1
|
Valerio F, Martel C, Stefanescu C, van Nouhuys S, Kankare M, Duplouy A. Wolbachia strain diversity in a complex group of sympatric cryptic parasitoid wasp species. BMC Microbiol 2024; 24:319. [PMID: 39223450 PMCID: PMC11368008 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-024-03470-7] [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: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/20/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Maternally-inherited symbionts can induce pre-mating and/or post-mating reproductive isolation between sympatric host lineages, and speciation, by modifying host reproductive phenotypes. The large parasitoid wasp genus Cotesia (Braconidae) includes a diversity of cryptic species, each specialized in parasitizing one to few related Lepidoptera host species. Here, we characterized the infection status of an assemblage of 21 Cotesia species from 15 countries by several microbial symbionts, as a first step toward investigating whether symbionts may provide a barrier to gene flow between these parasitoid host lineages. RESULTS The symbiotic microbes Arsenophonus, Cardinium, Microsporidium and Spiroplasma were not detected in the Cotesia wasps. However, the endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia was present in at least eight Cotesia species, and hence we concentrated on it upon screening additional DNA extracts and SRAs from NCBI. Some of the closely related Cotesia species carry similar Wolbachia strains, but most Wolbachia strains showed patterns of horizontal transfer between phylogenetically distant host lineages. CONCLUSIONS The lack of co-phylogenetic signal between Wolbachia and Cotesia suggests that the symbiont and hosts have not coevolved to an extent that would drive species divergence between the Cotesia host lineages. However, as the most common facultative symbiont of Cotesia species, Wolbachia may still function as a key-player in the biology of the parasitoid wasps. Its precise role in the evolution of this complex clade of cryptic species remains to be experimentally investigated.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Federica Valerio
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | | | | | - Saskya van Nouhuys
- Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Maaria Kankare
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Anne Duplouy
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Frost CL, Mitchell R, Smith JE, Hughes WO. Genotypes and phenotypes in a Wolbachia-ant symbiosis. PeerJ 2024; 12:e17781. [PMID: 39076777 PMCID: PMC11285360 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.17781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2018] [Accepted: 06/30/2024] [Indexed: 07/31/2024] Open
Abstract
The fitness effects of overt parasites, and host resistance to them, are well documented. Most symbionts, however, are more covert and their interactions with their hosts are less well understood. Wolbachia, an intracellular symbiont of insects, is particularly interesting because it is thought to be unaffected by the host immune response and to have fitness effects mostly focussed on sex ratio manipulation. Here, we use quantitative PCR to investigate whether host genotype affects Wolbachia infection density in the leaf-cutting ant Acromyrmex echinatior, and whether Wolbachia infection density may affect host morphology or caste determination. We found significant differences between host colonies in the density of Wolbachia infections, and also smaller intracolonial differences in infection density between host patrilines. However, the density of Wolbachia infections did not appear to affect the morphology of adult queens or likelihood of ants developing as queens. The results suggest that both host genotype and environment influence the host-Wolbachia relationship, but that Wolbachia infections carry little or no physiological effect on the development of larvae in this system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Rowena Mitchell
- School of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | | | - William O.H. Hughes
- School of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Maritan E, Quagliariello A, Frago E, Patarnello T, Martino ME. The role of animal hosts in shaping gut microbiome variation. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2024; 379:20230071. [PMID: 38497257 PMCID: PMC10945410 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2023.0071] [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: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Millions of years of co-evolution between animals and their associated microbial communities have shaped and diversified the nature of their relationship. Studies continue to reveal new layers of complexity in host-microbe interactions, the fate of which depends on a variety of different factors, ranging from neutral processes and environmental factors to local dynamics. Research is increasingly integrating ecosystem-based approaches, metagenomics and mathematical modelling to disentangle the individual contribution of ecological factors to microbiome evolution. Within this framework, host factors are known to be among the dominant drivers of microbiome composition in different animal species. However, the extent to which they shape microbiome assembly and evolution remains unclear. In this review, we summarize our understanding of how host factors drive microbial communities and how these dynamics are conserved and vary across taxa. We conclude by outlining key avenues for research and highlight the need for implementation of and key modifications to existing theory to fully capture the dynamics of host-associated microbiomes. This article is part of the theme issue 'Sculpting the microbiome: how host factors determine and respond to microbial colonization'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Maritan
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova, 35020 Padova, Italy
| | - Andrea Quagliariello
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova, 35020 Padova, Italy
| | - Enric Frago
- CIRAD, UMR CBGP, INRAE, Institut Agro, IRD, Université Montpellier, 34398 Montpellier, France
| | - Tomaso Patarnello
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova, 35020 Padova, Italy
| | - Maria Elena Martino
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova, 35020 Padova, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Peng L, Hoban J, Joffe J, Smith AH, Carpenter M, Marcelis T, Patel V, Lynn-Bell N, Oliver KM, Russell JA. Cryptic community structure and metabolic interactions among the heritable facultative symbionts of the pea aphid. J Evol Biol 2023; 36:1712-1730. [PMID: 37702036 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.14216] [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: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023]
Abstract
Most insects harbour influential, yet non-essential heritable microbes in their hemocoel. Communities of these symbionts exhibit low diversity. But their frequent multi-species nature raises intriguing questions on roles for symbiont-symbiont synergies in host adaptation, and on the stability of the symbiont communities, themselves. In this study, we build on knowledge of species-defined symbiont community structure across US populations of the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum. Through extensive symbiont genotyping, we show that pea aphids' microbiomes can be more precisely defined at the symbiont strain level, with strain variability shaping five out of nine previously reported co-infection trends. Field data provide a mixture of evidence for synergistic fitness effects and symbiont hitchhiking, revealing causes and consequences of these co-infection trends. To test whether within-host metabolic interactions predict common versus rare strain-defined communities, we leveraged the high relatedness of our dominant, community-defined symbiont strains vs. 12 pea aphid-derived Gammaproteobacteria with sequenced genomes. Genomic inference, using metabolic complementarity indices, revealed high potential for cooperation among one pair of symbionts-Serratia symbiotica and Rickettsiella viridis. Applying the expansion network algorithm, through additional use of pea aphid and obligate Buchnera symbiont genomes, Serratia and Rickettsiella emerged as the only symbiont community requiring both parties to expand holobiont metabolism. Through their joint expansion of the biotin biosynthesis pathway, these symbionts may span missing gaps, creating a multi-party mutualism within their nutrient-limited, phloem-feeding hosts. Recent, complementary gene inactivation, within the biotin pathways of Serratia and Rickettsiella, raises further questions on the origins of mutualisms and host-symbiont interdependencies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Linyao Peng
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jessica Hoban
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jonah Joffe
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Andrew H Smith
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Melissa Carpenter
- Department of Biodiversity, Earth, and Environmental Science, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Tracy Marcelis
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Vilas Patel
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Nicole Lynn-Bell
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Kerry M Oliver
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Jacob A Russell
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Valdivia C, Newton JA, von Beeren C, O'Donnell S, Kronauer DJC, Russell JA, Łukasik P. Microbial symbionts are shared between ants and their associated beetles. Environ Microbiol 2023; 25:3466-3483. [PMID: 37968789 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16544] [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: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/17/2023]
Abstract
The transmission of microbial symbionts across animal species could strongly affect their biology and evolution, but our understanding of transmission patterns and dynamics is limited. Army ants (Formicidae: Dorylinae) and their hundreds of closely associated insect guest species (myrmecophiles) can provide unique insights into interspecific microbial symbiont sharing. Here, we compared the microbiota of workers and larvae of the army ant Eciton burchellii with those of 13 myrmecophile beetle species using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. We found that the previously characterized specialized bacterial symbionts of army ant workers were largely absent from ant larvae and myrmecophiles, whose microbial communities were usually dominated by Rickettsia, Wolbachia, Rickettsiella and/or Weissella. Strikingly, different species of myrmecophiles and ant larvae often shared identical 16S rRNA genotypes of these common bacteria. Protein-coding gene sequences confirmed the close relationship of Weissella strains colonizing army ant larvae, some workers and several myrmecophile species. Unexpectedly, these strains were also similar to strains infecting dissimilar animals inhabiting very different habitats: trout and whales. Together, our data show that closely interacting species can share much of their microbiota, and some versatile microbial species can inhabit and possibly transmit across a diverse range of hosts and environments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Catalina Valdivia
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Justin A Newton
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Christoph von Beeren
- Department of Biology, Technical University of Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Sean O'Donnell
- Department of Biodiversity, Earth & Environmental Science, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Daniel J C Kronauer
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York, New York, USA
| | - Jacob A Russell
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Piotr Łukasik
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Medina P, Russell SL, Corbett-Detig R. Deep data mining reveals variable abundance and distribution of microbial reproductive manipulators within and among diverse host species. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0288261. [PMID: 37432953 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0288261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial symbionts that manipulate the reproduction of their hosts are important factors in invertebrate ecology and evolution, and are being leveraged for host biological control. Infection prevalence restricts which biological control strategies are possible and is thought to be strongly influenced by the density of symbiont infection within hosts, termed titer. Current methods to estimate infection prevalence and symbiont titers are low-throughput, biased towards sampling infected species, and rarely measure titer. Here we develop a data mining approach to estimate symbiont infection frequencies within host species and titers within host tissues. We applied this approach to screen ~32,000 publicly available sequence samples from the most common symbiont host taxa, discovering 2,083 arthropod and 119 nematode infected samples. From these data, we estimated that Wolbachia infects approximately 44% of all arthropod and 34% of all nematode species, while other reproductive manipulators only infect 1-8% of arthropod and nematode species. Although relative titers within hosts were highly variable within and between arthropod species, a combination of arthropod host species and Wolbachia strain explained approximately 36% of variation in Wolbachia titer across the dataset. To explore potential mechanisms for host control of symbiont titer, we leveraged population genomic data from the model system Drosophila melanogaster. In this host, we found a number of SNPs associated with titer in candidate genes potentially relevant to host interactions with Wolbachia. Our study demonstrates that data mining is a powerful tool to detect bacterial infections and quantify infection intensities, thus opening an array of previously inaccessible data for further analysis in host-symbiont evolution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paloma Medina
- Genomics Institute, Department of Biomolecular Engineering UC Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, United States of America
| | - Shelbi L Russell
- Genomics Institute, Department of Biomolecular Engineering UC Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, United States of America
| | - Russell Corbett-Detig
- Genomics Institute, Department of Biomolecular Engineering UC Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Liu Y, Zhao L, Qiu Z, Yuan H. The gut microbiota diversity of five Orthoptera (Insecta, Polyneoptera) insects determined by DNA metabarcoding. Biodivers Data J 2023; 11:e98162. [PMID: 38327358 PMCID: PMC10848783 DOI: 10.3897/bdj.11.e98162] [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: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Most orthopteran insects are phytophagous and some are important pests in agriculture and forests. Many intestinal microflora of Orthoptera insects have been reported, primarily from Acridoidea and there have been few reports of other taxa. In this study, we collected 15 individuals representing five species (Ruspolialineosa, Tetrixjaponica, Erianthusversicolor, Gryllotalpaorientalis and Teleogryllusemma) belonging to five orthopteran superfamilies (Tettigonioidea, Tetrigoidea, Eumastacoidea, Gryllotalpoidea and Grylloidea) to characterise and compare the gut microbiota with greater taxonomic width by performing sequencing analysis of the 16S rRNA V4 region in gut material. A total of 606,053 high-quality sequences and 3,105 OTUs were acquired from 15 gut samples representing 24 phyla, 48 classes, 69 orders, 133 families and 219 genera. Firmicutes and bacteria were the most abundant phyla, followed by Bacteroidetes, Cyanobacteria, Actinobacteria and Acidobacteria. At the genus level, Serratia, Citrobacter, Wolbachia, Lactobacillus and Parabacteroides were the most predominant genera in R.lineosa, T.japonica, E.versicolor, G.orientalis and T.emma, respectively. Both Principal Coordinates Analysis (PCoA) and heatmap results revealed significant differences in bacterial community composition across species. Additionally, alpha diversity analysis indicated the bacterial richness was significantly different amongst the five species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yantong Liu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi’an Medical University, xi'an, ChinaSchool of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi’an Medical Universityxi'anChina
