1
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Liu M, Li S. Nitrile biosynthesis in nature: how and why? Nat Prod Rep 2024; 41:649-671. [PMID: 38193577 DOI: 10.1039/d3np00028a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
Covering: up to the end of 2023Natural nitriles comprise a small set of secondary metabolites which however show intriguing chemical and functional diversity. Various patterns of nitrile biosynthesis can be seen in animals, plants, and microorganisms with the characteristics of both evolutionary divergence and convergence. These specialized compounds play important roles in nitrogen metabolism, chemical defense against herbivores, predators and pathogens, and inter- and/or intraspecies communications. Here we review the naturally occurring nitrile-forming pathways from a biochemical perspective and discuss the biological and ecological functions conferred by diversified nitrile biosyntheses in different organisms. Elucidation of the mechanisms and evolutionary trajectories of nitrile biosynthesis underpins better understandings of nitrile-related biology, chemistry, and ecology and will ultimately benefit the development of desirable nitrile-forming biocatalysts for practical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingyu Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong 266237, China.
| | - Shengying Li
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong 266237, China.
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, Shandong 266237, China
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2
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Teoh MC, Singham GV. Bacterial diversity and community structure shapes pederin polymorphism but lacks association with host genotype specificity in the rove beetle, Paederus fuscipes. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2022; 98:6650347. [PMID: 35883232 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiac087] [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: 02/17/2022] [Revised: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Paederus beetles are notorious for their irritant haemolymph toxin pederin synthesized by an unculturable bacterial symbiont which causes dermatitis when in contact with human skin. Pederin polymorphism is observed when (+) females carrying the toxin pederin and (-) females lacking this, co-occur in natural populations. Despite reports detecting pederin polymorphism in several Paederina beetles, symbiont infection frequencies in their natural populations and the bacterial diversity differences underlying the polymorphism between these female types are understudied. Herein we report a high prevalence (>80%) of female Paederus fuscipes carrying bacterial ped genes in all six study populations. This finding suggests selection pressure favouring pederin-producing females is crucial for survival in the natural environment. 16S rRNA metabarcoding analysis revealed significant dominance of the unculturable pederin-producing Pseudomonas-like bacterium (Gammaproteobacteria) in (+) females consistent with previous studies. The microbial diversity of the (-) females revealed significant abundance of Apibacter (Bacteroidia) previously undocumented suggesting its importance in the functionality of (-) females. Predicted functions related to metabolisms are enriched in (-) females suggesting fitness advantage possibilities in sustaining the population in the absence of predation. Further investigations on possible genetic basis of host genotype revealed no association of host mtDNA and pederin polymorphism in P. fuscipes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miao-Ching Teoh
- Centre for Chemical Biology, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Bayan Lepas, 11900 Penang, Malaysia
| | - G Veera Singham
- Centre for Chemical Biology, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Bayan Lepas, 11900 Penang, Malaysia
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3
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Beran F, Petschenka G. Sequestration of Plant Defense Compounds by Insects: From Mechanisms to Insect-Plant Coevolution. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ENTOMOLOGY 2022; 67:163-180. [PMID: 34995091 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ento-062821-062319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Plant defense compounds play a key role in the evolution of insect-plant associations by selecting for behavioral, morphological, and physiological insect adaptations. Sequestration, the ability of herbivorous insects to accumulate plant defense compounds to gain a fitness advantage, represents a complex syndrome of adaptations that has evolved in all major lineages of herbivorous insects and involves various classes of plant defense compounds. In this article, we review progress in understanding how insects selectively accumulate plant defense metabolites and how the evolution of specific resistance mechanisms to these defense compounds enables sequestration. These mechanistic considerations are further integrated into the concept of insect-plant coevolution. Comparative genome and transcriptome analyses, combined with approaches based on analytical chemistry that are centered in phylogenetic frameworks, will help to reveal adaptations underlying the sequestration syndrome, which is essential to understanding the influence of sequestration on insect-plant coevolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Beran
- Research Group Sequestration and Detoxification in Insects, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena 07745, Germany;
| | - Georg Petschenka
- Department of Applied Entomology, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart 70599, Germany;
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4
