acid reserves. This starvation-like phenotype of germ-free B. germanica suggests that the microbiota is not essential in this species for survival and development throughout its complete life cycle, but it could participate in complementation of host nutrition by helping with food digestion and nutrient absorption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebeca Domínguez-Santos
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), Universitat de València/CSIC, Calle Catedrático Agustín Escardino, 9, 46980 Paterna, Spain; (R.D.-S.); (A.M.); (A.L.)
- Genomic and Health Area, Foundation for the Promotion of Sanitary and Biomedical Research of the Valencia Region (FISABIO), Avenida de Cataluña, 21, 46020 Valencia, Spain
| | - Joaquín Baixeras
- Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology (ICBiBE), University of Valencia, Calle Catedrático José Beltrán, 2, 46980 Paterna, Spain;
| | - Andrés Moya
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), Universitat de València/CSIC, Calle Catedrático Agustín Escardino, 9, 46980 Paterna, Spain; (R.D.-S.); (A.M.); (A.L.)
- Genomic and Health Area, Foundation for the Promotion of Sanitary and Biomedical Research of the Valencia Region (FISABIO), Avenida de Cataluña, 21, 46020 Valencia, Spain
| | - Amparo Latorre
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), Universitat de València/CSIC, Calle Catedrático Agustín Escardino, 9, 46980 Paterna, Spain; (R.D.-S.); (A.M.); (A.L.)
- Genomic and Health Area, Foundation for the Promotion of Sanitary and Biomedical Research of the Valencia Region (FISABIO), Avenida de Cataluña, 21, 46020 Valencia, Spain
| | - Rosario Gil
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), Universitat de València/CSIC, Calle Catedrático Agustín Escardino, 9, 46980 Paterna, Spain; (R.D.-S.); (A.M.); (A.L.)
- Genomic and Health Area, Foundation for the Promotion of Sanitary and Biomedical Research of the Valencia Region (FISABIO), Avenida de Cataluña, 21, 46020 Valencia, Spain
| | - Carlos García-Ferris
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), Universitat de València/CSIC, Calle Catedrático Agustín Escardino, 9, 46980 Paterna, Spain; (R.D.-S.); (A.M.); (A.L.)
- Genomic and Health Area, Foundation for the Promotion of Sanitary and Biomedical Research of the Valencia Region (FISABIO), Avenida de Cataluña, 21, 46020 Valencia, Spain
- Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Universitat de València, Calle Dr. Moliner, 50, 46100 Valencia, Spain
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3
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Creus-Martí I, Marín-Miret J, Moya A, Santonja FJ. Evidence of the cooperative response of Blattella germanica gut microbiota to antibiotic treatment. Math Biosci 2023; 364:109057. [PMID: 37562583 DOI: 10.1016/j.mbs.2023.109057] [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: 01/24/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
Gut microbiota plays a key role in host health under normal conditions. However, bacterial composition can be altered by external factors such as antibiotic (AB) intake. While there are many descriptive publications about the effects of AB on gut microbiota composition after treatment, the dynamics and interactions among the bacterial taxa are still poorly understood. In this work, we performed a longitudinal study of gut microbiome dynamics in B. germanica treated with kanamycin. The AB was supplied in three separate periods, giving the microbiota time to recover between each antibiotic intake. We applied two new statistical models, not focusing on pair-wise interactions, to more realistically study the interactions between groups of bacterial taxa and how some groups affect a single taxon. The first model provides information on the importance of a given genus, and the rest of the community, to define the abundance of that genus. The second model, on the other hand, provides details about the relationship between groups of bacteria, focusing on which community groups affect the taxa. These models help us to identify which bacteria are community-dependent in stress conditions, which taxa might be better adapted than the rest of the community, and which bacteria might be working together within the community to overcome the antibiotic. In addition, these models enable us to identify different bacterial groups that were separated in control conditions but were found together in treated conditions, suggesting that when the environment is more hostile (as it is under antibiotic treatment), the whole community tends to work together.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Creus-Martí
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2Sysbio), Universitat de València and CSIC, València, Spain; Department of Statistics and Operation Research, Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Jesús Marín-Miret
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2Sysbio), Universitat de València and CSIC, València, Spain
| | - Andrés Moya
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2Sysbio), Universitat de València and CSIC, València, Spain; The Foundation for the Promotion of Health and Biomedical Research of Valencia Region (FISABIO), Valencia, Spain; CIBER in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Francisco J Santonja
- Department of Statistics and Operation Research, Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain.
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Cazzaniga M, Domínguez-Santos R, Marín-Miret J, Gil R, Latorre A, García-Ferris C. Exploring Gut Microbial Dynamics and Symbiotic Interaction in Blattella germanica Using Rifampicin. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:955. [PMID: 37508385 PMCID: PMC10376618 DOI: 10.3390/biology12070955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Revised: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
Blattella germanica harbours two cohabiting symbiotic systems: an obligate endosymbiont, Blattabacterium, located inside bacteriocytes and vertically transmitted, which is key in nitrogen metabolism, and abundant and complex gut microbiota acquired horizontally (mainly by coprophagy) that must play an important role in host physiology. In this work, we use rifampicin treatment to deepen the knowledge on the relationship between the host and the two systems. First, we analysed changes in microbiota composition in response to the presence and removal of the antibiotic with and without faeces in one generation. We found that, independently of faeces supply, rifampicin-sensitive bacteria are strongly affected at four days of treatment, and most taxa recover after treatment, although some did not reach control levels. Second, we tried to generate an aposymbiotic population, but individuals that reached the second generation were severely affected and no third generation was possible. Finally, we established a mixed population with quasi-aposymbiotic and control nymphs sharing an environment in a blind experiment. The analysis of the two symbiotic systems in each individual after reaching the adult stage revealed that endosymbiont's load does not affect the composition of the hindgut microbiota, suggesting that there is no interaction between the two symbiotic systems in Blattella germanica.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Cazzaniga
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), University of Valencia and Spanish Research Council, 46980 Paterna, Spain
| | - Rebeca Domínguez-Santos
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), University of Valencia and Spanish Research Council, 46980 Paterna, Spain
| | - Jesús Marín-Miret
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), University of Valencia and Spanish Research Council, 46980 Paterna, Spain
| | - Rosario Gil
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), University of Valencia and Spanish Research Council, 46980 Paterna, Spain
- Genomic and Health Area, Foundation for the Promotion of Sanitary and Biomedical Research of the Valencia Region, 46020 Valencia, Spain
| | - Amparo Latorre
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), University of Valencia and Spanish Research Council, 46980 Paterna, Spain
- Genomic and Health Area, Foundation for the Promotion of Sanitary and Biomedical Research of the Valencia Region, 46020 Valencia, Spain
| | - Carlos García-Ferris
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), University of Valencia and Spanish Research Council, 46980 Paterna, Spain
- Genomic and Health Area, Foundation for the Promotion of Sanitary and Biomedical Research of the Valencia Region, 46020 Valencia, Spain
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Valencia, 46100 Burjassot, Spain
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Konishi T, Tasaki E, Takata M, Matsuura K. King- and queen-specific degradation of uric acid contributes to reproduction in termites. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20221942. [PMID: 36598016 PMCID: PMC9811635 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.1942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Caste-based reproductive division of labour in social insects is built on asymmetries in resource allocation within colonies. Kings and queens dominantly consume limited resources for reproduction, while non-reproductive castes such as workers and soldiers help reproductive castes. Studying the regulation of such asymmetries in resource allocation is crucial for understanding the maintenance of sociality in insects, although the molecular background is poorly understood. We focused on uric acid, which is reserved and used as a valuable nitrogen source in wood-eating termites. We found that king- and queen-specific degradation of uric acid contributes to reproduction in the subterranean termite Reticulitermes speratus. The urate oxidase gene (RsUAOX), which catalyses the first step of nitrogen recycling from stored uric acid, was highly expressed in mature kings and queens, and upregulated with differentiation into neotenic kings/queens. Suppression of uric acid degradation decreased the number of eggs laid per queen. Uric acid was shown to be provided by workers to reproductive castes. Our results suggest that the capacity to use nitrogen, which is essential for the protein synthesis required for reproduction, maintains colony cohesion expressed as the reproductive monopoly held by kings and queens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takao Konishi
