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Patel V, Lynn-Bell N, Chevignon G, Kucuk RA, Higashi CHV, Carpenter M, Russell JA, Oliver KM. Mobile elements create strain-level variation in the services conferred by an aphid symbiont. Environ Microbiol 2023; 25:3333-3348. [PMID: 37864320 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023]
Abstract
Heritable, facultative symbionts are common in arthropods, often functioning in host defence. Despite moderately reduced genomes, facultative symbionts retain evolutionary potential through mobile genetic elements (MGEs). MGEs form the primary basis of strain-level variation in genome content and architecture, and often correlate with variability in symbiont-mediated phenotypes. In pea aphids (Acyrthosiphon pisum), strain-level variation in the type of toxin-encoding bacteriophages (APSEs) carried by the bacterium Hamiltonella defensa correlates with strength of defence against parasitoids. However, co-inheritance creates difficulties for partitioning their relative contributions to aphid defence. Here we identified isolates of H. defensa that were nearly identical except for APSE type. When holding H. defensa genotype constant, protection levels corresponded to APSE virulence module type. Results further indicated that APSEs move repeatedly within some H. defensa clades providing a mechanism for rapid evolution in anti-parasitoid defences. Strain variation in H. defensa also correlates with the presence of a second symbiont Fukatsuia symbiotica. Predictions that nutritional interactions structured this coinfection were not supported by comparative genomics, but bacteriocin-containing plasmids unique to co-infecting strains may contribute to their common pairing. In conclusion, strain diversity, and joint capacities for horizontal transfer of MGEs and symbionts, are emergent players in the rapid evolution of arthropods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vilas Patel
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Nicole Lynn-Bell
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Germain Chevignon
- Laboratoire de Génétique et Pathologie des Mollusques Marins, IFREMER, La Tremblade, France
| | - Roy A Kucuk
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | | | - Melissa Carpenter
- Department of Biodiversity, Earth, and Environmental Science, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jacob A Russell
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Kerry M Oliver
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
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2
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Peng L, Hoban J, Joffe J, Smith AH, Carpenter M, Marcelis T, Patel V, Lynn-Bell N, Oliver KM, Russell JA. Cryptic community structure and metabolic interactions among the heritable facultative symbionts of the pea aphid. J Evol Biol 2023; 36:1712-1730. [PMID: 37702036 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.14216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023]
Abstract
Most insects harbour influential, yet non-essential heritable microbes in their hemocoel. Communities of these symbionts exhibit low diversity. But their frequent multi-species nature raises intriguing questions on roles for symbiont-symbiont synergies in host adaptation, and on the stability of the symbiont communities, themselves. In this study, we build on knowledge of species-defined symbiont community structure across US populations of the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum. Through extensive symbiont genotyping, we show that pea aphids' microbiomes can be more precisely defined at the symbiont strain level, with strain variability shaping five out of nine previously reported co-infection trends. Field data provide a mixture of evidence for synergistic fitness effects and symbiont hitchhiking, revealing causes and consequences of these co-infection trends. To test whether within-host metabolic interactions predict common versus rare strain-defined communities, we leveraged the high relatedness of our dominant, community-defined symbiont strains vs. 12 pea aphid-derived Gammaproteobacteria with sequenced genomes. Genomic inference, using metabolic complementarity indices, revealed high potential for cooperation among one pair of symbionts-Serratia symbiotica and Rickettsiella viridis. Applying the expansion network algorithm, through additional use of pea aphid and obligate Buchnera symbiont genomes, Serratia and Rickettsiella emerged as the only symbiont community requiring both parties to expand holobiont metabolism. Through their joint expansion of the biotin biosynthesis pathway, these symbionts may span missing gaps, creating a multi-party mutualism within their nutrient-limited, phloem-feeding hosts. Recent, complementary gene inactivation, within the biotin pathways of Serratia and Rickettsiella, raises further questions on the origins of mutualisms and host-symbiont interdependencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linyao Peng
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jessica Hoban
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jonah Joffe
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Andrew H Smith
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Melissa Carpenter
- Department of Biodiversity, Earth, and Environmental Science, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Tracy Marcelis
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Vilas Patel
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Nicole Lynn-Bell
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Kerry M Oliver
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Jacob A Russell
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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3
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Dougherty PE, Nielsen TK, Riber L, Lading HH, Forero-Junco LM, Kot W, Raaijmakers JM, Hansen LH. Widespread and largely unknown prophage activity, diversity, and function in two genera of wheat phyllosphere bacteria. THE ISME JOURNAL 2023; 17:2415-2425. [PMID: 37919394 PMCID: PMC10689766 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-023-01547-1] [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: 06/28/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
Environmental bacteria host an enormous number of prophages, but their diversity and natural functions remain largely elusive. Here, we investigate prophage activity and diversity in 63 Erwinia and Pseudomonas strains isolated from flag leaves of wheat grown in a single field. Introducing and validating Virion Induction Profiling Sequencing (VIP-Seq), we identify and quantify the activity of 120 spontaneously induced prophages, discovering that some phyllosphere bacteria produce more than 108 virions/mL in overnight cultures, with significant induction also observed in planta. Sequence analyses and plaque assays reveal E. aphidicola prophages contribute a majority of intraspecies genetic diversity and divide their bacterial hosts into antagonistic factions engaged in widespread microbial warfare, revealing the importance of prophage-mediated microdiversity. When comparing spontaneously active prophages with predicted prophages we also find insertion sequences are strongly correlated with non-active prophages. In conclusion, we discover widespread and largely unknown prophage diversity and function in phyllosphere bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Erdmann Dougherty
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Tue Kjærgaard Nielsen
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Leise Riber
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Helen Helgå Lading
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | | | - Witold Kot
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Jos M Raaijmakers
- Department of Microbial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Lars Hestbjerg Hansen
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark.
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4
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Giordano R, Weber EP, Mitacek R, Flores A, Ledesma A, De AK, Herman TK, Soto-Adames FN, Nguyen MQ, Hill CB, Hartman GL. Patterns of asexual reproduction of the soybean aphid, Aphis glycines (Matsumura), with and without the secondary symbionts Wolbachia and Arsenophonus, on susceptible and resistant soybean genotypes. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1209595. [PMID: 37720159 PMCID: PMC10501154 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1209595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Plant breeding is used to develop crops with host resistance to aphids, however, virulent biotypes often develop that overcome host resistance genes. We tested whether the symbionts, Arsenophonus (A) and Wolbachia (W), affect virulence and fecundity in soybean aphid biotypes Bt1 and Bt3 cultured on whole plants and detached leaves of three resistant, Rag1, Rag2 and Rag1 + 2, and one susceptible, W82, soybean genotypes. Whole plants and individual aphid experiments of A. glycines with and without Arsenophonus and Wolbachia did not show differences in overall fecundity. Differences were observed in peak fecundity, first day of deposition, and day of maximum nymph deposition of individual aphids on detached leaves. Bt3 had higher fecundity than Bt1 on detached leaves of all plant genotypes regardless of bacterial profile. Symbionts did not affect peak fecundity of Bt1 but increased it in Bt3 (A+W+) and all Bt3 strains began to deposit nymphs earlier than the Bt1 (A+W-). Arsenophonus in Bt1 delayed the first day of nymph deposition in comparison to aposymbiotic Bt1 except when reared on Rag1 + 2. For the Bt1 and Bt3 strains, symbionts did not result in a significant difference in the day they deposited the maximum number of nymphs nor was there a difference in survival or variability in number of nymphs deposited. Variability of number of aphids deposited was higher in aphids feeding on resistant plant genotypes. The impact of Arsenophonus on soybean aphid patterns of fecundity was dependent on the aphid biotype and plant genotype. Wolbachia alone had no detectable impact but may have contributed to the increased fecundity of Bt3 (A+W+). An individual based model, using data from the detached leaves experiment and with intraspecific competition removed, found patterns similar to those observed in the greenhouse and growth chamber experiments including a significant interaction between soybean genotype and aphid strain. Combining individual data with the individual based model of population growth isolated the impact of fecundity and host resistance from intraspecific competition and host health. Changes to patterns of fecundity, influenced by the composition and concentration of symbionts, may contribute to competitive interactions among aphid genotypes and influence selection on virulent aphid populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosanna Giordano
- Institute of Environment, Florida International University, Miami, FL, United States
- Puerto Rico Science Technology and Research Trust, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Everett P. Weber
- Office of Institutional Research, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, United States
| | - Ryan Mitacek
- Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Alejandra Flores
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Alonso Ledesma
- College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Arun K. De
- Animal Sciences Division, ICAR-Central Island Agricultural Research Institute, Port Blair, India
| | | | - Felipe N. Soto-Adames
- Division of Plant Industry, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Minh Q. Nguyen
- Neochromosome, Inc., Long Island City, NY, United States
| | - Curtis B. Hill
- Neochromosome, Inc., Long Island City, NY, United States
| | - Glen L. Hartman
- Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
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5
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Gwokyalya R, Weldon CW, Herren JK, Gichuhi J, Makhulu EE, Ndlela S, Mohamed SA. Friend or Foe: Symbiotic Bacteria in Bactrocera dorsalis-Parasitoid Associations. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:biology12020274. [PMID: 36829551 PMCID: PMC9953478 DOI: 10.3390/biology12020274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 01/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Abstract
Parasitoids are promising biocontrol agents of the devastating fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis. However, parasitoid performance is a function of several factors, including host-associated symbiotic bacteria. Providencia alcalifaciens, Citrobacter freundii, and Lactococcus lactis are among the symbiotic bacteria commonly associated with B. dorsalis, and they influence the eco-physiological functioning of this pest. However, whether these bacteria influence the interaction between this pest and its parasitoids is unknown. This study sought to elucidate the nature of the interaction of the parasitoids, Fopius arisanus, Diachasmimorpha longicaudata, and Psyttlia cosyrae with B. dorsalis as mediated by symbiotic bacteria. Three types of fly lines were used: axenic, symbiotic, and bacteria-mono-associated (Lactococcus lactis, Providencia alcalifaciens, and Citrobacter freundii). The suitable stages of each fly line were exposed to the respective parasitoid species and reared until the emergence of adult flies/parasitoids. Thereafter, data on the emergence and parasitoid fitness traits were recorded. No wasps emerged from the fly lines exposed to P. cosyrae. The highest emergence of F. arisanus and D. longicaudata was recorded in the L. lactis fly lines. The parasitoid progeny from the L. lactis and P. alcalifaciens fly lines had the longest developmental time and the largest body size. Conversely, parasitoid fecundity was significantly lower in the L. lactis lines, whereas the P. alcalifaciens lines significantly improved fecundity. These results elucidate some effects of bacterial symbionts on host-parasitoid interactions and their potential in enhancing parasitoid-oriented management strategies against B. dorsalis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rehemah Gwokyalya
- International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, Nairobi P.O. Box 30772-00100, Kenya
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Pretoria 0028, South Africa
- Correspondence: or (R.G.); (S.A.M.)
| | - Christopher W. Weldon
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Pretoria 0028, South Africa
| | - Jeremy Keith Herren
- International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, Nairobi P.O. Box 30772-00100, Kenya
| | - Joseph Gichuhi
- International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, Nairobi P.O. Box 30772-00100, Kenya
| | - Edward Edmond Makhulu
- International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, Nairobi P.O. Box 30772-00100, Kenya
| | - Shepard Ndlela
- International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, Nairobi P.O. Box 30772-00100, Kenya
| | - Samira Abuelgasim Mohamed
- International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, Nairobi P.O. Box 30772-00100, Kenya
- Correspondence: or (R.G.); (S.A.M.)