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Pokharel P, Steppuhn A, Petschenka G. Dietary cardenolides enhance growth and change the direction of the fecundity-longevity trade-off in milkweed bugs (Heteroptera: Lygaeinae). Ecol Evol 2021; 11:18042-18054. [PMID: 35003656 PMCID: PMC8717354 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Sequestration, that is, the accumulation of plant toxins into body tissues for defense, was predicted to incur physiological costs and may require resistance traits different from those of non-sequestering insects. Alternatively, sequestering species could experience a cost in the absence of toxins due to selection on physiological homeostasis under permanent exposure of sequestered toxins in body tissues. Milkweed bugs (Heteroptera: Lygaeinae) sequester high amounts of plant-derived cardenolides. Although being potent inhibitors of the ubiquitous animal enzyme Na+/K+-ATPase, milkweed bugs can tolerate cardenolides by means of resistant Na+/K+-ATPases. Both adaptations, resistance and sequestration, are ancestral traits of the Lygaeinae. Using four milkweed bug species (Heteroptera: Lygaeidae: Lygaeinae) and the related European firebug (Heteroptera: Pyrrhocoridae: Pyrrhocoris apterus) showing different combinations of the traits "cardenolide resistance" and "cardenolide sequestration," we tested how the two traits affect larval growth upon exposure to dietary cardenolides in an artificial diet system. While cardenolides impaired the growth of P. apterus nymphs neither possessing a resistant Na+/K+-ATPase nor sequestering cardenolides, growth was not affected in the non-sequestering milkweed bug Arocatus longiceps, which possesses a resistant Na+/K+-ATPase. Remarkably, cardenolides increased growth in the sequestering dietary specialists Caenocoris nerii and Oncopeltus fasciatus but not in the sequestering dietary generalist Spilostethus pandurus, which all possess a resistant Na+/K+-ATPase. We furthermore assessed the effect of dietary cardenolides on additional life history parameters, including developmental speed, longevity of adults, and reproductive success in O. fasciatus. Unexpectedly, nymphs under cardenolide exposure developed substantially faster and lived longer as adults. However, fecundity of adults was reduced when maintained on cardenolide-containing diet for their entire lifetime but not when adults were transferred to non-toxic sunflower seeds. We speculate that the resistant Na+/K+-ATPase of milkweed bugs is selected for working optimally in a "toxic environment," that is, when sequestered cardenolides are stored in the body.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prayan Pokharel
- Department of Applied EntomologyInstitute of PhytomedicineUniversity of HohenheimStuttgartGermany
| | - Anke Steppuhn
- Department of Molecular BotanyInstitute of BiologyUniversity of HohenheimStuttgartGermany
| | - Georg Petschenka
- Department of Applied EntomologyInstitute of PhytomedicineUniversity of HohenheimStuttgartGermany
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5
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Briolat ES, Zagrobelny M, Olsen CE, Blount JD, Stevens M. No evidence of quantitative signal honesty across species of aposematic burnet moths (Lepidoptera: Zygaenidae). J Evol Biol 2018; 32:31-48. [PMID: 30317689 PMCID: PMC6378400 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2018] [Revised: 10/03/2018] [Accepted: 10/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Many defended species use conspicuous visual warning signals to deter potential predators from attacking. Traditional theory holds that these signals should converge on similar forms, yet variation in visual traits and the levels of defensive chemicals is common, both within and between species. It is currently unclear how the strength of signals and potency of defences might be related: conflicting theories suggest that aposematic signals should be quantitatively honest, or, in contrast, that investment in one component should be prioritized over the other, while empirical tests have yielded contrasting results. Here, we advance this debate by examining the relationship between defensive chemicals and signal properties in a family of aposematic Lepidoptera, accounting for phylogenetic relationships and quantifying coloration from the perspective of relevant predators. We test for correlations between toxin levels and measures of wing colour across 14 species of day‐flying burnet and forester moths (Lepidoptera: Zygaenidae), protected by highly aversive cyanogenic glucosides, and find no clear evidence of quantitative signal honesty. Significant relationships between toxin levels and coloration vary between sexes and sampling years, and several trends run contrary to expectations for signal honesty. Although toxin concentration is positively correlated with increasing luminance contrast in forewing pattern in 1 year, higher toxin levels are also associated with paler and less chromatically salient markings, at least in females, in another year. Our study also serves to highlight important factors, including sex‐specific trends and seasonal variation, that should be accounted for in future work on signal honesty in aposematic species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuelle S Briolat
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, College of Life & Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - Mika Zagrobelny
- Plant Biochemistry Laboratory and Copenhagen Plant Science Centre, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Carl E Olsen
- Plant Biochemistry Laboratory and Copenhagen Plant Science Centre, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jonathan D Blount
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, College of Life & Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - Martin Stevens
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, College of Life & Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
