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Wang X, Zafar J, Yang X, De Mandal S, Hong Y, Jin F, Xu X. Gut bacterium Burkholderia cepacia (BsNLG8) and immune gene Defensin A contribute to the resistance against Nicotine-induced stress in Nilaparvata lugens (Stål). ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2024; 277:116371. [PMID: 38663196 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2024.116371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024]
Abstract
Nicotine, a naturally occurring alkaloid found in tobacco, is a potent neurotoxin extensively used to control Nilaparvata lugens (Stål), a destructive insect pest of rice crops. The insect gut harbors a wide array of resident microorganisms that profoundly influence several biological processes, including host immunity. Maintaining an optimal gut microbiota and immune homeostasis requires a complex network of reciprocal regulatory interactions. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms driving these symbiotic exchanges, particularly between specific gut microbe and immunity, remain largely unknown in insects. Our previous investigations identified and isolated a nicotine-degrading Burkholderia cepacia strain (BsNLG8) with antifungal properties. Building on those findings, we found that nicotine intake significantly increased the abundance of a symbiotic bacteria BsNLG8, induced a stronger bacteriostatic effect in hemolymph, and enhanced the nicotine tolerance of N. lugens. Additionally, nicotine-induced antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) exhibited significant antibacterial effects against Staphylococcus aureus. We adopted RNA-seq to explore the underlying immunological mechanisms in nicotine-stressed N. lugens. Bioinformatic analyses identified numerous differentially expressed immune genes, including recognition/immune activation (GRPs and Toll) and AMPs (i.e., Defensin, Lugensin, lysozyme). Temporal expression profiling (12, 24, and 48 hours) of immune genes revealed pattern recognition proteins and immune effectors as primary responders to nicotine-induced stress. Defensin A, a broad-spectrum immunomodulatory cationic peptide, exhibited significantly high expression. RNA interference-mediated silencing of Defensin A reduced the survival, enhanced nicotine sensitivity of N. lugens to nicotine, and decreased the abundance of BsNLG8. The reintroduction of BsNLG8 improved the expression of immune genes, aiding nicotine resistance of N. lugens. Our findings indicate a potential reciprocal immunomodulatory interaction between Defensin A and BsNLG8 under nicotine stress. Moreover, this study offers novel and valuable insights for future research into enhancing nicotine-based pest management programs and developing alternative biocontrol methods involving the implication of insect symbionts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuemei Wang
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, "Belt and Road" Technology Industry and Innovation Institute for Green and Biological Control of Agricultural Pests, College of Plant Protection, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.
| | - Junaid Zafar
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, "Belt and Road" Technology Industry and Innovation Institute for Green and Biological Control of Agricultural Pests, College of Plant Protection, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.
| | - Xiaotong Yang
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, "Belt and Road" Technology Industry and Innovation Institute for Green and Biological Control of Agricultural Pests, College of Plant Protection, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.
| | - Surajit De Mandal
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, "Belt and Road" Technology Industry and Innovation Institute for Green and Biological Control of Agricultural Pests, College of Plant Protection, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.
| | - Yingying Hong
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, "Belt and Road" Technology Industry and Innovation Institute for Green and Biological Control of Agricultural Pests, College of Plant Protection, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.
| | - Fengliang Jin
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, "Belt and Road" Technology Industry and Innovation Institute for Green and Biological Control of Agricultural Pests, College of Plant Protection, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.
| | - Xiaoxia Xu
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, "Belt and Road" Technology Industry and Innovation Institute for Green and Biological Control of Agricultural Pests, College of Plant Protection, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.
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Beza-Beza CF, Wiegmann BM, Ware JA, Petersen M, Gunter N, Cole ME, Schwarz M, Bertone MA, Young D, Mikaelyan A. Chewing through challenges: Exploring the evolutionary pathways to wood-feeding in insects. Bioessays 2024; 46:e2300241. [PMID: 38537113 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202300241] [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: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 02/14/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
Decaying wood, while an abundant and stable resource, presents considerable nutritional challenges due to its structural rigidity, chemical recalcitrance, and low nitrogen content. Despite these challenges, certain insect lineages have successfully evolved saproxylophagy (consuming and deriving sustenance from decaying wood), impacting nutrient recycling in ecosystems and carbon sequestration dynamics. This study explores the uneven phylogenetic distribution of saproxylophagy across insects and delves into the evolutionary origins of this trait in disparate insect orders. Employing a comprehensive analysis of gut microbiome data, from both saproxylophagous insects and their non-saproxylophagous relatives, including new data from unexplored wood-feeding insects, this Hypothesis paper discusses the broader phylogenetic context and potential adaptations necessary for this dietary specialization. The study proposes the "Detritivore-First Hypothesis," suggesting an evolutionary pathway to saproxylophagy through detritivory, and highlights the critical role of symbiotic gut microbiomes in the digestion of decaying wood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristian F Beza-Beza
- Department of Entomology, University of Minnesota, St Paul, Minnesota, USA
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Brian M Wiegmann
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Jessica A Ware
- Department of Biological Sciences, Rutgers University, Newark, New Jersey, USA
| | - Matt Petersen
- Department of Entomology, University of Minnesota, St Paul, Minnesota, USA
| | - Nicole Gunter
- Biodiversity and Geosciences Program, Queensland Museum, South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Marissa E Cole
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Melbert Schwarz
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Matthew A Bertone
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Daniel Young
- Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Aram Mikaelyan
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
