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Manrique G, Rojas JC, Lorenzo Figueiras AN, Barrozo RB, Guerenstein PG. Highlights, challenges, and perspectives in basic and applied chemical ecology of triatomines. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2023; 59:101101. [PMID: 37595884 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2023.101101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/20/2023]
Abstract
Triatomines are vectors of Chagas disease. Due to failures in their control, there is an urgent need for more efficient and environmentally friendly monitoring and control tools. These hematophagous insects rely heavily on chemical information from the environment to detect hosts and cues/signals from conspecifics. Chemical ecology includes the elucidation of the functional role of chemicals mediating interactions between organisms. Studies on the chemical ecology of triatomines are leading to novel methods for their monitor and control. Thus, laboratory tests to develop chemical attractants and repellents are promissory and have led to the design of, for example, efficient baited traps. However, the monitoring and control tools proposed until now have not been as effective in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Manrique
- Laboratorio de Fisiología de Insectos, Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada (IBBEA), CONICET-UBA, Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Facultad Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Julio C Rojas
- Departamento de Ecología de Artrópodos y Manejo de Plagas, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Carretera Antiguo Aeropuerto km 2.5, Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico
| | - Alicia N Lorenzo Figueiras
- Laboratorio de Fisiología de Insectos, Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada (IBBEA), CONICET-UBA, Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Facultad Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Romina B Barrozo
- Laboratorio de Neuroetología de Insectos, Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada (IBBEA), CONICET-UBA, Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Facultad Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Pablo G Guerenstein
- Laboratorio de Estudio de la Biología de Insectos, Centro de Investigación Científica y Transferencia Tecnológica a la Producción (CONICET-UADER-Gob de Entre Ríos), Diamante, Entre Ríos, Argentina; Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional de Entre Ríos, Oro Verde, Entre Ríos, Argentina.
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King BH, Gunathunga PB. Gustation in insects: taste qualities and types of evidence used to show taste function of specific body parts. JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2023; 23:11. [PMID: 37014302 PMCID: PMC10072106 DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/iead018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
The insect equivalent of taste buds are gustatory sensilla, which have been found on mouthparts, pharynxes, antennae, legs, wings, and ovipositors. Most gustatory sensilla are uniporous, but not all apparently uniporous sensilla are gustatory. Among sensilla containing more than one neuron, a tubular body on one dendrite is also indicative of a taste sensillum, with the tubular body adding tactile function. But not all taste sensilla are also tactile. Additional morphological criteria are often used to recognize if a sensillum is gustatory. Further confirmation of such criteria by electrophysiological or behavioral evidence is needed. The five canonical taste qualities to which insects respond are sweet, bitter, sour, salty, and umami. But not all tastants that insects respond to easily fit in these taste qualities. Categories of insect tastants can be based not only on human taste perception, but also on whether the response is deterrent or appetitive and on chemical structure. Other compounds that at least some insects taste include, but are not limited to: water, fatty acids, metals, carbonation, RNA, ATP, pungent tastes as in horseradish, bacterial lipopolysaccharides, and contact pheromones. We propose that, for insects, taste be defined not only as a response to nonvolatiles but also be restricted to responses that are, or are thought to be, mediated by a sensillum. This restriction is useful because some of the receptor proteins in gustatory sensilla are also found elsewhere.
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Affiliation(s)
- B H King
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL 60115, USA
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Ma Y, Guo Z, Wang L, Wang B, Huang T, Tang B, Zhang G, Zhou Q. The genome of the rice planthopper egg parasitoid wasps Anagrus nilaparvatae casts light on the chemo- and mechanosensation in parasitism. BMC Genomics 2022; 23:541. [PMID: 35902811 PMCID: PMC9331105 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-022-08656-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mymaridae is an ancient insect group and is a basal lineage of the superfamily Chalcidoidea. Species of Mymaridae have great potential for biological control. Anagrus nilaparvatae, a representative species of Mymaridae, is ideal for controlling rice planthopper due to its high rate of parasitism and ability to find hosts efficiently in paddy ridges and fields. RESULTS Using both PacBio single-molecule real-time and Illumina sequencing, we sequenced and assembled the whole genome of A. nilaparvatae, a first for the family Mymaridae. The assembly consists of 394 scaffolds, totaling 488.8 Mb. The assembly is of high continuity and completeness, indicated by the N50 value of 25.4 Mb and 98.2% mapping rate of Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Orthologs. In total, 16,894 protein-coding genes in the genome were annotated. A phylogenomic tree constructed for A. nilaparvatae and other 12 species of Hymenoptera confirmed that the family Mymaridae is sister to all remaining chalcidoids. The divergence time between A. nilaparvatae and the other seven Chalcidoidea species was dated at ~ 126.9 Mya. Chemoreceptor and mechanoreceptor genes are important in explaining parasitic behavior. We identified 17 odorant binding proteins, 11 chemosensory proteins, four Niemann-Pick type C2 proteins, 88 olfactory receptors, 12 gustatory receptors, 22 ionotropic receptors and 13 sensory neuron membrane proteins in the genome of A. nilaparvatae, which are associated with the chemosensory functions. Strikingly, there is only one pickpocket receptors and nine transient receptor potential genes in the genome that have a mechanosensory function. CONCLUSIONS We obtained a high-quality genome assembly for A. nilaparvatae using PacBio single-molecule real-time sequencing, which provides phylogenomic insights for its evolutionary history. The small numbers of chemo- and mechanosensory genes in A. nilaparvatae indicate the species-specific host detection and oviposition behavior of A. nilaparvatae might be regulated by relatively simple molecular pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Ma
- State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China.,School of Agriculture, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Zixiao Guo
- State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Liyang Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Bingyang Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Tingfa Huang
- State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Bingjie Tang
- State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Guren Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Qiang Zhou
- State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China.
