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Gimmi E, Wallisch J, Vorburger C. Ecological divergence despite common mating sites: Genotypes and symbiotypes shed light on cryptic diversity in the black bean aphid species complex. Heredity (Edinb) 2024; 132:320-330. [PMID: 38745070 PMCID: PMC11167045 DOI: 10.1038/s41437-024-00687-0] [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: 12/16/2023] [Revised: 04/23/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Different host plants represent ecologically dissimilar environments for phytophagous insects. The resulting divergent selection can promote the evolution of specialized host races, provided that gene flow is reduced between populations feeding on different plants. In black bean aphids belonging to the Aphis fabae complex, several morphologically cryptic taxa have been described based on their distinct host plant preferences. However, host choice and mate choice are largely decoupled in these insects: they are host-alternating and migrate between specific summer host plants and shared winter hosts, with mating occurring on the shared hosts. This provides a yearly opportunity for gene flow among aphids using different summer hosts, and raises the question if and to what extent the ecologically defined taxa are reproductively isolated. Here, we analyzed a geographically and temporally structured dataset of microsatellite genotypes from A. fabae that were mostly collected from their main winter host Euonymus europaeus, and additionally from another winter host and fourteen summer hosts. The data reveals multiple, strongly differentiated genetic clusters, which differ in their association with different summer and winter hosts. The clusters also differ in the frequency of infection with two heritable, facultative endosymbionts, separately hinting at reproductive isolation and divergent ecological selection. Furthermore, we found evidence for occasional hybridization among genetic clusters, with putative hybrids collected more frequently in spring than in autumn. This suggests that similar to host races in other phytophagous insects, both prezygotic and postzygotic barriers including selection against hybrids maintain genetic differentiation among A. fabae taxa, despite a common mating habitat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Gimmi
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Dübendorf, Switzerland.
- D-USYS, Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich, Switzerland.
| | - Jesper Wallisch
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Christoph Vorburger
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Dübendorf, Switzerland
- D-USYS, Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich, Switzerland
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2
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Renoz F. The nutritional dimension of facultative bacterial symbiosis in aphids: Current status and methodological considerations for future research. CURRENT RESEARCH IN INSECT SCIENCE 2023; 5:100070. [PMID: 38222793 PMCID: PMC10787254 DOI: 10.1016/j.cris.2023.100070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
Aphids are valuable models for studying the functional diversity of bacterial symbiosis in insects. In addition to their ancestral obligate nutritional symbiont Buchnera aphidicola, these insects can host a myriad of so-called facultative symbionts. The diversity of these heritable bacterial associates is now well known, and some of the ecologically important traits associated with them have been well documented. Some twenty years ago, it was suggested that facultative symbionts could play an important role in aphid nutrition, notably by improving feeding performance on specific host plants, thus influencing the adaptation of these insects to host plants. However, the underlying mechanisms have never been elucidated, and the nutritional role that facultative symbionts might perform in aphids remains enigmatic. In this opinion piece, I put forward a series of arguments in support of the hypothesis that facultative symbionts play a central role in aphid nutrition and emphasize methodological considerations for testing this hypothesis in future work. In particular, I hypothesize that the metabolic capacities of B. aphidicola alone may not always be able to counterbalance the nutritional deficiencies of phloem sap. The association with one or several facultative symbionts with extensive metabolic capabilities would then be necessary to buffer the insect from host plant-derived nutrient deficiencies, thus enabling it to gain access to certain host plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- François Renoz
- Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO), Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8634, Japan
- Biodiversity Research Centre, Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain, Croix du Sud 4-5, 1348, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
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3
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Sanches P, De Moraes CM, Mescher MC. Endosymbionts modulate virus effects on aphid-plant interactions. THE ISME JOURNAL 2023; 17:2441-2451. [PMID: 37980433 PMCID: PMC10689485 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-023-01549-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/20/2023]
Abstract
Vector-borne pathogens frequently modify traits of their primary hosts and vectors in ways that influence disease transmission. Such effects can themselves be altered by the presence of other microbial symbionts, yet we currently have limited understanding of these interactions. Here we show that effects of pea enation mosaic virus (PEMV) on interactions between host plants and aphid vectors are modulated by the presence of different aphid endosymbionts. In a series of laboratory assays, we found strong interactive effects of virus infection and endosymbionts on aphid metabolomic profiles, population growth, behavior, and virus transmission during aphid feeding. Furthermore, the strongest effects-and those predicted to favor virus transmission-were most apparent in aphid lines harboring particular endosymbionts. These findings show that virus effects on host-vector interactions can be strongly influenced by other microbial symbionts and suggest a potentially important role for such interactions in disease ecology and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Sanches
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | | | - Mark C Mescher
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.
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Yang Q, Gill A, Robinson KL, Umina PA, Ross PA, Zhan D, Brown C, Bell N, MacMahon A, Hoffmann AA. A diversity of endosymbionts across Australian aphids and their persistence in aphid cultures. Environ Microbiol 2023; 25:1988-2001. [PMID: 37286189 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
There is increasing interest in the use of endosymbionts in pest control, which will benefit from the identification of endosymbionts from potential donor species for transfer to pest species. Here, we screened for endosymbionts in 123 Australian aphid samples across 32 species using 16S DNA metabarcoding. We then developed a qPCR method to validate the metabarcoding data set and to monitor endosymbiont persistence in aphid cultures. Pea aphids (Acyrthosiphon pisum) were frequently coinfected with Rickettsiella and Serratia, and glasshouse potato aphids (Aulacorthum solani) were coinfected with Regiella and Spiroplasma; other secondary endosymbionts detected in samples occurred by themselves. Hamiltonella, Rickettsia and Wolbachia were restricted to a single aphid species, whereas Regiella was found in multiple species. Rickettsiella, Hamiltonella and Serratia were stably maintained in laboratory cultures, although others were lost rapidly. The overall incidence of secondary endosymbionts in Australian samples tended to be lower than recorded from aphids overseas. These results indicate that aphid endosymbionts probably exhibit different levels of infectivity and vertical transmission efficiency across hosts, which may contribute to natural infection patterns. The rapid loss of some endosymbionts in cultures raises questions about factors that maintain them under field conditions, while endosymbionts that persisted in laboratory culture provide candidates for interspecific transfers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiong Yang
- Bio21 Institute, School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Alex Gill
- Bio21 Institute, School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Katie L Robinson
- Bio21 Institute, School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Paul A Umina
- Bio21 Institute, School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Cesar Australia, Brunswick, Victoria, Australia
| | - Perran A Ross
- Bio21 Institute, School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Dongwu Zhan
- Bio21 Institute, School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Courtney Brown
- Bio21 Institute, School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Nicholas Bell
- Bio21 Institute, School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ashley MacMahon
- Bio21 Institute, School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ary A Hoffmann
- Bio21 Institute, School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
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Heidari Latibari M, Moravvej G, Rakhshani E, Karimi J, Arias-Penna DC, Butcher BA. Arsenophonus: A Double-Edged Sword of Aphid Defense against Parasitoids. INSECTS 2023; 14:763. [PMID: 37754731 PMCID: PMC10531911 DOI: 10.3390/insects14090763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023]
Abstract
It is widely accepted that endosymbiont interactions with their hosts have significant effects on the fitness of both pests and beneficial species. A particular type of endosymbiosis is that of beneficial associations. Facultative endosymbiotic bacteria are associated with elements that provide aphids with protection from parasitoids. Arsenophonus (Enterobacterales: Morganellaceae) is one such endosymbiont bacterium, with infections being most commonly found among the Hemiptera species. Here, black cowpea aphids (BCAs), Aphis craccivora Koch (Hemiptera: Aphididae), naturally infected with Arsenophonus, were evaluated to determine the defensive role of this bacterium in BCAs against two parasitoid wasp species, Binodoxys angelicae and Lysiphlebus fabarum (both in Braconidae: Aphidiinae). Individuals of the black cowpea aphids infected with Arsenophonus were treated with a blend of ampicillin, cefotaxime, and gentamicin (Arsenophonus-reduced infection, AR) and subsequently subjected to parasitism assays. The results showed that the presence of Arsenophonus does not prevent BCAs from being parasitized by either B. angelicae or L. fabarum. Nonetheless, in BCA colonies parasitized by B. angelicae, the endosymbiont delayed both the larval maturation period and the emergence of the adult parasitoid wasps. In brief, Arsenophonus indirectly limits the effectiveness of B. angelicae parasitism by decreasing the number of emerged adult wasps. Therefore, other members of the BCA colony can survive. Arsenophonus acts as a double-edged sword, capturing the complex dynamic between A. craccivora and its parasitoids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minoo Heidari Latibari
- Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad P.O. Box 91779-48974, Iran; (M.H.L.); (J.K.)
| | - Gholamhossein Moravvej
- Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad P.O. Box 91779-48974, Iran; (M.H.L.); (J.K.)
| | - Ehsan Rakhshani
- Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zabol, Zabol P.O. Box 538-98615, Iran;
| | - Javad Karimi
- Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad P.O. Box 91779-48974, Iran; (M.H.L.); (J.K.)
| | | | - Buntika A. Butcher
- Integrative Insect Ecology Research Unit, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
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Shih PY, Sugio A, Simon JC. Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Host Plant Specificity in Aphids. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ENTOMOLOGY 2023; 68:431-450. [PMID: 36228134 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ento-120220-020526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Aphids are serious pests of agricultural and ornamental plants and important model systems for hemipteran-plant interactions. The long evolutionary history of aphids with their host plants has resulted in a variety of systems that provide insight into the different adaptation strategies of aphids to plants and vice versa. In the past, various plant-aphid interactions have been documented, but lack of functional tools has limited molecular studies on the mechanisms of plant-aphid interactions. Recent technological advances have begun to reveal plant-aphid interactions at the molecular level and to increase our knowledge of the mechanisms of aphid adaptation or specialization to different host plants. In this article, we compile and analyze available information on plant-aphid interactions, discuss the limitations of current knowledge, and argue for new research directions. We advocate for more work that takes advantage of natural systems and recently established molecular techniques to obtain a comprehensive view of plant-aphid interaction mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Po-Yuan Shih
- INRAE (National Institute of Agriculture, Food and Environment), UMR IGEPP, Le Rheu, France; , ,
| | - Akiko Sugio
- INRAE (National Institute of Agriculture, Food and Environment), UMR IGEPP, Le Rheu, France; , ,
| | - Jean-Christophe Simon
- INRAE (National Institute of Agriculture, Food and Environment), UMR IGEPP, Le Rheu, France; , ,
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7
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Ali S, Sajjad A, Shakeel Q, Farooqi MA, Aqueel MA, Tariq K, Ullah MI, Iqbal A, Jamal A, Saeed MF, Manachini B. Influence of Bacterial Secondary Symbionts in Sitobion avenae on Its Survival Fitness against Entomopathogenic Fungi, Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium brunneum. INSECTS 2022; 13:insects13111037. [PMID: 36354861 PMCID: PMC9696637 DOI: 10.3390/insects13111037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Revised: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
The research was focused on the ability of wheat aphids Sitobion avenae, harboring bacterial secondary symbionts (BSS) Hamiltonella defensa or Regiella insecticola, to withstand exposure to fungal isolates of Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium brunneum. In comparison to aphids lacking bacterial secondary symbionts, BSS considerably increased the lifespan of wheat aphids exposed to B. bassiana strains (Bb1022, EABb04/01-Tip) and M. brunneum strains (ART 2825 and BIPESCO 5) and also reduced the aphids' mortality. The wheat aphid clones lacking bacterial secondary symbionts were shown to be particularly vulnerable to M. brunneum strain BIPESCO 5. As opposed to wheat aphids carrying bacterial symbionts, fungal pathogens infected the wheat aphids lacking H. defensa and R. insecticola more quickly. When treated with fungal pathogens, bacterial endosymbionts had a favorable effect on the fecundity of their host aphids compared to the aphids lacking these symbionts, but there was no change in fungal sporulation on the deceased aphids. By defending their insect hosts against natural enemies, BSS increase the population of their host society and may have a significant impact on the development of their hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sajjad Ali
- Department of Entomology, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur 63100, Pakistan
| | - Asif Sajjad
- Department of Entomology, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur 63100, Pakistan
| | - Qaiser Shakeel
- Department of Plant Pathology, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur 63100, Pakistan
| | - M. Aslam Farooqi
- Department of Entomology, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur 63100, Pakistan
| | - M. Anjum Aqueel
- Department of Entomology, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur 63100, Pakistan
| | - Kaleem Tariq
- Department of Agriculture Entomology, Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan 23200, Pakistan
| | | | - Aamir Iqbal
- Department of Crop Sciences, Georg-August University, 37073 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Aftab Jamal
- Department of Soil and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Crop Production Sciences, The University of Agriculture, Peshawar 25130, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Farhan Saeed
- Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Vehari Campus, Vehari 61100, Pakistan
- Correspondence: (M.F.S.); (B.M.)
| | - Barbara Manachini
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Forest Sciences (SAAF), University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze 13, 90128 Palermo, Italy
- Correspondence: (M.F.S.); (B.M.)