| | - Lina Zhao
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, xi'an, ChinaCollege of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal Universityxi'anChina
| | - Zhongying Qiu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi’an Medical University, xi'an, ChinaSchool of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi’an Medical Universityxi'anChina
| | - Hao Yuan
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi’an Medical University, xi'an, ChinaSchool of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi’an Medical Universityxi'anChina
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Kirschner P, Seifert B, Kröll J, Schlick‐Steiner BC, Steiner FM. Phylogenomic inference and demographic model selection suggest peripatric separation of the cryptic steppe ant species Plagiolepis pyrenaica stat. rev. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:1149-1168. [PMID: 36530155 PMCID: PMC10946478 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Revised: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The ant Plagiolepis taurica Santschi, 1920 (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) is a typical species of the Eurasian steppes, a large grassland dominated biome that stretches continuously from Central Asia to Eastern Europe and is represented by disjunct outposts also in Central and Western Europe. The extent of this biome has been influenced by the Pleistocene climate, and steppes expanded recurrently during cold stages and contracted in warm stages. Consequently, stenotopic steppe species such as P. taurica repeatedly went through periods of demographic expansion and severe isolation. Here, we explore the impact of these dynamics on the genetic diversification within P. taurica. Delimitation of P. taurica from other Plagiolepis species has been unclear since its initial description, which raised questions on both its classification and its spatiotemporal diversification early on. We re-evaluate species limits and explore underlying mechanisms driving speciation by using an integrative approach based on genomic and morphometric data. We found large intraspecific divergence within P. taurica and resolved geographically coherent western and eastern genetic groups, which likewise differed morphologically. A morphometric survey of type material showed that Plagiolepis from the western group were more similar to P. barbara pyrenaica Emery, 1921 than to P. taurica; we thus lift the former from synonymy and establish it as separate species, P. pyrenaica stat. rev. Explicit evolutionary model testing based on genomic data supported a peripatric speciation for the species pair, probably as a consequence of steppe contraction and isolation during the mid-Pleistocene. We speculate that this scenario could be exemplary for many stenotopic steppe species, given the emphasized dynamics of Eurasian steppes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Kirschner
- Department of EcologyUniversity of InnsbruckInnsbruckAustria
- Department of BotanyUniversity of InnsbruckInnsbruckAustria
| | | | - Joelle Kröll
- Department of EcologyUniversity of InnsbruckInnsbruckAustria
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
9
|
Ramalho MO, Moreau CS. Untangling the complex interactions between turtle ants and their microbial partners. Anim Microbiome 2023; 5:1. [PMID: 36597141 PMCID: PMC9809061 DOI: 10.1186/s42523-022-00223-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND To understand the patterns of biodiversity it is important to consider symbiotic interactions as they can shape animal evolution. In several ant genera symbiotic interactions with microbial communities have been shown to have profound impacts for the host. For example, we know that for Camponotini the gut community can upgrade the host's diet and is shaped by development and colony interactions. However, what is true for one ant group may not be true for another. For the microbial communities that have been examined across ants we see variation in the diversity, host factors that structure these communities, and the function these microbes provide for the host. In the herbivorous turtle ants (Cephalotes) their stable symbiotic interactions with gut bacteria have persisted for 50 million years with the gut bacteria synthesizing essential amino acids that are used by the host. Although we know the function for some of these turtle ant-associated bacteria there are still many open questions. RESULTS In the present study we examined microbial community diversity (16S rRNA and 18S rRNA amplicons) of more than 75 species of turtle ants across different geographic locations and in the context of the host's phylogenetic history. Our results show (1) that belonging to a certain species and biogeographic regions are relevant to structuring the microbial community of turtle ants; (2) both bacterial and eukaryotic communities demonstrated correlations and cooccurrence within the ant host; (3) within the core bacterial community, Burkholderiaceae bacterial lineage were the only group that showed strong patterns of codiversification with the host, which is remarkable since the core bacterial community is stable and persistent. CONCLUSIONS We concluded that for the turtle ants there is a diverse and evolutionarily stable core bacterial community, which leads to interesting questions about what microbial or host factors influence when these partner histories become evolutionarily intertwined.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Manuela O. Ramalho
- grid.268132.c0000 0001 0701 2416Department of Biology, West Chester University, 750 South Church Street, West Chester, PA 19383 USA
| | - Corrie S. Moreau
- grid.5386.8000000041936877XDepartment of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 USA ,grid.5386.8000000041936877XDepartment of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Jackson R, Patapiou PA, Golding G, Helanterä H, Economou CK, Chapuisat M, Henry LM. Evidence of phylosymbiosis in Formica ants. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1044286. [PMID: 37213490 PMCID: PMC10196114 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1044286] [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: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 05/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Insects share intimate relationships with microbes that play important roles in their biology. Yet our understanding of how host-bound microbial communities assemble and perpetuate over evolutionary time is limited. Ants host a wide range of microbes with diverse functions and are an emerging model for studying the evolution of insect microbiomes. Here, we ask whether phylogenetically related ant species have formed distinct and stable microbiomes. Methods To answer this question, we investigated the microbial communities associated with queens of 14 Formica species from five clades, using deep coverage 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. Results We reveal that Formica species and clades harbor highly defined microbial communities that are dominated by four bacteria genera: Wolbachia, Lactobacillus, Liliensternia, and Spiroplasma. Our analysis reveals that the composition of Formica microbiomes mirrors the phylogeny of the host, i.e., phylosymbiosis, in that related hosts harbor more similar microbial communities. In addition, we find there are significant correlations between microbe co-occurrences. Discussion Our results demonstrate Formica ants carry microbial communities that recapitulate the phylogeny of their hosts. Our data suggests that the co-occurrence of different bacteria genera may at least in part be due to synergistic and antagonistic interactions between microbes. Additional factors potentially contributing to the phylosymbiotic signal are discussed, including host phylogenetic relatedness, host-microbe genetic compatibility, modes of transmission, and similarities in host ecologies (e.g., diets). Overall, our results support the growing body of evidence that microbial community composition closely depends on the phylogeny of their hosts, despite bacteria having diverse modes of transmission and localization within the host.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Raphaella Jackson
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Patapios A. Patapiou
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, United Kingdom
| | - Gemma Golding
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Heikki Helanterä
- Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
- Tvärminne Zoological Station, University of Helsinki, Hanko, Finland
| | - Chloe K. Economou
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Michel Chapuisat
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Lee M. Henry
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Lee M. Henry,
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Twort VG, Blande D, Duplouy A. One's trash is someone else's treasure: sequence read archives from Lepidoptera genomes provide material for genome reconstruction of their endosymbionts. BMC Microbiol 2022; 22:209. [PMID: 36042402 PMCID: PMC9426245 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-022-02602-1] [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: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Maternally inherited bacterial symbionts are extremely widespread in insects. They owe their success to their ability to promote their own transmission through various manipulations of their hosts' life-histories. Many symbionts however very often go undetected. Consequently, we have only a restricted idea of the true symbiont diversity in insects, which may hinder our understanding of even bigger questions in the field such as the evolution or establishment of symbiosis. RESULTS In this study, we screened publicly available Lepidoptera genomic material for two of the most common insect endosymbionts, namely Wolbachia and Spiroplasma, in 1904 entries, encompassing 106 distinct species. We compared the performance of two screening software, Kraken2 and MetaPhlAn2, to identify the bacterial infections and using a baiting approach we reconstruct endosymbiont genome assemblies. Of the 106 species screened, 20 (19%) and nine (8.5%) were found to be infected with either Wolbachia or Spiroplasma, respectively. Construction of partial symbiotic genomes and phylogenetic analyses suggested the Wolbachia strains from the supergroup B were the most prevalent type of symbionts, while Spiroplasma infections were scarce in the Lepidoptera species screened here. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that many of the host-symbiont associations remain largely unexplored, with the majority of associations we identify never being recorded before. This highlights the usefulness of public databases to explore the hidden diversity of symbiotic entities, allowing the development of hypotheses regarding host-symbiont associations. The ever-expanding genomic databases provide a diverse databank from which one can characterize and explore the true diversity of symbiotic entities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Victoria G Twort
- Finnish Natural History Museum, LUOMUS, The University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Daniel Blande
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology, The University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Anne Duplouy
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology, The University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Manthey JD, Girón JC, Hruska JP. Impact of host demography and evolutionary history on endosymbiont molecular evolution: A test in carpenter ants (genus Camponotus) and their Blochmannia endosymbionts. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9026. [PMID: 35795355 PMCID: PMC9251289 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Revised: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Obligate endosymbioses are tight associations between symbionts and the hosts they live inside. Hosts and their associated obligate endosymbionts generally exhibit codiversification, which has been documented in taxonomically diverse insect lineages. Host demography (e.g., effective population sizes) may impact the demography of endosymbionts, which may lead to an association between host demography and the patterns and processes of endosymbiont molecular evolution. Here, we used whole-genome sequencing data for carpenter ants (Genus Camponotus; subgenera Camponotus and Tanaemyrmex) and their Blochmannia endosymbionts as our study system to address whether Camponotus demography shapes Blochmannia molecular evolution. Using whole-genome phylogenomics, we confirmed previous work identifying codiversification between carpenter ants and their Blochmannia endosymbionts. We found that Blochmannia genes have evolved at a pace ~30× faster than that of their hosts' molecular evolution and that these rates are positively associated with host rates of molecular evolution. Using multiple tests for selection in Blochmannia genes, we found signatures of positive selection and shifts in selection strength across the phylogeny. Host demography was associated with Blochmannia shifts toward increased selection strengths, but not associated with Blochmannia selection relaxation, positive selection, genetic drift rates, or genome size evolution. Mixed support for relationships between host effective population sizes and Blochmannia molecular evolution suggests weak or uncoupled relationships between host demography and Blochmannia population genomic processes. Finally, we found that Blochmannia genome size evolution was associated with genome-wide estimates of genetic drift and number of genes with relaxed selection pressures.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joseph D. Manthey
- Department of Biological SciencesTexas Tech UniversityLubbockTexasUSA
| | - Jennifer C. Girón
- Department of EntomologyPurdue UniversityWest LafayetteIndianaUSA
- Natural Science Research LaboratoryMuseum of Texas Tech UniversityLubbockTexasUSA
| | - Jack P. Hruska
- Department of Biological SciencesTexas Tech UniversityLubbockTexasUSA
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Discovery of Rickettsia and Rickettsiella Intracellular Bacteria in Emerald Ash Borer Agrilus planipennis by Metagenomic Study of Larval Gut Microbiome in European Russia. FORESTS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/f13070974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Emerald ash borer Agrilus planipennis (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) is a quarantine pest posing a threat to ash trees all over Europe. This wood-boring beetle native to Asia is quickly spreading in North America and European Russia, and approaching the European Union and the Middle East. It is important to study microorganisms associated with this pest, because the knowledge of its “natural enemies” and “natural allies” could be potentially used for the control of the pest. All previously published information about the A. planipennis microbiome was obtained in North America and China. We present the first study on procaryotes associated with A. planipennis in Europe. Alive larvae were sampled from under the bark of Fraxinus pennsylvanica in the Moscow Oblast and the gut microbiome was studied using metagenomic methods. Next-generation Illumina-based amplicon sequencing of the v3-v4 region 16S-RNA gene was performed. In total, 439 operational taxonomic units from 39 families and five phyla were detected. The dominant families in our samples were Pseudomonadaceae, Erwiniaceae and Enterobacteriaceae, in accordance with the published information on the larval gut microbiome in North America and China. We detected intracellular bacteria in A. planipennis for the first time, namely Rickettsia (Rickettsiaceae) and Rickettsiella (Diplorickettsiaceae). Representatives of the genus Rickettsia are known to be in mutualistic symbiosis with some phytophagous insects, while Rickettsiella bacteria are pathogenic to many arthropods. The finding of Rickettsia and Rickettsiella opens perspectives for future research on the interactions between these bacteria and A. planipennis and the possible use of these interactions for the control of the pest.
