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Macit MN, Collin E, Pfenninger M, Foitzik S, Feldmeyer B. Genomic basis of adaptation to climate and parasite prevalence and the importance of odorant perception in the ant Temnothorax longispinosus. Mol Ecol 2024; 33:e17417. [PMID: 38808556 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024]
Abstract
A co-evolutionary arms race ensues when parasites exhibit exploitative behaviour, which prompts adaptations in their hosts, in turn triggering counter-adaptations by the parasites. To unravel the genomic basis of this coevolution from the host's perspective, we collected ants of the host species Temnothorax longispinosus, parasitized by the social parasite Temnothorax americanus, from 10 populations in the northeastern United States exhibiting varying levels of parasite prevalence and living under different climatic conditions. We conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with both prevalence and climate. Our investigation highlighted a multitude of candidate SNPs associated with parasite prevalence, particularly in genes responsible for sensory perception of smell including odorant receptor genes. We further focused on population-specific compositions of cuticular hydrocarbons, a complex trait important for signalling, communication and protection against desiccation. The relative abundances of n-alkanes were correlated with climate, while there was only a trend between parasite prevalence and the relative abundances of known recognition cues. Furthermore, we identified candidate genes likely involved in the synthesis and recognition of specific hydrocarbons. In addition, we analysed the population-level gene expression in the antennae, the primary organ for odorant reception, and established a strong correlation with parasite prevalence. Our comprehensive study highlights the intricate genomic patterns forged by the interplay of diverse selection factors and how these are manifested in the expression of various phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maide Nesibe Macit
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Erwann Collin
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Markus Pfenninger
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Susanne Foitzik
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Barbara Feldmeyer
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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2
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Hartke J, Ceron-Noriega A, Stoldt M, Sistermans T, Kever M, Fuchs J, Butter F, Foitzik S. Long live the host! Proteomic analysis reveals possible strategies for parasitic manipulation of its social host. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:5877-5889. [PMID: 37795937 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023]
Abstract
Parasites with complex life cycles often manipulate the phenotype of their intermediate hosts to increase the probability of transmission to their definitive hosts. Infection with Anomotaenia brevis, a cestode that uses Temnothorax nylanderi ants as intermediate hosts, leads to a multiple-fold extension of host lifespan and to changes in behaviour, morphology and colouration. The mechanisms behind these changes are unknown, as is whether the increased longevity is achieved through parasite manipulation. Here, we demonstrate that the parasite releases proteins into its host with functions that might explain the observed changes. These parasitic proteins make up a substantial portion of the proteome of the hosts' haemolymph, and thioredoxin peroxidase and superoxide dismutase, two antioxidants, exhibited the highest abundances among them. The largest part of the secreted proteins could not be annotated, indicating they are either novel or severely altered during recent coevolution to function in host manipulation. We also detected shifts in the hosts' proteome with infection, in particular an overabundance of vitellogenin-like A in infected ants, a protein that regulates division of labour in Temnothorax ants, which could explain the observed behavioural changes. Our results thus suggest two different strategies that might be employed by this parasite to manipulate its host: secreting proteins with immediate influence on the host's phenotype and altering the host's translational activity. Our findings highlight the intricate molecular interplay required to influence the phenotype of a host and point to potential signalling pathways and genes involved in parasite-host communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliane Hartke
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | | | - Marah Stoldt
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Tom Sistermans
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Marion Kever
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Jenny Fuchs
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Falk Butter
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Mainz, Germany
| | - Susanne Foitzik
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
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3
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Kohlmeier P, Billeter JC. Genetic mechanisms modulating behaviour through plastic chemosensory responses in insects. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:45-60. [PMID: 36239485 PMCID: PMC10092625 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2021] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The ability to transition between different behavioural stages is a widespread phenomenon across the animal kingdom. Such behavioural adaptations are often linked to changes in the sensitivity of those neurons that sense chemical cues associated with the respective behaviours. To identify the genetic mechanisms that regulate neuronal sensitivity, and by that behaviour, typically *omics approaches, such as RNA- and protein-sequencing, are applied to sensory organs of individuals displaying differences in behaviour. In this review, we discuss these genetic mechanisms and how they impact neuronal sensitivity, summarize the correlative and functional evidence for their role in regulating behaviour and discuss future directions. As such, this review can help interpret *omics data by providing a comprehensive list of already identified genes and mechanisms that impact behaviour through changes in neuronal sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip Kohlmeier