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8
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Li G, Cai M, Zheng X, Xie X, Zhu Y, Long Y. Impact of disinfectants on the intestinal bacterial symbionts and immunity of silkworm (Bombyx mori L.). ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:79545-79554. [PMID: 35713834 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-21442-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The insect egg surface can serve as a vehicle for vertical symbiont transmission from the maternal parent to its offspring. Hypochlorite and formaldehyde are two common disinfectants used for insect egg surface sterilization. Here, we explored the intestinal microecology and immune response profile of the silkworm Bombyx mori strain Dazao after disinfectant exposure by using high-throughput sequencing technology and real-time PCR analysis. After egg surface sterilization, no significant difference (P > 0.05) in overall body weight was observed among the control, sodium hypochlorite, and formaldehyde groups. 16S rRNA metagenomic sequencing revealed that the main abundant intestinal bacteria were Enterococcus, Burkholderia, Phenylobacterium, Ralstonia, Chitinophaga, Bradyrhizobium, Herbaspirillum, and two unclassified Bacteroidetes species. Egg surface sterilization evidently altered the composition and abundance of intestinal microbiota but did not significantly change its alpha diversity. The dysbiosis of intestinal microbiota resulted in the perturbation of the immune response profile of the silkworm intestine. Our findings reveal that hypochlorite has a blocking effect on the symbiont transmission compared with formaldehyde. More importantly, egg surface sterilization exerts substantial effects on the ecophysiological traits of insects. The present study contributes to the scientific and reasonable application of disinfectants for insect egg surface sterilization during industrial silk production and laboratory-scale insect rearing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guannan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, College of Sericulture, Textile and Biomass Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400716, China
| | - Miao Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, College of Sericulture, Textile and Biomass Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400716, China
- Foshan Nanshanhu Experimental High School, Foshan, 528200, China
| | - Xi Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, College of Sericulture, Textile and Biomass Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400716, China
| | - Xiaofan Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, College of Sericulture, Textile and Biomass Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400716, China
| | - Yong Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, College of Sericulture, Textile and Biomass Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400716, China
| | - Yaohang Long
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Medical Engineering, Immune Cells and Antibody Engineering Research Center of Guizhou Province, School of Biology and Engineering, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550025, Guizhou Province, People's Republic of China.
- Engineering Research Center of Medical Biotechnology, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550025, Guizhou Province, People's Republic of China.
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Wu T, Monnin D, Lee RAR, Henry LM. Local adaptation to hosts and parasitoids shape Hamiltonella defensa genotypes across aphid species. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20221269. [PMID: 36285493 PMCID: PMC9597410 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.1269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 10/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Facultative symbionts are common in insects and can provide their hosts with significant adaptations. Yet we still have a limited understanding of what shapes their distributions, such as why particular symbiont strains are common in some host species yet absent in others. To address this question, we genotyped the defensive symbiont Hamiltonella defensa in 26 aphid species that commonly carry this microbe. We found that Hamiltonella strains were strongly associated with specific aphid species and that strains found in one host species rarely occurred in others. To explain these associations, we reciprocally transferred the Hamiltonella strains of three aphid species, Acyrthosiphon pisum, Macrosiphoniella artemisiae and Macrosiphum euphorbiae, and assessed the impact of Hamiltonella strain on: the stability of the symbiosis, aphid fecundity and parasitoid resistance. We demonstrate that the Hamiltonella strains found in nature are locally adapted to specific aphid hosts, and their ecology: aphids tend to carry Hamiltonella strains that are efficiently transmitted to their offspring, non-lethal, and that provide strong protection against their dominant parasitoid species. Our results suggest that facultative symbiont distributions are shaped by selection from natural enemies, and the host itself, resulting in locally adapted symbioses that provide significant benefits against prevailing natural enemies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taoping Wu
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK
| | - David Monnin
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK
| | - Rene A. R. Lee
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK
| | - Lee M. Henry
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK
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Wang W, Xiao G, Du G, Chang L, Yang Y, Ye J, Chen B. Glutamicibacter halophytocola-mediated host fitness of potato tuber moth on Solanaceae crops. PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2022; 78:3920-3930. [PMID: 35484875 DOI: 10.1002/ps.6955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Revised: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The potato tuber moth (PTM), Phthorimaea operculella (Zeller) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), is a destructive pest of Solanaceae crops worldwide. α-solanine and α-chaconine are toxic steroidal glycoalkaloids (SGAs) in Solanaceae crops and are most abundant in potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.), accounting for more than 95% of the total SGAs. PTM grows on potatoes with a higher concentration of SGAs. Gut bacteria play an important role in the physiology and behavior of insects. To understand the role of gut bacteria of PTM in host adaptability, we isolated and identified major SGA (α-chaconine and α-solanine)-degrading gut bacteria in the gut of PTM by a selective medium and analyzed their degradability and degradation mechanism. RESULTS The gut Glutamicibacter halophytocola S2 of PTM with high degradation capacity to α-solanine and α-chaconine were detected by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and identified by morphological and 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. A gene cluster involving α-rhamnosidases, β-glucosidases, and β-galactosidases was identified by whole-genome sequencing of G. halophytocola S2. These genes had higher expression on the α-solanine medium. PTM inoculated with the isolated G. halophytocola S2 obtained higher fitness than antibiotic-treated PTM. CONCLUSION The G. halophytocola S2 in the gut of PTM could degrade the major toxic α-solanine and α-chaconine in potatoes. This enhances the fitness of PTM feeding on potatoes with high SGA contents. The results provide a theoretical foundation for the integrated pest management of PTM and provide an effective strain for the treatment of α-solanine and α-chaconine in potato food. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenqian Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, College of Plant Protection, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China
| | - Guanli Xiao
- College of Agriculture & Biology Technology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China
| | - Guangzu Du
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, College of Plant Protection, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China
| | - Lvshu Chang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, College of Plant Protection, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China
| | - Yun Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, College of Plant Protection, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China
| | - Jvhui Ye
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, College of Plant Protection, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China
| | - Bin Chen
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, College of Plant Protection, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China
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11
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No Evidence of Bacterial Symbionts Influencing Host Specificity in Aphis gossypii Glover (Hemiptera: Aphididae). INSECTS 2022; 13:insects13050462. [PMID: 35621797 PMCID: PMC9146880 DOI: 10.3390/insects13050462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Revised: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
The cotton-melon aphid, Aphis gossypii Glover, is a polyphagous insect pest with many host-specialized biotypes, such as the Cucurbitaceae- and Malvaceae-specialized (CU and MA) biotypes. Bacterial symbionts were reported to determine the host range in some aphids. Whether this is the case in A. gossypii remains unknown. Here, we tested the host specificity of the CU and MA biotypes, compared the host specificity between the wingless and winged morph within the same biotype, and analyzed the composition of the bacterial symbionts. The reproduction of the CU and MA biotypes reduced by 66.67% and 82.79%, respectively, on non-native hosts, compared with on native hosts. The composition of bacterial symbionts was not significantly different between the CU and MA biotypes, with a Buchnera abundance >95% in both biotypes. Meanwhile, the winged morph produced significantly more nymphs than the wingless morph on non-native hosts, and the Buchnera abundance in the winged morph was only about 10% of that in the wingless morph. There seemed to be a relationship between the Buchnera abundance and host specificity. We regulated the Buchnera abundance by temperature and antibiotics, but did not find that a low Buchnera abundance resulted in the high reproduction on non-native hosts. We conclude that the host specificity of A. gossypii is not controlled by specific bacterial symbionts or by Buchnera abundance.
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12
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Csorba AB, Fora CG, Bálint J, Felföldi T, Szabó A, Máthé I, Loxdale HD, Kentelky E, Nyárádi II, Balog A. Endosymbiotic Bacterial Diversity of Corn Leaf Aphid, Rhopalosiphum maidis Fitch (Hemiptera: Aphididae) Associated with Maize Management Systems. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10050939. [PMID: 35630383 PMCID: PMC9145372 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10050939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/07/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, different maize fields cultivated under different management systems were sampled to test corn leaf aphid, Rhopalosiphum maidis, populations in terms of total and endosymbiotic bacterial diversity. Corn leaf aphid natural populations were collected from traditionally managed maize fields grown under high agricultural and natural landscape diversity as well as conventionally treated high-input agricultural fields grown in monoculture and with fertilizers use, hence with low natural landscape diversity. Total bacterial community assessment by DNA sequencing was performed using the Illumina MiSeq platform. In total, 365 bacterial genera were identified and 6 endosymbiont taxa. A high abundance of the primary endosymbiont Buchnera and secondary symbionts Serratia and Wolbachia were detected in all maize crops. Their frequency was found to be correlated with the maize management system used, probably with fertilizer input. Three other facultative endosymbionts (“Candidatus Hamiltonella”, an uncultured Rickettsiales genus, and Spiroplasma) were also recorded at different frequencies under the two management regimes. Principal components analyses revealed that the relative contribution of the obligate and dominant symbiont Buchnera to the aphid endosymbiotic bacterial community was 72%, whereas for the managed system this was only 16.3%. When facultative symbionts alone were considered, the effect of management system revealed a DNA diversity of 23.3%.
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Affiliation(s)
- Artúr Botond Csorba
- Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Technical and Human Sciences, Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania, Aleea Sighișoarei 2, 540485 Târgu Mureș, Romania; (A.B.C.); (J.B.); (E.K.)
| | - Ciprian George Fora
- Faculty of Horticulture and Forestry, Banat’s University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine King Michael I of Romania from Timișoara, Calea Aradului 119, 300645 Timișoara, Romania
- Correspondence: (C.G.F.); (I.-I.N.); (A.B.)
| | - János Bálint
- Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Technical and Human Sciences, Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania, Aleea Sighișoarei 2, 540485 Târgu Mureș, Romania; (A.B.C.); (J.B.); (E.K.)
| | - Tamás Felföldi
- Department of Microbiology, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter Sétány 1/c, 1117 Budapest, Hungary;
| | - Attila Szabó
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Lennart 756-51 Hjelms Väg 9, 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden;
| | - István Máthé
- Department of Bioengineering, Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania, Piaţa Libertăţii 1, 530104 Miercurea Ciuc, Romania;
| | - Hugh D. Loxdale
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, The Sir Martin Evans Building, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, Wales CF10 3AX, UK;
| | - Endre Kentelky
- Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Technical and Human Sciences, Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania, Aleea Sighișoarei 2, 540485 Târgu Mureș, Romania; (A.B.C.); (J.B.); (E.K.)
| | - Imre-István Nyárádi
- Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Technical and Human Sciences, Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania, Aleea Sighișoarei 2, 540485 Târgu Mureș, Romania; (A.B.C.); (J.B.); (E.K.)
- Correspondence: (C.G.F.); (I.-I.N.); (A.B.)
| | - Adalbert Balog
- Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Technical and Human Sciences, Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania, Aleea Sighișoarei 2, 540485 Târgu Mureș, Romania; (A.B.C.); (J.B.); (E.K.)
- Correspondence: (C.G.F.); (I.-I.N.); (A.B.)