Collapse
|
14
|
Gupta M, Kaur R, Gupta A, Raychoudhury R. Are ecological communities the seat of endosymbiont horizontal transfer and diversification? A case study with soil arthropod community. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:14490-14508. [PMID: 34765121 PMCID: PMC8571607 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2020] [Revised: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Maternally inherited endosymbionts of arthropods are one of the most abundant and diverse group of bacteria. These bacterial endosymbionts also show extensive horizontal transfer to taxonomically unrelated hosts and widespread recombination in their genomes. Such horizontal transfers can be enhanced when different arthropod hosts come in contact like in an ecological community. Higher rates of horizontal transfer can also increase the probability of recombination between endosymbionts, as they now share the same host cytoplasm. However, reports of community-wide endosymbiont data are rare as most studies choose few host taxa and specific ecological interactions among the hosts. To better understand endosymbiont spread within host populations, we investigated the incidence, diversity, extent of horizontal transfer, and recombination of three endosymbionts (Wolbachia, Cardinium, and Arsenophonus) in a specific soil arthropod community. Wolbachia strains were characterized with MLST genes whereas 16S rRNA gene was used for Cardinium and Arsenophonus. Among 3,509 individual host arthropods, belonging to 390 morphospecies, 12.05% were infected with Wolbachia, 2.82% with Cardinium and 2.05% with Arsenophonus. Phylogenetic incongruence between host and endosymbiont indicated extensive horizontal transfer of endosymbionts within this community. Three cases of recombination between Wolbachia supergroups and eight incidences of within-supergroup recombination were also found. Statistical tests of similarity indicated supergroup A Wolbachia and Cardinium show a pattern consistent with extensive horizontal transfer within the community but not for supergroup B Wolbachia and Arsenophonus. We highlight the importance of extensive community-wide studies for a better understanding of the spread of endosymbionts across global arthropod communities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Manisha Gupta
- Indian Institute of Science Education and ResearchMohali (IISER‐Mohali)ManauliIndia
| | - Rajbir Kaur
- Indian Institute of Science Education and ResearchMohali (IISER‐Mohali)ManauliIndia
- Indian Institute of ScienceBengaluruIndia
| | - Ankita Gupta
- ICAR‐ National Bureau of Agricultural Insect Resources (NBAIR)BengaluruIndia
| | | |
Collapse
|
15
|
Zhang N, He J, Shen X, Sun C, Muhammad A, Shao Y. Contribution of sample processing to gut microbiome analysis in the model Lepidoptera, silkworm Bombyx mori. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2021; 19:4658-4668. [PMID: 34504661 PMCID: PMC8390955 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2021.08.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Revised: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbes that live inside insects play various roles in host biology, ranging from nutrient supplementation to host defense. Although Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) are one of the most diverse insect taxa and important in natural ecosystems, their microbiotas are little-studied, and to understand their structure and function, it is necessary to identify potential factors that affect microbiome analysis. Using a model organism, the silkworm Bombyx mori, we investigated the effects of different sample types (whole gut, gut content, gut tissue, starvation, or frass) and metagenomic DNA extraction methodologies (small-scale versus large-scale) on the composition and diversity of the caterpillar gut microbial communities. High-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing and computational analysis of the resulting data unraveled that DNA extraction has a large effect on the outcome of metagenomic analysis: significant biases were observed in estimates of community diversity and in the ratio between Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Furthermore, bacterial communities differed significantly among sample types. The gut content and whole gut samples differed least, both had a higher percentage of Enterococcus and Acinetobacter species; whereas the frass and starvation samples differed substantially from the whole gut and were poor representatives of the gut microbiome. Thus, we recommend a small-scale DNA extraction methodology for sampling the whole gut under normal insect rearing conditions whenever possible, as this approach provides the most accurate assessment of the gut microbiome. Our study highlights that evaluation of the optimal sample-processing approach should be the first step taken to confidently assess the contributions of microbiota to Lepidoptera.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nan Zhang
- Max Planck Partner Group, Institute of Sericulture and Apiculture, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jintao He
- Max Planck Partner Group, Institute of Sericulture and Apiculture, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoqiang Shen
- Max Planck Partner Group, Institute of Sericulture and Apiculture, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Chao Sun
- Analysis Center of Agrobiology and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Abrar Muhammad
- Max Planck Partner Group, Institute of Sericulture and Apiculture, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yongqi Shao
- Max Planck Partner Group, Institute of Sericulture and Apiculture, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory for Molecular Animal Nutrition, Ministry of Education, China
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Carpenter M, Peng L, Smith AH, Joffe J, O’Connor M, Oliver KM, Russell JA. Frequent Drivers, Occasional Passengers: Signals of Symbiont-Driven Seasonal Adaptation and Hitchhiking in the Pea Aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum. INSECTS 2021; 12:805. [PMID: 34564245 PMCID: PMC8466206 DOI: 10.3390/insects12090805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2021] [Revised: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 09/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Insects harbor a variety of maternally inherited bacterial symbionts. As such, variation in symbiont presence/absence, in the combinations of harbored symbionts, and in the genotypes of harbored symbiont species provide heritable genetic variation of potential use in the insects' adaptive repertoires. Understanding the natural importance of symbionts is challenging but studying their dynamics over time can help to elucidate the potential for such symbiont-driven insect adaptation. Toward this end, we studied the seasonal dynamics of six maternally transferred bacterial symbiont species in the multivoltine pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum). Our sampling focused on six alfalfa fields in southeastern Pennsylvania, and spanned 14 timepoints within the 2012 growing season, in addition to two overwintering periods. To test and generate hypotheses on the natural relevance of these non-essential symbionts, we examined whether symbiont dynamics correlated with any of ten measured environmental variables from the 2012 growing season, including some of known importance in the lab. We found that five symbionts changed prevalence across one or both overwintering periods, and that the same five species underwent such frequency shifts across the 2012 growing season. Intriguingly, the frequencies of these dynamic symbionts showed robust correlations with a subset of our measured environmental variables. Several of these trends supported the natural relevance of lab-discovered symbiont roles, including anti-pathogen defense. For a seventh symbiont-Hamiltonella defensa-studied previously across the same study periods, we tested whether a reported correlation between prevalence and temperature stemmed not from thermally varying host-level fitness effects, but from selection on co-infecting symbionts or on aphid-encoded alleles associated with this bacterium. In general, such "hitchhiking" effects were not evident during times with strongly correlated Hamiltonella and temperature shifts. However, we did identify at least one time period in which Hamiltonella spread was likely driven by selection on a co-infecting symbiont-Rickettsiella viridis. Recognizing the broader potential for such hitchhiking, we explored selection on co-infecting symbionts as a possible driver behind the dynamics of the remaining six species. Out of twelve examined instances of symbiont dynamics unfolding across 2-week periods or overwintering spans, we found eight in which the focal symbiont underwent parallel frequency shifts under single infection and one or more co-infection contexts. This supported the idea that phenotypic variation created by the presence/absence of individual symbionts is a direct target for selection, and that symbiont effects can be robust under co-habitation with other symbionts. Contrastingly, in two cases, we found that selection may target phenotypes emerging from symbiont co-infections, with specific species combinations driving overall trends for the focal dynamic symbionts, without correlated change under single infection. Finally, in three cases-including the one described above for Hamiltonella-our data suggested that incidental co-infection with a (dis)favored symbiont could lead to large frequency shifts for "passenger" symbionts, conferring no apparent cost or benefit. Such hitchhiking has rarely been studied in heritable symbiont systems. We propose that it is more common than appreciated, given the widespread nature of maternally inherited bacteria, and the frequency of multi-species symbiotic communities across insects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Carpenter
- Department of Biodiversity, Earth, and Environmental Science, Drexel University, 3250 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; (M.C.); (A.H.S.); (M.O.)
| | - Linyao Peng
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, 3245 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; (L.P.); (J.J.)
| | - Andrew H. Smith
- Department of Biodiversity, Earth, and Environmental Science, Drexel University, 3250 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; (M.C.); (A.H.S.); (M.O.)
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, 3245 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; (L.P.); (J.J.)
| | - Jonah Joffe
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, 3245 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; (L.P.); (J.J.)
| | - Michael O’Connor
- Department of Biodiversity, Earth, and Environmental Science, Drexel University, 3250 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; (M.C.); (A.H.S.); (M.O.)
| | - Kerry M. Oliver
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, 120 Cedar St., Athens, GA 30602, USA;
| | - Jacob A. Russell
- Department of Biodiversity, Earth, and Environmental Science, Drexel University, 3250 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; (M.C.); (A.H.S.); (M.O.)
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, 3245 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; (L.P.); (J.J.)
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
New Strains of Wolbachia Unveiling the Complexity of This Symbiotic Interaction in Solenopsis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). MICROBIOLOGY RESEARCH 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/microbiolres12030040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteria of the genus Wolbachia are widely distributed in arthropods, particularly in ants; nevertheless, it is still little explored with the Multilocus Sequence Typing (MLST) methodology, especially in the genus Solenopsis, which includes species native to South America. Ants from this genus have species distributed in a cosmopolitan way with some of them being native to South America. In Brazil, they are widely spread and preferentially associated with areas of human activity. This study aimed to investigate the diversity of Wolbachia in ants of the genus Solenopsis through the MLST approach and their phylogenetic relationship, including the relationship between mtDNA from the host and the related Wolbachia strain. We also tested the geographic correlation between the strains to infer transmission and distributional patterns. Fifteen new strains and eleven previously unknown alleles were obtained by sequencing and analyzing the five genes that make up the MLST. The phylogenetic relationship between the strains showed a polyphyletic pattern, indicative of the complexity of the evolutionary history of these bacteria in the analyzed species. We detected the correlation of host’s mitochondrial DNA with Wolbachia diversity which imply that related strains exist in related hosts, strongly suggesting the occurrence of vertical transfer. We found no specificity of the Wolbachia strain for a given geographic region that could indicate either that there is no horizontal transfer of the strain from the environment for the host or that the human action could be shuffling the distribution of the Solenopsis ants and the endosymbiont Wolbachia, as well. Our study highlights the complexity and novelty of Wolbachia diversity with this specific group of ants and the need for further studies that focus on understanding of this intricate relationship.