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwake-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Eisuke Tasaki
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwake-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Niigata University, 8050 Ikarashi 2-no-cho, Nishi-ku, Niigata 950-2181, Japan
| | - Mamoru Takata
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwake-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Kenji Matsuura
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwake-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
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6
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Ruth Archer C, Bunning H, Rapkin J, Jensen K, Moore PJ, House CM, Del Castillo E, Hunt J. Ovarian apoptosis is regulated by carbohydrate intake but not by protein intake in speckled cockroaches. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 143:104452. [PMID: 36309083 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2022.104452] [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: 08/24/2022] [Revised: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
When the likelihood of reproducing successfully is low, any prior investment in developing oocytes may be wasted. One means of recouping this investment is oosorption - where ova are absorbed and resources salvaged so they can be re-allocated to other traits. Food-limited female speckled cockroaches (Nauphoeta cinerea) appear to use this strategy. However, it is unclear if total food intake or the availability of specific nutrients induces this process. Here, we used the geometric framework of nutrition to determine how protein, carbohydrate and energy intake affect levels of ovarian apoptosis and necrosis (controlled versus uncontrolled cell death) in the terminal oocytes of female N. cinerea. We then compare the effects of nutrient intake on apoptosis (a key step towards oosorption) and offspring production to better understand the relationship between diet, apoptosis and female fitness. We found that even when food was abundant, females experienced high levels of apoptosis if their diet lacked carbohydrate. Necrosis was reduced when energy intake was high, but largely irrespective of nutrient ratio. Offspring production peaked on a low protein, high carbohydrate nutrient ratio (1P:7.96C), similar to that which minimized apoptosis (1P:7.34C) but not in the region of nutrient space that minimized necrosis. Thus, females consuming an ideal nutrient blend for reproduction can invest heavily in their current brood without needing to salvage nutrients from developing ova. However, offspring production was more dependent on carbohydrate consumption than apoptosis was, suggesting that the importance of carbohydrate in reproduction goes beyond regulating oosorption. This reliance on carbohydrate for female reproduction may reflect the unusual reproductive and nutritional physiology of speckled cockroaches; attributes that make this species an exciting model for understanding how diet regulates reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Ruth Archer
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Harriet Bunning
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Tremough Campus, Penryn TR10 9EZ, UK
| | - James Rapkin
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Tremough Campus, Penryn TR10 9EZ, UK
| | - Kim Jensen
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Tremough Campus, Penryn TR10 9EZ, UK; Department of Animal Science, Aarhus University, Blichers Allé 20, 8830 Tjele, Denmark
| | - Patricia J Moore
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Clarissa M House
- School of Science, Western Sydney University, Hawkesbury Campus, Locked Bag 1797, Richmond, NSW 2753, Australia
| | - Enrique Del Castillo
- Department of Industrial Engineering and Department of Statistics, Pennsylvania State University, 357 Leonhard Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - John Hunt
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Tremough Campus, Penryn TR10 9EZ, UK; School of Science, Western Sydney University, Hawkesbury Campus, Locked Bag 1797, Richmond, NSW 2753, Australia.
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7
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Coevolution of Metabolic Pathways in Blattodea and Their Blattabacterium Endosymbionts, and Comparisons with Other Insect-Bacteria Symbioses. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0277922. [PMID: 36094208 PMCID: PMC9603385 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02779-22] [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] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Many insects harbor bacterial endosymbionts that supply essential nutrients and enable their hosts to thrive on a nutritionally unbalanced diet. Comparisons of the genomes of endosymbionts and their insect hosts have revealed multiple cases of mutually-dependent metabolic pathways that require enzymes encoded in 2 genomes. Complementation of metabolic reactions at the pathway level has been described for hosts feeding on unbalanced diets, such as plant sap. However, the level of collaboration between symbionts and hosts that feed on more variable diets is largely unknown. In this study, we investigated amino acid and vitamin/cofactor biosynthetic pathways in Blattodea, which comprises cockroaches and termites, and their obligate endosymbiont Blattabacterium cuenoti (hereafter Blattabacterium). In contrast to other obligate symbiotic systems, we found no clear evidence of "collaborative pathways" for amino acid biosynthesis in the genomes of these taxa, with the exception of collaborative arginine biosynthesis in 2 taxa, Cryptocercus punctulatus and Mastotermes darwiniensis. Nevertheless, we found that several gaps specific to Blattabacterium in the folate biosynthetic pathway are likely to be complemented by their host. Comparisons with other insects revealed that, with the exception of the arginine biosynthetic pathway, collaborative pathways for essential amino acids are only observed in phloem-sap feeders. These results suggest that the host diet is an important driving factor of metabolic pathway evolution in obligate symbiotic systems. IMPORTANCE The long-term coevolution between insects and their obligate endosymbionts is accompanied by increasing levels of genome integration, sometimes to the point that metabolic pathways require enzymes encoded in two genomes, which we refer to as "collaborative pathways". To date, collaborative pathways have only been reported from sap-feeding insects. Here, we examined metabolic interactions between cockroaches, a group of detritivorous insects, and their obligate endosymbiont, Blattabacterium, and only found evidence of collaborative pathways for arginine biosynthesis. The rarity of collaborative pathways in cockroaches and Blattabacterium contrasts with their prevalence in insect hosts feeding on phloem-sap. Our results suggest that host diet is a factor affecting metabolic integration in obligate symbiotic systems.
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Identification of the Gene Repertoire of the IMD Pathway and Expression of Antimicrobial Peptide Genes in Several Tissues and Hemolymph of the Cockroach Blattella germanica. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23158444. [PMID: 35955579 PMCID: PMC9369362 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23158444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Revised: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptide (AMP) genes, triggered by Toll and IMD pathways, are essential components of the innate immune system in the German cockroach Blattella germanica. Besides their role in killing pathogenic bacteria, AMPs could be involved in controlling its symbiotic systems (endosymbiont and microbiota). We found that the IMD pathway was active in the adult female transcriptomes of six tissues (salivary glands, foregut, midgut, hindgut, Malpighian tubules and fat body) and hemolymph. Total expression of AMP genes was high in hemolymph and salivary glands and much lower in the other sample types. The expression of specific AMP genes was very heterogeneous among sample types. Two genes, defensin_g10 and drosomycin_g5, displayed relevant expression in the seven sample types, although higher in hemolymph. Other genes only displayed high expression in one tissue. Almost no expression of attacin-like and blattellicin genes was observed in any sample type, although some of them were among the genes with the highest expression in adult female whole bodies. The expression of AMP genes in salivary glands could help control pathogens ingested with food and even determine gut microbiota composition. The low expression levels in midgut and hindgut are probably related to the presence of beneficial microbiota. Furthermore, a reduction in the expression of AMP genes in fat body could be the way to prevent damage to the population of the endosymbiont Blattabacterium cuenoti within bacteriocytes.