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Bogri A, Jensen EEB, Borchert AV, Brinch C, Otani S, Aarestrup FM. Transmission of antimicrobial resistance in the gut microbiome of gregarious cockroaches: the importance of interaction between antibiotic exposed and non-exposed populations. mSystems 2024; 9:e0101823. [PMID: 38095429 PMCID: PMC10805027 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.01018-23] [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: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major global health concern, further complicated by its spread via the microbiome bacterial members. While mathematical models discuss AMR transmission through the symbiotic microbiome, experimental studies are scarce. Herein, we used a gregarious cockroach, Pycnoscelus surinamensis, as an in vivo animal model for AMR transmission investigations. We explored whether the effect of antimicrobial treatment is detectable with metagenomic sequencing, and whether AMR genes can be spread and established in unchallenged (not treated with antibiotics) individuals following contact with treated donors, and under various frequencies of interaction. Gut and soil substrate microbiomes were investigated by metagenomic sequencing for bacterial community composition and resistome profiling. We found that tetracycline treatment altered the treated gut microbiome by decreasing bacterial diversity and increasing the abundance of tetracycline resistance genes. Untreated cockroaches that interacted with treated donors also had elevated tetracycline resistance. The levels of resistance differed depending on the magnitude and frequency of donor transfer. Additionally, treated donors showed signs of microbiome recovery due to their interaction with the untreated ones. Similar patterns were also recorded in the soil substrate microbiomes. Our results shed light on how interacting microbiomes facilitate AMR gene transmission to previously unchallenged hosts, a dynamic influenced by the interaction frequencies, using an in vivo model to validate theoretical AMR transmission models.IMPORTANCEAntimicrobial resistance is a rising threat to human and animal health. The spread of resistance through the transmission of the symbiotic gut microbiome is of concern and has been explored in theoretical modeling studies. In this study, we employ gregarious insect populations to examine the emergence and transmission of antimicrobial resistance in vivo and validate modeling hypotheses. We find that antimicrobial treatment increases the levels of resistance in treated populations. Most importantly, we show that resistance increased in untreated populations after interacting with the treated ones. The level of resistance transmission was affected by the magnitude and frequency of population mixing. Our results highlight the importance of microbial transmission in the spread of antimicrobial resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amalia Bogri
- Research Group for Genomic Epidemiology, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs., Lyngby, Denmark
| | | | - Asbjørn Vedel Borchert
- Research Group for Genomic Epidemiology, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs., Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Christian Brinch
- Research Group for Genomic Epidemiology, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs., Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Saria Otani
- Research Group for Genomic Epidemiology, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs., Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Frank M. Aarestrup
- Research Group for Genomic Epidemiology, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs., Lyngby, Denmark
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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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Chen Z, Wen S, Shen J, Wang J, Liu W, Jin X. Composition and diversity of the gut microbiota across different life stages of American cockroach ( Periplaneta americana). BULLETIN OF ENTOMOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2023; 113:787-793. [PMID: 38037350 DOI: 10.1017/s0007485323000469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
Periplaneta americana, one of the most widely distributed insects all over the world, can survive and reproduce in harsh environment which may be closely related to the critical roles of intestinal microorganisms in its multiple physiological functions. However, the composition and structure of gut microbiota throughout different life stages and its effects on the strong resilient and environmental adaptability of P. americana remain unclear. In this study, the gut microbiota across life stages including ootheca (embryos), nymph and adult of P. americana were investigated by 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing. Multivariate statistical analysis showed the richness and diversity of bacterial communities were significantly different among ootheca, nymph and adult stage of P. americana. Taxonomic analysis showed Blattabacterium was the dominant genus in bacterial community of ootheca while the nutrient absorption-related genera including Christensenellaceae and Ruminococcaceae showed high relative abundance in nymph samples. Moreover, functional prediction analysis showed the metabolic categories in ootheca might have more influence on the basic life activities of the host than improved production and viability, while it was more associated to the society activities, reproduction and development of host in nymph and adult. It was suggested that the gut microbiota in each life stage might meet the requirements for environmental adaptability and survival of P. americana via transforming the composition and structure with specific metabolic capabilities. Overall, these results provided a novel sight to better understand the strong vitality and adaptability throughout life stages of P. americana.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiyu Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Bioactive Substances, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, PR China
- School of Life Sciences and Biopharmaceutics, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, PR China
| | - Sihao Wen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Bioactive Substances, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, PR China
- School of Life Sciences and Biopharmaceutics, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, PR China
| | - Juan Shen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Bioactive Substances, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, PR China
- School of Life Sciences and Biopharmaceutics, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, PR China
| | - Jie Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Bioactive Substances, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, PR China
- School of Life Sciences and Biopharmaceutics, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, PR China
| | - Wenbin Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Bioactive Substances, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, PR China
- School of Life Sciences and Biopharmaceutics, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, PR China
| | - Xiaobao Jin
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Bioactive Substances, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, PR China
- School of Life Sciences and Biopharmaceutics, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, PR China
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Lange C, Boyer S, Bezemer TM, Lefort MC, Dhami MK, Biggs E, Groenteman R, Fowler SV, Paynter Q, Verdecia Mogena AM, Kaltenpoth M. Impact of intraspecific variation in insect microbiomes on host phenotype and evolution. THE ISME JOURNAL 2023; 17:1798-1807. [PMID: 37660231 PMCID: PMC10579242 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-023-01500-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2023] [Revised: 08/20/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/04/2023]
Abstract
Microbes can be an important source of phenotypic plasticity in insects. Insect physiology, behaviour, and ecology are influenced by individual variation in the microbial communities held within the insect gut, reproductive organs, bacteriome, and other tissues. It is becoming increasingly clear how important the insect microbiome is for insect fitness, expansion into novel ecological niches, and novel environments. These investigations have garnered heightened interest recently, yet a comprehensive understanding of how intraspecific variation in the assembly and function of these insect-associated microbial communities can shape the plasticity of insects is still lacking. Most research focuses on the core microbiome associated with a species of interest and ignores intraspecific variation. We argue that microbiome variation among insects can be an important driver of evolution, and we provide examples showing how such variation can influence fitness and health of insects, insect invasions, their persistence in new environments, and their responses to global environmental changes. A and B are two stages of an individual or a population of the same species. The drivers lead to a shift in the insect associated microbial community, which has consequences for the host. The complex interplay of those consequences affects insect adaptation and evolution and influences insect population resilience or invasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Lange
- Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research, Lincoln, New Zealand.
