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Guo W, Song Y, Chen H, Li X. Dietary potential of the symbiotic fungus Penicillium herquei for the larvae of a nonsocial fungus-cultivating weevil Euops chinensis. Appl Environ Microbiol 2024; 90:e0153723. [PMID: 38445862 PMCID: PMC11022562 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01537-23] [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] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Many insect taxa cultivate fungi for food. Compared to well-known fungus cultivation in social insects, our knowledge on fungus cultivation in nonsocial insects is still limited. Here, we studied the nutritional potentials of the fungal cultivar, Penicillium herquei, for the larvae of its nonsocial insect farmer, Euops chinensis, a specialist on Japanese knotweed Reynoutria japonica. Overall, fungal hyphae and leaf rolls contained significantly higher carbon (C), stable isotopes of C (δ13C), and nitrogen (δ15N) but significantly lower C/N ratios compared to unrolled leaves, whereas insect bodies contained significantly higher N contents but lower C and C/N ratios compared to other types of samples. The MixSIAR model indicated that fungal hyphae contributed a larger proportion (0.626-0.797) to the diet of E. chinensis larvae than leaf materials. The levels of ergosterol, six essential amino acids, seven nonessential amino acids, and three B vitamins tested in fungal hyphae and/or leaf rolls were significantly higher than in unrolled leaves and/or larvae. The P. herquei genome contains the complete set of genes required for the biosynthesis of ergosterol, the essential amino acids valine and threonine, nine nonessential amino acids, and vitamins B2 and B3, whereas some genes associated with five essential and one nonessential amino acid were lost in the P. herquei genome. These suggest that P. herquei is capable of providing the E. chinensis larvae food with ergosterol, amino acids, and B vitamins. P. herquei appears to be able to synthesize or concentrate these nutrients considering that they were specifically concentrated in fungal hyphae. IMPORTANCE The cultivation of fungi for food has occurred across divergent insect lineages such as social ants, termites, and ambrosia beetles, as well as some seldom-reported solitary insects. Although the fungal cultivars of these insects have been studied for decades, the dietary potential of fungal cultivars for their hosts (especially for those nonsocial insects) is largely unknown. Our research on the mutualistic system Euops chinensis-Penicillium herquei represents an example of the diverse nutritional potentials of the fungal cultivar P. herquei in the diet of the larvae of its solitary host, E. chinensis. These results demonstrate that P. herquei has the potential to synthesize or concentrate ergosterol, amino acids, and B vitamins and benefits the larvae of E. chinensis. Our findings would shed light on poorly understood fungal cultivation mutualisms in nonsocial insects and underscore the nutritional importance of fungal cultivars in fungal cultivation mutualisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenfeng Guo
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Conservation, College of Forestry, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
- Guangxi Crop Genetic Improvement and Biotechnology Lab, Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Yu Song
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Conservation, College of Forestry, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Hu Chen
- Wuhan Benagen Technology Co., Ltd, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Xiaoqiong Li
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Conservation, College of Forestry, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
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2
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Baños-Quintana AP, Gershenzon J, Kaltenpoth M. The Eurasian spruce bark beetle Ips typographus shapes the microbial communities of its offspring and the gallery environment. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1367127. [PMID: 38435688 PMCID: PMC10904642 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1367127] [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: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
The Eurasian spruce bark beetle (Ips typographus) is currently the most economically relevant pest of Norway spruce (Picea abies). Ips typographus associates with filamentous fungi that may help it overcome the tree's chemical defenses. However, the involvement of other microbial partners in this pest's ecological success is unclear. To understand the dynamics of the bark beetle-associated microbiota, we characterized the bacterial and fungal communities of wild-collected and lab-reared beetles throughout their development by culture-dependent approaches, meta-barcoding, and quantitative PCR. Gammaproteobacteria dominated the bacterial communities, while the fungal communities were mainly composed of yeasts of the Saccharomycetales order. A stable core of microbes is shared by all life stages, and is distinct from those associated with the surrounding bark, indicating that Ips typographus influences the microbial communities of its environment and offspring. These findings coupled with our observations of maternal behavior, suggest that Ips typographus transfers part of its microbiota to eggs via deposition of an egg plug treated with maternal secretions, and by inducing an increase in abundance of a subset of taxa from the adjacent bark.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Patricia Baños-Quintana
- Department of Insect Symbiosis, Max-Planck-Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
- Department of Biochemistry, Max-Planck-Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - Jonathan Gershenzon
- Department of Biochemistry, Max-Planck-Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - Martin Kaltenpoth
- Department of Insect Symbiosis, Max-Planck-Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
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3
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Yoshihashi Y, Degawa Y. Novel Metschnikowia yeasts from the gut of green lacewing in Japan. Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek 2023; 116:1295-1304. [PMID: 37755530 PMCID: PMC10645609 DOI: 10.1007/s10482-023-01887-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023]
Abstract
Family Chrysopidae is known to harbor specific gut yeasts. However, no studies have been conducted outside of a limited number of these green lacewing species, and the diversity of yeasts in the family as a whole is not known. Therefore, we collected 58 Chrysopidae adults (9 species, 6 genera, 2 subfamilies) in Japan and isolated yeasts from all individuals. The results showed for the first time that not only subfamily Chrysopinae but also subfamily Apochrysinae have gut yeasts. We obtained 58 yeast isolates (one from each host individual), all of which were of the genus Metschnikowia. 28S rDNA- and ITS-based phylogenetic analysis showed that the isolates were divided into three clades, designated clade I, II, and III. Clade I contains two previously described Chrysopidae gut yeasts (M. picachoensis and M. pimensis) as well as a one of our new species named M. shishimaru. Clade II is a new clade, with at least two new species named M. kenjo and M. seizan. Clade III contains the previously described species M. noctiluminum, a Chrysopidae gut yeast, and one of our isolate (We have not described it as new species). However, the phylogenetic relationship between our isolate and M. noctiluminum was unclear. These results indicate that the Japanese Chrysopidae gut yeasts consist mainly of three undescribed species and that they are more unique than those found in previous surveys. The results of this study indicate that Chrysopidae gut yeasts are more diverse than previously thought and should be investigated in various geographical regions in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuma Yoshihashi
- Sugadaira Research Station, Mountain Science Center, University of Tsukuba, 1278-294 Sugadaira-Kogen, Ueda, Nagano, 386-2204, Japan
| | - Yousuke Degawa
- Sugadaira Research Station, Mountain Science Center, University of Tsukuba, 1278-294 Sugadaira-Kogen, Ueda, Nagano, 386-2204, Japan.
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4
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Presence of non-symbiotic yeasts in a symbiont-transferring organ of a stag beetle that lacks yeast symbionts found in other stag beetles. Sci Rep 2023; 13:3726. [PMID: 36918653 PMCID: PMC10014939 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-30607-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Dispersal from wood to wood is essential for wood-inhabiting fungi and wood-inhabiting insects play an important role in the dispersal success of such fungi. However, it is poorly understood whether wood-inhabiting insects which change the habitats from wood to non-wood environments can contribute to the fungal dispersal. Larvae of most stag beetles (Coleoptera: Lucanidae) are wood feeders, while adults are sap feeders. Female adults of lulcanids possess specialized organs (mycetangia) for transportation of fungal symbionts and harbor specific yeasts (e.g., Scheffersomyces spp.) within. Here, we report that the lucanid Aegus subnitidus harbors non-specific yeasts facultatively in mycetangia. We conducted yeast isolation from mycetangia and hindguts of female adults, in a larval gallery in wood-associated materials, and in female-visiting fermented tree sap using culture-dependent methods. Less than half of the females carried a total of 20 yeast species with small amounts using mycetangia and a female harbored up to five species, suggesting the absence of an intimate association with specific yeasts that are found in other lucanids. Yeast species compositions markedly differed between the larval gallery and sap. Most yeasts from the larval galley exhibited xylose-assimilation abilities, while few yeasts from sap did. Mycetangial yeasts comprised a combination from both sources. In hindguts, most yeasts were found in sap (> 70%) with no yeasts in the larval gallery. Sap-associated yeasts in each female mycetangium were also obtained from the female-visiting sap patch, while mycetangial, larval gallery-associated yeasts were absent from the patch, suggesting the survival success of larval gallery-associated yeasts in mycetangia through sap patches. Therefore, wood-inhabiting insects that possess mycetangia can potentially act as vectors of non-symbiotic wood-inhabiting yeasts dispersing from wood to wood via other environments.