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Sieksmeyer T, He S, Esparza-Mora MA, Jiang S, Petrašiūnaitė V, Kuropka B, Banasiak R, Julseth MJ, Weise C, Johnston PR, Rodríguez-Rojas A, McMahon DP. Eating in a losing cause: limited benefit of modified macronutrient consumption following infection in the oriental cockroach Blatta orientalis. BMC Ecol Evol 2022; 22:67. [PMID: 35585501 PMCID: PMC9118584 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-022-02007-8] [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: 01/17/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Host-pathogen interactions can lead to dramatic changes in host feeding behaviour. One aspect of this includes self-medication, where infected individuals consume substances such as toxins or alter their macronutrient consumption to enhance immune competence. Another widely adopted animal response to infection is illness-induced anorexia, which is thought to assist host immunity directly or by limiting the nutritional resources available to pathogens. Here, we recorded macronutrient preferences of the global pest cockroach, Blatta orientalis to investigate how shifts in host macronutrient dietary preference and quantity of carbohydrate (C) and protein (P) interact with immunity following bacterial infection. RESULTS We find that B. orientalis avoids diets enriched for P under normal conditions, and that high P diets reduce cockroach survival in the long term. However, following bacterial challenge, cockroaches significantly reduced their overall nutrient intake, particularly of carbohydrates, and increased the relative ratio of protein (P:C) consumed. Surprisingly, these behavioural shifts had a limited effect on cockroach immunity and survival, with minor changes to immune protein abundance and antimicrobial activity between individuals placed on different diets, regardless of infection status. CONCLUSIONS We show that cockroach feeding behaviour can be modulated by a pathogen, resulting in an illness-induced anorexia-like feeding response and a shift from a C-enriched to a more P:C equal diet. However, our results also indicate that such responses do not provide significant immune protection in B. orientalis, suggesting that the host's dietary shift might also result from random rather than directed behaviour. The lack of an apparent benefit of the shift in feeding behaviour highlights a possible reduced importance of diet in immune regulation in these invasive animals, although further investigations employing pathogens with alternative infection strategies are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thorben Sieksmeyer
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Schwendenerstr. 1, 14195, Berlin, Germany.,Department for Materials and Environment, BAM Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing, Unter den Eichen 87, 12205, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Biotechnology, German Institute of Food Technology (DIL e.V.), Prof.-von-Klitzing-Str. 7, 49610, Quakenbrück, Germany
| | - Shulin He
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Schwendenerstr. 1, 14195, Berlin, Germany.,Department for Materials and Environment, BAM Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing, Unter den Eichen 87, 12205, Berlin, Germany
| | - M Alejandra Esparza-Mora
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Schwendenerstr. 1, 14195, Berlin, Germany.,Department for Materials and Environment, BAM Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing, Unter den Eichen 87, 12205, Berlin, Germany
| | - Shixiong Jiang
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Schwendenerstr. 1, 14195, Berlin, Germany.,Department for Materials and Environment, BAM Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing, Unter den Eichen 87, 12205, Berlin, Germany
| | - Vesta Petrašiūnaitė
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Schwendenerstr. 1, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Benno Kuropka
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Thielallee 63, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ronald Banasiak
- Department for Materials and Environment, BAM Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing, Unter den Eichen 87, 12205, Berlin, Germany
| | - Mara Jean Julseth
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Schwendenerstr. 1, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christoph Weise
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Thielallee 63, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Paul R Johnston
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Schwendenerstr. 1, 14195, Berlin, Germany.,Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Müggelseedamm 310, 12587, Berlin, Germany.,Berlin Center for Genomics in Biodiversity Research, Königin-Luise-Str. 6-8, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Alexandro Rodríguez-Rojas
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Schwendenerstr. 1, 14195, Berlin, Germany.,Internal Medicine, Vetmeduni Vienna, Veterinaerplätz 1, 1210, Vienna, Austria
| | - Dino P McMahon
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Schwendenerstr. 1, 14195, Berlin, Germany. .,Department for Materials and Environment, BAM Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing, Unter den Eichen 87, 12205, Berlin, Germany.
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10
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Of Cockroaches and Symbionts: Recent Advances in the Characterization of the Relationship between Blattella germanica and Its Dual Symbiotic System. Life (Basel) 2022; 12:life12020290. [PMID: 35207577 PMCID: PMC8878154 DOI: 10.3390/life12020290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Revised: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutualistic stable symbioses are widespread in all groups of eukaryotes, especially in insects, where symbionts have played an essential role in their evolution. Many insects live in obligate relationship with different ecto- and endosymbiotic bacteria, which are needed to maintain their hosts’ fitness in their natural environment, to the point of even relying on them for survival. The case of cockroaches (Blattodea) is paradigmatic, as both symbiotic systems coexist in the same organism in two separated compartments: an intracellular endosymbiont (Blattabacterium) inside bacteriocytes located in the fat body, and a rich and complex microbiota in the hindgut. The German cockroach Blattella germanica is a good model for the study of symbiotic interactions, as it can be maintained in the laboratory in controlled populations, allowing the perturbations of the two symbiotic systems in order to study the communication and integration of the tripartite organization of the host–endosymbiont–microbiota, and to evaluate the role of symbiotic antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) in host control over their symbionts. The importance of cockroaches as reservoirs and transmission vectors of antibiotic resistance sequences, and their putative interest to search for AMPs to deal with the problem, is also discussed.
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Nitrogen Acquisition Strategies Mediated by Insect Symbionts: A Review of Their Mechanisms, Methodologies, and Case Studies. INSECTS 2022; 13:insects13010084. [PMID: 35055927 PMCID: PMC8781418 DOI: 10.3390/insects13010084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary Nitrogen acquisition strategies mediated by insect symbionts through biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) and nitrogenous waste recycling (NWR) were reviewed and compared in our paper, and a model for nitrogen provisioning in insects was then constructed. In our model, (1) insects acquired nitrogen nutrition from food stuffs directly, and the subprime channels (e.g., BNF or NWR) for nitrogen provisioning were accelerated when the available nitrogen in diets could not fully support the normal growth and development of insects; (2) the NWR strategy was more accessible to more insects due to its energy conservation and mild reaction conditions; (3) ammonia produced by different channels was used for essential nitrogenous metabolites synthesis via the glutamine synthetase and glutamate synthase pathways. Abstract Nitrogen is usually a restrictive nutrient that affects the growth and development of insects, especially of those living in low nitrogen nutrient niches. In response to the low nitrogen stress, insects have gradually developed symbiont-based stress response strategies—biological nitrogen fixation and nitrogenous waste recycling—to optimize dietary nitrogen intake. Based on the above two patterns, atmospheric nitrogen or nitrogenous waste (e.g., uric acid, urea) is converted into ammonia, which in turn is incorporated into the organism via the glutamine synthetase and glutamate synthase pathways. This review summarized the reaction mechanisms, conventional research methods and the various applications of biological nitrogen fixation and nitrogenous waste recycling strategies. Further, we compared the bio-reaction characteristics and conditions of two strategies, then proposed a model for nitrogen provisioning based on different strategies.
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Weihrauch D, O'Donnell MJ. Mechanisms of nitrogen excretion in insects. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2021; 47:25-30. [PMID: 33609767 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2021.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Revised: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Avoiding the toxic effects of ammonia derived from catabolism of proteins and nucleic acids typically involves synthesis of the less soluble compound uric acid in insects, although some species which are not water stressed excrete ammonia directly. Some dipterans metabolize uric acid further to allantoin or urea. Uric acid plays diverse roles as a nitrogenous waste, nitrogen store, pigment, antioxidant and possibly a signaling molecule. Multiple transporters are implicated in urate transport, including members of the ABC and SLC families. Excretion of ammonia by the Malpighian tubules, hindgut, or anal papillae involves multiple transporters, including Na+/K+-ATPase, Rhesus glycoproteins, ammonia transporters (AMTs) and possibly a hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated K+ channel (HCN).