| | - Stéphane Boyer
- Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l'Insecte, UMR 7261 CNRS - Université de Tours, Tours, France
| | - T Martijn Bezemer
- Above-Belowground Interactions Group, Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | | | | | - Eva Biggs
- Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research, Lincoln, New Zealand
| | | | | | | | | | - Martin Kaltenpoth
- Department of Insect Symbiosis, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
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Cazzaniga M, Domínguez-Santos R, Marín-Miret J, Gil R, Latorre A, García-Ferris C. Exploring Gut Microbial Dynamics and Symbiotic Interaction in Blattella germanica Using Rifampicin. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:955. [PMID: 37508385 PMCID: PMC10376618 DOI: 10.3390/biology12070955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Revised: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
Blattella germanica harbours two cohabiting symbiotic systems: an obligate endosymbiont, Blattabacterium, located inside bacteriocytes and vertically transmitted, which is key in nitrogen metabolism, and abundant and complex gut microbiota acquired horizontally (mainly by coprophagy) that must play an important role in host physiology. In this work, we use rifampicin treatment to deepen the knowledge on the relationship between the host and the two systems. First, we analysed changes in microbiota composition in response to the presence and removal of the antibiotic with and without faeces in one generation. We found that, independently of faeces supply, rifampicin-sensitive bacteria are strongly affected at four days of treatment, and most taxa recover after treatment, although some did not reach control levels. Second, we tried to generate an aposymbiotic population, but individuals that reached the second generation were severely affected and no third generation was possible. Finally, we established a mixed population with quasi-aposymbiotic and control nymphs sharing an environment in a blind experiment. The analysis of the two symbiotic systems in each individual after reaching the adult stage revealed that endosymbiont's load does not affect the composition of the hindgut microbiota, suggesting that there is no interaction between the two symbiotic systems in Blattella germanica.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Cazzaniga
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), University of Valencia and Spanish Research Council, 46980 Paterna, Spain
| | - Rebeca Domínguez-Santos
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), University of Valencia and Spanish Research Council, 46980 Paterna, Spain
| | - Jesús Marín-Miret
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), University of Valencia and Spanish Research Council, 46980 Paterna, Spain
| | - Rosario Gil
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), University of Valencia and Spanish Research Council, 46980 Paterna, Spain
- Genomic 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
- Genomic 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
- Genomic 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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Dukes HE, Tinker KA, Ottesen EA. Disentangling hindgut metabolism in the American cockroach through single-cell genomics and metatranscriptomics. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1156809. [PMID: 37323917 PMCID: PMC10266427 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1156809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Omnivorous cockroaches host a complex hindgut microbiota comprised of insect-specific lineages related to those found in mammalian omnivores. Many of these organisms have few cultured representatives, thereby limiting our ability to infer the functional capabilities of these microbes. Here we present a unique reference set of 96 high-quality single cell-amplified genomes (SAGs) from bacterial and archaeal cockroach gut symbionts. We additionally generated cockroach hindgut metagenomic and metatranscriptomic sequence libraries and mapped them to our SAGs. By combining these datasets, we are able to perform an in-depth phylogenetic and functional analysis to evaluate the abundance and activities of the taxa in vivo. Recovered lineages include key genera within Bacteroidota, including polysaccharide-degrading taxa from the genera Bacteroides, Dysgonomonas, and Parabacteroides, as well as a group of unclassified insect-associated Bacteroidales. We also recovered a phylogenetically diverse set of Firmicutes exhibiting a wide range of metabolic capabilities, including-but not limited to-polysaccharide and polypeptide degradation. Other functional groups exhibiting high relative activity in the metatranscriptomic dataset include multiple putative sulfate reducers belonging to families in the Desulfobacterota phylum and two groups of methanogenic archaea. Together, this work provides a valuable reference set with new insights into the functional specializations of insect gut symbionts and frames future studies of cockroach hindgut metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen E Dukes
- Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Kara A Tinker
- National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Elizabeth A Ottesen
- Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
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Wang Z, He H, Chen M, Ni M, Yuan D, Cai H, Chen Z, Li M, Xu H. Impact of coprophagy prevention on the growth performance, serum biochemistry, and intestinal microbiome of rabbits. BMC Microbiol 2023; 23:125. [PMID: 37165350 PMCID: PMC10170819 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-023-02869-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 04/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Coprophagy plays a vital role in maintaining growth and development in many small herbivores. Here, we constructed a coprophagy model by dividing rabbits into three groups, namely, control group (CON), sham-coprophagy prevention group (SCP), and coprophagy prevention group (CP), to explore the effects of coprophagy prevention on growth performance and cecal microecology in rabbits. RESULTS Results showed that CP treatment decreased the feed utilization and growth performance of rabbits. Serum total cholesterol and total triglyceride in the CP group were remarkably lower than those in the other two groups. Furthermore, CP treatment destroyed cecum villi and reduced the content of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in cecum contents. Gut microbiota profiling showed significant differences in the phylum and genus composition of cecal microorganisms among the three groups. At the genus level, the abundance of Oscillospira and Ruminococcus decreased significantly in the CP group. Enrichment analysis of metabolic pathways showed a significantly up-regulated differential metabolic pathway (PWY-7315, dTDP-N-acetylthomosamine biosynthesis) in the CP group compared with that in the CON group. Correlation analysis showed that the serum biochemical parameters were positively correlated with the abundance of Oscillospira, Sutterella, and Butyricimonas but negatively correlated with the abundance of Oxalobacte and Desulfovibrio. Meanwhile, the abundance of Butyricimonas and Parabacteroidesde was positively correlated with the concentration of butyric acid in the cecum. CONCLUSIONS In summary, coprophagy prevention had negative effects on serum biochemistry and gut microbiota, ultimately decreasing the growth performance of rabbits. The findings provide evidence for further revealing the biological significance of coprophagy in small herbivorous mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhitong Wang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450046, China
| | - Hui He
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450046, China
| | - Mengjuan Chen
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450046, China
| | - Mengke Ni
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450046, China
| | - Dongdong Yuan
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450046, China
| | - Hanfang Cai
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450046, China
| | - Zhi Chen
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225000, China
| | - Ming Li
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450046, China.
| | - Huifen Xu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450046, China.