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Pontes G, Latorre-Estivalis JM, Gutiérrez ML, Cano A, Berón de Astrada M, Lorenzo MG, Barrozo RB. Molecular and functional basis of high-salt avoidance in a blood-sucking insect. iScience 2022; 25:104502. [PMID: 35720264 PMCID: PMC9204723 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Revised: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Salts are essential nutrients required for many physiological processes, and accordingly, their composition and concentration are tightly regulated. Taste is the ultimate sensory modality involved in resource quality assessment, resulting in acceptance or rejection. Here we found that high salt concentrations elicit feeding avoidance in the blood-sucking bug Rhodnius prolixus and elucidate the molecular and neurophysiological mechanisms involved. We found that high-salt avoidance is mediated by a salt-sensitive antennal gustatory receptor neuron (GRN). Using RNAi, we demonstrate that this process requires two amiloride-sensitive pickpocket channels (PPKs; Rpro PPK014276 and Rpro PPK28) expressed within these cells. We found that antennal GRNs project to the insect primary olfactory center, the antennal lobes, revealing these centers as potential sites for the integration of taste and olfactory host-derived cues. Moreover, the identification of the gustatory basis of high-salt detection in a hematophagous insect suggests novel targets for the prevention of biting and feeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gina Pontes
- Grupo de Neuroetología de Insectos Vectores, Laboratorio Fisiología de Insectos, Instituto de Biodiversidad, Biología Experimental y Aplicada, CONICET - UBA, Departamento Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Facultad Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - José Manuel Latorre-Estivalis
- Grupo de Comportamento de Vetores e Interação com Patógenos-CNPq, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou/FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - María Laura Gutiérrez
- Grupo de Neuroetología de Insectos Vectores, Laboratorio Fisiología de Insectos, Instituto de Biodiversidad, Biología Experimental y Aplicada, CONICET - UBA, Departamento Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Facultad Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Agustina Cano
- Grupo de Neuroetología de Insectos Vectores, Laboratorio Fisiología de Insectos, Instituto de Biodiversidad, Biología Experimental y Aplicada, CONICET - UBA, Departamento Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Facultad Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Martin Berón de Astrada
- Laboratorio de Fisiología de la Visión, Instituto de Biociencias, Biotecnología y Biología Traslacional, Departamento de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Celular, Facultad Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Marcelo G. Lorenzo
- Grupo de Comportamento de Vetores e Interação com Patógenos-CNPq, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou/FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Romina B. Barrozo
- Grupo de Neuroetología de Insectos Vectores, Laboratorio Fisiología de Insectos, Instituto de Biodiversidad, Biología Experimental y Aplicada, CONICET - UBA, Departamento Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Facultad Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Latorre-Estivalis JM, Almeida FC, Pontes G, Dopazo H, Barrozo RB, Lorenzo MG. Evolution of the insect PPK gene family. Genome Biol Evol 2021; 13:6352500. [PMID: 34390578 PMCID: PMC8438182 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evab185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Insect pickpocket (PPK) receptors mediate diverse functions, among them the detection of mechano- and chemo-sensory stimuli. Notwithstanding their relevance, studies on their evolution only focused on Drosophila. We have analyzed the genomes of 26 species of 8 orders including holometabolous and hemimetabolous insects (Blattodea, Orthoptera, Hemiptera, Phthiraptera, Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, and Diptera), to characterize the evolution of this gene family. PPKs were detected in all genomes analyzed, with 578 genes distributed in 7 subfamilies. According to our phylogeny ppk17 is the most divergent member, composing the new subfamily VII. PPKs evolved under a gene birth-and-death model that generated lineage-specific expansions usually located in clusters, while purifying selection affected several orthogroups. Subfamily V was the largest, including a mosquito-specific expansion that can be considered a new target for pest control. PPKs present a high gene turnover generating considerable variation. On one hand, Musca domestica (59), Aedes albopictus (51), Culex quinquefasciatus (48), and Blattella germanica (41) presented the largest PPK repertoires. On the other hand, Pediculus humanus (only ppk17), bees and ants (6-9) had the smallest PPK sets. A subset of prevalent PPKs was identified, indicating very conserved functions for these receptors. Finally, at least twenty percent of the sequences presented calmodulin-binding motifs, suggesting that these PPKs may amplify sensory responses similarly as proposed for D. melanogaster ppk25. Overall, this work characterized the evolutionary history of these receptors revealing relevant unknown gene sequence features and clade-specific expansions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose Manuel Latorre-Estivalis
- Laboratorio de Insectos Sociales, Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIByNE), Universidad de Buenos Aires - CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Francisca C Almeida
- Laboratorio de Genética Evolutiva, Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Gina Pontes
- Laboratorio de Eco-Fisiología de Insectos del Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada (IBBEA-CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Hernán Dopazo
- Laboratorio de Genómica de Poblaciones y Evolución. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires (IEGEBA). CONICET. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires. Argentina
| | - Romina B Barrozo
- Grupo de Neuroetología de Insectos Vectores, Laboratorio de Fisiología de Insectos, Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada (IBBEA - UBA - CONICET), Departamento de Biología y Biodiversidad Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Marcelo Gustavo Lorenzo
- Vector Behaviour and Pathogen Interaction Group, Instituto René Rachou - FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
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