Article
Microbiology
Catalina Valdivia, Justin A. Newton, Christoph von Beeren, Sean O'Donnell, Daniel J. C. Kronauer, Jacob A. Russell, Piotr Lukasik
Summary: The transmission of microbial symbionts across animal species could strongly affect their biology and evolution. In this study, the microbiota of army ants and their associated myrmecophile beetle species were compared using sequencing techniques. The results showed that different species of myrmecophiles and ant larvae often shared identical bacterial genotypes, suggesting the possibility of transmission between different hosts and environments.
ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Zhi Huang, Jinrui Zhou, Zhijun Zhang, Hong He, Cong Wei
Summary: The distribution of microbial symbionts in different organs of two cicada species was investigated. The study found that a yeast-like fungal symbiont was harbored in the fat bodies, and it could be transmitted to offspring via ovaries. However, the symbiont was not found in the salivary glands, gut tissues, and testes.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Zoology
Jose Norberto Lucio-Garcia, Uriel Jeshua Sanchez-Reyes, Jorge Victor Horta-Vega, Jesus Lumar Reyes-Munoz, Shawn M. Clark, Santiago Nino-Maldonado
Summary: This study evaluated the effects of seasonality and microclimate on the community attributes of leaf beetles in a semideciduous tropical forest fragment in northeastern Mexico. The results showed that seasonality and microclimate significantly influenced the abundance, species richness, and diversity of leaf beetles. Each species exhibited a different response pattern to the microclimate, suggesting that they may modify their niche requirements according to abiotic conditions.
Article
Biology
Maeva Perez, Corinna Breusing, Bernard Angers, Roxanne A. Beinart, Yong-Jin Won, C. Robert Young
Summary: Vertical transmission of bacterial endosymbionts leads to gene loss and reduction in genome size. This study investigates the contributions of drift, recombination, and selection to genome evolution in two species of vesicomyid symbionts. The results suggest that drift is a significant force, while selection and interspecific recombination play critical roles in maintaining functional integrity and creating divergent patterns of gene conservation in the symbionts.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Qicheng Xu, Gongwen Luo, Junjie Guo, Yan Xiao, Fengge Zhang, Shiwei Guo, Ning Ling, Qirong Shen
Summary: This study identified bacterial generalists and specialists in soils at a national scale based on niche breadth, and assessed the intraspecific variation in each species. Generalists exhibited higher intraspecific variation, wider niche breadth, and stability compared to specialists, indicating their ability to adapt to different environments and their independence from environmental filtering.
Article
Microbiology
Qiqi Li, Yu Chen, Si Zhang, Yuanjiao Lyu, Yiyang Zou, Jie Li
Summary: This study assessed the impact of four different sample pre-treatment and DNA extraction methods on bivalve symbiosis research. The results showed that these methods had taxonomic biases and affected species diversity. These findings provide guidance for selecting a suitable microbial enrichment strategy in future research on bivalves or other microbe-invertebrate symbioses.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jun Zhang, Chengling Lai, Xuping Shentu, Peiying Hao, Kun Pang, Xiaoping Yu
Summary: A rapid and accurate detection method for the yeast-like symbionts (YLS) of BPH was established using ddPCR. The limits of detection for the two YLS species were 1.3 copies/μL and 1.2 copies/μL, respectively. This method exhibited good sensitivity, specificity, and repeatability.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Aleksandra Krawczyk, Lisa Rottjers, Manoj Fonville, Katshuisa Takumi, Willem Takken, Karoline Faust, Hein Sprong
Summary: The microbiome of Ixodes ricinus ticks varies greatly and is influenced by geographical factors. Vertically transmitted symbionts show different infection rates at different sites, while geographically close sites exhibit similar proportions of these symbionts. This is in contrast to horizontally transmitted pathogens.
Review
Agronomy
Felipe E. Albornoz, Suzanne M. Prober, Megan H. Ryan, Rachel J. Standish
Summary: This review critically examines microbe-microbe interactions among functional guilds within the plant-soil system. The review confirms that the nature of microbial interactions is explained by niche theory, where competitive relationships are likely when benefits to plants and nutrient scavenging mechanisms overlap, while neutral-to-facilitative relationships are likely when these microbial traits differ or complement each other.
Article
Ecology
Benoit Facon, Abir Hafsi, Maud Charlery de la Masseliere, Stephane Robin, Francois Massol, Maxime Dubart, Julien Chiquet, Enric Frago, Frederic Chiroleu, Pierre-Francois Duyck, Virginie Ravigne
Summary: The relative importance of ecological factors and species interactions for shaping species distributions is still debated. Species abundances depended on host plants, followed by climatic factors, with a dose of competition between species sharing host plants. The relative importance of these factors mildly changed among the three host plant groups.
