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Holt JR, Cavichiolli de Oliveira N, Medina RF, Malacrinò A, Lindsey ARI. Insect-microbe interactions and their influence on organisms and ecosystems. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11699. [PMID: 39041011 PMCID: PMC11260886 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11699] [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: 01/30/2024] [Revised: 06/14/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Microorganisms are important associates of insect and arthropod species. Insect-associated microbes, including bacteria, fungi, and viruses, can drastically impact host physiology, ecology, and fitness, while many microbes still have no known role. Over the past decade, we have increased our knowledge of the taxonomic composition and functional roles of insect-associated microbiomes and viromes. There has been a more recent shift toward examining the complexity of microbial communities, including how they vary in response to different factors (e.g., host genome, microbial strain, environment, and time), and the consequences of this variation for the host and the wider ecological community. We provide an overview of insect-microbe interactions, the variety of associated microbial functions, and the evolutionary ecology of these relationships. We explore the influence of the environment and the interactive effects of insects and their microbiomes across trophic levels. Additionally, we discuss the potential for subsequent synergistic and reciprocal impacts on the associated microbiomes, ecological interactions, and communities. Lastly, we discuss some potential avenues for the future of insect-microbe interactions that include the modification of existing microbial symbionts as well as the construction of synthetic microbial communities.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Raul F. Medina
- Department of EntomologyTexas A&M University, Minnie Bell Heep CenterCollege StationTexasUSA
| | - Antonino Malacrinò
- Department of AgricultureUniversità Degli Studi Mediterranea di Reggio CalabriaReggio CalabriaItaly
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2
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Łukasik P, Kolasa MR. With a little help from my friends: the roles of microbial symbionts in insect populations and communities. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2024; 379:20230122. [PMID: 38705185 PMCID: PMC11070262 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2023.0122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/07/2024] Open
Abstract
To understand insect abundance, distribution and dynamics, we need to understand the relevant drivers of their populations and communities. While microbial symbionts are known to strongly affect many aspects of insect biology, we lack data on their effects on populations or community processes, or on insects' evolutionary responses at different timescales. How these effects change as the anthropogenic effects on ecosystems intensify is an area of intense research. Recent developments in sequencing and bioinformatics permit cost-effective microbial diversity surveys, tracking symbiont transmission, and identification of functions across insect populations and multi-species communities. In this review, we explore how different functional categories of symbionts can influence insect life-history traits, how these effects could affect insect populations and their interactions with other species, and how they may affect processes and patterns at the level of entire communities. We argue that insect-associated microbes should be considered important drivers of insect response and adaptation to environmental challenges and opportunities. We also outline the emerging approaches for surveying and characterizing insect-associated microbiota at population and community scales. This article is part of the theme issue 'Towards a toolkit for global insect biodiversity monitoring'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piotr Łukasik
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, 30-387 Krakow, Poland
| | - Michał R. Kolasa
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, 30-387 Krakow, Poland
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3
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Kolp MR, de Anda Acosta Y, Brewer W, Nichols HL, Goldstein EB, Tallapragada K, Parker BJ. Pathogen-microbiome interactions and the virulence of an entomopathogenic fungus. Appl Environ Microbiol 2024; 90:e0229323. [PMID: 38786361 PMCID: PMC11218631 DOI: 10.1128/aem.02293-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Bacteria shape interactions between hosts and fungal pathogens. In some cases, bacteria associated with fungi are essential for pathogen virulence. In other systems, host-associated microbiomes confer resistance against fungal pathogens. We studied an aphid-specific entomopathogenic fungus called Pandora neoaphidis in the context of both host and pathogen microbiomes. Aphids host several species of heritable bacteria, some of which confer resistance against Pandora. We first found that spores that emerged from aphids that harbored protective bacteria were less virulent against subsequent hosts and did not grow on plate media. We then used 16S amplicon sequencing to study the bacterial microbiome of fungal mycelia and spores during plate culturing and host infection. We found that the bacterial community is remarkably stable in culture despite dramatic changes in pathogen virulence. Last, we used an experimentally transformed symbiont of aphids to show that Pandora can acquire host-associated bacteria during infection. Our results uncover new roles for bacteria in the dynamics of aphid-pathogen interactions and illustrate the importance of the broader microbiological context in studies of fungal pathogenesis. IMPORTANCE Entomopathogenic fungi play important roles in the population dynamics of many insect species. Understanding the factors shaping entomopathogen virulence is critical for agricultural management and for the use of fungi in pest biocontrol. We show that heritable bacteria in aphids, which confer protection to their hosts against fungal entomopathogens, influence virulence against subsequent hosts. Aphids reproduce asexually and are typically surrounded by genetically identical offspring, and thus these effects likely shape the dynamics of fungal disease in aphid populations. Furthermore, fungal entomopathogens are known to rapidly lose virulence in lab culture, complicating their laboratory use. We show that this phenomenon is not driven by changes in the associated bacterial microbiome. These results contribute to our broader understanding of the aphid model system and shed light on the biology of the Entomophthorales-an important but understudied group of fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew R. Kolp
- Department of Microbiology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
- Richard A. Gillespie College of Veterinary Medicine, Lincoln Memorial University, Harrogate, Tennessee, USA
| | | | - William Brewer
- Department of Microbiology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Holly L. Nichols
- Department of Microbiology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | | | - Keertana Tallapragada
- Department of Microbiology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
- Graduate School of Genome Science and Technology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Benjamin J. Parker
- Department of Microbiology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
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4
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Manentzos AN, Pahl AMC, Melloh P, Martin EA, Leybourne DJ. Low prevalence of secondary endosymbionts in aphids sampled from rapeseed crops in Germany. BULLETIN OF ENTOMOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2024:1-6. [PMID: 38444236 DOI: 10.1017/s0007485324000063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
Peach-potato aphids, Myzus persicae Sulzer (Hemiptera:Aphididae), and cabbage aphids, Brevicoryne brassicae Linnaeus (Hemiptera:Aphididae), are herbivorous insects of significant agricultural importance. Aphids can harbour a range of non-essential (facultative) endosymbiotic bacteria that confer multiple costs and benefits to the host aphid. A key endosymbiont-derived phenotype is protection against parasitoid wasps, and this protective phenotype has been associated with several defensive enodsymbionts. In recent years greater emphasis has been placed on developing alternative pest management strategies, including the increased use of natural enemies such as parasitoids wasps. For the success of aphid control strategies to be estimated the presence of defensive endosymbionts that can potentially disrupt the success of biocontrol agents needs to be determined in natural aphid populations. Here, we sampled aphids and mummies (parasitised aphids) from an important rapeseed production region in Germany and used multiplex PCR assays to characterise the endosymbiont communities. We found that aphids rarely harboured facultative endosymbionts, with 3.6% of M. persicae and 0% of B. brassicae populations forming facultative endosymbiont associations. This is comparable with endosymbiont prevalence described for M. persicae populations surveyed in Australia, Europe, Chile, and USA where endosymbiont infection frequencies range form 0-2%, but is in contrast with observations from China where M. persicae populations have more abundant and diverse endosymbiotic communities (endosymbionts present in over 50% of aphid populations).