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Bertels F, Rainey PB. Ancient Darwinian replicators nested within eubacterial genomes. Bioessays 2023; 45:e2200085. [PMID: 36456469 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202200085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Integrative mobile genetic elements (MGEs), such as transposons and insertion sequences, propagate within bacterial genomes, but persistence times in individual lineages are short. For long-term survival, MGEs must continuously invade new hosts by horizontal transfer. Theoretically, MGEs that persist for millions of years in single lineages, and are thus subject to vertical inheritance, should not exist. Here we draw attention to an exception - a class of MGE termed REPIN. REPINs are non-autonomous MGEs whose duplication depends on non-jumping RAYT transposases. Comparisons of REPINs and typical MGEs show that replication rates of REPINs are orders of magnitude lower, REPIN population size fluctuations correlate with changes in available genome space, REPIN conservation depends on RAYT function, and REPIN diversity accumulates within host lineages. These data lead to the hypothesis that REPINs form enduring, beneficial associations with eubacterial chromosomes. Given replicative nesting, our hypothesis predicts conflicts arising from the diverging effects of selection acting simultaneously on REPINs and host genomes. Evidence in support comes from patterns of REPIN abundance and diversity in two distantly related bacterial species. Together this bolsters the conclusion that REPINs are the genetic counterpart of mutualistic endosymbiotic bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederic Bertels
- Department of Microbial Population Biology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany
| | - Paul B Rainey
- Department of Microbial Population Biology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany.,Laboratory of Biophysics and Evolution, CBI, ESPCI Paris, Université PSL, CNRS, Paris, France
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7
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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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8
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Sentis A, Hemptinne J, Magro A, Outreman Y. Biological control needs evolutionary perspectives of ecological interactions. Evol Appl 2022; 15:1537-1554. [PMID: 36330295 PMCID: PMC9624075 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
While ecological interactions have been identified as determinant for biological control efficiency, the role of evolution remains largely underestimated in biological control programs. With the restrictions on the use of both pesticides and exotic biological control agents (BCAs), the evolutionary optimization of local BCAs becomes central for improving the efficiency and the resilience of biological control. In particular, we need to better account for the natural processes of evolution to fully understand the interactions of pests and BCAs, including in biocontrol strategies integrating human manipulations of evolution (i.e., artificial selection and genetic engineering). In agroecosystems, the evolution of BCAs traits and performance depends on heritable phenotypic variation, trait genetic architecture, selection strength, stochastic processes, and other selective forces. Humans can manipulate these natural processes to increase the likelihood of evolutionary trait improvement, by artificially increasing heritable phenotypic variation, strengthening selection, controlling stochastic processes, or overpassing evolution through genetic engineering. We highlight these facets by reviewing recent studies addressing the importance of natural processes of evolution and human manipulations of these processes in biological control. We then discuss the interactions between the natural processes of evolution occurring in agroecosystems and affecting the artificially improved BCAs after their release. We emphasize that biological control cannot be summarized by interactions between species pairs because pests and biological control agents are entangled in diverse communities and are exposed to a multitude of deterministic and stochastic selective forces that can change rapidly in direction and intensity. We conclude that the combination of different evolutionary approaches can help optimize BCAs to remain efficient under changing environmental conditions and, ultimately, favor agroecosystem sustainability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arnaud Sentis
- INRAEAix Marseille University, UMR RECOVERAix‐en‐ProvenceFrance
| | - Jean‐Louis Hemptinne
- Laboratoire Évolution et Diversité biologiqueUMR 5174 CNRS/UPS/IRDToulouseFrance
- Université Fédérale de Toulouse Midi‐Pyrénées – ENSFEACastanet‐TolosanFrance
| | - Alexandra Magro
- Laboratoire Évolution et Diversité biologiqueUMR 5174 CNRS/UPS/IRDToulouseFrance
- Université Fédérale de Toulouse Midi‐Pyrénées – ENSFEACastanet‐TolosanFrance
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Henry Y, Brechbühler E, Vorburger C. Gated Communities: Inter- and Intraspecific Diversity of Endosymbionts Across Four Sympatric Aphid Species. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.816184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Aphids have evolved tight relationships with heritable endosymbionts, i.e., bacteria hosted within their tissues. Besides the primary endosymbiont Buchnera aphidicola, aphids host many facultative secondary endosymbionts with functions they may or may not benefit from. The different phenologies, lifestyles, and natural enemies of aphid species are predicted to favor the selection for distinct endosymbiont assemblages, as well as the emergence of intra-specific genetic diversity in the symbiotic bacteria. In this study, we (1) investigated the diversity of endosymbionts associated with four species from the genus Aphis in the field, and (2) we characterized the genetic diversity of Hamiltonella defensa, an endosymbiont that protects aphids against parasitoid wasps. We observed strong differences in the composition of endosymbiont communities among the four aphid species. H. defensa was clearly the dominant symbiont, although its abundance in each species varied from 25 to 96%. Using a multilocus sequence-typing approach, we found limited strain diversity in H. defensa. Each aphid species harbored two major strains, and none appeared shared between species. Symbiont phylogenies can thus help to understand the (seemingly limited) mobility of endosymbionts in aphid communities and the selection forces driving strain diversification.
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Symbiont-Mediated Protection of Acromyrmex Leaf-Cutter Ants from the Entomopathogenic Fungus Metarhizium anisopliae. mBio 2021; 12:e0188521. [PMID: 34933458 PMCID: PMC8689564 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01885-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Many fungus-growing ants engage in a defensive symbiosis with antibiotic-producing ectosymbiotic bacteria in the genus Pseudonocardia, which help protect the ants' fungal mutualist from a specialized mycoparasite, Escovopsis. Here, using germfree ant rearing and experimental pathogen infection treatments, we evaluate if Acromyrmex ants derive higher immunity to the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae from their Pseudonocardia symbionts. We further examine the ecological dynamics and defensive capacities of Pseudonocardia against M. anisopliae across seven different Acromyrmex species by controlling Pseudonocardia acquisition using ant-nonnative Pseudonocardia switches, in vitro challenges, and in situ mass spectrometry imaging (MSI). We show that Pseudonocardia protects the ants against M. anisopliae across different Acromyrmex species and appears to afford higher protection than metapleural gland (MG) secretions. Although Acromyrmex echinatior ants with nonnative Pseudonocardia symbionts receive protection from M. anisopliae regardless of the strain acquired compared with Pseudonocardia-free conditions, we find significant variation in the degree of protection conferred by different Pseudonocardia strains. Additionally, when ants were reared in Pseudonocardia-free conditions, some species exhibit more susceptibility to M. anisopliae than others, indicating that some ant species depend more on defensive symbionts than others. In vitro challenge experiments indicate that Pseudonocardia reduces Metarhizium conidiospore germination area. Our chemometric analysis using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI-MSI) reveals that Pseudonocardia-carrying ants produce more chemical signals than Pseudonocardia-free treatments, indicating that Pseudonocardia produces bioactive metabolites on the Acromyrmex cuticle. Our results indicate that Pseudonocardia can serve as a dual-purpose defensive symbiont, conferring increased immunity for both the obligate fungal mutualist and the ants themselves. IMPORTANCE In some plants and animals, beneficial microbes mediate host immune response against pathogens, including by serving as defensive symbionts that produce antimicrobial compounds. Defensive symbionts are known in several insects, including some leaf-cutter ants where antifungal-producing Actinobacteria help protect the fungal mutualist of the ants from specialized mycoparasites. In many defensive symbioses, the extent and specificity of defensive benefits received by the host are poorly understood. Here, using "aposymbiotic" rearing, symbiont switching experiments, and imaging mass spectrometry, we explore the ecological and chemical dynamics of the model defensive symbiosis between Acromyrmex ants and their defensive symbiotic bacterium Pseudonocardia. We show that the defensive symbiont not only protects the fungal crop of Acromyrmex but also provides protection from fungal pathogens that infect the ant workers themselves. Furthermore, we reveal that the increased immunity to pathogen infection differs among strains of defensive symbionts and that the degree of reliance on a defensive symbiont for protection varies across congeneric ant species. Taken together, our results suggest that Acromyrmex-associated Pseudonocardia have evolved broad antimicrobial defenses that promote strong immunity to diverse fungal pathogens within the ancient fungus-growing ant-microbe symbiosis.
