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Bosco L, Yañez O, Schauer A, Maurer C, Cushman SA, Arlettaz R, Jacot A, Seuberlich T, Neumann P, Schläppi D. Landscape structure affects temporal dynamics in the bumble bee virome: Landscape heterogeneity supports colony resilience. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 946:174280. [PMID: 38942311 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2024] [Revised: 06/23/2024] [Accepted: 06/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/30/2024]
Abstract
Virus spillovers from managed honey bees, Apis mellifera, are thought to contribute to the decline of wild pollinators, including bumble bees. However, data on the impact of such viruses on wild pollinators remain scarce, and the influence of landscape structure on virus dynamics is poorly understood. In this study, we deployed bumble bee colonies in an agricultural landscape and studied changes in the bumble bee virome during field placement under varying habitat composition and configuration using a multiscale analytical framework. We estimated prevalence of viruses and viral loads (i.e. number of viral genomic equivalent copies) in bumble bees before and after placing them in the field using next generation sequencing and quantitative PCR. The results show that viral loads and number of different viruses present increased during placement in the field and that the virus composition of the colonies shifted from an initial dominance of honey bee associated viruses to a higher number (in both viral loads and number of viruses present) of bumble bee associated viruses. Especially DWV-B, typical for honey bees, drastically decreased after the time in the field. Viral loads prior to placing colonies in the field showed no effect on colony development, suggesting low impacts of these viruses in field settings. Notably, we further demonstrate that increased habitat diversity results in a lower number of different viruses present in Bombus colonies, while colonies in areas with well-connected farmland patches decreased in their total viral load after field placement. Our results emphasize the importance of landscape heterogeneity and connectivity for wild pollinator health and that these influences predominate at fine spatial scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Bosco
- LUOMUS - Finnish Museum of Natural History, PL 17 - P.O. Box 17, 00014, University of Helsinki, Finland; Division of Conservation Biology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 6, 3012 Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Orlando Yañez
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Schwarzenburgstrasse 161, 3003 Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Alexandria Schauer
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Schwarzenburgstrasse 161, 3003 Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Corina Maurer
- Division of Conservation Biology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 6, 3012 Bern, Switzerland; Agroecology and Environment, Agroscope, Reckenholzstrasse 191, 8046 Zürich, Switzerland; Ecosystems Landscape Evolution, Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems, Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland.
| | - Samuel A Cushman
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Raphaël Arlettaz
- Division of Conservation Biology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 6, 3012 Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Alain Jacot
- Division of Conservation Biology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 6, 3012 Bern, Switzerland; Swiss Ornithological Institute, Regional Office Valais, 1950 Sion, Switzerland.
| | - Torsten Seuberlich
- Division of Neurological Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Peter Neumann
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Schwarzenburgstrasse 161, 3003 Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Daniel Schläppi
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Schwarzenburgstrasse 161, 3003 Bern, Switzerland; School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Science Building, 24 Tyndall Avenue, BS8 1TQ Bristol, United Kingdom.
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2
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Walton A, Herman JJ, Rueppell O. Social life results in social stress protection: a novel concept to explain individual life-history patterns in social insects. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024; 99:1444-1457. [PMID: 38468146 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13074] [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: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
Resistance to and avoidance of stress slow aging and confer increased longevity in numerous organisms. Honey bees and other superorganismal social insects have two main advantages over solitary species to avoid or resist stress: individuals can directly help each other by resource or information transfer, and they can cooperatively control their environment. These benefits have been recognised in the context of pathogen and parasite stress as the concept of social immunity, which has been extensively studied. However, we argue that social immunity is only a special case of a general concept that we define here as social stress protection to include group-level defences against all biotic and abiotic stressors. We reason that social stress protection may have allowed the evolution of reduced individual-level defences and individual life-history optimization, including the exceptional aging plasticity of many social insects. We describe major categories of stress and how a colonial lifestyle may protect social insects, particularly against temporary peaks of extreme stress. We use the honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) to illustrate how patterns of life expectancy may be explained by social stress protection and how modern beekeeping practices can disrupt social stress protection. We conclude that the broad concept of social stress protection requires rigorous empirical testing because it may have implications for our general understanding of social evolution and specifically for improving honey bee health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Walton
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, CW 405, Biological Sciences Building, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Jacob J Herman
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, CW 405, Biological Sciences Building, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Olav Rueppell
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, CW 405, Biological Sciences Building, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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3
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Norton AM, Buchmann G, Ashe A, Watson OT, Beekman M, Remnant EJ. Deformed wing virus genotypes A and B do not elicit immunologically different responses in naïve honey bee hosts. INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2024. [PMID: 39072811 DOI: 10.1111/imb.12948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2024] [Accepted: 07/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
Iflavirus aladeformis (Picornavirales: Iflaviridae), commonly known as deformed wing virus(DWV), in association with Varroa destructor Anderson and Trueman (Mesostigmata: Varroidae), is a leading factor associated with honey bee (Apis mellifera L. [Hymenoptera: Apidae]) deaths. The virus and mite have a near global distribution, making it difficult to separate the effect of one from the other. The prevalence of two main DWV genotypes (DWV-A and DWV-B) has changed over time, leading to the possibility that the two strains elicit a different immune response by the host. Here, we use a honey bee population naïve to both the mite and the virus to investigate if honey bees show a different immunological response to DWV genotypes. We examined the expression of 19 immune genes by reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and analysed small RNA after experimental injection with DWV-A and DWV-B. We found no evidence that DWV-A and DWV-B elicit different immune responses in honey bees. RNA interference genes were up-regulated during DWV infection, and small interfering RNA (siRNA) responses were proportional to viral loads yet did not inhibit DWV accumulation. The siRNA response towards DWV was weaker than the response to another honey bee pathogen, Triatovirus nigereginacellulae (Picornavirales: Dicistroviridae; black queen cell virus), suggesting that DWV is comparatively better at evading host antiviral defences. There was no evidence for the production of virus-derived Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) in response to DWV. In contrast to previous studies, and in the absence of V. destructor, we found no evidence that DWV has an immunosuppressive effect. Overall, our results advance our understanding of the immunological effect that DWV in isolation elicits in honey bees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda M Norton
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Gabriele Buchmann
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Alyson Ashe
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Owen T Watson
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Madeleine Beekman
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Emily J Remnant
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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4
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Frank ET, Buffat D, Liberti J, Aibekova L, Economo EP, Keller L. Wound-dependent leg amputations to combat infections in an ant society. Curr Biol 2024; 34:3273-3278.e3. [PMID: 38959879 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.06.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 05/21/2024] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024]
Abstract
Open wounds pose major infection and mortality risks in animals.1,2 To reduce these risks, many animal species apply antimicrobial compounds on their wounds.1,2,3,4 Ant societies use antimicrobial secretions from the metapleural gland to combat pathogens,5,6,7,8,9,10 but this gland has been lost over evolutionary time in several genera, including Camponotus.11 To understand how infected wounds are handled without the use of antimicrobial secretions from the metapleural gland, we conducted behavioral and microbiological experiments in Camponotus floridanus. When we experimentally injured a worker's leg at the femur, nestmates amputated the injured limb by biting the base (trochanter) of the leg until it was severed, thereby significantly increasing survival compared to ants that did not receive amputations. However, when the experimental injury was more distal (at the tibia), nestmates did not amputate the leg and instead directed more wound care to the injury site. Experimental amputations also failed to improve survival in ants with infected tibia injuries unless the leg was amputated immediately after pathogen exposure. Micro-CT scans revealed that the muscles likely responsible for leg hemolymph circulation are predominantly in the femur. Thus, it is likely that femur injuries, by attenuating hemolymph flow, provide sufficient time for workers to perform amputations before pathogen spread. Overall, this study provides the first example of the use of amputations to treat infected individuals in a non-human animal and demonstrates that ants can adapt their type of treatment depending on the location of wounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik T Frank
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland; Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg. Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany.
| | - Dany Buffat
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Joanito Liberti
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland; Department of Fundamental Microbiology, Biophore, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Lazzat Aibekova
- Biodiversity and Biocomplexity Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna-son 904-0495, Japan
| | - Evan P Economo
- Biodiversity and Biocomplexity Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna-son 904-0495, Japan
| | - Laurent Keller
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland; Social Evolution Unit, Cornuit 8, BP 855, 1885 Chesières, Switzerland.
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5
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Li X, Wang M, Feng K, Sun H, Tang F. The Function of Termicin from Odontotermes formosanus (Shiraki) in the Defense against Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) and Beauveria bassiana (Bb) Infection. INSECTS 2024; 15:360. [PMID: 38786916 PMCID: PMC11122213 DOI: 10.3390/insects15050360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2024] [Revised: 05/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Odontotermes formosanus (Shiraki) is a subterranean termite species known for causing severe damage to trees and structures such as dams. During the synergistic evolution of O. formosanus with pathogenic bacteria, the termite has developed a robust innate immunity. Termicin is a crucial antimicrobial peptide in termites, significantly contributing to the defense against external infections. Building upon the successful construction and expression of the dsRNA-HT115 engineering strains of dsOftermicin1 and dsOftermicin2 in our laboratory, this work employs the ultrasonic breaking method to establish an inactivated dsOftermicins-HT115 technological system capable of producing a substantial quantity of dsRNA. This approach also addresses the limitation of transgenic strains which cannot be directly applied. Treatment of O. formosanus with dsOftermicins produced by this method could enhance the virulence of both Bt and Bb to the termites. This study laid the theoretical groundwork for the development of novel termite immunosuppressants and for the advancement and application of termite biological control strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaogang Li
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China; (X.L.); (M.W.); (K.F.)
- College of Forestry, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China
| | - Mingyu Wang
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China; (X.L.); (M.W.); (K.F.)
- College of Forestry, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China
| | - Kai Feng
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China; (X.L.); (M.W.); (K.F.)
- College of Forestry, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China
| | - Hao Sun
- Jiangsu Province Rural Water Conservancy Science and Technology Development Center, Nanjing 210029, China;
| | - Fang Tang
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China; (X.L.); (M.W.); (K.F.)
- College of Forestry, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China
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6
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Szczuka A, Sochacka-Marlowe A, Korczyńska J, Mazurkiewicz PJ, Symonowicz B, Kukina O, Godzińska EJ. Do They Know What They Are Doing? Cognitive Aspects of Rescue Behaviour Directed by Workers of the Red Wood Ant Formica polyctena to Nestmate Victims Entrapped in Artificial Snares. Life (Basel) 2024; 14:515. [PMID: 38672785 PMCID: PMC11051173 DOI: 10.3390/life14040515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2024] [Revised: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Ant rescue behaviour belongs to the most interesting subcategories of prosocial and altruistic behaviour encountered in the animal world. Several studies suggested that ants are able to identify what exactly restrains the movements of another individual and to direct their rescue behaviour precisely to that object. To shed more light on the question of how precise the identification of the source of restraint of another ant is, we investigated rescue behaviour of red wood ant Formica polyctena workers, using a new version of an artificial snare bioassay in which a nestmate victim bore two wire loops on its body, one (acting as a snare) placed on its petiole and an additional one on its leg. The tested ants did not preferentially direct their rescue behaviour towards the snare. Moreover, the overall strategy adopted by the most active rescuers was not limited to precisely targeted rescue attempts directed towards the snare, but consisted of frequent switching between various subcategories of rescue behaviour. These findings highlight the importance of precise identification of cognitive processes and overall behavioural strategies for better understanding of causal factors underlying animal helping behaviour in light of new facts discovered by testing of various successive research hypotheses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Szczuka
- Laboratory of Ethology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Ludwika Pasteura St. 3, PL 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (A.S.); (A.S.-M.); (J.K.); (P.J.M.); (B.S.); (O.K.)
| | - Alicja Sochacka-Marlowe
- Laboratory of Ethology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Ludwika Pasteura St. 3, PL 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (A.S.); (A.S.-M.); (J.K.); (P.J.M.); (B.S.); (O.K.)