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Affiliation(s)
- A N Manentzos
- Zoological Biodiversity, Institute of Geobotany, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz University Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - A M C Pahl
- Zoological Biodiversity, Institute of Geobotany, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz University Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - P Melloh
- Zoological Biodiversity, Institute of Geobotany, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz University Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - E A Martin
- Animal Ecology, Institute of Animal Ecology and Systematics, Justus Liebig University of Gießen, Gießen, Germany
| | - D J Leybourne
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behaviour, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
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5
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Donner SH, Slingerland M, Beekman MM, Comte A, Dicke M, Zwaan BJ, Pannebakker BA, Verhulst EC. Aphid populations are frequently infected with facultative endosymbionts. Environ Microbiol 2024; 26:e16599. [PMID: 38459641 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16599] [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: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/10/2024]
Abstract
The occurrence of facultative endosymbionts has been studied in many commercially important crop pest aphids, but their occurrence and effects in non-commercial aphid species in natural populations have received less attention. We screened 437 aphid samples belonging to 106 aphid species for the eight most common facultative aphid endosymbionts. We found one or more facultative endosymbionts in 53% (56 of 106) of the species investigated. This likely underestimates the situation in the field because facultative endosymbionts are often present in only some colonies of an aphid species. Oligophagous aphid species carried facultative endosymbionts significantly more often than monophagous species. We did not find a significant correlation between ant tending and facultative endosymbiont presence. In conclusion, we found that facultative endosymbionts are common among aphid populations. This study is, to our knowledge, the first of its kind in the Netherlands and provides a basis for future research in this field. For instance, it is still unknown in what way many of these endosymbionts affect their hosts, which is important for determining the importance of facultative endosymbionts to community dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Helena Donner
- Laboratory of Genetics, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Marijn Slingerland
- Laboratory of Genetics, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Mariska M Beekman
- Laboratory of Genetics, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Arthur Comte
- Laboratory of Genetics, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Marcel Dicke
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Bas J Zwaan
- Laboratory of Genetics, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Bart A Pannebakker
- Laboratory of Genetics, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Eveline C Verhulst
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
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6
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Alsufyani T, Al-Otaibi N, Alotaibi NJ, M'sakni NH, Alghamdi EM. GC Analysis, Anticancer, and Antibacterial Activities of Secondary Bioactive Compounds from Endosymbiotic Bacteria of Pomegranate Aphid and Its Predator and Protector. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28104255. [PMID: 37241995 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28104255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2023] [Revised: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial secondary metabolites are a valuable source of various molecules that have antibacterial and anticancer activity. In this study, ten endosymbiotic bacteria of aphids, aphid predators and ants were isolated. Bacterial strains were identified according to the 16S rRNA gene. Ethyl acetate fractions of methanol extract (EA-ME) were prepared from each isolated bacterium and tested for their antibacterial activities using the disk diffusion method. The EA-ME of three bacterial species, Planococcus sp., Klebsiella aerogenes, Enterococcus avium, from the pomegranate aphids Aphis punicae, Chrysoperia carnea, and Tapinoma magnum, respectively, exhibited elevated antibacterial activity against one or several of the five pathogenic bacteria tested. The inhibition zones ranged from 10.00 ± 0.13 to 20.00 ± 1.11 mm, with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values ranging from 0.156 mg/mL to 1.25 mg/mL. The most notable antibacterial activity was found in the EA-ME of K. aerogenes against Klebsiella pneumonia and Escherichia coli, with an MIC value of 0.156 mg/mL. The cytotoxic activity of EA-ME was dependent on the cell line tested. The most significant cytotoxicity effect was observed for extracts of K. aerogenes and E. avium, at 12.5 µg/mL, against the epithelial cells of lung carcinoma (A549), with a cell reduction of 79.4% and 67.2%, respectively. For the EA-ME of K. aerogenes and Pantoea agglomerans at 12.5 µg/mL, 69.4% and 67.8% cell reduction were observed against human colon cancer (Hct116), respectively. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis of three EA-ME revealed the presence of several bioactive secondary metabolites that have been reported previously to possess antibacterial and anticancer properties. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to examine the biological activities of endosymbiotic bacteria in aphids, aphid predators and ants. The promising data presented in this study may pave the way for alternative drugs to overcome the continued emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria, and find alternative drugs to conventional cancer therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taghreed Alsufyani
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
- High Altitude Research Centre, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
| | - Najwa Al-Otaibi
- High Altitude Research Centre, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
| | - Noura J Alotaibi
- High Altitude Research Centre, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
| | - Nour Houda M'sakni
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
- High Altitude Research Centre, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
- Laboratory of the Interfaces and Advanced Materials (LIMA), Science Faculty, Monastir University, P.O. Box 05019, Monastir 5019, Tunisia
| | - Eman M Alghamdi
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, King Abdul Aziz University, P.O. Box 80200, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
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7
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Pekas A, Tena A, Peri E, Colazza S, Cusumano A. Competitive interactions in insect parasitoids: effects of microbial symbionts across tritrophic levels. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2023; 55:101001. [PMID: 36494029 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2022.101001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Competition for hosts is a common ecological interaction in insect parasitoids. In the recent years, it has become increasingly evident that microorganisms can act as 'hidden players' in parasitoid ecology. In this review, we propose that parasitoid competition should take into consideration the microbial influence. In particular, we take a tritrophic perspective and discuss how parasitoid competition can be modulated by microorganisms associated with the parasitoids, their herbivore hosts, or the plants attacked by the herbivores. Although research is still in its infancy, recent studies have shown that microbial symbionts can modulate the contest outcome. The emerging pattern is that microorganisms not only affect the competitive traits of parasitoids but also the fighting arena (i.e. the herbivore host and its food plant), in which competition takes place. We have also identified important gaps in the literature that should be addressed in future studies to advance our understanding about parasitoid competition.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alejandro Tena
- Centro de Protección Vegetal y Biotecnología, Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias (IVIA), Moncada, Valencia, Spain
| | - Ezio Peri
- Department of Agricultural, Food, and Forest Sciences, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Stefano Colazza
- Department of Agricultural, Food, and Forest Sciences, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Antonino Cusumano
- Department of Agricultural, Food, and Forest Sciences, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
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8
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Beekman MM, Donner SH, Litjens JJH, Dicke M, Zwaan BJ, Verhulst EC, Pannebakker BA. Do aphids in Dutch sweet pepper greenhouses carry heritable elements that protect them against biocontrol parasitoids? Evol Appl 2022; 15:1580-1593. [DOI: 10.1111/eva.13347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Revised: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Mariska M. Beekman
- Wageningen University & Research Laboratory of Genetics PO Box 16 6700 AA Wageningen The Netherlands
- Wageningen University & Research Laboratory of Entomology PO Box 16 6700 AA Wageningen The Netherlands
| | - S. Helena Donner
- Wageningen University & Research Laboratory of Genetics PO Box 16 6700 AA Wageningen The Netherlands
- Wageningen University & Research Laboratory of Entomology PO Box 16 6700 AA Wageningen The Netherlands
| | - Jordy J. H. Litjens
- Wageningen University & Research Laboratory of Genetics PO Box 16 6700 AA Wageningen The Netherlands
| | - Marcel Dicke
- Wageningen University & Research Laboratory of Entomology PO Box 16 6700 AA Wageningen The Netherlands
| | - Bas J. Zwaan
- Wageningen University & Research Laboratory of Genetics PO Box 16 6700 AA Wageningen The Netherlands
| | - Eveline C. Verhulst
- Wageningen University & Research Laboratory of Entomology PO Box 16 6700 AA Wageningen The Netherlands
| | - Bart A. Pannebakker
- Wageningen University & Research Laboratory of Genetics PO Box 16 6700 AA Wageningen The Netherlands
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9
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Vorburger C. Defensive Symbionts and the Evolution of Parasitoid Host Specialization. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ENTOMOLOGY 2022; 67:329-346. [PMID: 34614366 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ento-072621-062042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Insect host-parasitoid interactions abound in nature and are characterized by a high degree of host specialization. In addition to their behavioral and immune defenses, many host species rely on heritable bacterial endosymbionts for defense against parasitoids. Studies on aphids and flies show that resistance conferred by symbionts can be very strong and highly specific, possibly as a result of variation in symbiont-produced toxins. I argue that defensive symbionts are therefore an important source of diversifying selection, promoting the evolution of host specialization by parasitoids. This is likely to affect the structure of host-parasitoid food webs. I consider potential changes in terms of food web complexity, although the nature of these effects will also be influenced by whether maternally transmitted symbionts have some capacity for lateral transfer. This is discussed in the light of available evidence for horizontal transmission routes. Finally, I propose that defensive mutualisms other than microbial endosymbionts may also exert diversifying selection on insect parasitoids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph Vorburger
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Eawag, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland;
- Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zürich, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
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Gimmi E, Vorburger C. Strong genotype-by-genotype interactions between aphid-defensive symbionts and parasitoids persist across different biotic environments. J Evol Biol 2021; 34:1944-1953. [PMID: 34695269 PMCID: PMC9298302 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Revised: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The dynamics of coevolution between hosts and parasites are influenced by their genetic interactions. Highly specific interactions, where the outcome of an infection depends on the precise combination of host and parasite genotypes (G × G interactions), have the potential to maintain genetic variation by inducing negative frequency‐dependent selection. The importance of this effect also rests on whether such interactions are consistent across different environments or modified by environmental variation (G × G × E interaction). In the black bean aphid, Aphis fabae, resistance to its parasitoid Lysiphlebus fabarum is largely determined by the possession of a heritable bacterial endosymbiont, Hamiltonella defensa, with strong G × G interactions between H. defensa and L. fabarum. A key environmental factor in this system is the host plant on which the aphid feeds. Here, we exposed genetically identical aphids harbouring three different strains of H. defensa to three asexual genotypes of L. fabarum and measured parasitism success on three common host plants of A. fabae, namely Vicia faba, Chenopodium album and Beta vulgaris. As expected, we observed the pervasive G × G interaction between H. defensa and L. fabarum, but despite strong main effects of the host plants on average rates of parasitism, this interaction was not altered significantly by the host plant environment (no G × G × E interaction). The symbiont‐conferred specificity of resistance is thus likely to mediate the coevolution of A. fabae and L. fabarum, even when played out across diverse host plants of the aphid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Gimmi
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Dübendorf, Switzerland.,Department of Environmental Systems Science, D-USYS, ETH Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Christoph Vorburger
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Dübendorf, Switzerland.,Department of Environmental Systems Science, D-USYS, ETH Zürich, Switzerland
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11
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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.
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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.)