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jean-Christophe Billeter
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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4
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Csősz S, Báthori F, Molet M, Majoros G, Rádai Z. From Parasitized to Healthy-Looking Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): Morphological Reconstruction Using Algorithmic Processing. Life (Basel) 2022; 12:life12050625. [PMID: 35629292 PMCID: PMC9145562 DOI: 10.3390/life12050625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Parasites cause predictable alternative phenotypes of host individuals. Investigating these parasitogenic phenotypes may be essential in cases where parasitism is common or taxa is described based on a parasitized individual. Ignoring them could lead to erroneous conclusions in biodiversity-focused research, taxonomy, evolution, and ecology. However, to date, integrating alternative phenotypes into a set of wild-type individuals in morphometric analysis poses extraordinary challenges to experts. This paper presents an approach for reconstructing the putative healthy morphology of parasitized ants using algorithmic processing. Our concept enables the integration of alternative parasitogenic phenotypes in morphometric analyses. Methods: We tested the applicability of our strategy in a large pool of Cestoda-infected and healthy individuals of three Temnothorax ant species (T. nylanderi, T. sordidulus, and T. unifasciatus). We assessed the stability and convergence of morphological changes caused by parasitism across species. We used an artificial neural network-based multiclass classifier model to predict species based on morphological trait values and the presence of parasite infection. Results: Infection causes predictable morphological changes in each species, although these changes proved to be species-specific. Therefore, integrating alternative parasitogenic phenotypes in morphometric analyses can be achieved at the species level, and a prior species hypothesis is required. Conclusion: Despite the above limitation, the concept is appropriate. Beyond parasitogenic phenotypes, our approach can also integrate morphometric data of an array of alternative phenotypes (subcastes in social insects, alternative morphs in polyphenic species, and alternative sexes in sexually dimorphic species) whose integrability had not been resolved before.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sándor Csősz
- Evolutionary Ecology Research Group, Institute of Ecology and Botany, Centre for Ecological Research, 2163 Vácrátót, Hungary;
- MTA-ELTE-MTM Ecology Research Group, Eötvös Loránd University, 1053 Budapest, Hungary
- Correspondence:
| | - Ferenc Báthori
- Evolutionary Ecology Research Group, Institute of Ecology and Botany, Centre for Ecological Research, 2163 Vácrátót, Hungary;
| | - Mathieu Molet
- Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences-Paris (iEES-Paris), Sorbonne Université, Université Paris Est Créteil, Université Paris Diderot, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, F-75005 Paris, France;
| | - Gábor Majoros
- Department of Parasitology and Zoology, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Szent István University, István u. 2., 1078 Budapest, Hungary;
| | - Zoltán Rádai
- Lendület Seed Ecology Research Group, Institute of Ecology and Botany, Centre for Ecological Research, 2163 Vácrátót, Hungary;
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5
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Tobias ZJC, Fowler AE, Blakeslee AMH, Darling JA, Torchin ME, Miller AW, Ruiz GM, Tepolt CK. Invasion history shapes host transcriptomic response to a body-snatching parasite. Mol Ecol 2021; 30:4321-4337. [PMID: 34162013 PMCID: PMC10128110 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
By shuffling biogeographical distributions, biological invasions can both disrupt long-standing associations between hosts and parasites and establish new ones. This creates natural experiments with which to study the ecology and evolution of host-parasite interactions. In estuaries of the Gulf of Mexico, the white-fingered mud crab (Rhithropanopeus harrisii) is infected by a native parasitic barnacle, Loxothylacus panopaei (Rhizocephala), which manipulates host physiology and behaviour. In the 1960s, L. panopaei was introduced to the Chesapeake Bay and has since expanded along the southeastern Atlantic coast, while host populations in the northeast have so far been spared. We use this system to test the host's transcriptomic response to parasitic infection and investigate how this response varies with the parasite's invasion history, comparing populations representing (i) long-term sympatry between host and parasite, (ii) new associations where the parasite has invaded during the last 60 years and (iii) naïve hosts without prior exposure. A comparison of parasitized and control crabs revealed a core response, with widespread downregulation of transcripts involved in immunity and moulting. The transcriptional response differed between hosts from the parasite's native range and where it is absent, consistent with previous observations of increased susceptibility in populations lacking exposure to the parasite. Crabs from the parasite's introduced range, where prevalence is highest, displayed the most dissimilar response, possibly reflecting immune priming. These results provide molecular evidence for parasitic manipulation of host phenotype and the role of gene regulation in mediating host-parasite interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary J C Tobias
- MIT-WHOI Joint Program in Oceanography/Applied Ocean Science and Engineering, Cambridge and Woods Hole, MA, USA.,Department of Biology, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, USA.,Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Amy E Fowler
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA
| | | | - John A Darling
