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Balart-García P, Bradford TM, Beasley-Hall PG, Polak S, Cooper SJB, Fernández R. Highly dynamic evolution of the chemosensory system driven by gene gain and loss across subterranean beetles. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2024; 194:108027. [PMID: 38365165 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2024.108027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
Chemical cues in subterranean habitats differ highly from those on the surface due to the contrasting environmental conditions, such as absolute darkness, high humidity or food scarcity. Subterranean animals underwent changes to their sensory systems to facilitate the perception of essential stimuli for underground lifestyles. Despite representing unique systems to understand biological adaptation, the genomic basis of chemosensation across cave-dwelling species remains unexplored from a macroevolutionary perspective. Here, we explore the evolution of chemoreception in three beetle tribes that underwent at least six independent transitions to the underground, through a phylogenomics spyglass. Our findings suggest that the chemosensory gene repertoire varies dramatically between species. Overall, no parallel changes in the net rate of evolution of chemosensory gene families were detected prior, during, or after the habitat shift among subterranean lineages. Contrarily, we found evidence of lineage-specific changes within surface and subterranean lineages. However, our results reveal key duplications and losses shared between some of the lineages transitioning to the underground, including the loss of sugar receptors and gene duplications of the highly conserved ionotropic receptors IR25a and IR8a, involved in thermal and humidity sensing among other olfactory roles in insects. These duplications were detected both in independent subterranean lineages and their surface relatives, suggesting parallel evolution of these genes across lineages giving rise to cave-dwelling species. Overall, our results shed light on the genomic basis of chemoreception in subterranean beetles and contribute to our understanding of the genomic underpinnings of adaptation to the subterranean lifestyle at a macroevolutionary scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pau Balart-García
- Metazoa Phylogenomics Lab, Biodiversity Program, Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC - Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Tessa M Bradford
- Environment Institute, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia; South Australian Museum, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia
| | - Perry G Beasley-Hall
- Environment Institute, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia; South Australian Museum, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia
| | - Slavko Polak
- Notranjska Museum Postojna, Kolodvorska c. 3, 6230 Postojna, Slovenia
| | - Steven J B Cooper
- Environment Institute, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia; South Australian Museum, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia
| | - Rosa Fernández
- Metazoa Phylogenomics Lab, Biodiversity Program, Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC - Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Spain.
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Faly L, Brygadyrenko V, Paulauskas A. Repellent and Attractant Activities of Organic Compounds on Female and Male Philonthus decorus (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae). BIOLOGY 2024; 13:294. [PMID: 38785775 PMCID: PMC11117517 DOI: 10.3390/biology13050294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2024] [Revised: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
The use of organic compounds in different spheres of human activity is accompanied by their influx to and accumulation in the environment. The negative impact of those compounds can be one of the reasons for a decline in populations and biodiversity of aboveground invertebrates. Chemical compounds can potentially cause a variety of effects (attractant or repellent) on insects, including species of the Staphylinidae family. In a laboratory experiment, we identified repellent and attractant influence of 40 organic compounds and mixtures of compounds (acids, alcohols, ketones, phenols, aldehydes, aromatic carbohydrates solvents, and vehicle fuels) on Philonthus decorus Gravenhorst, 1802. The ambulatory responses of the males and females to the same chemical compounds most often varied. A strong repellent activity against both sexes of Ph. decorus was caused by oleic acid, while hexane repelled the males. Acetic acid, 1-butanol, and ammonia solution were found to be strongly repellent against females. A moderate (average) repellent activity towards male Ph. decorus was displayed by organic solvents and fuels, some alcohols (isopropanol, isoamyl alcohol, methanol, ethanol), acids (acetic, formic acid), aromatic carbohydrates (toluene, xylene), and formaldehyde. Female Ph. decorus in general were less sensitive to the odors. The list of repellents with moderate activity against the females was much shorter: solvent 646, white spirit, toluene, isopropanol, isoamyl alcohol, citric and oxalic acids, and glycerol. Moderate attractant activity for Ph. decorus was exhibited by some amino acids, alcohols, and fuel mixes: glycine and L-cysteine (for the males), and phenylalanine, methanol, and diesel fuel (for the females). The rest of the 40 chemical compounds we studied caused no ambulatory responses in Ph. decorus. The difficulties we encountered in the interpretation of the results suggest a need for further experimental studies that would expand the knowledge of the chemoecology of insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liudmyla Faly
- Research Institute of Natural and Technological Sciences, Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Vytautas Magnus University, 44248 Kaunas, Lithuania
| | - Viktor Brygadyrenko
- Department of Zoology and Ecology, Faculty of Biology and Ecology, Oles Honchar Dnipro National University, 49010 Dnipro, Ukraine;
- Department of Parasitology, Veterinary and Sanitary Expertise, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Dnipro State Agrarian and Economic University, 49600 Dnipro, Ukraine
| | - Algimantas Paulauskas
- Research Institute of Natural and Technological Sciences, Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Vytautas Magnus University, 44248 Kaunas, Lithuania
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Doležel D. Sociosexual interactions: A clock synchronized by smell. Curr Biol 2024; 34:R284-R286. [PMID: 38593773 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.02.065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
While the daily rhythmicity of organisms is entrained by several cues, light is thought to be the strongest signal. Surprisingly, a new study in a moth shows that olfactory communication can be even more powerful for synchronization, and, at least to some extent, works across related species.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Doležel
- Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.