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5
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Kishigami M, Matsuoka F, Maeno A, Yamagishi S, Abe H, Toki W. Yeast associated with flower longicorn beetle Leptura ochraceofasciata (Cerambycidae: Lepturinae), with implication for its function in symbiosis. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0282351. [PMID: 36947508 PMCID: PMC10032543 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0282351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Wood is difficult for most animals to digest due to large amounts of indigestible polymers, but some wood-feeding insects are considered to be able to utilize it as food with the aid of microbial symbionts. Most members of flower longicorn beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Lepturinae) feed on nectar and pollen of flowers as adults and wood as larvae. In some lepturines, associations with yeasts are known: female adults possess fungus-storing organs (termed mycetangia) at ovipositors, and larvae also possess such organs (termed mycetomes) in their midguts to carry the associated yeasts. Despite the high diversity of Lepturinae in the world, lepturine-yeast associations, such as the consistency of associated yeasts among the beetle's developmental stages and ecological function of yeast symbionts, have been poorly documented. Here, we investigated the yeast symbiont of the Japanese common lepturine Leptura ochraceofasciata. X-ray computed microtomography revealed that a pair of tube-like, S-shaped mycetangia was located at the basal part of the ovipositor and that a muscle bundle joined the apex of the mycetangium to spiculum ventrale of sternum VIII. All female adults harbored only one yeast species, Scheffersomyces insectosa, in the mycetangia. All larvae harbored S. insectosa exclusively in the mycetomes. Scheffersomyces insectosa was also recovered from surfaces of eggs. Scheffersomyces insectosa assimilated wood-associated sugars including xylose, cellobiose, and xylan in culture. These results suggest the intimate association between L. ochraceofasciata and S. insectosa: S. insectosa is transmitted from the mother to offspring during oviposition and may be related to larval growth in wood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mako Kishigami
- Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
| | - Fumiaki Matsuoka
- Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
| | - Akiteru Maeno
- National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Shizuoka, Japan
| | | | - Hisashi Abe
- Forestry and Forest Research Institute, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Wataru Toki
- Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
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Guo W, Wang W, Tang J, Li T, Li X. Genome analysis and genomic comparison of a fungal cultivar of the nonsocial weevil Euops chinensis reveals its plant decomposition and protective roles in fungus-farming mutualism. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1048910. [PMID: 36876094 PMCID: PMC9978505 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1048910] [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: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Fungus-farming mutualisms are models for studying co-evolutionary among species. Compared to well-documented fungus-farming in social insects, the molecular aspects of fungus-farming mutualisms in nonsocial insects have been poorly explored. Euops chinensis is a solitary leaf-rolling weevil feeding on Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica). This pest has evolved a special proto-farming bipartite mutualism with the fungus Penicillium herquei, which provide nutrition and defensive protection for the E. chinensis larvae. Here, the genome of P. herquei was sequenced, and the structure and specific gene categories in the P. herquei genome were then comprehensively compared with the other two well-studied Penicillium species (P. decumbens and P. chrysogenum). The assembled P. herquei genome had a 40.25 Mb genome size with 46.7% GC content. A diverse set of genes associating with carbohydrate-active enzymes, cellulose and hemicellulose degradation, transporter, and terpenoid biosynthesis were detected in the P. herquei genome. Comparative genomics demonstrate that the three Penicillium species show similar metabolic and enzymatic potential, however, P. herquei has more genes associated with plant biomass degradation and defense but less genes associating with virulence pathogenicity. Our results provide molecular evidence for plant substrate breakdown and protective roles of P. herquei in E. chinensis mutualistic system. Large metabolic potential shared by Penicillium species at the genus level may explain why some Penicillium species are recruited by the Euops weevils as crop fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenfeng Guo
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Conservation, College of Forestry, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.,Guangxi Crop Genetic Improvement and Biotechnology Lab, Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Conservation, College of Forestry, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Jun Tang
- Guangxi Crop Genetic Improvement and Biotechnology Lab, Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Tianyu Li
- Wuhan Benagen Technology Company Limited, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Xiaoqiong Li
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Conservation, College of Forestry, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
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Janke RS, Moog S, Weiss B, Kaltenpoth M, Flórez LV. Morphological adaptation for ectosymbiont maintenance and transmission during metamorphosis in Lagria beetles. Front Physiol 2022; 13:979200. [PMID: 36111144 PMCID: PMC9468232 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.979200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The diversity and success of holometabolous insects is partly driven by metamorphosis, which allows for the exploitation of different niches and decouples growth and tissue differentiation from reproduction. Despite its benefits, metamorphosis comes with the cost of temporal vulnerability during pupation and challenges associated with tissue reorganizations. These rearrangements can also affect the presence, abundance, and localization of beneficial microbes in the host. However, how symbionts are maintained or translocated during metamorphosis and which adaptations are necessary from each partner during this process remains unknown for the vast majority of symbiotic systems. Here, we show that Lagria beetles circumvent the constraints of metamorphosis by maintaining defensive symbionts on the surface in specialized cuticular structures. The symbionts are present in both sexes throughout larval development and during the pupal phase, in line with a protective role during the beetle’s immature stages. By comparing symbiont titer and morphology of the cuticular structures between sexes using qPCR, fluorescence in situ hybridization, and micro-computed tomography, we found that the organs likely play an important role as a symbiont reservoir for transmission to female adults, since symbiont titers and structures are reduced in male pupae. Using symbiont-sized fluorescent beads, we demonstrate transfer from the region of the dorsal symbiont-housing organs to the opening of the reproductive tract of adult females, suggesting that symbiont relocation on the outer surface is possible, even without specialized symbiont adaptations or motility. Our results illustrate a strategy for holometabolous insects to cope with the challenge of symbiont maintenance during metamorphosis via an external route, circumventing problems associated with internal tissue reorganization. Thereby, Lagria beetles keep a tight relationship with their beneficial partners during growth and metamorphosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebekka S. Janke
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Safira Moog
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Benjamin Weiss
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
- Department of Insect Symbiosis, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - Martin Kaltenpoth
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
- Department of Insect Symbiosis, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - Laura V. Flórez
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Section for Organismal Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- *Correspondence: Laura V. Flórez,