- Department of Biology and Integrated Bioscience Program, University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325, USA
| | - Julita Korczyńska
- Laboratory of Ethology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Ludwika Pasteura St. 3, PL 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (A.S.); (A.S.-M.); (J.K.); (P.J.M.); (B.S.); (O.K.)
| | - Paweł Jarosław Mazurkiewicz
- Laboratory of Ethology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Ludwika Pasteura St. 3, PL 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (A.S.); (A.S.-M.); (J.K.); (P.J.M.); (B.S.); (O.K.)
- College of Inter-Faculty Individual Studies in Mathematics and Natural Sciences (MISMaP), University of Warsaw, Stefana Banacha St. 2c, PL 02-097 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Beata Symonowicz
- Laboratory of Ethology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Ludwika Pasteura St. 3, PL 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (A.S.); (A.S.-M.); (J.K.); (P.J.M.); (B.S.); (O.K.)
| | - Olga Kukina
- Laboratory of Ethology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Ludwika Pasteura St. 3, PL 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (A.S.); (A.S.-M.); (J.K.); (P.J.M.); (B.S.); (O.K.)
- Department of Entomology, Phytopathology and Physiology, Ukrainian Research Institute of Forestry and Forest Melioration, Pushkinska St. 86, 61024 Kharkiv, Ukraine
| | - Ewa Joanna Godzińska
- Laboratory of Ethology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Ludwika Pasteura St. 3, PL 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (A.S.); (A.S.-M.); (J.K.); (P.J.M.); (B.S.); (O.K.)
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7
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Orbán-Bakk K, Witek M, Dubiec A, Heinze J, Markó B, Csata E. Infection with a non-lethal fungal parasite is associated with increased immune investment in the ant Myrmica scabrinodis. J Invertebr Pathol 2024; 202:108027. [PMID: 38042446 DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2023.108027] [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: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/04/2023]
Abstract
Social insects, such as ants, are preferred host organisms of pathogens and parasites because colonies are densely populated, and the number of potential hosts is high in the same place and time. Within a colony, individuals are exposed differentially to risks according to their function and age. Thus, older individuals forage and are therefore the most exposed to infection, predation, or physical stress, while young workers mostly stay inside the sheltered nest being less exposed. Immune investment is considered to be dependent on an individual's age and pathogen pressure. Long-term exposure to a parasite could affect the immune activity of individuals in an intriguing way that interferes with the age-dependent decline in immunocompetence. However, there are only few cases in which such interferences can be studied. The myrmecopathogenic fungus Rickia wasmannii, which infects entire colonies without killing the workers, is a suitable candidate for such studies. We investigated the general immunocompetence of Myrmica scabrinodis ant workers associated with non-lethal fungal infection by measuring the levels of active phenoloxidase (PO) and total PO (PPO) (reflecting the amount of both active and inactive forms of the enzyme) in two age classes. The level of PO proved to be higher in infected workers than in uninfected ones, while the level of PPO increased with age but was not affected by infection. Overall, these results indicate that a long-term infection could go hand in hand with increased immune activity of ant workers, conferring them higher level of protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kincső Orbán-Bakk
- Hungarian Department of Biology and Ecology, Babeș-Bolyai University, 400006 Cluj-Napoca, Clinicilor st. 5-7, Romania; Center for Systems Biology, Biodiversity and Bioresources, Sociobiology and Insect Ecology Lab, Babeș-Bolyai University, 400006 Cluj-Napoca, Clinicilor st. 5-7, Romania.
| | - Magdalena Witek
- Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wilcza 64, 00-679 Warszawa, Poland.
| | - Anna Dubiec
- Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wilcza 64, 00-679 Warszawa, Poland.
| | - Jürgen Heinze
- Institute for Zoology, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, D-93040 Regensburg, Germany.
| | - Bálint Markó
- Hungarian Department of Biology and Ecology, Babeș-Bolyai University, 400006 Cluj-Napoca, Clinicilor st. 5-7, Romania; Institute for Research, Development and Innovation in Applied Natural Sciences, Babeș-Bolyai University, Fântânele 30, 400294 Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
| | - Enikő Csata
- Institute for Zoology, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, D-93040 Regensburg, Germany.
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8
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Zhang W, Chen X, Eleftherianos I, Mohamed A, Bastin A, Keyhani NO. Cross-talk between immunity and behavior: insights from entomopathogenic fungi and their insect hosts. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2024; 48:fuae003. [PMID: 38341280 PMCID: PMC10883697 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuae003] [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: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Insects are one of the most successful animals in nature, and entomopathogenic fungi play a significant role in the natural epizootic control of insect populations in many ecosystems. The interaction between insects and entomopathogenic fungi has continuously coevolved over hundreds of millions of years. Many components of the insect innate immune responses against fungal infection are conserved across phyla. Additionally, behavioral responses, which include avoidance, grooming, and/or modulation of body temperature, have been recognized as important mechanisms for opposing fungal pathogens. In an effort to investigate possible cross-talk and mediating mechanisms between these fundamental biological processes, recent studies have integrated and/or explored immune and behavioral responses. Current information indicates that during discrete stages of fungal infection, several insect behavioral and immune responses are altered simultaneously, suggesting important connections between the two systems. This review synthesizes recent advances in our understanding of the physiological and molecular aspects influencing cross-talk between behavioral and innate immune antifungal reactions, including chemical perception and olfactory pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Zhang
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), Guizhou University, Guiyang, Huaxi District 550025, China
| | - Xuanyu Chen
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), Guizhou University, Guiyang, Huaxi District 550025, China
| | - Ioannis Eleftherianos
- Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, United States
| | - Amr Mohamed
- Department of Entomology, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Giza 12613, Egypt
- Research fellow, King Saud University Museum of Arthropods, Plant Protection Department, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ashley Bastin
- Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, United States
| | - Nemat O Keyhani
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
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9
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Sarkar A, McInroy CJA, Harty S, Raulo A, Ibata NGO, Valles-Colomer M, Johnson KVA, Brito IL, Henrich J, Archie EA, Barreiro LB, Gazzaniga FS, Finlay BB, Koonin EV, Carmody RN, Moeller AH. Microbial transmission in the social microbiome and host health and disease. Cell 2024; 187:17-43. [PMID: 38181740 PMCID: PMC10958648 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.12.014] [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: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2024]
Abstract
Although social interactions are known to drive pathogen transmission, the contributions of socially transmissible host-associated mutualists and commensals to host health and disease remain poorly explored. We use the concept of the social microbiome-the microbial metacommunity of a social network of hosts-to analyze the implications of social microbial transmission for host health and disease. We investigate the contributions of socially transmissible microbes to both eco-evolutionary microbiome community processes (colonization resistance, the evolution of virulence, and reactions to ecological disturbance) and microbial transmission-based processes (transmission of microbes with metabolic and immune effects, inter-specific transmission, transmission of antibiotic-resistant microbes, and transmission of viruses). We consider the implications of social microbial transmission for communicable and non-communicable diseases and evaluate the importance of a socially transmissible component underlying canonically non-communicable diseases. The social transmission of mutualists and commensals may play a significant, under-appreciated role in the social determinants of health and may act as a hidden force in social evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amar Sarkar
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Cameron J A McInroy
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Siobhán Harty
- Independent, Tandy Court, Spitalfields, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Aura Raulo
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Department of Computing, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Neil G O Ibata
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Mireia Valles-Colomer
- Department of Medicine and Life Sciences, Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Katerina V-A Johnson
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Ilana L Brito
- Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Joseph Henrich
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Archie
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Luis B Barreiro
- Committee on Immunology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA; Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA; Committee on Genetics, Genomics and Systems Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Francesca S Gazzaniga
- Molecular Pathology Unit, Cancer Center, Massachusetts General Hospital Research Institute, Charlestown, MA, USA; Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - B Brett Finlay
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Eugene V Koonin
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Rachel N Carmody
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Andrew H Moeller
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
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10
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Frank ET, Kesner L, Liberti J, Helleu Q, LeBoeuf AC, Dascalu A, Sponsler DB, Azuma F, Economo EP, Waridel P, Engel P, Schmitt T, Keller L. Targeted treatment of injured nestmates with antimicrobial compounds in an ant society. Nat Commun 2023; 14:8446. [PMID: 38158416 PMCID: PMC10756881 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43885-w] [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: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Infected wounds pose a major mortality risk in animals. Injuries are common in the ant Megaponera analis, which raids pugnacious prey. Here we show that M. analis can determine when wounds are infected and treat them accordingly. By applying a variety of antimicrobial compounds and proteins secreted from the metapleural gland to infected wounds, workers reduce the mortality of infected individuals by 90%. Chemical analyses showed that wound infection is associated with specific changes in the cuticular hydrocarbon profile, thereby likely allowing nestmates to diagnose the infection state of injured individuals and apply the appropriate antimicrobial treatment. This study demonstrates that M. analis ant societies use antimicrobial compounds produced in the metapleural glands to treat infected wounds and reduce nestmate mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik T Frank
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore, University of Lausanne, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, D-97074, Würzburg, Germany.
| | - Lucie Kesner
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, Biophore, University of Lausanne, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Joanito Liberti
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore, University of Lausanne, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, Biophore, University of Lausanne, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Quentin Helleu
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore, University of Lausanne, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Structure et Instabilité des Génomes, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS UMR 7196, INSERM U1154, 43 rue Cuvier, F-75005, Paris, France
| | - Adria C LeBoeuf
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, CH-1700, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Andrei Dascalu
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore, University of Lausanne, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Douglas B Sponsler
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, D-97074, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Fumika Azuma
- Biodiversity and Biocomplexity Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, 904-0495, Japan
| | - Evan P Economo
- Biodiversity and Biocomplexity Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, 904-0495, Japan
- Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, Harvard University, Cambridge, 02138, USA
| | - Patrice Waridel
- Protein Analysis Facility, Génopode, University of Lausanne, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Philipp Engel
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, Biophore, University of Lausanne, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Thomas Schmitt
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, D-97074, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Laurent Keller
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore, University of Lausanne, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland.
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11
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Luitel B, Johnson AJ, Bulmer MS. Subterranean termites raise the alarm when their anti-fungal weapon falters. THE SCIENCE OF NATURE - NATURWISSENSCHAFTEN 2023; 111:1. [PMID: 38150102 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-023-01887-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023]
Abstract
Termicin is an anti-fungal defensin that is disseminated from termite salivary glands. The peptide appears to be critical for the elimination with mutual grooming (allogrooming) of pathogenic spores (conidia) that have attached to the insect cuticle. There has been a recent selective sweep for an advantageous variant of this peptide in the subterranean termite Reticulitermes flavipes. We tested the anti-mycotic activity of a recombinant termicin corresponding with this variant against the conidia of different Metarhizium fungal isolates from soil close to foraging R. flavipes workers. Termicin was most effective against isolates that had previously been shown to elicit a relatively weak alarm response, as indicated by brief bouts of rapid longitudinal oscillatory movement (LOM). These isolates that elicited weak alarm were also the deadliest apparently because the survival of termites exposed to the fungus depends on a strong social immune response (LOMs and allogrooming). The selective pressure for a single termicin variant may have been driven by the most dangerous isolates that elicit a weak behavioral response. The correlation between termicin anti-fungal activity and LOM suggests that pathogen-associated molecular patterns that affect termite recognition of conidial contamination and the onset of elevated allogrooming also affect the vulnerability of conidia to the disruption of their cell membranes by termicin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bhawana Luitel
- Department of Biological Sciences, Towson University, 4101 Science Complex, 8000 York Rd, Towson, MD, 21252, USA
| | - Ajijola J Johnson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Towson University, 4101 Science Complex, 8000 York Rd, Towson, MD, 21252, USA
| | - Mark S Bulmer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Towson University, 4101 Science Complex, 8000 York Rd, Towson, MD, 21252, USA.