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Zhou Y, Zhou L, Li Q, Zhu X, Yu Z, Ke H, Chen Q, Ren B. Transcriptome analysis and identification of genes related to environmental adaptation of Grylloprimevala jilina Zhou & Ren 2023. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10717. [PMID: 38020696 PMCID: PMC10659822 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10717] [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: 04/25/2023] [Revised: 10/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Grylloprimevala jilina is a true cave insect living in the dark areas of caves. It has the characteristics of sparse skin pigmentation, degeneration of the compound eyes and monocular eyes, and obvious preference for high-humidity and low-temperature environments. Given the highly specialized, rare, and limited distribution, G. jilina is considered an endangered species and also a first-level national protected insect in China. Cave creatures often undergo dramatic morphological changes in their sensory systems to adapt to the cave environment. Most previous studies mainly focused on morphological adaptive changes in cave insects, and only a few studied the changes at the gene level. In this study, we performed transcriptome analysis of G. jilina and constructed phylogenetic trees of genes that are related to environmental adaptation, including chemosensory, visual-related, reproduction-related, temperature adaptation-related, and winged morph differentiation-related genes. Besides, the expression levels of environmental adaption-related genes in different tissues, including antennae, heads, thoraxes, abdomens, legs, and tails, were analyzed. The results showed the loss of chemosensory genes and vision-related genes, the conservation of reproduction-related genes and temperature adaptation-related genes, and the conservation of wing-related genes despite the loss of wings, and the results were consistent with other cave insects. The identification and expression study of genes possibly related to the environmental adaptability in G. jilina provided basic data for the protection of this endangered species and increased knowledge about insect evolution in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuxin Zhou
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and UtilizationNortheast Normal UniversityChangchunChina
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, MOENortheast Normal UniversityChangchunChina
| | - Lin Zhou
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and UtilizationNortheast Normal UniversityChangchunChina
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, MOENortheast Normal UniversityChangchunChina
- Istitude of Plant Protection Jilim Academy of Agricultural Science/Jilin Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology/Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on Crops in Northeast ChinaMinistry of Agriculture and Rural AreasGongzhlingChina
| | - Qiuyao Li
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and UtilizationNortheast Normal UniversityChangchunChina
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, MOENortheast Normal UniversityChangchunChina
| | - Xiaoyan Zhu
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and UtilizationNortheast Normal UniversityChangchunChina
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, MOENortheast Normal UniversityChangchunChina
| | - Zhongbo Yu
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and UtilizationNortheast Normal UniversityChangchunChina
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, MOENortheast Normal UniversityChangchunChina
| | - Haoqin Ke
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and UtilizationNortheast Normal UniversityChangchunChina
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, MOENortheast Normal UniversityChangchunChina
| | - Qi Chen
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and UtilizationNortheast Normal UniversityChangchunChina
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, MOENortheast Normal UniversityChangchunChina
| | - Bingzhong Ren
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and UtilizationNortheast Normal UniversityChangchunChina
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, MOENortheast Normal UniversityChangchunChina
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Balart-García P, Aristide L, Bradford TM, Beasley-Hall PG, Polak S, Cooper SJB, Fernández R. Parallel and convergent genomic changes underlie independent subterranean colonization across beetles. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3842. [PMID: 37386018 PMCID: PMC10310748 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39603-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Adaptation to life in caves is often accompanied by dramatically convergent changes across distantly related taxa, epitomized by the loss or reduction of eyes and pigmentation. Nevertheless, the genomic underpinnings underlying cave-related phenotypes are largely unexplored from a macroevolutionary perspective. Here we investigate genome-wide gene evolutionary dynamics in three distantly related beetle tribes with at least six instances of independent colonization of subterranean habitats, inhabiting both aquatic and terrestrial underground systems. Our results indicate that remarkable gene repertoire changes mainly driven by gene family expansions occurred prior to underground colonization in the three tribes, suggesting that genomic exaptation may have facilitated a strict subterranean lifestyle parallelly across beetle lineages. The three tribes experienced both parallel and convergent changes in the evolutionary dynamics of their gene repertoires. These findings pave the way towards a deeper understanding of the evolution of the genomic toolkit in hypogean fauna.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pau Balart-García
- Metazoa Phylogenomics Lab, Biodiversity Program, Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC - Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Leandro Aristide
- Metazoa Phylogenomics Lab, Biodiversity Program, Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC - Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Tessa M Bradford
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, and Environment Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia
- South Australian Museum, Adelaide, SA, 5000, Australia
| | - Perry G Beasley-Hall
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, and Environment Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia
- South Australian Museum, Adelaide, SA, 5000, Australia
| | - Slavko Polak
- Notranjska Museum Postojna, Kolodvorska c. 3, 6230, Postojna, Slovenia
| | - Steven J B Cooper
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, and Environment Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia
- South Australian Museum, Adelaide, SA, 5000, Australia
| | - Rosa Fernández
- Metazoa Phylogenomics Lab, Biodiversity Program, Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC - Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003, Barcelona, Spain.