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Barcoto MO, Rodrigues A. Lessons From Insect Fungiculture: From Microbial Ecology to Plastics Degradation. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:812143. [PMID: 35685924 PMCID: PMC9171207 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.812143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Anthropogenic activities have extensively transformed the biosphere by extracting and disposing of resources, crossing boundaries of planetary threat while causing a global crisis of waste overload. Despite fundamental differences regarding structure and recalcitrance, lignocellulose and plastic polymers share physical-chemical properties to some extent, that include carbon skeletons with similar chemical bonds, hydrophobic properties, amorphous and crystalline regions. Microbial strategies for metabolizing recalcitrant polymers have been selected and optimized through evolution, thus understanding natural processes for lignocellulose modification could aid the challenge of dealing with the recalcitrant human-made polymers spread worldwide. We propose to look for inspiration in the charismatic fungal-growing insects to understand multipartite degradation of plant polymers. Independently evolved in diverse insect lineages, fungiculture embraces passive or active fungal cultivation for food, protection, and structural purposes. We consider there is much to learn from these symbioses, in special from the community-level degradation of recalcitrant biomass and defensive metabolites. Microbial plant-degrading systems at the core of insect fungicultures could be promising candidates for degrading synthetic plastics. Here, we first compare the degradation of lignocellulose and plastic polymers, with emphasis in the overlapping microbial players and enzymatic activities between these processes. Second, we review the literature on diverse insect fungiculture systems, focusing on features that, while supporting insects' ecology and evolution, could also be applied in biotechnological processes. Third, taking lessons from these microbial communities, we suggest multidisciplinary strategies to identify microbial degraders, degrading enzymes and pathways, as well as microbial interactions and interdependencies. Spanning from multiomics to spectroscopy, microscopy, stable isotopes probing, enrichment microcosmos, and synthetic communities, these strategies would allow for a systemic understanding of the fungiculture ecology, driving to application possibilities. Detailing how the metabolic landscape is entangled to achieve ecological success could inspire sustainable efforts for mitigating the current environmental crisis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana O. Barcoto
- Center for the Study of Social Insects, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Rio Claro, Brazil
- Department of General and Applied Biology, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Rio Claro, Brazil
| | - Andre Rodrigues
- Center for the Study of Social Insects, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Rio Claro, Brazil
- Department of General and Applied Biology, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Rio Claro, Brazil
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9
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Nutritional resources of the yeast symbiont cultivated by the lizard beetle Doubledaya bucculenta in bamboos. Sci Rep 2021; 11:19208. [PMID: 34584161 PMCID: PMC8479059 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-98733-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Symbiotic fungi of wood-inhabiting insects are often considered to aid wood digestion of host insects when the associated fungi can assimilate wood-associated indigestible materials. In most cases, however, the components of wood that are utilized by fungal symbionts remain poorly understood. The lizard beetle Doubledaya bucculenta (Coleoptera, Erotylidae, Languriinae) farms the symbiotic yeast Wickerhamomyces anomalus inside the cavity of host bamboo internodes, which serves as food for larvae. To determine the carbon sources of the internodes serving as nutritional substrates for W. anomalus, we used ion exchange chromatography measurements to analyze free and structural sugar compositions in fresh pith (FP), yeast-cultured pith (YP), and larva-reared pith (LP) of internodes. Glucose and fructose were the major free sugars in FP and markedly decreased in YP and LP. For structural sugars, no sugar significantly decreased in YP or LP compared with FP. Carbon assimilation tests showed that W. anomalus assimilated glucose, mannose, fructose, and sucrose strongly, xylose and cellobiose moderately, and xylan weakly. Elemental analysis revealed that the compositions of carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen were not significantly different among tissue types. These results suggest that W. anomalus does not consume bamboo-associated indigestible sugars but most free sugars, mainly glucose and fructose, in the pith. Our findings suggest that a symbiont’s abilities may not always benefit its host in nature.
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Bizarria R, Pagnocca FC, Rodrigues A. Yeasts in the attine ant-fungus mutualism: Diversity, functional roles, and putative biotechnological applications. Yeast 2021; 39:25-39. [PMID: 34473375 DOI: 10.1002/yea.3667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Revised: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Insects interact with a wide variety of yeasts, often providing a suitable substrate for their growth. Some yeast-insect interactions are tractable models for understanding the relationships between the symbionts. Attine ants are prominent insects in the Neotropics and have performed an ancient fungiculture of mutualistic basidiomycete fungi for more than 55-65 million years. Yeasts gain access to this sophisticated mutualism, prompting diversity, ecological, and biotechnological studies in this environment. We review half a century research in this field, surveying for recurrent yeast taxa and their putative ecological roles in this environment. We found that previous studies mainly covered the yeast diversity from a small fraction of attine ants, being Saccharomycetales, Tremellales, and Trichosporonales as the most frequent yeast or yeast-like orders found. Apiotrichum, Aureobasidium, Candida, Cutaneotrichosporon, Debaryomyces, Meyerozyma, Papiliotrema, Rhodotorula, Trichomonascus, and Trichosporon are the most frequent recovered genera. On the other hand, studies of yeasts' ecological roles on attine ant-fungus mutualism only tapped the tip of the iceberg. Previous established hypotheses in the literature cover the production of lignocellulosic enzymes, chemical detoxification, and fungus garden protection. Some of these roles have parallels in biotechnological processes. In conclusion, the attine ant environment has a hidden potential for studying yeast biodiversity, ecology, and biotechnology, which has been particularly unexplored considering the vast diversity of fungus-growing ants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodolfo Bizarria
- Center for the Study of Social Insects, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Rio Claro, Brazil.,Department of General and Applied Biology, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Rio Claro, Brazil
| | | | - Andre Rodrigues
- Center for the Study of Social Insects, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Rio Claro, Brazil.,Department of General and Applied Biology, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Rio Claro, Brazil
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11
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Peris D, Delclòs X, Jordal B. Origin and evolution of fungus farming in wood-boring Coleoptera - a palaeontological perspective. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2021; 96:2476-2488. [PMID: 34159702 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Revised: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Insect-fungus mutualism is one of the better-studied symbiotic interactions in nature. Ambrosia fungi are an ecological assemblage of unrelated fungi that are cultivated by ambrosia beetles in their galleries as obligate food for larvae. Despite recently increased research interest, it remains unclear which ecological factors facilitated the origin of fungus farming, and how it transformed into a symbiotic relationship with obligate dependency. It is clear from phylogenetic analyses that this symbiosis evolved independently many times in several beetle and fungus lineages. However, there is a mismatch between palaeontological and phylogenetic data. Herein we review, for the first time, the ambrosia system from a palaeontological perspective. Although largely ignored, families such as Lymexylidae and Bostrichidae should be included in the list of ambrosia beetles because some of their species cultivate ambrosia fungi. The estimated origin for some groups of ambrosia fungi during the Cretaceous concurs with a known high diversity of Lymexylidae and Bostrichidae at that time. Although potentially older, the greatest radiation of various ambrosia beetle lineages occurred in the weevil subfamilies Scolytinae and Platypodinae during the Eocene. In this review we explore the evolutionary relationship between ambrosia beetles, fungi and their host trees, which is likely to have persisted for longer than previously supposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Peris
- Institute of Geosciences, University of Bonn, Nussallee 8, Bonn, 53115, Germany.,Department of Earth and Ocean Dynamics, Faculty of Earth Sciences, University of Barcelona, Martí i Franquès s/n, Barcelona, 08028, Spain
| | - Xavier Delclòs
- Department of Earth and Ocean Dynamics, Faculty of Earth Sciences, University of Barcelona, Martí i Franquès s/n, Barcelona, 08028, Spain.,Biodiversity Research Institute (IRBio), University of Barcelona, Avinguda Diagonal 643, Barcelona, 08028, Spain
| | - Bjarte Jordal
- Museum of Natural History, University Museum of Bergen, University of Bergen, Haakon Sheteligs plass 10, Bergen, N-5007, Norway
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12
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Cappelli A, Favia G, Ricci I. Wickerhamomyces anomalus in Mosquitoes: A Promising Yeast-Based Tool for the "Symbiotic Control" of Mosquito-Borne Diseases. Front Microbiol 2021; 11:621605. [PMID: 33552032 PMCID: PMC7859090 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.621605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 12/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The ascomycete yeast Wickerhamomyces anomalus is a mutualistic symbiont of different insects, including diptera vectors of diseases. Although fungal symbioses have been so far poorly characterized, the topic is gaining attention as yeast-insect interactions can provide pivotal information on insect biology, such as their environmental adaptation or vectorial capability. We review the symbiosis between W. anomalus and mosquitoes, which implies nutritional and protective functions. Furthermore, we focus on antiplasmodial effects of W. anomalus in malaria vectors and discuss the yeast potential for the “symbiotic control” (SC) of mosquito-borne diseases (MBDs).