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Pawar MM, Shivanna B, Prasannakumar MK, Parivallal PB, Suresh K, Meenakshi NH. Spatial distribution and community structure of microbiota associated with cowpea aphid ( Aphis craccivora Koch). 3 Biotech 2022; 12:75. [PMID: 35251878 PMCID: PMC8861231 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-022-03142-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Aphid populations were collected on cowpea, dolichos, redgram and black gram from Belagavi and Udupi locations. The samples were shotgun sequenced using the Illumina NovaSeq 6000 system to understand the spatial distribution and community structure of microbiota (especially bacteria) associated with aphids. In the present study, we identified obligatory nutritional symbiont Buchnera aphidicola and facultative symbionts Rickettsia sp. and Bacteroidetes endosymbiont of Geopemphigus sp. in all the aphid samples studied, although in varied abundance. On the other hand, Serratia symbiotica, Arsenophonus sp. and Acinetobacter sp. were only found in aphids on specific host plants, suggesting that host plants might influence the bacterial community structure. Furthermore, our study revealed that microbiota other than bacteria were highly insignificant in the aphid populations. Additionally, functional annotation of aphid metagenomes identified several pathways and enzymes involved in various physiological and ecological functions. Amino acid and vitamin biosynthesis-related pathways were predominant than carbohydrate metabolism, owing to their feeding habit and nutritional requirement. Chaperones related to stress tolerance such as GroEL and DnaK were identified. Enzymes involved in toxic chemical metabolisms such as glutathione transferase, phosphodiesterases and ABC transferases were observed. These enzymes may confer resistance to pesticides in the aphid populations. Overall, our results support the importance of host plants in structuring bacterial communities in aphids and show the functional roles of symbionts in aphid survival and development. Thus, these findings can be the basis for further detailed investigations and devising better strategies to manage the pests in field conditions. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-022-03142-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madhusudan M. Pawar
- grid.413008.e0000 0004 1765 8271Insect Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Agricultural Entomology, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, 560065 India
| | - B. Shivanna
- grid.413008.e0000 0004 1765 8271Insect Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Agricultural Entomology, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, 560065 India
| | - M. K. Prasannakumar
- grid.413008.e0000 0004 1765 8271Plant PathoGenOmic Laboratory, Department of Plant Pathology, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, 560065 India
| | - P. Buela Parivallal
- grid.413008.e0000 0004 1765 8271Plant PathoGenOmic Laboratory, Department of Plant Pathology, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, 560065 India
| | - Kiran Suresh
- grid.10388.320000 0001 2240 3300Department of Ecophysiology, University of Bonn, 53115 Bonn, Germany
| | - N. H. Meenakshi
- grid.413008.e0000 0004 1765 8271Insect Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Agricultural Entomology, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, 560065 India
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Kaech H, Jud S, Vorburger C. Similar cost of Hamiltonella defensa in experimental and natural aphid-endosymbiont associations. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8551. [PMID: 35127049 PMCID: PMC8796928 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Revised: 12/19/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Endosymbiont-conferred resistance to parasitoids is common in aphids, but comes at a cost to the host in the absence of parasitoids. In black bean aphids (Aphis fabae), costs in terms of reduced lifespan and lifetime reproduction were demonstrated by introducing 11 isolates of the protective symbiont Hamiltonella defensa into previously uninfected aphid clones. Transfection of H. defensa isolates into a common genetic background allows to compare the costs of different endosymbiont isolates unconfounded by host genetic variation, but has been suggested to overestimate the realized costs of the endosymbiont in natural populations, because transfection creates new and potentially maladapted host-symbiont combinations that would be eliminated by natural selection in the field. In this experiment, we show that removing H. defensa isolates from their natural host clones with antibiotics results in a fitness gain that is comparable to the fitness loss from their introduction into two new clones. This suggests that estimating cost by transfecting endosymbiont isolates into a shared host genotype does not lead to gross overestimates of their realized costs, at least not in the two recipient genotypes used here. By comparing our data with data reported in previous publications using the same lines, we show that symbiont-induced costs may fluctuate over time. Thus, costs estimated after extended culture in the laboratory may not always be representative of the costs at the time of collection in the field. Finally, we report the accidental observation that two isolates from a distinct haplotype of H. defensa could not be removed by cefotaxime treatment, while all isolates from two other haplotypes were readily eliminated, which is suggestive of variation in susceptibility to this antibiotic in H. defensa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heidi Kaech
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and TechnologyDübendorfSwitzerland
- D‐USYS, Department of Environmental Systems ScienceETH ZürichZürichSwitzerland
| | - Stephanie Jud
- D‐USYS, Department of Environmental Systems ScienceETH ZürichZürichSwitzerland
| | - Christoph Vorburger
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and TechnologyDübendorfSwitzerland
- D‐USYS, Department of Environmental Systems ScienceETH ZürichZürichSwitzerland
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Benhamou S, Rahioui I, Henri H, Charles H, Da Silva P, Heddi A, Vavre F, Desouhant E, Calevro F, Mouton L. Cytotype Affects the Capability of the Whitefly Bemisia tabaci MED Species To Feed and Oviposit on an Unfavorable Host Plant. mBio 2021; 12:e0073021. [PMID: 34781749 PMCID: PMC8593682 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00730-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The acquisition of nutritional obligate primary endosymbionts (P-symbionts) allowed phloemo-phageous insects to feed on plant sap and thus colonize novel ecological niches. P-symbionts often coexist with facultative secondary endosymbionts (S-symbionts), which may also influence their hosts' niche utilization ability. The whitefly Bemisia tabaci is a highly diversified species complex harboring, in addition to the P-symbiont "Candidatus Portiera aleyrodidarum," seven S-symbionts whose roles remain poorly understood. Here, we compare the phenotypic and metabolic responses of three B. tabaci lines differing in their S-symbiont community, reared on three different host plants, hibiscus, tobacco, or lantana, and address whether and how S-symbionts influence insect capacity to feed and produce offspring on those plants. We first show that hibiscus, tobacco, and lantana differ in their free amino acid composition. Insects' performance, as well as free amino acid profile and symbiotic load, were shown to be plant dependent, suggesting a critical role for the plant nutritional properties. Insect fecundity was significantly lower on lantana, indicating that it is the least favorable plant. Remarkably, insects reared on this plant show a specific amino acid profile and a higher symbiont density compared to the two other plants. In addition, this plant was the only one for which fecundity differences were observed between lines. Using genetically homogeneous hybrids, we demonstrate that cytotype (mitochondria and symbionts), and not genotype, is a major determinant of females' fecundity and amino acid profile on lantana. As cytotypes differ in their S-symbiont community, we propose that these symbionts may mediate their hosts' suitable plant range. IMPORTANCE Microbial symbionts are universal in eukaryotes, and it is now recognized that symbiotic associations represent major evolutionary driving forces. However, the extent to which symbionts contribute to their hosts' ecological adaptation and subsequent diversification is far from being fully elucidated. The whitefly Bemisia tabaci is a sap feeder associated with multiple coinfecting intracellular facultative symbionts. Here, we show that plant species simultaneously affect whiteflies' performance, amino acid profile, and symbiotic density, which could be partially explained by differences in plant nutritional properties. We also demonstrate that, on lantana, the least favorable plant used in our study, whiteflies' performance is determined by their cytotype. We propose that the host plant utilization in B. tabaci is influenced by its facultative symbiont community composition, possibly through its impact on the host dietary requirements. Altogether, our data provide new insights into the impact of intracellular microorganisms on their animal hosts' ecological niche range and diversification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvain Benhamou
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, VetAgro Sup, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR 5558, Villeurbanne, France
- Univ Lyon, INRAE, INSA Lyon, BF2I, UMR 203, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Isabelle Rahioui
- Univ Lyon, INRAE, INSA Lyon, BF2I, UMR 203, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Hélène Henri
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, VetAgro Sup, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR 5558, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Hubert Charles
- Univ Lyon, INRAE, INSA Lyon, BF2I, UMR 203, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Pedro Da Silva
- Univ Lyon, INRAE, INSA Lyon, BF2I, UMR 203, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Abdelaziz Heddi
- Univ Lyon, INRAE, INSA Lyon, BF2I, UMR 203, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Fabrice Vavre
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, VetAgro Sup, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR 5558, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Emmanuel Desouhant
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, VetAgro Sup, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR 5558, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Federica Calevro
- Univ Lyon, INRAE, INSA Lyon, BF2I, UMR 203, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Laurence Mouton
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, VetAgro Sup, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR 5558, Villeurbanne, France
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Gimmi E, Vorburger C. Strong genotype-by-genotype interactions between aphid-defensive symbionts and parasitoids persist across different biotic environments. J Evol Biol 2021; 34:1944-1953. [PMID: 34695269 PMCID: PMC9298302 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Revised: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The dynamics of coevolution between hosts and parasites are influenced by their genetic interactions. Highly specific interactions, where the outcome of an infection depends on the precise combination of host and parasite genotypes (G × G interactions), have the potential to maintain genetic variation by inducing negative frequency‐dependent selection. The importance of this effect also rests on whether such interactions are consistent across different environments or modified by environmental variation (G × G × E interaction). In the black bean aphid, Aphis fabae, resistance to its parasitoid Lysiphlebus fabarum is largely determined by the possession of a heritable bacterial endosymbiont, Hamiltonella defensa, with strong G × G interactions between H. defensa and L. fabarum. A key environmental factor in this system is the host plant on which the aphid feeds. Here, we exposed genetically identical aphids harbouring three different strains of H. defensa to three asexual genotypes of L. fabarum and measured parasitism success on three common host plants of A. fabae, namely Vicia faba, Chenopodium album and Beta vulgaris. As expected, we observed the pervasive G × G interaction between H. defensa and L. fabarum, but despite strong main effects of the host plants on average rates of parasitism, this interaction was not altered significantly by the host plant environment (no G × G × E interaction). The symbiont‐conferred specificity of resistance is thus likely to mediate the coevolution of A. fabae and L. fabarum, even when played out across diverse host plants of the aphid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Gimmi
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Dübendorf, Switzerland.,Department of Environmental Systems Science, D-USYS, ETH Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Christoph Vorburger
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Dübendorf, Switzerland.,Department of Environmental Systems Science, D-USYS, ETH Zürich, Switzerland
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Carpenter M, Peng L, Smith AH, Joffe J, O’Connor M, Oliver KM, Russell JA. Frequent Drivers, Occasional Passengers: Signals of Symbiont-Driven Seasonal Adaptation and Hitchhiking in the Pea Aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum. INSECTS 2021; 12:805. [PMID: 34564245 PMCID: PMC8466206 DOI: 10.3390/insects12090805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2021] [Revised: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 09/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Insects harbor a variety of maternally inherited bacterial symbionts. As such, variation in symbiont presence/absence, in the combinations of harbored symbionts, and in the genotypes of harbored symbiont species provide heritable genetic variation of potential use in the insects' adaptive repertoires. Understanding the natural importance of symbionts is challenging but studying their dynamics over time can help to elucidate the potential for such symbiont-driven insect adaptation. Toward this end, we studied the seasonal dynamics of six maternally transferred bacterial symbiont species in the multivoltine pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum). Our sampling focused on six alfalfa fields in southeastern Pennsylvania, and spanned 14 timepoints within the 2012 growing season, in addition to two overwintering periods. To test and generate hypotheses on the natural relevance of these non-essential symbionts, we examined whether symbiont dynamics correlated with any of ten measured environmental variables from the 2012 growing season, including some of known importance in the lab. We found that five symbionts changed prevalence across one or both overwintering periods, and that the same five species underwent such frequency shifts across the 2012 growing season. Intriguingly, the frequencies of these dynamic symbionts showed robust correlations with a subset of our measured environmental variables. Several of these trends supported the natural relevance of lab-discovered symbiont roles, including anti-pathogen defense. For a seventh symbiont-Hamiltonella defensa-studied previously across the same study periods, we tested whether a reported correlation between prevalence and temperature stemmed not from thermally varying host-level fitness effects, but from selection on co-infecting symbionts or on aphid-encoded alleles associated with this bacterium. In general, such "hitchhiking" effects were not evident during times with strongly correlated Hamiltonella and temperature shifts. However, we did identify at least one time period in which Hamiltonella spread was likely driven by selection on a co-infecting symbiont-Rickettsiella viridis. Recognizing the broader potential for such hitchhiking, we explored selection on co-infecting symbionts as a possible driver behind the dynamics of the remaining six species. Out of twelve examined instances of symbiont dynamics unfolding across 2-week periods or overwintering spans, we found eight in which the focal symbiont underwent parallel frequency shifts under single infection and one or more co-infection contexts. This supported the idea that phenotypic variation created by the presence/absence of individual symbionts is a direct target for selection, and that symbiont effects can be robust under co-habitation with other symbionts. Contrastingly, in two cases, we found that selection may target phenotypes emerging from symbiont co-infections, with specific species combinations driving overall trends for the focal dynamic symbionts, without correlated change under single infection. Finally, in three cases-including the one described above for Hamiltonella-our data suggested that incidental co-infection with a (dis)favored symbiont could lead to large frequency shifts for "passenger" symbionts, conferring no apparent cost or benefit. Such hitchhiking has rarely been studied in heritable symbiont systems. We propose that it is more common than appreciated, given the widespread nature of maternally inherited bacteria, and the frequency of multi-species symbiotic communities across insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Carpenter
- Department of Biodiversity, Earth, and Environmental Science, Drexel University, 3250 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; (M.C.); (A.H.S.); (M.O.)
| | - Linyao Peng
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, 3245 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; (L.P.); (J.J.)
| | - Andrew H. Smith
- Department of Biodiversity, Earth, and Environmental Science, Drexel University, 3250 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; (M.C.); (A.H.S.); (M.O.)