Collapse
|
18
|
Smith AH, O'Connor MP, Deal B, Kotzer C, Lee A, Wagner B, Joffe J, Woloszynek S, Oliver KM, Russell JA. Does getting defensive get you anywhere?-Seasonal balancing selection, temperature, and parasitoids shape real-world, protective endosymbiont dynamics in the pea aphid. Mol Ecol 2021; 30:2449-2472. [PMID: 33876478 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Revised: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Facultative, heritable endosymbionts are found at intermediate prevalence within most insect species, playing frequent roles in their hosts' defence against environmental pressures. Focusing on Hamiltonella defensa, a common bacterial endosymbiont of aphids, we tested the hypothesis that such pressures impose seasonal balancing selection, shaping a widespread infection polymorphism. In our studied pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum) population, Hamiltonella frequencies ranged from 23.2% to 68.1% across a six-month longitudinal survey. Rapid spikes and declines were often consistent across fields, and we estimated that selection coefficients for Hamiltonella-infected aphids changed sign within this field season. Prior laboratory research suggested antiparasitoid defence as the major Hamiltonella benefit, and costs under parasitoid absence. While a prior field study suggested these forces can sometimes act as counter-weights in a regime of seasonal balancing selection, our present survey showed no significant relationship between parasitoid wasps and Hamiltonella prevalence. Field cage experiments provided some explanation: parasitoids drove modest ~10% boosts to Hamiltonella frequencies that would be hard to detect under less controlled conditions. They also showed that Hamiltonella was not always costly under parasitoid exclusion, contradicting another prediction. Instead, our longitudinal survey - and two overwintering studies - showed temperature to be the strongest predictor of Hamiltonella prevalence. Matching some prior lab discoveries, this suggested that thermally sensitive costs and benefits, unrelated to parasitism, can shape Hamiltonella dynamics. These results add to a growing body of evidence for rapid, seasonal adaptation in multivoltine organisms, suggesting that such adaptation can be mediated through the diverse impacts of heritable bacterial endosymbionts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew H Smith
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Michael P O'Connor
- Department of Biodiversity, Earth, and Environmental Science, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Brooke Deal
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Coleman Kotzer
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Amanda Lee
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Barrett Wagner
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jonah Joffe
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Kerry M Oliver
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Jacob A Russell
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Scarparo G, Rugman-Jones P, Gebiola M, Giulio AD, McFrederick QS. First screening of bacterial communities of Microdon myrmicae and its ant host: do microbes facilitate the invasion of ant colonies by social parasites? Basic Appl Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2020.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
|
20
|
Doremus MR, Stouthamer CM, Kelly SE, Schmitz-Esser S, Hunter MS. Cardinium Localization During Its Parasitoid Wasp Host's Development Provides Insights Into Cytoplasmic Incompatibility. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:606399. [PMID: 33424808 PMCID: PMC7793848 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.606399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Arthropods harbor heritable intracellular symbionts that may manipulate host reproduction to favor symbiont transmission. In cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI), the symbiont sabotages the reproduction of infected males such that high levels of offspring mortality result when they mate with uninfected females. In crosses with infected males and infected females, however (the “rescue” cross), normal numbers of offspring are produced. A common CI-inducing symbiont, Cardinium hertigii, causes variable levels of CI mortality in the parasitoid wasp, Encarsia suzannae. Previous work correlated CI-induced mortality with male development time in this system, although the timing of Cardinium CI-induction and the relationship between development time and CI mortality was not well understood. Here, using a combination of crosses, manipulation of development time, and fluorescence microscopy, we identify the localization and the timing of the CI-induction step in the Cardinium-E. suzannae system. Antibiotic treatment of adult Cardinium-infected males did not reduce the mortality associated with the CI phenotype, suggesting that CI-alteration occurs prior to adulthood. Our results suggest that the alteration step occurs during the pupal period, and is limited by the duration of pupal development: 1) Encarsia produces most sperm prior to adulthood, 2) FISH localization of Cardinium in testes showed an association with sperm nuclei throughout spermatogenesis but not with mature sperm, and 3) two methods of prolonging the pupal period (cool temperatures and the juvenile hormone analog methoprene) both caused greater CI mortality, suggesting the degree of alteration is limited by the duration of the pupal stage. Based on these results, we compare two models for potential mechanisms of Cardinium sperm modification in the context of what is known about analogous mechanisms of Wolbachia, a more extensively studied CI-inducing symbiont.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew R Doremus
- Graduate Interdisciplinary Program in Entomology and Insect Science, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | | | - Suzanne E Kelly
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | | | - Martha S Hunter
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Duplouy A, Pranter R, Warren-Gash H, Tropek R, Wahlberg N. Towards unravelling Wolbachia global exchange: a contribution from the Bicyclus and Mylothris butterflies in the Afrotropics. BMC Microbiol 2020; 20:319. [PMID: 33081703 PMCID: PMC7576836 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-020-02011-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Phylogenetically closely related strains of maternally inherited endosymbiotic bacteria are often found in phylogenetically divergent, and geographically distant insect host species. The interspecies transfer of the symbiont Wolbachia has been thought to have occurred repeatedly, facilitating its observed global pandemic. Few ecological interactions have been proposed as potential routes for the horizontal transfer of Wolbachia within natural insect communities. These routes are however likely to act only at the local scale, but how they may support the global distribution of some Wolbachia strains remains unclear. Results Here, we characterize the Wolbachia diversity in butterflies from the tropical forest regions of central Africa to discuss transfer at both local and global scales. We show that numerous species from both the Mylothris (family Pieridae) and Bicyclus (family Nymphalidae) butterfly genera are infected with similar Wolbachia strains, despite only minor interclade contacts across the life cycles of the species within their partially overlapping ecological niches. The phylogenetic distance and differences in resource use between these genera rule out the role of ancestry, hybridization, and shared host-plants in the interspecies transfer of the symbiont. Furthermore, we could not identify any shared ecological factors to explain the presence of the strains in other arthropod species from other habitats, or even ecoregions. Conclusion Only the systematic surveys of the Wolbachia strains from entire species communities may offer the material currently lacking for understanding how Wolbachia may transfer between highly different and unrelated hosts, as well as across environmental scales. Supplementary information Supplementary information accompanies this paper at 10.1186/s12866-020-02011-2.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anne Duplouy
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden. .,Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, The University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Robin Pranter
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | | | - Robert Tropek
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.,Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | | |
Collapse
|
22
|
Noh P, Oh S, Park S, Kwon T, Kim Y, Choe JC, Jeong G. Association between host wing morphology polymorphism and Wolbachia infection in Vollenhovia emeryi (Hymenoptera: Myrmicinae). Ecol Evol 2020; 10:8827-8837. [PMID: 32884660 PMCID: PMC7452775 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2020] [Revised: 05/14/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Many eusocial insects, including ants, show complex colony structures, distributions, and reproductive strategies. In the ant Vollenhovia emeryi Wheeler (Hymenoptera: Myrmicinae), queens and males are produced clonally, while sterile workers arise sexually, unlike other ant species and Hymenopteran insects in general. Furthermore, there is a wing length polymorphism in the queen caste. Despite its evolutionary remarkable traits, little is known about the population structure of this ant species, which may provide insight into its unique reproductive mode and polymorphic traits. We performed in-depth analyses of ant populations from Korea, Japan, and North America using three mitochondrial genes (COI, COII, and Cytb). The long-winged (L) morph is predominant in Korean populations, and the short-winged (S) morph is very rare. Interestingly, all L morphs were infected with Wolbachia, while all Korean S morphs lacked Wolbachia, demonstrating a association between a symbiont and a phenotypic trait. A phylogenetic analysis revealed that the S morph is derived from the L morph. We propose that the S morph is associated with potential resistance to Wolbachia infection and that Wolbachia infection does not influence clonal reproduction (as is the case in other ant species).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pureum Noh
- Division of EcoScienceEwha Womans UniversitySeoulKorea
- National Institute of EcologySeochun‐gunKorea
- Present address:
Herbal Medicine Resources Research CenterKorea Institute of Oriental MedicineNajuKorea
| | - Seung‐Yoon Oh
- School of Biological SciencesSeoul National UniversitySeoulKorea
| | - Soyeon Park
- National Institute of EcologySeochun‐gunKorea
- Interdisciplinary Program of EcoCreativeThe Graduate SchoolEwha Womans UniversitySeoulKorea
| | - Taesung Kwon
- Division of Forest EcologyKorea Forest Research InstituteSeoulKorea
| | - Yonghwan Kim
- Department of PhysicsKonkuk UniversitySeoulKorea
| | - Jae Chun Choe
- Division of EcoScienceEwha Womans UniversitySeoulKorea
- National Institute of EcologySeochun‐gunKorea
| | - Gilsang Jeong
- Division of EcoScienceEwha Womans UniversitySeoulKorea
- National Institute of EcologySeochun‐gunKorea
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Ramalho MDO, Martins C, Morini MSC, Bueno OC. What Can the Bacterial Community of Atta sexdens (Linnaeus, 1758) Tell Us about the Habitats in Which This Ant Species Evolves? INSECTS 2020; 11:E332. [PMID: 32481532 PMCID: PMC7349130 DOI: 10.3390/insects11060332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2020] [Revised: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Studies of bacterial communities can reveal the evolutionary significance of symbiotic interactions between hosts and their associated bacteria, as well as identify environmental factors that may influence host biology. Atta sexdens is an ant species native to Brazil that can act as an agricultural pest due to its intense behavior of cutting plants. Despite being extensively studied, certain aspects of the general biology of this species remain unclear, such as the evolutionary implications of the symbiotic relationships it forms with bacteria. Using high-throughput amplicon sequencing of 16S rRNA genes, we compared for the first time the bacterial community of A. sexdens (whole ant workers) populations according to the habitat (natural versus agricultural) and geographical location. Our results revealed that the bacterial community associated with A. sexdens is mainly influenced by the geographical location, and secondarily by the differences in habitat. Also, the bacterial community associated with citrus differed significantly from the other communities due to the presence of Tsukamurella. In conclusion, our study suggests that environmental shifts may influence the bacterial diversity found in A. sexdens.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Manuela de Oliveira Ramalho
- Centro de Estudos de Insetos Sociais—CEIS, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Campus Rio Claro, Avenida 24A, 1515, Bela Vista, Rio Claro 13506-900, SP, Brazil;
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, 129 Garden Ave, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Cintia Martins
- Campus Ministro Reis Velloso, Universidade Federal do Piauí, Av. São Sebastião, 2819, Parnaíba, Piauí 64202-020, Brazil;
| | - Maria Santina Castro Morini
- Núcleo de Ciências Ambientais, Universidade de Mogi das Cruzes, Av. Dr. Cândido Xavier de Almeida e Souza, 200, Centro Cívico, Mogi das Cruzes 08780-911, SP, Brazil;
| | - Odair Correa Bueno
- Centro de Estudos de Insetos Sociais—CEIS, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Campus Rio Claro, Avenida 24A, 1515, Bela Vista, Rio Claro 13506-900, SP, Brazil;
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Deep Sequencing Uncovers Caste-Associated Diversity of Symbionts in the Social Ant Camponotus japonicus. mBio 2020; 11:mBio.00408-20. [PMID: 32317320 PMCID: PMC7175090 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00408-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Social animals, such as primates and some insects, have been shown to exchange symbiotic microbes among individuals through sharing diet or habitats, resulting in increased consistency of microbiota among social partners. The ant is a representative of social insects exhibiting various castes within a colony; queens, males, and nonreproductive females (so-called workers) show distinct morphologies, physiologies, and behaviors but tightly interact with each other in the nest. However, how this social context affects their gut microbiota has remained unclear. In this study, we deeply sequenced the gut symbiont community across various castes of the carpenter ant Camponotus japonicus. We report caste-dependent diversity of commensal gut microbial community and lineage divergence of the mutualistic endosymbiont “Candidatus Blochmannia.” This report sheds light on the hidden diversity in microbial populations and community structure associated with guts of males in social ants. Symbiotic microorganisms can have a profound impact on the host physiology and behavior, and novel relationships between symbionts and their hosts are continually discovered. A colony of social ants consists of various castes that exhibit distinct lifestyles and is, thus, a unique model for investigating how symbionts may be involved in host eusociality. Yet our knowledge of social ant-symbiont dynamics has remained rudimentary. Through 16S rRNA gene deep sequencing of the carpenter ant Camponotus japonicus symbiont community across various castes, we here report caste-dependent diversity of commensal gut microbiota and lineage divergence of “Candidatus Blochmannia,” an obligate endosymbiont. While most prevalent gut-associated bacterial populations are found across all castes (Alphaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Cyanobacteria), we also discovered uncultured populations that are found only in males (belonging to Corynebacteriales, Alkanindiges, and Burkholderia). Most of those populations are not detected in laboratory-maintained queens and workers, suggesting that they are facultative gut symbionts introduced via environmental acquisition. Further inspection of “Ca. Blochmannia” endosymbionts reveals that two populations are dominant in all individuals across all castes but that males preferentially contain two different sublineages that are diversified from others. Clearly, each caste has distinct symbiont communities, suggesting an overlooked biological aspect of host-symbiont interaction in social insects.