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Gao X, Niu R, Zhu X, Wang L, Ji J, Niu L, Wu C, Zhang S, Luo J, Cui J. Characterization and comparison of the bacterial microbiota of Lysiphlebia japonica parasitioid wasps and their aphid host Aphis gosypii. PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2021; 77:2710-2718. [PMID: 33492720 DOI: 10.1002/ps.6299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Revised: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Endosymbiotic bacteria have been reported to mediate interactions between parasitoids and their insect hosts. How parasitic wasps influence changes in host microbial communities and the relationship between them are of great importance to the study of host-parasitoid co-evolutionary and ecological interactions. However, these interactions remain largely unreported for interactions between Aphis gossypii and Lysiphlebia japonica. RESULTS In this study, we characterize the bacterial microbiota of L. japonica wasps at different developmental stages and monitor changes over time in the bacterial microbiota of their parasitized and nonparasitized aphid hosts, using metagenomic analysis of 16S rDNA sequencing data. Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Actinobacteria were the three most abundant bacterial phyla identified in L. japonica. We found that parasitism was associated with an increased abundance of Buchnera nutritional endosymbionts, but decreased abundance of Acinetobacter, Arsenophonus, Candidatus_Hamiltonella, and Pseudomonas facultative symbionts in aphid hosts. Functional analysis of enriched pathways of parasitized aphids showed significant differences in the 'transport and metabolism of carbohydrates' and 'amino acid, lipid, and coenzyme biosynthesis' pathways. Notably, the composition of symbiotic bacteria in wasp larvae was highly similar to that of their aphid hosts, especially the high abundance of Buchnera. CONCLUSION The results provide a conceptual framework for L. japonica interactions with A. gossypii in which the exchange of symbiotic microbes provides a means by which microbiota can potentially serve as evolutionary drivers of complex, multilevel interactions underlying the ecology and co-evolution of these hosts and parasites. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueke Gao
- Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China
- Zhengzhou Reseach Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Ruichang Niu
- Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China
- Zhengzhou Reseach Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Xiangzhen Zhu
- Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China
- Zhengzhou Reseach Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Li Wang
- Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China
- Zhengzhou Reseach Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Jichao Ji
- Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China
- Zhengzhou Reseach Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Lin Niu
- Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China
- Zhengzhou Reseach Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Changcai Wu
- Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China
- Zhengzhou Reseach Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Shuai Zhang
- College of Horticulture and Plant Protection, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Junyu Luo
- Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China
- Zhengzhou Reseach Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Jinjie Cui
- Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China
- Zhengzhou Reseach Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
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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.
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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
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Ribeiro MF, Carvalho VR, Favoreto AL, De Marchi BR, Jordan C, Zanuncio JC, Soares MA, Zanuncio AJV, Wilcken CF. Yersinia massiliensis (Enterobacteriales: Enterobacteriaceae) in the host Anaphes nitens (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae): first report of association with insects. BRAZ J BIOL 2021; 82:e237098. [PMID: 33787747 DOI: 10.1590/1519-6984.237098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Accepted: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Endosymbiont bacteria can affect biological parameters and reduce the effectiveness of natural enemies in controlling the target insect. The objective of this work was to identify endosymbiont bacteria in Anaphes nitens (Girault, 1928) (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae), the main natural enemy used to manage Gonipterus platensis (Marelli, 1926) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Genomic DNA from six A. nitens populations was extracted and polymerase chain reactions (PCR) were performed with the primers to detect endosymbiont bacteria in this insect. The PCR products were amplified, sequenced, and compared with sequences deposited in the GenBank for the bacteria identification. All A. nitens populations had the bacterium Yersinia massiliensis (Enterobacteriales: Enterobacteriaceae). This bacterium was originally described as free-living, and it is associated with and composes part of the A. nitens microbiota. This is the first report of Y. massiliensis in an insect host.
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Affiliation(s)
- M F Ribeiro
- Universidade Estadual Paulista - UNESP, Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas, Departamento de Proteção Vegetal, Botucatu, SP, Brasil
| | - V R Carvalho
- Universidade Estadual Paulista - UNESP, Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas, Departamento de Proteção Vegetal, Botucatu, SP, Brasil
| | - A L Favoreto
- Universidade Estadual Paulista - UNESP, Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas, Departamento de Proteção Vegetal, Botucatu, SP, Brasil
| | - B R De Marchi
- University of Florida, Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, Wimauma, FL, USA
| | - C Jordan
- Universidade Estadual Paulista - UNESP, Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas, Departamento de Proteção Vegetal, Botucatu, SP, Brasil
| | - J C Zanuncio
- Universidade Federal de Viçosa - UFV, Departamento de Entomologia/BIOAGRO, Viçosa, MG, Brasil
| | - M A Soares
- Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri - UFVJM, Programa de Pós-graduação em Produção Vegetal, Diamantina, MG, Brasil
| | - A J V Zanuncio
- Universidade Federal de Viçosa - UFV, Departamento de Engenharia Florestal, Viçosa, MG, Brasil
| | - C F Wilcken
- Universidade Estadual Paulista - UNESP, Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas, Departamento de Proteção Vegetal, Botucatu, SP, Brasil
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Leclair M, Buchard C, Mahéo F, Simon JC, Outreman Y. A Link Between Communities of Protective Endosymbionts and Parasitoids of the Pea Aphid Revealed in Unmanipulated Agricultural Systems. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.618331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In the last decade, the influence of microbial symbionts on ecological and physiological traits of their hosts has been increasingly recognized. However, most of these effects have been revealed under laboratory conditions, which oversimplifies the complexity of the factors involved in the dynamics of symbiotic associations in nature. The pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum, forms a complex of plant-adapted biotypes, which strongly differ in the prevalence of their facultative endosymbionts. Some of the facultative endosymbionts of A. pisum have been shown to confer protection against natural enemies, among which Hamiltonella defensa is known to protect its host from parasitoid wasps. Here, we tested under natural conditions whether the endosymbiont communities of different A. pisum biotypes had a protective effect on their hosts and whether endosymbiotic associations and parasitoid communities associated with the pea aphid complex were linked. A space-time monitoring of symbiotic associations, parasitoid pressure and parasitoid communities was carried out in three A. pisum biotypes respectively specialized on Medicago sativa (alfalfa), Pisum sativum (pea), and Trifolium sp. (clover) throughout the whole cropping season. While symbiotic associations, and to a lesser extent, parasitoid communities were stable over time and structured mainly by the A. pisum biotypes, the parasitoid pressure strongly varied during the season and differed among the three biotypes. This suggests a limited influence of parasitoid pressure on the dynamics of facultative endosymbionts at a seasonal scale. However, we found a positive correlation between the α and β diversities of the endosymbiont and parasitoid communities, indicating interactions between these two guilds. Also, we revealed a negative correlation between the prevalence of H. defensa and Fukatsuia symbiotica in co-infection and the intensity of parasitoid pressure in the alfalfa biotype, confirming in field conditions the protective effect of this symbiotic combination.