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Affiliation(s)
- Dirk Weihrauch
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada.
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13
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Cuff JP, Wilder SM, Tercel MPTG, Hunt R, Oluwaseun S, Morley PS, Badell‐Grau RA, Vaughan IP, Bell JR, Orozco‐terWengel P, Symondson WOC, Müller CT. MEDI: Macronutrient Extraction and Determination from invertebrates, a rapid, cheap and streamlined protocol. Methods Ecol Evol 2021; 12:593-601. [PMID: 34858566 PMCID: PMC8614113 DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Macronutrients, comprising carbohydrates, proteins and lipids, underpin many ecological processes, but their quantification in ecological studies is often inaccurate and laborious, requiring large investments of time and bulk samples, which make individual-level studies impossible. This study presents Macronutrient Extraction and Determination from Invertebrates (MEDI), a protocol for the direct, rapid and relatively low-cost determination of macronutrient content from single small macroinvertebrates.Macronutrients were extracted by a sequential process of soaking in 1:12 chloroform:methanol solution to remove lipid and then solubilising tissue in 0.1 M NaOH. Proteins, carbohydrates and lipids were determined by colorimetric assays from the same individual specimens.The limits of detection of MEDI with the equipment and conditions used were 0.067, 0.065 and 0.006 mg/ml for proteins, carbohydrates and lipids respectively. Adjusting the volume of reagents used for extraction and determination can broaden the range of concentrations that can be detected. MEDI successfully identified taxonomic differences in macronutrient content between five insect species.Macronutrient Extraction and Determination from Invertebrates can directly and rapidly determine macronutrient content in tiny (dry mass ~3 mg) and much larger individual invertebrates. Using MEDI, the total macronutrient content of over 50 macroinvertebrates can be determined within around 3 days of collection at a cost of ~$1.35 per sample.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan P. Cuff
- School of BiosciencesCardiff UniversityCardiffUK
- Rothamsted ResearchHarpendenUK
| | - Shawn M. Wilder
- Department of Integrative BiologyOklahoma State UniversityStillwaterOKUSA
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Sabolová M, Kulma M, Kouřimská L. Sex-dependent differences in purine and uric acid contents of selected edible insects. J Food Compost Anal 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jfca.2020.103746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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15
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Silva FJ, Muñoz-Benavent M, García-Ferris C, Latorre A. Blattella germanica displays a large arsenal of antimicrobial peptide genes. Sci Rep 2020; 10:21058. [PMID: 33273496 PMCID: PMC7712779 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-77982-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Defence systems against microbial pathogens are present in most living beings. The German cockroach Blattella germanica requires these systems to adapt to unhealthy environments with abundance of pathogenic microbes, in addition to potentially control its symbiotic systems. To handle this situation, four antimicrobial gene families (defensins, termicins, drosomycins and attacins) were expanded in its genome. Remarkably, a new gene family (blattellicins) emerged recently after duplication and fast evolution of an attacin gene, which is now encoding larger proteins with the presence of a long stretch of glutamines and glutamic acids. Phylogenetic reconstruction, within Blattellinae, suggests that this duplication took place before the divergence of Blattella and Episymploce genera. The latter harbours a long attacin gene (pre-blattellicin), but the absence of the encoded Glx-region suggests that this element evolved recently in the Blattella lineage. A screening of AMP gene expression in available transcriptomic SR projects of B. germanica showed that, while some AMPs are expressed during almost the whole development, others are restricted to shorter periods. Blattellicins are highly expressed only in adult females. None of the available SR tissue projects could be associated with blattellicins’ expression, suggesting that it takes place in other tissues, maybe the gut.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco J Silva
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), University of Valencia-CSIC, Paterna, Spain. .,Genomics and Health Area, Foundation for the Promotion of Sanitary and Biomedical Research, Valencia, Spain.
| | - Maria Muñoz-Benavent
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), University of Valencia-CSIC, Paterna, Spain
| | - Carlos García-Ferris
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), University of Valencia-CSIC, Paterna, Spain.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Amparo Latorre
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), University of Valencia-CSIC, Paterna, Spain.,Genomics and Health Area, Foundation for the Promotion of Sanitary and Biomedical Research, Valencia, Spain
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Guzman J, Vilcinskas A. Bacteria associated with cockroaches: health risk or biotechnological opportunity? Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2020; 104:10369-10387. [PMID: 33128616 PMCID: PMC7671988 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-020-10973-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Revised: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Abstract Cockroaches have existed for 300 million years and more than 4600 extant species have been described. Throughout their evolution, cockroaches have been associated with bacteria, and today Blattabacterium species flourish within specialized bacteriocytes, recycling nitrogen from host waste products. Cockroaches can disseminate potentially pathogenic bacteria via feces and other deposits, particularly members of the family Enterobacteriaceae, but also Staphylococcus and Mycobacterium species, and thus, they should be cleared from sites where hygiene is essential, such as hospitals and kitchens. On the other hand, cockroaches also carry bacteria that may produce metabolites or proteins with potential industrial applications. For example, an antibiotic-producing Streptomyces strain was isolated from the gut of the American cockroach Periplaneta americana. Other cockroach-associated bacteria, including but not limited to Bacillus, Enterococcus, and Pseudomonas species, can also produce bioactive metabolites that may be suitable for development as pharmaceuticals or plant protection products. Enzymes that degrade industrially relevant substrates, or that convert biomasses into useful chemical precursors, are also expressed in cockroach-derived bacteria and could be deployed for use in the food/feed, paper, oil, or cosmetics industries. The analysis of cockroach gut microbiomes has revealed a number of lesser-studied bacteria that may form the basis of novel taxonomic groups. Bacteria associated with cockroaches can therefore be dangerous or useful, and this review explores the bacterial clades that may provide opportunities for biotechnological exploitation. Key points • Members of the Enterobacteriaceae are the most frequently cultivated bacteria from cockroaches. • Cultivation-independent studies have revealed a diverse community, led by the phyla Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes. • Although cockroaches may carry pathogenic bacteria, most strains are innocuous and may be useful for biotechnological applications. Graphical abstract ![]()
Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00253-020-10973-6.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Guzman
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392, Giessen, Germany.