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12
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Setia G, Chen J, Schlub R, Husseneder C. Taxonomic profiling of Nasutitermes takasagoensis microbiota to investigate the role of termites as vectors of bacteria linked to ironwood tree decline in Guam. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0296081. [PMID: 38134025 PMCID: PMC10745211 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0296081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The ironwood tree (Casuarina equisetifolia, family Casuarinaceae), an indigenous agroforestry species in Guam, has been threatened by ironwood tree decline (IWTD) since 2002. Formation of bacterial ooze by the wilt pathogen from the Ralstonia solanacearum species complex and wetwood bacteria (primarily Klebsiella species) has been linked to IWTD. In addition, termite infestation of trees was statistically associated with IWTD. Termites are known carriers of a diverse microbiome. Therefore, we hypothesized that termites could be vectors of bacteria linked to IWTD. To investigate the potential role of termites as pathogen vectors, we employed next-generation 16S rRNA gene sequencing to describe the bacteria diversity of Nasutitermes takasagoensis (Family Termitidae) workers collected from 42 ironwood trees of different disease stages in Guam in association with tree-, plot-, and location-related factors. Nasutitermes takasagoensis workers account for the majority of termite infestations of ironwood trees. The bacterial phyla composition of N. takasagoensis workers was typical for wood-feeding higher termites consisting mainly of Spirochaetes and Fibrobacteres. However, Ralstonia species were not detected and Klebsiella species were rare even in termites collected from trees infected with Ralstonia and wetwood bacteria. Feeding experiments suggested that termites prefer to consume wood with low pathogen content over wood with high pathogen load. Termites were able to ingest Ralstonia but Ralstonia could not establish itself in healthy termite bodies. We concluded that N. takasagoensis workers are not vectors for Ralstonia spp. or the bacterial endophytes associated with wetwood (Klebsiella, Pantoea, Enterobacter, Citrobacter, and Erwinia) that were previously observed in IWTD-infested trees. The bacterial diversity in termite samples was significantly influenced by various factors, including Tree Health, Site Management, Plot Average Decline Severity, Proportion of Dead Trees in the Plot, Proportion of Trees with Termite Damage in the Plot, Presence of Ralstonia, and Altitude.
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Affiliation(s)
- Garima Setia
- Department of Entomology, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, LA, United States of America
| | - Junyan Chen
- Department of Entomology, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, LA, United States of America
| | - Robert Schlub
- University of Guam, Cooperative Extension Service, Mangilao, Guam
| | - Claudia Husseneder
- Department of Entomology, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, LA, United States of America
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13
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Prebus M, Georgiev BB, van de Kamp T, Hamann E, Baker I, Rabeling C. The rediscovery of the putative ant social parasite Manica parasitica syn. nov. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) reveals an unexpected endoparasite syndrome. Biol Lett 2023; 19:20230399. [PMID: 38115747 PMCID: PMC10731316 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2023.0399] [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: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Parasitism is ubiquitous across the tree of life, and parasites comprise approximately half of all animal species. Social insect colonies attract many pathogens, endo- and ectoparasites, and are exploited by social parasites, which usurp the social environment of their hosts for survival and reproduction. Exploitation by parasites and pathogens versus social parasites may cause similar behavioural and morphological modifications of the host. Ants possess two overlapping syndromes: the endo- and social parasite syndromes. We rediscovered two populations of the putative social parasite Manica parasitica in the Sierra Nevada, and tested the hypothesis that M. parasitica is an independently evolving social parasite. We evaluated traits used to discriminate M. parasitica from its host Manica bradleyi, and examined the morphology of M. parasitica in the context of ant parasitic syndromes. We find that M. parasitica is not a social parasite. Instead, M. parasitica represents cestode-infected M. bradleyi. We propose that M. parasitica should be regarded as a junior synonym of M. bradleyi. Our results emphasize that an integrative approach is essential for unravelling the complex life histories of social insects and their symbionts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Prebus
- Social Insect Research Group, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, 550 E Orange St., Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
- Department of Integrative Taxonomy of Insects, Institute of Biology, University of Hohenheim, Garbenstraße 30, 70599, Stuttgart, Germany
- KomBioTa – Center for Biodiversity and Integrative Taxonomy Research, University of Hohenheim and State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Boyko B. Georgiev
- Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 2 Gagarin Street, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Thomas van de Kamp
- Institute for Photon Science and Synchrotron Radiation (IPS), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
- Laboratory for Applications of Synchrotron Radiation (LAS), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Kaiserstraße 12, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Elias Hamann
- Institute for Photon Science and Synchrotron Radiation (IPS), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
| | - Iyla Baker
- Social Insect Research Group, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, 550 E Orange St., Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, 633 Clark St, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Christian Rabeling
- Social Insect Research Group, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, 550 E Orange St., Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
- Department of Integrative Taxonomy of Insects, Institute of Biology, University of Hohenheim, Garbenstraße 30, 70599, Stuttgart, Germany
- KomBioTa – Center for Biodiversity and Integrative Taxonomy Research, University of Hohenheim and State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart, Germany
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14
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Esparza-Mora MA, Mazumdar T, Jiang S, Radek R, Thiem JN, Feng L, Petrašiūnaitė V, Banasiak R, Golian M, Gleske M, Lucas C, Springer A, Buellesbach J, McMahon DP. Defensive behavior is linked to altered surface chemistry following infection in a termite society. Sci Rep 2023; 13:20606. [PMID: 37996442 PMCID: PMC10667546 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-42947-9] [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: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The care-kill response determines whether a sick individual will be treated or eliminated from an insect society, but little is known about the physiological underpinnings of this process. We exploited the stepwise infection dynamics of an entomopathogenic fungus in a termite to explore how care-kill transitions occur, and identify the chemical cues behind these shifts. We found collective responses towards pathogen-injected individuals to vary according to severity and timing of pathogen challenge, with elimination, via cannibalism, occurring sooner in response to a severe active infection. However, injection with inactivated fungal blastospores also resulted in increased albeit delayed cannibalism, even though it did not universally cause host death. This indicates that the decision to eliminate an individual is triggered before pathogen viability or terminal disease status has been established. We then compared the surface chemistry of differently challenged individuals, finding increased amounts of long-chained methyl-branched alkanes with similar branching patterns in individuals injected with both dead and viable fungal blastospores, with the latter showing the largest increase. This coincided with the highest amounts of observed cannibalism as well as signs of severe moribundity. Our study provides new mechanistic insight into the emergent collective behaviors involved in the disease defense of a termite society.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Alejandra Esparza-Mora
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Straße 1-3, 14195, Berlin, Germany
- Department for Materials and Environment, BAM Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing, Unter den Eichen 87, 12205, Berlin, Germany
| | - Tilottama Mazumdar
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Straße 1-3, 14195, Berlin, Germany
- Department for Materials and Environment, BAM Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing, Unter den Eichen 87, 12205, Berlin, Germany
| | - Shixiong Jiang
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Straße 1-3, 14195, Berlin, Germany
- Department for Materials and Environment, BAM Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing, Unter den Eichen 87, 12205, Berlin, Germany
| | - Renate Radek
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Straße 1-3, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Julian N Thiem
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Straße 1-3, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Linshan Feng
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Straße 1-3, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Vesta Petrašiūnaitė
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Straße 1-3, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ronald Banasiak
- Department for Materials and Environment, BAM Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing, Unter den Eichen 87, 12205, Berlin, Germany
| | - Marek Golian
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, Hüfferstraße 1, 48149, Münster, Germany
| | - Melanie Gleske
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, Hüfferstraße 1, 48149, Münster, Germany
| | - Christophe Lucas
- Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l'Insecte (UMR7261), CNRS-University of Tours, Tours, France
| | - Andreas Springer
- Core Facility BioSupraMol, Department of Biology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Takustraße 3, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jan Buellesbach
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, Hüfferstraße 1, 48149, Münster, Germany
| | - Dino P McMahon
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Straße 1-3, 14195, Berlin, Germany.
- Department for Materials and Environment, BAM Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing, Unter den Eichen 87, 12205, Berlin, Germany.
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15
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Sare I, Baldini F, Viana M, Badolo A, Djigma F, Diabate A, Bilgo E. Adhesion and virulence properties of native Metarhizium fungal strains from Burkina Faso for the control of malaria vectors. Parasit Vectors 2023; 16:406. [PMID: 37936204 PMCID: PMC10629044 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-023-05831-z] [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: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Local strains of the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium pingshaense in Burkina Faso have demonstrated remarkable virulence against malaria vectors, positioning them as promising candidates for inclusion in the future arsenal of malaria control strategies. However, the underlying mechanisms responsible for this virulence remain unknown. To comprehend the fungal infection process, it is crucial to investigate the attachment mechanisms of fungal spores to the mosquito cuticle and explore the relationship between virulence and attachment kinetics. This study aims to assess the adhesion and virulence properties of native Metarhizium fungal strains from Burkina Faso for controlling malaria vectors. METHODS Fungal strains were isolated from 201 insects and 1399 rhizosphere samples, and four strains of Metarhizium fungi were selected. Fungal suspensions were used to infect 3-day-old female Anopheles coluzzii mosquitoes at three different concentrations (106, 107, 108 conidia/ml). The survival of the mosquitoes was measured over 14 days, and fungal growth was quantified after 1 and 24 h to assess adhesion of the fungal strains onto the mosquito cuticle. RESULTS All four fungi strains increased mosquito mortality compared to control (Chi-square test, χ2 = 286.55, df = 4, P < 0.001). Adhesion of the fungal strains was observed on the mosquito cuticle after 24 h at high concentrations (1 × 108 conidia/ml), with one strain, having the highest virulent, showing adhesion after just 1 h. CONCLUSION The native strains of Metarhizium spp. fungi found in Burkina Faso have the potential to be effective biocontrol agents against malaria vectors, with some strains showing high levels of both virulence and adhesion to the mosquito cuticle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Issiaka Sare
- Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé, Direction Régionale de l'Ouest, BP 545, Bobo-Dioulasso 01, Burkina Faso
- Institut National de Santé Publique / Centre Muraz, BP 390, Bobo-Dioulasso 01, Burkina Faso
- Laboratoire d'Entomologie Fondamentale et Appliquée (LEFA), Université Joseph Ki-Zerbo, BP 7021, Ouagadougou 03, Burkina Faso
- Laboratoire de Biologie Moléculaire et de Génétique (LABIOGENE), Ecole Doctorale Sciences et Technologie, Université Joseph Ki-Zerbo, BP 7021, Ouagadougou 01, Burkina Faso
- Centre de Recherche Biomoléculaire Piétro Annigoni (CERBA), BP 364, Ouagadougou 01, Burkina Faso
| | - Francesco Baldini
- School of Biodiversity One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Mafalda Viana
- School of Biodiversity One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Athanase Badolo
- Laboratoire d'Entomologie Fondamentale et Appliquée (LEFA), Université Joseph Ki-Zerbo, BP 7021, Ouagadougou 03, Burkina Faso
| | - Florencia Djigma
- Laboratoire de Biologie Moléculaire et de Génétique (LABIOGENE), Ecole Doctorale Sciences et Technologie, Université Joseph Ki-Zerbo, BP 7021, Ouagadougou 01, Burkina Faso
- Centre de Recherche Biomoléculaire Piétro Annigoni (CERBA), BP 364, Ouagadougou 01, Burkina Faso
| | - Abdoulaye Diabate
- Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé, Direction Régionale de l'Ouest, BP 545, Bobo-Dioulasso 01, Burkina Faso.