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Hafer‐Hahmann N, Vorburger C. Positive association between the diversity of symbionts and parasitoids of aphids in field populations. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Nina Hafer‐Hahmann
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology Überlandstrasse 133 Dübendorf8600Switzerland
| | - Christoph Vorburger
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology Überlandstrasse 133 Dübendorf8600Switzerland
- Institute of Integrative Biology ETH Zürich Universitätsstrasse 16 Zürich8092Switzerland
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17
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Leung K, Ras E, Ferguson KB, Ariëns S, Babendreier D, Bijma P, Bourtzis K, Brodeur J, Bruins MA, Centurión A, Chattington SR, Chinchilla‐Ramírez M, Dicke M, Fatouros NE, González‐Cabrera J, Groot TVM, Haye T, Knapp M, Koskinioti P, Le Hesran S, Lyrakis M, Paspati A, Pérez‐Hedo M, Plouvier WN, Schlötterer C, Stahl JM, Thiel A, Urbaneja A, van de Zande L, Verhulst EC, Vet LEM, Visser S, Werren JH, Xia S, Zwaan BJ, Magalhães S, Beukeboom LW, Pannebakker BA. Next-generation biological control: the need for integrating genetics and genomics. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2020; 95:1838-1854. [PMID: 32794644 PMCID: PMC7689903 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2019] [Revised: 07/16/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Biological control is widely successful at controlling pests, but effective biocontrol agents are now more difficult to import from countries of origin due to more restrictive international trade laws (the Nagoya Protocol). Coupled with increasing demand, the efficacy of existing and new biocontrol agents needs to be improved with genetic and genomic approaches. Although they have been underutilised in the past, application of genetic and genomic techniques is becoming more feasible from both technological and economic perspectives. We review current methods and provide a framework for using them. First, it is necessary to identify which biocontrol trait to select and in what direction. Next, the genes or markers linked to these traits need be determined, including how to implement this information into a selective breeding program. Choosing a trait can be assisted by modelling to account for the proper agro-ecological context, and by knowing which traits have sufficiently high heritability values. We provide guidelines for designing genomic strategies in biocontrol programs, which depend on the organism, budget, and desired objective. Genomic approaches start with genome sequencing and assembly. We provide a guide for deciding the most successful sequencing strategy for biocontrol agents. Gene discovery involves quantitative trait loci analyses, transcriptomic and proteomic studies, and gene editing. Improving biocontrol practices includes marker-assisted selection, genomic selection and microbiome manipulation of biocontrol agents, and monitoring for genetic variation during rearing and post-release. We conclude by identifying the most promising applications of genetic and genomic methods to improve biological control efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelley Leung
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life SciencesUniversity of GroningenPO Box 111039700 CCGroningenThe Netherlands
| | - Erica Ras
- Insect Pest Control Laboratory, Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and AgricultureVienna International CentreP.O. Box 1001400ViennaAustria
| | - Kim B. Ferguson
- Laboratory of GeneticsWageningen University & ResearchDroevendaalsesteeg 16708 PBWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Simone Ariëns
- Group for Population and Evolutionary Ecology, FB 02, Institute of EcologyUniversity of BremenLeobener Str. 528359BremenGermany
| | | | - Piter Bijma
- Animal Breeding and GenomicsWageningen University & ResearchPO Box 3386700 AHWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Kostas Bourtzis
- Insect Pest Control Laboratory, Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and AgricultureVienna International CentreP.O. Box 1001400ViennaAustria
| | - Jacques Brodeur
- Institut de Recherche en Biologie VégétaleUniversité de Montréal4101 Sherbrooke EstMontréalQuebecCanadaH1X 2B2
| | - Margreet A. Bruins
- Laboratory of GeneticsWageningen University & ResearchDroevendaalsesteeg 16708 PBWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Alejandra Centurión
- Group for Population and Evolutionary Ecology, FB 02, Institute of EcologyUniversity of BremenLeobener Str. 528359BremenGermany
| | - Sophie R. Chattington
- Group for Population and Evolutionary Ecology, FB 02, Institute of EcologyUniversity of BremenLeobener Str. 528359BremenGermany
| | - Milena Chinchilla‐Ramírez
- Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias (IVIA), Centro de Protección Vegetal y BiotecnologíaUnidad Mixta Gestión Biotecnológica de Plagas UV‐IVIACarretera CV‐315, Km 10'746113MoncadaValenciaSpain
| | - Marcel Dicke
- Laboratory of EntomologyWageningen University & ResearchDroevendaalsesteeg 16708 PBWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Nina E. Fatouros
- Biosystematics GroupWageningen University & ResearchDroevendaalsesteeg 16708 PBWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Joel González‐Cabrera
- Department of Genetics, Estructura de Recerca Interdisciplinar en Biotecnología i Biomedicina (ERI‐BIOTECMED)Unidad Mixta Gestión Biotecnológica de Plagas UV‐IVIA, Universitat de ValènciaDr Moliner 5046100BurjassotValenciaSpain
| | - Thomas V. M. Groot
- Koppert Biological SystemsVeilingweg 142651 BEBerkel en RodenrijsThe Netherlands
| | - Tim Haye
- CABIRue des Grillons 12800DelémontSwitzerland
| | - Markus Knapp
- Koppert Biological SystemsVeilingweg 142651 BEBerkel en RodenrijsThe Netherlands
| | - Panagiota Koskinioti
- Insect Pest Control Laboratory, Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and AgricultureVienna International CentreP.O. Box 1001400ViennaAustria
- Department of Biochemistry and BiotechnologyUniversity of ThessalyBiopolis41500LarissaGreece
| | - Sophie Le Hesran
- Laboratory of EntomologyWageningen University & ResearchDroevendaalsesteeg 16708 PBWageningenThe Netherlands
- Koppert Biological SystemsVeilingweg 142651 BEBerkel en RodenrijsThe Netherlands
| | - Manolis Lyrakis
- Institut für PopulationsgenetikVetmeduni ViennaVeterinärplatz 11210ViennaAustria
- Vienna Graduate School of Population GeneticsVetmeduni ViennaVeterinärplatz 11210ViennaAustria
| | - Angeliki Paspati
- Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias (IVIA), Centro de Protección Vegetal y BiotecnologíaUnidad Mixta Gestión Biotecnológica de Plagas UV‐IVIACarretera CV‐315, Km 10'746113MoncadaValenciaSpain
| | - Meritxell Pérez‐Hedo
- Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias (IVIA), Centro de Protección Vegetal y BiotecnologíaUnidad Mixta Gestión Biotecnológica de Plagas UV‐IVIACarretera CV‐315, Km 10'746113MoncadaValenciaSpain
| | - Wouter N. Plouvier
- INRA, CNRS, UMR 1355‐7254400 Route des ChappesBP 167 06903Sophia Antipolis CedexFrance
| | | | - Judith M. Stahl
- CABIRue des Grillons 12800DelémontSwitzerland
- Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension CenterUniversity of California Berkeley9240 South Riverbend AvenueParlierCA93648USA
| | - Andra Thiel
- Group for Population and Evolutionary Ecology, FB 02, Institute of EcologyUniversity of BremenLeobener Str. 528359BremenGermany
| | - Alberto Urbaneja
- Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias (IVIA), Centro de Protección Vegetal y BiotecnologíaUnidad Mixta Gestión Biotecnológica de Plagas UV‐IVIACarretera CV‐315, Km 10'746113MoncadaValenciaSpain
| | - Louis van de Zande
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life SciencesUniversity of GroningenPO Box 111039700 CCGroningenThe Netherlands
| | - Eveline C. Verhulst
- Laboratory of EntomologyWageningen University & ResearchDroevendaalsesteeg 16708 PBWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Louise E. M. Vet
- Laboratory of EntomologyWageningen University & ResearchDroevendaalsesteeg 16708 PBWageningenThe Netherlands
- Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO‐KNAW)Droevendaalsesteeg 106708 PBWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Sander Visser
- Institute of EntomologyBiology Centre CASBranišovská 31370 05České BudějoviceCzech Republic
- Faculty of ScienceUniversity of South BohemiaBranišovská 1760370 05České BudějoviceCzech Republic
| | - John H. Werren
- Department of BiologyUniversity of RochesterRochesterNY14627USA
| | - Shuwen Xia
- Animal Breeding and GenomicsWageningen University & ResearchPO Box 3386700 AHWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Bas J. Zwaan
- Laboratory of GeneticsWageningen University & ResearchDroevendaalsesteeg 16708 PBWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Sara Magalhães
- cE3c: Centre for Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental ChangesFaculdade de Ciências da Universidade de LisboaEdifício C2, Campo Grande1749‐016LisbonPortugal
| | - Leo W. Beukeboom
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life SciencesUniversity of GroningenPO Box 111039700 CCGroningenThe Netherlands
| | - Bart A. Pannebakker
- Laboratory of GeneticsWageningen University & ResearchDroevendaalsesteeg 16708 PBWageningenThe Netherlands
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Koskella B, Bergelson J. The study of host-microbiome (co)evolution across levels of selection. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20190604. [PMID: 32772660 PMCID: PMC7435161 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/01/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Microorganismal diversity can be explained in large part by selection imposed from both the abiotic and biotic environments, including-in the case of host-associated microbiomes-interactions with eukaryotes. As such, the diversity of host-associated microbiomes can be usefully studied across a variety of scales: within a single host over time, among host genotypes within a population, between populations and among host species. A plethora of recent studies across these scales and across diverse systems are: (i) exemplifying the importance of the host genetics in shaping microbiome composition; (ii) uncovering the role of the microbiome in shaping key host phenotypes; and (iii) highlighting the dynamic nature of the microbiome. They have also raised a critical question: do these complex associations fit within our existing understanding of evolution and coevolution, or do these often intimate and seemingly cross-generational interactions follow novel evolutionary rules from those previously identified? Herein, we describe the known importance of (co)evolution in host-microbiome systems, placing the existing data within extant frameworks that have been developed over decades of study, and ask whether there are unique properties of host-microbiome systems that require a paradigm shift. By examining when and how selection can act on the host and its microbiome as a unit (termed, the holobiont), we find that the existing conceptual framework, which focuses on individuals, as well as interactions among individuals and groups, is generally well suited for understanding (co)evolutionary change in these intimate assemblages. This article is part of the theme issue 'The role of the microbiome in host evolution'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Britt Koskella
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3200, USA
| | - Joy Bergelson
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
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Hiebert N, Kessel T, Skaljac M, Spohn M, Vilcinskas A, Lee KZ. The Gram-Positive Bacterium Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides Shows Insecticidal Activity against Drosophilid and Aphid Pests. INSECTS 2020; 11:E471. [PMID: 32722463 PMCID: PMC7469177 DOI: 10.3390/insects11080471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Revised: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Insect pests reduce global crop yields by up to 20%, but the most effective control measures are currently based on environmentally hazardous chemical pesticides. An alternative, ecologically beneficial pest-management strategy involves the use of microbial pathogens (or active compounds and extracts derived from them) that naturally target selected insect pests. A novel strain of the bacterium Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides showed promising activity in our preliminary tests. Here, we investigated its effects in more detail, focusing on drosophilid and aphid pests by testing the survival of two species representing the family Drosophilidae (Drosophila suzukii and D. melanogaster) and one representing the family Aphididae (Acyrthosiphon pisum). We used oral and septic infection models to administer living bacteria or cell-free extracts to adult flies and aphid nymphs. We found that infection with living bacteria significantly reduced the survival of our insect models, whereas the administration of cell-free extracts had a significant effect only in aphids. These results confirm that L. pseudomesenteroides has potential as a new biocontrol agent for sustainable pest management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nils Hiebert
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Ohlebergsweg 12, D-35394 Giessen, Germany; (N.H.); (M.S.); (M.S.); (A.V.)