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11
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Frye KA, Piamthai V, Hsiao A, Degnan PH. Mobilization of vitamin B12 transporters alters competitive dynamics in a human gut microbe. Cell Rep 2021; 37:110164. [PMID: 34965410 PMCID: PMC8759732 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.110164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Revised: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
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12
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Boyd BM, Chevignon G, Patel V, Oliver KM, Strand MR. Evolutionary genomics of APSE: a tailed phage that lysogenically converts the bacterium Hamiltonella defensa into a heritable protective symbiont of aphids. Virol J 2021; 18:219. [PMID: 34758862 PMCID: PMC8579659 DOI: 10.1186/s12985-021-01685-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Most phages infect free-living bacteria but a few have been identified that infect heritable symbionts of insects or other eukaryotes. Heritable symbionts are usually specialized and isolated from other bacteria with little known about the origins of associated phages. Hamiltonella defensa is a heritable bacterial symbiont of aphids that is usually infected by a tailed, double-stranded DNA phage named APSE. Methods We conducted comparative genomic and phylogenetic studies to determine how APSE is related to other phages and prophages. Results Each APSE genome was organized into four modules and two predicted functional units. Gene content and order were near-fully conserved in modules 1 and 2, which encode predicted DNA metabolism genes, and module 4, which encodes predicted virion assembly genes. Gene content of module 3, which contains predicted toxin, holin and lysozyme genes differed among haplotypes. Comparisons to other sequenced phages suggested APSE genomes are mosaics with modules 1 and 2 sharing similarities with Bordetella-Bcep-Xylostella fastidiosa-like podoviruses, module 4 sharing similarities with P22-like podoviruses, and module 3 sharing no similarities with known phages. Comparisons to other sequenced bacterial genomes identified APSE-like elements in other heritable insect symbionts (Arsenophonus spp.) and enteric bacteria in the family Morganellaceae. Conclusions APSEs are most closely related to phage elements in the genus Arsenophonus and other bacteria in the Morganellaceae. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12985-021-01685-y.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bret M Boyd
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia Athens, Athens, GA, USA. .,Center for Biological Data Science, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA.
| | - Germain Chevignon
- Laboratoire de Génétique et Pathologie des Mollusques Marins, IFREMER, La Tremblade, France
| | - Vilas Patel
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia Athens, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Kerry M Oliver
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia Athens, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Michael R Strand
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia Athens, Athens, GA, USA.
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13
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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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14
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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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15
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Weiler J, Zilio G, Zeballos N, Nørgaard L, Conce Alberto WD, Krenek S, Kaltz O, Bright L. Among-Strain Variation in Resistance of Paramecium caudatum to the Endonuclear Parasite Holospora undulata: Geographic and Lineage-Specific Patterns. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:603046. [PMID: 33381098 PMCID: PMC7767928 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.603046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Resistance is a key determinant in interactions between hosts and their parasites. Understanding the amount and distribution of variation in this trait between strains can provide insights into (co)evolutionary processes and their potential to shape patterns of diversity in natural populations. Using controlled inoculation in experimental mass cultures, we investigated the quantitative variation in resistance to the bacterial parasite Holospora undulata across a worldwide collection of strains of its ciliate host Paramecium caudatum. We combined the observed variation with available information on the phylogeny and biogeography of the strains. We found substantial variation in resistance among strains, with upper-bound values of broad-sense heritability >0.5 (intraclass correlation coefficients). Strain estimates of resistance were repeatable between laboratories and ranged from total resistance to near-complete susceptibility. Early (1 week post inoculation) measurements provided higher estimates of resistance heritability than did later measurements (2-3 weeks), possibly due to diverging epidemiological dynamics in replicate cultures of the same strains. Genetic distance (based on a neutral marker) was positively correlated with the difference in resistance phenotype between strains (r = 0.45), essentially reflecting differences between highly divergent clades (haplogroups) within the host species. Haplogroup A strains, mostly European, were less resistant to the parasite (49% infection prevalence) than non-European haplogroup B strains (28%). At a smaller geographical scale (within Europe), strains that are geographically closer to the parasite origin (Southern Germany) were more susceptible to infection than those from further away. These patterns are consistent with a picture of local parasite adaptation. Our study demonstrates ample natural variation in resistance on which selection can act and hints at symbiont adaptation producing signatures in geographic and lineage-specific patterns of resistance in this model system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jared Weiler
- Department of Biology, State University of New York, College at New Paltz, New Paltz, NY, United States
| | - Giacomo Zilio
- ISEM, University of Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Nathalie Zeballos
- ISEM, University of Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Louise Nørgaard
- ISEM, University of Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
- School of Biological Sciences and Centre for Geometric Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Winiffer D. Conce Alberto
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Sascha Krenek
- Institute of Hydrobiology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Oliver Kaltz
- ISEM, University of Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Lydia Bright
- Department of Biology, State University of New York, College at New Paltz, New Paltz, NY, United States
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16
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Rouïl J, Jousselin E, Coeur d’acier A, Cruaud C, Manzano-Marín A. The Protector within: Comparative Genomics of APSE Phages across Aphids Reveals Rampant Recombination and Diverse Toxin Arsenals. Genome Biol Evol 2020; 12:878-889. [PMID: 32386316 PMCID: PMC7313666 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evaa089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Phages can fundamentally alter the physiology and metabolism of their hosts. Although these phages are ubiquitous in the bacterial world, they have seldom been described among endosymbiotic bacteria. One notable exception is the APSE phage that is found associated with the gammaproteobacterial Hamiltonella defensa, hosted by several insect species. This secondary facultative endosymbiont is not necessary for the survival of its hosts but can infect certain individuals or even whole populations. Its infection in aphids is often associated with protection against parasitoid wasps. This protective phenotype has actually been linked to the infection of the symbiont strain with an APSE, which carries a toxin cassette that varies among so-called "types." In the present work, we seek to expand our understanding of the diversity of APSE phages as well as the relations of their Hamiltonella hosts. For this, we assembled and annotated the full genomes of 16 APSE phages infecting Hamiltonella symbionts across ten insect species. Molecular and phylogenetic analyses suggest that recombination has occurred repeatedly among lineages. Comparative genomics of the phage genomes revealed two variable regions that are useful for phage typing. Additionally, we find that mobile elements could play a role in the acquisition of new genes in the toxin cassette. Altogether, we provide an unprecedented view of APSE diversity and their genome evolution across aphids. This genomic investigation will provide a valuable resource for the design and interpretation of experiments aiming at understanding the protective phenotype these phages confer to their insect hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeff Rouïl
- UMR 1062 Centre de Biologie pour la Gestion des Populations, INRAE, CIRAD, IRD, Montpellier SupAgro, Université de Montpellier, France
| | - Emmanuelle Jousselin
- UMR 1062 Centre de Biologie pour la Gestion des Populations, INRAE, CIRAD, IRD, Montpellier SupAgro, Université de Montpellier, France
| | - Armelle Coeur d’acier
- UMR 1062 Centre de Biologie pour la Gestion des Populations, INRAE, CIRAD, IRD, Montpellier SupAgro, Université de Montpellier, France
| | - Corinne Cruaud
- Genoscope, Institut de Biologie François-Jacob, Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique (CEA), Université Paris-Saclay, Évry, France
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17
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Leybourne DJ, Bos JIB, Valentine TA, Karley AJ. The price of protection: a defensive endosymbiont impairs nymph growth in the bird cherry-oat aphid, Rhopalosiphum padi. INSECT SCIENCE 2020; 27:69-85. [PMID: 29797656 PMCID: PMC7379937 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.12606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2018] [Revised: 05/04/2018] [Accepted: 05/15/2018] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Bacterial endosymbionts have enabled aphids to adapt to a range of stressors, but their effects in many aphid species remain to be established. The bird cherry-oat aphid, Rhopalosiphum padi (Linnaeus), is an important pest of cereals worldwide and has been reported to form symbiotic associations with Serratia symbiotica and Sitobion miscanthi L-type symbiont endobacteria, although the resulting aphid phenotype has not been described. This study presents the first report of R. padi infection with the facultative bacterial endosymbiont Hamiltonella defensa. Individuals of R. padi were sampled from populations in Eastern Scotland, UK, and shown to represent seven R. padi genotypes based on the size of polymorphic microsatellite markers; two of these genotypes harbored H. defensa. In parasitism assays, survival of H. defensa-infected nymphs following attack by the parasitoid wasp Aphidius colemani (Viereck) was 5 fold higher than for uninfected nymphs. Aphid genotype was a major determinant of aphid performance on two Hordeum species, a modern cultivar of barley H. vulgare and a wild relative H. spontaneum, although aphids infected with H. defensa showed 16% lower nymph mass gain on the partially resistant wild relative compared with uninfected individuals. These findings suggest that deploying resistance traits in barley will favor the fittest R. padi genotypes, but symbiont-infected individuals will be favored when parasitoids are abundant, although these aphids will not achieve optimal performance on a poor quality host plant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J. Leybourne
- Division of Plant Sciences, School of Life SciencesUniversity of DundeeDundeeUK
- Cell and Molecular Sciencesthe James Hutton InstituteInvergowrieDundeeUK
- Ecological Sciencesthe James Hutton InstituteInvergowrieDundeeUK
| | - Jorunn I. B. Bos
- Division of Plant Sciences, School of Life SciencesUniversity of DundeeDundeeUK
- Cell and Molecular Sciencesthe James Hutton InstituteInvergowrieDundeeUK
| | | | - Alison J. Karley
- Ecological Sciencesthe James Hutton InstituteInvergowrieDundeeUK
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18
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Abstract
Microorganisms that reside within or transmit through arthropod reproductive tissues have profound impacts on host reproduction, health and evolution. In this Review, we discuss select principles of the biology of microorganisms in arthropod reproductive tissues, including bacteria, viruses, protists and fungi. We review models of specific symbionts, routes of transmission, and the physiological and evolutionary outcomes for both hosts and microorganisms. We also identify areas in need of continuing research, to answer the fundamental questions that remain in fields within and beyond arthropod-microorganism associations. New opportunities for research in this area will drive a broader understanding of major concepts as well as the biodiversity, mechanisms and translational applications of microorganisms that interact with host reproductive tissues.