- Institut National de Santé Publique / Centre Muraz, BP 390, Bobo-Dioulasso 01, Burkina Faso.
| | - Etienne Bilgo
- Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé, Direction Régionale de l'Ouest, BP 545, Bobo-Dioulasso 01, Burkina Faso.
- Institut National de Santé Publique / Centre Muraz, BP 390, Bobo-Dioulasso 01, Burkina Faso.
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16
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Mee L, Barribeau SM. Influence of social lifestyles on host-microbe symbioses in the bees. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10679. [PMID: 37928198 PMCID: PMC10620586 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10679] [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: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Microbiomes are increasingly recognised as critical for the health of an organism. In eusocial insect societies, frequent social interactions allow for high-fidelity transmission of microbes across generations, leading to closer host-microbe coevolution. The microbial communities of bees with other social lifestyles are less studied, and few comparisons have been made between taxa that vary in social structure. To address this gap, we leveraged a cloud-computing resource and publicly available transcriptomic data to conduct a survey of microbial diversity in bee samples from a variety of social lifestyles and taxa. We consistently recover the core microbes of well-studied corbiculate bees, supporting this method's ability to accurately characterise microbial communities. We find that the bacterial communities of bees are influenced by host location, phylogeny and social lifestyle, although no clear effect was found for fungal or viral microbial communities. Bee genera with more complex societies tend to harbour more diverse microbes, with Wolbachia detected more commonly in solitary tribes. We present a description of the microbiota of Euglossine bees and find that they do not share the "corbiculate core" microbiome. Notably, we find that bacteria with known anti-pathogenic properties are present across social bee genera, suggesting that symbioses that enhance host immunity are important with higher sociality. Our approach provides an inexpensive means of exploring microbiomes of a given taxa and identifying avenues for further research. These findings contribute to our understanding of the relationships between bees and their associated microbial communities, highlighting the importance of considering microbiome dynamics in investigations of bee health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Mee
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, Department of Evolution, Ecology and BehaviourUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
| | - Seth M. Barribeau
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, Department of Evolution, Ecology and BehaviourUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
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17
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Dong Y, Peng X, Hussain R, Niu T, Zhang H, Wang H, Xing LX, Wang R. Elevated expression of immune and DNA repair genes in mated queens and kings of the Reticulitermes chinensis termites. Exp Gerontol 2023; 178:112228. [PMID: 37271408 DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2023.112228] [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: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Studies have identified that mating induces a series of physiological changes in animals. In this period, males tending to invest more energy, immune peptides, and other substances to reduce the cost of living for females. This results in lower survival rates in later life than females. Meanwhile, both males and females shorten lifespans due to reproduction. However, the reasons why termites' queens and kings are both extremely long-lived and highly fecund are unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the effects of mating on the expression of immune and DNA repair genes for lifespan extension in termite queens and kings. Here, we reported that mated queens show relatively higher expression of immune genes (phenoloxidase, denfensin, termicin, transferrin), antioxidant genes (CAT, SOD), detoxification genes (GST, CYP450) than virgin queens in the Reticulitermes chinensis. In addition, mated kings also highly expressed these genes, except for termicin, transferrin, GST, and CYP450. After mating, both queens and kings significantly upregulated the expression of DNA repair genes (MLH1, BRCA1, XRCC3, RAD54-like). Mismatch repair genes (MMR) MSH2, MSH4, MSH6 were considerably increased in mated queens, while MSH4, MSH5, MSH6 were upregulated in mated kings. Our results suggest that mating increases the expression of immune and DNA repair genes in the termite queens and kings, and thus possibly improving their survival during reproductive span due to the omnipresent pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanan Dong
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710072, China
| | - Xin Peng
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, China
| | - Riaz Hussain
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, China
| | - Tong Niu
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710072, China
| | - He Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450008, China
| | - Huan Wang
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710072, China
| | - Lian-Xi Xing
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, China.
| | - Ruiwu Wang
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710072, China.
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18
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Casillas-Pérez B, Boďová K, Grasse AV, Tkačik G, Cremer S. Dynamic pathogen detection and social feedback shape collective hygiene in ants. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3232. [PMID: 37270641 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38947-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Cooperative disease defense emerges as group-level collective behavior, yet how group members make the underlying individual decisions is poorly understood. Using garden ants and fungal pathogens as an experimental model, we derive the rules governing individual ant grooming choices and show how they produce colony-level hygiene. Time-resolved behavioral analysis, pathogen quantification, and probabilistic modeling reveal that ants increase grooming and preferentially target highly-infectious individuals when perceiving high pathogen load, but transiently suppress grooming after having been groomed by nestmates. Ants thus react to both, the infectivity of others and the social feedback they receive on their own contagiousness. While inferred solely from momentary ant decisions, these behavioral rules quantitatively predict hour-long experimental dynamics, and synergistically combine into efficient colony-wide pathogen removal. Our analyses show that noisy individual decisions based on only local, incomplete, yet dynamically-updated information on pathogen threat and social feedback can lead to potent collective disease defense.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Casillas-Pérez
- ISTA (Institute of Science and Technology Austria), Am Campus 1, AT-3400, Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Katarína Boďová
- Department of Mathematical Analysis and Numerics, Faculty of Mathematics, Physics, and Informatics, Comenius University, Mlynska Dolina, SK-84248, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Anna V Grasse
- ISTA (Institute of Science and Technology Austria), Am Campus 1, AT-3400, Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Gašper Tkačik
- ISTA (Institute of Science and Technology Austria), Am Campus 1, AT-3400, Klosterneuburg, Austria.
| | - Sylvia Cremer
- ISTA (Institute of Science and Technology Austria), Am Campus 1, AT-3400, Klosterneuburg, Austria.
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19
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Nguyen TTH, Asano T, Cronin AL. Group size rather than social status influences personal immune efficacy in a socially polymorphic bee. Biol Lett 2023; 19:20230149. [PMID: 37311547 PMCID: PMC10264099 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2023.0149] [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: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The evolution of group living is associated with increased pressure from parasites and pathogens. This can be offset by greater investment in personal immune defences and/or the development of cooperative immune defences (social immunity). An enduring question in evolutionary biology is whether social-immune benefits arose in response to an increased need in more complex societies, or arose early in group living and helped facilitate the evolution of more complex societies. In this study, we shed light on this question through investigating how immunity varies intraspecifically in a socially polymorphic bee. Using a novel immune assay, we show that personal antibacterial efficacy in individuals from social nests is higher than that of solitary individuals, but that this can be explained by higher densities in social nests. We conclude that personal immune effects are likely to play a role in the social/solitary transition in this species. These patterns are consistent with the idea that social immunity evolved secondarily, following the evolution of group living. The flexibility of the individual immune system may have favoured a reliance on its use during the facultative phase early in social evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thi Thu Ha Nguyen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji, Tokyo, 192-0397, Japan
- Center for Bee Research and Animal Technology Transfer, National Institute of Animal Science, Hanoi, 12112, Vietnam
| | - Tsukani Asano
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji, Tokyo, 192-0397, Japan
| | - Adam L. Cronin
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji, Tokyo, 192-0397, Japan
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20
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Goffre D, Folgarait PJ. Entomopathogenic Strains of the Fungus Purpureocillium lilacinum Damage the Fungus Cultivar of Pest Leaf-Cutter Ants. NEOTROPICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2023:10.1007/s13744-023-01052-2. [PMID: 37195555 DOI: 10.1007/s13744-023-01052-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Purpureocillium lilacinum (Hypocreales: Ophiocordycipitaceae) is a cosmopolitan fungus not only pathogenic to insect and nematode hosts but also to other fungi. Although having one organism with multiple effects would be desirable in a biocontrol strategy, few studies have looked at the multiple roles one strain could play. This work shows how three strains of P. lilacinum, previously proven to be entomopathogenic to leaf-cutter ants (LCA), could degrade several strains of Leucoagaricus sp., the fungus cultivated by LCA as their food source. We isolated four strains of Leucoagaricus sp. from Acromyrmex and Atta LCA species, and we determined their species molecularly, as well as their clade identity (Leucoagaricus gongylophorus, clade-A). We observed the effects on growth rates on Petri dishes and the interaction of microscopic structures of both fungi on slides. All three P. lilacinum strains inhibited the growth of L. gongylophorus. They also degraded all L. gongylophorus isolated from the Acromyrmex species, causing hyphae expansion and degradation of the cell wall. However, only one of them succeeded in degrading the L. gongylophorus strain isolated from the Atta species. The results confirm the damage to the hyphae of ant cultivars and highlight the need for future studies that reveal whether such behavior is due to P. lilacinum's mycoparasitic behavior. Using a single P. lilacinum strain with a dual function that includes the degradation of the cultivar of LCA of both genera would be a very promising strategy for the biocontrol of one of the worst herbivore pests in the Neotropics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Goffre
- Ants Lab, Dept of Science and Technology, CONICET, Quilmes National University, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Patricia Julia Folgarait
- Ants Lab, Dept of Science and Technology, CONICET, Quilmes National University, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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21
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Liu L, Wang DH, Zhao CC, Yan FM, Lei CL, Su LJ, Zhang YC, Huang QY, Tang QB. Transcriptomics Reveals the Killing Mechanism by Which Entomopathogenic Fungi Manipulate the RNA Expression Profiles of Termites and Provides Inspiration for Green Pest Management. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2023; 71:7152-7162. [PMID: 37104842 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.3c00743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
As chemical pesticides have caused serious environmental pollution, fungus-based biological control has become a developing alternative to chemical control. Here, we aimed to determine the molecular mechanism underlying how Metarhizium anisopliae facilitated invasive infection. We found that the fungus increased its virulence by downregulating glutathione S-transferase (GST) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) throughout termite bodies. Among 13 fungus-induced microRNAs throughout termite bodies, miR-7885-5p and miR-252b upregulation significantly downregulated several mRNAs in response to toxic substances to increase the fungal virulence [e.g., phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (GTP) and heat shock protein homologue SSE1]. In addition, nanodelivered small interfering RNA of GST and SOD and miR-7885-5p and miR-252b mimics increased the virulence of the fungus. These findings provide new insights into the killing mechanism of entomopathogens and their utilization of the host miRNA machinery to reduce host defenses, laying the groundwork to enhance virulence of biocontrol agents for green pest management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Long Liu
- Henan International Laboratory for Green Pest Control; Henan Engineering Laboratory of Pest Biological Control; College of Plant Protection, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Dong-Huai Wang
- Henan International Laboratory for Green Pest Control; Henan Engineering Laboratory of Pest Biological Control; College of Plant Protection, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Chen-Chen Zhao
- Henan International Laboratory for Green Pest Control; Henan Engineering Laboratory of Pest Biological Control; College of Plant Protection, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Feng-Ming Yan
- Henan International Laboratory for Green Pest Control; Henan Engineering Laboratory of Pest Biological Control; College of Plant Protection, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Chao-Liang Lei
- Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Li-Juan Su
- Henan International Laboratory for Green Pest Control; Henan Engineering Laboratory of Pest Biological Control; College of Plant Protection, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Yuan-Chen Zhang
- Taihang Mountain Forest Pests Observation and Research Station of Henan Province, Anyang 456582, China
| | - Qiu-Ying Huang
- Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Qing-Bo Tang
- Henan International Laboratory for Green Pest Control; Henan Engineering Laboratory of Pest Biological Control; College of Plant Protection, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
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22
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Viljakainen L, Fürst MA, Grasse AV, Jurvansuu J, Oh J, Tolonen L, Eder T, Rattei T, Cremer S. Antiviral immune response reveals host-specific virus infections in natural ant populations. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1119002. [PMID: 37007485 PMCID: PMC10060816 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1119002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Hosts can carry many viruses in their bodies, but not all of them cause disease. We studied ants as a social host to determine both their overall viral repertoire and the subset of actively infecting viruses across natural populations of three subfamilies: the Argentine ant (Linepithema humile, Dolichoderinae), the invasive garden ant (Lasius neglectus, Formicinae) and the red ant (Myrmica rubra, Myrmicinae). We used a dual sequencing strategy to reconstruct complete virus genomes by RNA-seq and to simultaneously determine the small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) by small RNA sequencing (sRNA-seq), which constitute the host antiviral RNAi immune response. This approach led to the discovery of 41 novel viruses in ants and revealed a host ant-specific RNAi response (21 vs. 22 nt siRNAs) in the different ant species. The efficiency of the RNAi response (sRNA/RNA read count ratio) depended on the virus and the respective ant species, but not its population. Overall, we found the highest virus abundance and diversity per population in Li. humile, followed by La. neglectus and M. rubra. Argentine ants also shared a high proportion of viruses between populations, whilst overlap was nearly absent in M. rubra. Only one of the 59 viruses was found to infect two of the ant species as hosts, revealing high host-specificity in active infections. In contrast, six viruses actively infected one ant species, but were found as contaminants only in the others. Disentangling spillover of disease-causing infection from non-infecting contamination across species is providing relevant information for disease ecology and ecosystem management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lumi Viljakainen
- Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
- *Correspondence: Lumi Viljakainen,
| | - Matthias A. Fürst
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Anna V. Grasse
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Jaana Jurvansuu
- Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Jinook Oh
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Lassi Tolonen
- Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Thomas Eder
- Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, Division of Computational System Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Institute for Medical Biochemistry, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Thomas Rattei
- Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, Division of Computational System Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sylvia Cremer
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), Klosterneuburg, Austria
- Sylvia Cremer,
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23
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Stock M, Milutinović B, Hoenigsberger M, Grasse AV, Wiesenhofer F, Kampleitner N, Narasimhan M, Schmitt T, Cremer S. Pathogen evasion of social immunity. Nat Ecol Evol 2023; 7:450-460. [PMID: 36732670 PMCID: PMC9998270 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-01981-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Treating sick group members is a hallmark of collective disease defence in vertebrates and invertebrates alike. Despite substantial effects on pathogen fitness and epidemiology, it is still largely unknown how pathogens react to the selection pressure imposed by care intervention. Using social insects and pathogenic fungi, we here performed a serial passage experiment in the presence or absence of colony members, which provide social immunity by grooming off infectious spores from exposed individuals. We found specific effects on pathogen diversity, virulence and transmission. Under selection of social immunity, pathogens invested into higher spore production, but spores were less virulent. Notably, they also elicited a lower grooming response in colony members, compared with spores from the individual host selection lines. Chemical spore analysis suggested that the spores from social selection lines escaped the caregivers' detection by containing lower levels of ergosterol, a key fungal membrane component. Experimental application of chemically pure ergosterol indeed induced sanitary grooming, supporting its role as a microbe-associated cue triggering host social immunity against fungal pathogens. By reducing this detection cue, pathogens were able to evade the otherwise very effective collective disease defences of their social hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Stock
- ISTA (Institute of Science and Technology Austria), Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Barbara Milutinović
- ISTA (Institute of Science and Technology Austria), Klosterneuburg, Austria. .,Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics, Division of Molecular Biology, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Zagreb, Croatia.