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Tan S, Wei H, Camara I, Jia H, Cao K, Shi W. Symbiotic Bacteria System of Locusta migratoria Showed Antifungal Capabilities against Beauveria bassiana. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24043138. [PMID: 36834550 PMCID: PMC9965112 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24043138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Revised: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The stability of symbiotic flora is an important indicator of the health of an organism. Symbiotic bacteria have been proven to be closely involved in the immune process of organisms. The pathogenicity of Beauveria bassiana was studied in relation to symbiotic bacteria on the surface and inside of the migratory locust (Locusta migratoria). The results showed that the surface disinfection of test locusts contributed to the pathogenicity of B. bassiana to locusts. Most of the surface bacteria of L. migratoria caused some inhibition of B. bassiana growth, and LM5-4 (Raoultella ornithinolytica), LM5-2 (Enterobacter aerogenes), and LM5-13 (Citrobacter freundii) showed the highest inhibitory effect on the growth of B. bassiana. The inoculation of locusts with additional surface symbiotic bacteria reduced the virulence of B. bassiana to L. migratoria. Infection by different strains of B. bassiana caused similar changes in the symbiotic flora of migratory locusts. The inoculation of locusts with additional intestinal symbiotic bacteria (Enterobacter sp.) reduced the virulence of B. bassiana to L. migratoria. These findings illustrate the effect of bacterial communities on fungal infections in L. migratoria when seen from the perspective of ecology in a microenvironment. The active antifungal substances of such bacteria and their mechanisms of action need further study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuqian Tan
- Department of Entomology and MOA Key Laboratory of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
- Correspondence: (S.T.); (W.S.)
| | - Hongshuang Wei
- Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Ibrahima Camara
- Department of Entomology and MOA Key Laboratory of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
- Department of Agriculture, Higher Agricultural and Veterinary Institute of Faranah Guinea, Faranah BP131, Guinea
| | - Haoran Jia
- Department of Entomology and MOA Key Laboratory of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Kaili Cao
- Department of Entomology and MOA Key Laboratory of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Wangpeng Shi
- Department of Entomology and MOA Key Laboratory of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
- Correspondence: (S.T.); (W.S.)
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11
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Juottonen H, Moghadam NN, Murphy L, Mappes J, Galarza JA. Host's genetic background determines the outcome of reciprocal faecal transplantation on life-history traits and microbiome composition. Anim Microbiome 2022; 4:67. [PMID: 36564793 PMCID: PMC9789590 DOI: 10.1186/s42523-022-00210-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Microbes play a role in their host's fundamental ecological, chemical, and physiological processes. Host life-history traits from defence to growth are therefore determined not only by the abiotic environment and genotype but also by microbiota composition. However, the relative importance and interactive effects of these factors may vary between organisms. Such connections remain particularly elusive in Lepidoptera, which have been argued to lack a permanent microbiome and have microbiota primarily determined by their diet and environment. We tested the microbiome specificity and its influence on life-history traits of two colour genotypes of the wood tiger moth (Arctia plantaginis) that differ in several traits, including growth. All individuals were grown in the laboratory for several generations with standardized conditions. We analyzed the bacterial community of the genotypes before and after a reciprocal frass (i.e., larval faeces) transplantation and followed growth rate, pupal mass, and the production of defensive secretion. RESULTS After transplantation, the fast-growing genotype grew significantly slower compared to the controls, but the slow-growing genotype did not change its growth rate. The frass transplant also increased the volume of defensive secretions in the fast-growing genotype but did not affect pupal mass. Overall, the fast-growing genotype appeared more susceptible to the transplantation than the slow-growing genotype. Microbiome differences between the genotypes strongly suggest genotype-based selective filtering of bacteria from the diet and environment. A novel cluster of insect-associated Erysipelotrichaceae was exclusive to the fast-growing genotype, and specific Enterococcaceae were characteristic to the slow-growing genotype. These Enterococcaceae became more prevalent in the fast-growing genotype after the transplant, which suggests that a slower growth rate is potentially related to their presence. CONCLUSIONS We show that reciprocal frass transplantation can reverse some genotype-specific life-history traits in a lepidopteran host. The results indicate that genotype-specific selective filtering can fine-tune the bacterial community at specific life stages and tissues like the larval frass, even against a background of a highly variable community with stochastic assembly. Altogether, our findings suggest that the host's genotype can influence its susceptibility to being colonized by microbiota, impacting key life-history traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heli Juottonen
- grid.9681.60000 0001 1013 7965Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, 40014 Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Neda N. Moghadam
- grid.9681.60000 0001 1013 7965Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, 40014 Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Liam Murphy
- grid.9681.60000 0001 1013 7965Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, 40014 Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Johanna Mappes
- grid.9681.60000 0001 1013 7965Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, 40014 Jyväskylä, Finland ,grid.7737.40000 0004 0410 2071Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Program, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Viikki Biocenter 3, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Juan A. Galarza
- grid.9681.60000 0001 1013 7965Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, 40014 Jyväskylä, Finland ,grid.7737.40000 0004 0410 2071Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Program, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Viikki Biocenter 3, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
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12
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Coprophagy Prevention Affects the Reproductive Performance in New Zealand White Rabbits Is Mediated through Nox4-ROS-NFκB Pathway. OXIDATIVE MEDICINE AND CELLULAR LONGEVITY 2022. [DOI: 10.1155/2022/8999899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Coprophagy is of great significance to the growth, development, and reproductive performance of rabbits. This study is aimed at exploring the effect of coprophagy on the reproductive performance of New Zealand white rabbits by coprophagy prevention (CP). The results showed that CP treatment significantly decreased the growth and development performance of female rabbits and the live birth rate of embryos. The results of blood biochemical indexes showed that CP treatment significantly increased the contents of serum ALB, ALP, and MDA, while serum SOD activity was significantly decreased. Transcriptome analysis showed that GO terms were mainly enriched in transport function and reproductive function after CP treatment. In addition, KEGG results showed that inflammation related signal pathways were activated and the expression level of genes related to tight junction proteins was downregulated by CP treatment. Concurrently, western blot further confirmed the results of KEGG. In short, fecal feeding is an important survival strategy for some small rodents, coprophagy prevention will affect the inflammatory level of the body, change the oxidative stress level of the body, and then activate NOX4-ROS-NF-κB pathway, increase the expression level of adhesion protein ICAM-1 and VCAM-1, lead to the damage of uterine epithelial barrier, and then affect the reproductive performance of rabbits.