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, 3245 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; (L.P.); (J.J.)
| | - Jonah Joffe
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, 3245 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; (L.P.); (J.J.)
| | - Michael O’Connor
- Department of Biodiversity, Earth, and Environmental Science, Drexel University, 3250 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; (M.C.); (A.H.S.); (M.O.)
| | - Kerry M. Oliver
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, 120 Cedar St., Athens, GA 30602, USA;
| | - Jacob A. Russell
- Department of Biodiversity, Earth, and Environmental Science, Drexel University, 3250 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; (M.C.); (A.H.S.); (M.O.)
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, 3245 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; (L.P.); (J.J.)
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Smee MR, Raines SA, Ferrari J. Genetic identity and genotype × genotype interactions between symbionts outweigh species level effects in an insect microbiome. THE ISME JOURNAL 2021; 15:2537-2546. [PMID: 33712703 PMCID: PMC8397793 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-021-00943-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Revised: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Microbial symbionts often alter the phenotype of their host. Benefits and costs to hosts depend on many factors, including host genotype, symbiont species and genotype, and environmental conditions. Here, we present a study demonstrating genotype-by-genotype (G×G) interactions between multiple species of endosymbionts harboured by an insect, and the first to quantify the relative importance of G×G interactions compared with species interactions in such systems. In the most extensive study to date, we microinjected all possible combinations of five Hamiltonella defensa and five Fukatsuia symbiotica (X-type; PAXS) isolates into the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum. We applied several ecological challenges: a parasitoid wasp, a fungal pathogen, heat shock, and performance on different host plants. Surprisingly, genetic identity and genotype × genotype interactions explained far more of the phenotypic variation (on average 22% and 31% respectively) than species identity or species interactions (on average 12% and 0.4%, respectively). We determined the costs and benefits associated with co-infection, and how these compared to corresponding single infections. All phenotypes were highly reliant on individual isolates or interactions between isolates of the co-infecting partners. Our findings highlight the importance of exploring the eco-evolutionary consequences of these highly specific interactions in communities of co-inherited species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie R. Smee
- grid.5685.e0000 0004 1936 9668Department of Biology, University of York, York, UK ,grid.5386.8000000041936877XPresent Address: Microbiology Department, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY USA
| | - Sally A. Raines
- grid.5685.e0000 0004 1936 9668Department of Biology, University of York, York, UK
| | - Julia Ferrari
- grid.5685.e0000 0004 1936 9668Department of Biology, University of York, York, UK
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Vector-borne plant pathogens modify top-down and bottom-up effects on insect herbivores. Oecologia 2021; 196:1085-1093. [PMID: 34272990 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-021-04987-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Ecological theory predicts that host-plant traits affect herbivore population growth rates, which in turn modulates predator-prey interactions. However, while vector-borne plant pathogens often alter traits of both host plants and vectors, a few studies have assessed how pathogens may act as interaction modifiers within tri-trophic food webs. By applying a food web motif framework, we assessed how a vector-borne plant pathogen (Pea-enation mosaic virus, PEMV) modified both bottom-up (plant-herbivore) and top-down (predator-prey) interactions. Specifically, we assessed trophic interactions with PEMV-infectious Acyrthosiphon pisum (pea aphid) vectors compared to non-infectious aphids in a factorial experiment that manipulated predator and plant communities. We show that PEMV altered bi-trophic relationships, whereby on certain plant species, PEMV reduced vector performance but also increased their susceptibility to predators. However, on other plant species, PEMV weakened top-down control or increased vector performance. Our results suggest that vector-borne plant pathogens are important interaction modifiers for plant-herbivore-predator dynamics: host-plant response to viruses can decrease herbivore abundance by reducing herbivore performance, but also increase herbivore abundance by weakening top-down control. Broadly speaking, trophic interactions that regulate herbivore outbreaks appear to be modified for herbivores actively transmitting viruses to host plants. Consequently, management and monitoring of outbreaking herbivores should consider the infection status of focal populations.
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Epiphytic Strains of Pseudomonas syringae Kill Diverse Aphid Species. Appl Environ Microbiol 2021; 87:AEM.00017-21. [PMID: 33741631 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00017-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Interactions between epiphytic bacteria and herbivorous insects are ubiquitous on plants, but little is known about their ecological implications. Aphids are devastating crop pests worldwide, so understanding how epiphytic bacteria impact aphid populations is critically important. Recent evidence demonstrates that plant-associated bacteria, such as Pseudomonas syringae, can be highly virulent to one species of aphid, the pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum). Currently, we have no knowledge on how broad this phenomenon is across diverse aphid species that are of high agricultural concern. In controlled experiments using oral exposure in an artificial diet, we challenged five aphid species of agricultural importance with three strains of P. syringae that vary in virulence to the pea aphid. These strains also vary in epiphytic ability and comprise two phytopathogens and one non-plant-pathogenic strain. In general, differences in virulence to aphids remained relatively constant across strains regardless of the aphid species, except for the bird cherry-oat aphid (Rhopalosiphum padi), which is significantly less susceptible to two P. syringae strains. We demonstrate that lower infection incidence likely plays a role in the reduced susceptibility. Importantly, these data support previous results showing that interactions with epiphytic bacteria are important for aphids and may play a large, but underappreciated, role in insect population dynamics. Our study illustrates a potential role of epiphytic bacteria in the biological control of aphid pests broadly but suggests the need for more research encompassing a greater diversity of pest species.IMPORTANCE Sap-sucking aphids are insects of huge agricultural concern, not only because of direct damage caused by feeding but also because of their ability to transmit various plant pathogens. Some bacteria that grow on leaf surfaces, such as Pseudomonas syringae, can infect and kill aphids, making them potentially useful in the biological control of pest aphids. However, only one aphid species, the pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum), has been tested for infection by P. syringae Here, we challenged five aphid species of agricultural importance with three strains of P. syringae that vary in virulence to the pea aphid. We found that four of these aphid species were susceptible to infection and death, suggesting that these bacteria are broadly useful for biological control. However, one aphid species was much more resistant to infection, indicating that more testing on diverse aphid species is needed.
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21
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Zytynska SE, Tighiouart K, Frago E. Benefits and costs of hosting facultative symbionts in plant-sucking insects: A meta-analysis. Mol Ecol 2021; 30:2483-2494. [PMID: 33756029 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Many animals have evolved associations with symbiotic microbes that benefit the host through increased growth, lifespan, and survival. Some interactions are obligate (essential for survival) while others are facultative (usually beneficial but not essential). Not all individuals host all facultative symbionts in a population, and thus there is probably a trade-off between the cost of hosting these symbionts and the benefits they confer to the host. Plant-sucking insects have been one of the most important models to test these costs and benefits experimentally. This research is now moving beyond the description of symbiont effects towards understanding the mechanisms of action, and their role in the wider ecological community. We present a quantitative and systematic analysis of the published evidence exploring this question. We found that whitefly and true bugs experience benefits through increased growth and fecundity, whereas aphids experience costs to their fecundity but benefits through increased resistance to natural enemies. We also report the lack of data in some plant-sucking groups, and explore variation in effect strengths and directions across aphid host, symbiont and plant species thus highlighting the importance of considering the context dependency of these interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon E Zytynska
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, Institute of Infection, Veterinary & Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | | | - Enric Frago
- CIRAD, UMR PVBMT - Saint-Pierre, La Réunion, France.,CIRAD, CBGP, Montpellier, France.,CBGP, CIRAD, INRA, IRD, Montpellier SupAgro, University Montpellier, Montpellier, France
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22
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Smith AH, O'Connor MP, Deal B, Kotzer C, Lee A, Wagner B, Joffe J, Woloszynek S, Oliver KM, Russell JA. Does getting defensive get you anywhere?-Seasonal balancing selection, temperature, and parasitoids shape real-world, protective endosymbiont dynamics in the pea aphid. Mol Ecol 2021; 30:2449-2472. [PMID: 33876478 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Revised: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Facultative, heritable endosymbionts are found at intermediate prevalence within most insect species, playing frequent roles in their hosts' defence against environmental pressures. Focusing on Hamiltonella defensa, a common bacterial endosymbiont of aphids, we tested the hypothesis that such pressures impose seasonal balancing selection, shaping a widespread infection polymorphism. In our studied pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum) population, Hamiltonella frequencies ranged from 23.2% to 68.1% across a six-month longitudinal survey. Rapid spikes and declines were often consistent across fields, and we estimated that selection coefficients for Hamiltonella-infected aphids changed sign within this field season. Prior laboratory research suggested antiparasitoid defence as the major Hamiltonella benefit, and costs under parasitoid absence. While a prior field study suggested these forces can sometimes act as counter-weights in a regime of seasonal balancing selection, our present survey showed no significant relationship between parasitoid wasps and Hamiltonella prevalence. Field cage experiments provided some explanation: parasitoids drove modest ~10% boosts to Hamiltonella frequencies that would be hard to detect under less controlled conditions. They also showed that Hamiltonella was not always costly under parasitoid exclusion, contradicting another prediction. Instead, our longitudinal survey - and two overwintering studies - showed temperature to be the strongest predictor of Hamiltonella prevalence. Matching some prior lab discoveries, this suggested that thermally sensitive costs and benefits, unrelated to parasitism, can shape Hamiltonella dynamics. These results add to a growing body of evidence for rapid, seasonal adaptation in multivoltine organisms, suggesting that such adaptation can be mediated through the diverse impacts of heritable bacterial endosymbionts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew H Smith
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Michael P O'Connor
- Department of Biodiversity, Earth, and Environmental Science, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Brooke Deal
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Coleman Kotzer
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Amanda Lee
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Barrett Wagner
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jonah Joffe
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Kerry M Oliver
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Jacob A Russell
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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23
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Intraspecific variation in immune gene expression and heritable symbiont density. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1009552. [PMID: 33901257 PMCID: PMC8102006 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2021] [Revised: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Host genetic variation plays an important role in the structure and function of heritable microbial communities. Recent studies have shown that insects use immune mechanisms to regulate heritable symbionts. Here we test the hypothesis that variation in symbiont density among hosts is linked to intraspecific differences in the immune response to harboring symbionts. We show that pea aphids (Acyrthosiphon pisum) harboring the bacterial endosymbiont Regiella insecticola (but not all other species of symbionts) downregulate expression of key immune genes. We then functionally link immune expression with symbiont density using RNAi. The pea aphid species complex is comprised of multiple reproductively-isolated host plant-adapted populations. These ‘biotypes’ have distinct patterns of symbiont infections: for example, aphids from the Trifolium biotype are strongly associated with Regiella. Using RNAseq, we compare patterns of gene expression in response to Regiella in aphid genotypes from multiple biotypes, and we show that Trifolium aphids experience no downregulation of immune gene expression while hosting Regiella and harbor symbionts at lower densities. Using F1 hybrids between two biotypes, we find that symbiont density and immune gene expression are both intermediate in hybrids. We propose that in this system, Regiella symbionts are suppressing aphid immune mechanisms to increase their density, but that some hosts have adapted to prevent immune suppression in order to control symbiont numbers. This work therefore suggests that antagonistic coevolution can play a role in host-microbe interactions even when symbionts are transmitted vertically and provide a clear benefit to their hosts. The specific immune mechanisms that we find are downregulated in the presence of Regiella have been previously shown to combat pathogens in aphids, and thus this work also highlights the immune system’s complex dual role in interacting with both beneficial and harmful microbes. Insects frequently form beneficial partnerships with heritable microbes that are passed from mothers to offspring. Natural populations exhibit a great deal of variation in the frequency of heritable microbes and in the within-host density of these infections. Uncovering the mechanisms underlying variation in host-microbe interactions is key to understanding how they evolve. We study a model host-microbe interaction: the pea aphid and a heritable bacterium that makes aphids resistant to fungal pathogens. We show that aphids harboring bacteria show sharply reduced expression of innate immune system genes, and that this leads to increased densities of symbionts. We further show that populations of aphids that live on different species of plants vary in differential immune gene expression and in the density of their symbiont infections. This study contributes to our mechanistic understanding of an important model of host-microbe symbiosis and suggests that hosts and heritable microbes are evolving antagonistically. This work also sheds light on how invertebrate immune systems evolve to manage the complex task of combatting harmful pathogens while accommodating potentially beneficial microbes.