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Evolution of the Biosynthetic Pathway for Cyanogenic Glucosides in Lepidoptera. J Mol Evol 2018; 86:379-394. [DOI: 10.1007/s00239-018-9854-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2018] [Accepted: 06/27/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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7
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Briolat ES, Zagrobelny M, Olsen CE, Blount JD, Stevens M. Sex differences but no evidence of quantitative honesty in the warning signals of six-spot burnet moths (Zygaena filipendulae L.). Evolution 2018; 72:1460-1474. [PMID: 29767461 PMCID: PMC6099377 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2018] [Revised: 04/22/2018] [Accepted: 05/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The distinctive black and red wing pattern of six-spot burnet moths (Zygaena filipendulae, L.) is a classic example of aposematism, advertising their potent cyanide-based defences. While such warning signals provide a qualitatively honest signal of unprofitability, the evidence for quantitative honesty, whereby variation in visual traits could provide accurate estimates of individual toxicity, is more equivocal. Combining measures of cyanogenic glucoside content and wing color from the perspective of avian predators, we investigate the relationship between coloration and defences in Z. filipendulae, to test signal honesty both within and across populations. There were no significant relationships between mean cyanogenic glucoside concentration and metrics of wing coloration across populations in males, yet in females higher cyanogenic glucoside levels were associated with smaller and lighter red forewing markings. Trends within populations were similarly inconsistent with quantitative honesty, and persistent differences between the sexes were apparent: larger females, carrying a greater total cyanogenic glucoside load, displayed larger but less conspicuous markings than smaller males, according to several color metrics. The overall high aversiveness of cyanogenic glucosides and fluctuations in color and toxin levels during an individual's lifetime may contribute to these results, highlighting generally important reasons why signal honesty should not always be expected in aposematic species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuelle Sophie Briolat
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of ExeterPenrynCornwall TR10 9FEUnited Kingdom
| | - Mika Zagrobelny
- Plant Biochemistry Laboratory and Copenhagen Plant Science CentreDepartment of Plant and Environmental SciencesUniversity of Copenhagen40 Thorvaldsensvej, DK‐1871 Frederiksberg CCopenhagenDenmark
| | - Carl Erik Olsen
- Plant Biochemistry Laboratory and Copenhagen Plant Science CentreDepartment of Plant and Environmental SciencesUniversity of Copenhagen40 Thorvaldsensvej, DK‐1871 Frederiksberg CCopenhagenDenmark
| | - Jonathan D. Blount
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of ExeterPenrynCornwall TR10 9FEUnited Kingdom
| | - Martin Stevens
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of ExeterPenrynCornwall TR10 9FEUnited Kingdom
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8
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Zagrobelny M, de Castro ÉCP, Møller BL, Bak S. Cyanogenesis in Arthropods: From Chemical Warfare to Nuptial Gifts. INSECTS 2018; 9:E51. [PMID: 29751568 PMCID: PMC6023451 DOI: 10.3390/insects9020051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2018] [Revised: 04/23/2018] [Accepted: 04/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Chemical defences are key components in insect⁻plant interactions, as insects continuously learn to overcome plant defence systems by, e.g., detoxification, excretion or sequestration. Cyanogenic glucosides are natural products widespread in the plant kingdom, and also known to be present in arthropods. They are stabilised by a glucoside linkage, which is hydrolysed by the action of β-glucosidase enzymes, resulting in the release of toxic hydrogen cyanide and deterrent aldehydes or ketones. Such a binary system of components that are chemically inert when spatially separated provides an immediate defence against predators that cause tissue damage. Further roles in nitrogen metabolism and inter- and intraspecific communication has also been suggested for cyanogenic glucosides. In arthropods, cyanogenic glucosides are found in millipedes, centipedes, mites, beetles and bugs, and particularly within butterflies and moths. Cyanogenic glucosides may be even more widespread since many arthropod taxa have not yet been analysed for the presence of this class of natural products. In many instances, arthropods sequester cyanogenic glucosides or their precursors from food plants, thereby avoiding the demand for de novo biosynthesis and minimising the energy spent for defence. Nevertheless, several species of butterflies, moths and millipedes have been shown to biosynthesise cyanogenic glucosides de novo, and even more species have been hypothesised to do so. As for higher plant species, the specific steps in the pathway is catalysed by three enzymes, two cytochromes P450, a glycosyl transferase, and a general P450 oxidoreductase providing electrons to the P450s. The pathway for biosynthesis of cyanogenic glucosides in arthropods has most likely been assembled by recruitment of enzymes, which could most easily be adapted to acquire the required catalytic properties for manufacturing these compounds. The scattered phylogenetic distribution of cyanogenic glucosides in arthropods indicates that the ability to biosynthesise this class of natural products has evolved independently several times. This is corroborated by the characterised enzymes from the pathway in moths and millipedes. Since the biosynthetic pathway is hypothesised to have evolved convergently in plants as well, this