- National Exposure Research Laboratory, US Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Mark E Torchin
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Ancon, Republic of Panama
| | | | - Gregory M Ruiz
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, MD, USA
| | - Carolyn K Tepolt
- Department of Biology, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, USA.,Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, MD, USA
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6
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An agent-based model shows zombie ants exhibit search behavior. J Theor Biol 2021; 526:110789. [PMID: 34087265 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2021.110789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2020] [Revised: 05/15/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Parasites can alter the behavior of animals. Such alterations could be a byproduct of infection or actively controlled and directed by the parasite. Ants infected with zombie ant fungi (Ophiocordyceps sp.) show behavioral changes culminating in the ant dying while biting into vegetation. To investigate the influence of the parasite on behavioral changes, we created an agent-based model that provides a prediction of how fungal infected ants move before death. The model shows how alterations in movement, such as an increased turning rate, within the normal range of ant behavior, can lead a host from the nest to the underside of a leaf. This demonstrates the simplicity in how such behavioral changes could evolve, as the fungal parasite could benefit from the natural behavior of the host, contesting a hypothesis of highly directed manipulation.
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7
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Beros S, Lenhart A, Scharf I, Negroni MA, Menzel F, Foitzik S. Extreme lifespan extension in tapeworm-infected ant workers. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2021; 8:202118. [PMID: 34017599 PMCID: PMC8131941 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.202118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2020] [Accepted: 04/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Social insects are hosts of diverse parasites, but the influence of these parasites on phenotypic host traits is not yet well understood. Here, we tracked the survival of tapeworm-infected ant workers, their uninfected nest-mates and of ants from unparasitized colonies. Our multi-year study on the ant Temnothorax nylanderi, the intermediate host of the tapeworm Anomotaenia brevis, revealed a prolonged lifespan of infected workers compared with their uninfected peers. Intriguingly, their survival over 3 years did not differ from those of (uninfected) queens, whose lifespan can reach two decades. By contrast, uninfected workers from parasitized colonies suffered from increased mortality compared with uninfected workers from unparasitized colonies. Infected workers exhibited a metabolic rate and lipid content similar to young workers in this species, and they received more social care than uninfected workers and queens in their colonies. This increased attention could be mediated by their deviant chemical profile, which we determined to elicit more interest from uninfected nest-mates in a separate experiment. In conclusion, our study demonstrates an extreme lifespan extension in a social host following tapeworm infection, which appears to enable host workers to retain traits typical for young workers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Beros
- Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, Cologne, Germany
| | - Anna Lenhart
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Inon Scharf
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Matteo Antoine Negroni
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Florian Menzel
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Susanne Foitzik
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
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8
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Laciny A. Among the shapeshifters: parasite-induced morphologies in ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) and their relevance within the EcoEvoDevo framework. EvoDevo 2021; 12:2. [PMID: 33653386 PMCID: PMC7923345 DOI: 10.1186/s13227-021-00173-2] [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: 09/24/2020] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
As social insects, ants represent extremely interaction-rich biological systems shaped by tightly integrated social structures and constant mutual exchange with a multitude of internal and external environmental factors. Due to this high level of ecological interconnection, ant colonies can harbour a diverse array of parasites and pathogens, many of which are known to interfere with the delicate processes of ontogeny and caste differentiation and induce phenotypic changes in their hosts. Despite their often striking nature, parasite-induced changes to host development and morphology have hitherto been largely overlooked in the context of ecological evolutionary developmental biology (EcoEvoDevo). Parasitogenic morphologies in ants can, however, serve as “natural experiments” that may shed light on mechanisms and pathways relevant to host development, plasticity or robustness under environmental perturbations, colony-level effects and caste evolution. By assessing case studies of parasites causing morphological changes in their ant hosts, from the eighteenth century to current research, this review article presents a first overview of relevant host and parasite taxa. Hypotheses about the underlying developmental and evolutionary mechanisms, and open questions for further research are discussed. This will contribute towards highlighting the importance of parasites of social insects for both biological theory and empirical research and facilitate future interdisciplinary work at the interface of myrmecology, parasitology, and the EcoEvoDevo framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Laciny
- Konrad Lorenz Institute for Evolution and Cognition Research, Martinstraße 12, 3400, Klosterneuburg, Austria.