| | | | - Anna V Grasse
- ISTA (Institute of Science and Technology Austria), Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | | | - Niklas Kampleitner
- ISTA (Institute of Science and Technology Austria), Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | | | - Thomas Schmitt
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Sylvia Cremer
- ISTA (Institute of Science and Technology Austria), Klosterneuburg, Austria.
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24
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Adaptations of Pseudoxylaria towards a comb-associated lifestyle in fungus-farming termite colonies. THE ISME JOURNAL 2023; 17:733-747. [PMID: 36841903 PMCID: PMC10119272 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-023-01374-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/27/2023]
Abstract
Characterizing ancient clades of fungal symbionts is necessary for understanding the evolutionary process underlying symbiosis development. In this study, we investigated a distinct subgeneric taxon of Xylaria (Xylariaceae), named Pseudoxylaria, whose members have solely been isolated from the fungus garden of farming termites. Pseudoxylaria are inconspicuously present in active fungus gardens of termite colonies and only emerge in the form of vegetative stromata, when the fungus comb is no longer attended ("sit and wait" strategy). Insights into the genomic and metabolic consequences of their association, however, have remained sparse. Capitalizing on viable Pseudoxylaria cultures from different termite colonies, we obtained genomes of seven and transcriptomes of two Pseudoxylaria isolates. Using a whole-genome-based comparison with free-living members of the genus Xylaria, we document that the association has been accompanied by significant reductions in genome size, protein-coding gene content, and reduced functional capacities related to oxidative lignin degradation, oxidative stress responses and secondary metabolite production. Functional studies based on growth assays and fungus-fungus co-cultivations, coupled with isotope fractionation analysis, showed that Pseudoxylaria only moderately antagonizes growth of the termite food fungus Termitomyces, and instead extracts nutrients from the food fungus biomass for its own growth. We also uncovered that Pseudoxylaria is still capable of producing structurally unique metabolites, which was exemplified by the isolation of two novel metabolites, and that the natural product repertoire correlated with antimicrobial and insect antifeedant activity.
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25
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Starkey J, Tamborindeguy C. Family before work: task reversion in workers of the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta in the presence of brood. Sci Rep 2023; 13:2379. [PMID: 36765120 PMCID: PMC9918486 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-29246-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Among social insects, task allocation within its group members remains as one of the paramount pillars of social functionality. Division of labor in many eusocial insects is maintained by behavioral flexibility that can shift according to the needs of the colony they reside in. Workers typically, over time as they age, shift from intranidal nurses to extranidal foragers. If the needs of the colony change, either from the needs of the adults or the brood therein, workers shift their behavior in order to compensate for the need of a particular task to be done. This shift, either accelerating towards a behavior associated with an older worker, or regressing back into the nest, is not clearly understood in social insects outside of honeybees. In this study, evaluated how brood type affected the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, worker task reversion and acceleration. Through observation of worker behaviors performed over multiple time-points per day, we discovered that worker task reversion and acceleration does occur within this ant species. Furthermore, the type of brood influenced the rate at which this occurred, with larvae having the strongest effect of all types. Finally, there was a propensity for workers to maintain their new behavior throughout the experiment. This study shows that the needs of brood within a social insect colony can influence the behavior workers perform, reversing the age polyethism that is common among social insect species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesse Starkey
- Department of Entomology, 412 Heep Center, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Cecilia Tamborindeguy
- Department of Entomology, 412 Heep Center, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA.
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26
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Chen Y, Zhao C, Zeng W, Wu W, Zhang S, Zhang D, Li Z. The effect of ergosterol on the allogrooming behavior of termites in response to the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae. INSECT SCIENCE 2023; 30:185-196. [PMID: 35567495 PMCID: PMC10084151 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.13055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Revised: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Termites have physiological and behavioral immunities that make them highly resistant to pathogen infections, which complicates biocontrol efforts. However, the stimuli that trigger the pathogen-avoidance behaviors of termites are still unclear. Our study shows that workers of Coptotermes formosanus exposed to the conidia of Metarhizium anisopliae exhibited a significantly higher frequency and longer duration of allogrooming behaviors compared with untreated termites. Volatile compounds in the cuticle of control termites and termites previously exposed to a suspension of M. anisopliae conidia were analyzed and compared using a gas chromatography-mass spectrometer (GC-MS). Our results showed that the amount of ergosterol differed between the fungus-exposed and control termites. Choice tests showed that termites significantly preferred to stay on filter paper treated with ergosterol (0.05, 0.1, or 1.0 mg/mL) compared with control filter paper. In addition, termites exposed to ergosterol followed by M. anisopliae conidia were allogroomed at a significantly higher frequency and for a longer duration than termites exposed to alcohol (the solvent used with the ergosterol in the ergosterol trials) alone followed by M. anisopliae conidia. These results showed that ergosterol may enhance the allogrooming behavior of termites in the presence of entomopathogenic fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Chen
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource UtilizationGuangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and UtilizationInstitute of ZoologyGuangdong Academy of SciencesGuangzhouChina
| | - Chongwen Zhao
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource UtilizationGuangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and UtilizationInstitute of ZoologyGuangdong Academy of SciencesGuangzhouChina
- School of EcologySun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangzhouChina
| | - Wenhui Zeng
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource UtilizationGuangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and UtilizationInstitute of ZoologyGuangdong Academy of SciencesGuangzhouChina
| | - Wenjing Wu
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource UtilizationGuangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and UtilizationInstitute of ZoologyGuangdong Academy of SciencesGuangzhouChina
| | - Shijun Zhang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource UtilizationGuangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and UtilizationInstitute of ZoologyGuangdong Academy of SciencesGuangzhouChina
| | - Dandan Zhang
- School of EcologySun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangzhouChina
| | - Zhiqiang Li
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource UtilizationGuangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and UtilizationInstitute of ZoologyGuangdong Academy of SciencesGuangzhouChina
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27
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Bulmer MS, Franco BA, Biswas A, Greenbaum SF. Overcoming Immune Deficiency with Allogrooming. INSECTS 2023; 14:insects14020128. [PMID: 36835697 PMCID: PMC9965724 DOI: 10.3390/insects14020128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Allogrooming appears to be essential in many social animals for protection from routine exposure to parasites. In social insects, it appears to be critical for the removal of pathogenic propagules from the cuticle before they can start an infectious cycle. For subterranean termites, this includes fungal spores commonly encountered in the soil, such as Metarhizium conidia, that can quickly germinate and penetrate the cuticle. We investigated whether there is a difference in reliance on social and innate immunity in two closely related subterranean termites for protection from fatal infections by two locally encountered Metarhizium species. Our results indicate that relatively weak innate immunity in one termite species is compensated by more sustained allogrooming. This includes enhanced allogrooming in response to concentrations of conidia that reflect more routine contamination of the cuticle as well as to heavy cuticular contamination that elicits a networked emergency response.