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24
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Abstract
Bacteriophages (phages) are ubiquitous in nature. These viruses play a number of central roles in microbial ecology and evolution by, for instance, promoting horizontal gene transfer (HGT) among bacterial species. The ability of phages to mediate HGT through transduction has been widely exploited as an experimental tool for the genetic study of bacteria. As such, bacteriophage P1 represents a prototypical generalized transducing phage with a broad host range that has been extensively employed in the genetic manipulation of Escherichia coli and a number of other model bacterial species. Here we demonstrate that P1 is capable of infecting, lysogenizing, and promoting transduction in members of the bacterial genus Sodalis, including the maternally inherited insect endosymbiont Sodalis glossinidius. While establishing new tools for the genetic study of these bacterial species, our results suggest that P1 may be used to deliver DNA to many Gram-negative endosymbionts in their insect host, thereby circumventing a culturing requirement to genetically manipulate these organisms. IMPORTANCE A large number of economically important insects maintain intimate associations with maternally inherited endosymbiotic bacteria. Due to the inherent nature of these associations, insect endosymbionts cannot be usually isolated in pure culture or genetically manipulated. Here we use a broad-host-range bacteriophage to deliver exogenous DNA to an insect endosymbiont and a closely related free-living species. Our results suggest that broad-host-range bacteriophages can be used to genetically alter insect endosymbionts in their insect host and, as a result, bypass a culturing requirement to genetically alter these bacteria.
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25
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Parker BJ, Hrček J, McLean AHC, Brisson JA, Godfray HCJ. Intraspecific variation in symbiont density in an insect-microbe symbiosis. Mol Ecol 2021; 30:1559-1569. [PMID: 33512733 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Revised: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Many insects host vertically transmitted microbes, which can confer benefits to their hosts but are costly to maintain and regulate. A key feature of these symbioses is variation: for example, symbiont density can vary among host and symbiont genotypes. However, the evolutionary forces maintaining this variation remain unclear. We studied variation in symbiont density using the pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum) and the bacterium Regiella insecticola, a symbiont that can protect its host against fungal pathogens. We found that relative symbiont density varies both between two Regiella phylogenetic clades and among aphid "biotypes." Higher density symbiont infections are correlated with stronger survival costs, but variation in density has little effect on the protection Regiella provides against fungi. Instead, we found that in some aphid genotypes, a dramatic decline in symbiont density precedes the loss of a symbiont infection. Together, our data suggest that the optimal density of a symbiont infection is likely different from the perspective of aphid and microbial fitness. Regiella might prevent loss by maintaining high within-host densities, but hosts do not appear to benefit from higher symbiont numbers and may be advantaged by losing costly symbionts in certain environments. The standing variation in symbiont density observed in natural populations could therefore be maintained by antagonistic coevolutionary interactions between hosts and their symbiotic microbes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin J Parker
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Department of Microbiology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA.,Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Jan Hrček
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
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26
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Parker BJ, Driscoll RMH, Grantham ME, Hrcek J, Brisson JA. Wing plasticity and associated gene expression varies across the pea aphid biotype complex. Evolution 2021; 75:1143-1149. [PMID: 33527425 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Developmental phenotypic plasticity is a widespread phenomenon that allows organisms to produce different adult phenotypes in response to different environments. Investigating the molecular mechanisms underlying plasticity has the potential to reveal the precise changes that lead to the evolution of plasticity as a phenotype. Here, we study wing plasticity in multiple host-plant adapted populations of pea aphids as a model for understanding adaptation to different environments within a single species. We describe the wing plasticity response of different "biotypes" to a crowded environment and find differences within as well as among biotypes. We then use transcriptome profiling to compare a highly plastic pea aphid genotype to one that shows no plasticity and find that the latter exhibits no gene expression differences between environments. We conclude that the loss of plasticity has been accompanied by a loss of differential gene expression and therefore that genetic assimilation has occurred. Our gene expression results generalize previous studies that have shown a correlation between plasticity in morphology and gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin J Parker
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA.,Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX13PS, UK.,Department of Microbiology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37916, USA
| | - Rose M H Driscoll
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA
| | - Mary E Grantham
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA
| | - Jan Hrcek
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX13PS, UK.,Czech Academy of Sciences, Biology Centre, Institute of Entomology, Branisovska 31, Ceske Budejovice, 37005, Czech Republic
| | - Jennifer A Brisson
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA
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27
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Izraeli Y, Lalzar M, Netanel N, Mozes-Daube N, Steinberg S, Chiel E, Zchori-Fein E. Wolbachia influence on the fitness of Anagyrus vladimiri (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae), a bio-control agent of mealybugs. PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2021; 77:1023-1034. [PMID: 33002324 DOI: 10.1002/ps.6117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Revised: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 10/01/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Like numerous other animals, biocontrol agents (BCAs) of arthropod pests carry various microorganisms that may have diverse effects on the biology of their eukaryote hosts. We postulated that it is possible to improve the efficacy of BCAs by manipulating the composition of their associated microbiota. The parasitoid wasp Anagyrus vladimiri (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) from a mass-rearing facility was chosen for testing this hypothesis. RESULTS High-throughput sequencing analysis indicated that fungal abundance in A. vladimiri was low and variable, whereas the bacterial community was dominated by the endosymbiont Wolbachia. Wolbachia was fixed in the mass-rearing population, whereas in field-collected A. vladimiri Wolbachia's prevalence was only approximately 20%. Identification of Wolbachia strains from the two populations by Multi Locus Sequence Typing, revealed two closely related but unique strains. A series of bioassays with the mass-rearing Wolbachia-fixed (W+ ) and a derived antibiotic-treated Wolbachia-free (W- ) lines revealed that: (i) Wolbachia does not induce reproductive manipulations; (ii) W- females have higher fecundity when reared individually, but not when reared with conspecifics; (iii) W+ females outcompete W- when they share hosts for oviposition; (iv) longevity and developmental time were similar in both lines. CONCLUSIONS The findings suggest that W+ A. vladimiri have no clear fitness benefit under mass-rearing conditions and may be disadvantageous under lab-controlled conditions. In a broader view, the results suggest that augmentative biological control can benefit from manipulation of the microbiome of natural enemies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yehuda Izraeli
- Department of Evolution and Environmental Biology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- Department of Entomology, ARO Newe Ya'ar Research Center, Ramat Yishay, Israel
| | - Maya Lalzar
- Bioinformatic Department, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Nir Netanel
- Department of Evolution and Environmental Biology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- Department of Entomology, ARO Newe Ya'ar Research Center, Ramat Yishay, Israel
| | - Netta Mozes-Daube
- Department of Entomology, ARO Newe Ya'ar Research Center, Ramat Yishay, Israel
| | | | - Elad Chiel
- Department of Biology and Environment, University of Haifa-Oranim, Kiryat Tiv'on, Israel
| | - Einat Zchori-Fein
- Department of Entomology, ARO Newe Ya'ar Research Center, Ramat Yishay, Israel
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28
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McLean AHC, Parker BJ. Variation in intrinsic resistance of pea aphids to parasitoid wasps: A transcriptomic basis. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0242159. [PMID: 33206703 PMCID: PMC7673541 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0242159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Evolutionary interactions between parasitoid wasps and insect hosts have been well studied at the organismal level, but little is known about the molecular mechanisms that insects use to resist wasp parasitism. Here we study the interaction between a braconid wasp (Aphidius ervi) and its pea aphid host (Acyrthosiphon pisum). We first identify variation in resistance to wasp parasitism that can be attributed to aphid genotype. We then use transcriptome sequencing to identify genes in the aphid genome that are differentially expressed at an early stage of parasitism, and we compare these patterns in highly resistant and susceptible aphid host lines. We find that resistant genotypes are upregulating genes involved in carbohydrate metabolism and several key innate immune system genes in response to parasitism, but that this response seems to be weaker in susceptible aphid genotypes. Together, our results provide a first look into the complex molecular mechanisms that underlie aphid resistance to wasp parasitism and contribute to a broader understanding of how resistance mechanisms evolve in natural populations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Benjamin J. Parker
- Department of Microbiology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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29
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Wang ZL, Pan HB, Wu W, Li MY, Yu XP. The gut bacterial flora associated with brown planthopper is affected by host rice varieties. Arch Microbiol 2020; 203:325-333. [PMID: 32940717 DOI: 10.1007/s00203-020-02013-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Revised: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Gut microbiota plays vital roles in the development, evolution and environmental adaptation of the host insects. The brown planthopper (BPH) is one of the most destructive pests of rice, but little is known about its gut microbiota. In this study, we investigated the gut bacterial communities in two BPH populations feeding on susceptible and resistant rice varieties by high-throughput amplicon sequencing. Our results revealed that the gut bacterial communities in BPH were species diverse. A total of 29 phyla and 367 genera were captured, with Proteobacteria and Acinetobacter being the most prominent phylum and genus, respectively. Comparative analysis showed that significant differences in the profile of gut bacterial communities existed between the two BPH populations. The species richness detected in the population feeding on the resistant rice variety was significantly higher than that in the population rearing on the susceptible rice variety. Although the most dominant gut bacteria at all taxonomic levels showed no significant differences between the two BPH populations, the relative abundances of two subdominant phyla (Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes) and two subdominant classes (Bacteroidia and Clostridia) were significantly different. FAPROTAX analysis further indicated that host rice varieties might induce changes of the gut bacterial flora in BPH, as significant differences in five metabolism-related functional categories (fermentation, methylotrophy, xylanolysis, nitrate reduction and ureolysis) were detected between the two BPH populations. Our results are informative for studies which focused on the interactions between BPH and its symbiotic microbes and could also provide the basis of future BPH biological management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng-Liang Wang
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Biometrology and Inspection and Quarantine, College of Life Sciences, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, 310018, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Hai-Bo Pan
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Biometrology and Inspection and Quarantine, College of Life Sciences, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, 310018, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Wu
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Biometrology and Inspection and Quarantine, College of Life Sciences, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, 310018, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Mu-Yu Li
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Biometrology and Inspection and Quarantine, College of Life Sciences, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, 310018, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiao-Ping Yu
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Biometrology and Inspection and Quarantine, College of Life Sciences, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, 310018, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China.
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30
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McLean AHC, Hrček J, Parker BJ, Mathé-Hubert H, Kaech H, Paine C, Godfray HCJ. Multiple phenotypes conferred by a single insect symbiont are independent. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20200562. [PMID: 32546097 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.0562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Many microbial symbionts have multiple phenotypic consequences for their animal hosts. However, the ways in which different symbiont-mediated phenotypes combine to affect fitness are not well understood. We investigated whether there are correlations between different symbiont-mediated phenotypes. We used the symbiont Spiroplasma, a striking example of a bacterial symbiont conferring diverse phenotypes on insect hosts. We took 11 strains of Spiroplasma infecting pea aphids (Acyrthosiphon pisum) and assessed their ability to provide protection against the fungal pathogen Pandora neoaphidis and the parasitoids Aphidius ervi and Praon volucre. We also assessed effects on male offspring production for five of the Spiroplasma strains. All but one of the Spiroplasma strains provided very strong protection against the parasitoid P. volucre. As previously reported, variable protection against P. neoaphidis and A. ervi was also present; male-killing was likewise a variable phenotype. We find no evidence of any correlation, positive or negative, between the different phenotypes, nor was there any evidence of an effect of symbiont phylogeny on protective phenotype. We conclude that multiple symbiont-mediated phenotypes can evolve independently from one another without trade-offs between them.