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Differential transcriptomic responses to heat stress in surface and subterranean diving beetles. Sci Rep 2022; 12:16194. [PMID: 36171221 PMCID: PMC9519976 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-20229-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Subterranean habitats are generally very stable environments, and as such evolutionary transitions of organisms from surface to subterranean lifestyles may cause considerable shifts in physiology, particularly with respect to thermal tolerance. In this study we compared responses to heat shock at the molecular level in a geographically widespread, surface-dwelling water beetle to a congeneric subterranean species restricted to a single aquifer (Dytiscidae: Hydroporinae). The obligate subterranean beetle Paroster macrosturtensis is known to have a lower thermal tolerance compared to surface lineages (CTmax 38 °C cf. 42–46 °C), but the genetic basis of this physiological difference has not been characterized. We experimentally manipulated the thermal environment of 24 individuals to demonstrate that both species can mount a heat shock response at high temperatures (35 °C), as determined by comparative transcriptomics. However, genes involved in these responses differ between species and a far greater number were differentially expressed in the surface taxon, suggesting it can mount a more robust heat shock response; these data may underpin its higher thermal tolerance compared to subterranean relatives. In contrast, the subterranean species examined not only differentially expressed fewer genes in response to increasing temperatures, but also in the presence of the experimental setup employed here alone. Our results suggest P. macrosturtensis may be comparatively poorly equipped to respond to both thermally induced stress and environmental disturbances more broadly. The molecular findings presented here have conservation implications for P. macrosturtensis and contribute to a growing narrative concerning weakened thermal tolerances in obligate subterranean organisms at the molecular level.
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Chen X, Yang H, Wu S, Zhao W, Hao G, Wang J, Jiang H. BdorOBP69a is involved in the perception of the phenylpropanoid compound methyl eugenol in oriental fruit fly (Bactrocera dorsalis) males. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2022; 147:103801. [PMID: 35717009 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2022.103801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/04/2022] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
The oriental fruit fly (Bactrocera dorsalis) is a devastating fruit pest that infests more than 450 plant species. Methyl eugenol (ME) has been used as male attractant to monitor and eradicate B. dorsalis populations for 70 years, but the molecular basis of its activity remains largely unclear. Previously, BdorOBP83b and BdorOBP56f-2 as odorant binding proteins (OBPs) were identified responsible for ME perception. In this study, ME-induced expression profiles and in vitro binding assays revealed that BdorOBP69a is also produced in response to ME and binds directly to it with strong affinity (Kd = 9.54 μM). BdorOBP69a-/- null mutants generated by CRISPR/Cas9 mutagenesis showed significantly lower electroantennogram and behavioral responses to ME than wild-type controls. Molecular docking analysis followed by site-directed mutagenesis showed that residues Leu89 and Phe145 are essential for the interaction between BdorOBP69a and ME. BdorOBP69a is therefore an important component involved in the perception of ME in B. dorsalis and a promising molecular target for the development of new male attractants. The molecular docking and binding assay data also provide an important reference for future OBP gene manipulation and ME chemical engineering to improve the efficiency of male attractants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofeng Chen
- Key Laboratory of Entomology and Pest Control Engineering, College of Plant Protection, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400716, China; International Joint Laboratory of China-Belgium on Sustainable Crop Pest Control, Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400716, China
| | - Hui Yang
- Key Laboratory of Entomology and Pest Control Engineering, College of Plant Protection, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400716, China; International Joint Laboratory of China-Belgium on Sustainable Crop Pest Control, Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400716, China
| | - Shuangxiong Wu
- Key Laboratory of Entomology and Pest Control Engineering, College of Plant Protection, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400716, China; International Joint Laboratory of China-Belgium on Sustainable Crop Pest Control, Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400716, China
| | - Wei Zhao
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Research and Development Center for Fine Chemicals, Guizhou University, Guiyang, Guizhou, 550025, China
| | - Gefei Hao
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Research and Development Center for Fine Chemicals, Guizhou University, Guiyang, Guizhou, 550025, China
| | - JinJun Wang
- Key Laboratory of Entomology and Pest Control Engineering, College of Plant Protection, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400716, China; International Joint Laboratory of China-Belgium on Sustainable Crop Pest Control, Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400716, China.
| | - Hongbo Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Entomology and Pest Control Engineering, College of Plant Protection, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400716, China; International Joint Laboratory of China-Belgium on Sustainable Crop Pest Control, Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400716, China.
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