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19
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Leybourne DJ, Valentine TA, Bos JIB, Karley AJ. A fitness cost resulting from Hamiltonella defensa infection is associated with altered probing and feeding behaviour in Rhopalosiphum padi. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 223:jeb.207936. [PMID: 31822555 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.207936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2019] [Accepted: 11/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Many herbivorous arthropods, including aphids, frequently associate with facultative endosymbiotic bacteria, which influence arthropod physiology and fitness. In aphids, endosymbionts can increase resistance against natural enemies, enhance aphid virulence and alter aphid fitness. Here, we used the electrical penetration graph technique to uncover physiological processes at the insect-plant interface affected by endosymbiont infection. We monitored the feeding and probing behaviour of four independent clonal lines of the cereal-feeding aphid Rhopalosiphum padi derived from the same multilocus genotype containing differential infection (+/-) with a common facultative endosymbiont, Hamiltonella defensa Aphid feeding was examined on a partially resistant wild relative of barley known to impair aphid fitness and a susceptible commercial barley cultivar. Compared with uninfected aphids, endosymbiont-infected aphids on both plant species exhibited a twofold increase in the number of plant cell punctures, a 50% reduction in the duration of each cellular puncture and a twofold higher probability of achieving sustained phloem ingestion. Feeding behaviour was also altered by host plant identity: endosymbiont-infected aphids spent less time probing plant tissue, required twice as many probes to reach the phloem and showed a 44% reduction in phloem ingestion when feeding on the wild barley relative compared with the susceptible commercial cultivar. Reduced feeding success could explain the 22% reduction in growth of H. defensa-infected aphids measured on the wild barley relative. This study provides the first demonstration of mechanisms at the aphid-plant interface contributing to physiological effects of endosymbiont infection on aphid fitness, through altered feeding processes on different quality host plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J Leybourne
- Division of Plant Sciences, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD2 5DA, UK.,Cell and Molecular Sciences, The James Hutton Institute, Invergowrie, Dundee DD2 5DA, UK.,Ecological Sciences, The James Hutton Institute, Invergowrie, Dundee DD2 5DA, UK
| | - Tracy A Valentine
- Ecological Sciences, The James Hutton Institute, Invergowrie, Dundee DD2 5DA, UK
| | - Jorunn I B Bos
- Division of Plant Sciences, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD2 5DA, UK.,Cell and Molecular Sciences, The James Hutton Institute, Invergowrie, Dundee DD2 5DA, UK
| | - Alison J Karley
- Ecological Sciences, The James Hutton Institute, Invergowrie, Dundee DD2 5DA, UK
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20
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McLean AHC, Godfray HCJ, Ellers J, Henry LM. Host relatedness influences the composition of aphid microbiomes. ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY REPORTS 2019; 11:808-816. [PMID: 31573138 PMCID: PMC6900097 DOI: 10.1111/1758-2229.12795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2018] [Revised: 08/08/2019] [Accepted: 09/14/2019] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Animals are host to a community of microbes, collectively referred to as their microbiome, that can play a key role in their hosts' biology. The bacterial endosymbionts of insects have a particularly strong influence on their hosts, but despite their importance we still know little about the factors that influence the composition of insect microbial communities. Here, we ask: what is the relative importance of host relatedness and host ecology in structuring symbiont communities of diverse aphid species? We used next-generation sequencing to compare the microbiomes of 46 aphid species with known host plant affiliations. We find that relatedness between aphid species is the key factor explaining the microbiome composition, with more closely related aphid species housing more similar bacterial communities. Endosymbionts dominate the microbial communities, and we find a novel bacterium in the genus Sphingopyxis that is associated with numerous aphid species feeding exclusively on trees. The influence of ecology was less pronounced than that of host relatedness. Our results suggest that co-adaptation between insect species and their facultative symbionts is a more important determinant of symbiont species presence in aphids than shared ecology of hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jacintha Ellers
- Animal Ecology, Department of Ecological ScienceVU University AmsterdamAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Lee M. Henry
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
- Animal Ecology, Department of Ecological ScienceVU University AmsterdamAmsterdamThe Netherlands
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21
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Lynn-Bell NL, Strand MR, Oliver KM. Bacteriophage acquisition restores protective mutualism. Microbiology (Reading) 2019; 165:985-989. [DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.000816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael R. Strand
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Kerry M. Oliver
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
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22
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Renoz F, Pons I, Vanderpoorten A, Bataille G, Noël C, Foray V, Pierson V, Hance T. Evidence for Gut-Associated Serratia symbiotica in Wild Aphids and Ants Provides New Perspectives on the Evolution of Bacterial Mutualism in Insects. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2019; 78:159-169. [PMID: 30276419 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-018-1265-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2018] [Accepted: 09/16/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Many insects engage in symbiotic associations with diverse assemblages of bacterial symbionts that can deeply impact on their ecology and evolution. The intraspecific variation of symbionts remains poorly assessed while phenotypic effects and transmission behaviors, which are key processes for the persistence and evolution of symbioses, may differ widely depending on the symbiont strains. Serratia symbiotica is one of the most frequent symbiont species in aphids and a valuable model to assess this intraspecific variation since it includes both facultative and obligate symbiotic strains. Despite evidence that some facultative S. symbiotica strains exhibit a free-living capacity, the presence of these strains in wild aphid populations, as well as in insects with which they maintain regular contact, has never been demonstrated. Here, we examined the prevalence, diversity, and tissue tropism of S. symbiotica in wild aphids and associated ants. We found a high occurrence of S. symbiotica infection in ant populations, especially when having tended infected aphid colonies. We also found that the S. symbiotica diversity includes strains found located within the gut of aphids and ants. In the latter, this tissue tropism was found restricted to the proventriculus. Altogether, these findings highlight the extraordinary diversity and versatility of an insect symbiont and suggest the existence of novel routes for symbiont acquisition in insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- François Renoz
- Biodiversity Research Centre, Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Croix du sud 4-5, 1348, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
| | - Inès Pons
- Biodiversity Research Centre, Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Croix du sud 4-5, 1348, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Alain Vanderpoorten
- Department of Biology, Institute of Botany, University of Liège, B22 Sart Tilman, 4000, Liege, Belgium
| | - Gwennaël Bataille
- Biodiversity Research Centre, Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Croix du sud 4-5, 1348, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Christine Noël
- Biodiversity Research Centre, Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Croix du sud 4-5, 1348, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Vincent Foray
- Centre de Recherche de Biologie cellulaire de Montpellier, UMR CNRS 5237, 34293, Montpellier, France
| | - Valentin Pierson
- Biodiversity Research Centre, Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Croix du sud 4-5, 1348, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Thierry Hance
- Biodiversity Research Centre, Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Croix du sud 4-5, 1348, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
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23
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Blow F, Douglas AE. The hemolymph microbiome of insects. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2019; 115:33-39. [PMID: 30953618 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2019.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2018] [Revised: 03/27/2019] [Accepted: 04/02/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Hemolymph has long been recognized as a key mediator of nutritional and immunological homeostasis in insects, with the tacit understanding that hemolymph is a hostile environment for microorganisms, and microbiologically sterile in healthy insects. Recent research is overturning the conventional wisdom, and there is now overwhelming evidence that various non-pathogenic microorganisms can stably or transiently inhabit hemolymph in a diversity of insects. Most is known about Spiroplasma, especially in Drosophila species, and secondary symbionts of the Enterobacteriaceae, notably Hamiltonella defensa, in aphids. These bacteria require many nutrients, representing a likely drain on host nutritional resources, and they persist in the hemolymph by a combination of evasion and tolerance of insect immune effectors. These traits can be costly to the insect host. For some hemolymph microorganisms, these costs are balanced by other traits beneficial to the insect, notably protection against natural enemies mediated by specific toxins or competition for key nutrients. Three key priorities for future research are: to investigate the prevalence and taxonomic diversity of hemolymph microorganisms in insects; to establish the role of host nutritional and immune factors as determinants of the abundance and proliferation rates of hemolymph microorganisms; and to integrate the developing understanding of these microorganisms and their impacts (both costs and benefits) on insect nutrition and immune function into the wider study of insect physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frances Blow
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Angela E Douglas
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA; Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
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24
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Oliver KM, Higashi CH. Variations on a protective theme: Hamiltonella defensa infections in aphids variably impact parasitoid success. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2019; 32:1-7. [PMID: 31113620 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2018.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2018] [Accepted: 08/27/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Protective mutualisms are common in nature and include insect infections with cryptic symbionts that defend against pathogens and parasites. An archetypal defensive symbiont, Hamiltonella defensa protects aphids against parasitoids by disabling wasp development. Successful defense requires H. defensa infection with bacteriophages (APSEs), which play other key roles in mutualism maintenance. Genomes of H. defensa strains are highly similar in gene inventories, varying primarily in mobile element content. Protective phenotypes are highly variable across aphid models depending on H. defensa/APSE, aphid and wasp genotypes. Infection frequencies of H. defensa are highly dynamic in field populations, influenced by a variety of selective and non-selective factors confounding biological control implications. Overall, H. defensa infections likely represent a global aphid protection network with effects radiating outward from focal interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerry M Oliver
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA.