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Affiliation(s)
- A H C McLean
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, UK
| | - J Hrček
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, UK
| | - B J Parker
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, UK
| | - H Mathé-Hubert
- Eawag, Überlandstrasse 133, CH-8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - H Kaech
- Eawag, Überlandstrasse 133, CH-8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - C Paine
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, UK
| | - H C J Godfray
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, UK
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31
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Xu S, Jiang L, Qiao G, Chen J. The Bacterial Flora Associated with the Polyphagous Aphid Aphis gossypii Glover (Hemiptera: Aphididae) Is Strongly Affected by Host Plants. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2020; 79:971-984. [PMID: 31802184 PMCID: PMC7198476 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-019-01435-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2019] [Accepted: 08/28/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Aphids live in symbiosis with a variety of bacteria, including the obligate symbiont Buchnera aphidicola and diverse facultative symbionts. The symbiotic associations for one aphid species, especially for polyphagous species, often differ across populations. In the present study, by using high-throughput 16S rRNA sequencing, we surveyed in detail the microbiota in natural populations of the cotton aphid Aphis gossypii in China and assessed differences in bacterial diversity with respect to host plant and geography. The microbial community of A. gossypii was dominated by a few heritable symbionts. Arsenophonus was the most dominant secondary symbiont, and Spiroplasma was detected for the first time. Statistical tests and ordination analyses showed that host plants rather than geography seemed to have shaped the associated symbiont composition. Special symbiont communities inhabited the Cucurbitaceae-feeding populations, which supported the ecological specialization of A. gossypii on cucurbits from the viewpoint of symbiotic bacteria. Correlation analysis suggested antagonistic interactions between Buchnera and coexisting secondary symbionts and more complicated interactions between different secondary symbionts. Our findings lend further support to an important role of the host plant in structuring symbiont communities of polyphagous aphids and will improve our understanding of the interactions among phytophagous insects, symbionts, and environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shifen Xu
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Liyun Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Gexia Qiao
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
| | - Jing Chen
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
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32
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Xu TT, Jiang LY, Chen J, Qiao GX. Host Plants Influence the Symbiont Diversity of Eriosomatinae (Hemiptera: Aphididae). INSECTS 2020; 11:E217. [PMID: 32244698 PMCID: PMC7240687 DOI: 10.3390/insects11040217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2020] [Revised: 03/16/2020] [Accepted: 03/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Eriosomatinae is a particular aphid group with typically heteroecious holocyclic life cycle, exhibiting strong primary host plant specialization and inducing galls on primary host plants. Aphids are frequently associated with bacterial symbionts, which can play fundamental roles in the ecology and evolution of their host aphids. However, the bacterial communities in Eriosomatinae are poorly known. In the present study, using high-throughput sequencing of the bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA gene, we surveyed the bacterial flora of eriosomatines and explored the associations between symbiont diversity and aphid relatedness, aphid host plant and geographical distribution. The microbiota of Eriosomatinae is dominated by the heritable primary endosymbiont Buchnera and several facultative symbionts. The primary endosymbiont Buchnera is expectedly the most abundant symbiont across all species. Six facultative symbionts were identified. Regiella was the most commonly identified facultative symbiont, and multiple infections of facultative symbionts were detected in the majority of the samples. Ordination analyses and statistical tests show that the symbiont community of aphids feeding on plants from the family Ulmaceae were distinguishable from aphids feeding on other host plants. Species in Eriosomatinae feeding on different plants are likely to carry different symbiont compositions. The symbiont distributions seem to be not related to taxonomic distance and geographical distance. Our findings suggest that host plants can affect symbiont maintenance, and will improve our understanding of the interactions between aphids, their symbionts and ecological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting-Ting Xu
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; (T.-T.X.); (L.-Y.J.)
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Li-Yun Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; (T.-T.X.); (L.-Y.J.)
| | - Jing Chen
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; (T.-T.X.); (L.-Y.J.)
| | - Ge-Xia Qiao
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; (T.-T.X.); (L.-Y.J.)
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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Heyworth ER, Smee MR, Ferrari J. Aphid Facultative Symbionts Aid Recovery of Their Obligate Symbiont and Their Host After Heat Stress. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.00056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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More Is Not Always Better: Coinfections with Defensive Symbionts Generate Highly Variable Outcomes. Appl Environ Microbiol 2020; 86:AEM.02537-19. [PMID: 31862723 DOI: 10.1128/aem.02537-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2019] [Accepted: 12/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal-associated microbes are highly variable, contributing to a diverse set of symbiont-mediated phenotypes. Given that host and symbiont genotypes, and their interactions, can impact symbiont-based phenotypes across environments, there is potential for extensive variation in fitness outcomes. Pea aphids, Acyrthosiphon pisum, host a diverse assemblage of heritable facultative symbionts (HFS) with characterized roles in host defense. Protective phenotypes have been largely studied as single infections, but pea aphids often carry multiple HFS species, and particular combinations may be enriched or depleted compared to expectations based on chance. Here, we examined the consequences of single infection versus coinfection with two common HFS exhibiting variable enrichment, the antiparasitoid Hamiltonella defensa and the antipathogen Regiella insecticola, across three host genotypes and environments. As expected, single infections with either H. defensa or R. insecticola raised defenses against their respective targets. Single infections with protective H. defensa lowered aphid fitness in the absence of enemy challenge, while R. insecticola was comparatively benign. However, as a coinfection, R. insecticola ameliorated H. defensa infection costs. Coinfected aphids continued to receive antiparasitoid protection from H. defensa, but protection was weakened by R. insecticola in two clones. Notably, H. defensa eliminated survival benefits conferred after pathogen exposure by coinfecting R. insecticola Since pathogen sporulation was suppressed by R. insecticola in coinfected aphids, the poor performance likely stemmed from H. defensa-imposed costs rather than weakened defenses. Our results reveal a complex set of coinfection outcomes which may partially explain natural infection patterns and suggest that symbiont-based phenotypes may not be easily predicted based solely on infection status.IMPORTANCE The hyperdiverse arthropods often harbor maternally transmitted bacteria that protect against natural enemies. In many species, low-diversity communities of heritable symbionts are common, providing opportunities for cooperation and conflict among symbionts, which can impact the defensive services rendered. Using the pea aphid, a model for defensive symbiosis, we show that coinfections with two common defensive symbionts, the antipathogen Regiella and the antiparasite Hamiltonella, produce outcomes that are highly variable compared to single infections, which consistently protect against designated enemies. Compared to single infections, coinfections often reduced defensive services during enemy challenge yet improved aphid fitness in the absence of enemies. Thus, infection with multiple symbionts does not necessarily create generalist aphids with "Swiss army knife" defenses against numerous enemies. Instead, particular combinations of symbionts may be favored for a variety of reasons, including their abilities to lessen the costs of other defensive symbionts when enemies are not present.
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Sochard C, Leclair M, Simon JC, Outreman Y. Host plant effects on the outcomes of defensive symbioses in the pea aphid complex. Evol Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-019-10005-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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36
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Guidolin AS, Cônsoli FL. No fitness costs are induced by Spiroplasma infections of Aphis citricidus reared on two different host plants. BRAZ J BIOL 2019; 80:311-318. [PMID: 31291403 DOI: 10.1590/1519-6984.201210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2018] [Accepted: 12/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Aphids can harbor several secondary symbionts that alter important aphid-related ecological traits, such as defense against natural enemies, heat tolerance and host plant utilization. One of these secondary symbionts, Spiroplasma, is well known in Drosophila as a sex modulator and by interacting with the host immune system. However, little is known on the effects of Spiroplasma on aphids, such as its influence on the host immune defense against fungi and on host plant utilization. Aphid infections by Spiroplasma are known to be low and few aphid species were reported to be infected with this secondary symbiont, however aphids belonging to the genus Aphis in neotropical regions show high infection rates by Spiroplasma. Thus, we investigated the association of Spiroplasma with the tropical aphid Aphis citricidus through comparative biology experiments on two host plants with different nutritional value to the aphid. We demonstrate Spiroplasma induced no significant fitness costs to A. citricidus on either host plant as no changes in the fitness traits we assessed were observed. Spiroplasma infection only induced sutle changes on host longevity and fecundity. Therefore, we concluded Spiroplasma established a neutral interaction with A. citricidus under the selection pressure we tested, and argue on stress conditions that could better demonstrate the role of Spiroplasma in A. citricidus bioecology and associated costs involved.
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Affiliation(s)
- A S Guidolin
- Laboratório de Interações em Insetos, Departamento de Entomologia e Acarologia, Escola Superior de Agricultura "Luiz de Queiroz" - ESALQ, Univerisdade de São Paulo - USP, Av. Pádua Dias, 11, CEP , Piracicaba, SP, Brasil
| | - F L Cônsoli
- Laboratório de Interações em Insetos, Departamento de Entomologia e Acarologia, Escola Superior de Agricultura "Luiz de Queiroz" - ESALQ, Univerisdade de São Paulo - USP, Av. Pádua Dias, 11, CEP , Piracicaba, SP, Brasil
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Mathé-Hubert H, Kaech H, Ganesanandamoorthy P, Vorburger C. Evolutionary costs and benefits of infection with diverse strains of Spiroplasma in pea aphids. Evolution 2019; 73:1466-1481. [PMID: 30990223 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2018] [Revised: 03/27/2019] [Accepted: 03/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The heritable endosymbiont Spiroplasma infects many insects and has repeatedly evolved the ability to protect its hosts against different parasites. Defenses do not come for free to the host, and theory predicts that more costly symbionts need to provide stronger benefits to persist in host populations. We investigated the costs and benefits of Spiroplasma infections in pea aphids (Acyrthosiphon pisum), testing 12 bacterial strains from three different clades. Virtually all strains decreased aphid lifespan and reproduction, but only two had a (weak) protective effect against the parasitoid Aphidius ervi, an important natural enemy of pea aphids. Spiroplasma-induced fitness costs were variable, with strains from the most slowly evolving clade reaching higher titers and curtailing aphid lifespan more strongly than other strains. Some Spiroplasma strains shared their host with a second endosymbiont, Regiella insecticola. Although the result of an unfortunate handling error, these co-infections proved instructive, because they showed that the cost of infection with Spiroplasma may be attenuated in the presence of Regiella. These results suggest that mechanisms other than protection against A. ervi maintain pea aphid infections with diverse strains of Spiroplasma, and that studying them in isolation will not provide a complete picture of their effects on host fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugo Mathé-Hubert
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 133, 8600, Dübendorf, Switzerland.,Current Address: LIEC UMR 7360, Université de Lorraine and CNRS, Metz, France
| | - Heidi Kaech
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 133, 8600, Dübendorf, Switzerland.,Institute of Integrative Biology, Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich, Universitätsstrasse 16, 8092, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Pravin Ganesanandamoorthy
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 133, 8600, Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Christoph Vorburger
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 133, 8600, Dübendorf, Switzerland.,Institute of Integrative Biology, Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich, Universitätsstrasse 16, 8092, Zürich, Switzerland
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Reyes ML, Laughton AM, Parker BJ, Wichmann H, Fan M, Sok D, Hrček J, Acevedo T, Gerardo NM. The influence of symbiotic bacteria on reproductive strategies and wing polyphenism in pea aphids responding to stress. J Anim Ecol 2019; 88:601-611. [PMID: 30629747 PMCID: PMC6453707 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2018] [Accepted: 11/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Environmental stressors can be key drivers of phenotypes, including reproductive strategies and morphological traits. The response to stress may be altered by the presence of microbial associates. For example, in aphids, facultative (secondary) bacterial symbionts can provide protection against natural enemies and stress induced by elevated temperatures. Furthermore, aphids exhibit phenotypic plasticity, producing winged (rather than wingless) progeny that may be better able to escape danger, and the combination of these factors improves the response to stress. How symbionts and phenotypic plasticity, both of which shape aphids' stress response, influence one another, and together influence host fitness, remains unclear. In this study, we investigate how environmental stressors drive shifts in fecundity and winged/wingless offspring production, and how secondary symbionts influence the process. We induced production of winged offspring through distinct environmental stressors, including exposure to aphid alarm pheromone and crowding, and, in one experiment, we assessed whether the aphid response is influenced by host plant. In the winged morph, energy needed for wing maintenance may lead to trade-offs with other traits, such as reproduction or symbiont maintenance. Potential trade-offs between symbiont maintenance and fitness have been proposed but have not been tested. Thus, beyond studying the production of offspring of alternative morphs, we also explore the influence of symbionts across wing/wingless polyphenism as well as symbiont interaction with cross-generational impacts of environmental stress on reproductive output. All environmental stressors resulted in increased production of winged offspring and shifts in fecundity rates. Additionally, in some cases, aphid host-by-symbiont interactions influenced fecundity. Stress on first-generation aphids had cross-generational impacts on second-generation adults, and the impact on fecundity was further influenced by the presence of secondary symbionts and presence/absence of wings. Our study suggests a complex interaction between beneficial symbionts and environmental stressors. Winged aphids have the advantage of being able to migrate out of danger with more ease, but energy needed for wing production and maintenance may come with reproductive costs for their mothers and for themselves, where in certain cases, these costs are altered by secondary symbionts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel L. Reyes
- Clayton State University, Department of Biology, Morrow, GA, 30260
- Emory University, Department of Biology, O. Wayne Rollins Research Center, Atlanta, GA 30322
| | - Alice M. Laughton
- Emory University, Department of Biology, O. Wayne Rollins Research Center, Atlanta, GA 30322
| | - Benjamin J. Parker
- University of Oxford, Department of Zoology, The Tinbergen Building, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PS, UK
- University of Rochester, Department of Biology, Rochester, NY, 14627
| | - Hannah Wichmann
- Emory University, Department of Biology, O. Wayne Rollins Research Center, Atlanta, GA 30322
| | - Maretta Fan
- Emory University, Department of Biology, O. Wayne Rollins Research Center, Atlanta, GA 30322
| | - Daniel Sok
- Emory University, Department of Biology, O. Wayne Rollins Research Center, Atlanta, GA 30322
