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Hasnaoui B, Diarra AZ, Makouloutou-Nzassi P, Bérenger JM, Hamame A, Ngoubangoye B, Gaye M, Davoust B, Mediannikov O, Lekana-Douki JB, Parola P. Identification of termites from Gabon using MALDI-TOF MS. Heliyon 2024; 10:e28081. [PMID: 38524549 PMCID: PMC10957415 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e28081] [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: 04/05/2023] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Termites are one of the most common pests that damage wood and other cellulosic materials. Although Africa has more varieties of termite species than any other continent, few entomological studies have been conducted in Gabon. Identifying termites poses significant difficulties for entomologists. The aim of this study was to evaluate the reliability and confirm the significance of MALDI-TOF MS in identifying fresh termites collected in equatorial Africa. A total of 108 termites were collected from 13 termite nests during a field mission in 2021 in Lekedi and Bongoville, Gabon. Termites were morphologically identified and subjected to MALDI-TOF MS, then molecular analyses using the COI and 12S rRNA genes. Four termite species were morphologically identified in this study: Pseudacanthotermes militaris, Macrotermes muelleri, Macrotermes nobilis, and Noditermes indoensis. However, when using molecular biology, only three species were identified, namely Macrotermes bellicosus, P. militaris, and N. indoensis, because the specimens initially identified as M. muelleri and M. nobilis were found to be M. bellicosus. The MALDI-TOF MS spectral profiles of the termites were all of good quality, with intra-species reproducibility and inter-species specificity. The spectra of 98 termites were blind tested against our upgraded database, which included the spectra of ten termite specimens. All tested spectra were correctly matched to their respective species, with log score values (LSVs) ranging from 1.649 to 2.592. The mean LSV was 2.215 ± 0.203, and the median was 2.241. However, 95.91% (94/98) of our spectra had LSVs above 1.8. This study demonstrates how a proteomic approach can overcome termites' molecular and morphological identification limitations and serve as a useful taxonomic tool.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bouthaina Hasnaoui
- Aix-Marseille Univ, IRD, SSA, AP-HM, VITROME, Marseille, France
- IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - Adama Zan Diarra
- Aix-Marseille Univ, IRD, SSA, AP-HM, VITROME, Marseille, France
- IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - Patrice Makouloutou-Nzassi
- Unité de Recherches en Ecologie de La Santé (URES), Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherches Médicales de Franceville, B.P. 769, Franceville, Gabon
- Institut de Recherches en Ecologie Tropicale (IRET-CENAREST), B.P. 13354, Libreville, Gabon
| | - Jean-Michel Bérenger
- Aix-Marseille Univ, IRD, SSA, AP-HM, VITROME, Marseille, France
- IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - Afaf Hamame
- IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
- Aix-Marseille Univ, IRD, AP-HM, MEPHI, Marseille, France
| | - Barthelemy Ngoubangoye
- Centre de Primatologie, Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherches Médicales de Franceville, B.P. 769, Franceville, Gabon
| | - Mapenda Gaye
- IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
- Aix-Marseille Univ, IRD, AP-HM, MEPHI, Marseille, France
| | - Bernard Davoust
- IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
- Aix-Marseille Univ, IRD, AP-HM, MEPHI, Marseille, France
| | - Oleg Mediannikov
- IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
- Aix-Marseille Univ, IRD, AP-HM, MEPHI, Marseille, France
| | - Jean Bernard Lekana-Douki
- Unité D’Evolution, Epidémiologie et Résistances Parasitaires, Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherches Médicales de Franceville, B.P. 769, Franceville, Gabon
- Département de Parasitologie- Mycologie, Université des Sciences de La Santé, B.P. 4009, Libreville, Gabon
| | - Philippe Parola
- Aix-Marseille Univ, IRD, SSA, AP-HM, VITROME, Marseille, France
- IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
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Sinotte VM, Conlon BH, Seibel E, Schwitalla JW, de Beer ZW, Poulsen M, Bos N. Female-biased sex allocation and lack of inbreeding avoidance in Cubitermes termites. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:5598-5605. [PMID: 34026032 PMCID: PMC8131773 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7462] [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: 10/19/2020] [Revised: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexually reproducing organisms face a strong selective pressure to find a mate and ensure reproduction. An important criterion during mate-selection is to avoid closely related individuals and subsequent potential fitness costs of resulting inbred offspring. Inbreeding avoidance can be active through kin recognition during mate choice, or passive through differential male and female-biased sex ratios, which effectively prevents sib-mating. In addition, sex allocation, or the resources allotted to male and female offspring, can impact mating and reproductive