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Silva FJ, Domínguez-Santos R, Latorre A, García-Ferris C. Comparative Transcriptomics of Fat Bodies between Symbiotic and Quasi-Aposymbiotic Adult Females of Blattella germanica with Emphasis on the Metabolic Integration with Its Endosymbiont Blattabacterium and Its Immune System. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4228. [PMID: 38673813 PMCID: PMC11050582 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25084228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2024] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
We explored the metabolic integration of Blattella germanica and its obligate endosymbiont Blattabacterium cuenoti by the transcriptomic analysis of the fat body of quasi-aposymbiotic cockroaches, where the endosymbionts were almost entirely removed with rifampicin. Fat bodies from quasi-aposymbiotic insects displayed large differences in gene expression compared to controls. In quasi-aposymbionts, the metabolism of phenylalanine and tyrosine involved in cuticle sclerotization and pigmentation increased drastically to compensate for the deficiency in the biosynthesis of these amino acids by the endosymbionts. On the other hand, the uricolytic pathway and the biosynthesis of uric acid were severely decreased, probably because the reduced population of endosymbionts was unable to metabolize urea to ammonia. Metabolite transporters that could be involved in the endosymbiosis process were identified. Immune system and antimicrobial peptide (AMP) gene expression was also reduced in quasi-aposymbionts, genes encoding peptidoglycan-recognition proteins, which may provide clues for the maintenance of the symbiotic relationship, as well as three AMP genes whose involvement in the symbiotic relationship will require additional analysis. Finally, a search for AMP-like factors that could be involved in controlling the endosymbiont identified two orphan genes encoding proteins smaller than 200 amino acids underexpressed in quasi-aposymbionts, suggesting a role in the host-endosymbiont relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco J. Silva
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), University of Valencia and Spanish Research Council, 46980 Paterna, Spain; (R.D.-S.); (A.L.)
- Genomics and Health Area, Foundation for the Promotion of Sanitary and Biomedical Research of the Valencia Region, 46020 Valencia, Spain
| | - Rebeca Domínguez-Santos
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), University of Valencia and Spanish Research Council, 46980 Paterna, Spain; (R.D.-S.); (A.L.)
- Genomics and Health Area, Foundation for the Promotion of Sanitary and Biomedical Research of the Valencia Region, 46020 Valencia, Spain
| | - Amparo Latorre
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), University of Valencia and Spanish Research Council, 46980 Paterna, Spain; (R.D.-S.); (A.L.)
- Genomics and Health Area, Foundation for the Promotion of Sanitary and Biomedical Research of the Valencia Region, 46020 Valencia, Spain
| | - Carlos García-Ferris
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), University of Valencia and Spanish Research Council, 46980 Paterna, Spain; (R.D.-S.); (A.L.)
- Genomics and Health Area, Foundation for the Promotion of Sanitary and Biomedical Research of the Valencia Region, 46020 Valencia, Spain
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Valencia, 46100 Burjassot, Spain
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Guse K, Pietri JE. Endosymbiont and gut bacterial communities of the brown-banded cockroach, Supella longipalpa. PeerJ 2024; 12:e17095. [PMID: 38525276 PMCID: PMC10959106 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.17095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024] Open
Abstract
The brown-banded cockroach (Supella longipalpa) is a widespread nuisance and public health pest. Like the German cockroach (Blattella germanica), this species is adapted to the indoor biome and completes the entirety of its life cycle in human-built structures. Recently, understanding the contributions of commensal and symbiotic microbes to the biology of cockroach pests, as well as the applications of targeting these microbes for pest control, have garnered significant scientific interest. However, relative to B. germanica, the biology of S. longipalpa, including its microbial associations, is understudied. Therefore, the goal of the present study was to quantitatively examine and characterize both the endosymbiont and gut bacterial communities of S. longipalpa for the first time. To do so, bacterial 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing was conducted on DNA extracts from whole adult females and males, early instar nymphs, and late instar nymphs. The results demonstrate that the gut microbiome is dominated by two genera of bacteria known to have beneficial probiotic effects in other