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28
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Tang YL, Kong YH, Qin S, Merchant A, Shi JZ, Zhou XG, Li MW, Wang Q. Transcriptomic dissection of termite gut microbiota following entomopathogenic fungal infection. Front Physiol 2023; 14:1194370. [PMID: 37153226 PMCID: PMC10161392 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1194370] [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: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Termites are social insects that live in the soil or in decaying wood, where exposure to pathogens should be common. However, these pathogens rarely cause mortality in established colonies. In addition to social immunity, the gut symbionts of termites are expected to assist in protecting their hosts, though the specific contributions are unclear. In this study, we examined this hypothesis in Odontotermes formosanus, a fungus-growing termite in the family Termitidae, by 1) disrupting its gut microbiota with the antibiotic kanamycin, 2) challenging O. formosanus with the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium robertsii, and finally 3) sequencing the resultant gut transcriptomes. As a result, 142531 transcripts and 73608 unigenes were obtained, and unigenes were annotated following NR, NT, KO, Swiss-Prot, PFAM, GO, and KOG databases. Among them, a total of 3,814 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between M. robertsii infected termites with or without antibiotics treatment. Given the lack of annotated genes in O. formosanus transcriptomes, we examined the expression profiles of the top 20 most significantly differentially expressed genes using qRT-PCR. Several of these genes, including APOA2, Calpain-5, and Hsp70, were downregulated in termites exposed to both antibiotics and pathogen but upregulated in those exposed only to the pathogen, suggesting that gut microbiota might buffer/facilitate their hosts against infection by finetuning physiological and biochemical processes, including innate immunity, protein folding, and ATP synthesis. Overall, our combined results imply that stabilization of gut microbiota can assist termites in maintaining physiological and biochemical homeostasis when foreign pathogenic fungi invade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya-ling Tang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China
- Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yun-hui Kong
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Sheng Qin
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China
- Key Laboratory of Silkworm and Mulberry Genetic Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Sericultural Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Austin Merchant
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States
| | - Ji-zhe Shi
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States
| | - Xu-guo Zhou
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States
- *Correspondence: Xu-guo Zhou, ; Mu-wang Li, ; Qian Wang,
| | - Mu-wang Li
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China
- Key Laboratory of Silkworm and Mulberry Genetic Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Sericultural Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China
- *Correspondence: Xu-guo Zhou, ; Mu-wang Li, ; Qian Wang,
| | - Qian Wang
- Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Xu-guo Zhou, ; Mu-wang Li, ; Qian Wang,
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29
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Lo LK, R R, Tewes LJ, Milutinović B, Müller C, Kurtz J. Immune Stimulation via Wounding Alters Chemical Profiles of Adult Tribolium castaneum. J Chem Ecol 2023; 49:46-58. [PMID: 36539674 PMCID: PMC9941273 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-022-01395-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Revised: 11/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Group-living individuals experience immense risk of disease transmission and parasite infection. In social and in some non-social insects, disease control with immunomodulation arises not only via individual immune defenses, but also via infochemicals such as contact cues and (defensive) volatiles to mount a group-level immunity. However, little is known about whether activation of the immune system elicits changes in chemical phenotypes, which may mediate these responses. We here asked whether individual immune experience resulting from wounding or injection of heat-killed Bacillus thuringiensis (priming) leads to changes in the chemical profiles of female and male adult red flour beetles, Tribolium castaneum, which are non-social but gregarious. We analyzed insect extracts using GC-FID to study the chemical composition of (1) cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) as candidates for the transfer of immunity-related information between individuals via contact, and (2) stink gland secretions, with analysis of benzoquinones as main active compounds regulating 'external immunity'. Despite a pronounced sexual dimorphism in CHC profiles, wounding stimulation led to similar profile changes in males and females with increases in the proportion of methyl-branched alkanes compared to naïve beetles. While changes in the overall secretion profiles were less pronounced, absolute amounts of benzoquinones were transiently elevated in wounded compared to naïve females. Responses to priming were insignificant in CHCs and secretions. We suggest that changes in different infochemicals after wounding may mediate immune status signaling in the context of both internal and external immune responses in groups of this non-social insect, thus showing parallels to social immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lai Ka Lo
- grid.5949.10000 0001 2172 9288Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, Hüfferstr. 1, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Reshma R
- grid.5949.10000 0001 2172 9288Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, Hüfferstr. 1, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Lisa Johanna Tewes
- grid.7491.b0000 0001 0944 9128Department of Chemical Ecology, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstr. 25, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Barbara Milutinović
- grid.5949.10000 0001 2172 9288Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, Hüfferstr. 1, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Caroline Müller
- grid.7491.b0000 0001 0944 9128Department of Chemical Ecology, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstr. 25, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Joachim Kurtz
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, Hüfferstr. 1, 48149, Münster, Germany.
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30
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Ai S, Zhang Y, Chen Y, Zhang T, Zhong G, Yi X. Insect-Microorganism Interaction Has Implicates on Insect Olfactory Systems. INSECTS 2022; 13:1094. [PMID: 36555004 PMCID: PMC9787996 DOI: 10.3390/insects13121094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Olfaction plays an essential role in various insect behaviors, including habitat selection, access to food, avoidance of predators, inter-species communication, aggregation, and reproduction. The olfactory process involves integrating multiple signals from external conditions and internal physiological states, including living environments, age, physiological conditions, and circadian rhythms. As microorganisms and insects form tight interactions, the behaviors of insects are constantly challenged by versatile microorganisms via olfactory cues. To better understand the microbial influences on insect behaviors via olfactory cues, this paper summarizes three different ways in which microorganisms modulate insect behaviors. Here, we deciphered three interesting aspects of microorganisms-contributed olfaction: (1) How do volatiles emitted by microorganisms affect the behaviors of insects? (2) How do microorganisms reshape the behaviors of insects by inducing changes in the synthesis of host volatiles? (3) How do symbiotic microorganisms act on insects by modulating behaviors?
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Affiliation(s)
- Shupei Ai
- Key Laboratory of Crop Integrated Pest Management in South China, Ministry of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
- Key Laboratory of Natural Pesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Yuhua Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Crop Integrated Pest Management in South China, Ministry of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
- Key Laboratory of Natural Pesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Yaoyao Chen
- Key Laboratory of Crop Integrated Pest Management in South China, Ministry of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
- Key Laboratory of Natural Pesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Tong Zhang
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, College of Plant Protection, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Guohua Zhong
- Key Laboratory of Crop Integrated Pest Management in South China, Ministry of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
- Key Laboratory of Natural Pesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Xin Yi
- Key Laboratory of Crop Integrated Pest Management in South China, Ministry of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
- Key Laboratory of Natural Pesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
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Chen J, Du Y. Fire ants feed their nestmates with their own venom. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 142:104437. [PMID: 35970221 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2022.104437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Revised: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Venom secretion is widely used by ants for disease control and more generally as an external surface disinfectant. Here we report evidence that Solenopsis invicta feed their nestmates with their own venom. Venom alkaloids were found in crops and midguts of ants at concentration levels that have previously been reported as effective against various pathogens. These venom alkaloids were found in midguts of the larvae, indicating that trophallaxis must be involved in the transfer of venom, since larvae do not produce alkaloids and they depend on workers to be fed. After the mating flight, the female alates shed their wings, burrow into the soil, and start new colonies. The new queen provided alkaloids to her first batch of larvae in the new colony. Since the crops of female alates contain venom alkaloids donated from their nestmate workers, the transfer of worker alkaloids to new generation occurred. After minim adult workers emerged, they took the role in providing venom to the larvae in the colony. Minim adult workers eventually died out and the normal workers became the venom donors in the colony. Although other functions may be possible, considering the well-known antimicrobial property of venom alkaloids and their detected concentration levels, venom in the digestive system is most likely used as an internal antibiotic by fire ants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Chen
- USDA-ARS, Biological Control of Pests Research Unit, Stoneville, MS 38776, USA.
| | - Yuzhe Du
- USDA-ARS, Southern Insect Management Research Unit, Stoneville, MS 38776, USA
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Becchimanzi A, Nicoletti R. Aspergillus-bees: A dynamic symbiotic association. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:968963. [PMID: 36160228 PMCID: PMC9489833 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.968963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Besides representing one of the most relevant threats of fungal origin to human and animal health, the genus Aspergillus includes opportunistic pathogens which may infect bees (Hymenoptera, Apoidea) in all developmental stages. At least 30 different species of Aspergillus have been isolated from managed and wild bees. Some efficient behavioral responses (e.g., diseased brood removal) exerted by bees negatively affect the chance to diagnose the pathology, and may contribute to the underestimation of aspergillosis importance in beekeeping. On the other hand, bee immune responses may be affected by biotic and abiotic stresses and suffer from the loose co-evolutionary relationships with Aspergillus pathogenic strains. However, if not pathogenic, these hive mycobiota components can prove to be beneficial to bees, by affecting the interaction with other pathogens and parasites and by detoxifying xenobiotics. The pathogenic aptitude of Aspergillus spp. likely derives from the combined action of toxins and hydrolytic enzymes, whose effects on bees have been largely overlooked until recently. Variation in the production of these virulence factors has been observed among strains, even belonging to the same species. Toxigenic and non-toxigenic strains/species may co-exist in a homeostatic equilibrium which is susceptible to be perturbed by several external factors, leading to mutualistic/antagonistic switch in the relationships between Aspergillus and bees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Becchimanzi
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Portici, Italy
- *Correspondence: Andrea Becchimanzi,
| | - Rosario Nicoletti
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Portici, Italy
- Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Research Centre for Olive, Fruit and Citrus Crops, Caserta, Italy
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Leite MOG, Alves DA, Lecocq A, Malaquias JB, Delalibera I, Jensen AB. Laboratory Risk Assessment of Three Entomopathogenic Fungi Used for Pest Control toward Social Bee Pollinators. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10091800. [PMID: 36144402 PMCID: PMC9501116 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10091800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Revised: 08/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of fungal-based biopesticides to reduce pest damage and protect crop quality is often considered a low-risk control strategy. Nevertheless, risk assessment of mycopesticides is still needed since pests and beneficial insects, such as pollinators, co-exist in the same agroecosystem where mass use of this strategy occurs. In this context, we evaluated the effect of five concentrations of three commercial entomopathogenic fungi, Beauveria bassiana, Metarhizium anisopliae, and Cordyceps fumosorosea, by direct contact and ingestion, on the tropical stingless bees Scaptotrigona depilis and Tetragonisca angustula, temperate bee species, the honey bee Apis mellifera, and the bumble bee Bombus terrestris, at the individual level. Furthermore, we studied the potential of two infection routes, either by direct contact or ingestion. In general, all three fungi caused considerable mortalities in the four bee species, which differed in their response to the different fungal species. Scaptotrigona depilis and B. terrestris were more susceptible to B. bassiana than the other fungi when exposed topically, and B. terrestris and A. mellifera were more susceptible to M. anisopliae when exposed orally. Interestingly, increased positive concentration responses were not observed for all fungal species and application methods. For example, B. terrestris mortalities were similar at the lowest and highest fungal concentrations for both exposure methods. This study demonstrates that under laboratory conditions, the three fungal species can potentially reduce the survival of social bees at the individual level. However, further colony and field studies are needed to elucidate the susceptibility of these fungi towards social bees to fully assess the ecological risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana O. G. Leite
- Department of Entomology and Acarology, “Luiz de Queiroz” College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Avenida Pádua Dias 11, Piracicaba 13418-900, SP, Brazil
- Department of Plant and Environmental Science, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871 Frederiksberg, Denmark
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +55-19-34478883
| | - Denise A. Alves
- Department of Entomology and Acarology, “Luiz de Queiroz” College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Avenida Pádua Dias 11, Piracicaba 13418-900, SP, Brazil
| | - Antoine Lecocq
- Department of Plant and Environmental Science, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871 Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - José Bruno Malaquias
- Department of Biostatistics, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University, Rua Prof. Dr. Antônio Celso Wagner Zanin 250, Botucatu 18618-689, SP, Brazil
| | - Italo Delalibera
- Department of Entomology and Acarology, “Luiz de Queiroz” College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Avenida Pádua Dias 11, Piracicaba 13418-900, SP, Brazil
| | - Annette B. Jensen
- Department of Plant and Environmental Science, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871 Frederiksberg, Denmark
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Rissanen J, Helanterä H, Will T, Freitak D. Lack of Self-Medication by Fungus Infected Lasius platythorax (Formicidae, Formicinae) Ants in a Multitrophic Experiment. ANN ZOOL FENN 2022. [DOI: 10.5735/086.059.0117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jason Rissanen
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, AT-8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Heikki Helanterä
- Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, P.O. Box 3000, FI-90014 University of Oulu, Finland
| | - Torsten Will
- Institute for Resistance Research and Stress Tolerance, Julius Kühn Institute (JKI) — Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Erwin-Baur-Str. 2, DE-06484 Quedlinburg, Germany
| | - Dalial Freitak
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, AT-8010 Graz, Austria
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de La Harpe M, Gütlin A, Chiang C, Dietemann V, Dainat B. Influence of Honey bee Nutritive Jelly Type and Dilution on its Bactericidal Effect on Melissococcus plutonius, the Etiological Agent of European Foulbrood. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2022:10.1007/s00248-022-02082-w. [PMID: 35941249 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-022-02082-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
To defend themselves against pathogenic microorganisms, honey bees resort to social immunity mechanisms, such as the secretion of antibiotic compounds in the jelly they feed to their larvae. Whereas the bactericidal activity of jelly fed to queen larvae is well studied, little is known about the bioactivity of compositionally different jelly fed to worker larvae. However, the numerous worker larvae are likely to drive the spread of the microorganism and influence its virulence and pathogenesis. Diluted jelly or extracts are mostly used for jelly bioactivity tests, which may bias the evaluation of the pathogen's resistance and virulence. Here, we compared the bactericidal effect of pure and diluted jellies destined for queen and worker larvae on Melissococcus plutonius, the etiological agent of the European foulbrood (EFB) disease of honey bees, and on a secondary invader bacteria, Enterococcus faecalis. We tested three strains of M. plutonius with varying virulence to investigate the association between resistance to antibacterial compounds and virulence. The resistance of the bacteria varied but was not strictly correlated with their virulence and was lower in pure than in diluted jelly. Resistance differed according to whether the jelly was destined for queen or worker larvae, with some strains being more resistant to queen jelly and others to worker jelly. Our results provide a biologically realistic assessment of host defenses via nutritive jelly and contribute to a better understanding of the ecology of M. plutonius and of secondary invaders bacteria in the honey bee colony environment, thus shedding light on the selective forces affecting their virulence and on their role in EFB pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marylaure de La Harpe
- Swiss Bee Research Center, Agroscope, Bern Liebefeld, Switzerland
- Present address: Department of Geography, Remote Sensing Laboratories, Spatial Genetics Group, University of Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ayaka Gütlin
- Swiss Bee Research Center, Agroscope, Bern Liebefeld, Switzerland
| | | | - Vincent Dietemann
- Swiss Bee Research Center, Agroscope, Bern Liebefeld, Switzerland
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore, UNIL-Sorge, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Benjamin Dainat
- Swiss Bee Research Center, Agroscope, Bern Liebefeld, Switzerland.