| | - Tobias Kessel
- Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus-Liebig University of Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26, D-35392 Giessen, Germany;
| | - Marisa Skaljac
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Ohlebergsweg 12, D-35394 Giessen, Germany; (N.H.); (M.S.); (M.S.); (A.V.)
| | - Marius Spohn
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Ohlebergsweg 12, D-35394 Giessen, Germany; (N.H.); (M.S.); (M.S.); (A.V.)
| | - Andreas Vilcinskas
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Ohlebergsweg 12, D-35394 Giessen, Germany; (N.H.); (M.S.); (M.S.); (A.V.)
- Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus-Liebig University of Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26, D-35392 Giessen, Germany;
| | - Kwang-Zin Lee
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Ohlebergsweg 12, D-35394 Giessen, Germany; (N.H.); (M.S.); (M.S.); (A.V.)
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Brown JJ, Mihaljevic JR, Des Marteaux L, Hrček J. Metacommunity theory for transmission of heritable symbionts within insect communities. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:1703-1721. [PMID: 32076545 PMCID: PMC7029081 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2019] [Revised: 08/13/2019] [Accepted: 09/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbial organisms are ubiquitous in nature and often form communities closely associated with their host, referred to as the microbiome. The microbiome has strong influence on species interactions, but microbiome studies rarely take interactions between hosts into account, and network interaction studies rarely consider microbiomes. Here, we propose to use metacommunity theory as a framework to unify research on microbiomes and host communities by considering host insects and their microbes as discretely defined "communities of communities" linked by dispersal (transmission) through biotic interactions. We provide an overview of the effects of heritable symbiotic bacteria on their insect hosts and how those effects subsequently influence host interactions, thereby altering the host community. We suggest multiple scenarios for integrating the microbiome into metacommunity ecology and demonstrate ways in which to employ and parameterize models of symbiont transmission to quantitatively assess metacommunity processes in host-associated microbial systems. Successfully incorporating microbiota into community-level studies is a crucial step for understanding the importance of the microbiome to host species and their interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel J. Brown
- Faculty of ScienceUniversity of South BohemiaCeske BudejoviceCzech Republic
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of SciencesInstitute of EntomologyCeske BudejoviceCzech Republic
| | - Joseph R. Mihaljevic
- School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber SystemsNorthern Arizona UniversityFlagstaffAZUSA
| | - Lauren Des Marteaux
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of SciencesInstitute of EntomologyCeske BudejoviceCzech Republic
| | - Jan Hrček
- Faculty of ScienceUniversity of South BohemiaCeske BudejoviceCzech Republic
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of SciencesInstitute of EntomologyCeske BudejoviceCzech Republic
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21
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Lüthi MN, Vorburger C, Dennis AB. A Novel RNA Virus in the Parasitoid Wasp Lysiphlebus fabarum: Genomic Structure, Prevalence, and Transmission. Viruses 2020; 12:E59. [PMID: 31947801 PMCID: PMC7019493 DOI: 10.3390/v12010059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2019] [Revised: 12/19/2019] [Accepted: 12/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
We report on a novel RNA virus infecting the wasp Lysiphlebus fabarum, a parasitoid of aphids. This virus, tentatively named "Lysiphlebus fabarum virus" (LysV), was discovered in transcriptome sequences of wasps from an experimental evolution study in which the parasitoids were allowed to adapt to aphid hosts (Aphis fabae) with or without resistance-conferring endosymbionts. Based on phylogenetic analyses of the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), LysV belongs to the Iflaviridae family in the order of the Picornavirales, with the closest known relatives all being parasitoid wasp-infecting viruses. We developed an endpoint PCR and a more sensitive qPCR assay to screen for LysV in field samples and laboratory lines. These screens verified the occurrence of LysV in wild parasitoids and identified the likely wild-source population for lab infections in Western Switzerland. Three viral haplotypes could be distinguished in wild populations, of which two were found in the laboratory. Both vertical and horizontal transmission of LysV were demonstrated experimentally, and repeated sampling of laboratory populations suggests that the virus can form persistent infections without obvious symptoms in infected wasps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina N. Lüthi
- Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zürich, Universitätstrasse 16, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland; (C.V.); (A.B.D.)
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 133, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Christoph Vorburger
- Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zürich, Universitätstrasse 16, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland; (C.V.); (A.B.D.)
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 133, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Alice B. Dennis
- Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zürich, Universitätstrasse 16, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland; (C.V.); (A.B.D.)
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 133, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
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22
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Abdala‐Roberts L, Puentes A, Finke DL, Marquis RJ, Montserrat M, Poelman EH, Rasmann S, Sentis A, van Dam NM, Wimp G, Mooney K, Björkman C. Tri-trophic interactions: bridging species, communities and ecosystems. Ecol Lett 2019; 22:2151-2167. [PMID: 31631502 PMCID: PMC6899832 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2019] [Revised: 08/18/2019] [Accepted: 09/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
A vast body of research demonstrates that many ecological and evolutionary processes can only be understood from a tri-trophic viewpoint, that is, one that moves beyond the pairwise interactions of neighbouring trophic levels to consider the emergent features of interactions among multiple trophic levels. Despite its unifying potential, tri-trophic research has been fragmented, following two distinct paths. One has focused on the population biology and evolutionary ecology of simple food chains of interacting species. The other has focused on bottom-up and top-down controls over the distribution of biomass across trophic levels and other ecosystem-level variables. Here, we propose pathways to bridge these two long-standing perspectives. We argue that an expanded theory of tri-trophic interactions (TTIs) can unify our understanding of biological processes across scales and levels of organisation, ranging from species evolution and pairwise interactions to community structure and ecosystem function. To do so requires addressing how community structure and ecosystem function arise as emergent properties of component TTIs, and, in turn, how species traits and TTIs are shaped by the ecosystem processes and the abiotic environment in which they are embedded. We conclude that novel insights will come from applying tri-trophic theory systematically across all levels of biological organisation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis Abdala‐Roberts
- Departamento de Ecología TropicalCampus de Ciencias Biológicas y AgropecuariasUniversidad Autónoma de YucatánKm. 15.5 Carretera Mérida‐XmatkuilMX‐97000MéridaYucatánMéxico
| | - Adriana Puentes
- Department of EcologySwedish University of Agricultural SciencesBox 7044SE‐750 07UppsalaSweden
| | - Deborah L. Finke
- Division of Plant SciencesUniversity of Missouri1‐33 Agriculture BuildingUS‐65211ColumbiaMOUSA
| | - Robert J. Marquis
- Department of Biology and the Whitney R. Harris World Ecology CenterUniversity of Missouri–St. Louis1 University BoulevardUS‐63121St. LouisMOUSA
| | - Marta Montserrat
- Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterránea “La Mayora” (IHSM‐UMA‐CSIC)Consejo Superior de Investigaciones CientíficasE‐29750Algarrobo‐Costa (Málaga)Spain
| | - Erik H. Poelman
- Laboratory of EntomologyWageningen UniversityP.O. Box 166700 AAWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Sergio Rasmann
- Institute of BiologyUniversity of NeuchâtelRue Emile‐Argand 11CH‐2000NeuchâtelSwitzerland
| | - Arnaud Sentis
- UMR RECOVERIRSTEAAix Marseille University3275 route Cézanne13182Aix‐en‐ProvenceFrance
| | - Nicole M. van Dam
- Molecular Interaction EcologyFriedrich‐Schiller‐University Jena & German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv)Halle‐Jena‐LeipzigDeutscher Platz 5eDE‐04103LeipzigGermany
| | - Gina Wimp
- Department of BiologyGeorgetown University406 Reiss Science BuildingUS‐20057WashingtonDCUSA
| | - Kailen Mooney
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of California Irvine321 Steinhaus HallUS‐92697IrvineCAUSA
| | - Christer Björkman
- Department of EcologySwedish University of Agricultural SciencesBox 7044SE‐750 07UppsalaSweden
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23
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Schulz AN, Lucardi RD, Marsico TD. Successful Invasions and Failed Biocontrol: The Role of Antagonistic Species Interactions. Bioscience 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biz075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Understanding the successes and failures of nonnative species remains challenging. In recent decades, researchers have developed the enemy release hypothesis and other antagonist hypotheses, which posit that nonnative species either fail or succeed in a novel range because of the presence or absence of antagonists. The premise of classical biological control of invasive species is that top-down control works. We identify twelve existing hypotheses that address the roles that antagonists from many trophic levels play during plant and insect invasions in natural environments. We outline a unifying framework of antagonist hypotheses to simplify the relatedness among the hypotheses, incorporate the role of top-down and bottom-up influences on nonnative species, and encourage expansion of experimental assessments of antagonist hypotheses to include belowground and fourth trophic level antagonists. A mechanistic understanding of antagonists and their impacts on nonnative species is critical in a changing world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley N Schulz
- Department of Biological Sciences and the Environmental Science Program, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, Arkansas
| | - Rima D Lucardi
- Insects, Diseases, and Invasive Plants Research Work Unit of the US Department of Agriculture Forest Service's Southern Research Station, located, Athens, Georgia, field office
| | - Travis D Marsico
- Department of Biological Sciences and the Environmental Science Program, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, Arkansas
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24
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Hafer N, Vorburger C. Diversity begets diversity: do parasites promote variation in protective symbionts? CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2019; 32:8-14. [PMID: 31113636 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2018.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2018] [Revised: 08/27/2018] [Accepted: 08/27/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Insects commonly possess heritable microbial symbionts that increase their resistance to particular parasites. A diverse community of defensive symbionts may thus provide hosts with effective and specific protection against multiple parasites, although costs might constrain the accumulation of many symbionts. In parallel to the allelic diversity in the MHC complex of the vertebrate immune system, parasite diversity could be the driving force behind symbiont diversity. There is indeed evidence that parasites have the ability to drive frequencies of defensive symbionts in their hosts, and that these symbionts influence parasite communities, but direct evidence that parasite diversity can promote symbiont diversity is still lacking. We provide suggestions to investigate this potential link.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Hafer
- EAWAG, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 133, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland.