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessia Cappelli
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, CIRM Italian Malaria Network, Camerino, Italy
| | - Guido Favia
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, CIRM Italian Malaria Network, Camerino, Italy
| | - Irene Ricci
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, CIRM Italian Malaria Network, Camerino, Italy
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13
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Miyazaki Y, Toki W. Time-dependent oviposition deterrence by an oviposition mark in a fungus-farming lizard beetle. Naturwissenschaften 2020; 107:53. [PMID: 33244637 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-020-01710-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2020] [Revised: 11/06/2020] [Accepted: 11/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
In insects, the selection of a suitable oviposition site is critical for offspring performance. Avoiding hosts already occupied by conspecific immatures in oviposition is one of the mechanisms to reduce intraspecific competition. The avoidance of such hosts by ovipositing females has been well-documented in parasitoid wasps and phytophagous insects but remains unknown in mycophagous insects. Here, we report that oviposition marks (OMs) of the fungus-farming lizard beetle, Doubledaya bucculenta (Coleoptera: Erotylidae: Languriinae), deter conspecific females from oviposition. The females excavate a wall of host bamboo internodes to access cavities for oviposition and plug the holes with excised bamboo fibers after oviposition. A larva completes its development within a single internode. To determine what types of OMs function as oviposition deterrents and how the oviposition-deterring pattern associates with offspring survival, we examined the oviposition behaviors, egg-period lengths, and reactions of larvae to eggs. When a single internode was provided, most females laid eggs in internodes with no OMs, incomplete OMs, or plug-removed completed OMs (COMs), but fewer females laid in internodes with fresh COMs and no females laid in those with old COMs. When eggs were reared under constant temperatures, egg-period lengths varied, suggesting that later-laid eggs sometimes hatch earlier than earlier-laid eggs. When a larva encountered an egg, all eggs were killed shortly. These results suggest that the females avoid internodes associated with high offspring mortality and that the COM's plug contains an oviposition-deterring cue. Given that larvae of oviposition-deterring insects including D. bucculenta inhabit spatiotemporally-limited sites and have limited mobility, high resource competition in the larval stage may have driven the evolution of oviposition deterrence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuta Miyazaki
- Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, 464-8601, Japan
| | - Wataru Toki
- Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, 464-8601, Japan.
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14
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Hirota B, Meng XY, Fukatsu T. Bacteriome-Associated Endosymbiotic Bacteria of Nosodendron Tree Sap Beetles (Coleoptera: Nosodendridae). Front Microbiol 2020; 11:588841. [PMID: 33193249 PMCID: PMC7658545 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.588841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The family Nosodendridae is a small group of tree sap beetles with only 91 described species representing three genera from the world. In 1930s, bacteria-harboring symbiotic organs, called bacteriomes, were briefly described in a European species Nosodendron fasciculare. Since then, however, no studies have been conducted on the nosodendrid endosymbiosis for decades. Here we investigated the bacteriomes and the endosymbiotic bacteria of Nosodendron coenosum and Nosodendron asiaticum using molecular phylogenetic and histological approaches. In adults and larvae, a pair of slender bacteriomes were found along both sides of the midgut. The bacteriomes consisted of large bacteriocytes at the center and flat sheath cells on the surface. Fluorescence in situ hybridization detected preferential localization of the endosymbiotic bacteria in the cytoplasm of the bacteriocytes. In reproductive adult females, the endosymbiotic bacteria were also detected at the infection zone in the ovarioles and on the surface of growing oocytes, indicating vertical symbiont transmission via ovarial passage. Transmission electron microscopy unveiled bizarre structural features of the bacteriocytes, whose cytoplasm exhibited degenerate cytology with deformed endosymbiont cells. Molecular phylogenetic analysis revealed that the nosodendrid endosymbionts formed a distinct clade in the Bacteroidetes. The nosodendrid endosymbionts were the most closely related to the bacteriome endosymbionts of bostrichid powderpost beetles and also allied to the bacteriome endosymbionts of silvanid grain beetles, uncovering an unexpected endosymbiont relationship across the unrelated beetle families Nosodendridae, Bostrichidae and Silvanidae. Host-symbiont co-evolution and presumable biological roles of the endosymbiotic bacteria are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Hirota
- National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba, Japan.,Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Xian-Ying Meng
- National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Takema Fukatsu
- National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba, Japan.,Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
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15
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Grubbs KJ, Surup F, Biedermann PHW, McDonald BR, Klassen JL, Carlson CM, Clardy J, Currie CR. Cycloheximide-Producing Streptomyces Associated With Xyleborinus saxesenii and Xyleborus affinis Fungus-Farming Ambrosia Beetles. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:562140. [PMID: 33101237 PMCID: PMC7546818 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.562140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Symbiotic microbes help a myriad of insects acquire nutrients. Recent work suggests that insects also frequently associate with actinobacterial symbionts that produce molecules to help defend against parasites and predators. Here we explore a potential association between Actinobacteria and two species of fungus-farming ambrosia beetles, Xyleborinus saxesenii and Xyleborus affinis. We isolated and identified actinobacterial and fungal symbionts from laboratory reared nests, and characterized small molecules produced by the putative actinobacterial symbionts. One 16S rRNA phylotype of Streptomyces (XylebKG-1) was abundantly and consistently isolated from the galleries and adults of X. saxesenii and X. affinis nests. In addition to Raffaelea sulphurea, the symbiont that X. saxesenii cultivates, we also repeatedly isolated a strain of Nectria sp. that is an antagonist of this mutualism. Inhibition bioassays between Streptomyces griseus XylebKG-1 and the fungal symbionts from X. saxesenii revealed strong inhibitory activity of the actinobacterium toward the fungal antagonist Nectria sp. but not the fungal mutualist R. sulphurea. Bioassay guided HPLC fractionation of S. griseus XylebKG-1 culture extracts, followed by NMR and mass spectrometry, identified cycloheximide as the compound responsible for the observed growth inhibition. A biosynthetic gene cluster putatively encoding cycloheximide was also identified in S. griseus XylebKG-1. The consistent isolation of a single 16S phylotype of Streptomyces from two species of ambrosia beetles, and our finding that a representative isolate of this phylotype produces cycloheximide, which inhibits a parasite of the system but not the cultivated fungus, suggests that these actinobacteria may play defensive roles within these systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirk J Grubbs
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pathology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Frank Surup
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Peter H W Biedermann
- Research Group Insect-Fungus Symbiosis, Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Bradon R McDonald
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Jonathan L Klassen
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Caitlin M Carlson
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Jon Clardy
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Cameron R Currie
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
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16
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Meriggi N, Di Paola M, Cavalieri D, Stefanini I. Saccharomyces cerevisiae - Insects Association: Impacts, Biogeography, and Extent. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:1629. [PMID: 32760380 PMCID: PMC7372139 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the last few years, an increasing number of studies have reported the existence of an association between the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and insects. The discovery of this relationship has called into question the hypothesis that S. cerevisiae is unable to survive in nature and that the presence of S. cerevisiae strains in natural specimens is the result of contamination from human-related environments. S. cerevisiae cells benefit from this association as they find in the insect intestine a shelter, but also a place where they can reproduce themselves through mating, the latter being an event otherwise rarely observed in natural environments. On the other hand, insects also take advantage in hosting S. cerevisiae as they rely on yeasts as nutriment to properly develop, to localize suitable food, and to enhance their immune system. Despite the relevance of this relationship on both yeast and insect ecology, we are still far from completely appreciating its extent and effects. It has been shown that other yeasts are able to colonize only one or a few insect species. Is it the same for S. cerevisiae cells or is this yeast able to associate with any insect? Similarly, is this association geographically or topographically limited in areas characterized by specific physical features? With this review, we recapitulate the nature of the S. cerevisiae-insect association, disclose its extent in terms of geographical distribution and species involved, and present YeastFinder, a cured online database providing a collection of information on this topic.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Monica Di Paola
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | | | - Irene Stefanini
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
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17
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Hosokawa T, Fukatsu T. Relevance of microbial symbiosis to insect behavior. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2020; 39:91-100. [PMID: 32371358 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2020.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2019] [Revised: 03/07/2020] [Accepted: 03/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Microbial symbiosis is widespread among insects. This article reviews our understanding of insect behaviors relevant to commensalistic and mutualistic microbial symbiosis, which has received relatively less attention compared to insect behaviors in parasitic symbiosis. First, we review our knowledge of symbiont transmission behaviors by which the host insects maintain associations with beneficial microorganisms over generations. Some insects that extracellularly harbor mutualistic symbionts exhibit particularly sophisticated behaviors for vertical symbiont transmission. Next, we highlight notable studies on behavioral changes induced by symbiont infection. In the last decade, a number of studies have demonstrated or suggested that mutualistic or commensalistic symbiont infections affect their host behaviors. Finally, future directions regarding these research topics are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takahiro Hosokawa
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan.