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25
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Li Q, Fan J, Sun J, Wang MQ, Chen J. Plant-Mediated Horizontal Transmission of Hamiltonella defensa in the Wheat Aphid Sitobion miscanthi. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2018; 66:13367-13377. [PMID: 30516997 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.8b04828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Hamiltonella defensa is mainly vertically transmitted, but evidence suggests that horizontal transmission may occur. Here, the first case of plant-mediated horizontal transmission of H. defensa between wheat aphids, Sitobion miscanthi, was reported. H. defensa was harbored in sheath cells, secondary bacteriocytes, and hemolymph. After Hamiltonella-infected aphids fed on wheat leaves, H. defensa was observed in aphid stylets and plant phloem. H. defensa persisted in wheat leaves for at least 10 days. Most Hamiltonella-uninfected aphids became infected with H. defensa after sustained feeding on infected plant leaves and showed almost 100% stable vertical transmission over the next five generations. These horizontal transmission experiments were replicated using two other plants, rice and corn, and two different wheat aphid species, Rhopalosiphum padi and Schizaphis graminum. Surprisingly, aphid feeding induced plant infection only locally rather than systemically in leaves. Our findings indicate that plants may act as horizontal transmission intermediaries, contributing to the ubiquity of the otherwise maternally inherited H. defensa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Li
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection , Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences , Beijing 100193 , People's Republic of China
- College of Plant Science and Technology , Huazhong Agricultural University , Wuhan , Hubei 430070 , People's Republic of China
| | - Jia Fan
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection , Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences , Beijing 100193 , People's Republic of China
| | - Jingxuan Sun
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection , Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences , Beijing 100193 , People's Republic of China
| | - Man-Qun Wang
- College of Plant Science and Technology , Huazhong Agricultural University , Wuhan , Hubei 430070 , People's Republic of China
| | - Julian Chen
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection , Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences , Beijing 100193 , People's Republic of China
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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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27
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Geiger A, Malele I, Abd-Alla AM, Njiokou F. Blood feeding tsetse flies as hosts and vectors of mammals-pre-adapted African Trypanosoma: current and expected research directions. BMC Microbiol 2018; 18:162. [PMID: 30470183 PMCID: PMC6251083 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-018-1281-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Research on the zoo-anthropophilic blood feeding tsetse flies' biology conducted, by different teams, in laboratory settings and at the level of the ecosystems- where also co-perpetuate African Trypanosoma- has allowed to unveil and characterize key features of tsetse flies' bacterial symbionts on which rely both (a) the perpetuation of the tsetse fly populations and (b) the completion of the developmental program of the African Trypanosoma. Transcriptomic analyses have already provided much information on tsetse fly genes as well as on genes of the fly symbiotic partners Sodalis glossinidius and Wigglesworthia, which account for the successful onset or not of the African Trypanosoma developmental program. In parallel, identification of the non- symbiotic bacterial communities hosted in the tsetse fly gut has recently been initiated: are briefly introduced those bacteria genera and species common to tsetse flies collected from distinct ecosystems, that could be further studied as potential biologicals preventing the onset of the African Trypanosoma developmental program. Finally, future work will need to concentrate on how to render tsetse flies refractory, and the best means to disseminate them in the field in order to establish an overall refractory fly population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Geiger
- INTERTRYP, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Imna Malele
- Vector and Vector Borne Diseases Institute, Majani Mapana, Off Korogwe Road, Box, 1026 Tanga, Tanzania
| | - Adly M Abd-Alla
- Insect Pest Control Laboratory, Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, Vienna, Austria
| | - Flobert Njiokou
- Faculty of Science, University of Yaoundé I, P.O. Box 812, Yaoundé, Cameroon
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28
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Brandt JW, Chevignon G, Oliver KM, Strand MR. Culture of an aphid heritable symbiont demonstrates its direct role in defence against parasitoids. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 284:rspb.2017.1925. [PMID: 29093227 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.1925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2017] [Accepted: 10/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Heritable symbionts are common in insects with many contributing to host defence. Hamiltonella defensa is a facultative, bacterial symbiont of the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum that provides protection against the endoparasitoid wasp Aphidius ervi Protection levels vary among strains of H. defensa that are differentially infected by bacteriophages named APSEs. By contrast, little is known about mechanism(s) of resistance owing to the intractability of host-restricted microbes for functional study. Here, we developed methods for culturing strains of H. defensa that varied in the presence and type of APSE. Most H. defensa strains proliferated at 27°C in co-cultures with the TN5 cell line or as pure cultures with no insect cells. The strain infected by APSE3, which provides high levels of protection in vivo, produced a soluble factor(s) that disabled development of A. ervi embryos independent of any aphid factors. Experimental transfer of APSE3 also conferred the ability to disable A. ervi development to a phage-free strain of H. defensa Altogether, these results provide a critical foundation for characterizing symbiont-derived factor(s) involved in host protection and other functions. Our results also demonstrate that phage-mediated transfer of traits provides a mechanism for innovation in host restricted symbionts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jayce W Brandt
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Germain Chevignon
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Kerry M Oliver
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Michael R Strand
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
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29
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Zouari S, Ben Halima MK, Reyes-Prieto M, Latorre A, Gil R. Natural Occurrence of Secondary Bacterial Symbionts in Aphids from Tunisia, with a Focus on Genus Hyalopterus. ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY 2018; 47:325-333. [PMID: 29506121 DOI: 10.1093/ee/nvy005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae) can harbor two types of bacterial symbionts. In addition to the obligate endosymbiont Buchnera aphidicola Munson, Baumann and Kinsey 1991 (Enterobacteriales: Enterobacteriaceae), several facultative symbiotic bacteria, called secondary (S) symbionts, have been identified among many important pest aphid species. To determine interpopulational diversity of S-symbionts, we carried out a survey in a total of 18 populations of six aphid species collected from six localities in Tunisia, by performing a diagnostic polymerase chain reaction analysis of partial 16S-23S rRNA operon sequences. While 61.7% of individuals contained only Buchnera, three S-symbionts were found at different frequencies. Arsenophonus sp. Gherna et al. 1991 (Enterobacteriales: Enterobacteriaceae) was found in all species under study except for Acyrtosiphon pisum (Harris 1776) (Aphidinae: Macrosiphini); Serratia symbiotica Moran et al. 2005 (Enterobacteriales: Enterobacteriaceae) was present in all analyzed individuals of A. pisum but only sporadically in Aphis spiraecola (Patch 1914) (Aphidinae: Aphidini) and Hyalopterus amygdali (Blanchard 1840) (Aphidinae: Aphidini), while Hamiltonella defensa Moran et al. 2005 (Enterobacteriales: Enterobacteriaceae) was found in all analyzed individuals of one population of Aphis gossypii (Glover 1877) (Aphidinae: Aphidini) and sporadically in two populations of Hyalopterus. The lysogenic bacteriophage APSE-1 (A. pisum secondary endosymbiont, type 1) was detected in the three populations infected with H. defensa. This bacteriophage has been associated with moderate protection against braconid parasitoids in pea aphids. The high prevalence of Arsenophonus sp. in our samples is in accordance with previous studies indicating that, among gammaproteobacteria, this genus is one of the most widespread insect facultative symbionts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sana Zouari
- UR13AGRO3: Cultures maraîchères conventionnelles et biologiques. Institut Supérieur Agronomique (ISA) de Chott Mariem, Université de Sousse Tunisie, Chott Mariem, Tunisia
| | - Monia Kamel Ben Halima
- UR13AGRO3: Cultures maraîchères conventionnelles et biologiques. Institut Supérieur Agronomique (ISA) de Chott Mariem, Université de Sousse Tunisie, Chott Mariem, Tunisia
| | - Mariana Reyes-Prieto
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), Universitat de València/CSIC, Paterna (Valencia) Spain
| | - Amparo Latorre
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), Universitat de València/CSIC, Paterna (Valencia) Spain
- Área de Genómica y Salud, FISABIO - Salud Pública, València, Spain
| | - Rosario Gil
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), Universitat de València/CSIC, Paterna (Valencia) Spain
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30
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Chevignon G, Boyd BM, Brandt JW, Oliver KM, Strand MR. Culture-Facilitated Comparative Genomics of the Facultative Symbiont Hamiltonella defensa. Genome Biol Evol 2018; 10:786-802. [PMID: 29452355 PMCID: PMC5841374 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evy036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Many insects host facultative, bacterial symbionts that confer conditional fitness benefits to their hosts. Hamiltonella defensa is a common facultative symbiont of aphids that provides protection against parasitoid wasps. Protection levels vary among strains of H. defensa that are also differentially infected by bacteriophages named APSEs. However, little is known about trait variation among strains because only one isolate has been fully sequenced. Generating complete genomes for facultative symbionts is hindered by relatively large genome sizes but low abundances in hosts like aphids that are very small. Here, we took advantage of methods for culturing H. defensa outside of aphids to generate complete genomes and transcriptome data for four strains of H. defensa from the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum. Chosen strains also spanned the breadth of the H. defensa phylogeny and differed in strength of protection conferred against parasitoids. Results indicated that strains shared most genes with roles in nutrient acquisition, metabolism, and essential housekeeping functions. In contrast, the inventory of mobile genetic elements varied substantially, which generated strain specific differences in gene content and genome architecture. In some cases, specific traits correlated with differences in protection against parasitoids, but in others high variation between strains obscured identification of traits with likely roles in defense. Transcriptome data generated continuous distributions to genome assemblies with some genes that were highly expressed and others that were not. Single molecule real-time sequencing further identified differences in DNA methylation patterns and restriction modification systems that provide defense against phage infection.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Bret M Boyd
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia
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31
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Doremus MR, Smith AH, Kim KL, Holder AJ, Russell JA, Oliver KM. Breakdown of a defensive symbiosis, but not endogenous defences, at elevated temperatures. Mol Ecol 2017; 27:2138-2151. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.14399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2017] [Accepted: 10/17/2017] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Kyungsun L. Kim
- Department of Entomology University of Georgia Athens GA USA
| | | | | | - Kerry M. Oliver
- Department of Entomology University of Georgia Athens GA USA
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32
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Parker BJ, Hrček J, McLean AHC, Godfray HCJ. Genotype specificity among hosts, pathogens, and beneficial microbes influences the strength of symbiont-mediated protection. Evolution 2017; 71:1222-1231. [PMID: 28252804 PMCID: PMC5516205 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2016] [Revised: 02/06/2017] [Accepted: 02/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The microbial symbionts of eukaryotes influence disease resistance in many host-parasite systems. Symbionts show substantial variation in both genotype and phenotype, but it is unclear how natural selection maintains this variation. It is also unknown whether variable symbiont genotypes show specificity with the genotypes of hosts or parasites in natural populations. Genotype by genotype interactions are a necessary condition for coevolution between interacting species. Uncovering the patterns of genetic specificity among hosts, symbionts, and parasites is therefore critical for determining the role that symbionts play in host-parasite coevolution. Here, we show that the strength of protection conferred against a fungal pathogen by a vertically transmitted symbiont of an aphid is influenced by both host-symbiont and symbiont-pathogen genotype by genotype interactions. Further, we show that certain symbiont phylogenetic clades have evolved to provide stronger protection against particular pathogen genotypes. However, we found no evidence of reciprocal adaptation of co-occurring host and symbiont lineages. Our results suggest that genetic variation among symbiont strains may be maintained by antagonistic coevolution with their host and/or their host's parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin J. Parker
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of OxfordOxfordOX1 3PSUnited Kingdom
- Current Address: Department of BiologyUniversity of RochesterRochesterNY14627USA
| | - Jan Hrček
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of OxfordOxfordOX1 3PSUnited Kingdom
- Current Address: Institute of EntomologyBiology Centre CAS, Branisovska 31Ceske Budejovice37005Czech Republic
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33
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McLean AHC, Godfray HCJ. The outcome of competition between two parasitoid species is influenced by a facultative symbiont of their aphid host. Funct Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ailsa H. C. McLean
- Department of Zoology University of Oxford South Parks Road Oxford OX1 3PS UK
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34
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Mondo SJ, Salvioli A, Bonfante P, Morton JB, Pawlowska TE. Nondegenerative Evolution in Ancient Heritable Bacterial Endosymbionts of Fungi. Mol Biol Evol 2016; 33:2216-31. [DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msw086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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35
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McLean AHC, Godfray HCJ. Evidence for specificity in symbiont-conferred protection against parasitoids. Proc Biol Sci 2016; 282:rspb.2015.0977. [PMID: 26136451 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2015.0977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Many insects harbour facultative symbiotic bacteria, some of which have been shown to provide resistance against natural enemies. One of the best-known protective symbionts is Hamiltonella defensa, which in pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum) confers resistance against attack by parasitoid wasps in the genus Aphidius (Braconidae).We asked (i) whether this symbiont also confers protection against a phylogenetically distant group of parasitoids (Aphelinidae) and (ii) whether there are consistent differences in the effects of bacteria found in pea aphid biotypes adapted to different host plants. We found that some H. defensa strains do provide protection against an aphelinid parasitoid Aphelinus abdominalis. Hamiltonella defensa from the Lotus biotype provided high resistance to A. abdominalis and moderate to low resistance to Aphidius ervi, while the reverse was seen from Medicago biotype isolates. Aphids from Ononis showed no evidence of symbiont-mediated protection against either wasp species and were relatively vulnerable to both. Our results may reflect the different selection pressures exerted by the parasitoid community on aphids feeding on different host plants, and could help explain the maintenance of genetic diversity in bacterial symbionts.