| | - Jan Hrček
- University of Oxford, Department of Zoology, The Tinbergen Building, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PS, UK
- Czech Academy of Sciences, Biology Centre, Institute of Entomology, Branisovska 31, Ceske Budejovice 37005, Czech Republic
| | - Tarik Acevedo
- Pennsylvania State University, Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, University Park, PA, 16802
| | - Nicole M. Gerardo
- Emory University, Department of Biology, O. Wayne Rollins Research Center, Atlanta, GA 30322
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Qi LD, Sun JT, Hong XY, Li YX. Diversity and Phylogenetic Analyses Reveal Horizontal Transmission of Endosymbionts Between Whiteflies and Their Parasitoids. JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 2019; 112:894-905. [PMID: 30535231 DOI: 10.1093/jee/toy367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Endosymbionts are widely distributed among insects via intraspecific vertical transmission and interspecific horizontal transmission. Parasitoids have attracted considerable interest due to their possible role in the horizontal transmission of endosymbionts. Horizontal transmission of endosymbionts between whiteflies via parasitoids has been revealed in the laboratory. However, whether this occurs under field conditions remains unknown. Here, the diversity and phylogenetic relationships of endosymbionts in 1,350 whiteflies and 36 parasitoids that emerged from whitefly nymphs collected from three locations in Jiangsu Province of China were investigated. Only Rickettsia and Wolbachia were identified in both whiteflies and parasitoids, with an overall infection frequency of 22.67% in whiteflies and 16.67% in parasitoids for Wolbachia and of 12.15% in whiteflies and 25% in parasitoids for Rickettsia. Despite the distant relationship between whiteflies and their parasitoids, phylogenetic analyses revealed that the Rickettsia and Wolbachia individuals collected from the two types of organisms were grouped together. Furthermore, shared haplotypes were also identified, which was consistent with the horizontal transmission of endosymbionts between parasitoids and whiteflies. In addition, a parasitoid resistance-related symbiont, Hamiltonella, was detected in whiteflies at a 100% infection frequency, probably accounting for the relatively low parasitism of the whiteflies in the field. The factors affecting the infection frequency of the four secondary endosymbionts in whiteflies were also examined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lan-Da Qi
- Department of Entomology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jing-Tao Sun
- Department of Entomology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiao-Yue Hong
- Department of Entomology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
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40
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Infection pattern and negative effects of a facultative endosymbiont on its insect host are environment-dependent. Sci Rep 2019; 9:4013. [PMID: 30850675 PMCID: PMC6408509 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-40607-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2018] [Accepted: 02/20/2019] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Regiella insecticola is a bacterial endosymbiont in insects that exhibits a negative effect on the fitness of hosts. Thus, it is not clear why this costly endosymbiont can persist in host populations. Here, we tested a hypothesis that the infection pattern and negative roles of the endosymbiont were not constant but environmentally dependent. The grain aphids Sitobion avenae, belonging to different genotypes and infected with Regiella or not, were used in this study. We found that S. avenae populations were infected with Regiella, Hamiltonella defensa, Serratia symbiotica and Rickettsia. The predominant endosymbionts in the aphid populations varied with season. Serratia and Rickettsia were predominant from December to February while Regiella predominated from March to May. The vertical transmission of Regiella was poorer at high temperature, but following conditioning for seven generations, the transmission rate improved. Regiella inhibited the production of winged aphids at 25 °C, but it did not affect winged morph production at the higher temperatures of 28 °C and 31 °C. Regiella infection decreased the intrinsic rate of increase (rm) of aphids at 25 °C and 28 °C. However, at 31 °C, the effect of Regiella on the rm varied depending on the aphid genotype and density. Thus, the negative effects of this endosymbiont on its host were environmentally dependent.
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41
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Fakhour S, Ambroise J, Renoz F, Foray V, Gala JL, Hance T. A large-scale field study of bacterial communities in cereal aphid populations across Morocco. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2019; 94:4810747. [PMID: 29346623 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiy003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2017] [Accepted: 01/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Insects are frequently associated with bacteria that can have significant ecological and evolutionary impacts on their hosts. To date, few studies have examined the influence of environmental factors to microbiome composition of aphids. The current work assessed the diversity of bacterial communities of five cereal aphid species (Sitobion avenae, Rhopalosiphum padi, R. maidis, Sipha maydis and Diuraphis noxia) collected across Morocco, covering a wide range of environmental conditions. We aimed to test whether symbiont combinations are host or environment specific. Deep 16S rRNA sequencing enabled us to identify 17 bacterial operational taxonomic units (OTUs). The obligate symbiont Buchnera aphidicola was represented by five OTUs with multiple haplotypes in many single samples. Facultative endosymbionts were presented by a high prevalence of Regiella insecticola and Serratia symbiotica in S. avenae and Si. maydis, respectively. In addition to these symbiotic partners, Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, Pantoea, Erwinia and Staphyloccocus were also identified in aphids, suggesting that the aphid microbiome is not limited to the presence of endosymbiotic bacteria. Beside a significant association between host species and bacterial communities, an inverse correlation was also found between altitude and α-diversity. Overall, our results support that symbiont combinations are mainly host specific.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samir Fakhour
- National Institute of Agronomic Research (INRA), Km 18, 23000 Béni-Mellal, Morocco.,Earth and Life Institute, Biodiversity Research Centre, Université catholique de Louvain, 1348 Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Jérôme Ambroise
- Center for Applied Molecular Technologies (CTMA), Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Université catholique de Louvain, 1200 Woluwe-Saint-Lambert, Belgium
| | - François Renoz
- Earth and Life Institute, Biodiversity Research Centre, Université catholique de Louvain, 1348 Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Vincent Foray
- Centre de Recherche de Biologie cellulaire de Montpellier, (CRBM), UMR 5237 CNRS, Université Montpellier, 1919 Route de Mende, Cedex 5, Montpellier 34293, France
| | - Jean-Luc Gala
- Center for Applied Molecular Technologies (CTMA), Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Université catholique de Louvain, 1200 Woluwe-Saint-Lambert, Belgium
| | - Thierry Hance
- Earth and Life Institute, Biodiversity Research Centre, Université catholique de Louvain, 1348 Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium
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42
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Li S, Liu D, Zhang R, Zhai Y, Huang X, Wang D, Shi X. Effects of a presumably protective endosymbiont on life-history characters and their plasticity for its host aphid on three plants. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:13004-13013. [PMID: 30619600 PMCID: PMC6308870 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2018] [Revised: 09/30/2018] [Accepted: 11/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Hamiltonella defensa is well known for its protective roles against parasitoids for its aphid hosts, but its functional roles in insect-plant interactions are less understood. Thus, the impact of H. defensa infections on life-history characters and the underlying genetic variation for the grain aphid, Sitobion avenae (Fabricius), was explored on three plants (i.e., wheat, oat, and rye). Compared to cured lines, H. defensa infected lines of S. avenae had lower fecundity on wheat and oat, but not on rye, suggesting an infection cost for the aphid on susceptible host plants. However, when tested on rye, the infected lines showed a shorter developmental time for the nymphal stage than corresponding cured lines, showing some benefit for S. avenae carrying the endosymbiont on resistant host plants. The infection of H. defensa altered genetic variation underlying its host S. avenea's life-history characters, which was shown by differences in heritabilities and genetic correlations of life-history characters between S. avenae lines infected and cured of the endosymbiont. This was further substantiated by disparity in G-matrices of their life-history characters for the two types of aphid lines. The G-matrices for life-history characters of aphid lines infected with and cured of H. defensa were significantly different from each other on rye, but not on oat, suggesting strong plant-dependent effects. The developmental durations of infected S. avenae lines showed a lower plasticity compared with those of corresponding cured lines, and this could mean higher adaptability for the infected lines.Overall, our results showed novel functional roles of a common secondary endosymbiont (i.e., H. defensa) in plant-insect interactions, and its infections could have significant consequences for the evolutionary ecology of its host insect populations in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shirong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas (Northwest A&F University)YanglingShaanxi ProvinceChina
- College of Plant ProtectionNorthwest A&F UniversityYanglingShaanxi ProvinceChina
| | - Deguang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas (Northwest A&F University)YanglingShaanxi ProvinceChina
- College of Plant ProtectionNorthwest A&F UniversityYanglingShaanxi ProvinceChina
| | - Rongfang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas (Northwest A&F University)YanglingShaanxi ProvinceChina
- College of Plant ProtectionNorthwest A&F UniversityYanglingShaanxi ProvinceChina
| | - Yingting Zhai
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas (Northwest A&F University)YanglingShaanxi ProvinceChina
- College of Plant ProtectionNorthwest A&F UniversityYanglingShaanxi ProvinceChina
| | - Xianliang Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas (Northwest A&F University)YanglingShaanxi ProvinceChina
- College of Plant ProtectionNorthwest A&F UniversityYanglingShaanxi ProvinceChina
| | - Da Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas (Northwest A&F University)YanglingShaanxi ProvinceChina
- College of Plant ProtectionNorthwest A&F UniversityYanglingShaanxi ProvinceChina
| | - Xiaoqin Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas (Northwest A&F University)YanglingShaanxi ProvinceChina
- College of Plant ProtectionNorthwest A&F UniversityYanglingShaanxi ProvinceChina
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43
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Zélé F, Santos JL, Godinho DP, Magalhães S. Wolbachia both aids and hampers the performance of spider mites on different host plants. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2018; 94:5097780. [DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiy187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2018] [Accepted: 09/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Flore Zélé
- cE3c: Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciěncias da Universidade de Lisboa, Edificio C2, Piso-3, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Joaquim L Santos
- cE3c: Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciěncias da Universidade de Lisboa, Edificio C2, Piso-3, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Diogo P Godinho
- cE3c: Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciěncias da Universidade de Lisboa, Edificio C2, Piso-3, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Sara Magalhães
- cE3c: Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciěncias da Universidade de Lisboa, Edificio C2, Piso-3, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal
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44
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Hrček J, Parker BJ, McLean AHC, Simon JC, Mann CM, Godfray HCJ. Hosts do not simply outsource pathogen resistance to protective symbionts. Evolution 2018; 72:1488-1499. [PMID: 29808565 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2017] [Accepted: 05/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Microbial symbionts commonly protect their hosts from natural enemies, but it is unclear how protective symbionts influence the evolution of host immunity to pathogens. One possibility is that 'extrinsic' protection provided by symbionts allows hosts to reduce investment in 'intrinsic' immunological resistance mechanisms. We tested this idea using pea aphids (Acyrthosiphon pisum) and their facultative bacterial symbionts that increase host resistance to the fungal pathogen Pandora neoaphidis. The pea aphid taxon is composed of multiple host plant associated populations called biotypes, which harbor characteristic communities of symbionts. We found that biotypes that more frequently carry protective symbionts have higher, rather than lower, levels of intrinsic resistance. Within a biotype there was no difference in intrinsic resistance between clones that did and did not carry a protective symbiont. The host plant on which an aphid feeds did not strongly influence intrinsic resistance. We describe a simple conceptual model of the interaction between intrinsic and extrinsic resistance and suggest that our results may be explained by selection favoring both the acquisition of protective symbionts and enhanced intrinsic resistance in habitats with high pathogen pressure. Such combined protection is potentially more robust than intrinsic resistance alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Hrček
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PS, United Kingdom
- Current address: Czech Academy of Sciences, Biology Centre, Institute of Entomology, Branisovska 31, Ceske Budejovice 37005, Czech Republic
| | - Benjamin J Parker
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PS, United Kingdom
- Present address: Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Hutchison Hall, Box 270211, Rochester, New York 14627
| | - Ailsa H C McLean
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PS, United Kingdom
| | - Jean-Christophe Simon
- Institut de Génétique, Environnement et Protection des Plantes, UMR 1349 INRA, Agrocampus Ouest, Université Rennes 1, 35653 Le Rheu Cedex 5, France
| | - Ciara M Mann
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PS, United Kingdom
| | - H Charles J Godfray
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PS, United Kingdom
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45
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Guidolin AS, Cataldi TR, Labate CA, Francis F, Cônsoli FL. Spiroplasma affects host aphid proteomics feeding on two nutritional resources. Sci Rep 2018; 8:2466. [PMID: 29410456 PMCID: PMC5802742 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-20497-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2017] [Accepted: 01/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial symbionts are broadly distributed among insects, influencing their bioecology to different degrees. Aphids carry a number of secondary symbionts that can influence aphid physiology and fitness attributes. Spiroplasma is seldom reported as an aphid symbiont, but a high level of infection has been observed in one population of the tropical aphid Aphis citricidus. We used sister isolines of Spiroplasma-infected (Ac-BS) and Spiroplasma-free (Ac-B) aphids reared on sweet orange (optimum host) and orange jasmine (suboptimum host) to demonstrate the effects of Spiroplasma infection in the aphid proteome profile. A higher number of proteins were differently abundant in aphids feeding on orange jasmine, indicating an impact of host plant quality. In both host plants, the majority of proteins affected by Spiroplasma infection were heat shock proteins, proteins linked to cell function and structure, and energy metabolism. Spiroplasma also induced changes in proteins involved in antimicrobial activity, carbohydrate processing and metabolism, amino acid synthesis and metabolism in aphids feeding on orange jasmine. We discuss on how the aphid host proteome is differentially affected by Spiroplasma infection when the host is exploiting host plants with different nutritional values.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aline Sartori Guidolin
- Insect Interactions Laboratory, Department of Entomology and Acarology, ESALQ, University of São Paulo, Av. Pádua Dias 11, 13418-900, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Thaís Regiani Cataldi
- Max Feffer Laboratory of Plant Genetics, Department of Genetics, ESALQ, University of São Paulo, Av. Pádua Dias 11, 13418-900, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Carlos Alberto Labate
- Max Feffer Laboratory of Plant Genetics, Department of Genetics, ESALQ, University of São Paulo, Av. Pádua Dias 11, 13418-900, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Frederic Francis
- Entomologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, Université de Liège, 2 Passage des Déportés, 5030, Gembloux, Belgium
| | - Fernando Luis Cônsoli
- Insect Interactions Laboratory, Department of Entomology and Acarology, ESALQ, University of São Paulo, Av. Pádua Dias 11, 13418-900, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil.