Collapse
|
25
|
Birer C, Moreau CS, Tysklind N, Zinger L, Duplais C. Disentangling the assembly mechanisms of ant cuticular bacterial communities of two Amazonian ant species sharing a common arboreal nest. Mol Ecol 2020; 29:1372-1385. [PMID: 32133714 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2018] [Revised: 02/27/2020] [Accepted: 02/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Bacteria living on the cuticle of ants are generally studied for their protective role against pathogens, especially in the clade of fungus-growing ants. However, little is known regarding the diversity of cuticular bacteria in other ant host species, as well as the mechanisms leading to the composition of these communities. Here, we used 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing to study the influence of host species, species interactions and the pool of bacteria from the environment on the assembly of cuticular bacterial communities on two phylogenetically distant Amazonian ant species that frequently nest together inside the roots system of epiphytic plants, Camponotus femoratus and Crematogaster levior. Our results show that (a) the vast majority of the bacterial community on the cuticle is shared with the nest, suggesting that most bacteria on the cuticle are acquired through environmental acquisition, (b) 5.2% and 2.0% of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) are respectively specific to Ca. femoratus and Cr. levior, probably representing their respective core cuticular bacterial community, and (c) 3.6% of OTUs are shared between the two ant species. Additionally, mass spectrometry metabolomics analysis of metabolites on the cuticle of ants, which excludes the detection of cuticular hydrocarbons produced by the host, were conducted to evaluate correlations among bacterial OTUs and m/z ion mass. Although some positive and negative correlations are found, the cuticular chemical composition was weakly species-specific, suggesting that cuticular bacterial communities are prominently environmentally acquired. Overall, our results suggest the environment is the dominant source of bacteria found on the cuticle of ants.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Birer
- CNRS, UMR8172 EcoFoG, AgroParisTech, CIRAD, INRA, Université des Antilles, Université de Guyane, Cayenne, France.,Department of Biomedical Informatics, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Corrie S Moreau
- Departments of Entomology and Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Niklas Tysklind
- INRAE, UMR8172 EcoFoG, AgroParisTech, CIRAD, CNRS, Université des Antilles, Université de Guyane, Kourou, France
| | - Lucie Zinger
- Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure (IBENS), Ecole Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, PSL Université Paris, Paris, France
| | - Christophe Duplais
- CNRS, UMR8172 EcoFoG, AgroParisTech, CIRAD, INRA, Université des Antilles, Université de Guyane, Cayenne, France
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Kaczmarczyk-Ziemba A, Zagaja M, Wagner GK, Pietrykowska-Tudruj E, Staniec B. First Insight into Microbiome Profiles of Myrmecophilous Beetles and Their Host, Red Wood Ant Formica polyctena (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)-A Case Study. INSECTS 2020; 11:E134. [PMID: 32092972 PMCID: PMC7073670 DOI: 10.3390/insects11020134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2019] [Revised: 02/10/2020] [Accepted: 02/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Formica polyctena belongs to the red wood ant species group. Its nests provide a stable, food rich, and temperature and humidity controlled environment, utilized by a wide range of species, called myrmecophiles. Here, we used the high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene on the Illumina platform for identification of the microbiome profiles of six selected myrmecophilous beetles (Dendrophilus pygmaeus, Leptacinus formicetorum, Monotoma angusticollis, Myrmechixenus subterraneus, Ptenidium formicetorum and Thiasophila angulata) and their host F. polyctena. Analyzed bacterial communities consisted of a total of 23 phyla, among which Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Firmicutes were the most abundant. Two known endosymbionts-Wolbachia and Rickettsia-were found in the analyzed microbiome profiles and Wolbachia was dominant in bacterial communities associated with F. polyctena, M. subterraneus, L. formicetorum and P. formicetorum (>90% of reads). In turn, M. angusticollis was co-infected with both Wolbachia and Rickettsia, while in the microbiome of T. angulata, the dominance of Rickettsia has been observed. The relationships among the microbiome profiles were complex, and no relative abundance pattern common to all myrmecophilous beetles tested was observed. However, some subtle, species-specific patterns have been observed for bacterial communities associated with D. pygmaeus, M. angusticollis, and T. angulata.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Kaczmarczyk-Ziemba
- Department of Genetics and Biosystematics, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Mirosław Zagaja
- Isobolographic Analysis Laboratory, Institute of Rural Health, Jaczewskiego 2, 20-090 Lublin, Poland;
| | - Grzegorz K. Wagner
- Department of Zoology and Nature Protection, Maria Curie-Sklodowska University, Akademicka 19, 20-033 Lublin, Poland; (G.K.W.); (E.P.-T.); (B.S.)
| | - Ewa Pietrykowska-Tudruj
- Department of Zoology and Nature Protection, Maria Curie-Sklodowska University, Akademicka 19, 20-033 Lublin, Poland; (G.K.W.); (E.P.-T.); (B.S.)
| | - Bernard Staniec
- Department of Zoology and Nature Protection, Maria Curie-Sklodowska University, Akademicka 19, 20-033 Lublin, Poland; (G.K.W.); (E.P.-T.); (B.S.)
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Reeves DD, Price SL, Ramalho MO, Moreau CS. The Diversity and Distribution of Wolbachia, Rhizobiales, and Ophiocordyceps Within the Widespread Neotropical Turtle Ant, Cephalotes atratus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). NEOTROPICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2020; 49:52-60. [PMID: 31912447 DOI: 10.1007/s13744-019-00735-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2019] [Accepted: 10/24/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Ants are an ecologically and evolutionarily diverse group, and they harbor a wide range of symbiotic microbial communities that often greatly affect their biology. Turtle ants (genus Cephalotes) engage in mutualistic relationships with gut bacteria and are exploited by microbial parasites. Studies have shown that associations among these microbial lineages and the turtle ant hosts vary geographically. However, these studies have been limited, and thorough within-species analyses of the variation and structure of these microbial communities have yet to be conducted. The giant turtle ant, Cephalotes atratus (Linnaeus 1758), is a geographically widespread, genetically diverse Neotropical species that has been sampled extensively across its geographic range, making it ideal for analysis of microbial associations. In this study, we verified the presence, genetic variation, and geographic patterns at the individual, colony, and population level of three microbial groups associated with the giant turtle ant: Wolbachia, a genus of facultative bacteria which are often parasitic, affecting host reproduction; Rhizobiales, a mutualistic order of bacteria hypothesized to be an obligate nutritional symbiont in turtle ants; and Ophiocordyceps, a genus of endoparasitic fungi infecting many arthropod species by manipulating their behavior for fungal reproduction. In this study, we found varying degrees of prevalence for two distantly related genotypes (haplogroups) of Wolbachia and high degree of prevalence of Rhizobiales across colonies with little genetic variation. In addition, we found low occurrence of Ophiocordyceps. This study highlights a key first step in understanding the diversity, distribution, and prevalence of the microbial community of C. atratus.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- D D Reeves
- Department of Science and Education, Integrative Research Center, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - S L Price
- Department of Science and Education, Integrative Research Center, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - M O Ramalho
- Department of Science and Education, Integrative Research Center, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL, USA.
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
| | - C S Moreau
- Department of Science and Education, Integrative Research Center, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Kaczmarczyk-Ziemba A, Zagaja M, Wagner GK, Pietrykowska-Tudruj E, Staniec B. The microbiota of the Lasius fuliginosus – Pella laticollis myrmecophilous interaction. THE EUROPEAN ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/24750263.2020.1844322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- A. Kaczmarczyk-Ziemba
- Department of Genetics and Biosystematics, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland
| | - M. Zagaja
- Isobolographic Analysis Laboratory, Institute of Rural Health, Lublin, Poland
| | - G. K. Wagner
- Department of Zoology and Nature Protection, Maria Curie-Sklodowska University, Lublin, Poland
| | - E. Pietrykowska-Tudruj
- Department of Zoology and Nature Protection, Maria Curie-Sklodowska University, Lublin, Poland
| | - B. Staniec
- Department of Zoology and Nature Protection, Maria Curie-Sklodowska University, Lublin, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Stouthamer CM, Kelly SE, Mann E, Schmitz-Esser S, Hunter MS. Development of a multi-locus sequence typing system helps reveal the evolution of Cardinium hertigii, a reproductive manipulator symbiont of insects. BMC Microbiol 2019; 19:266. [PMID: 31775631 PMCID: PMC6882061 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-019-1638-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2019] [Accepted: 11/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Cardinium is an intracellular bacterial symbiont in the phylum Bacteroidetes that is found in many different species of arthropods and some nematodes. This symbiont is known to be able to induce three reproductive manipulation phenotypes, including cytoplasmic incompatibility. Placing individual strains of Cardinium within a larger evolutionary context has been challenging because only two, relatively slowly evolving genes, 16S rRNA gene and Gyrase B, have been used to generate phylogenetic trees, and consequently, the relationship of different strains has been elucidated in only its roughest form. Results We developed a Multi Locus Sequence Typing (MLST) system that provides researchers with three new genes in addition to Gyrase B for inferring phylogenies and delineating Cardinium strains. From our Cardinium phylogeny, we confirmed the presence of a new group D, a Cardinium clade that resides in the arachnid order harvestmen (Opiliones). Many Cardinium clades appear to display a high degree of host affinity, while some show evidence of host shifts to phylogenetically distant hosts, likely associated with ecological opportunity. Like the unrelated reproductive manipulator Wolbachia, the Cardinium phylogeny also shows no clear phylogenetic signal associated with particular reproductive manipulations. Conclusions The Cardinium phylogeny shows evidence of diversification within particular host lineages, and also of host shifts among trophic levels within parasitoid-host communities. Like Wolbachia, the relatedness of Cardinium strains does not necessarily predict their reproductive phenotypes. Lastly, the genetic tools proposed in this study may help future authors to characterize new strains and add to our understanding of Cardinium evolution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Corinne M Stouthamer
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, 410 Forbes Building, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Suzanne E Kelly
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, 410 Forbes Building, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Evelyne Mann
- Milk Technology and Food Science, Institute for Milk Hygiene, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Martha S Hunter
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, 410 Forbes Building, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Hammer TJ, Moran NA. Links between metamorphosis and symbiosis in holometabolous insects. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 374:20190068. [PMID: 31438811 PMCID: PMC6711286 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Many animals depend on microbial symbionts to provide nutrition, defence or other services. Holometabolous insects, as well as other animals that undergo metamorphosis, face unique constraints on symbiont maintenance. Microbes present in larvae encounter a radical transformation of their habitat and may also need to withstand chemical and immunological challenges. Metamorphosis also provides an opportunity, in that symbiotic associations can be decoupled over development. For example, some holometabolous insects maintain the same symbiont as larvae and adults, but house it in different tissues; in other species, larvae and adults may harbour entirely different types or numbers of microbes, in accordance with shifts in host diet or habitat. Such flexibility may provide an advantage over hemimetabolous insects, in which selection on adult-stage microbial associations may be constrained by its negative effects on immature stages, and vice versa. Additionally, metamorphosis itself can be directly influenced by symbionts. Across disparate insect taxa, microbes protect hosts from pathogen infection, supply nutrients essential for rebuilding the adult body and provide cues regulating pupation. However, microbial associations remain completely unstudied for many families and even orders of Holometabola, and future research will undoubtedly reveal more links between metamorphosis and microbiota, two widespread features of animal life. This article is part of the theme issue 'The evolution of complete metamorphosis'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tobin J. Hammer
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
31
|