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Rosengaus R, Traniello J, Bakker T. Sociality and disease: behavioral perspectives in ecological and evolutionary immunology. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2022; 76:98. [PMID: 35821673 PMCID: PMC9263030 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-022-03203-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rebeca Rosengaus
- Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115-5000 USA
| | - James Traniello
- Department of Biology, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215 USA
| | - Theo Bakker
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121 Bonn, Germany
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Li H, Greening C. Termite-engineered microbial communities of termite nest structures: a new dimension to the extended phenotype. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2022; 46:6631553. [PMID: 35790132 PMCID: PMC9779920 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuac034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Termites are a prototypical example of the 'extended phenotype' given their ability to shape their environments by constructing complex nesting structures and cultivating fungus gardens. Such engineered structures provide termites with stable, protected habitats, and nutritious food sources, respectively. Recent studies have suggested that these termite-engineered structures harbour Actinobacteria-dominated microbial communities. In this review, we describe the composition, activities, and consequences of microbial communities associated with termite mounds, other nests, and fungus gardens. Culture-dependent and culture-independent studies indicate that these structures each harbour specialized microbial communities distinct from those in termite guts and surrounding soils. Termites select microbial communities in these structures through various means: opportunistic recruitment from surrounding soils; controlling physicochemical properties of nesting structures; excreting hydrogen, methane, and other gases as bacterial energy sources; and pretreating lignocellulose to facilitate fungal cultivation in gardens. These engineered communities potentially benefit termites by producing antimicrobial compounds, facilitating lignocellulose digestion, and enhancing energetic efficiency of the termite 'metaorganism'. Moreover, mound-associated communities have been shown to be globally significant in controlling emissions of methane and enhancing agricultural fertility. Altogether, these considerations suggest that the microbiomes selected by some animals extend much beyond their bodies, providing a new dimension to the 'extended phenotype'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongjie Li
- Corresponding author. State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Key Laboratory of Biotechnology in Plant Protection of Ministry of Agriculture and Zhejiang Province, Institute of Plant Virology, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211. China. E-mail:
| | - Chris Greening
- Corresponding author. Department of Microbiology, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia. E-mail:
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Zeng W, Shen D, Chen Y, Zhang S, Wu W, Li Z. A High Soldier Proportion Encouraged the Greater Antifungal Immunity in a Subterranean Termite. Front Physiol 2022; 13:906235. [PMID: 35733990 PMCID: PMC9207448 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.906235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Termites possess a mighty social immune system, serving as one of the key obstacles to controlling them biologically. However, the dynamic mechanism coordinating the social immunologic defense and caste distribution of the termites remains elusive. This study used the Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki and an entomopathogenic fungus as a host–pathogen system and experimentally manipulated a series of groups with different caste compositions of workers and soldiers. Then, the impact of demography on the behavior and innate immunity of termites was explored by analyzing the fungus susceptibility of the respective caste, efficiencies, and caste preferences of sanitary care, as well as the expression of the immune genes and phenoloxidase activity. Overall, to ensure the general health and survival of a group, the infected workers were found to sacrifice their survivorship for maintaining the soldier proportion of the group. If soldier proportion was limited within a threshold, both the survivorship of the workers and soldiers were not significantly affected by the infection. Correspondingly, the infected group with a higher proportion of soldiers stimulated the higher efficiency of a non-caste-biased sanitary care of the workers to the nestmate workers and soldiers. Moreover, the innate immunities of the infected workers were found to be more intensely upregulated in the group with higher soldier proportions. This suggested that the adjustable non-caste-biased sanitary care and innate immunity of the workers would contribute to the flexibility of the worker–soldier caste ratio in C. formosanus. This study, therefore, enhanced our understanding of the functional adaptation mechanism between pathogen-driven social immunity and the demography of the termites.
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Moran MN, Aguero CM, Eyer PA, Vargo EL. Rescue Strategy in a Termite: Workers Exposed to a Fungal Pathogen Are Reintegrated Into the Colony. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.840223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Social insect colonies are characterized by an efficient division of labor, allowing high-value individuals (i.e., reproductives and brood) to be sheltered from tasks associated with increased risk of pathogen exposure, such as foraging or corpse disposal. This social organization helps limit the transmission of disease throughout the colony. Further, individuals can actively respond to imminent disease threats by altering their behaviors as a means of social immunity. In subterranean termites, although workers typically avoid detected pathogens, they can be attracted to pathogen cues when a nestmate is infected. Infected termites are usually groomed, but they may instead be cannibalized if the infection has already become lethal. The mechanisms governing these changes in behavior are unclear. We set out to examine immediate changes in individual behaviors, investigating the role that the infected individual plays in communicating its infection status to nestmates. We also assessed gradual changes in social organization after the re-introduction of an infected termite to the colony. Our results reveal that infected termites likely do not signal their infection status to nestmates through shaking behaviors and reduced movements, suggesting the occurrence of other mechanisms used in communicating infection. We also found that infected termites do not self-isolate and may travel to the densest part of the colony, where they can potentially benefit from grooming by large groups of nestmates. These results provide new insights into how individual changes in immune behaviors contribute to overall colony health, highlighting that, at early stages of infection, termites favor a rescuing strategy rather than isolation and/or cannibalization.
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Lutermann H. Socializing in an Infectious World: The Role of Parasites in Social Evolution of a Unique Rodent Family. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.879031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Transmission of parasites between hosts is facilitated by close contact of hosts. Consequently, parasites have been proposed as an important constraint to the evolution of sociality accounting for its rarity. Despite the presumed costs associated with parasitism, the majority of species of African mole-rats (Family: Bathyergidae) are social. In fact, only the extremes of sociality (i.e., solitary and singular breeding) are represented in this subterranean rodent family. But how did bathyergids overcome the costs of parasitism? Parasite burden is a function of the exposure and susceptibility of a host to parasites. In this review I explore how living in sealed burrow systems and the group defenses that can be employed by closely related group members can effectively reduce the exposure and susceptibility of social bathyergids to parasites. Evidence suggests that this can be achieved largely by investment in relatively cheap and flexible behavioral rather than physiological defense mechanisms. This also shifts the selection pressure for parasites on successful transmission between group members rather than transmission between groups. In turn, this constrains the evolution of virulence and favors socially transmitted parasites (e.g., mites and lice) further reducing the costs of parasitism for social Bathyergidae. I conclude by highlighting directions for future research to evaluate the mechanisms proposed and to consider parasites as facilitators of social evolution not only in this rodent family but also other singular breeders.
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Detrain C, Leclerc JB. Spatial distancing by fungus-exposed Myrmica ants is prompted by sickness rather than contagiousness. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 139:104384. [PMID: 35318040 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2022.104384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Revised: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The ecological success of ants relies on their high level of sociality and cooperation between genetically related nestmates. However, these group-living insects suffer from elevated risks of disease outbreak in the whole nest. To face this sanitary challenge, social and spatial distancing of pathogen-exposed individuals from susceptible nestmates appear to be simple, although efficient, ways to limit the propagation of contact-transmitted pathogens. Here we question whether spatial distancing in Myrmica rubra ants is an active response of diseased individuals that correlates with their level of infectiousness. We contaminated foragers with spores of Metarhizium brunneum entomopathogenic fungus. We daily tracked the location of these pathogen-exposed individuals and we analyzed their movement patterns until their death on the 5th day post-contamination. Quite unexpectedly, we found that contagious individuals, whose body was covered with infectious spores, did not reduce their mobility nor stayed far away from larvae in order to limit pathogen transmission to healthy nestmates. Spatial distancing occurred later when diseased individuals were no longer contagious because spores had penetrated their body. These sick ants mainly stayed outside the nest, were less mobile and showed a shift from a superdiffusive to subdiffusive walking pattern. Furthermore, these diseased ants did not actively head towards directions that were opposite to the nest entrance. This study found no evidence for early spatial distancing by contaminated M.rubra workers that would fit to the actual risk of colony-wide contagion. Coupled to a lower mobility and area-reduced walking patterns, the late distancing of moribund individuals appears to be a symptom of sickness resulting from fungus-induced physical and physiological dysfunctions. Besides questioning the truly altruistic nature of death in isolation in this system (and potentially others), we discuss about the ecological and physiological constraints that explain the absence of early distancing when some ant species are exposed to pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Detrain
- Unit of Social Ecology CP 231, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 50 Avenue F Roosevelt, 1050 Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Jean-Baptiste Leclerc
- Unit of Social Ecology CP 231, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 50 Avenue F Roosevelt, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
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Rissanen J, Helanterä H, Freitak D. Pathogen Prevalence Modulates Medication Behavior in Ant Formica fusca. FRONTIERS IN INSECT SCIENCE 2022; 2:870971. [PMID: 38468809 PMCID: PMC10926551 DOI: 10.3389/finsc.2022.870971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
Ants face unique challenges regarding pathogens, as the sociality which has allowed them to form large and complex colonies also raises the potential for transmission of disease within them. To cope with the threat of pathogens, ants have developed a variety of behavioral and physiological strategies. One of these strategies is self-medication, in which animals use biologically active compounds to combat pathogens in a way which would be harmful in the absence of infection. Formica fusca are the only ants that have previously been shown to successfully self-medicate against an active infection caused by a fungal pathogen by supplementing their diet with food containing hydrogen peroxide. Here, we build on that research by investigating how the prevalence of disease in colonies of F. fusca affects the strength of the self-medication response. We exposed either half of the workers of each colony or all of them to a fungal pathogen and offered them different combinations of diets. We see that workers of F. fusca engage in self-medication behavior even if exposed to a low lethal dose of a pathogen, and that the strength of that response is affected by the prevalence of the disease in the colonies. We also saw that the infection status of the individual foragers did not significantly affect their decision to forage on either control food or medicinal food as uninfected workers were also foraging on hydrogen peroxide food, which opens up the possibility of kin medication in partially infected colonies. Our results further affirm the ability of ants to self-medicate against fungal pathogens, shed new light on plasticity of self-medication and raise new questions to be investigated on the role self-medication has in social immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason Rissanen
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
- Tvärminne Zoological Station, University of Helsinki, Hanko, Finland
| | - Heikki Helanterä
- Tvärminne Zoological Station, University of Helsinki, Hanko, Finland
- Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Dalial Freitak
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
- Tvärminne Zoological Station, University of Helsinki, Hanko, Finland
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Eyer PA, Vargo EL. Short and long-term costs of inbreeding in the lifelong-partnership in a termite. Commun Biol 2022; 5:389. [PMID: 35469055 PMCID: PMC9038770 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03317-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Social life and lifelong partner commitments are expected to favor thorough partner choice, as an ill-suited partnership may have long-term consequences, adversely affecting the parents and spanning several cohorts of offspring. Here, we used ~1400 termite incipient colonies to estimate the short- and long-term costs of inbreeding upon the survival of the parents over a 15-month period, their productivity, and the resistance of their offspring toward pathogen pressure. We observed that foundation success was not influenced by the relatedness of partners, but by their levels of microbial load. We showed faster growth in inbred colonies with low levels of microbial load, revealing a potential tradeoff between pathogen defense and offspring production. Yet, inbreeding takes its toll later in colony development when offspring from incipient colonies face pathogen pressure. Although the success of a lifetime partnership is initially determined by the partner’s health, the cost of inbreeding in incipient colonies favors outbred colonies reaching maturity. Studies of termite colonies over 15 months show that inbred colonies exhibit faster initial growth with low levels of microbial load, but higher mortality toward pathogens later in colony development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre-André Eyer
- Department of Entomology, 2143 TAMU, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843-2143, USA.