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36
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Donald KJ, Clarke HV, Mitchell C, Cornwell RM, Hubbard SF, Karley AJ. Protection of Pea Aphids Associated with Coinfecting Bacterial Symbionts Persists During Superparasitism by a Braconid Wasp. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2016; 71:1-4. [PMID: 26520831 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-015-0690-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2015] [Accepted: 10/12/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Bacterial endosymbionts that associate facultatively with insect herbivores can influence insect fitness and trophic interactions. The pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum, can be protected from parasitism by the braconid wasp Aphidius ervi when harbouring particular symbiotic bacteria, with specific endosymbiont coinfections providing almost complete protection. However, studies often quantify aphid mummification with no control over parasitoid oviposition per aphid; thus, if mummy production fails or is low, the causes are often unclear. Here, we show that the high level of protection associated with the coinfecting endosymbionts Hamiltonella defensa and X-type is maintained even when pea aphids are superparasitised. This contrasts strongly with the protection provided by H. defensa alone, which has been shown by others to be overcome by superparasitism. By dissecting aphids exposed to two parasitoid attacks, we reveal that A. ervi deposits eggs equally freely in endosymbiont-infected and uninfected nymphs, and lack of mummification in endosymbiont-protected nymphs arises from failure of the wasp eggs to hatch or emerging larvae to develop.
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Affiliation(s)
- K J Donald
- The James Hutton Institute, Dundee, DD2 5DA, UK
| | - H V Clarke
- The James Hutton Institute, Dundee, DD2 5DA, UK
| | - C Mitchell
- The James Hutton Institute, Dundee, DD2 5DA, UK
| | | | - S F Hubbard
- School of the Environment, University of Dundee, Dundee, DD1 4HN, UK
| | - A J Karley
- The James Hutton Institute, Dundee, DD2 5DA, UK.
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37
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Diverse Bacteriophage Roles in an Aphid-Bacterial Defensive Mutualism. ADVANCES IN ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-28068-4_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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38
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Łukasik P, Guo H, van Asch M, Henry LM, Godfray HCJ, Ferrari J. Horizontal transfer of facultative endosymbionts is limited by host relatedness. Evolution 2015; 69:2757-66. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.12767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2014] [Revised: 07/31/2015] [Accepted: 08/14/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Piotr Łukasik
- Department of Zoology; University of Oxford; South Parks Road Oxford OX1 3PS United Kingdom
| | - Huifang Guo
- Department of Zoology; University of Oxford; South Parks Road Oxford OX1 3PS United Kingdom
- Institute of Plant Protection; Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences; Zhongling Street Nanjing 210014 China
| | - Margriet van Asch
- Department of Zoology; University of Oxford; South Parks Road Oxford OX1 3PS United Kingdom
| | - Lee M. Henry
- Department of Zoology; University of Oxford; South Parks Road Oxford OX1 3PS United Kingdom
| | - H. Charles J. Godfray
- Department of Zoology; University of Oxford; South Parks Road Oxford OX1 3PS United Kingdom
| | - Julia Ferrari
- Department of Zoology; University of Oxford; South Parks Road Oxford OX1 3PS United Kingdom
- Department of Biology; University of York; York YO10 5DD United Kingdom
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39
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Cayetano L, Rothacher L, Simon JC, Vorburger C. Cheaper is not always worse: strongly protective isolates of a defensive symbiont are less costly to the aphid host. Proc Biol Sci 2015; 282:20142333. [PMID: 25473015 PMCID: PMC4286048 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2014.2333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Defences against parasites are typically associated with costs to the host that contribute to the maintenance of variation in resistance. This also applies to the defence provided by the facultative bacterial endosymbiont Hamiltonella defensa, which protects its aphid hosts against parasitoid wasps while imposing life-history costs. To investigate the cost–benefit relationship within protected hosts, we introduced multiple isolates of H. defensa to the same genetic backgrounds of black bean aphids, Aphis fabae, and we quantified the protection against their parasitoid Lysiphlebus fabarum as well as the costs to the host (reduced lifespan and reproduction) in the absence of parasitoids. Surprisingly, we observed the opposite of a trade-off. Strongly protective isolates of H. defensa reduced lifespan and lifetime reproduction of unparasitized aphids to a lesser extent than weakly protective isolates. This finding has important implications for the evolution of defensive symbiosis and highlights the need for a better understanding of how strain variation in protective symbionts is maintained.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis Cayetano
- Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zürich, Universitätsstrasse 16, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland EAWAG, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 133, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Lukas Rothacher
- Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zürich, Universitätsstrasse 16, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland EAWAG, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 133, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Jean-Christophe Simon
- INRA, UMR 1349 INRA-Agrocampus Ouest/Université Rennes 1, Institut de Génétique, Environnement et Protection des Plantes (IGEPP), Domaine de la Motte, 35653 Le Rheu Cedex, France
| | - Christoph Vorburger
- Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zürich, Universitätsstrasse 16, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland EAWAG, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 133, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
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40
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Toomer KH, Chen X, Naito M, Mondo SJ, den Bakker HC, VanKuren NW, Lekberg Y, Morton JB, Pawlowska TE. Molecular evolution patterns reveal life history features of mycoplasma-related endobacteria associated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Mol Ecol 2015; 24:3485-500. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.13250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2014] [Revised: 05/01/2015] [Accepted: 05/22/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kevin H. Toomer
- School of Integrative Plant Science, Plant Pathology & Plant Microbe-Biology; Cornell University; Ithaca NY 14853 USA
| | - Xiuhua Chen
- School of Integrative Plant Science, Plant Pathology & Plant Microbe-Biology; Cornell University; Ithaca NY 14853 USA
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology; Huazhong Agricultural University; Wuhan 430070 China
| | - Mizue Naito
- School of Integrative Plant Science, Plant Pathology & Plant Microbe-Biology; Cornell University; Ithaca NY 14853 USA
| | - Stephen J. Mondo
- School of Integrative Plant Science, Plant Pathology & Plant Microbe-Biology; Cornell University; Ithaca NY 14853 USA
| | - Henk C. den Bakker
- School of Integrative Plant Science, Plant Pathology & Plant Microbe-Biology; Cornell University; Ithaca NY 14853 USA
| | - Nicholas W. VanKuren
- School of Integrative Plant Science, Plant Pathology & Plant Microbe-Biology; Cornell University; Ithaca NY 14853 USA
| | - Ylva Lekberg
- MPG Ranch; Missoula MT 59802 USA
- Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences; University of Montana; Missoula MT 59812 USA
| | - Joseph B. Morton
- Division of Plant & Soil Sciences; West Virginia University; Morgantown WV 26506 USA
| | - Teresa E. Pawlowska
- School of Integrative Plant Science, Plant Pathology & Plant Microbe-Biology; Cornell University; Ithaca NY 14853 USA
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Duron O, Noël V, McCoy KD, Bonazzi M, Sidi-Boumedine K, Morel O, Vavre F, Zenner L, Jourdain E, Durand P, Arnathau C, Renaud F, Trape JF, Biguezoton AS, Cremaschi J, Dietrich M, Léger E, Appelgren A, Dupraz M, Gómez-Díaz E, Diatta G, Dayo GK, Adakal H, Zoungrana S, Vial L, Chevillon C. The Recent Evolution of a Maternally-Inherited Endosymbiont of Ticks Led to the Emergence of the Q Fever Pathogen, Coxiella burnetii. PLoS Pathog 2015; 11:e1004892. [PMID: 25978383 PMCID: PMC4433120 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1004892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 187] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2015] [Accepted: 04/17/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Q fever is a highly infectious disease with a worldwide distribution. Its causative agent, the intracellular bacterium Coxiella burnetii, infects a variety of vertebrate species, including humans. Its evolutionary origin remains almost entirely unknown and uncertainty persists regarding the identity and lifestyle of its ancestors. A few tick species were recently found to harbor maternally-inherited Coxiella-like organisms engaged in symbiotic interactions, but their relationships to the Q fever pathogen remain unclear. Here, we extensively sampled ticks, identifying new and atypical Coxiella strains from 40 of 58 examined species, and used this data to infer the evolutionary processes leading to the emergence of C. burnetii. Phylogenetic analyses of multi-locus typing and whole-genome sequencing data revealed that Coxiella-like organisms represent an ancient and monophyletic group allied to ticks. Remarkably, all known C. burnetii strains originate within this group and are the descendants of a Coxiella-like progenitor hosted by ticks. Using both colony-reared and field-collected gravid females, we further establish the presence of highly efficient maternal transmission of these Coxiella-like organisms in four examined tick species, a pattern coherent with an endosymbiotic lifestyle. Our laboratory culture assays also showed that these Coxiella-like organisms were not amenable to culture in the vertebrate cell environment, suggesting different metabolic requirements compared to C. burnetii. Altogether, this corpus of data demonstrates that C. burnetii recently evolved from an inherited symbiont of ticks which succeeded in infecting vertebrate cells, likely by the acquisition of novel virulence factors. How virulent infectious diseases emerge from non-pathogenic organisms is a challenging question. Here, we address this evolutionary issue in the case of Q fever. Its causative agent, the intracellular bacterium Coxiella burnetii, is extremely infectious to humans and a variety of animals. However, uncertainty persists regarding its evolutionary origin, including the identity and lifestyle of its ancestors. In this article, we show that C. burnetii arose from a rare evolutionary transformation of a maternally-inherited endosymbiont of ticks into a specialized and virulent pathogen of vertebrates. While arthropod symbionts are typically transmitted maternally and thought not to be infectious to vertebrates, we establish here that one Coxiella symbiont has evolved the necessary adaptations to exploit the vertebrate cell, leading to the emergence of Q fever.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Duron
- Laboratoire MIVEGEC (Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs: Ecologie, Génétique, Evolution et Contrôle), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (UMR5290)—Université de Montpellier—Institut pour la Recherche et le Développement (UR 224), Montpellier, France
- * E-mail:
| | - Valérie Noël
- Laboratoire MIVEGEC (Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs: Ecologie, Génétique, Evolution et Contrôle), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (UMR5290)—Université de Montpellier—Institut pour la Recherche et le Développement (UR 224), Montpellier, France
| | - Karen D. McCoy
- Laboratoire MIVEGEC (Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs: Ecologie, Génétique, Evolution et Contrôle), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (UMR5290)—Université de Montpellier—Institut pour la Recherche et le Développement (UR 224), Montpellier, France
| | - Matteo Bonazzi
- Centre d’études d’agents Pathogènes et Biotechnologies pour la Santé (CPBS), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (UMR5236)—Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Karim Sidi-Boumedine
- National Reference Laboratory on Q Fever, French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety (ANSES), Sophia-Antipolis, France
| | - Olivier Morel