Tseng SP, Wetterer JK, Suarez AV, Lee CY, Yoshimura T, Shoemaker D, Yang CCS. Genetic Diversity and Wolbachia Infection Patterns in a Globally Distributed Invasive Ant. Front Genet 2019; 10:838. [PMID: 31608104 PMCID: PMC6758599 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2019.00838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2019] [Accepted: 08/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the phylogeographic history of an invasive species may facilitate reconstructing the history and routes of its invasion. The longhorn crazy ant, Paratrechina longicornis, is a ubiquitous agricultural and household pest throughout much of the tropics and subtropics, but little is known about the history of its spread. Here, we examine worldwide genetic variation in P. longicornis and its associated Wolbachia bacterial symbionts. Analyses of mtDNA sequences of 248 P. longicornis workers (one per colony) from 13 geographic regions reveal two highly diverged mtDNA clades that co-occur in most of the geographic regions. These two mtDNA clades are associated with different Wolbachia infection patterns, but are not congruent with patterns of nDNA (microsatellite) variation. Multilocus sequence typing reveals two distinct Wolbachia strains in P. longicornis, namely, wLonA and wLonF. The evolutionary histories of these two strains differ; wLonA appears to be primarily transmitted maternally, and patterns of mtDNA and nDNA variation and wLonA infection status are consistent with a relatively recent Wolbachia-induced selective sweep. In contrast, the observed patterns of mtDNA variation and wLonF infections suggest frequent horizontal transfer and losses of wLonF infections. The lack of nDNA structure among sampled geographic regions coupled with the finding that numerous mtDNA haplotypes are shared among regions implies that inadvertent long-distance movement through human commerce is common in P. longicornis and has shaped the genetic structure of this invasive ant worldwide.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shu-Ping Tseng
- Research Institute for Sustainable Humanosphere, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - James K. Wetterer
- Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, FL, United States
| | - Andrew V. Suarez
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behavior and Department of Entomology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, IL, United States
| | - Chow-Yang Lee
- Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, CA, United States
| | - Tsuyoshi Yoshimura
- Research Institute for Sustainable Humanosphere, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - DeWayne Shoemaker
- Entomology and Plant Pathology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, United States
| | | |
Collapse
|
32
|
Diouf M, Miambi E, Mora P, Frechault S, Robert A, Rouland-Lefèvre C, Hervé V. Variations in the relative abundance of Wolbachia in the gut of Nasutitermes arborum across life stages and castes. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2019; 365:4904115. [PMID: 29579215 DOI: 10.1093/femsle/fny046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2017] [Accepted: 02/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
There are multiple forms of interactions between termites and bacteria. In addition to their gut microbiota, which has been intensively studied, termites host intracellular symbionts such as Wolbachia. These distinct symbioses have been so far approached independently and mostly in adult termites. We addressed the dynamics of Wolbachia and the microbiota of the eggs and gut for various life stages and castes of the wood-feeding termite, Nasutitermes arborum, using deep-sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. Wolbachia was dominant in eggs as expected. Unexpectedly, it persisted in the gut of nearly all stages and castes, indicating a wide somatic distribution in termites. Wolbachia-related sequences clustered into few operational taxonomic units, but these were within the same genotype, acquired maternally. Wolbachia was largely dominant in DNA extracts from the guts of larvae and pre-soldiers (59.1%-99.1% of reads) where gut-resident lineages were less represented and less diverse. The reverse was true for the adult castes. This is the first study reporting the age-dependency of the relative abundance of Wolbachia in the termite gut and its negative correlation with the diversity of the microbiota. The possible mechanisms underlying this negative interaction are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michel Diouf
- Faculté des Sciences et Technologie, Université Paris Est Créteil, Département ECOEVO, Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris (IEES, Paris). 61 Avenue du Général de Gaulle, 94010 Créteil Cedex, France
| | - Edouard Miambi
- Faculté des Sciences et Technologie, Université Paris Est Créteil, Département ECOEVO, Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris (IEES, Paris). 61 Avenue du Général de Gaulle, 94010 Créteil Cedex, France
| | - Philippe Mora
- Faculté des Sciences et Technologie, Université Paris Est Créteil, Département ECOEVO, Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris (IEES, Paris). 61 Avenue du Général de Gaulle, 94010 Créteil Cedex, France
| | - Sophie Frechault
- Faculté des Sciences et Technologie, Université Paris Est Créteil, Département ECOEVO, Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris (IEES, Paris). 61 Avenue du Général de Gaulle, 94010 Créteil Cedex, France
| | - Alain Robert
- Département ECOEVO, Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris (IEES, Paris). Centre IRD France Nord, 32 Avenue Henri Varagnat, 93143 Bondy, France
| | - Corinne Rouland-Lefèvre
- Département ECOEVO, Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris (IEES, Paris). Centre IRD France Nord, 32 Avenue Henri Varagnat, 93143 Bondy, France
| | - Vincent Hervé
- Research Group Insect Gut Microbiology and Symbiosis, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Karl-von-Frisch-Strasse 10, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Diversity of Wolbachia Associated with the Giant Turtle Ant, Cephalotes atratus. Curr Microbiol 2019; 76:1330-1337. [PMID: 31254009 DOI: 10.1007/s00284-019-01722-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2019] [Accepted: 06/19/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Symbiotic relationships between organisms are common throughout the tree of life, and often these organisms share an evolutionary history. In turtle ants (Cephalotes), symbiotic associations with bacteria are known to be especially important for supplementing the nutrients that their herbivorous diets do not provide. However, much remains unknown about the diversity of many common bacterial symbionts with turtle ants, such as Wolbachia. Here, we surveyed the diversity of Wolbachia, focusing on one species of turtle ant with a particularly wide geographic range, Cephalotes atratus. Colonies were collected from the entire range of C. atratus, and we detected the presence of Wolbachia by sequencing multiple individuals per colony for wsp. Then, using the multilocus sequence typing (MLST) approach, we determined each individual's unique sequence type (ST) based on comparison to sequences published in the Wolbachia MLST Database ( https://pubmlst.org/wolbachia/ ). The results of this study suggest that there is a high level of diversity of Wolbachia strains among colonies from different regions, while the diversity within colonies is very low. Additionally, 13 novel variants (alleles) were uncovered. These results suggest that the level of diversity of Wolbachia within species is affected by geography, and the high level of diversity observed among Cephalotes atratus populations may be explained by their wide geographic range.
Collapse
|
34
|
Brown BP, Wernegreen JJ. Genomic erosion and extensive horizontal gene transfer in gut-associated Acetobacteraceae. BMC Genomics 2019; 20:472. [PMID: 31182035 PMCID: PMC6558740 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-019-5844-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2019] [Accepted: 05/24/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Symbiotic relationships between animals and bacteria have profound impacts on the evolutionary trajectories of each partner. Animals and gut bacteria engage in a variety of relationships, occasionally persisting over evolutionary timescales. Ants are a diverse group of animals that engage in many types of associations with taxonomically distinct groups of bacterial associates. Here, we bring into culture and characterize two closely-related strains of gut associated Acetobacteraceae (AAB) of the red carpenter ant, Camponotus chromaiodes. RESULTS Genome sequencing, assembly, and annotation of both strains delineate stark patterns of genomic erosion and sequence divergence in gut associated AAB. We found widespread horizontal gene transfer (HGT) in these bacterial associates and report elevated gene acquisition associated with energy production and conversion, amino acid and coenzyme transport and metabolism, defense mechanisms, and lysine export. Both strains have acquired the complete NADH-quinone oxidoreductase complex, plausibly from an Enterobacteriaceae origin, likely facilitating energy production under diverse conditions. Conservation of several lysine biosynthetic and salvage pathways and accumulation of lysine export genes via HGT implicate L-lysine supplementation by both strains as a potential functional benefit for the host. These trends are contrasted by genome-wide erosion of several amino acid biosynthetic pathways and pathways in central metabolism. We perform phylogenomic analyses on both strains as well as several free living and host associated AAB. Based on their monophyly and deep divergence from other AAB, these C. chromaiodes gut associates may represent a novel genus. Together, our results demonstrate how extensive horizontal transfer between gut associates along with genome-wide deletions leads to mosaic metabolic pathways. More broadly, these patterns demonstrate that HGT and genomic erosion shape metabolic capabilities of persistent gut associates and influence their genomic evolution. CONCLUSIONS Using comparative genomics, our study reveals substantial changes in genomic content in persistent associates of the insect gastrointestinal tract and provides evidence for the evolutionary pressures inherent to this environment. We describe patterns of genomic erosion and horizontal acquisition that result in mosaic metabolic pathways. Accordingly, the phylogenetic position of both strains of these associates form a divergent, monophyletic clade sister to gut associates of honey bees and more distantly to Gluconobacter.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bryan P Brown
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, 9 Circuit Dr., Durham, NC, 27710, USA. .,Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University, 101 Science Dr., Durham, NC, 27705, USA. .,Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, 1900 9 Ave., Seattle, WA, 98101, USA.
| | - Jennifer J Wernegreen
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, 9 Circuit Dr., Durham, NC, 27710, USA.,Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University, 101 Science Dr., Durham, NC, 27705, USA
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Pierzynowska K, Skowron Volponi M, Węgrzyn G. Multiple factors correlating with wing malformations in the population of Parnassius apollo (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae) restituted from a low number of individuals: A mini review. INSECT SCIENCE 2019; 26:380-387. [PMID: 29094498 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.12554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2017] [Revised: 09/22/2017] [Accepted: 10/10/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The Apollo butterfly, Parnassius apollo (Linnaeus), was common in Europe over 100 years ago, but currently it is considered as near threatened. Different conservation programs have promoted the persistence of this species; however, it is still endangered. An example of such programs was the action devoted to reestablish the Apollo butterfly population in Pieniny National Park (Poland) from only 20-30 individuals which had survived till the last decade of the 20th century. This reintroduction has been successful; however, unexpected developmental problems appeared. Butterflies with deformed or reduced wings became frequent in the population living in the natural habitat, and particularly among those reared under seminatural conditions (in the same environment, but fenced by a net). Until recently, reasons for these malformations remained unknown. However, reports published during last months indicated that there are genetic, biochemical, and microbiological factors contributing to this phenomenon. In the malformed individuals, lesions in the wingless gene and dysfunctions of laccase 1 and 2 were found to be significantly more frequent than in normal insects. A large fraction of butterflies with deformed or reduced wings was devoid of the prokaryotic symbiont Wolbachia, which was present in most normal individuals. Moreover, Yersinia pseudotuberculosis (Pfeiffer) Smith and Thal, and Serratia sp., bacteria pathogenic to insects, were detected in the biological material from both normal and malformed butterflies from this population. These findings are summarized and discussed in this review, in the light of conservation of insects and restitution of their populations from a low number of individuals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Grzegorz Węgrzyn
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
The Microbiome of the Maculinea-Myrmica Host-Parasite Interaction. Sci Rep 2019; 9:8048. [PMID: 31142780 PMCID: PMC6541603 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-44514-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2019] [Accepted: 05/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Maculinea (=Phengaris) are endangered butterflies that are characterized by a very complex biological cycle. Maculinea larvae behave as obligate parasites whose survival is strictly dependent on both particular food plants and species-specific Myrmica ants. In this interaction, Maculinea caterpillars induce Myrmica workers to retrieve and rear them in the nest by chemical and acoustic deception. Social insect symbiotic microorganisms play a key role in intraspecific and interspecific communication; therefore, it is possible that the Maculinea caterpillar microbiome might be involved in the chemical cross-talk by producing deceptive semiochemicals for host ants. To address this point, the microbiota of Maculinea alcon at different larval stages (phytophagous early larvae, intermediate larvae, carnivorous late larvae) was analyzed by using 16S rRNA-guided metabarcoding approach and compared to that of the host ant Myrmica scabrinodis. Structural and deduced functional profiles of the microbial communities were recorded, which were used to identify specific groups of microorganisms that may be involved in the chemical cross-talk. One of the most notable features was the presence in all larval stages and in the ants of two bacteria, Serratia marcescens and S. entomophila, which are involved in the chemical cross-talk between the microbes and their hosts.