| | - Christoph Vorburger
- EAWAG, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 133, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland; Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zürich, Universitätsstrasse 16, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
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25
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Oliver KM. Editorial overview: Microbial manipulation of insect-parasite interactions. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2019; 32:vi-ix. [PMID: 31113641 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2019.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Kerry M Oliver
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA.
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26
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Monticelli LS, Outreman Y, Frago E, Desneux N. Impact of host endosymbionts on parasitoid host range - from mechanisms to communities. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2019; 32:77-82. [PMID: 31113635 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2018.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2018] [Revised: 11/16/2018] [Accepted: 11/16/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
In insects, bacterial endosymbionts are known to influence the ecology of their hosts by modifying interactions with natural enemies such as parasitoids. Symbionts can modulate both parasitoid behavioral and/or physiological traits as well as host behaviors and life-history traits. Together these suggest that endosymbionts may impact the host range of parasitoids. For example, endosymbionts may narrow parasitoid host range through first, reducing parasitoid ability to locate hosts and/or larval survival, second, affecting fitness traits of the emerging adult parasitoid and/or third, modulating the outcome of interference and exploitative competition between parasitoid species. From both a fundamental and applied point of view, these symbiotic effects would influence the ecology and evolution of parasitoids and associated population-level processes and ecosystem services (e.g. biocontrol).
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucie S Monticelli
- INRA (French National Institute for Agricultural Research), Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS UMR1355-7254, Institut Sophia Agrobiotech, 06903, Sophia Antipolis, France
| | - Yannick Outreman
- Agrocampus Ouest, INRA, Université de Rennes 1, Université Bretagne-Loire, UMR IGEPP, 35000, Rennes, France
| | - Enric Frago
- Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD), UMR Peuplements Végétaux et Bioagresseurs en Milieu Tropical, Saint-Pierre, Reunion, France
| | - Nicolas Desneux
- INRA (French National Institute for Agricultural Research), Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS UMR1355-7254, Institut Sophia Agrobiotech, 06903, Sophia Antipolis, France.
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27
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Oliver KM, Higashi CH. Variations on a protective theme: Hamiltonella defensa infections in aphids variably impact parasitoid success. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2019; 32:1-7. [PMID: 31113620 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2018.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2018] [Accepted: 08/27/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Protective mutualisms are common in nature and include insect infections with cryptic symbionts that defend against pathogens and parasites. An archetypal defensive symbiont, Hamiltonella defensa protects aphids against parasitoids by disabling wasp development. Successful defense requires H. defensa infection with bacteriophages (APSEs), which play other key roles in mutualism maintenance. Genomes of H. defensa strains are highly similar in gene inventories, varying primarily in mobile element content. Protective phenotypes are highly variable across aphid models depending on H. defensa/APSE, aphid and wasp genotypes. Infection frequencies of H. defensa are highly dynamic in field populations, influenced by a variety of selective and non-selective factors confounding biological control implications. Overall, H. defensa infections likely represent a global aphid protection network with effects radiating outward from focal interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerry M Oliver
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA.
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28
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McLean AH. Cascading effects of defensive endosymbionts. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2019; 32:42-46. [PMID: 31113630 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2018.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Revised: 10/08/2018] [Accepted: 10/10/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Defensive endosymbionts are now understood to be widespread among insects, targeting many different threats, including predators, parasites and disease. The effects on natural enemies can be significant, resulting in dramatic changes in the outcome of interactions between insects and their attackers. Evidence is now emerging from laboratory and field work that defensive symbionts can have important effects on the surrounding insect community, as well as on vulnerable enemy species; for example, by reducing prey available for the trophic level above the enemy. However, there is a need for more experimental work across a greater taxonomic range of species in order to understand the different ways in which defensive symbionts influence insect communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ailsa Hc McLean
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PS, United Kingdom.
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29
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Ye Z, Vollhardt IMG, Parth N, Rubbmark O, Traugott M. Facultative bacterial endosymbionts shape parasitoid food webs in natural host populations: A correlative analysis. J Anim Ecol 2018; 87:1440-1451. [PMID: 29928757 PMCID: PMC6099228 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2017] [Accepted: 06/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Facultative bacterial endosymbionts can protect their aphid hosts from natural enemies such as hymenopteran parasitoids. As such, they have the capability to modulate interactions between aphids, parasitoids and hyperparasitoids. However, the magnitude of these effects in natural aphid populations and their associated parasitoid communities is currently unknown. Moreover, environmental factors such as plant fertilization and landscape complexity are known to affect aphid–parasitoid interactions but it remains unclear how such environmental factors affect the interplay between aphids, parasitoids and endosymbionts. Here, we tested whether facultative endosymbionts confer protection to parasitoids in natural populations of the English grain aphid, Sitobion avenae, and if this is affected by plant fertilization and landscape complexity. Furthermore, we examined whether the effects of facultative endosymbionts can cascade up to the hyperparasitoid level and increase primary‐hyperparasitoid food web specialization. Living aphids and mummies were collected in fertilized and unfertilized plots within 13 wheat fields in Central Germany. We assessed the occurrence of primary parasitoid, hyperparasitoid and endosymbiont species in aphids and mummies using a newly established molecular approach. Facultative endosymbiont infection rates were high across fields (~80%), independent of whether aphids were parasitized or unparasitized. Aphid mummies exhibited a significantly lower share of facultative endosymbiont infection (~38%). These findings suggest that facultative endosymbionts do not affect parasitoid oviposition behaviour, but decrease parasitoid survival in the host. Facultative endosymbiont infection rates were lower in mummies collected from fertilized compared to unfertilized plants, indicating that plant fertilization boosts the facultative endosymbiont protective effect. Furthermore, we found strong evidence for species‐specific and negative cascading effects of facultative endosymbionts on primary and hyperparasitoids, respectively. Facultative endosymbionts impacted parasitoid assemblages and increased the specialization of primary‐hyperparasitoid food webs: these effects were independent from and much stronger than other environmental factors. The current findings strongly suggest that facultative endosymbionts act as a driving force in aphid–parasitoid–hyperparasitoid networks: they shape insect community composition at different trophic levels and modulate, directly and indirectly, the interactions between aphids, parasitoids and their environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengpei Ye
- Mountain Agriculture Research Unit, Institute of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Ines M G Vollhardt
- Agroecology, Department of Crop Sciences, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Nadia Parth
- Mountain Agriculture Research Unit, Institute of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Oskar Rubbmark
- Mountain Agriculture Research Unit, Institute of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Michael Traugott
- Mountain Agriculture Research Unit, Institute of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
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30
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Lenhart PA, Jackson KA, White JA. Heritable variation in prey defence provides refuge for subdominant predators. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 285:rspb.2018.0523. [PMID: 29848647 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.0523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2018] [Accepted: 05/01/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Generalist predators with broadly overlapping niches commonly coexist on seemingly identical sets of prey. Here, we provide empirical demonstration that predators can differentially exploit fine-grained niches generated by variable, heritable and selective defences within a single prey species. Some, but not all, clones of the aphid Aphis craccivora are toxic towards the dominant invasive predatory ladybeetle, Harmonia axyridis However, other less competitive ladybeetle species are not affected by the aphid's toxic trait. In laboratory and open field experiments, we show: (i) that subdominant ladybeetle species were able to exploit the toxic aphids, benefitting from the suppression of the dominant predator; and (ii) that this narrow-spectrum toxicity can function as an anti-predator defence for the aphid, but depends on enemy community context. Our results demonstrate that niche differentiation among generalist predators may hinge upon previously underappreciated heritable variation in prey defence, which, in turn, may promote diversity and stability of enemy communities invaded by a dominant predator.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul A Lenhart