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9
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Stoldt M, Klein L, Beros S, Butter F, Jongepier E, Feldmeyer B, Foitzik S. Parasite Presence Induces Gene Expression Changes in an Ant Host Related to Immunity and Longevity. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:95. [PMID: 33451085 PMCID: PMC7828512 DOI: 10.3390/genes12010095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Revised: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Most species are either parasites or exploited by parasites, making parasite-host interactions a driver of evolution. Parasites with complex life cycles often evolve strategies to facilitate transmission to the definitive host by manipulating their intermediate host. Such manipulations could explain phenotypic changes in the ant Temnothorax nylanderi, the intermediate host of the cestode Anomotaenia brevis. In addition to behavioral and morphological alterations, infected workers exhibit prolonged lifespans, comparable to that of queens, which live up to two decades. We used transcriptomic data from cestodes and ants of different castes and infection status to investigate the molecular underpinnings of phenotypic alterations in infected workers and explored whether the extended lifespan of queens and infected workers has a common molecular basis. Infected workers and queens commonly upregulated only six genes, one of them with a known anti-aging function. Both groups overexpressed immune genes, although not the same ones. Our findings suggest that the lifespan extension of infected workers is not achieved via the expression of queen-specific genes. The analysis of the cestodes' transcriptome revealed dominant expression of genes of the mitochondrial respiratory transport chain, which indicates an active metabolism and shedding light on the physiology of the parasite in its cysticercoid stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marah Stoldt
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, 55128 Mainz, Germany; (L.K.); (S.F.)
| | - Linda Klein
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, 55128 Mainz, Germany; (L.K.); (S.F.)
| | - Sara Beros
- Max Planck Institute for the Biology of Ageing, 50931 Cologne, Germany;
| | - Falk Butter
- Institute for Molecular Biology, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, 55128 Mainz, Germany;
| | - Evelien Jongepier
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany;
| | - Barbara Feldmeyer
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Center (SBiK-F), Molecular Ecology, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany;
| | - Susanne Foitzik
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, 55128 Mainz, Germany; (L.K.); (S.F.)
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10
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Kaur R, Stoldt M, Jongepier E, Feldmeyer B, Menzel F, Bornberg-Bauer E, Foitzik S. Ant behaviour and brain gene expression of defending hosts depend on the ecological success of the intruding social parasite. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 374:20180192. [PMID: 30967075 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2018.0192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The geographical mosaic theory of coevolution predicts that species interactions vary between locales. Depending on who leads the coevolutionary arms race, the effectivity of parasite attack or host defence strategies will explain parasite prevalence. Here, we compare behaviour and brain transcriptomes of Temnothorax longispinosus ant workers when defending their nest against an invading social parasite, the slavemaking ant Temnothorax americanus. A full-factorial design allowed us to test whether behaviour and gene expression are linked to parasite pressure on host populations or to the ecological success of parasite populations. Albeit host defences had been shown before to covary with local parasite pressure, we found parasite success to be much more important. Our chemical and behavioural analyses revealed that parasites from high prevalence sites carry lower concentrations of recognition cues and are less often attacked by hosts. This link was further supported by gene expression analysis. Our study reveals that host-parasite interactions are strongly influenced by social parasite strategies, so that variation in parasite prevalence is determined by parasite traits rather than the efficacy of host defence. Gene functions associated with parasite success indicated strong neuronal responses in hosts, including long-term changes in gene regulation, indicating an enduring impact of parasites on host behaviour. This article is part of the theme issue 'The coevolutionary biology of brood parasitism: from mechanism to pattern'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajbir Kaur
- 1 Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University , Mainz , Germany
| | - Marah Stoldt
- 1 Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University , Mainz , Germany
| | - Evelien Jongepier
- 2 Molecular Evolution and Bioinformatics Group, Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität , Münster , Germany
| | - Barbara Feldmeyer
- 3 Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung , Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt am Main , Germany
| | - Florian Menzel
- 1 Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University , Mainz , Germany
| | - Erich Bornberg-Bauer
- 2 Molecular Evolution and Bioinformatics Group, Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität , Münster , Germany
| | - Susanne Foitzik
- 1 Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University , Mainz , Germany
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11