| | - Takema Fukatsu
- National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba 305-8566, Japan; Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan; Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8572, Japan.
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18
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Symbiotic yeasts from the mycangium, larval gut and woody substrate of an African stag beetle Xiphodontus antilope (Coleoptera: Lucanidae). Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 2020; 113:1123-1134. [PMID: 32318983 DOI: 10.1007/s10482-020-01418-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2020] [Accepted: 04/09/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Female stag beetles (Lucanidae) possess internal mycangia to maintain microbial cultures. Yeasts from these mycangia may help with larval nutrition in nutrient poor woody substrates, but only a few Lucanidae taxa have been studied and all reports originate from Europe and Asia. We identify the first mycangial yeasts of a South African endemic Lucanidae beetle, Xiphodontus antilope, using nuclear ribosomal RNA and ITS DNA sequence data. In addition we identified yeasts from the larval gut, fecal matter, frass and woody substrate surrounding larvae and pupae. The mycangium of X. antilope was confined to females and is structurally similar to all other Lucanidae. Unlike most Lucanidae that seemingly associate with single species of yeast, or whose mycangia contain yeast monocultures, three yeast species were commonly isolated from X. antilope. Scheffersomyces coipomoensis was the most numerically dominant species on most substrates and in most individuals, but a second, undescribed, Scheffersomyces species was present in high numbers. A third species, also undescribed and unrelated to Scheffersomyces, was recovered from all mycangia but could not be detected in the larval gut, fecal matter, frass or woody substrates. We confirm a close association of Scheffersomyces yeasts with Lucanidae globally, but other taxa may also be involved. We show that the predominant mycangial yeasts also form the predominant yeasts within the larval gut and the woody substrates around the larvae and pupae. This combined external and internal colonization by the same yeasts may provide enhanced opportunities for nutrient acquisition, but this needs validation in future studies.
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Abstract
The evolution of a mutualism requires reciprocal interactions whereby one species provides a service that the other species cannot perform or performs less efficiently. Services exchanged in insect-fungus mutualisms include nutrition, protection, and dispersal. In ectosymbioses, which are the focus of this review, fungi can be consumed by insects or can degrade plant polymers or defensive compounds, thereby making a substrate available to insects. They can also protect against environmental factors and produce compounds antagonistic to microbial competitors. Insects disperse fungi and can also provide fungal growth substrates and protection. Insect-fungus mutualisms can transition from facultative to obligate, whereby each partner is no longer viable on its own. Obligate dependency has (a) resulted in the evolution of morphological adaptations in insects and fungi, (b) driven the evolution of social behaviors in some groups of insects, and (c) led to the loss of sexuality in some fungal mutualists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter H W Biedermann
- Research Group Insect-Fungus Symbiosis, Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, University of Würzburg, 97074 Würzburg, Germany;
| | - Fernando E Vega
- Sustainable Perennial Crops Laboratory, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville, Maryland 20705, USA;
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20
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Toki W, Matsuo S, Pham HT, Meleng P, Lee CY. Heads or tails: exaggerated morphologies in relation to the use of large bamboo internodes in two lizard beetles, Doubledaya ruficollis and Oxylanguria acutipennis (Coleoptera: Erotylidae: Languriinae). Naturwissenschaften 2019; 106:50. [DOI: 10.1007/s00114-019-1645-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2019] [Revised: 07/29/2019] [Accepted: 08/08/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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21
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Cappelli A, Valzano M, Cecarini V, Bozic J, Rossi P, Mensah P, Amantini C, Favia G, Ricci I. Killer yeasts exert anti-plasmodial activities against the malaria parasite Plasmodium berghei in the vector mosquito Anopheles stephensi and in mice. Parasit Vectors 2019; 12:329. [PMID: 31266522 PMCID: PMC6604151 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-019-3587-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2019] [Accepted: 06/27/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Wickerhamomyces anomalus is a yeast associated with different insects including mosquitoes, where it is proposed to be involved in symbiotic relationships with hosts. Different symbiotic strains of W. anomalus display a killer phenotype mediated by protein toxins with broad-spectrum antimicrobial activities. In particular, a killer toxin purified from a W. anomalus strain (WaF17.12), previously isolated from the malaria vector mosquito Anopheles stephensi, has shown strong in vitro anti-plasmodial activity against early sporogonic stages of the murine malaria parasite Plasmodium berghei. RESULTS Here, we provide evidence that WaF17.12 cultures, properly stimulated to induce the expression of the killer toxin, can directly affect in vitro P. berghei early sporogonic stages, causing membrane damage and parasite death. Moreover, we demonstrated by in vivo studies that mosquito dietary supplementation with activated WaF17.12 cells interfere with ookinete development in the midgut of An. stephensi. Besides the anti-sporogonic action of WaF17.12, an inhibitory effect of purified WaF17.12-killer toxin was observed on erythrocytic stages of P. berghei, with a consequent reduction of parasitaemia in mice. The preliminary safety tests on murine cell lines showed no side effects. CONCLUSIONS Our findings demonstrate the anti-plasmodial activity of WaF17.12 against different developmental stages of P. berghei. New studies on P. falciparum are needed to evaluate the use of killer yeasts as innovative tools in the symbiotic control of malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessia Cappelli
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - Matteo Valzano
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - Valentina Cecarini
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - Jovana Bozic
- Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory, University of Florida, Vero Beach, FL, USA
| | - Paolo Rossi
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - Priscilla Mensah
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - Consuelo Amantini
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - Guido Favia
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - Irene Ricci
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy.