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46
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Xia X, Sun B, Gurr GM, Vasseur L, Xue M, You M. Gut Microbiota Mediate Insecticide Resistance in the Diamondback Moth, Plutella xylostella (L.). Front Microbiol 2018; 9:25. [PMID: 29410659 PMCID: PMC5787075 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.00025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2017] [Accepted: 01/08/2018] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The development of insecticide resistance in insect pests is a worldwide concern and elucidating the underlying mechanisms is critical for effective crop protection. Recent studies have indicated potential links between insect gut microbiota and insecticide resistance and these may apply to the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.), a globally and economically important pest of cruciferous crops. We isolated Enterococcus sp. (Firmicutes), Enterobacter sp. (Proteobacteria), and Serratia sp. (Proteobacteria) from the guts of P. xylostella and analyzed the effects on, and underlying mechanisms of insecticide resistance. Enterococcus sp. enhanced resistance to the widely used insecticide, chlorpyrifos, in P. xylostella, while in contrast, Serratia sp. decreased resistance and Enterobacter sp. and all strains of heat-killed bacteria had no effect. Importantly, the direct degradation of chlorpyrifos in vitro was consistent among the three strains of bacteria. We found that Enterococcus sp., vitamin C, and acetylsalicylic acid enhanced insecticide resistance in P. xylostella and had similar effects on expression of P. xylostella antimicrobial peptides. Expression of cecropin was down-regulated by the two compounds, while gloverin was up-regulated. Bacteria that were not associated with insecticide resistance induced contrasting gene expression profiles to Enterococcus sp. and the compounds. Our studies confirmed that gut bacteria play an important role in P. xylostella insecticide resistance, but the main mechanism is not direct detoxification of insecticides by gut bacteria. We also suggest that the influence of gut bacteria on insecticide resistance may depend on effects on the immune system. Our work advances understanding of the evolution of insecticide resistance in this key pest and highlights directions for research into insecticide resistance in other insect pest species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofeng Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control, Ministry of Education, Fuzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Green Pest Control (Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University), Fujian Province University, Fuzhou, China
- Fujian-Taiwan Joint Centre for Ecological Control of Crop Pests, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Botong Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control, Ministry of Education, Fuzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Green Pest Control (Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University), Fujian Province University, Fuzhou, China
- Fujian-Taiwan Joint Centre for Ecological Control of Crop Pests, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Geoff M. Gurr
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control, Ministry of Education, Fuzhou, China
- Fujian-Taiwan Joint Centre for Ecological Control of Crop Pests, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Graham Centre, Charles Sturt University, Orange, NSW, Australia
| | - Liette Vasseur
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control, Ministry of Education, Fuzhou, China
- Fujian-Taiwan Joint Centre for Ecological Control of Crop Pests, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Department of Biological Sciences, Brock University, Ontario, ON, Canada
| | - Minqian Xue
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control, Ministry of Education, Fuzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Green Pest Control (Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University), Fujian Province University, Fuzhou, China
- Fujian-Taiwan Joint Centre for Ecological Control of Crop Pests, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Minsheng You
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control, Ministry of Education, Fuzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Green Pest Control (Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University), Fujian Province University, Fuzhou, China
- Fujian-Taiwan Joint Centre for Ecological Control of Crop Pests, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
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47
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McLean AHC, Parker BJ, Hrček J, Henry LM, Godfray HCJ. Insect symbionts in food webs. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2017; 371:rstb.2015.0325. [PMID: 27481779 PMCID: PMC4971179 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2015.0325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent research has shown that the bacterial endosymbionts of insects are abundant and diverse, and that they have numerous different effects on their hosts' biology. Here we explore how insect endosymbionts might affect the structure and dynamics of insect communities. Using the obligate and facultative symbionts of aphids as an example, we find that there are multiple ways that symbiont presence might affect food web structure. Many symbionts are now known to help their hosts escape or resist natural enemy attack, and others can allow their hosts to withstand abiotic stress or affect host plant use. In addition to the direct effect of symbionts on aphid phenotypes there may be indirect effects mediated through trophic and non-trophic community interactions. We believe that by using data from barcoding studies to identify bacterial symbionts, this extra, microbial dimension to insect food webs can be better elucidated. This article is part of the themed issue ‘From DNA barcodes to biomes’.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ailsa H C McLean
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK
| | - Benjamin J Parker
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK
| | - Jan Hrček
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK
| | - Lee M Henry
- Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085-1087, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - H Charles J Godfray
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK
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48
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Frago E, Mala M, Weldegergis BT, Yang C, McLean A, Godfray HCJ, Gols R, Dicke M. Symbionts protect aphids from parasitic wasps by attenuating herbivore-induced plant volatiles. Nat Commun 2017; 8:1860. [PMID: 29192219 PMCID: PMC5709398 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01935-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2017] [Accepted: 10/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Plants respond to insect attack by releasing blends of volatile chemicals that attract their herbivores’ specific natural enemies, while insect herbivores may carry endosymbiotic microorganisms that directly improve herbivore survival after natural enemy attack. Here we demonstrate that the two phenomena can be linked. Plants fed upon by pea aphids release volatiles that attract parasitic wasps, and the pea aphid can carry facultative endosymbiotic bacteria that prevent the development of the parasitic wasp larva and thus markedly improve aphid survival after wasp attack. We show that these endosymbionts also attenuate the systemic release of volatiles by plants after aphid attack, reducing parasitic wasp recruitment and increasing aphid fitness. Our results reveal a novel mechanism through which symbionts can benefit their hosts and emphasise the importance of considering the microbiome in understanding insect ecological interactions. Bacterial symbionts are increasingly known to influence behaviour and fitness in insects. Here, Frago et al. show that plants fed on by aphids with symbionts have altered volatile chemical profiles, leading to reduced parasitoid attack of aphids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enric Frago
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 16,, 6700AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands. .,CIRAD, UMR PVBMT, Saint-Pierre, La Réunion F-97410, France.
| | - Mukta Mala
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 16,, 6700AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Berhane T Weldegergis
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 16,, 6700AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Chenjiao Yang
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 16,, 6700AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Ailsa McLean
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PS, UK
| | - H Charles J Godfray
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PS, UK
| | - Rieta Gols
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 16,, 6700AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Marcel Dicke
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 16,, 6700AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands
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49
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Parker BJ, McLean AHC, Hrček J, Gerardo NM, Godfray HCJ. Establishment and maintenance of aphid endosymbionts after horizontal transfer is dependent on host genotype. Biol Lett 2017; 13:rsbl.2017.0016. [PMID: 28566541 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2017.0016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2017] [Accepted: 05/07/2017] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Animal-associated microbial communities have important effects on host phenotypes. Individuals within and among species differ in the strains and species of microbes that they harbour, but how natural selection shapes the distribution and abundance of symbionts in natural populations is not well understood. Symbionts can be beneficial in certain environments but also impose costs on their hosts. Consequently, individuals that can or cannot associate with symbionts will be favoured under different ecological circumstances. As a result, we predict that individuals within a species vary in terms of how well they accept and maintain symbionts. In pea aphids, the frequency of endosymbionts varies among host-plant-associated populations ('biotypes'). We show that aphid genotypes from different biotypes vary in how well they accept and maintain symbionts after horizontal transfer. We find that aphids from biotypes that frequently harbour symbionts are better able to associate with novel symbionts than those from biotypes that less frequently harbour symbionts. Intraspecific variation in the ability of hosts to interact with symbionts is an understudied factor explaining patterns of host-symbiont association.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jan Hrček
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Biology Centre CAS, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
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50
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Chaturvedi S, Rego A, Lucas LK, Gompert Z. Sources of Variation in the Gut Microbial Community of Lycaeides melissa Caterpillars. Sci Rep 2017; 7:11335. [PMID: 28900218 PMCID: PMC5595848 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-11781-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2017] [Accepted: 08/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbes can mediate insect-plant interactions and have been implicated in major evolutionary transitions to herbivory. Whether microbes also play a role in more modest host shifts or expansions in herbivorous insects is less clear. Here we evaluate the potential for gut microbial communities to constrain or facilitate host plant use in the Melissa blue butterfly (Lycaeides melissa). We conducted a larval rearing experiment where caterpillars from two populations were fed plant tissue from two hosts. We used 16S rRNA sequencing to quantify the relative effects of sample type (frass versus whole caterpillar), diet (plant species), butterfly population and development (caterpillar age) on the composition and diversity of the caterpillar gut microbial communities, and secondly, to test for a relationship between microbial community and larval performance. Gut microbial communities varied over time (that is, with caterpillar age) and differed between frass and whole caterpillar samples. Diet (host plant) and butterfly population had much more limited effects on microbial communities. We found no evidence that gut microbe community composition was associated with caterpillar weight, and thus, our results provide no support for the hypothesis that variation in microbial community affects performance in L. melissa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samridhi Chaturvedi
- Utah State University, Department of Biology, Logan, 84322, UT, USA.,Utah State University, Ecology Center, Logan, 84322, UT, USA
| | - Alexandre Rego
- Utah State University, Department of Biology, Logan, 84322, UT, USA
| | - Lauren K Lucas
- Utah State University, Department of Biology, Logan, 84322, UT, USA
| | - Zachariah Gompert
- Utah State University, Department of Biology, Logan, 84322, UT, USA. .,Utah State University, Ecology Center, Logan, 84322, UT, USA.
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