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Herbison R, Evans S, Doherty JF, Algie M, Kleffmann T, Poulin R. A molecular war: convergent and ontogenetic evidence for adaptive host manipulation in related parasites infecting divergent hosts. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20191827. [PMID: 31744433 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.1827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Mermithids (phylum Nematoda) and hairworms (phylum Nematomorpha) somehow drive their arthropod hosts into water, which is essential for the worms' survival after egression. The mechanisms behind this behavioural change have been investigated in hairworms, but not in mermithids. Establishing a similar mechanistic basis for host behavioural change between these two distantly related parasitic groups would provide strong convergent evidence for adaptive manipulation and insight into how these parasites modify and/or create behaviour. Here, we search for this convergence, and also contrast changes in physiology between hosts infected with immature and mature mermithids to provide the first ontogenetic evidence for adaptive manipulation by disentangling host response and pathology from the parasite's apparent manipulative effects. We used SWATH-mass spectrometry on brains of Forficula auricularia (earwig) and Bellorchestia quoyana (sandhopper), infected with the mermithids Mermis nigrescens and Thaumamermis zealandica, respectively, at both immature and mature stages of infection, to quantify proteomic changes resulting from mermithid infection. Across both hosts (and hairworm-infected hosts, from earlier studies), the general function of dysregulated proteins was conserved. Proteins involved in energy generation/mobilization were dysregulated, corroborating reports of erratic/hyperactive behaviour in infected hosts. Dysregulated proteins involved in axon/dendrite and synapse modulation were also common to all hosts, suggesting neuronal manipulation is involved in inducing positive hydrotaxis. Furthermore, downregulation of CamKII and associated proteins suggest manipulation of memory also contributes to the behavioural shift.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Herbison
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | - Steven Evans
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | | | - Michael Algie
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | - Torsten Kleffmann
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | - Robert Poulin
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
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12
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Loreto RG, Hughes DP. The metabolic alteration and apparent preservation of the zombie ant brain. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2019; 118:103918. [PMID: 31400384 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2019.103918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2019] [Revised: 08/05/2019] [Accepted: 08/06/2019] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Some parasites can manipulate the behavior of their animal hosts to increase transmission. An interesting area of research is understanding how host neurobiology is manipulated by microbes to the point of displaying such aberrant behaviors. Here, we characterize the metabolic profile of the brain of an insect at the moment of the behavioral manipulation by a parasitic microbe. Our model system are ants infected with the parasitic fungus Ophiocordyceps kimflemingiae (=unilateralis), which manipulates ants to climb and bite into plant substrates, before killing the host (i.e. zombie ants). At the moment of the behavioral manipulation by the fungus, the host's brain is not invaded by the fungus which is known to extensively invade muscle tissue. We found that, despite not being invaded by the parasite, the brains of manipulated ants are notably different, showing alterations in neuromodulatory substances, signs of neurodegeneration, changes in energy use, and antioxidant compound that signal stress reactions by the host. Ergothionine, a fungal derived compound with known neuronal cytoprotection functions was found to be highly elevated in zombie ant brains suggesting the fungus, which does not invade the central nervous system, is preserving the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel G Loreto
- Department of Entomology and Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, 16802 PA, USA; Unit of Genetics and Genomics of Insect Vectors, Department of Parasites and Insect Vectors, Institute Pasteur, Paris 75724, France
| | - David P Hughes
- Department of Entomology and Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, 16802 PA, USA; Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, 16802 PA, USA.
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13
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de Bekker C. Ophiocordyceps-ant interactions as an integrative model to understand the molecular basis of parasitic behavioral manipulation. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2019; 33:19-24. [PMID: 31358190 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2019.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2018] [Revised: 01/07/2019] [Accepted: 01/09/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Ophiocordyceps-infected ants display a substrate biting behavior that aids parasite transmission. World-wide research into this behavioral manipulation has led to new fungal species descriptions, annotated genomes, and detailed field observations. Experimentally tractable modified ant behaviors and the development of infection techniques have enabled the quest for the molecular basis of this phenomenon. Behavioral studies followed by transcriptomics, metabolomics and three-dimensional electron microscopy have led to novel mechanistic hypotheses. This multidisciplinary work represents a big leap forward. However, definitive answers have yet to be obtained. A comprehensive understanding hinges on continued integrative efforts that reveal the precise natural history, behavioral ecology and evolutionary relationships between Ophiocordyceps-ant systems, and the true functions and involvement of genes and metabolites in behavioral manipulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charissa de Bekker
- University of Central Florida, College of Sciences, Biology Department, 4110 Libra Drive, 32816 Orlando, FL, United States.