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Évolutive (LBBE), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (UMR5558)—Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Fabrice Vavre
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Évolutive (LBBE), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (UMR5558)—Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Lionel Zenner
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Évolutive (LBBE), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (UMR5558)—Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Elsa Jourdain
- Unité d'Epidémiologie Animale, Institut National de le Recherche Agronomique (UR346), Saint Genès Champanelle, France
| | - Patrick Durand
- Laboratoire MIVEGEC (Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs: Ecologie, Génétique, Evolution et Contrôle), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (UMR5290)—Université de Montpellier—Institut pour la Recherche et le Développement (UR 224), Montpellier, France
| | - Céline Arnathau
- Laboratoire MIVEGEC (Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs: Ecologie, Génétique, Evolution et Contrôle), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (UMR5290)—Université de Montpellier—Institut pour la Recherche et le Développement (UR 224), Montpellier, France
| | - François Renaud
- Laboratoire MIVEGEC (Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs: Ecologie, Génétique, Evolution et Contrôle), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (UMR5290)—Université de Montpellier—Institut pour la Recherche et le Développement (UR 224), Montpellier, France
| | - Jean-François Trape
- Laboratoire MIVEGEC (Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs: Ecologie, Génétique, Evolution et Contrôle), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (UMR5290)—Université de Montpellier—Institut pour la Recherche et le Développement (UR 224), Montpellier, France
| | - Abel S. Biguezoton
- Laboratoire MIVEGEC (Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs: Ecologie, Génétique, Evolution et Contrôle), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (UMR5290)—Université de Montpellier—Institut pour la Recherche et le Développement (UR 224), Montpellier, France
- Unité de Recherche sur les Bases Biologiques de la lutte intégrée (URBIO), Centre International de Recherche-Développement sur l'Elevage en zone Subhumide (CIRDES), Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso
| | - Julie Cremaschi
- Laboratoire MIVEGEC (Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs: Ecologie, Génétique, Evolution et Contrôle), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (UMR5290)—Université de Montpellier—Institut pour la Recherche et le Développement (UR 224), Montpellier, France
| | - Muriel Dietrich
- Laboratoire MIVEGEC (Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs: Ecologie, Génétique, Evolution et Contrôle), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (UMR5290)—Université de Montpellier—Institut pour la Recherche et le Développement (UR 224), Montpellier, France
| | - Elsa Léger
- Laboratoire MIVEGEC (Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs: Ecologie, Génétique, Evolution et Contrôle), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (UMR5290)—Université de Montpellier—Institut pour la Recherche et le Développement (UR 224), Montpellier, France
| | - Anaïs Appelgren
- Laboratoire MIVEGEC (Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs: Ecologie, Génétique, Evolution et Contrôle), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (UMR5290)—Université de Montpellier—Institut pour la Recherche et le Développement (UR 224), Montpellier, France
| | - Marlène Dupraz
- Laboratoire MIVEGEC (Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs: Ecologie, Génétique, Evolution et Contrôle), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (UMR5290)—Université de Montpellier—Institut pour la Recherche et le Développement (UR 224), Montpellier, France
| | - Elena Gómez-Díaz
- Laboratoire MIVEGEC (Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs: Ecologie, Génétique, Evolution et Contrôle), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (UMR5290)—Université de Montpellier—Institut pour la Recherche et le Développement (UR 224), Montpellier, France
- Biology Department, O. Wayne Rollins Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Georges Diatta
- Unité de Recherche sur les Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes (URMITE), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (UMR6236)—Aix Marseille Université, Dakar, Sénégal
| | - Guiguigbaza-Kossigan Dayo
- Unité de Recherche sur les Bases Biologiques de la lutte intégrée (URBIO), Centre International de Recherche-Développement sur l'Elevage en zone Subhumide (CIRDES), Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso
| | - Hassane Adakal
- Unité de Recherche sur les Bases Biologiques de la lutte intégrée (URBIO), Centre International de Recherche-Développement sur l'Elevage en zone Subhumide (CIRDES), Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso
- Département des Sciences et Techniques de l’Elevage (DSTE/FASE), Université Dan Dicko Dan Koulodo, Maradi, Niger
| | - Sébastien Zoungrana
- Unité de Recherche sur les Bases Biologiques de la lutte intégrée (URBIO), Centre International de Recherche-Développement sur l'Elevage en zone Subhumide (CIRDES), Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso
| | - Laurence Vial
- Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD), Prades-le-Lez, France
| | - Christine Chevillon
- Laboratoire MIVEGEC (Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs: Ecologie, Génétique, Evolution et Contrôle), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (UMR5290)—Université de Montpellier—Institut pour la Recherche et le Développement (UR 224), Montpellier, France
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Elimination of Arsenophonus and decrease in the bacterial symbionts diversity by antibiotic treatment leads to increase in fitness of whitefly, Bemisia tabaci. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2015; 32:224-30. [PMID: 25801610 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2015.03.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2014] [Revised: 03/14/2015] [Accepted: 03/16/2015] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Bemisia tabaci is an invasive agricultural pest with more than 24 genetic groups harboring different bacterial endosymbionts categorized into obligatory and facultative endosymbionts. Arsenophonus is one of the facultative endosymbionts prevalent in B. tabaci of Indian sub-continent. Not much is known about the functional role of this endosymbiont in its host. Some studies have revealed its involvement in virus transmission by B. tabaci, but how it effects the biology of B. tabaci is unknown. In this study, tetracycline was used to eliminate Arsenophonus from B. tabaci to study its effects with regard to development and other fitness parameters. Bacteria specific 16S Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to ascertain Arsenophonus absence with differential effects on other secondary endosymbionts present in B. tabaci. Our results revealed that Arsenophonus negative (A(-)) whiteflies had more fecundity, increased juvenile developmental time, increased nymphal survival and increased adult life span as compared to control (A(+)) whiteflies. Thus, our results demonstrate that A(+) whiteflies have lesser fitness as compared to A(-) whiteflies. These observations give a new insight about the probable role of Arsenophonus in B. tabaci, that need to be explored further.
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Rollat-Farnier PA, Santos-Garcia D, Rao Q, Sagot MF, Silva FJ, Henri H, Zchori-Fein E, Latorre A, Moya A, Barbe V, Liu SS, Wang XW, Vavre F, Mouton L. Two host clades, two bacterial arsenals: evolution through gene losses in facultative endosymbionts. Genome Biol Evol 2015; 7:839-55. [PMID: 25714744 PMCID: PMC5322557 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evv030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial endosymbiosis is an important evolutionary process in insects, which can harbor both obligate and facultative symbionts. The evolution of these symbionts is driven by evolutionary convergence, and they exhibit among the tiniest genomes in prokaryotes. The large host spectrum of facultative symbionts and the high diversity of strategies they use to infect new hosts probably impact the evolution of their genome and explain why they undergo less severe genomic erosion than obligate symbionts. Candidatus Hamiltonella defensa is suitable for the investigation of the genomic evolution of facultative symbionts because the bacteria are engaged in specific relationships in two clades of insects. In aphids, H. defensa is found in several species with an intermediate prevalence and confers protection against parasitoids. In whiteflies, H. defensa is almost fixed in some species of Bemisia tabaci, which suggests an important role of and a transition toward obligate symbiosis. In this study, comparisons of the genome of H. defensa present in two B. tabaci species (Middle East Asia Minor 1 and Mediterranean) and in the aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum revealed that they belong to two distinct clades and underwent specific gene losses. In aphids, it contains highly virulent factors that could allow protection and horizontal transfers. In whiteflies, the genome lost these factors and seems to have a limited ability to acquire genes. However it contains genes that could be involved in the production of essential nutrients, which is consistent with a primordial role for this symbiont. In conclusion, although both lineages of H. defensa have mutualistic interactions with their hosts, their genomes follow distinct evolutionary trajectories that reflect their phenotype and could have important consequences on their evolvability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre-Antoine Rollat-Farnier
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR CNRS 5558, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon1, Villeurbanne, France BAMBOO Research Team, INRIA Grenoble, Rhône-Alpes, France
| | - Diego Santos-Garcia
- Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat i Biologia Evolutiva, Universitat de València, Spain
| | - Qiong Rao
- Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Agricultural Entomology, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China School of Agriculture and Food Science, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Lin'an, Hangzhou, China
| | - Marie-France Sagot
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR CNRS 5558, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon1, Villeurbanne, France BAMBOO Research Team, INRIA Grenoble, Rhône-Alpes, France
| | - Francisco J Silva
- Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat i Biologia Evolutiva, Universitat de València, Spain Unidad Mixta de Investigación en Genómica y Salud de la Fundación para el Fomento de la Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de la Comunidad Valenciana (FISABIO-Salud Pública) y el Instituto Cavanilles de Biodiversitad y Biología Evolutiva (Universitat de València), Valencia, Spain
| | - Hélène Henri
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR CNRS 5558, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon1, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Einat Zchori-Fein
- Department of Entomology, NeweYa'ar Research Center, Agricultural Research Organization, Ramat Yishay, Israel
| | - Amparo Latorre
- Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat i Biologia Evolutiva, Universitat de València, Spain Unidad Mixta de Investigación en Genómica y Salud de la Fundación para el Fomento de la Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de la Comunidad Valenciana (FISABIO-Salud Pública) y el Instituto Cavanilles de Biodiversitad y Biología Evolutiva (Universitat de València), Valencia, Spain
| | - Andrés Moya
- Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat i Biologia Evolutiva, Universitat de València, Spain Unidad Mixta de Investigación en Genómica y Salud de la Fundación para el Fomento de la Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de la Comunidad Valenciana (FISABIO-Salud Pública) y el Instituto Cavanilles de Biodiversitad y Biología Evolutiva (Universitat de València), Valencia, Spain
| | - Valérie Barbe
- CEA/DSV/IG/Genoscope, 2 rue Gaston Cremieux, Evry, France
| | - Shu-Sheng Liu
- Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Agricultural Entomology, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiao-Wei Wang
- Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Agricultural Entomology, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Fabrice Vavre
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR CNRS 5558, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon1, Villeurbanne, France BAMBOO Research Team, INRIA Grenoble, Rhône-Alpes, France
| | - Laurence Mouton
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR CNRS 5558, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon1, Villeurbanne, France
