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Kang DS, Kim Y, Stanley D. What is in a model? ARCHIVES OF INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 112:e21972. [PMID: 36164283 DOI: 10.1002/arch.21972] [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: 08/03/2022] [Revised: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
After reading contradictory claims of model status for some insect species, we feel a brief discussion of the topic may be useful. Here, we document a few examples where clarity on model status seems to be lacking, briefly review work on widely recognized models, and offer criteria for including any given species as a model organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- David S Kang
- USDA/Agricultural Research Service, Biological Control of Insects Research Laboratory, Columbia, Missouri, USA
| | - Yonggyun Kim
- Department of Plant Medicals, College of Life Sciences, Andong National University, Andong, South Korea
| | - David Stanley
- USDA/Agricultural Research Service, Biological Control of Insects Research Laboratory, Columbia, Missouri, USA
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Berasategui A, Moller AG, Weiss B, Beck CW, Bauchiero C, Read TD, Gerardo NM, Salem H. Symbiont Genomic Features and Localization in the Bean Beetle Callosobruchus maculatus. Appl Environ Microbiol 2021; 87:e0021221. [PMID: 33863703 PMCID: PMC8174668 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00212-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
A pervasive pest of stored leguminous products, the bean beetle Callosobruchus maculatus (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) associates with a simple bacterial community during adulthood. Despite its economic importance, little is known about the compositional stability, heritability, localization, and metabolic potential of the bacterial symbionts of C. maculatus. In this study, we applied community profiling using 16S rRNA gene sequencing to reveal a highly conserved bacterial assembly shared between larvae and adults. Dominated by Firmicutes and Proteobacteria, this community is localized extracellularly along the epithelial lining of the bean beetle's digestive tract. Our analysis revealed that only one species, Staphylococcus gallinarum (phylum Firmicutes), is shared across all developmental stages. Isolation and whole-genome sequencing of S. gallinarum from the beetle gut yielded a circular chromosome (2.8 Mb) and one plasmid (45 kb). The strain encodes complete biosynthetic pathways for the production of B vitamins and amino acids, including tyrosine, which is increasingly recognized as an important symbiont-supplemented precursor for cuticle biosynthesis in beetles. A carbohydrate-active enzyme search revealed that the genome codes for a number of digestive enzymes, reflecting the nutritional ecology of C. maculatus. The ontogenic conservation of the gut microbiota in the bean beetle, featuring a "core" community composed of S. gallinarum, may be indicative of an adaptive role for the host. In clarifying symbiont localization and metabolic potential, we further our understanding and study of a costly pest of stored products. IMPORTANCE From supplementing essential nutrients to detoxifying plant secondary metabolites and insecticides, bacterial symbionts are a key source of adaptations for herbivorous insect pests. Despite the pervasiveness and geographical range of the bean beetle Callosobruchus maculatus, the role of microbial symbioses in its natural history remains understudied. Here, we demonstrate that the bean beetle harbors a simple gut bacterial community that is stable throughout development. This community localizes along the insect's digestive tract and is largely dominated by Staphylococcus gallinarum. In elucidating symbiont metabolic potential, we highlight its possible adaptive significance for a widespread agricultural pest.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Abraham G. Moller
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Benjamin Weiss
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | | | | | - Timothy D. Read
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | | | - Hassan Salem
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Mutualisms Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Tübingen, Germany
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