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22
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Benbow ME, Barton PS, Ulyshen MD, Beasley JC, DeVault TL, Strickland MS, Tomberlin JK, Jordan HR, Pechal JL. Necrobiome framework for bridging decomposition ecology of autotrophically and heterotrophically derived organic matter. ECOL MONOGR 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ecm.1331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- M. Eric Benbow
- Department of Entomology; Michigan State University; East Lansing Michigan 48824 USA
- Department of Osteopathic Medical Specialties; Michigan State University; East Lansing Michigan 48824 USA
- Ecology, Evolutionary Biology and Behavior Program; Michigan State University; East Lansing Michigan 48824 USA
| | - Philip S. Barton
- Fenner School of Environment and Society; Australian National University; Canberra Australian Capital Territory 2601 Australia
| | | | - James C. Beasley
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory and Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources; University of Georgia; Aiken South Carolina 29802 USA
| | - Travis L. DeVault
- U.S. Department of Agriculture; National Wildlife Research Center; Sandusky Ohio 44870 USA
| | | | | | - Heather R. Jordan
- Department of Biological Sciences; Mississippi State University; Mississippi Mississippi 39762 USA
| | - Jennifer L. Pechal
- Department of Entomology; Michigan State University; East Lansing Michigan 48824 USA
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23
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Mantilleri A. Brentidae Acratini du massif du Mitaraka, en Guyane: une synthèse des données (Insecta, Coleoptera, Curculionoidea). ZOOSYSTEMA 2018. [DOI: 10.5252/zoosystema2018v40a15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Mantilleri
- Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Direction des collections, case postale 50, 57 rue Cuvier, F-75231 Paris cedex 05 (France)
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24
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Tanahashi M, Ikeda H, Kubota K. Elementary budget of stag beetle larvae associated with selective utilization of nitrogen in decaying wood. Naturwissenschaften 2018; 105:33. [PMID: 29725830 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-018-1557-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2017] [Revised: 04/09/2018] [Accepted: 04/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Wood degradation by insects plays important roles for the forest matter cycling. Since wood is deficient in nitrogen compared to the insect body, wood-feeding insects need to assimilate the nitrogen selectively and discard an excess carbon. Such a stoichiometric imbalance between food and body will cause high metabolic cost; therefore, wood-feeding insects may somehow alleviate the stoichiometric imbalance. Here, we investigated the carbon and nitrogen budgets of the larvae of stag beetle, Dorcus rectus, which feed on decaying wood. Assimilation efficiency of ingested wood was 22%, and those values based on the carbon and nitrogen were 27 and 45%, respectively, suggesting the selective digestion of nitrogen in wood. Element-based gross growth efficiency was much higher for nitrogen (45%) than for carbon (3%). As a result, the larvae released 24% of the ingested carbon as volatile, whereas almost no gaseous exchange was observed for nitrogen. Moreover, solubility-based elementary analysis revealed that the larvae mainly utilized alkaline-soluble-water-insoluble fraction of wood, which is rich in nitrogen. Actually, the midgut of the larvae was highly alkaline (pH 10.3). Stag beetle larvae are known to exhibit coprophagy, and here we also confirmed that alkaline-soluble-water-insoluble nitrogen increased again from fresh feces to old feces in the field. Stable isotope analysis suggested the utilization of aerial nitrogen by larvae; however, its actual contribution is still disputable. Those results suggest that D. rectus larvae selectively utilize alkaline-soluble nitrogenous substrates by using their highly alkaline midgut, and perhaps associate with microbes that enhance the nitrogen recycling in feces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masahiko Tanahashi
- Department of Applied Chemistry, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, 30010, Taiwan.
| | - Hiroshi Ikeda
- Faculty of Agriculture and Life Science, Hirosaki University, 3 Bunkyo-cho, Hirosaki, Aomori, 036-8561, Japan
| | - Kôhei Kubota
- Laboratory of Forest Zoology, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Yayoi 1-1-1, Bunkyo, Tokyo, 113-8657, Japan
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25
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Abstract
The larval stage of the stingless bee Scaptotrigona depilis must consume a specific brood cell fungus in order to continue development. Here we show that this fungus is a member of the genus Zygosaccharomyces and provides essential steroid precursors to the developing bee. Insect pupation requires ecdysteroid hormones, and as insects cannot synthesize sterols de novo, they must obtain steroids in their diet. Larval in vitro culturing assays demonstrated that consuming ergosterol recapitulates the developmental effects on S. depilis as ingestion of Zygosaccharomyces sp. cells. Thus, we determined the molecular underpinning of this intimate mutualistic symbiosis. Phylogenetic analyses showed that similar cases of bee-Zygosaccharomyces symbiosis may exist. This unprecedented case of bee-fungus symbiosis driven by steroid requirement brings new perspectives regarding pollinator-microbiota interaction and preservation.
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26
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Tanahashi M, Kim JK, Watanabe K, Fukatsu T, Kubota K. Specificity and genetic diversity of xylose-fermenting Scheffersomyces yeasts associated with small blue stag beetles of the genus Platycerus in East Asia. Mycologia 2017; 109:630-642. [PMID: 29140770 DOI: 10.1080/00275514.2017.1382648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Among insect-fungus relationships, xylose-fermenting Scheffersomyces yeasts are well known for their potential in utilizing wood hemicelluloses and their association with various wood-feeding insects. However, their specificity to host insects or strain-level diversity within host species has not been clearly elucidated. In the insect family Lucanidae, larvae usually feed on decaying wood, and adult females consistently possess a fungus-storage organ, called the mycangium, near the abdominal tip. Here the authors investigated host-symbiont relationships between Scheffersomyces yeast symbionts and small blue stag beetles of the genus Platycerus (Coleoptera: Lucanidae) in East Asia by using intergenic spacer (IGS) region as a genetic marker. All yeast strains isolated from the female mycangium of three Platycerus species, P. hongwonpyoi from Korea and P. acuticollis and P. delicatulus from Japan, were allied to Scheffersomyces segobiensis based on the sequences of the nrDNA 26S and internal transcribed spacer (ITS), in which no sequence difference was observed among those strains. However, IGS regions showed clear genetic differentiation within the yeast symbionts of P. hongwonpyoi, as well as between those of Korean and Japanese Platycerus species. In the IGS sequences, nucleotide substitutions were mainly distributed in the whole stretch of IGS1 and the anterior half of IGS2, whereas nucleotide gaps were localized at IGS1 and the middle of IGS2. Despite the conserved association between the Platycerus beetles and the specific strains of S. segobiensis in East Asia, geophylogenetic divergence patterns of the yeast symbionts were not concordant with those of the insect hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masahiko Tanahashi
- a Department of Applied Chemistry , National Chiao Tung University , Hsinchu , 30010 Taiwan
| | - Jong-Kuk Kim
- b Department of Forest Environment Protection , College of Forest and Environmental Sciences, Kangwon National University , Kangwondaehak-gil 1, Chuncheon-si , Gangwon-do , 24341 Republic of Korea
| | - Kana Watanabe
- c Laboratory of Forest Zoology, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo , Yayoi 1-1-1, Bunkyo, Tokyo , 113-8657 Japan
| | - Takema Fukatsu
- d Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) , Tsukuba , 305-8566 Japan
| | - Kôhei Kubota
- c Laboratory of Forest Zoology, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo , Yayoi 1-1-1, Bunkyo, Tokyo , 113-8657 Japan
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27
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Bozic J, Capone A, Pediconi D, Mensah P, Cappelli A, Valzano M, Mancini MV, Scuppa P, Martin E, Epis S, Rossi P, Favia G, Ricci I. Mosquitoes can harbour yeasts of clinical significance and contribute to their environmental dissemination. ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY REPORTS 2017; 9:642-648. [PMID: 28714286 DOI: 10.1111/1758-2229.12569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2017] [Revised: 07/07/2017] [Accepted: 07/10/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
There is still a lack of studies on fungal microbiota in mosquitoes, compared with the number available on bacterial microbiota. This study reports the identification of yeasts of clinical significance in laboratory mosquito species: Anopheles gambiae, Anopheles stephensi, Culex quinquefasciatus, Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti. Among the yeasts isolated, they focused on the opportunistic pathogen Candida parapsilosis, since there is a need to better understand breakthrough candidaemia with resistance to the usual antifungals, which requires careful consideration in the broad-spectrum therapy, as documented in many clinical reports. C. parapsilosis occurs widely and has been isolated from diverse sources, including insects, which may contribute to its dissemination. In this study, it was isolated from the gut of An. gambiae and its presence in developmental stages and organs of different mosquito species was studied. Our results indicated that there was a stable association between C. parapsilosis and reared mosquitoes during the entire life cycle, and in adult male and female gut and gonads. A wide occurrence of C. parapsilosis was also documented in several populations of wild mosquitoes. Based on these findings, it can be said that mosquitoes might participate in the spreading of this opportunistic pathogen, not only as a carrier.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jovana Bozic