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13
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Vera-Ponce de Leon A, Schneider MG, Jahnes BC, Sadowski V, Camuy-Vélez LA, Duan J, Sabree ZL. Genetic drift and host-adaptive features likely underlie cladogenesis of insect-associated Lachnospiraceae. Genome Biol Evol 2022; 14:evac086. [PMID: 35679131 PMCID: PMC9210297 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evac086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Phylogenetic and functional group analysis of the genomes of anaerobic bacteria isolated from Periplaneta americana digestive tracts suggest that they represent novel Lachnospiraceae genera. PAL113 and PAL227 isolate genomes encoded short-chain fatty acid biosynthetic pathways and plant fiber and chitin catabolism and other carbohydrate utilization genes common in related Lachnospiraceae species, yet the presence of operons containing flagellar assembly pathways were among several distinguishing features. In general, PAL113 and PAL227 isolates encode an array of gene products that would enable them to thrive in the insect gut environment and potentially play a role in host diet processing. We hypothesize that cladogenesis of these isolates could be due to their oxygen sensitivity, reliance upon the host for dispersal and genetic drift and not necessarily as a result of an ongoing mutualism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arturo Vera-Ponce de Leon
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Mathias G Schneider
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Benjamin C Jahnes
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Victoria Sadowski
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | | | - Jun Duan
- Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Zakee L Sabree
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
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14
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Green SJ, Nesvorna M, Hubert J. The Negative Effects of Feces-Associated Microorganisms on the Fitness of the Stored Product Mite Tyrophagus putrescentiae. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:756286. [PMID: 35359745 PMCID: PMC8961420 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.756286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Feces have been suggested as a major source of microorganisms for recolonization of the gut of stored product mites via coprophagy. The mites can host microorganisms that decrease their fitness, but their transmission is not known. To address the role of fecal microbiota on mite fitness, we performed an experimental study in which the surfaces of mite (Tyrophagus putrescentiae) eggs were sterilized. Mites eggs (15 per experimental box) were then hatched and grown on feedstock with and without feces. These experiments were conducted with four distinct T. putrescentiae populations (5L, 5K, 5N, and 5P), and mite population density after 21 day of cultivation was used to assess mite fitness and the impact of fecal microbiota on fitness. Population density was not affected by the presence of feces in two of the cultures (5L and 5K), while significant effects of feces were observed in the other cultures (5N and 5P). Mite culture microbial communities were analyzed using cultivation-independent next-generation amplicon sequencing of microbial 16S and 18S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes in the fitness influenced populations (5N and 5P). Several microbial taxa were associated with fecal treatments and reduced mite fitness, including Staphylococcus and Bartonella-like bacteria, and the fungal genera Yamadazyma, Candida, and Aspergillus. Although coprophagy is the transmission route mites used to obtain beneficial gut bacteria such as Bartonella-like organisms, the results of this study demonstrate that fecal-associated microorganisms can have negative effects on some populations of T. putrescentiae fitness, and this may counteract the positive effects of gut symbiont acquisition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan J. Green
- Genomics and Microbiome Core Facility, Rush University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | | | - Jan Hubert
- Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czechia
- *Correspondence: Jan Hubert, ;
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15
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Of Cockroaches and Symbionts: Recent Advances in the Characterization of the Relationship between Blattella germanica and Its Dual Symbiotic System. Life (Basel) 2022; 12:life12020290. [PMID: 35207577 PMCID: PMC8878154 DOI: 10.3390/life12020290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Revised: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutualistic stable symbioses are widespread in all groups of eukaryotes, especially in insects, where symbionts have played an essential role in their evolution. Many insects live in obligate relationship with different ecto- and endosymbiotic bacteria, which are needed to maintain their hosts’ fitness in their natural environment, to the point of even relying on them for survival. The case of cockroaches (Blattodea) is paradigmatic, as both symbiotic systems coexist in the same organism in two separated compartments: an intracellular endosymbiont (Blattabacterium) inside bacteriocytes located in the fat body, and a rich and complex microbiota in the hindgut. The German cockroach Blattella germanica is a good model for the study of symbiotic interactions, as it can be maintained in the laboratory in controlled populations, allowing the perturbations of the two symbiotic systems in order to study the communication and integration of the tripartite organization of the host–endosymbiont–microbiota, and to evaluate the role of symbiotic antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) in host control over their symbionts. The importance of cockroaches as reservoirs and transmission vectors of antibiotic resistance sequences, and their putative interest to search for AMPs to deal with the problem, is also discussed.
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16
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Zheng F, An XL, Zhou GW, Zhu D, Neilson R, Chen B, Yang XR. Mite gut microbiome and resistome exhibited species-specific and dose-dependent effect in response to oxytetracycline exposure. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 807:150802. [PMID: 34626628 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Revised: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The importance of the gut microbiome to host health is well recognized, but the effects of environmental pressures on the gut microbiome of soil fauna are poorly understood. Here, Illumina sequencing and high-throughput qPCR were applied to characterize the gut microbiomes and resistomes of two mites, Nenteria moseri and Chiropturopoda sp. AL5866, exposed to different concentrations of oxytetracycline (0, 0.01, 0.1 and 1 μg mg-1). Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria and Firmicutes were the dominant phyla in the gut microbiomes of both studied mite species, but the relative abundance of them was different between mites. After exposure to oxytetracycline, there was no variation in the gut microbiome and resistome of C. sp. AL5866, whereas the gut microbiome and resistome of N. moseri were altered significantly. The relative abundance of Proteobacteria significantly decreased, and those of Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes significantly increased at the high-concentration antibiotic treatments. Excepting the 0.01 μg mg-1 treatment, gut microbial diversity increased with ascending concentrations. A significant resistome enrichment of relative abundance in N. moseri gut microbiome at low-dose antibiotic treatment was noted. These results indicated that the gut microbiome in N. moseri was potentially more sensitive to antibiotics than C. sp. AL5866, which was supported by the greater relative abundance of key tetracycline-resistant genes in the gut microbiome of C. sp. AL5866 compared to N. moseri. Mite gut microbiomes were correlated with their associated resistomes, demonstrating the consistent changes between microbiome and resistome. Thus, this study showed that oxytetracycline amendment resulted in a dose-dependent and species-specific effect on the gut microbiomes and resistomes of two mite species. It will contribute to understanding the relationship between the soil mite gut microbiome and resistome under antibiotic exposure, and extend our knowledge regarding the emergence and transfer of resistomes in soil food webs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Zheng
- School of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China; Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China
| | - Xin-Li An
- Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China; University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Guo-Wei Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China; School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China
| | - Dong Zhu
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China; State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Roy Neilson
- Ecological Sciences, The James Hutton Institute, DD2 5DA, Scotland, UK
| | - Bing Chen
- School of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China
| | - Xiao-Ru Yang
- Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China; University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China.