| | - Andreas Vilcinskas
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392, Giessen, Germany.,Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, 35392, Giessen, Germany
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Muñoz-Benavent M, Hartkopf F, Van Den Bossche T, Piro VC, García-Ferris C, Latorre A, Renard BY, Muth T. gNOMO: a multi-omics pipeline for integrated host and microbiome analysis of non-model organisms. NAR Genom Bioinform 2020; 2:lqaa058. [PMID: 33575609 PMCID: PMC7671378 DOI: 10.1093/nargab/lqaa058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Revised: 06/19/2020] [Accepted: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The study of bacterial symbioses has grown exponentially in the recent past. However, existing bioinformatic workflows of microbiome data analysis do commonly not integrate multiple meta-omics levels and are mainly geared toward human microbiomes. Microbiota are better understood when analyzed in their biological context; that is together with their host or environment. Nevertheless, this is a limitation when studying non-model organisms mainly due to the lack of well-annotated sequence references. Here, we present gNOMO, a bioinformatic pipeline that is specifically designed to process and analyze non-model organism samples of up to three meta-omics levels: metagenomics, metatranscriptomics and metaproteomics in an integrative manner. The pipeline has been developed using the workflow management framework Snakemake in order to obtain an automated and reproducible pipeline. Using experimental datasets of the German cockroach Blattella germanica, a non-model organism with very complex gut microbiome, we show the capabilities of gNOMO with regard to meta-omics data integration, expression ratio comparison, taxonomic and functional analysis as well as intuitive output visualization. In conclusion, gNOMO is a bioinformatic pipeline that can easily be configured, for integrating and analyzing multiple meta-omics data types and for producing output visualizations, specifically designed for integrating paired-end sequencing data with mass spectrometry from non-model organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Muñoz-Benavent
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), Universitat de València/CSIC, Paterna (València) 46980, Spain
| | - Felix Hartkopf
- Bioinformatics Unit (MF 1), Department for Methods Development and Research Infrastructure, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin 13353, Germany
| | | | - Vitor C Piro
- Bioinformatics Unit (MF 1), Department for Methods Development and Research Infrastructure, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin 13353, Germany
| | - Carlos García-Ferris
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), Universitat de València/CSIC, Paterna (València) 46980, Spain
| | - Amparo Latorre
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), Universitat de València/CSIC, Paterna (València) 46980, Spain
| | - Bernhard Y Renard
- Bioinformatics Unit (MF 1), Department for Methods Development and Research Infrastructure, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin 13353, Germany
| | - Thilo Muth
- Bioinformatics Unit (MF 1), Department for Methods Development and Research Infrastructure, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin 13353, Germany
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Michalik A, Michalik K, Grzywacz B, Kalandyk-Kołodziejczyk M, Szklarzewicz T. Molecular characterization, ultrastructure, and transovarial transmission of Tremblaya phenacola in six mealybugs of the Phenacoccinae subfamily (Insecta, Hemiptera, Coccomorpha). PROTOPLASMA 2019; 256:1597-1608. [PMID: 31250115 PMCID: PMC6820616 DOI: 10.1007/s00709-019-01405-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2018] [Accepted: 06/15/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Mealybugs (Hemiptera, Coccomorpha: Pseudococcidae) are plant sap-sucking insects which require close association with nutritional microorganisms for their proper development and reproduction. Here, we present the results of histological, ultrastructural, and molecular analyses of symbiotic systems of six mealybugs belonging to the Phenacoccinae subfamily: Phenacoccus aceris, Rhodania porifera, Coccura comari, Mirococcus clarus, Peliococcus calluneti, and Ceroputo pilosellae. Molecular analyses based on bacterial 16S rRNA genes have revealed that all the investigated species of Phenacoccinae are host to only one type of symbiotic bacteria-a large pleomorphic betaproteobacteria-Tremblaya phenacola. In all the species examined, bacteria are localized in the specialized cells of the host-insect termed bacteriocytes and are transovarially transmitted between generations. The mode of transovarial transmission is similar in all of the species investigated. Infection takes place in the neck region of the ovariole, between the tropharium and vitellarium. The co-phylogeny between mealybugs and bacteria Tremblaya has been also analyzed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Michalik
- Department of Developmental Biology and Morphology of Invertebrates, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 9, 30-387, Kraków, Poland.
| | - Katarzyna Michalik
- Department of Developmental Biology and Morphology of Invertebrates, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 9, 30-387, Kraków, Poland
| | - Beata Grzywacz
- Institute of Systematics and Evolution of Animals, Polish Academy of Sciences, Sławkowska 17, 31-016, Kraków, Poland
| | | | - Teresa Szklarzewicz
- Department of Developmental Biology and Morphology of Invertebrates, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 9, 30-387, Kraków, Poland
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What can a weevil teach a fly, and reciprocally? Interaction of host immune systems with endosymbionts in Glossina and Sitophilus. BMC Microbiol 2018; 18:150. [PMID: 30470176 PMCID: PMC6251153 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-018-1278-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The tsetse fly (Glossina genus) is the main vector of African trypanosomes, which are protozoan parasites that cause human and animal African trypanosomiases in Sub-Saharan Africa. In the frame of the IAEA/FAO program ‘Enhancing Vector Refractoriness to Trypanosome Infection’, in addition to the tsetse, the cereal weevil Sitophilus has been introduced as a comparative system with regards to immune interactions with endosymbionts. The cereal weevil is an agricultural pest that destroys a significant proportion of cereal stocks worldwide. Tsetse flies are associated with three symbiotic bacteria, the multifunctional obligate Wigglesworthia glossinidia, the facultative commensal Sodalis glossinidius and the parasitic Wolbachia. Cereal weevils house an obligatory nutritional symbiosis with the bacterium Sodalis pierantonius, and occasionally Wolbachia. Studying insect host-symbiont interactions is highly relevant both for understanding the evolution of symbiosis and for envisioning novel pest control strategies. In both insects, the long co-evolution between host and endosymbiont has led to a stringent integration of the host-bacteria partnership. These associations were facilitated by the development of specialized host traits, including symbiont-housing cells called bacteriocytes and specific immune features that enable both tolerance and control of the bacteria. In this review, we compare the tsetse and weevil model systems and compile the latest research findings regarding their biological and ecological similarities, how the immune system controls endosymbiont load and location, and how host-symbiont interactions impact developmental features including cuticle synthesis and immune system maturation. We focus mainly on the interactions between the obligate symbionts and their host’s immune systems, a central theme in both model systems. Finally, we highlight how parallel studies on cereal weevils and tsetse flies led to mutual discoveries and stimulated research on each model, creating a pivotal example of scientific improvement through comparison between relatively distant models.