success. Here, we investigate mate choice, sex ratios, and sex allocation in dispersing reproductives (alates) from colonies of the termite Cubitermes tenuiceps. Termites have a short time to select a mate for life, which should intensify any fitness consequences of inbreeding. However, alates did not actively avoid inbreeding through mate choice via kin recognition based on genetic or environmental cues. Furthermore, the majority of colonies exhibited a female-biased sex ratio, and none exhibited a male-bias, indicating that differential bias does not reduce inbreeding. Sex allocation was generally female-biased, as females also were heavier, but the potential fitness effect of this costly strategy remains unclear. The bacterium Wolbachia, known in other insects to parasitically distort sex allocation toward females, was present within all alates. While Wolbachia is commonly associated with termites, parasitism has yet to be demonstrated, warranting further study of the nature of the symbiosis. Both the apparent lack of inbreeding avoidance and potential maladaptive sex allocation implies possible negative effects on mating and fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica M. Sinotte
- Department of BiologySection for Ecology and EvolutionUniversity of CopenhagenCopenhagen EastDenmark
| | - Benjamin H. Conlon
- Department of BiologySection for Ecology and EvolutionUniversity of CopenhagenCopenhagen EastDenmark
| | - Elena Seibel
- Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection BiologyHans‐Knöll‐InstituteJenaGermany
| | - Jan W. Schwitalla
- Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection BiologyHans‐Knöll‐InstituteJenaGermany
| | - Z. Wilhelm de Beer
- Department of Microbiology and Plant PathologyForestry and Agriculture Biotechnology InstituteUniversity of PretoriaPretoriaSouth Africa
| | - Michael Poulsen
- Department of BiologySection for Ecology and EvolutionUniversity of CopenhagenCopenhagen EastDenmark
| | - Nick Bos
- Department of BiologySection for Ecology and EvolutionUniversity of CopenhagenCopenhagen EastDenmark
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Madhav M, Brown G, Morgan JA, Asgari S, McGraw EA, Munderloh UG, Kurtti TJ, James P. Wolbachia successfully replicate in a newly established horn fly, Haematobia irritans irritans (L.) (Diptera: Muscidae) cell line. PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2020; 76:2441-2452. [PMID: 32058670 DOI: 10.1002/ps.5785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2019] [Revised: 01/31/2020] [Accepted: 02/14/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Haematobia spp., horn flies (HF) and buffalo flies (BF), are economically important ectoparasites of dairy and beef cattle. Control of these flies relies mainly on treating cattle with chemical insecticides. However, the development of resistance to commonly used compounds is compromising the effectiveness of these treatments and alternative methods of control are required. Wolbachia are maternally transmitted endosymbiotic bacteria of arthropods that cause various reproductive distortions and fitness effects, making them a potential candidate for use in the biological control of pests. The first step towards this is the establishment and adaptation of xenobiotic infections of Wolbachia in target host cell lines. RESULTS Here, we report the successful establishment of a continuous HF cell line (HIE-18) from embryonic cells and its stable transinfection with Wolbachia strains wAlbB native to mosquitoes, and wMel and wMelPop native to Drosophila melanogaster. HIE-18 cells were typically round and diploid with ten chromosomes (2n = 10) or tetraploid with 20 chromosomes (4n = 20), with a doubling time of 67.2 h. Wolbachia density decreased significantly in HIE-18 cells in the first 48 h of infection, possibly due to overexpression of antimicrobial peptides through the Imd immune signalling pathway. However, density recovered after this time and HIE-18 cell lines stably infected with the three strains of Wolbachia have now each been subcultured more than 50 times as persistently infected lines. CONCLUSION The amenability of HF cells to infection with different strains of Wolbachia and the establishment of stable sustaining infections suggest the potential for use of Wolbachia in novel approaches for the control of Haematobia spp. Further, the availability of the HIE-18 cell line will provide an important resource for the study of genetics, host-parasite interactions and chemical resistance in Haematobia populations. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mukund Madhav
- Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Geoff Brown
- Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Jess At Morgan
- Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Sassan Asgari
- Australian Infectious Disease Research Centre, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Elizabeth A McGraw
- Department of Entomology, Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | | | - Timothy J Kurtti
- Department of Entomology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Peter James
- Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
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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.