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Via Gentile da Varano III 62032, Camerino, Italy
| | - Aida Capone
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Via Gentile da Varano III 62032, Camerino, Italy
| | - Dario Pediconi
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Via Gentile da Varano III 62032, Camerino, Italy
| | - Priscilla Mensah
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Via Gentile da Varano III 62032, Camerino, Italy
| | - Alessia Cappelli
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Via Gentile da Varano III 62032, Camerino, Italy
| | - Matteo Valzano
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Via Gentile da Varano III 62032, Camerino, Italy
| | - Maria Vittoria Mancini
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Via Gentile da Varano III 62032, Camerino, Italy
| | - Patrizia Scuppa
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Via Gentile da Varano III 62032, Camerino, Italy
| | - Elena Martin
- Department of Veterinary Sciences and Public Health, University of Milan, Milan, 20133, Italy
| | - Sara Epis
- Department of Veterinary Sciences and Public Health, University of Milan, Milan, 20133, Italy
| | - Paolo Rossi
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Via Gentile da Varano III 62032, Camerino, Italy
| | - Guido Favia
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Via Gentile da Varano III 62032, Camerino, Italy
| | - Irene Ricci
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Via Gentile da Varano III 62032, Camerino, Italy
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Tanahashi M, Hawes CJ. The presence of a mycangium in European Sinodendron cylindricum (Coleoptera: Lucanidae) and the associated yeast symbionts. JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2016; 16:iew054. [PMID: 27432353 PMCID: PMC4948600 DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/iew054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2016] [Accepted: 05/30/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Part of the exoskeleton of some wood-inhabiting insects is modified to form a mycangium, which is a specialized organ used to convey fungal spores or yeasts to their offspring. Although most stag beetles (Coleoptera: Lucanidae) are known to have female-specific mycangia and associated yeast symbionts, the evolutionary origin of the mycangium in this group remains unresolved. Here, we report the presence of a mycangium and associated yeast symbionts in the European horned stag beetle Sinodendron cylindricum (L.), which belongs to an ancestral clade of the Lucanidae. The mycangium of S. cylindricum is shown to be female-specific and have the same developmental origin as that of other stag beetles. A total of five yeast strains were isolated from adult mycangia and larval gut of S. cylindricum Of these, we suggest that SICYAM1 is an undescribed yeast with taxonomic novelty, and have identified SICYLG3 as the xylose-fermenting yeast Scheffersomyces insectosa using nuclear ribosomal RNA and ITS sequences. The remaining three yeast strains, SICYAM2, SICYLG1, and SICYLG2, were assigned to the genus Sugiyamaella Yeast density in the adult mycangium was lower than that of the more evolutionarily advanced stag beetles, the European Lucanus cervus (L.) and Dorcus parallelipipedus (L.), which were also examined in this study. No living yeasts were isolated from the adult guts. However, a third instar larva of S. cylindricum harbored 10(4)-10(6) living yeasts in each gut region, which suggests that gut yeasts play an important role in these wood-feeding larvae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masahiko Tanahashi
- Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Central bld. 6th, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8566, Japan
| | - Colin J Hawes
- Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Central bld. 6th, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8566, Japan
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29
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Martin E, Bongiorno G, Giovati L, Montagna M, Crotti E, Damiani C, Gradoni L, Polonelli L, Ricci I, Favia G, Epis S. Isolation of a Wickerhamomyces anomalus yeast strain from the sandfly Phlebotomus perniciosus, displaying the killer phenotype. MEDICAL AND VETERINARY ENTOMOLOGY 2016; 30:101-106. [PMID: 26542209 DOI: 10.1111/mve.12149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2015] [Revised: 07/27/2015] [Accepted: 08/06/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The yeast Wickerhamomyces anomalus has been studied for its wide biotechnological potential, mainly for applications in the food industry. Different strains of W. anomalus have been isolated from diverse habitats and recently from insects, including mosquitoes of medical importance. This paper reports the isolation and phylogenetic characterization of W. anomalus from laboratory-reared adults and larvae of Phlebotomus perniciosus (Diptera: Psychodidae), a main phlebotomine vector of human and canine leishmaniasis. Of 65 yeast strains isolated from P. perniciosus, 15 strains were identified as W. anomalus; one of these was tested for the killer phenotype and demonstrated inhibitory activity against four yeast sensitive strains, as reported for mosquito-isolated strains. The association between P. perniciosus and W. anomalus deserves further investigation in order to explore the possibility that this yeast may exert inhibitory/killing activity against Leishmania spp.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Martin
- Department of Veterinary Science and Public Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - G Bongiorno
- Unit of Vector-Borne Diseases and International Health, MIPI Department, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - L Giovati
- Microbiology and Virology Unit, Department of Biomedical, Biotechnological and Translational Sciences, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - M Montagna
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - E Crotti
- Department of Food, Environmental and Evolutionary Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - C Damiani
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - L Gradoni
- Unit of Vector-Borne Diseases and International Health, MIPI Department, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - L Polonelli
- Microbiology and Virology Unit, Department of Biomedical, Biotechnological and Translational Sciences, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - I Ricci
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - G Favia
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - S Epis
- Department of Veterinary Science and Public Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
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30
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Menezes C, Vollet-Neto A, Marsaioli AJ, Zampieri D, Fontoura IC, Luchessi AD, Imperatriz-Fonseca VL. A Brazilian social bee must cultivate fungus to survive. Curr Biol 2015; 25:2851-2855. [PMID: 26592344 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2015.09.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2015] [Revised: 08/21/2015] [Accepted: 09/10/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
The nests of social insects provide suitable microenvironments for many microorganisms as they offer stable environmental conditions and a rich source of food [1-4]. Microorganisms in turn may provide several benefits to their hosts, such as nutrients and protection against pathogens [1, 4-6]. Several examples of symbiosis between social insects and microorganisms have been found in ants and termites. These symbioses have driven the evolution of complex behaviors and nest structures associated with the culturing of the symbiotic microorganisms [5, 7, 8]. However, while much is known about these relationships in many species of ants and termites, symbiotic relationships between microorganisms and social bees have been poorly explored [3, 4, 9, 10]. Here, we report the first case of an obligatory relationship between the Brazilian stingless bee Scaptotrigona depilis and a fungus of the genus Monascus (Ascomycotina). Fungal mycelia growing on the provisioned food inside the brood cell are eaten by the larva. Larvae reared in vitro on sterilized larval food supplemented with fungal mycelia had a much higher survival rate (76%) compared to larvae reared under identical conditions but without fungal mycelia (8% survival). The fungus was found to originate from the material from which the brood cells are made. Since the bees recycle and transport this material between nests, fungus would be transferred to newly built cells and also to newly founded nests. This is the first report of a fungus cultivation mutualism in a social bee.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristiano Menezes
- Embrapa Amazônia Oriental, Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation, Tv. Dr. Enéas Pinheiro, 66095-100 Belém-PA, Brazil; Embrapa Meio Ambiente, Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation, Rodovia SP-340, Km 127.5, 13820-000 Jaguariúna-SP, Brazil; Faculty of Philosophy, Sciences and Languages of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, 3900 Av. Bandeirantes, 14040-901 Ribeirão Preto-SP, Brazil.