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Kinjo Y, Bourguignon T, Tong KJ, Kuwahara H, Lim SJ, Yoon KB, Shigenobu S, Park YC, Nalepa CA, Hongoh Y, Ohkuma M, Lo N, Tokuda G. Parallel and Gradual Genome Erosion in the Blattabacterium Endosymbionts of Mastotermes darwiniensis and Cryptocercus Wood Roaches. Genome Biol Evol 2018; 10:1622-1630. [PMID: 29860278 PMCID: PMC6022663 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evy110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Almost all examined cockroaches harbor an obligate intracellular endosymbiont, Blattabacterium cuenoti. On the basis of genome content, Blattabacterium has been inferred to recycle nitrogen wastes and provide amino acids and cofactors for its hosts. Most Blattabacterium strains sequenced to date harbor a genome of ∼630 kbp, with the exception of the termite Mastotermes darwiniensis (∼590 kbp) and Cryptocercus punctulatus (∼614 kbp), a representative of the sister group of termites. Such genome reduction may have led to the ultimate loss of Blattabacterium in all termites other than Mastotermes. In this study, we sequenced 11 new Blattabacterium genomes from three species of Cryptocercus in order to shed light on the genomic evolution of Blattabacterium in termites and Cryptocercus. All genomes of Cryptocercus-derived Blattabacterium genomes were reduced (∼614 kbp), except for that associated with Cryptocercus kyebangensis, which comprised 637 kbp. Phylogenetic analysis of these genomes and their content indicates that Blattabacterium experienced parallel genome reduction in Mastotermes and Cryptocercus, possibly due to similar selective forces. We found evidence of ongoing genome reduction in Blattabacterium from three lineages of the C. punctulatus species complex, which independently lost one cysteine biosynthetic gene. We also sequenced the genome of the Blattabacterium associated with Salganea taiwanensis, a subsocial xylophagous cockroach that does not vertically transmit gut symbionts via proctodeal trophallaxis. This genome was 632 kbp, typical of that of nonsubsocial cockroaches. Overall, our results show that genome reduction occurred on multiple occasions in Blattabacterium, and is still ongoing, possibly because of new associations with gut symbionts in some lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yukihiro Kinjo
- Japan Collection of Microorganisms, RIKEN BioResource Research Center, Tsukuba, Japan.,Department of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan.,Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan.,Tropical Biosphere Research Center, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Thomas Bourguignon
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan.,Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Kwei Jun Tong
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Hirokazu Kuwahara
- Department of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Sang Jin Lim
- Division of Forest Science, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Republic of Korea
| | - Kwang Bae Yoon
- Division of Forest Science, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Republic of Korea
| | - Shuji Shigenobu
- National Institute for Basic Biology, NIBB Core Research Facilities, Okazaki, Japan
| | - Yung Chul Park
- Division of Forest Science, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Republic of Korea
| | - Christine A Nalepa
- Department of Entomology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Yuichi Hongoh
- Japan Collection of Microorganisms, RIKEN BioResource Research Center, Tsukuba, Japan.,Department of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Moriya Ohkuma
- Japan Collection of Microorganisms, RIKEN BioResource Research Center, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Nathan Lo
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Gaku Tokuda
- Tropical Biosphere Research Center, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan
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22
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Jensen K, Silverman J. Frequently mated males have higher protein preference in German cockroaches. Behav Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/ary104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kim Jensen
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Vejlsøvej, Silkeborg, Denmark
| | - Jules Silverman
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
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Martin E, Varotto Boccazzi I, De Marco L, Bongiorno G, Montagna M, Sacchi L, Mensah P, Ricci I, Gradoni L, Bandi C, Epis S. The mycobiota of the sand fly Phlebotomus perniciosus: Involvement of yeast symbionts in uric acid metabolism. Environ Microbiol 2018; 20:1064-1077. [PMID: 29345102 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.14044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2017] [Revised: 12/22/2017] [Accepted: 01/08/2018] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
The knowledge of the fungal mycobiota of arthropods, including the vectors of human and animal diseases, is still limited. Here, the mycobiota associated with the sand fly Phlebotomus perniciosus, the main vector of leishmaniasis in the western Mediterranean area, by a culture-dependent approach (microbiological analyses and sequencing of the 26S rRNA gene), internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rRNA amplicon-based next-generation sequencing, fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH), and genome sequencing of the dominant yeast species was investigated. The dominant species was Meyerozyma guilliermondii, known for its biotechnological applications. The focus was on this yeast and its prevalence in adults, pupae and larvae of reared sand flies (overall prevalence: 57.5%) and of field-collected individuals (overall prevalence: 9%) was investigated. Using whole-mount FISH and microscopic examination, it was further showed that M. guilliermondii colonizes the midgut of females, males and larvae and the distal part of Malpighian tubules of female sand flies, suggesting a possible role in urate degradation. Finally, the sequencing and analysis of the genome of M. guilliermondii allowed predicting the complete uric acid degradation pathway, suggesting that the yeast could contribute to the removal of the excess of nitrogenous wastes after the blood meal of the insect host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Martin
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Leone De Marco
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - Gioia Bongiorno
- Unit of Vector-Borne Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Matteo Montagna
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences- Production, Landscape, Agroenergy, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Luciano Sacchi
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Priscilla Mensah
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - Irene Ricci
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - Luigi Gradoni
- Unit of Vector-Borne Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Claudio Bandi
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.,Pediatric Clinical Research Center Romeo and Enrica Invernizzi, Ospedale 'Luigi Sacco', Milan, Italy
| | - Sara Epis
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.,Pediatric Clinical Research Center Romeo and Enrica Invernizzi, Ospedale 'Luigi Sacco', Milan, Italy
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Rosas T, García-Ferris C, Domínguez-Santos R, Llop P, Latorre A, Moya A. Rifampicin treatment of Blattella germanica evidences a fecal transmission route of their gut microbiota. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2018; 94:4794938. [DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiy002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2017] [Accepted: 01/08/2018] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
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25
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Ponce-de-Leon M, Tamarit D, Calle-Espinosa J, Mori M, Latorre A, Montero F, Pereto J. Determinism and Contingency Shape Metabolic Complementation in an Endosymbiotic Consortium. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:2290. [PMID: 29213256 PMCID: PMC5702781 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.02290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2017] [Accepted: 11/06/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial endosymbionts and their insect hosts establish an intimate metabolic relationship. Bacteria offer a variety of essential nutrients to their hosts, whereas insect cells provide the necessary sources of matter and energy to their tiny metabolic allies. These nutritional complementations sustain themselves on a diversity of metabolite exchanges between the cell host and the reduced yet highly specialized bacterial metabolism—which, for instance, overproduces a small set of essential amino acids and vitamins. A well-known case of metabolic complementation is provided by the cedar aphid Cinara cedri that harbors two co-primary endosymbionts, Buchnera aphidicola BCc and Ca. Serratia symbiotica SCc, and in which some metabolic pathways are partitioned between different partners. Here we present a genome-scale metabolic network (GEM) for the bacterial consortium from the cedar aphid iBSCc. The analysis of this GEM allows us the confirmation of cases of metabolic complementation previously described by genome analysis (i.e., tryptophan and biotin biosynthesis) and the redefinition of an event of metabolic pathway sharing between the two endosymbionts, namely the biosynthesis of tetrahydrofolate. In silico knock-out experiments with iBSCc showed that the consortium metabolism is a highly integrated yet fragile network. We also have explored the evolutionary pathways leading to the emergence of metabolic complementation between reduced metabolisms starting from individual, complete networks. Our results suggest that, during the establishment of metabolic complementation in endosymbionts, adaptive evolution is significant in the case of tryptophan biosynthesis, whereas vitamin production pathways seem to adopt suboptimal solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Ponce-de-Leon
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular I, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Daniel Tamarit
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Molecular Evolution, Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jorge Calle-Espinosa
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular I, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Matteo Mori
- Department of Physics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Amparo Latorre
- Departament de Genètica, Universitat de València, València, Spain.,Institute for Integrative Systems Biology, Universitat de València-CSIC, València, Spain
| | - Francisco Montero
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular I, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Juli Pereto
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology, Universitat de València-CSIC, València, Spain.,Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Universitat de València, València, Spain
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26
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Ayayee PA, Keeney G, Sabree ZL, Muñoz-Garcia A. Compositional differences among female-associated and embryo-associated microbiota of the viviparous Pacific Beetle cockroach, Diploptera punctata. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2017; 93:3738481. [PMID: 28431082 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fix052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2016] [Accepted: 04/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