- Department of Entomology, S-225 Agricultural Science Center N, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Kelly A Jackson
- Department of Entomology, S-225 Agricultural Science Center N, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Jennifer A White
- Department of Entomology, S-225 Agricultural Science Center N, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
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31
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Hrček J, Parker BJ, McLean AHC, Simon JC, Mann CM, Godfray HCJ. Hosts do not simply outsource pathogen resistance to protective symbionts. Evolution 2018; 72:1488-1499. [PMID: 29808565 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2017] [Accepted: 05/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Microbial symbionts commonly protect their hosts from natural enemies, but it is unclear how protective symbionts influence the evolution of host immunity to pathogens. One possibility is that 'extrinsic' protection provided by symbionts allows hosts to reduce investment in 'intrinsic' immunological resistance mechanisms. We tested this idea using pea aphids (Acyrthosiphon pisum) and their facultative bacterial symbionts that increase host resistance to the fungal pathogen Pandora neoaphidis. The pea aphid taxon is composed of multiple host plant associated populations called biotypes, which harbor characteristic communities of symbionts. We found that biotypes that more frequently carry protective symbionts have higher, rather than lower, levels of intrinsic resistance. Within a biotype there was no difference in intrinsic resistance between clones that did and did not carry a protective symbiont. The host plant on which an aphid feeds did not strongly influence intrinsic resistance. We describe a simple conceptual model of the interaction between intrinsic and extrinsic resistance and suggest that our results may be explained by selection favoring both the acquisition of protective symbionts and enhanced intrinsic resistance in habitats with high pathogen pressure. Such combined protection is potentially more robust than intrinsic resistance alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Hrček
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PS, United Kingdom
- Current address: Czech Academy of Sciences, Biology Centre, Institute of Entomology, Branisovska 31, Ceske Budejovice 37005, Czech Republic
| | - Benjamin J Parker
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PS, United Kingdom
- Present address: Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Hutchison Hall, Box 270211, Rochester, New York 14627
| | - Ailsa H C McLean
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PS, United Kingdom
| | - Jean-Christophe Simon
- Institut de Génétique, Environnement et Protection des Plantes, UMR 1349 INRA, Agrocampus Ouest, Université Rennes 1, 35653 Le Rheu Cedex 5, France
| | - Ciara M Mann
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PS, United Kingdom
| | - H Charles J Godfray
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PS, United Kingdom
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32
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Qian L, Jia F, Jingxuan S, Manqun W, Julian C. Effect of the Secondary Symbiont Hamiltonella defensa on Fitness and Relative Abundance of Buchnera aphidicola of Wheat Aphid, Sitobion miscanthi. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:582. [PMID: 29651279 PMCID: PMC5884939 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.00582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2017] [Accepted: 03/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial symbionts associated with insects are often involved in host development and ecological fitness. In aphids, the role of these symbionts is variable and not fully understood across different host species. Here, we investigated the symbiont diversity of the grain aphid, Sitobion miscanthi (Takahashi), from 17 different geographical areas. Of these, two strains with the same symbiont profile, except for the presence of Hamiltonella defensa, were selected using PCR. The Hamiltonella-infected strain, YX, was collected from a Yuxi wheat field in Yunnan Province, China. The Hamiltonella-free strain, DZ, was collected from a Dezhou wheat field in Shandong Province, China. Using artificial infection with H. defensa and antibiotic treatment, a Hamiltonella-re-infected strain (DZ-H) and Hamiltonella-significantly decreased strain (DZ-HT) were established and compared to the Hamiltonella-free DZ strain in terms of ecological fitness. Infection with the DZ-H strain increased the fitness of S. miscanthi, which led to increases in adult weight, percent of wingless individuals, and number of offspring. Meanwhile, decreased abundance of H. defensa (DZ-HT strain) resulted in a lower adult weight and wingless aphid rate compared to the DZ-H strain. However, the indices of longevity in both the DZ-H and DZ-HT strains decreased slightly, but were not significantly different, compared to the DZ strain. Furthermore, quantitative PCR showed that the relative abundance of the primary symbiont Buchnera aphidicola in the DZ-H strain was significantly higher than in the DZ strain in all but the first developmental stage. These results indicate that H. defensa may indirectly improve the fitness of S. miscanthi by stimulating the proliferation of B. aphidicola.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Qian
- The State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China.,College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Fan Jia
- The State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Sun Jingxuan
- The State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wang Manqun
- College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Chen Julian
- The State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
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33
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Doremus MR, Smith AH, Kim KL, Holder AJ, Russell JA, Oliver KM. Breakdown of a defensive symbiosis, but not endogenous defences, at elevated temperatures. Mol Ecol 2017; 27:2138-2151. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.14399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2017] [Accepted: 10/17/2017] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Kyungsun L. Kim
- Department of Entomology University of Georgia Athens GA USA
| | | | | | - Kerry M. Oliver
- Department of Entomology University of Georgia Athens GA USA
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34
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Dennis AB, Patel V, Oliver KM, Vorburger C. Parasitoid gene expression changes after adaptation to symbiont-protected hosts. Evolution 2017; 71:2599-2617. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.13333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2017] [Revised: 08/16/2017] [Accepted: 08/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alice B. Dennis
- Institute of Integrative Biology; ETH Zürich; Zürich Switzerland
- EAWAG; Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology; Dübendorf Switzerland
- Current address: Unit of Evolutionary Biology and Systematic Zoology, Institute of Biochemistry and Biology; University of Potsdam; Potsdam Germany
| | - Vilas Patel
- Department of Entomology; University of Georgia; Athens Georgia 30602
| | - Kerry M. Oliver
- Department of Entomology; University of Georgia; Athens Georgia 30602
| | - Christoph Vorburger
- Institute of Integrative Biology; ETH Zürich; Zürich Switzerland
- EAWAG; Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology; Dübendorf Switzerland
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35
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Kovacs JL, Wolf C, Voisin D, Wolf S. Evidence of indirect symbiont conferred protection against the predatory lady beetle Harmonia axyridis in the pea aphid. BMC Ecol 2017; 17:26. [PMID: 28693550 PMCID: PMC5504669 DOI: 10.1186/s12898-017-0136-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2017] [Accepted: 07/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Defensive symbionts can provide significant fitness advantages to their hosts. Facultative symbionts can protect several species of aphid from fungal pathogens, heat shock, and parasitism by parasitoid wasps. Previous work found that two of these facultative symbionts can also indirectly protect pea aphids from predation by the lady beetle Hippocampus convergens. When aphids reproduce asexually, there is extremely high relatedness among aphid clone-mates and often very limited dispersal. Under these conditions, symbionts may indirectly protect aphid clone-mates from predation by negatively affecting the survival of a predator after the consumption of aphids harboring the same vertically transmitted facultative symbionts. In this study, we wanted to determine whether this indirect protection extended to another lady beetle species, Harmonia axyridis. Results We fed Ha. axyridis larvae aphids from one of four aphid sub-clonal symbiont lines which all originated from the same naturally symbiont free clonal aphid lineage. Three of the sub-clonal lines harbor different facultative symbionts that were introduced to the lines via microinjection. Therefore these sub-clonal lineages vary primarily in their symbiont composition, not their genetic background. We found that aphid facultative symbionts affected larval survival as well as pupal survival in their predator Ha. axyridis. Additionally, Ha. axyridis larvae fed aphids with the Regiella symbiont had significantly longer larval developmental times than beetle larvae fed other aphids, and females fed aphids with the Regiella symbiont as larvae weighed less as adults. These fitness effects were different from those previously found in another aphid predator Hi. convergens suggesting that the fitness effects may not be the same in different aphid predators. Conclusions Overall, our findings suggest that some aphid symbionts may indirectly benefit their clonal aphid hosts by negatively impacting the development and survival of a lady beetle aphid predator Ha. axyridis. By directly affecting the survival of predatory lady beetles, aphid facultative symbionts may increase the survival of their clone-mates that are clustered nearby and have significant impacts across multiple trophic levels. We have now found evidence for multiple aphid facultative symbionts negatively impacting the survival of a second species of aphid predatory lady beetle. These same symbionts also protect their hosts from parasitism and fungal infections, though these fitness effects seem to depend on the aphid species, predator or parasitoid species, and symbiont type. This work further demonstrates that beneficial mutualisms depend upon complex interactions between a variety of players and should be studied in multiple ecologically relevant contexts. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12898-017-0136-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Candice Wolf