would suggest that there is only one universal series of unique intermediates by which amino acids are efficiently converted into CNglcs in different Kingdoms of Life. For arthropods to handle ingestion of cyanogenic glucosides, an effective detoxification system is required. In butterflies and moths, hydrogen cyanide released from hydrolysis of cyanogenic glucosides is mainly detoxified by β-cyanoalanine synthase, while other arthropods use the enzyme rhodanese. The storage of cyanogenic glucosides and spatially separated hydrolytic enzymes (β-glucosidases and α-hydroxynitrile lyases) are important for an effective hydrogen cyanide release for defensive purposes. Accordingly, such hydrolytic enzymes are also present in many cyanogenic arthropods, and spatial separation has been shown in a few species. Although much knowledge regarding presence, biosynthesis, hydrolysis and detoxification of cyanogenic glucosides in arthropods has emerged in recent years, many exciting unanswered questions remain regarding the distribution, roles apart from defence, and convergent evolution of the metabolic pathways involved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mika Zagrobelny
- Plant Biochemistry Laboratory, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 1871 Frederiksberg C, Denmark.
| | | | - Birger Lindberg Møller
- Plant Biochemistry Laboratory, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 1871 Frederiksberg C, Denmark.
- VILLUM Center for Plant Plasticity, University of Copenhagen, 1871 Frederiksberg C, Denmark.
| | - Søren Bak
- Plant Biochemistry Laboratory, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 1871 Frederiksberg C, Denmark.
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9
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Abstract
Honeybees (Apis mellifera) pollinate flowers and collect nectar from many important crops. White clover (Trifolium repens) is widely grown as a temperate forage crop, and requires honeybee pollination for seed set. In this study, using a quantitative LC-MS (Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry) assay, we show that the cyanogenic glucosides linamarin and lotaustralin are present in the leaves, sepals, petals, anthers, and nectar of T. repens. Cyanogenic glucosides are generally thought to be defense compounds, releasing toxic hydrogen cyanide upon degradation. However, increasing evidence indicates that plant secondary metabolites found in nectar may protect pollinators from disease or predators. In a laboratory survival study with chronic feeding of secondary metabolites, we show that honeybees can ingest the cyanogenic glucosides linamarin and amygdalin at naturally occurring concentrations with no ill effects, even though they have enzyme activity towards degradation of cyanogenic glucosides. This suggests that honeybees can ingest and tolerate cyanogenic glucosides from flower nectar. Honeybees retain only a portion of ingested cyanogenic glucosides. Whether they detoxify the rest using rhodanese or deposit them in the hive should be the focus of further research.
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10
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Holland PWH, Marlétaz F, Maeso I, Dunwell TL, Paps J. New genes from old: asymmetric divergence of gene duplicates and the evolution of development. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2017; 372:rstb.2015.0480. [PMID: 27994121 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2015.0480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/22/2016] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Gene duplications and gene losses have been frequent events in the evolution of animal genomes, with the balance between these two dynamic processes contributing to major differences in gene number between species. After gene duplication, it is common for both daughter genes to accumulate sequence change at approximately equal rates. In some cases, however, the accumulation of sequence change is highly uneven with one copy radically diverging from its paralogue. Such 'asymmetric evolution' seems commoner after tandem gene duplication than after whole-genome duplication, and can generate substantially novel genes. We describe examples of asymmetric evolution in duplicated homeobox genes of moths, molluscs and mammals, in each case generating new homeobox genes that were recruited to novel developmental roles. The prevalence of asymmetric divergence of gene duplicates has been underappreciated, in part, because the origin of highly divergent genes can be difficult to resolve using standard phylogenetic methods.This article is part of the themed issue 'Evo-devo in the genomics era, and the origins of morphological diversity'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter W H Holland
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK
| | - Ferdinand Marlétaz
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK.,Molecular Genetics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan
| | - Ignacio Maeso
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK.,Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas/Universidad Pablo de Olavide, 41013 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Thomas L Dunwell
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK
| | - Jordi Paps
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester, Essex, UK
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11