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Shilovsky GA, Putyatina TS, Ashapkin VV, Rozina AA, Lyubetsky VA, Minina EP, Bychkovskaia IB, Markov AV, Skulachev VP. Ants as Object of Gerontological Research. BIOCHEMISTRY (MOSCOW) 2019; 83:1489-1503. [PMID: 30878024 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297918120076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Social insects with identical genotype that form castes with radically different lifespans are a promising model system for studying the mechanisms underlying longevity. The main direction of progressive evolution of social insects, in particular, ants, is the development of the social way of life inextricably linked with the increase in the colony size. Only in a large colony, it is possible to have a developed polyethism, create large food reserves, and actively regulate the nest microclimate. The lifespan of ants hugely varies among genetically similar queens, workers (unproductive females), and males. The main advantage of studies on insects is the determinism of ontogenetic processes, with a single genome leading to completely different lifespans in different castes. This high degree of determinacy is precisely the reason why some researchers (incorrectly) call a colony of ants the "superorganism", emphasizing the fact that during the development, depending on the community needs, ants can switch their ontogenetic programs, which influences their social roles, ability to learn (i.e., the brain [mushroom-like body] plasticity), and, respectively, the spectrum of tasks performed by a given individual. It has been shown that in many types of food behavior, older ants surpass young ones in both performing the tasks and transferring the experience. The balance between the need to reduce the "cost" of non-breeding individuals (short lifespan and small size of workers) and the benefit from experienced long-lived workers possessing useful skills (large size and "non-aging") apparently determines the differences in the lifespan and aging rate of workers in different species of ants. A large spectrum of rigidly determined ontogenetic trajectories in different castes with identical genomes and the possibility of comparison between "evolutionarily advanced" and "primitive" subfamilies (e.g., Formicinae and Ponerinae) make ants an attractive object in the studies of both normal aging and effects of anti-aging drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- G A Shilovsky
- Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia. .,Lomonosov Moscow State University, Faculty of Biology, Moscow, 119234, Russia.,Institute for Information Transmission Problems, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 127051, Russia
| | - T S Putyatina
- Lomonosov Moscow State University, Faculty of Biology, Moscow, 119234, Russia
| | - V V Ashapkin
- Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - A A Rozina
- Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - V A Lyubetsky
- Institute for Information Transmission Problems, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 127051, Russia
| | - E P Minina
- Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - I B Bychkovskaia
- Nikiforov Center of Emergency and Radiation Medicine of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Control, St. Petersburg, 194044, Russia
| | - A V Markov
- Lomonosov Moscow State University, Faculty of Biology, Moscow, 119234, Russia
| | - V P Skulachev
- Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia
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Iritani R, Sato T. Host-Manipulation by Trophically Transmitted Parasites: The Switcher-Paradigm. Trends Parasitol 2018; 34:934-944. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2018.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2018] [Revised: 08/06/2018] [Accepted: 08/08/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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Finnerty PB, Shine R, Brown GP. Survival of the feces: Does a nematode lungworm adaptively manipulate the behavior of its cane toad host? Ecol Evol 2018; 8:4606-4618. [PMID: 29760901 PMCID: PMC5938457 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3870] [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: 10/25/2017] [Revised: 12/27/2017] [Accepted: 01/02/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Parasites can enhance their fitness by modifying the behavior of their hosts in ways that increase rates of production and transmission of parasite larvae. We used an antihelminthic drug to experimentally alter infections of lungworms (Rhabdias pseudosphaerocephala) in cane toads (Rhinella marina). We then compared subsequent behaviors of dewormed toads versus toads that retained infections. Both in the laboratory and in the field, the presence of parasites induced hosts to select higher body temperatures (thereby increasing rates of lungworm egg production), to defecate in moister sites, and to produce feces with higher moisture content (thereby enhancing survival of larvae shed in feces). Because those behavioral modifications enhance rather than decrease parasite fitness, they are likely to have arisen as adaptive manipulations of host behavior rather than as host adaptations to combat infection or as nonadaptive consequences of infection on host physiology. However, the mechanisms by which lungworms alter cane toad thermal preference and defecation are not known. Although many examples of host manipulation by parasites involve intermediate hosts facilitating their own demise, our findings indicate that manipulation of definitive hosts can be as subtle as when and where to defecate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick B Finnerty