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17
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Natural selection for imprecise vertical transmission in host-microbiota systems. Nat Ecol Evol 2022; 6:77-87. [PMID: 34949814 PMCID: PMC9901532 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-021-01593-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
How and when the microbiome modulates host adaptation remains an evolutionary puzzle, despite evidence that the extended genetic repertoire of the microbiome can shape host phenotypes and fitness. One complicating factor is that the microbiome is often transmitted imperfectly across host generations, leading to questions about the degree to which the microbiome contributes to host adaptation. Here, using an evolutionary model, we demonstrate that decreasing vertical transmission fidelity can increase microbiome variation, and thus phenotypic variation, across hosts. When the most beneficial microbial genotypes change unpredictably from one generation to the next (for example, in variable environments), hosts can maximize fitness by increasing the microbiome variation among offspring, as this improves the chance of there being an offspring with the right microbial combination for the next generation. Imperfect vertical transmission can therefore be adaptive in varying environments. We characterize how selection on vertical transmission is shaped by environmental conditions, microbiome changes during host development and the contribution of other factors to trait variation. We illustrate how environmentally dependent microbial effects can favour intermediate transmission and set our results in the context of examples from natural systems. We also suggest research avenues to empirically test our predictions. Our model provides a basis to understand the evolutionary pathways that potentially led to the wide diversity of microbe transmission patterns found in nature.
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18
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Zhu S, Liu Y, Liao M, Yang Y, Bai Y, Li N, Li S, Luan Y, Chen N. Evaluation of Reference Genes for Transcriptional Profiling in Two Cockroach Models. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12121880. [PMID: 34946836 PMCID: PMC8701133 DOI: 10.3390/genes12121880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Revised: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The German cockroach, Blattella germanica, and the American cockroach, Periplaneta americana are the most common and synanthropic household pests of interest to public health. While they have increasingly served as model systems in hemimetabolous insects for studying many biological issues, there is still a lack of stable reference gene evaluation for reliable quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) outputs and functional genomics. Here, we evaluated the expression variation of common insect reference genes, including the historically used actin, across various tissues and developmental stages, and also under experimental treatment conditions in these two species by using three individual algorithms (geNorm, BestKeeper, and NormFinder) and a comprehensive program (RefFinder). RPL32 in B. germanica and EF1α in P. americana showed the overall lowest variation among all examined samples. Based on the stability rankings by RefFinder, the optimal but varied reference genes under specific conditions were selected for qPCR normalization. In addition, the combination of RPL32 and EF1α was recommended for all the tested tissues and stages in B. germanica, whereas the combination of multiple reference genes was unfavorable in P. americana. This study provides a condition-specific resource of reference gene selection for accurate gene expression profiling and facilitating functional genomics in these two important cockroaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shen Zhu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China; (S.Z.); (Y.L.); (M.L.); (Y.Y.); (Y.B.); (N.L.); (S.L.); (Y.L.)
- Guangmeiyuan R&D Center, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, South China Normal University, Meizhou 514000, China
| | - Yongjun Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China; (S.Z.); (Y.L.); (M.L.); (Y.Y.); (Y.B.); (N.L.); (S.L.); (Y.L.)
| | - Mingtao Liao
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China; (S.Z.); (Y.L.); (M.L.); (Y.Y.); (Y.B.); (N.L.); (S.L.); (Y.L.)
| | - Yang Yang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China; (S.Z.); (Y.L.); (M.L.); (Y.Y.); (Y.B.); (N.L.); (S.L.); (Y.L.)
| | - Yu Bai
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China; (S.Z.); (Y.L.); (M.L.); (Y.Y.); (Y.B.); (N.L.); (S.L.); (Y.L.)
| | - Na Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China; (S.Z.); (Y.L.); (M.L.); (Y.Y.); (Y.B.); (N.L.); (S.L.); (Y.L.)
- Guangmeiyuan R&D Center, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, South China Normal University, Meizhou 514000, China
| | - Sheng Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China; (S.Z.); (Y.L.); (M.L.); (Y.Y.); (Y.B.); (N.L.); (S.L.); (Y.L.)
- Guangmeiyuan R&D Center, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, South China Normal University, Meizhou 514000, China
| | - Yunxia Luan
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China; (S.Z.); (Y.L.); (M.L.); (Y.Y.); (Y.B.); (N.L.); (S.L.); (Y.L.)
- Guangmeiyuan R&D Center, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, South China Normal University, Meizhou 514000, China
| | - Nan Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China; (S.Z.); (Y.L.); (M.L.); (Y.Y.); (Y.B.); (N.L.); (S.L.); (Y.L.)
- Guangmeiyuan R&D Center, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, South China Normal University, Meizhou 514000, China
- Correspondence:
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Microbiota Perturbation or Elimination Can Inhibit Normal Development and Elicit a Starvation-Like Response in an Omnivorous Model Invertebrate. mSystems 2021; 6:e0080221. [PMID: 34427529 PMCID: PMC8407121 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00802-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Omnivorous animals, including humans, harbor diverse, species-rich gut communities that impact their growth, development, and homeostasis. Model invertebrates are broadly accessible experimental platforms that enable linking specific species or species groups to host phenotypes, yet often their specialized diets and distinct gut microbiota make them less comparable to human and other mammalian and gut communities. The omnivorous cockroach Periplaneta americana harbors ∼4 × 102 bacterial genera within its digestive tract and is enriched with taxa commonly found in omnivorous mammals (i.e., Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Firmicutes). These features make P. americana a valuable platform for identifying microbe-mediated host phenotypes with potential translations to mammals. Rearing P. americana insects under germfree conditions resulted in prolonging development time by ∼30% and an up to ∼8% reduction in body size along three dimensions. Germfree rearing resulted in downregulation of gene networks involved in growth, energy homeostasis, and nutrient availability. Reintroduction of a defined microbiota comprised of a subset of P. americana commensals to germfree insects did not recover normal growth and developmental phenotypes or transcriptional profiles observed in conventionally reared insects. These results are in contrast with specialist-feeding model insects (e.g., Drosophila), where introduction of a single endemic bacterial species to germfree condition-reared specimens recovered normal host phenotypes. These data suggest that understanding microbe-mediated host outcomes in animals with species-rich communities should include models that typically maintain similarly diverse microbiomes. The dramatic transcriptional, developmental, and morphological phenotypes linked to gut microbiome status in this study illustrates how microbes are key players in animal growth and evolution. IMPORTANCE Broadly accessible model organisms are essential for illustrating how microbes are engaged in the growth, development, and evolution of animals. We report that germfree rearing of omnivorous Periplaneta americana cockroaches resulted in growth defects and severely disrupted gene networks that regulate development, which highlights the importance of gut microbiota in these host processes. Absence of gut microbiota elicited a starvation-like transcriptional response in which growth and development were inhibited while nutrient scavenging was enhanced. Additionally, reintroduction of a subset of cockroach gut bacterial commensals did not broadly recover normal expression patterns, illustrating that a particular microbiome composition may be necessary for normal host development. Invertebrate microbiota model systems that enable disentangling complex, species-rich communities are essential for linking microbial taxa to specific host phenotypes.