Collapse
|
37
|
Lester PJ, Sébastien A, Suarez AV, Barbieri RF, Gruber MAM. Symbiotic bacterial communities in ants are modified by invasion pathway bottlenecks and alter host behavior. Ecology 2018; 98:861-874. [PMID: 28039867 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.1714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2016] [Revised: 12/13/2016] [Accepted: 12/29/2016] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Biological invasions are a threat to global biodiversity and provide unique opportunities to study ecological processes. Population bottlenecks are a common feature of biological invasions and the severity of these bottlenecks is likely to be compounded as an invasive species spreads from initial invasion sites to additional locations. Despite extensive work on the genetic consequences of bottlenecks, we know little about how they influence microbial communities of the invaders themselves. Due to serial bottlenecks, invasive species may lose microbial symbionts including pathogenic taxa (the enemy release hypothesis) and/or may accumulate natural enemies with increasing time after invasion (the pathogen accumulation and invasive decline hypothesis). We tested these alternate hypotheses by surveying bacterial communities of Argentine ants (Linepithema humile). We found evidence for serial symbiont bottlenecks: the bacterial community richness declined over the invasion pathway from Argentina to New Zealand. The abundance of some genera, such as Lactobacillus, also significantly declined over the invasion pathway. Argentine ants from populations in the United States shared the most genera with ants from their native range in Argentina, while New Zealand shared the least (120 vs. 57, respectively). Nine genera were present in all sites around the globe possibly indicating a core group of obligate microbes. In accordance with the pathogen accumulation and invasive decline hypothesis, Argentine ants acquired genera unique to each specific invaded country. The United States had the most unique genera, though even within New Zealand these ants acquired symbionts. In addition to our biogeographic sampling, we administered antibiotics to Argentine ants to determine if changes in the micro-symbiont community could influence behavior and survival in interspecific interactions. Treatment with the antibiotics spectinomycin and kanamycin only slightly increased Argentine ant interspecific aggression, but this increase significantly decreased survival in interspecific interactions. The survival of the native ant species also decreased when the symbiotic microbial community within Argentine ants was modified by antibiotics. Our work offers support for both the enemy release hypothesis and that invasive species accumulate novel microbial taxa within their invaded range. These changes appear likely to influence invader behavior and survival.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Philip J Lester
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Alexandra Sébastien
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Andrew V Suarez
- Department of Animal Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, 61801, USA
| | - Rafael F Barbieri
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Monica A M Gruber
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, Wellington, New Zealand
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Pascar J, Chandler CH. A bioinformatics approach to identifying Wolbachia infections in arthropods. PeerJ 2018; 6:e5486. [PMID: 30202647 PMCID: PMC6126470 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.5486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2017] [Accepted: 07/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Wolbachia is the most widespread endosymbiont, infecting >20% of arthropod species, and capable of drastically manipulating the host's reproductive mechanisms. Conventionally, diagnosis has relied on PCR amplification; however, PCR is not always a reliable diagnostic technique due to primer specificity, strain diversity, degree of infection and/or tissue sampled. Here, we look for evidence of Wolbachia infection across a wide array of arthropod species using a bioinformatic approach to detect the Wolbachia genes ftsZ, wsp, and the groE operon in next-generation sequencing samples available through the NCBI Sequence Read Archive. For samples showing signs of infection, we attempted to assemble entire Wolbachia genomes, and in order to better understand the relationships between hosts and symbionts, phylogenies were constructed using the assembled gene sequences. Out of the 34 species with positively identified infections, eight species of arthropod had not previously been recorded to harbor Wolbachia infection. All putative infections cluster with known representative strains belonging to supergroup A or B, which are known to only infect arthropods. This study presents an efficient bioinformatic approach for post-sequencing diagnosis and analysis of Wolbachia infection in arthropods.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jane Pascar
- Department of Biological Sciences, State University of New York at Oswego, Oswego, NY, United States of America
- Department of Biology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, United States of America
| | - Christopher H. Chandler
- Department of Biological Sciences, State University of New York at Oswego, Oswego, NY, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Stouthamer CM, Kelly S, Hunter MS. Enrichment of low-density symbiont DNA from minute insects. J Microbiol Methods 2018; 151:16-19. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mimet.2018.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2018] [Revised: 05/16/2018] [Accepted: 05/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
|
40
|
Lenoir A, Devers S. Alkaloid secretion inhibited by antibiotics in Aphaenogaster ants. C R Biol 2018; 341:358-361. [PMID: 30032781 DOI: 10.1016/j.crvi.2018.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2018] [Revised: 06/11/2018] [Accepted: 06/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Although alkaloids are frequent in the poison glands of ants of the genus Aphaenogaster, this is not the case for A. iberica. Hypothesizing that in the genus Aphaenogaster, alkaloids are produced by symbiotic bacteria, except for A. iberica, we treated an experimental lot of both A. iberica and a 'classical' Aphaenogaster species, A. senilis, with an antibiotic. Compared to workers from a control lot, this treatment reduced considerably alkaloid production in A. senilis, whereas A. iberica did not react to the treatment. Furthermore, the treatment induced an increase in cuticular hydrocarbon quantities in A. senilis, but not in A. iberica. An analysis of the ant microbiota will be the next step to confirm our hypothesis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alain Lenoir
- IRBI, Institut de recherche sur la biologie de l'insecte, Université de Tours, Faculté des sciences, parc de Grandmont, 37200 Tours, France.
| | - Séverine Devers
- IRBI, Institut de recherche sur la biologie de l'insecte, Université de Tours, Faculté des sciences, parc de Grandmont, 37200 Tours, France.
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Treanor D, Pamminger T, Hughes WOH. The evolution of caste-biasing symbionts in the social hymenoptera. INSECTES SOCIAUX 2018; 65:513-519. [PMID: 30416203 PMCID: PMC6208631 DOI: 10.1007/s00040-018-0638-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2018] [Revised: 05/27/2018] [Accepted: 06/15/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The separation of individuals into reproductive and worker castes is the defining feature of insect societies. However, caste determination is itself a complex phenomenon, dependent on interacting genetic and environmental factors. It has been suggested by some authors that widespread maternally transmitted symbionts such as Wolbachia may be selected to interfere with caste determination, whilst others have discounted this possibility on theoretical grounds. We argue that there are in fact three distinct evolutionary scenarios in which maternally transmitted symbionts might be selected to influence the process of caste determination in a social hymenopteran host. Each of these scenarios generate testable predictions which we outline here. Given the increasing recognition of the complexity and multi-faceted nature of caste determination in social insects, we argue that maternally transmitted symbionts should also be considered as possible factors influencing the development of social hymenopterans.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- D. Treanor
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, BN1 9QG UK
| | - T. Pamminger
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, BN1 9QG UK
| | - W. O. H. Hughes
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, BN1 9QG UK
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Duplouy A, Hornett EA. Uncovering the hidden players in Lepidoptera biology: the heritable microbial endosymbionts. PeerJ 2018; 6:e4629. [PMID: 29761037 PMCID: PMC5947162 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.4629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2018] [Accepted: 03/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The Lepidoptera is one of the most widespread and recognisable insect orders. Due to their remarkable diversity, economic and ecological importance, moths and butterflies have been studied extensively over the last 200 years. More recently, the relationship between Lepidoptera and their heritable microbial endosymbionts has received increasing attention. Heritable endosymbionts reside within the host’s body and are often, but not exclusively, inherited through the female line. Advancements in molecular genetics have revealed that host-associated microbes are both extremely prevalent among arthropods and highly diverse. Furthermore, heritable endosymbionts have been repeatedly demonstrated to play an integral role in many aspects of host biology, particularly host reproduction. Here, we review the major findings of research of heritable microbial endosymbionts of butterflies and moths. We promote the Lepidoptera as important models in the study of reproductive manipulations employed by heritable endosymbionts, with the mechanisms underlying male-killing and feminisation currently being elucidated in moths and butterflies. We also reveal that the vast majority of research undertaken of Lepidopteran endosymbionts concerns Wolbachia. While this highly prevalent bacterium is undoubtedly important, studies should move towards investigating the presence of other, and interacting endosymbionts, and we discuss the merits of examining the microbiome of Lepidoptera to this end. We finally consider the importance of understanding the influence of endosymbionts under global environmental change and when planning conservation management of endangered Lepidoptera species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anne Duplouy
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Program, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Emily A Hornett
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Laciny A, Zettel H, Kopchinskiy A, Pretzer C, Pal A, Salim KA, Rahimi MJ, Hoenigsberger M, Lim L, Jaitrong W, Druzhinina IS. Colobopsis explodens sp. n., model species for studies on "exploding ants" (Hymenoptera, Formicidae), with biological notes and first illustrations of males of the Colobopsis cylindrica group. Zookeys 2018:1-40. [PMID: 29706783 PMCID: PMC5919914 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.751.22661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2017] [Accepted: 02/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
A taxonomic description of all castes of Colobopsisexplodens Laciny & Zettel, sp. n. from Borneo, Thailand, and Malaysia is provided, which serves as a model species for biological studies on “exploding ants” in Southeast Asia. The new species is a member of the Colobopsiscylindrica (COCY) group and falls into a species complex that has been repeatedly summarized under the name Colobopsissaundersi (Emery, 1889) (formerly Camponotussaundersi). The COCY species group is known under its vernacular name “exploding ants” for a unique behaviour: during territorial combat, workers of some species sacrifice themselves by rupturing their gaster and releasing sticky and irritant contents of their hypertrophied mandibular gland reservoirs to kill or repel rivals. This study includes first illustrations and morphometric characterizations of males of the COCY group: Colobopsisexplodens Laciny & Zettel, sp. n. and Colobopsisbadia (Smith, 1857). Characters of male genitalia and external morphology are compared with other selected taxa of Camponotini. Preliminary notes on the biology of C.explodens Laciny & Zettel, sp. n. are provided. To fix the species identity of the closely related C.badia, a lectotype from Singapore is designated. The following taxonomic changes within the C.saundersi complex are proposed: Colobopsissolenobia (Menozzi, 1926), syn. n. and Colobopsistrieterica (Menozzi, 1926), syn. n. are synonymized with Colobopsiscorallina Roger, 1863, a common endemic species of the Philippines. Colobopsissaginata Stitz, 1925, stat. n., hitherto a subspecies of C.badia, is raised to species level.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alice Laciny
- 2nd Zoological Department, Natural History Museum Vienna, Burgring 7, 1010 Vienna, Austria.,Department of Theoretical Biology, Althanstraße 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Herbert Zettel
- 2nd Zoological Department, Natural History Museum Vienna, Burgring 7, 1010 Vienna, Austria
| | - Alexey Kopchinskiy
- Research Area Biochemical Technology, Institute of Chemical, Environmental and Biological Engineering, TU Wien, Gumpendorfer Straße 1a, 1060 Vienna, Austria
| | - Carina Pretzer
- Research Area Biochemical Technology, Institute of Chemical, Environmental and Biological Engineering, TU Wien, Gumpendorfer Straße 1a, 1060 Vienna, Austria
| | - Anna Pal
- 2nd Zoological Department, Natural History Museum Vienna, Burgring 7, 1010 Vienna, Austria
| | - Kamariah Abu Salim
- Environmental and Life Sciences, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Jalan Tungku Link, Bandar Seri Begawan BE 1410, Brunei Darussalam
| | - Mohammad Javad Rahimi
- Research Area Biochemical Technology, Institute of Chemical, Environmental and Biological Engineering, TU Wien, Gumpendorfer Straße 1a, 1060 Vienna, Austria
| | - Michaela Hoenigsberger
- Center for Analytical Chemistry, Department of Agrobiotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), Konrad-Lorenz-Straße 20, 3430 Tulln, Austria
| | - Linda Lim
- Chemical Sciences, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Jalan Tungku Link, Bandar Seri Begawan, BE 1410, Brunei Darussalam
| | - Weeyawat Jaitrong
- Thailand Natural History Museum, National Science Museum, Technopolis, Khlong 5, Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani, 12120 Thailand
| | - Irina S Druzhinina
- Research Area Biochemical Technology, Institute of Chemical, Environmental and Biological Engineering, TU Wien, Gumpendorfer Straße 1a, 1060 Vienna, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Karimi S, Izadi H, Askari Seyahooei M, Bagheri A, Khodaygan P. Variation in bacterial endosymbionts associated with the date palm hopper, Ommatissus lybicus populations. BULLETIN OF ENTOMOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2018; 108:271-281. [PMID: 28807085 DOI: 10.1017/s0007485317000633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The date palm hopper, Ommatissus lybicus, is a key pest of the date palm, which is expected to be comprised of many allopatric populations. The current study was carried out to determine bacterial endosymbiont diversity in the different populations of this pest. Ten date palm hopper populations were collected from the main date palm growing regions in Iran and an additional four samples from Pakistan, Oman, Egypt and Tunisia for detection of primary and secondary endosymbionts using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay with their specific primers. The PCR products were directly sequenced and edited using SeqMan software. The consensus sequences were subjected to a BLAST similarity search. The results revealed the presence of 'Candidatus Sulcia muelleri' (primary endosymbiont) and Wolbachia, Arsenophonus and Enterobacter (secondary endosymbionts) in all populations. This assay failed to detect 'Candidatus Nasuia deltocephalinicola' and Serratia in these populations. 'Ca. S. muelleri' exhibited a 100% infection frequency in populations and Wolbachia, Arsenophonus and Enterobacter demonstrated 100, 93.04 and 97.39% infection frequencies, respectively. The infection rate of Arsenophonus and Enterobacter ranged from 75 to 100% and 62.5 to 100%, respectively, in different populations of the insect. The results demonstrated multiple infections by 'Ca. Sulcia muelleri', Wolbachia, Arsenophonus and Enterobacter in the populations and may suggest significant roles for these endosymbionts on date palm hopper population fitness. This study provides an insight to endosymbiont variation in the date palm hopper populations; however, further investigation is needed to examine how these endosymbionts may affect host fitness.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- S Karimi