| | - Ayrton Vollet-Neto
- Faculty of Philosophy, Sciences and Languages of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, 3900 Av. Bandeirantes, 14040-901 Ribeirão Preto-SP, Brazil
| | | | - Davila Zampieri
- Chemistry Institute, University of Campinas, R. Josué de Castro, 13083-970 Campinas, Brazil
| | - Isabela Cardoso Fontoura
- Laboratory of Biotechnology, School of Applied Sciences, University of Campinas, 1300 R. Pedro Zaccaria, 13484-350 Limeira-SP, Brazil
| | - Augusto Ducati Luchessi
- Laboratory of Biotechnology, School of Applied Sciences, University of Campinas, 1300 R. Pedro Zaccaria, 13484-350 Limeira-SP, Brazil
| | - Vera Lucia Imperatriz-Fonseca
- Faculty of Philosophy, Sciences and Languages of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, 3900 Av. Bandeirantes, 14040-901 Ribeirão Preto-SP, Brazil; Vale Institute of Technology, 955 R. Boaventura da Silva, 66055-090 Belém-PA, Brazil
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31
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Farming of a defensive fungal mutualist by an attelabid weevil. ISME JOURNAL 2015; 9:1793-801. [PMID: 25658054 DOI: 10.1038/ismej.2014.263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2014] [Revised: 11/30/2014] [Accepted: 12/10/2014] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
The mutualism between fungus-growing animals and fungi is a classic example of a complex interspecies association. A handful of insects, notably the well-recognized fungus-farming ants, termites and beetles, have developed advanced agriculture, which includes seeding new gardens with crop propagules, improving growth conditions and protecting and harvesting the fungal crop. More examples, which could be called 'proto-fungiculture', involve fewer adaptations, as exemplified by marine snails that farm intertidal fungi on marsh grass. Recent work has indicated that the solitary leaf-rolling weevil Euops chinensis (family Attelabidae) has a protofarming symbiosis with the mycangial fungus Penicillium herquei (family Trichocomaceae). In this study, we investigated how the weevils create cradles (leaf-rolls) for their offspring and protect the fungal garden. We describe new specialized structures and behaviors that E. chinensis females use for leaf-rolling and fungus inoculation. The fungus P. herquei produces the antibiotic (+)-scleroderolide in laboratory culture and in leaf-rolls, which can serve to inhibit microbial 'weeds' and pests, thus protecting the fungal garden against potential infection. The fungiculture of E. chinensis differs from other advanced insect fungiculture systems because female weevils do not continuously tend the inoculated microbe and do not depend nutritionally on the fungus. The defensive role of the cultivated fungus makes the attelabid weevils exceptional in 'proto-fungiculture' animals.
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Cappelli A, Ulissi U, Valzano M, Damiani C, Epis S, Gabrielli MG, Conti S, Polonelli L, Bandi C, Favia G, Ricci I. A Wickerhamomyces anomalus killer strain in the malaria vector Anopheles stephensi. PLoS One 2014; 9:e95988. [PMID: 24788884 PMCID: PMC4006841 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0095988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2013] [Accepted: 04/02/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The yeast Wickerhamomyces anomalus has been investigated for several years for its wide biotechnological potential, especially for applications in the food industry. Specifically, the antimicrobial activity of this yeast, associated with the production of Killer Toxins (KTs), has attracted a great deal of attention. The strains of W. anomalus able to produce KTs, called “killer” yeasts, have been shown to be highly competitive in the environment. Different W. anomalus strains have been isolated from diverse habitats and recently even from insects. In the malaria mosquito vector Anopheles stephensi these yeasts have been detected in the midgut and gonads. Here we show that the strain of W. anomalus isolated from An. stephensi, namely WaF17.12, is a killer yeast able to produce a KT in a cell-free medium (in vitro) as well as in the mosquito body (in vivo). We showed a constant production of WaF17.12-KT over time, after stimulation of toxin secretion in yeast cultures and reintroduction of the activated cells into the mosquito through the diet. Furthermore, the antimicrobial activity of WaF17.12-KT has been demonstrated in vitro against sensitive microbes, showing that strain WaF17.12 releases a functional toxin. The mosquito-associated yeast WaF17.12 thus possesses an antimicrobial activity, which makes this yeast worthy of further investigations, in view of its potential as an agent for the symbiotic control of malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessia Cappelli
- Scuola di Bioscienze e Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - Ulisse Ulissi
- Scuola di Bioscienze e Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - Matteo Valzano
- Scuola di Bioscienze e Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - Claudia Damiani
- Scuola di Bioscienze e Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - Sara Epis
- Dipartimento di Patologia Animale, Igiene e Sanità Pubblica Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Stefania Conti
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Biotecnologiche e Traslazionali, Università degli Studi di Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Luciano Polonelli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Biotecnologiche e Traslazionali, Università degli Studi di Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Claudio Bandi
- Dipartimento di Patologia Animale, Igiene e Sanità Pubblica Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Guido Favia
- Scuola di Bioscienze e Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - Irene Ricci
- Scuola di Bioscienze e Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Camerino, Camerino, Italy
- * E-mail:
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33
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Toki W, Takahashi Y, Togashi K. Fungal garden making inside bamboos by a non-social fungus-growing beetle. PLoS One 2013; 8:e79515. [PMID: 24223958 PMCID: PMC3818229 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0079515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2013] [Accepted: 09/30/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
In fungus-growing mutualism, it is indispensable for host animals to establish gardens of the symbiotic fungus as rapidly as possible. How to establish fungal gardens has been well-documented in social fungus-farming insects, whereas poorly documented in non-social fungus-farming insects. Here we report that the non-social, fungus-growing lizard beetle Doubledaya bucculenta (Coleoptera: Erotylidae: Languriinae) transmits the symbiotic yeast Wickerhamomyces anomalus from the ovipositor-associated mycangium into bamboo internode cavities and disperses the yeast in the cavities to make gardens. Microbial isolation and cryo-scanning electron microscopy observation revealed that W. anomalus was constantly located on the posterior ends of eggs, where larvae came out, and on the inner openings of oviposition holes. Direct observation of oviposition behavior inside internodes revealed that the distal parts of ovipositors showed a peristaltic movement when they were in contact with the posterior ends of eggs. Rearing experiments showed that W. anomalus was spread much more rapidly and widely on culture media and internodes in the presence of the larvae than in the absence. These results suggest that the ovipositors play a critical role in vertical transmission of W. anomalus and that the larvae contribute actively to the garden establishment, providing a novel case of fungal garden founding in non-social insect-fungus mutualism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wataru Toki
- Department of Forest Science, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, the University of Tokyo, Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan
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