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Paula DP, Linard B, Andow DA, Sujii ER, Pires CSS, Vogler AP. Detection and decay rates of prey and prey symbionts in the gut of a predator through metagenomics. Mol Ecol Resour 2015; 15:880-92. [PMID: 25545417 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.12364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2014] [Revised: 12/15/2014] [Accepted: 12/18/2014] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
DNA methods are useful to identify ingested prey items from the gut of predators, but reliable detection is hampered by low amounts of degraded DNA. PCR-based methods can retrieve minute amounts of starting material but suffer from amplification biases and cross-reactions with the predator and related species genomes. Here, we use PCR-free direct shotgun sequencing of total DNA isolated from the gut of the harlequin ladybird Harmonia axyridis at five time points after feeding on a single pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum. Sequence reads were matched to three reference databases: Insecta mitogenomes of 587 species, including H. axyridis sequenced here; A. pisum nuclear genome scaffolds; and scaffolds and complete genomes of 13 potential bacterial symbionts. Immediately after feeding, multicopy mtDNA of A. pisum was detected in tens of reads, while hundreds of matches to nuclear scaffolds were detected. Aphid nuclear DNA and mtDNA decayed at similar rates (0.281 and 0.11 h(-1) respectively), and the detectability periods were 32.7 and 23.1 h. Metagenomic sequencing also revealed thousands of reads of the obligate Buchnera aphidicola and facultative Regiella insecticola aphid symbionts, which showed exponential decay rates significantly faster than aphid DNA (0.694 and 0.80 h(-1) , respectively). However, the facultative aphid symbionts Hamiltonella defensa, Arsenophonus spp. and Serratia symbiotica showed an unexpected temporary increase in population size by 1-2 orders of magnitude in the predator guts before declining. Metagenomics is a powerful tool that can reveal complex relationships and the dynamics of interactions among predators, prey and their symbionts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Débora P Paula
- Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, Parque Estação Biológica, W5 Norte, P.O. Box 02372, Brasília, DF, 70770-917, Brazil.,Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Rd, London, SW7 5BD, UK
| | - Benjamin Linard
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Rd, London, SW7 5BD, UK
| | - David A Andow
- Department of Entomology, University of Minnesota, 219 Hodson Hall, 1980 Folwell Ave., St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Edison R Sujii
- Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, Parque Estação Biológica, W5 Norte, P.O. Box 02372, Brasília, DF, 70770-917, Brazil
| | - Carmen S S Pires
- Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, Parque Estação Biológica, W5 Norte, P.O. Box 02372, Brasília, DF, 70770-917, Brazil
| | - Alfried P Vogler
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Rd, London, SW7 5BD, UK.,Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Ascot, SL7 5PY, UK
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McLean AHC, Godfray HCJ. An experimental test of whether the defensive phenotype of an aphid facultative symbiont can respond to selection within a host lineage. PLoS One 2014; 9:e111601. [PMID: 25396733 PMCID: PMC4232250 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0111601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2014] [Accepted: 10/06/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
An experiment was conducted to test whether parasitoid resistance within a single clonal line of pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum) might increase after exposure to the parasitoid wasp Aphidius ervi. Any change in resistance was expected to occur through an increase in the density of protective symbiotic bacteria rather than genetic change within the aphid or the bacterial symbiont. Six aphid lineages were exposed to high parasitoid attack rates over nine generations, each line being propagated from individuals that had survived attack; a further six lineages were maintained without parasitoids as a control. At the end of the experiment the strength of resistance of aphids from treatment and control lines were compared. No differences in resistance were found.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ailsa H. C. McLean
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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Duron O. Arsenophonus insect symbionts are commonly infected with APSE, a bacteriophage involved in protective symbiosis. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2014; 90:184-94. [PMID: 25041857 DOI: 10.1111/1574-6941.12381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2014] [Revised: 07/08/2014] [Accepted: 07/09/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Insects commonly have intimate associations with maternally inherited bacterial symbionts. While many inherited symbionts are not essential for host survival, they often act as conditional mutualists, conferring protection against certain environmental stresses. The defensive symbiont Hamiltonella defensa which protects aphids against attacks by parasitoid wasps is one of these conditional mutualists. The protection afforded by Hamiltonella depends on the presence of a lysogenic bacteriophage, called APSE, encoding homologs of toxins that are suspected to target wasp cells. In this study, an important diversity of APSE variants is reported from another heritable symbiont, Arsenophonus, which is exceptionally widespread in insects. APSE was found in association with two-thirds of the Arsenophonus strains examined and from a variety of insect groups such as aphids, white flies, parasitoid wasps, triatomine bugs, louse flies, and bat flies. No APSE was, however, found from Arsenophonus relatives such as the recently described Aschnera chinzeii and ALO-3 endosymbionts. Phylogenetic investigations revealed that APSE has a long evolutionary history in heritable symbionts, being secondarily acquired by Hamiltonella through lateral transfer from Arsenophonus. Overall, this highlights the role of lateral transfer as a major evolutionary process shaping the emergence of defensive symbiosis in heritable bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Duron
- Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution, CNRS-UM2 (UMR5554), Montpellier Cedex 05, France
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47
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Factors limiting the spread of the protective symbiont Hamiltonella defensa in Aphis craccivora Aphids. Appl Environ Microbiol 2014; 80:5818-27. [PMID: 25015890 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01775-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Many insects are associated with heritable symbionts that mediate ecological interactions, including host protection against natural enemies. The cowpea aphid, Aphis craccivora, is a polyphagous pest that harbors Hamiltonella defensa, which defends against parasitic wasps. Despite this protective benefit, this symbiont occurs only at intermediate frequencies in field populations. To identify factors constraining H. defensa invasion in Ap. craccivora, we estimated symbiont transmission rates, performed fitness assays, and measured infection dynamics in population cages to evaluate effects of infection. Similar to results with the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum, we found no consistent costs to infection using component fitness assays, but we did identify clear costs to infection in population cages when no enemies were present. Maternal transmission rates of H. defensa in Ap. craccivora were high (ca. 99%) but not perfect. Transmission failures and infection costs likely limit the spread of protective H. defensa in Ap. craccivora. We also characterized several parameters of H. defensa infection potentially relevant to the protective phenotype. We confirmed the presence of H. defensa in aphid hemolymph, where it potentially interacts with endoparasites, and performed real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) to estimate symbiont and phage abundance during aphid development. We also examined strain variation of H. defensa and its bacteriophage at multiple loci, and despite our lines being collected in different regions of North America, they were infected with a nearly identical strains of H. defensa and APSE4 phage. The limited strain diversity observed for these defensive elements may result in relatively static protection profile for this defensive symbiosis.
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Rouchet R, Vorburger C. EXPERIMENTAL EVOLUTION OF PARASITOID INFECTIVITY ON SYMBIONT-PROTECTED HOSTS LEADS TO THE EMERGENCE OF GENOTYPE SPECIFICITY. Evolution 2014; 68:1607-16. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.12377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2013] [Accepted: 01/28/2014] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Romain Rouchet
- Institute of Integrative Biology; ETH Zürich; Zürich Switzerland
- EAWAG; Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology; Dübendorf Switzerland
| | - Christoph Vorburger
- Institute of Integrative Biology; ETH Zürich; Zürich Switzerland
- EAWAG; Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology; Dübendorf Switzerland
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Keebaugh ES, Schlenke TA. Insights from natural host-parasite interactions: the Drosophila model. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2014; 42:111-23. [PMID: 23764256 PMCID: PMC3808516 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2013.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2013] [Revised: 06/01/2013] [Accepted: 06/01/2013] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Immune responses against opportunistic pathogens have been extensively studied in Drosophila, leading to a detailed map of the genetics behind innate immunity networks including the Toll, Imd, Jak-Stat, and JNK pathways. However, immune mechanisms of other organisms, such as plants, have primarily been investigated using natural pathogens. It was the use of natural pathogens in plant research that revealed the plant R-Avr system, a specialized immune response derived from antagonistic coevolution between plant immune proteins and their natural pathogens' virulence proteins. Thus, we recommend that researchers begin to use natural Drosophila pathogens to identify novel immune strategies that may have arisen through antagonistic coevolution with common natural pathogens. In this review, we address the benefits of using natural pathogens in research, describe the known natural pathogens of Drosophila, and discuss the future prospects for research on natural pathogens of Drosophila.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin S Keebaugh
- Department of Biology, Emory University, 1510 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA, United States.
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Henry LM, Peccoud J, Simon JC, Hadfield JD, Maiden MJC, Ferrari J, Godfray HCJ. Horizontally transmitted symbionts and host colonization of ecological niches. Curr Biol 2013; 23:1713-7. [PMID: 23993843 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2013.07.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 180] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2013] [Revised: 06/09/2013] [Accepted: 07/03/2013] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Facultative or "secondary" symbionts are common in eukaryotes, particularly insects. While not essential for host survival, they often provide significant fitness benefits. It has been hypothesized that secondary symbionts form a "horizontal gene pool" shuttling adaptive genes among host lineages in an analogous manner to plasmids and other mobile genetic elements in bacteria. However, we do not know whether the distributions of symbionts across host populations reflect random acquisitions followed by vertical inheritance or whether the associations have occurred repeatedly in a manner consistent with a dynamic horizontal gene pool. Here we explore these questions using the phylogenetic and ecological distributions of secondary symbionts carried by 1,104 pea aphids, Acyrthosiphon pisum. We find that not only is horizontal transfer common, but it is also associated with aphid lineages colonizing new ecological niches, including novel plant species and climatic regions. Moreover, aphids that share the same ecologies worldwide have independently acquired related symbiont genotypes, suggesting significant involvement of symbionts in their host's adaptation to different niches. We conclude that the secondary symbiont community forms a horizontal gene pool that influences the adaptation and distribution of their insect hosts. These findings highlight the importance of symbiotic microorganisms in the radiation of eukaryotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lee M Henry
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK.
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