| | - Edward L Vargo
- Department of Entomology, 2143 TAMU, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843-2143, USA
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Khan Z, Khan MS, Bawazeer S, Bawazeer N, Suleman, Irfan M, Rauf A, Su XH, Xing LX. A comprehensive review on the documented characteristics of four Reticulitermes termites (Rhinotermitidae, Blattodea) of China. BRAZ J BIOL 2022; 84:e256354. [PMID: 35319619 DOI: 10.1590/1519-6984.256354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Termites are known as social insects worldwide. Presently in China 473 species, 44 genera and 4 families of termites have been reported. Of them, 111 Reticulitermes species are widely spread in different zones of China. The dispersion flight season of these Chinese Reticulitermes species are usually started from February to June, but in some regions different species are distributed, sharing their boundaries and having overlapping flight seasons. These reasons become important sources of hybridization between two different heterospecific populations of termites. It was confirmed that the fertilized eggs and unfertilized eggs of some Reticulitermes termites have the capacity of cleavage. While the unfertilized eggs of R. aculabialis, R. chinensis and R. labralis cleaved normally and the only R. aculabialis unfertilized eggs develop in embryos. While, the R. flaviceps and R. chinensis were observed with their abnormal embryonic development, and not hatching of eggs parthenogenetically. They were reported more threatening to Chinese resources as they propagate with parthenogenesis, hybridization and sexual reproduction. Eggshell and macrophiles of eggs play important roles in species identification and control. Although, they are severe pests and cause a wide range of damages to wooden structures and products in homes, buildings, building materials, trees, crops, and forests in China's Mainland.
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Affiliation(s)
- Z Khan
- Northwest University, College of Life Sciences, Xi'an, China.,University of Swabi, Zoology Department, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - M S Khan
- University of Swabi, Zoology Department, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - S Bawazeer
- Umm Al-Qura University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacognosy, Makkah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - N Bawazeer
- Minister of Interior General Directorate of Prison's Health, Pharmacy Department, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Suleman
- University of Swabi, Zoology Department, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - M Irfan
- Abdul Wali Khan University, Department of Botany, Mardan, Pakistan.,University of Swabi, Department of Botany, Swabi, Pakistan.,Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO, U.S.A
| | - A Rauf
- University of Swabi, Department of Chemistry, Anbar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - X-H Su
- Northwest University, College of Life Sciences, Xi'an, China.,Northwest University, Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, Xi'an, China.,Northwest University, Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology, Xi'an, China
| | - L-X Xing
- Northwest University, College of Life Sciences, Xi'an, China.,Northwest University, Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, Xi'an, China.,Northwest University, Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology, Xi'an, China
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Intersection between parental investment, transgenerational immunity, and termite sociality in the face of disease: a theoretical approach. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-022-03128-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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Kessler SE, Aunger R. The evolution of the human healthcare system and implications for understanding our responses to COVID-19. Evol Med Public Health 2022; 10:87-107. [PMID: 35284079 PMCID: PMC8908543 DOI: 10.1093/emph/eoac004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed an urgent need for a comprehensive, multidisciplinary understanding of how healthcare systems respond successfully to infectious pathogens-and how they fail. This study contributes a novel perspective that focuses on the selective pressures that shape healthcare systems over evolutionary time. We use a comparative approach to trace the evolution of care-giving and disease control behaviours across species and then map their integration into the contemporary human healthcare system. Self-care and pro-health environmental modification are ubiquitous across animals, while derived behaviours like care for kin, for strangers, and group-level organizational responses have evolved via different selection pressures. We then apply this framework to our behavioural responses to COVID-19 and demonstrate that three types of conflicts are occurring: (1) conflicting selection pressures on individuals, (2) evolutionary mismatches between the context in which our healthcare behaviours evolved and our globalized world of today and (3) evolutionary displacements in which older forms of care are currently dispensed through more derived forms. We discuss the significance of understanding how healthcare systems evolve and change for thinking about the role of healthcare systems in society during and after the time of COVID-19-and for us as a species as we continue to face selection from infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon E Kessler
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK
| | - Robert Aunger
- Environmental Health Group, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
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Abbot P. Defense in Social Insects: Diversity, Division of Labor, and Evolution. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ENTOMOLOGY 2022; 67:407-436. [PMID: 34995089 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ento-082521-072638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
All social insects defend their colony from predators, parasites, and pathogens. In Oster and Wilson's classic work, they posed one of the key paradoxes about defense in social insects: Given the universal necessity of defense, why then is there so much diversity in mechanisms? Ecological factors undoubtedly are important: Predation and usurpation have imposed strong selection on eusocial insects, and active defense by colonies is a ubiquitous feature of all social insects. The description of diverse insect groups with castes of sterile workers whose main duty is defense has broadened the purview of social evolution in insects, in particular with respect to caste and behavior. Defense is one of the central axes along which we can begin to organize and understand sociality in insects. With the establishment of social insect models such as the honey bee, new discoveries are emerging regarding the endocrine, neural, and gene regulatory mechanisms underlying defense in social insects. The mechanisms underlying morphological and behavioral defense traits may be shared across diverse groups, providing opportunities for identifying both conserved and novel mechanisms at work. Emerging themes highlight the context dependency of and interaction between factors that regulate defense in social insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Abbot
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA;
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Nicoletti R, Becchimanzi A. Ecological and Molecular Interactions between Insects and Fungi. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10010096. [PMID: 35056545 PMCID: PMC8779020 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10010096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Revised: 12/24/2021] [Accepted: 01/01/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Insects and fungi represent two of the most widespread groupings of organisms in nature, occurring in every kind of ecological context and impacting agriculture and other human activities in various ways. Moreover, they can be observed to reciprocally interact, establishing a wide range of symbiotic relationships, from mutualism to antagonism. The outcome of these relationships can in turn affect the extent at which species of both organisms can exert their noxious effects, as well as the management practices which are to be adopted to counter them. In conjunction with the launch of a Special Issue of Microorganisms with the same title, this article offers a general overview of the manifold aspects related to such interactions from the perspective of implementing our capacity to regulate them in a direction more favorable for the environment, crop production and human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosario Nicoletti
- Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Research Centre for Olive, Fruit and Citrus Crops, 81100 Caserta, Italy
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80055 Portici, Italy;
- Correspondence:
| | - Andrea Becchimanzi
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80055 Portici, Italy;
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Almeida FCR, Magalhães DM, Favaris AP, Rodríguez J, Azevedo KEX, Bento JMS, Alves DA. Side effects of a fungus-based biopesticide on stingless bee guarding behaviour. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 287:132147. [PMID: 34492415 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.132147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2021] [Revised: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Pathogenic fungi have been used worldwide to control crop pests and are assumed to pose negligible threats to the survival of pollinators. Although eusocial stingless bees provide essential pollination services and might be exposed to these biopesticides in tropical agroecosystems, there is a substantial knowledge gap regarding the side effects of fungal pathogens on behavioural traits that are crucial for colony functioning, such as guarding behaviour. Here, we evaluated the effect of Beauveria bassiana on the sophisticated kin recognition system of Tetragonisca angustula, a bee with morphologically specialized entrance guards. By combining behavioural assays and chemical analyses, we show that guards detect pathogen-exposed nestmates, preventing them from accessing nests. Furthermore, cuticular profiles of pathogen-exposed foragers contained significantly lower amounts of linear alkanes than the unexposed ones. Such chemical cues associated with fungal conidia may potentially trigger aggression towards pathogen-exposed bees, preventing pathogen spread into and among colonies. This is the first demonstration that this highly abundant native bee seems to respond in a much more adaptive way to a potentially infectious threat, outweighing the costs of losing foraging workforce when reducing the chances of fungal pathogen outbreaks within their colonies, than honeybees do.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felipe Chagas Rocha Almeida
- Laboratory of Chemical Ecology and Insect Behaviour, Department of Entomology and Acarology, Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, Brazil
| | - Diego Martins Magalhães
- Laboratory of Chemical Ecology and Insect Behaviour, Department of Entomology and Acarology, Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, Brazil
| | - Arodí Prado Favaris
- Laboratory of Chemical Ecology and Insect Behaviour, Department of Entomology and Acarology, Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, Brazil
| | - Jonathan Rodríguez
- Laboratory of Pathology and Microbial Control, Department of Entomology and Acarology, Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, Brazil
| | - Kamila Emmanuella Xavier Azevedo
- Laboratory of Chemical Ecology and Insect Behaviour, Department of Entomology and Acarology, Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, Brazil
| | - José Maurício Simões Bento
- Laboratory of Chemical Ecology and Insect Behaviour, Department of Entomology and Acarology, Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, Brazil
| | - Denise Araujo Alves
- Laboratory of Chemical Ecology and Insect Behaviour, Department of Entomology and Acarology, Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, Brazil.
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Snow JW. Nosema apis and N. ceranae Infection in Honey bees: A Model for Host-Pathogen Interactions in Insects. EXPERIENTIA SUPPLEMENTUM (2012) 2022; 114:153-177. [PMID: 35544003 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-93306-7_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
There has been increased focus on the role of microbial attack as a potential cause of recent declines in the health of the western honey bee, Apis mellifera. The Nosema species, N. apis and N. ceranae, are microsporidian parasites that are pathogenic to honey bees, and infection by these species has been implicated as a key factor in honey bee losses. Honey bees infected with both Nosema spp. display significant changes in their biology at the cellular, tissue, and organismal levels impacting host metabolism, immune function, physiology, and behavior. Infected individuals lead to colony dysfunction and can contribute to colony disease in some circumstances. The means through which parasite growth and tissue pathology in the midgut lead to the dramatic physiological and behavioral changes at the organismal level are only partially understood. In addition, we possess only a limited appreciation of the elements of the host environment that impact pathogen growth and development. Critical for answering these questions is a mechanistic understanding of the host and pathogen machinery responsible for host-pathogen interactions. A number of approaches are already being used to elucidate these mechanisms, and promising new tools may allow for gain- and loss-of-function experiments to accelerate future progress.
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