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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
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Widespread hybridization among native and invasive species of Operophtera moths (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) in Europe and North America. Biol Invasions 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-019-02054-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Babczyńska A, Sułowicz S, Talik E, Hermyt M, Bednarek A, Sawadro M, Molenda A. Sterile Capsule-Egg Cocoon Covering Constitutes an Antibacterial Barrier for Spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum Embryos. Physiol Biochem Zool 2019; 92:115-124. [PMID: 30601104 DOI: 10.1086/701390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Coexistence of organisms and pathogens has resulted in the evolution of efficient antimicrobial defense, especially at the embryonic stage. This investigation aimed to substantiate the hypothesis that the layers of silk in a spider cocoon play a role in the immunity of the embryos against microorganisms present in the external environment. A two-step interdisciplinary attempt has been made. First, the eggs and empty cocoons of the spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum were incubated on lysogeny broth agar media for 3 d. In the samples of eggs, no growth of bacteria was detected. This indicated that the eggs inside cocoons were sterile. Therefore, in the second step, the cocoons and egg surface were analyzed using SEM, TEM, and LM. The obtained images demonstrated that both inner and outer layers of the silk are built of threads of the same diameter, set in an irregular manner, and randomly clustered into groups. The threads in the outer layer were packed more densely than in the inner one. TEM analysis revealed threads of two types of fibrils and their arrangement. The resultant thread tangle of the cocoon, possibly correlated with the ultrastructure of the fibers, seems to be an example of a structure-function relationship playing a crucial ecoimmunological role in spider embryonic development.
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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.
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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
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Pietri JE, DeBruhl H, Sullivan W. The rich somatic life of Wolbachia. Microbiologyopen 2016; 5:923-936. [PMID: 27461737 PMCID: PMC5221451 DOI: 10.1002/mbo3.390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2016] [Revised: 05/24/2016] [Accepted: 05/28/2016] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Wolbachia is an intracellular endosymbiont infecting most arthropod and some filarial nematode species that is vertically transmitted through the maternal lineage. Due to this primary mechanism of transmission, most studies have focused on Wolbachia interactions with the host germline. However, over the last decade many studies have emerged highlighting the prominence of Wolbachia in somatic tissues, implicating somatic tissue tropism as an important aspect of the life history of this endosymbiont. Here, we review our current understanding of Wolbachia-host interactions at both the cellular and organismal level, with a focus on Wolbachia in somatic tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose E Pietri
- Department of Molecular, Cell & Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, California, USA
| | - Heather DeBruhl
- Biological Sciences Department, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, California, USA
| | - William Sullivan
- Department of Molecular, Cell & Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, California, USA
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Profiling the Succession of Bacterial Communities throughout the Life Stages of a Higher Termite Nasutitermes arborum (Termitidae, Nasutitermitinae) Using 16S rRNA Gene Pyrosequencing. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0140014. [PMID: 26444989 PMCID: PMC4596844 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0140014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2015] [Accepted: 09/21/2015] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous surveys of the gut microbiota of termites have been limited to the worker caste. Termite gut microbiota has been well documented over the last decades and consists mainly of lineages specific to the gut microbiome which are maintained across generations. Despite this intimate relationship, little is known of how symbionts are transmitted to each generation of the host, especially in higher termites where proctodeal feeding has never been reported. The bacterial succession across life stages of the wood-feeding higher termite Nasutitermes arborum was characterized by 16S rRNA gene deep sequencing. The microbial community in the eggs, mainly affiliated to Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria, was markedly different from the communities in the following developmental stages. In the first instar and last instar larvae and worker caste termites, Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria were less abundant than Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Spirochaetes, Fibrobacteres and the candidate phylum TG3 from the last instar larvae. Most of the representatives of these phyla (except Firmicutes) were identified as termite-gut specific lineages, although their relative abundances differed. The most salient difference between last instar larvae and worker caste termites was the very high proportion of Spirochaetes, most of which were affiliated to the Treponema Ic, Ia and If subclusters, in workers. The results suggest that termite symbionts are not transmitted from mother to offspring but become established by a gradual process allowing the offspring to have access to the bulk of the microbiota prior to the emergence of workers, and, therefore, presumably through social exchanges with nursing workers.
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