organisms, namely Lactobacillus and Akkermansia. Furthermore, our data show a significant effect of nymphal development on diversity and variation in the gut microbiome. Lastly, we reveal significant negative correlations between the two intracellular endosymbionts, Blattabacterium and Wolbachia, as well as between Blattabacterium and the gut microbiome, suggesting that Blattabacterium endosymbionts could directly or indirectly influence the composition of other bacterial populations. These findings have implications for understanding the adaptation of S. longipalpa to the indoor biome, its divergence from other indoor cockroach pest species such as B. germanica, the development of novel control approaches that target the microbiome, and fundamental insect-microbe interactions more broadly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kylene Guse
- Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, United States
| | - Jose E. Pietri
- Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, United States
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Domínguez-Santos R, Baixeras J, Moya A, Latorre A, Gil R, García-Ferris C. Gut Microbiota Is Not Essential for Survival and Development in Blattella germanica, but Affects Uric Acid Storage. Life (Basel) 2024; 14:153. [PMID: 38276282 PMCID: PMC10821347 DOI: 10.3390/life14010153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Cockroaches harbor two coexisting symbiotic systems: the obligate endosymbiont Blattabacterium cuenotii, and a complex gut microbiota. Blattabacterium is the only bacterium present in the eggs, as the gut microbiota is acquired by horizontal transmission after hatching, mostly through coprophagy. Blattella germanica, a cosmopolitan omnivorous cockroach living in intimate association with humans, is an appropriate model system for studying whether the gut microbiota is essential for the cockroach's survival, development, or welfare. We obtained a germ-free cockroach population (i.e., containing normal amounts of the endosymbiont, but free of microbes on the insects' surface and digestive tract). Non-significant differences with the controls were detected in most fitness parameters analyzed, except for a slight shortening in the hatching time of the second generation and a reduction in female weight at 10 days after adult ecdysis. The latter is accompanied by a decrease in uric acid reserves. This starvation-like phenotype of germ-free B. germanica suggests that the microbiota is not essential in this species for survival and development throughout its complete life cycle, but it could participate in complementation of host nutrition by helping with food digestion and nutrient absorption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebeca Domínguez-Santos
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), Universitat de València/CSIC, Calle Catedrático Agustín Escardino, 9, 46980 Paterna, Spain; (R.D.-S.); (A.M.); (A.L.)
- Genomic and Health Area, Foundation for the Promotion of Sanitary and Biomedical Research of the Valencia Region (FISABIO), Avenida de Cataluña, 21, 46020 Valencia, Spain
| | - Joaquín Baixeras
- Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology (ICBiBE), University of Valencia, Calle Catedrático José Beltrán, 2, 46980 Paterna, Spain;
| | - Andrés Moya
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), Universitat de València/CSIC, Calle Catedrático Agustín Escardino, 9, 46980 Paterna, Spain; (R.D.-S.); (A.M.); (A.L.)
- Genomic and Health Area, Foundation for the Promotion of Sanitary and Biomedical Research of the Valencia Region (FISABIO), Avenida de Cataluña, 21, 46020 Valencia, Spain
| | - Amparo Latorre
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), Universitat de València/CSIC, Calle Catedrático Agustín Escardino, 9, 46980 Paterna, Spain; (R.D.-S.); (A.M.); (A.L.)
- Genomic and Health Area, Foundation for the Promotion of Sanitary and Biomedical Research of the Valencia Region (FISABIO), Avenida de Cataluña, 21, 46020 Valencia, Spain
| | - Rosario Gil
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), Universitat de València/CSIC, Calle Catedrático Agustín Escardino, 9, 46980 Paterna, Spain; (R.D.-S.); (A.M.); (A.L.)
- Genomic and Health Area, Foundation for the Promotion of Sanitary and Biomedical Research of the Valencia Region (FISABIO), Avenida de Cataluña, 21, 46020 Valencia, Spain
| | - Carlos García-Ferris
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), Universitat de València/CSIC, Calle Catedrático Agustín Escardino, 9, 46980 Paterna, Spain; (R.D.-S.); (A.M.); (A.L.)
- Genomic and Health Area, Foundation for the Promotion of Sanitary and Biomedical Research of the Valencia Region (FISABIO), Avenida de Cataluña, 21, 46020 Valencia, Spain
- Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Universitat de València, Calle Dr. Moliner, 50, 46100 Valencia, Spain
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