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Pentzold S, Jensen MK, Matthes A, Olsen CE, Petersen BL, Clausen H, Møller BL, Bak S, Zagrobelny M. Spatial separation of the cyanogenic β-glucosidase ZfBGD2 and cyanogenic glucosides in the haemolymph of Zygaena larvae facilitates cyanide release. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2017; 4:170262. [PMID: 28680679 PMCID: PMC5493921 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.170262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2017] [Accepted: 05/25/2017] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Low molecular weight compounds are typically used by insects and plants for defence against predators. They are often stored as inactive β-glucosides and kept separate from activating β-glucosidases. When the two components are mixed, the β-glucosides are hydrolysed releasing toxic aglucones. Cyanogenic plants contain cyanogenic glucosides and release hydrogen cyanide due to such a well-characterized two-component system. Some arthropods are also cyanogenic, but comparatively little is known about their system. Here, we identify a specific β-glucosidase (ZfBGD2) involved in cyanogenesis from larvae of Zygaena filipendulae (Lepidoptera, Zygaenidae), and analyse the spatial organization of cyanide release in this specialized insect. High levels of ZfBGD2 mRNA and protein were found in haemocytes by transcriptomic and proteomic profiling. Heterologous expression in insect cells showed that ZfBGD2 hydrolyses linamarin and lotaustralin, the two cyanogenic glucosides present in Z. filipendulae. Linamarin and lotaustralin as well as cyanide release were found exclusively in the haemoplasma. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that ZfBGD2 clusters with other insect β-glucosidases, and correspondingly, the ability to hydrolyse cyanogenic glucosides catalysed by a specific β-glucosidase evolved convergently in insects and plants. The spatial separation of the β-glucosidase ZfBGD2 and its cyanogenic substrates within the haemolymph provides the basis for cyanide release in Z. filipendulae. This spatial separation is similar to the compartmentalization of the two components found in cyanogenic plant species, and illustrates one similarity in cyanide-based defence in these two kingdoms of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Pentzold
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences and Copenhagen Plant Science Centre, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Straße 8, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Mikael Kryger Jensen
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences and Copenhagen Plant Science Centre, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Annemarie Matthes
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences and Copenhagen Plant Science Centre, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Carl Erik Olsen
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences and Copenhagen Plant Science Centre, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Bent Larsen Petersen
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences and Copenhagen Plant Science Centre, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Henrik Clausen
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Birger Lindberg Møller
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences and Copenhagen Plant Science Centre, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Søren Bak
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences and Copenhagen Plant Science Centre, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Mika Zagrobelny
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences and Copenhagen Plant Science Centre, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
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12
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Tomčala A, Jirošová A, Žáček P, Kaušková M, Hovorka O, Koutek B. Species Specificity of Aldehyde and Fatty Acid Profiles of Four Family Group Representatives within the Insect Infraorder Pentatomomorpha(Hemiptera: Heteroptera). Chem Biodivers 2017; 14. [DOI: 10.1002/cbdv.201600420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2016] [Accepted: 12/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Aleš Tomčala
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry; Czech Academy of Sciences; Flemingovo náměstí 2 166 10 Prague 6 Czech Republic
- Institute of Parasitology; Biology Center; Czech Academy of Sciences; Branišovská 31 370 05 České Budějovice Czech Republic
| | - Anna Jirošová
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry; Czech Academy of Sciences; Flemingovo náměstí 2 166 10 Prague 6 Czech Republic
| | - Petr Žáček
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry; Czech Academy of Sciences; Flemingovo náměstí 2 166 10 Prague 6 Czech Republic
| | - Markéta Kaušková
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry; Czech Academy of Sciences; Flemingovo náměstí 2 166 10 Prague 6 Czech Republic
| | - Oldřich Hovorka
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry; Czech Academy of Sciences; Flemingovo náměstí 2 166 10 Prague 6 Czech Republic
| | - Bohumír Koutek
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry; Czech Academy of Sciences; Flemingovo náměstí 2 166 10 Prague 6 Czech Republic
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13
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Salgado AL, Suchan T, Pellissier L, Rasmann S, Ducrest AL, Alvarez N. Differential phenotypic and genetic expression of defence compounds in a plant-herbivore interaction along elevation. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2016; 3:160226. [PMID: 27703688 PMCID: PMC5043307 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.160226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2016] [Accepted: 08/30/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Elevation gradients impose large differences in abiotic and biotic conditions over short distances, in turn, likely driving differences in gene expression more than would genetic variation per se, as natural selection and drift are less likely to fix alleles at such a narrow spatial scale. As elevation increases, the pressure exerted on plants by herbivores and on arthropod herbivores by predators decreases, and organisms spanning the elevation gradient are thus expected to show lower levels of defence at high elevation. The alternative hypothesis, based on the optimal defence theory, is that defence allocation should be higher in low-resource habitats such as those at high elevation, due to higher costs associated with tissue replacement. In this study, we analyse variation with elevation in (i) defence compound content in the plant Lotus corniculatus and (ii) gene expression associated with defence against predators in the specific phytophagous moth, Zygaena filipendulae. Both species produce cyanogenic glycosides (CNglcs) such as lotaustralin and linamarin as defence mechanisms, with the moth, in addition, being able to sequester CNglcs from its host plant. Specifically, we tested the assumption that the defence-associated phenotype in plants and the gene expression in the insect herbivore should covary between low- and high-elevation environments. We found that L. corniculatus accumulated more CNglcs at high elevation, a result in agreement with the optimal defence theory. By contrast, we found that the levels of expression in the defence genes of Z. filipendulae larvae were not related to the CNglc content of their host plant. Overall, expression levels were not correlated with elevation either, with the exception of the UGT33A1 gene, which showed a marginally significant trend towards higher expression at high elevation when using a simple statistical framework. These results suggest that the defence phenotype of plants against herbivores, and subsequent herbivore sequestration machineries and de novo production, are based on a complex network of interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana L. Salgado
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore building, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Metapopulation Research Centre, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Tomasz Suchan
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore building, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Loïc Pellissier
- Unit of Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Sergio Rasmann
- Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Anne-Lyse Ducrest
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore building, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nadir Alvarez
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore building, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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Pentzold S, Zagrobelny M, Khakimov B, Engelsen SB, Clausen H, Petersen BL, Borch J, Møller BL, Bak S. Lepidopteran defence droplets - a composite physical and chemical weapon against potential predators. Sci Rep 2016; 6:22407. [PMID: 26940001 PMCID: PMC4778013 DOI: 10.1038/srep22407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2015] [Accepted: 02/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Insects often release noxious substances for their defence. Larvae of Zygaena filipendulae (Lepidoptera) secrete viscous and cyanogenic glucoside-containing droplets, whose effectiveness was associated with their physical and chemical properties. The droplets glued mandibles and legs of potential predators together and immobilised them. Droplets were characterised by a matrix of an aqueous solution of glycine-rich peptides (H-WG11-NH2) with significant amounts of proteins and glucose. Among the proteins, defensive proteins such as protease inhibitors, proteases and oxidases were abundant. The neurotoxin β-cyanoalanine was also found in the droplets. Despite the presence of cyanogenic glucosides, which release toxic hydrogen cyanide after hydrolysis by a specific β-glucosidase, the only β-glucosidase identified in the droplets (ZfBGD1) was inactive against cyanogenic glucosides. Accordingly, droplets did not release hydrogen cyanide, unless they were mixed with specific β-glucosidases present in the Zygaena haemolymph. Droplets secreted onto the cuticle hardened and formed sharp crystalline-like precipitates that may act as mandible abrasives to chewing predators. Hardening followed water evaporation and formation of antiparallel β-sheets of the peptide oligomers. Consequently, after mild irritation, Zygaena larvae deter predators by viscous and hardening droplets that contain defence proteins and β-cyanoalanine. After severe injury, droplets may mix with exuding haemolymph to release hydrogen cyanide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Pentzold
- Plant Biochemistry Laboratory and Villum Research Center ‘Plant Plasticity’, Copenhagen Plant Science Center, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Mika Zagrobelny
- Plant Biochemistry Laboratory and Villum Research Center ‘Plant Plasticity’, Copenhagen Plant Science Center, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Bekzod Khakimov
- Spectroscopy and Chemometrics, Department of Food Science, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Søren Balling Engelsen
- Spectroscopy and Chemometrics, Department of Food Science, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Henrik Clausen
- Copenhagen Center for Glycomics, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine , University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Bent Larsen Petersen
- Plant Glycobiology, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jonas Borch
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Birger Lindberg Møller
- Plant Biochemistry Laboratory and Villum Research Center ‘Plant Plasticity’, Copenhagen Plant Science Center, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Carlsberg Laboratory, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Søren Bak
- Plant Biochemistry Laboratory and Villum Research Center ‘Plant Plasticity’, Copenhagen Plant Science Center, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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