- University of Vermont, Larner College of Medicine, 89 Beaumont Ave, Burlington, VT, 05405, USA
| | - Dené Voisin
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Petit Science Center, Atlanta, GA, 30303, USA
| | - Seth Wolf
- University of Vermont, Larner College of Medicine, 89 Beaumont Ave, Burlington, VT, 05405, USA
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Martinez AJ, Doremus MR, Kraft LJ, Kim KL, Oliver KM. Multi‐modal defences in aphids offer redundant protection and increased costs likely impeding a protective mutualism. J Anim Ecol 2017; 87:464-477. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2017] [Accepted: 03/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Adam J. Martinez
- Department of Entomology University of Georgia Athens GA USA
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz Germany
| | | | - Laura J. Kraft
- Department of Entomology University of Georgia Athens GA USA
| | - Kyungsun L. Kim
- Department of Entomology University of Georgia Athens GA USA
| | - Kerry M. Oliver
- Department of Entomology University of Georgia Athens GA USA
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Sampaio MV, Korndörfer AP, Pujade-Villar J, Hubaide JEA, Ferreira SE, Arantes SO, Bortoletto DM, Guimarães CM, Sánchez-Espigares JA, Caballero-López B. Brassica aphid (Hemiptera: Aphididae) populations are conditioned by climatic variables and parasitism level: a study case of Triângulo Mineiro, Brazil. BULLETIN OF ENTOMOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2017; 107:410-418. [PMID: 28316286 DOI: 10.1017/s0007485317000220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Cosmopolitan pests such as Brevicoryne brassicae, Lipaphis pseudobrassicae, and Myzus persicae (Aphididae) cause significant damage to Brassicaceae crops. Assessment of the important biotic and abiotic factors that regulate these pests is an essential step in the development of effective Integrated Pest Management programs for these aphids. This study evaluated the influence of leaf position, precipitation, temperature, and parasitism on populations of L. pseudobrassicae, M. persicae, and B. brassicae in collard greens fields in the Triângulo Mineiro region (Minas Gerais state), Brazil. Similar numbers of B. brassicae were found on all parts of the collard green plants, whereas M. persicae and L. pseudobrassicae were found in greatest numbers on the middle and lower parts of the plant. While temperature and precipitation were positively related to aphid population size, their effects were not accumulative, as indicated by a negative interaction term. Although Diaeretiella rapae was the main parasitoid of these aphids, hyperparasitism was dominant; the main hyperparasitoid species recovered from plant samples was Alloxysta fuscicornis. Parasitoids seem to have similar distributions on plants as their hosts. These results may help predict aphid outbreaks and gives clues for specific intra-plant locations when searching for and monitoring aphid populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- M V Sampaio
- Federal University of Uberlândia, Agronomic Institute,Uberlândia - Minas Gerais,Brazil
| | - A P Korndörfer
- Federal University of Uberlândia, Agronomic Institute,Uberlândia - Minas Gerais,Brazil
| | - J Pujade-Villar
- Department of Animal Biology,Faculty of Biology,University of Barcelona,Spain
| | - J E A Hubaide
- Federal University of Uberlândia, Agronomic Institute,Uberlândia - Minas Gerais,Brazil
| | - S E Ferreira
- Federal University of Uberlândia, Agronomic Institute,Uberlândia - Minas Gerais,Brazil
| | - S O Arantes
- Federal University of Uberlândia, Agronomic Institute,Uberlândia - Minas Gerais,Brazil
| | - D M Bortoletto
- Federal University of Uberlândia, Agronomic Institute,Uberlândia - Minas Gerais,Brazil
| | - C M Guimarães
- Federal University of Uberlândia, Agronomic Institute,Uberlândia - Minas Gerais,Brazil
| | - J A Sánchez-Espigares
- Department of Statistics and Operations Research, Technical University of Catalonia,Barcelona,Spain
| | - B Caballero-López
- Natural Sciences Museum of Barcelona, Laboratory of Nature, Arthropods Department,MCNB,Barcelona,Spain
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Heyworth ER, Ferrari J. Heat Stress Affects Facultative Symbiont-Mediated Protection from a Parasitoid Wasp. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0167180. [PMID: 27875577 PMCID: PMC5119854 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0167180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2016] [Accepted: 11/09/2016] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Many insects carry facultative bacterial symbionts, which provide benefits including resistance to natural enemies and abiotic stresses. Little is known about how these beneficial phenotypes are affected when biotic or abiotic threats occur simultaneously. The pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum) can host several well-characterized symbiont species. The symbiont known as X-type can protect against both parasitoid wasps and heat stress. Here, we used three pea aphid genotypes that were naturally infected with X-type and the symbiont Spiroplasma sp. We compared aphids coinfected with these two symbionts with those cured from X-type and infected with only Spiroplasma to investigate the ability of X-type to confer benefits to the host when two threats are experienced simultaneously. Our aim is to explore how robust symbiont protection may be outside a benign laboratory environment. Aphids were subjected to heat shock either before or after attack by parasitoid wasps. Under a benign temperature regime, the aphids carrying X-type tended to be better protected from the parasitoid than those cured. When the aphids experienced a heat shock before being parasitized aphids carrying X-type were more susceptible than those cured. Regardless of infection with the symbiont, the aphids benefitted from being heat shocked after parasitization. The results demonstrate how resistance to parasitoid wasps can be strongly environment-dependent and that a beneficial phenotype conferred by a symbiont under controlled conditions in the laboratory does not necessarily equate to a consistently useful effect in natural populations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Julia Ferrari
- Department of Biology, University of York, York, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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Hrček J, McLean AHC, Godfray HCJ. Symbionts modify interactions between insects and natural enemies in the field. J Anim Ecol 2016; 85:1605-1612. [PMID: 27561159 PMCID: PMC5082498 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2016] [Accepted: 08/17/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Eukaryotes commonly host communities of heritable symbiotic bacteria, many of which are not essential for their hosts' survival and reproduction. There is laboratory evidence that these facultative symbionts can provide useful adaptations, such as increased resistance to natural enemies. However, we do not know how symbionts affect host fitness when the latter are subject to attack by a natural suite of parasites and pathogens. Here, we test whether two protective symbionts, Regiella insecticola and Hamiltonella defensa, increase the fitness of their host, the pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum), under natural conditions. We placed experimental populations of two pea aphid lines, each with and without symbionts, in five wet meadow sites to expose them to a natural assembly of enemy species. The aphids were then retrieved and mortality from parasitoids, fungal pathogens and other causes assessed. We found that both Regiella and Hamiltonella reduce the proportion of aphids killed by the specific natural enemies against which they have been shown to protect in laboratory and cage experiments. However, this advantage was nullified (Hamiltonella) or reversed (Regiella) by an increase in mortality from other natural enemies and by the cost of carrying the symbiont. Symbionts therefore affect community structure by altering the relative success of different natural enemies. Our results show that protective symbionts are not necessarily advantageous to their hosts, and may even behave more like parasites than mutualists. Nevertheless, bacterial symbionts may play an important role in determining food web structure and dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Hrček
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PS, UK.
- Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre CAS, Branisovska 31, Ceske Budejovice, 37005, Czech Republic.
| | - Ailsa H C McLean
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PS, UK
| | - H Charles J Godfray
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PS, UK
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Hahn MA, Dheilly NM. Experimental Models to Study the Role of Microbes in Host-Parasite Interactions. Front Microbiol 2016; 7:1300. [PMID: 27602023 PMCID: PMC4993751 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.01300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2016] [Accepted: 08/08/2016] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Until recently, parasitic infections have been primarily studied as interactions between the parasite and the host, leaving out crucial players: microbes. The recent realization that microbes play key roles in the biology of all living organisms is not only challenging our understanding of host-parasite evolution, but it also provides new clues to develop new therapies and remediation strategies. In this paper we provide a review of promising and advanced experimental organismal systems to examine the dynamic of host-parasite-microbe interactions. We address the benefits of developing new experimental models appropriate to this new research area and identify systems that offer the best promises considering the nature of the interactions among hosts, parasites, and microbes. Based on these systems, we identify key criteria for selecting experimental models to elucidate the fundamental principles of these complex webs of interactions. It appears that no model is ideal and that complementary studies should be performed on different systems in order to understand the driving roles of microbes in host and parasite evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan A Hahn
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Nolwenn M Dheilly
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY, USA
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