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Jahnes BC, Poudel K, Staats AM, Sabree ZL. Microbial colonization promotes model cockroach gut tissue growth and development. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 133:104274. [PMID: 34216600 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2021.104274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Revised: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Digestive tissues are essential for diet processing and nutrient accessibility, especially in omnivores, and these functions occur despite and in collaboration with dynamic microbial communities that reside within and upon these tissues. Prolonged host development and reduced digestive tissue sizes have been observed in germ-free animals, and normal host phenotypes were recovered following the re-introduction of typical gut microbiomes via coprophagy. RESULTS High-resolution histological analyses of Periplaneta americana cockroach digestive tissues revealed that total prevention of microbial colonization of the gut had severe impacts on the growth and development of gut tissues, especially the posterior midgut and anterior hindgut subcompartments that are expected to be colonized and inhabited by the greatest number of bacteria. Juveniles that were briefly exposed to normal gut microbiota exhibited a partial gut morphological recovery, suggesting that a single inoculation was insufficient. These data highlight gut microbiota as integral to normal growth and development of tissues they are in direct contact with and, more broadly, the organism in which they reside. CONCLUSIONS We draw on these data, host life history traits (i.e. multigenerational cohousing, molting, and filial coprophagy and exuvia feeding), and previous studies to suggest a host developmental model in which gut tissues reflect a conflict-collaboration dynamic where 1) nutrient-absorptive anterior midgut tissues are in competition with transient and resident bacteria for easily assimilable dietary nutrients and whose growth is least-affected by the presence of gut bacteria and 2) posterior midgut, anterior hindgut, and to a lesser degree, posterior hindgut tissues are significantly impacted by gut bacterial presence because they are occupied by the greatest number of bacteria and the host is relying upon, and thus collaborating with, them to assist with complex polysaccharide catabolism processing and nutrient provisioning (i.e. short-chain fatty acids).
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin C Jahnes
- Department of Microbiology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Keyshap Poudel
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Amelia M Staats
- Department of Microbiology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Zakee L Sabree
- Department of Microbiology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA; Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
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21
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Bo TB, Kohl KD. Stabilization and optimization of host-microbe-environment interactions as a potential reason for the behavior of natal philopatry. Anim Microbiome 2021; 3:26. [PMID: 33785073 PMCID: PMC8011129 DOI: 10.1186/s42523-021-00087-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Many animals engage in a behavior known as natal philopatry, where after sexual maturity they return to their own birthplaces for subsequent reproduction. There are many proposed ultimate factors that may underlie the evolution of natal philopatry, such as genetic optimization, suitable living conditions, and friendly neighbors, which can improve the survival rates of offspring. However, here we propose that a key factor that has been overlooked could be the colonization of gut microbiota during early life and the effects these microorganisms have on host performance and fitness. In addition to the bacteria transmitted from the mother to offspring, microbes from the surrounding environment also account for a large proportion of the developing gut microbiome. While it was long believed that microbial species all have global distributions, we now know that there are substantial geographic differences and dispersal limitations to environmental microbes. The establishment of gut microbiota during early life has enormous impacts on animal development, including energy metabolism, training of the immune system, and cognitive development. Moreover, these microbial effects scale to influence animal performance and fitness, raising the possibility for natural selection to act on the integrated combination of gut microbial communities and host genetics (i.e. the holobiont). Therefore, in this paper, we propose a hypothesis: that optimization of host-microbe-environment interactions represents a potentially important yet overlooked reason for natal philopatry. Microbiota obtained by natal philopatry could help animals adapt to the environment and improve the survival rates of their young. We propose future directions to test these ideas, and the implications that this hypothesis has for our understanding of host-microbe interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting-Bei Bo
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Kevin D Kohl
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
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Disentangling the Relative Roles of Vertical Transmission, Subsequent Colonizations, and Diet on Cockroach Microbiome Assembly. mSphere 2021; 6:6/1/e01023-20. [PMID: 33408228 PMCID: PMC7845597 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.01023-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
A multitude of factors affect the assemblies of complex microbial communities associated with animal hosts, with implications for community flexibility, resilience, and long-term stability; however, their relative effects have rarely been deduced. Here, we use a tractable lab model to quantify the relative and combined effects of parental transmission (egg case microbiome present/reduced), gut inocula (cockroach versus termite gut provisioned), and varying diets (matched or unmatched with gut inoculum source) on gut microbiota structure of hatchlings of the omnivorous cockroach Shelfordella lateralis using 16S rRNA gene (rDNA) amplicon sequencing. We show that the presence of a preexisting bacterial community via vertical transmission of microbes on egg cases reduces subsequent microbial invasion, suggesting priority effects that allow initial colonizers to take a strong hold and which stabilize the microbiome. However, subsequent inoculation sources more strongly affect ultimate community composition and their ecological networks, with distinct host-taxon-of-origin effects on which bacteria establish. While this is so, communities respond flexibly to specific diets in ways that consequently impact predicted community functions. In conclusion, our findings suggest that inoculations drive communities toward different stable states depending on colonization and extinction events, through ecological host-microbe relations and interactions with other gut bacteria, while diet in parallel shapes the functional capabilities of these microbiomes. These effects may lead to consistent microbial communities that maximize the extended phenotype that the microbiota provides the host, particularly if microbes spend most of their lives in host-associated environments.IMPORTANCE When host fitness is dependent on gut microbiota, microbial community flexibility and reproducibility enhance host fitness by allowing fine-tuned environmental tracking and sufficient stability for host traits to evolve. Our findings lend support to the importance of vertically transmitted early-life microbiota as stabilizers, through interactions with potential colonizers, which may contribute to ensuring that the microbiota aligns within host fitness-enhancing parameters. Subsequent colonizations are driven by microbial composition of the sources available, and we confirm that host-taxon-of-origin affects stable subsequent communities, while communities at the same time retain sufficient flexibility to shift in response to available diets. Microbiome structure is thus the result of the relative impact and combined effects of inocula and fluctuations driven by environment-specific microbial sources and digestive needs. These affect short-term community structure on an ecological time scale but could ultimately shape host species specificities in microbiomes across evolutionary time, if environmental conditions prevail.