All cockroach species, except one, harbor the endosymbiont Blattabacterium, transmitted from females to embryos. Adult cockroaches acquire non-Blattabacterium bacteria as part of their gut microbiota over time, but our knowledge of the possible transmission of these non-Blattabacterium bacteria from females to embryos is rudimentary. We characterized the gut microbiota of gravid viviparous Diploptera punctata females and the non-Blattabacterium microbiota of associated developing embryos, as well as the gut microbiota of non-gravid females, and the microbiota of orphan embryos (females not included), following high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene to assess bacterial transference. We determined significant differences in community composition between gravid females and associated embryos and overall greater similarity in community composition among embryos than adult females. Results suggest various routes of transference of bacteria from females or the environment to embryos. The bacterial families Halomonadaceae and Shewanellaceae were more abundant in embryos than in gravid females. The functional relevance of these families remains to be elucidated, but provisioning of amino acids deficient in the brood sac secretion is a possibility. Overall, our results highlight the need for further studies investigating the uptake and selective screening of microbes by D. punctata embryos, as well as their functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul A Ayayee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, 256 Cunningham Hall, Kent, OH 44242, USA
| | - George Keeney
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Zakee L Sabree
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Agustí Muñoz-Garcia
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
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27
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Alonso-Pernas P, Bartram S, Arias-Cordero EM, Novoselov AL, Halty-deLeon L, Shao Y, Boland W. In Vivo Isotopic Labeling of Symbiotic Bacteria Involved in Cellulose Degradation and Nitrogen Recycling within the Gut of the Forest Cockchafer ( Melolontha hippocastani). Front Microbiol 2017; 8:1970. [PMID: 29075241 PMCID: PMC5643479 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.01970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2017] [Accepted: 09/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The guts of insects harbor symbiotic bacterial communities. However, due to their complexity, it is challenging to relate a specific symbiotic phylotype to its corresponding function. In the present study, we focused on the forest cockchafer (Melolontha hippocastani), a phytophagous insect with a dual life cycle, consisting of a root-feeding larval stage and a leaf-feeding adult stage. By combining in vivo stable isotope probing (SIP) with 13C cellulose and 15N urea as trophic links, with Illumina MiSeq (Illumina-SIP), we unraveled bacterial networks processing recalcitrant dietary components and recycling nitrogenous waste. The bacterial communities behind these processes change between larval and adult stages. In 13C cellulose-fed insects, the bacterial families Lachnospiraceae and Enterobacteriaceae were isotopically labeled in larvae and adults, respectively. In 15N urea-fed insects, the genera Burkholderia and Parabacteroides were isotopically labeled in larvae and adults, respectively. Additionally, the PICRUSt-predicted metagenome suggested a possible ability to degrade hemicellulose and to produce amino acids of, respectively, 13C cellulose- and 15N urea labeled bacteria. The incorporation of 15N from ingested urea back into the insect body was confirmed, in larvae and adults, by isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS). Besides highlighting key bacterial symbionts of the gut of M. hippocastani, this study provides example on how Illumina-SIP with multiple trophic links can be used to target microorganisms embracing different roles within an environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pol Alonso-Pernas
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - Stefan Bartram
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - Erika M Arias-Cordero
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - Alexey L Novoselov
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - Lorena Halty-deLeon
- Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - Yongqi Shao
- Institute of Sericulture and Apiculture, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Wilhelm Boland
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
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28
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Vera-Ponce de León A, Sanchez-Flores A, Rosenblueth M, Martínez-Romero E. Fungal Community Associated with Dactylopius (Hemiptera: Coccoidea: Dactylopiidae) and Its Role in Uric Acid Metabolism. Front Microbiol 2016; 7:954. [PMID: 27446001 PMCID: PMC4917543 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.00954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2016] [Accepted: 06/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
We studied fungal species associated with the carmine cochineal Dactylopius coccus and other non-domesticated Dactylopius species using culture-dependent and -independent methods. Thirty seven fungi were isolated in various culture media from insect males and females from different developmental stages and Dactylopius species. 26S rRNA genes and ITS sequences, from cultured fungal isolates revealed different species of Cryptococcus, Rhodotorula, Debaryomyces, Trametes, and Penicillium, which are genera newly associated with Dactylopius. Uric acid (UA) and uricase activity were detected in tissues extracts from different insect developmental stages. However, accumulation of high UA levels and low uricase activities were found only after antifungal treatments, suggesting an important role of fungal species in its metabolism. Additionally, uricolytic fungal isolates were identified and characterized that presumably are involved in nitrogen recycling metabolism. After metagenomic analyses from D. coccus gut and hemolymph DNA and from two published data sets, we confirmed the presence of fungal genes involved in UA catabolism, suggesting that fungi help in the nitrogen recycling process in Dactylopius by uricolysis. All these results show the importance of fungal communities in scale insects such as Dactylopius.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arturo Vera-Ponce de León
- Programa de Ecología Genómica, Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Cuernavca, Mexico
| | - Alejandro Sanchez-Flores
- Unidad de Secuenciación Masiva y Bioinformática, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Cuernavca, Mexico
| | - Mónica Rosenblueth
- Programa de Ecología Genómica, Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Cuernavca, Mexico
| | - Esperanza Martínez-Romero
- Programa de Ecología Genómica, Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Cuernavca, Mexico
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29
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Bunning H, Bassett L, Clowser C, Rapkin J, Jensen K, House CM, Archer CR, Hunt J. Dietary choice for a balanced nutrient intake increases the mean and reduces the variance in the reproductive performance of male and female cockroaches. Ecol Evol 2016; 6:4711-30. [PMID: 27547307 PMCID: PMC4979701 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2016] [Revised: 05/13/2016] [Accepted: 05/16/2016] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Sexual selection may cause dietary requirements for reproduction to diverge across the sexes and promote the evolution of different foraging strategies in males and females. However, our understanding of how the sexes regulate their nutrition and the effects that this has on sex‐specific fitness is limited. We quantified how protein (P) and carbohydrate (C) intakes affect reproductive traits in male (pheromone expression) and female (clutch size and gestation time) cockroaches (Nauphoeta cinerea). We then determined how the sexes regulate their intake of nutrients when restricted to a single diet and when given dietary choice and how this affected expression of these important reproductive traits. Pheromone levels that improve male attractiveness, female clutch size and gestation time all peaked at a high daily intake of P:C in a 1:8 ratio. This is surprising because female insects typically require more P than males to maximize reproduction. The relatively low P requirement of females may reflect the action of cockroach endosymbionts that help recycle stored nitrogen for protein synthesis. When constrained to a single diet, both sexes prioritized regulating their daily intake of P over C, although this prioritization was stronger in females than males. When given the choice between diets, both sexes actively regulated their intake of nutrients at a 1:4.8 P:C ratio. The P:C ratio did not overlap exactly with the intake of nutrients that optimized reproductive trait expression. Despite this, cockroaches of both sexes that were given dietary choice generally improved the mean and reduced the variance in all reproductive traits we measured relative to animals fed a single diet from the diet choice pair. This pattern was not as strong when compared to the single best diet in our geometric array, suggesting that the relationship between nutrient balancing and reproduction is complex in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harriet Bunning
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation College of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Exeter Tremough Campus Penryn TR10 9EZ UK
| | - Lee Bassett
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation College of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Exeter Tremough Campus Penryn TR10 9EZ UK
| | - Christina Clowser
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation College of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Exeter Tremough Campus Penryn TR10 9EZ UK
| | - James Rapkin
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation College of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Exeter Tremough Campus Penryn TR10 9EZ UK
| | - Kim Jensen
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation College of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Exeter Tremough Campus Penryn TR10 9EZ UK; Department of Entomology North Carolina State University Gardner Hall Raleigh North Carolina 27695-7613
| | - Clarissa M House
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation College of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Exeter Tremough Campus Penryn TR10 9EZ UK
| | - Catharine R Archer
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation College of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Exeter Tremough Campus Penryn TR10 9EZ UK; MaxNetAging School Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research Konrad-Zuse-Straße 118057 Rostock Germany
| | - John Hunt
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation College of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Exeter Tremough Campus Penryn TR10 9EZ UK
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30
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Gil R, Peretó J. Small genomes and the difficulty to define minimal translation and metabolic machineries. Front Ecol Evol 2015. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2015.00123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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31
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A novel intracellular mutualistic bacterium in the invasive ant Cardiocondyla obscurior. ISME JOURNAL 2015; 10:376-88. [PMID: 26172209 DOI: 10.1038/ismej.2015.119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2015] [Revised: 04/29/2015] [Accepted: 06/09/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The evolution of eukaryotic organisms is often strongly influenced by microbial symbionts that confer novel traits to their hosts. Here we describe the intracellular Enterobacteriaceae symbiont of the invasive ant Cardiocondyla obscurior, 'Candidatus Westeberhardia cardiocondylae'. Upon metamorphosis, Westeberhardia is found in gut-associated bacteriomes that deteriorate following eclosion. Only queens maintain Westeberhardia in the ovarian nurse cells from where the symbionts are transmitted to late-stage oocytes during nurse cell depletion. Functional analyses of the streamlined genome of Westeberhardia (533 kb, 23.41% GC content) indicate that neither vitamins nor essential amino acids are provided for the host. However, the genome encodes for an almost complete shikimate pathway leading to 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate, which could be converted into tyrosine by the host. Taken together with increasing titers of Westeberhardia during pupal stage, this suggests a contribution of Westeberhardia to cuticle formation. Despite a widespread occurrence of Westeberhardia across host populations, one ant lineage was found to be naturally symbiont-free, pointing to the loss of an otherwise prevalent endosymbiont. This study yields insights into a novel intracellular mutualist that could play a role in the invasive success of C. obscurior.