- Department of Plant Protection,Faculty of Agriculture,Vali-e-Asr University,Rafsanjan,Iran
| | - H Izadi
- Department of Plant Protection,Faculty of Agriculture,Vali-e-Asr University,Rafsanjan,Iran
| | - M Askari Seyahooei
- Plant Protection Research Department,Hormozgan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center,Agricultural Research Education and Extension Organization (AREEO),Bandar Abbas,Iran
| | - A Bagheri
- Plant Protection Research Department,Hormozgan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center,Agricultural Research Education and Extension Organization (AREEO),Bandar Abbas,Iran
| | - P Khodaygan
- Department of Plant Protection,Faculty of Agriculture,Vali-e-Asr University,Rafsanjan,Iran
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Rock DI, Smith AH, Joffe J, Albertus A, Wong N, O'Connor M, Oliver KM, Russell JA. Context-dependent vertical transmission shapes strong endosymbiont community structure in the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum. Mol Ecol 2018; 27:2039-2056. [PMID: 29215202 DOI: 10.1111/mec.14449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2017] [Revised: 11/15/2017] [Accepted: 11/24/2017] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Animal-associated microbiomes are often comprised of structured, multispecies communities, with particular microbes showing trends of co-occurrence or exclusion. Such structure suggests variable community stability, or variable costs and benefits-possibilities with implications for symbiont-driven host adaptation. In this study, we performed systematic screening for maternally transmitted, facultative endosymbionts of the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum. Sampling across six locales, with up to 5 years of collection in each, netted significant and consistent trends of community structure. Co-infections between Serratia symbiotica and Rickettsiella viridis were more common than expected, while Rickettsia and X-type symbionts colonized aphids with Hamiltonella defensa more often than expected. Spiroplasma co-infected with other endosymbionts quite rarely, showing tendencies to colonize as a single species monoculture. Field estimates of maternal transmission rates help to explain our findings: while Serratia and Rickettsiella improved each other's transmission, Spiroplasma reduced transmission rates of co-infecting endosymbionts. In summary, our findings show that North American pea aphids harbour recurring combinations of facultative endosymbionts. Common symbiont partners play distinct roles in pea aphid biology, suggesting the creation of "generalist" aphids receiving symbiont-based defence against multiple ecological stressors. Multimodal selection, at the host level, may thus partially explain our results. But more conclusively, our findings show that within-host microbe interactions, and their resulting impacts on transmission rates, are an important determinant of community structure. Widespread distributions of heritable symbionts across plants and invertebrates hint at the far-reaching implications for these findings, and our work further shows the benefits of symbiosis research within a natural context.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Danielle I Rock
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Andrew H Smith
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jonah Joffe
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Amie Albertus
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Narayan Wong
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Kerry M Oliver
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Jacob A Russell
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Ivens ABF, Gadau A, Kiers ET, Kronauer DJC. Can social partnerships influence the microbiome? Insights from ant farmers and their trophobiont mutualists. Mol Ecol 2018; 27:1898-1914. [PMID: 29411455 PMCID: PMC5935579 DOI: 10.1111/mec.14506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2017] [Revised: 11/21/2017] [Accepted: 11/28/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Mutualistic interactions with microbes have played a crucial role in the evolution and ecology of animal hosts. However, it is unclear what factors are most important in influencing particular host–microbe associations. While closely related animal species may have more similar microbiota than distantly related species due to phylogenetic contingencies, social partnerships with other organisms, such as those in which one animal farms another, may also influence an organism's symbiotic microbiome. We studied a mutualistic network of Brachymyrmex and Lasius ants farming several honeydew‐producing Prociphilus aphids and Rhizoecus mealybugs to test whether the mutualistic microbiomes of these interacting insects are primarily correlated with their phylogeny or with their shared social partnerships. Our results confirm a phylogenetic signal in the microbiomes of aphid and mealybug trophobionts, with each species harbouring species‐specific endosymbiont strains of Buchnera (aphids), Tremblaya and Sodalis (mealybugs), and Serratia (both mealybugs and aphids) despite being farmed by the same ants. This is likely explained by strict vertical transmission of trophobiont endosymbionts between generations. In contrast, our results show the ants’ microbiome is possibly shaped by their social partnerships, with ants that farm the same trophobionts also sharing strains of sugar‐processing Acetobacteraceae bacteria, known from other honeydew‐feeding ants and which likely reside extracellularly in the ants’ guts. These ant–microbe associations are arguably more “open” and subject to horizontal transmission or social transmission within ant colonies. These findings suggest that the role of social partnerships in shaping a host's symbiotic microbiome can be variable and is likely dependent on how the microbes are transmitted across generations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aniek B F Ivens
- Animal Ecology Section, Department of Ecological Science, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Alice Gadau
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - E Toby Kiers
- Animal Ecology Section, Department of Ecological Science, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Daniel J C Kronauer
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Quigley KM, Warner PA, Bay LK, Willis BL. Unexpected mixed-mode transmission and moderate genetic regulation of Symbiodinium communities in a brooding coral. Heredity (Edinb) 2018; 121:524-536. [PMID: 29453423 PMCID: PMC6221883 DOI: 10.1038/s41437-018-0059-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2017] [Revised: 12/25/2017] [Accepted: 01/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Determining the extent to which Symbiodinium communities in corals are inherited versus environmentally acquired is fundamental to understanding coral resilience and to predicting coral responses to stressors like warming oceans that disrupt this critical endosymbiosis. We examined the fidelity with which Symbiodinium communities in the brooding coral Seriatopora hystrix are vertically transmitted and the extent to which communities are genetically regulated, by genotyping the symbiont communities within 60 larvae and their parents (9 maternal and 45 paternal colonies) using high-throughput sequencing of the ITS2 locus. Unexpectedly, Symbiodinium communities associated with brooded larvae were distinct from those within parent colonies, including the presence of types not detected in adults. Bayesian heritability (h2) analysis revealed that 33% of variability in larval Symbiodinium communities was genetically controlled. Results highlight flexibility in the establishment of larval symbiont communities and demonstrate that symbiont transmission is not exclusively vertical in brooding corals. Instead, we show that Symbiodinium transmission in S. hystrix involves a mixed-mode strategy, similar to many terrestrial invertebrate symbioses. Also, variation in the abundances of common Symbiodinium types among adult corals suggests that microhabitat differences influence the structure of in hospite Symbiodinium communities. Partial genetic regulation coupled with flexibility in the environmentally acquired component of Symbiodinium communities implies that corals with vertical transmission, like S. hystrix, may be more resilient to environmental change than previously thought.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kate M Quigley
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia. .,AIMS@JCU, Australian Institute of Marine Science and James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia.
| | - Patricia A Warner
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia.,AIMS@JCU, Australian Institute of Marine Science and James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia
| | - Line K Bay
- AIMS@JCU, Australian Institute of Marine Science and James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia.,Australian Institute of Marine Science, PMB3, Townsville, QLD, Australia
| | - Bette L Willis
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia.,AIMS@JCU, Australian Institute of Marine Science and James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Gebiola M, Giorgini M, Kelly SE, Doremus MR, Ferree PM, Hunter MS. Cytological analysis of cytoplasmic incompatibility induced by Cardinium suggests convergent evolution with its distant cousin Wolbachia. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 284:rspb.2017.1433. [PMID: 28878066 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.1433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2017] [Accepted: 07/25/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) is a conditional sterility in numerous arthropods that is caused by inherited, intracellular bacteria such as Wolbachia Matings between males carrying CI-inducing Wolbachia and uninfected females, or between males and females infected with different Wolbachia strains, result in progeny that die during very early embryogenesis. Multiple studies in diploid (Drosophila) and haplodiploid (Nasonia) insects have shown that CI-Wolbachia cause a failure of the paternally derived chromatin from resolving into distinct chromosomes. This leads to the formation of chromatin bridges and other mitotic defects as early as the first mitotic division, and to early mitotic arrest. It is currently unknown if CI-inducing symbionts other than Wolbachia affect similar cellular processes. Here, we investigated CI caused by an unrelated bacterium, Cardinium, which naturally infects a parasitic wasp, Encarsia suzannae CI crosses in this host-symbiont system resulted in early mitotic defects including asynchrony of paternal and maternal chromosome sets as they enter mitosis, chromatin bridges and improper chromosome segregation that spanned across multiple mitotic divisions, triggering embryonic death through accumulated aneuploidy. We highlight small differences with CI-Wolbachia, which could be due to the underlying CI mechanism or host-specific effects. Our results suggest a convergence of CI-related cellular phenotypes between these two unrelated symbionts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marco Gebiola
- Department of Entomology, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA .,CNR-Istituto per la Protezione Sostenibile delle Piante, Portici, Italy
| | - Massimo Giorgini
- CNR-Istituto per la Protezione Sostenibile delle Piante, Portici, Italy
| | - Suzanne E Kelly
- Department of Entomology, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Matthew R Doremus
- Department of Entomology, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.,Graduate Interdisciplinary Program in Entomology and Insect Science, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Patrick M Ferree
- W. M. Keck Science Department, The Claremont Colleges, Claremont, CA 91711, USA
| | - Martha S Hunter
- Department of Entomology, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Evolution and Diversity of Inherited Spiroplasma Symbionts in Myrmica Ants. Appl Environ Microbiol 2018; 84:AEM.02299-17. [PMID: 29196290 DOI: 10.1128/aem.02299-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2017] [Accepted: 11/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbial partners play important roles in the biology and ecology of animals. In insects, maternally transmitted symbionts are especially common and can have host effects ranging from reproductive manipulation to nutrient provisioning and defense against natural enemies. In this study, we report a genus-wide association of Myrmica ants with the inherited bacterial symbiont Spiroplasma We screen Myrmica ants collected from the wild, including the invasive European fire ant, Myrmica rubra, and find an extraordinarily high prevalence of this symbiont-8 of 9 species, 42 of 43 colonies, and 250 of 276 individual workers harbored Spiroplasma-only one host species was uninfected. In our screens, each host species carried a distinct Spiroplasma strain, and none were infected with more than one strain. All symbionts belong to the citri clade, allied most closely with pathogenic strains of Spiroplasma infecting corn crops and honeybees, and there is strong evidence of host-symbiont persistence across evolutionary time scales. Genome sequencing of two Spiroplasma symbionts revealed candidate genes that may play a part in the symbiosis, a nutrient transporter absent from other Spiroplasma strains, and a ribosome-inactivating protein previously implicated in parasite defense. These results together suggest long-term, likely mutualistic, relationships atypical of Spiroplasma-insect associations with potential significance for broad ecological interactions with MyrmicaIMPORTANCE Animal-associated microbial symbionts can dramatically affect the biology of their hosts. The identification and characterization of these intimate partnerships remain an essential component of describing and predicting species interactions, especially for invasive host species. Ants perform crucial ecological functions as ecosystem engineers, scavengers, and predators, and ants in the genus Myrmica can be aggressive resource competitors and reach high densities in their native and invaded habitats. In this study, a novel symbiosis is identified between Myrmica ants and the facultative bacterial symbiont Spiroplasma Broad host distribution, high frequencies of infection, and host-symbiont codivergence over evolutionary time scales, an uncommon feature of Spiroplasma associations, suggest an important likely mutualistic interaction. Genome sequencing identified highly divergent gene candidates that may contribute to Spiroplasma's role as a possible defensive or nutritional partner in Myrmica.
Collapse
|
50
|
Klopfstein S, van Der Schyff G, Tierney S, Austin AD. Wolbachia infections in Australian ichneumonid parasitoid wasps (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae): evidence for adherence to the global equilibrium hypothesis. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blx157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Seraina Klopfstein
- Naturhistorisches Museum der Burgergemeinde Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- University of Bern, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Bern, Switzerland
- Australian Centre for Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity; School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA Australia
| | - Gwen van Der Schyff
- Australian Centre for Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity; School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA Australia
| | - Simon Tierney
- Australian Centre for Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity; School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA Australia
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, Australia
| | - Andrew D Austin
- Australian Centre for Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity; School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA Australia
| |
Collapse
|