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Ray R, Potts R, Pietri JE. The Persistence of Escherichia coli Infection in German Cockroaches (Blattodea: Blattellidae) Varies Between Host Developmental Stages and is Influenced by the Gut Microbiota. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2020; 57:1964-1971. [PMID: 32516418 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjaa108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The German cockroach, Blatella germanica (L.), is a suspected vector of several enteric bacterial pathogens, including Escherichia coli, among livestock and humans. However, little is known about the factors that influence bacterial transmission by cockroaches. Here, we orally infected B. germanica with various laboratory and field strains of E. coli and examined bacterial titers over time to shed new light on the factors that influence the dynamics of infection. Our results reveal that a laboratory strain of E. coli is largely cleared within 48 h while one field isolate can persist in a majority of cockroaches (80-100%) for longer than 3 d with minimal impact on cockroach longevity. We also find that the ability to clear some strains of E. coli is greater in cockroach nymphs than adults. Notably, no differential expression of the antimicrobial gene lysozyme was observed between nymphs and adults or in infected groups. However, clearance of E. coli was significantly reduced in gnotobiotic cockroaches that were reared in the absence of environmental bacteria, suggesting a protective role for the microbiota against exogenous bacterial pathogens. Together, these results demonstrate that the interactions between cockroaches and enteric bacterial pathogens are highly dynamic and influenced by a combination of microbial, host, and environmental parameters. Such factors may affect the disease transmission capacity of cockroaches in nature and should be further considered in both lab and field studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ritesh Ray
- Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, University of South Dakota, Sanford School of Medicine, Vermillion, SD
| | - Rashaun Potts
- Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, University of South Dakota, Sanford School of Medicine, Vermillion, SD
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24
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Jahnes BC, Sabree ZL. Nutritional symbiosis and ecology of host-gut microbe systems in the Blattodea. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2020; 39:35-41. [PMID: 32109859 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2020.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2019] [Revised: 12/31/2019] [Accepted: 01/04/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Cockroaches and termites (Order: Blattodea) have been the subject of substantial research attention for over a century due, in part, to a subset of them having a strong propensity to cohabitate with humans and their structures. Recent research has led to numerous insights into their behavior, physiology, and ecology, as well as their ability to harbor taxonomically diverse microbial communities within their digestive systems, which include taxa that contribute to host growth and development. Further, recent investigations into the physiological and behavioral adaptations that enable recalcitrant polysaccharide digestion and the maintenance of microbial symbionts in cockroaches and termites suggests that symbionts contribute significantly to nutrient provisioning and processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin C Jahnes
- Department of Microbiology, Ohio State University, 105 Biological Sciences Building, 484 W. 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Zakee L Sabree
- Department of Microbiology, Ohio State University, 105 Biological Sciences Building, 484 W. 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA; Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, Ohio State University, 300 Aronoff Laboratory, 318 W. 12th Avenue, Columbus OH, 43210, USA.
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25
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Berlemont R, Winans N, Talamantes D, Dang H, Tsai HW. MetaGeneHunt for protein domain annotation in short-read metagenomes. Sci Rep 2020; 10:7712. [PMID: 32382098 PMCID: PMC7205989 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-63775-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2020] [Accepted: 04/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The annotation of short-reads metagenomes is an essential process to understand the functional potential of sequenced microbial communities. Annotation techniques based solely on the identification of local matches tend to confound local sequence similarity and overall protein homology and thus don't mirror the complex multidomain architecture and the shuffling of functional domains in many protein families. Here, we present MetaGeneHunt to identify specific protein domains and to normalize the hit-counts based on the domain length. We used MetaGeneHunt to investigate the potential for carbohydrate processing in the mouse gastrointestinal tract. We sampled, sequenced, and analyzed the microbial communities associated with the bolus in the stomach, intestine, cecum, and colon of five captive mice. Focusing on Glycoside Hydrolases (GHs) we found that, across samples, 58.3% of the 4,726,023 short-read sequences matching with a GH domain-containing protein were located outside the domain of interest. Next, before comparing the samples, the counts of localized hits matching the domains of interest were normalized to account for the corresponding domain length. Microbial communities in the intestine and cecum displayed characteristic GH profiles matching distinct microbial assemblages. Conversely, the stomach and colon were associated with structurally and functionally more diverse and variable microbial communities. Across samples, despite fluctuations, changes in the functional potential for carbohydrate processing correlated with changes in community composition. Overall MetaGeneHunt is a new way to quickly and precisely identify discrete protein domains in sequenced metagenomes processed with MG-RAST. In addition, using the sister program "GeneHunt" to create custom Reference Annotation Table, MetaGeneHunt provides an unprecedented way to (re)investigate the precise distribution of any protein domain in short-reads metagenomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Berlemont
- Department of biological Sciences, California State University, Long Beach, California, USA.
| | - N Winans
- Department of biological Sciences, California State University, Long Beach, California, USA
| | - D Talamantes
- Department of biological Sciences, California State University, Long Beach, California, USA
- Department of Bioinformatics, University of Georgia Athens, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - H Dang
- Department of biological Sciences, California State University, Long Beach, California, USA
| | - H-W Tsai
- Department of biological Sciences, California State University, Long Beach, California, USA
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26
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Nalepa CA. Origin of Mutualism Between Termites and Flagellated Gut Protists: Transition From Horizontal to Vertical Transmission. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.00014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
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