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32
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Weihrauch D, O’Donnell MJ. Links between Osmoregulation and Nitrogen-Excretion in Insects and Crustaceans. Integr Comp Biol 2015; 55:816-29. [DOI: 10.1093/icb/icv013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
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33
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Jensen K, Schal C, Silverman J. Adaptive contraction of diet breadth affects sexual maturation and specific nutrient consumption in an extreme generalist omnivore. J Evol Biol 2015; 28:906-16. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2014] [Revised: 02/14/2015] [Accepted: 03/09/2015] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- K. Jensen
- Department of Entomology; North Carolina State University; Raleigh NC USA
- W. M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology; North Carolina State University; Raleigh NC USA
| | - C. Schal
- Department of Entomology; North Carolina State University; Raleigh NC USA
- W. M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology; North Carolina State University; Raleigh NC USA
| | - J. Silverman
- Department of Entomology; North Carolina State University; Raleigh NC USA
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34
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Pérez-Cobas AE, Maiques E, Angelova A, Carrasco P, Moya A, Latorre A. Diet shapes the gut microbiota of the omnivorous cockroach Blattella germanica. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2015; 91:fiv022. [PMID: 25764470 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiv022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/23/2015] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The gut microbiota of insects contributes positively to the physiology of its host mainly by participating in food digestion, protecting against pathogens, or provisioning vitamins or amino acids, but the dynamics of this complex ecosystem is not well understood so far. In this study, we have characterized the gut microbiota of the omnivorous cockroach Blattella germanica by pyrosequencing the hypervariable regions V1-V3 of the 16S rRNA gene of the whole bacterial community. Three diets differing in the protein content (0, 24 and 50%) were tested at two time points in lab-reared individuals. In addition, the gut microbiota of wild adult cockroaches was also analyzed. In contrast to the high microbial richness described on the studied samples, only few species are shared by wild and lab-reared cockroaches, constituting the bacterial core in the gut of B. germanica. Overall, we found that the gut microbiota of B. germanica is highly dynamic as the bacterial composition was reassembled in a diet-specific manner over a short time span, with no-protein diet promoting high diversity, although the highest diversity was found in the wild cockroaches analyzed. We discuss how the flexibility of the gut microbiota is probably due to its omnivorous life style and varied diets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Elena Pérez-Cobas
- Instituto Cavanilles de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Universidad de Valencia, 46071 Valencia, Spain Fundación para el Fomento de la Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de la Comunitat Valenciana (FISABIO), 46020 Valencia, Spain CIBER en Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBEResp), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Elisa Maiques
- Instituto Cavanilles de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Universidad de Valencia, 46071 Valencia, Spain
| | - Alexandra Angelova
- Instituto Cavanilles de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Universidad de Valencia, 46071 Valencia, Spain
| | - Purificación Carrasco
- Instituto Cavanilles de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Universidad de Valencia, 46071 Valencia, Spain
| | - Andrés Moya
- Instituto Cavanilles de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Universidad de Valencia, 46071 Valencia, Spain Fundación para el Fomento de la Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de la Comunitat Valenciana (FISABIO), 46020 Valencia, Spain CIBER en Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBEResp), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Amparo Latorre
- Instituto Cavanilles de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Universidad de Valencia, 46071 Valencia, Spain Fundación para el Fomento de la Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de la Comunitat Valenciana (FISABIO), 46020 Valencia, Spain CIBER en Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBEResp), 28029 Madrid, Spain
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35
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Koch E, Lozada M, Dionisi H, Castro-Vazquez A. Uric acid-degrading bacteria in the gut of the invading apple snail Pomacea canaliculata and their possible symbiotic significance. Symbiosis 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s13199-014-0296-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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36
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Martínez-Cano DJ, Reyes-Prieto M, Martínez-Romero E, Partida-Martínez LP, Latorre A, Moya A, Delaye L. Evolution of small prokaryotic genomes. Front Microbiol 2014; 5:742. [PMID: 25610432 PMCID: PMC4285135 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2014.00742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2014] [Accepted: 12/07/2014] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
As revealed by genome sequencing, the biology of prokaryotes with reduced genomes is strikingly diverse. These include free-living prokaryotes with ∼800 genes as well as endosymbiotic bacteria with as few as ∼140 genes. Comparative genomics is revealing the evolutionary mechanisms that led to these small genomes. In the case of free-living prokaryotes, natural selection directly favored genome reduction, while in the case of endosymbiotic prokaryotes neutral processes played a more prominent role. However, new experimental data suggest that selective processes may be at operation as well for endosymbiotic prokaryotes at least during the first stages of genome reduction. Endosymbiotic prokaryotes have evolved diverse strategies for living with reduced gene sets inside a host-defined medium. These include utilization of host-encoded functions (some of them coded by genes acquired by gene transfer from the endosymbiont and/or other bacteria); metabolic complementation between co-symbionts; and forming consortiums with other bacteria within the host. Recent genome sequencing projects of intracellular mutualistic bacteria showed that previously believed universal evolutionary trends like reduced G+C content and conservation of genome synteny are not always present in highly reduced genomes. Finally, the simplified molecular machinery of some of these organisms with small genomes may be used to aid in the design of artificial minimal cells. Here we review recent genomic discoveries of the biology of prokaryotes endowed with small gene sets and discuss the evolutionary mechanisms that have been proposed to explain their peculiar nature.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mariana Reyes-Prieto
- Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat i Biologia Evolutiva, Universitat de ValenciaValencia, Spain
| | | | | | - Amparo Latorre
- Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat i Biologia Evolutiva, Universitat de ValenciaValencia, Spain
| | - Andrés Moya
- Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat i Biologia Evolutiva, Universitat de ValenciaValencia, Spain
| | - Luis Delaye
- Departamento de Ingeniería Genética, Cinvestav Unidad IrapuatoIrapuato, Mexico
- *Correspondence: Luis Delaye, Departamento de Ingeniería Genética, Cinvestav Unidad Irapuato, Kilometer 9.6, Libramiento Norte, Carretera Irapuato-León, Irapuato, Guanajuato 36821, Mexico e-mail:
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37
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WADA-KATSUMATA A, Silverman J, Schal C. Sugar aversion: A newly-acquired adaptive change in gustatory receptor neurons in the German cockroach. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014. [DOI: 10.3330/hikakuseiriseika.31.220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ayako WADA-KATSUMATA
- Department of Entomology and W.M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University
| | - Jules Silverman
- Department of Entomology and W.M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University
| | - Coby Schal
- Department of Entomology and W.M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University
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