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Sydney Sydney NSW Australia
| | - Richard Shine
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Sydney Sydney NSW Australia
| | - Gregory P Brown
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Sydney Sydney NSW Australia
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Favreau E, Martínez-Ruiz C, Rodrigues Santiago L, Hammond RL, Wurm Y. Genes and genomic processes underpinning the social lives of ants. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2018; 25:83-90. [PMID: 29602366 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2017.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2017] [Accepted: 12/05/2017] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
The >15000 ant species are all highly social and show great variation in colony organization, complexity and behavior. The mechanisms by which such sociality evolved, as well as those underpinning the elaboration of ant societies since their ∼140 million year old common ancestor, have long been pondered. Here, we review recent insights generated using various genomic approaches. This includes understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying caste differentiation and the diversity of social structures, studying the impact of eusociality on genomic evolutionary rates, and investigating gene expression changes associated with differences in lifespan between castes. Furthermore, functional studies involving RNAi and CRISPR have recently been successfully applied to ants, opening the door to exciting research that promises to revolutionize the understanding of the evolution and diversification of social living.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emeline Favreau
- Organismal Biology Department, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom
| | - Carlos Martínez-Ruiz
- Organismal Biology Department, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom
| | - Leandro Rodrigues Santiago
- Organismal Biology Department, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom
| | - Robert L Hammond
- Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, United Kingdom.
| | - Yannick Wurm
- Organismal Biology Department, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom.
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Geffre AC, Liu R, Manfredini F, Beani L, Kathirithamby J, Grozinger CM, Toth AL. Transcriptomics of an extended phenotype: parasite manipulation of wasp social behaviour shifts expression of caste-related genes. Proc Biol Sci 2017; 284:rspb.2017.0029. [PMID: 28404777 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.0029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2017] [Accepted: 03/13/2017] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Parasites can manipulate host behaviour to increase their own transmission and fitness, but the genomic mechanisms by which parasites manipulate hosts are not well understood. We investigated the relationship between the social paper wasp, Polistes dominula, and its parasite, Xenos vesparum (Insecta: Strepsiptera), to understand the effects of an obligate endoparasitoid on its host's brain transcriptome. Previous research suggests that X. vesparum shifts aspects of host social caste-related behaviour and physiology in ways that benefit the parasitoid. We hypothesized that X. vesparum-infested (stylopized) females would show a shift in caste-related brain gene expression. Specifically, we predicted that stylopized females, who would normally be workers, would show gene expression patterns resembling pre-overwintering queens (gynes), reflecting gyne-like changes in behaviour. We used RNA-sequencing data to characterize patterns of brain gene expression in stylopized females and compared these with those of unstylopized workers and gynes. In support of our hypothesis, we found that stylopized females, despite sharing numerous physiological and life-history characteristics with members of the worker caste, show gyne-shifted brain expression patterns. These data suggest that the parasitoid affects its host by exploiting phenotypic plasticity related to social caste, thus shifting naturally occurring social behaviour in a way that is beneficial to the parasitoid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy C Geffre
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Ruolin Liu
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Fabio Manfredini
- School of Biological Sciences and Centre for Systems and Synthetic Biology, Royal Holloway, University of London, London, UK
| | - Laura Beani
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | | | - Christina M Grozinger
- Center for Pollinator Research and Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, USA
| | - Amy L Toth
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA .,Department of Entomology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
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Herbison REH. Lessons in Mind Control: Trends in Research on the Molecular Mechanisms behind Parasite-Host Behavioral Manipulation. Front Ecol Evol 2017. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2017.00102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
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Beros S, Foitzik S, Menzel F. What are the Mechanisms Behind a Parasite-Induced Decline in Nestmate Recognition in Ants? J Chem Ecol 2017; 43:869-880. [DOI: 10.1007/s10886-017-0880-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2017] [Revised: 08/11/2017] [Accepted: 08/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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