Article
Microbiology
Yong-Hoe Choe, Mincheol Kim, Yoo Kyung Lee
Summary: The study investigated microbial community compositions in rocks and soils in a high Arctic polar desert, finding significant differences in community structures between rocks and soils at higher taxonomic levels. The physical or chemical properties of rocks may affect the establishment of lichens in lithic environments, while different rock types may result in distinct fungal communities.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Studies
Guoqing Li, Jinghua Huang
Summary: The study on the climate space dynamics of vegetation greenness on the Loess Plateau shows that the climate niche conservatism is high, with the stability niche consistently occupying a large proportion.
Article
Biology
Apostolos Pekas, Alejandro Tena, Ezio Peri, Stefano Colazza, Antonino Cusumano
Summary: Competition for hosts is common in insect parasitoids, and it is increasingly recognized that microorganisms play a significant role in parasitoid ecology. This review emphasizes the importance of considering microbial influence in parasitoid competition, particularly from a tritrophic perspective. Recent studies have shown that microbial symbionts not only affect the competitive traits of parasitoids but also the environment in which competition takes place. However, there are still important gaps in the literature that need to be addressed to advance our understanding.
CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Nuria Galiana, Miguel Lurgi, Jose M. Montoya, Miguel B. Araujo, Eric D. Galbraith
Summary: Species geographical range sizes are influenced by both biotic interactions and climatic tolerance, with diet breadth appearing to more strongly limit range size. This study provides new insights into the importance of biotic interactions in determining species distributions.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sylvain Francois-Etienne, Leroux Nicolas, Normandeau Eric, Custodio Jaqueline, Mercier Pierre-Luc, Bouslama Sidki, Holland Aleicia, Barroso Danilo, Val Adalberto Luis, Derome Nicolas
Summary: Amazonian blackwaters are highly biodiverse systems with acidic, dissolved organic carbon-rich and ion-poor waters. The physiological adaptations of fish in these environments are still unclear, but may involve microbially-mediated processes. This study characterized the physiological response of fish-microbe systems in blackwater fish species and revealed that endogenous symbionts play a critical role in blackwater fish physiology. The colonization of blackwater Betaproteobacteria in fish gills has the potential to regulate host ionoregulatory processes and ensure fish survival in these challenging habitats.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Review
Entomology
Hassan Salem, Martin Kaltenpoth
Summary: This article reviews recent studies on the role of bacterial symbionts in promoting beetle fitness. The functional diversity of these symbionts expands the host's ecological niche, but also constrains its evolutionary potential. The article discusses the relationship between bacterial localization and beneficial effects, as well as the molecular and behavioral mechanisms of symbiont translocation and transmission by the beetle host.
ANNUAL REVIEW OF ENTOMOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biology
Sthandiwe Nomthandazo Kanyile, Tobias Engl, Martin Kaltenpoth
Summary: This study investigates the protective effects of nutritional symbiosis on the saw-toothed grain beetle, showing that symbiotic beetles have higher survival rates against predation and fungal infection. The symbionts accelerate the development of the beetle's cuticle, providing structural protection.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Physiology
Wolfgang Goettler, Martin Kaltenpoth, Samuel McDonald, Erhard Strohm
Summary: Females of the solitary digger wasp tribe Philanthini cultivate strains of symbiotic bacteria in their antennae, which provide protection for the wasp offspring. The morphology of the antennal glands varies among species, with European and African species having more complex glands compared to North American species.
FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Sarit Rohkin Shalom, Benjamin Weiss, Maya Lalzar, Martin Kaltenpoth, Elad Chiel
Summary: Insects often carry bacterial symbionts within their cells, and the abundance of these symbionts is influenced by their interactions and competition for resources. This study investigated the abundance and localization of four symbionts in a parasitic wasp and found that the titers of each symbiont decreased as the number of symbiont species increased. The most abundant symbiont was Rickettsia, followed by Sodalis and Wolbachia. Fluorescence in situ hybridization confirmed the distribution of these symbionts in multiple organs, while Arsenophonus was found in fewer organs and at lower densities.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Physiology
Rebekka S. Janke, Safira Moog, Benjamin Weiss, Martin Kaltenpoth, Laura V. Florez
Summary: This study reveals that Lagria beetles maintain symbionts on their surface in specialized cuticular structures to bypass the constraints of metamorphosis. These organs play an important role in symbiont transmission to female adults and allow for symbiont relocation on the outer surface. This strategy enables Lagria beetles to maintain a tight relationship with their beneficial partners during growth and metamorphosis.
FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biology
Shiyu Gui, Boaz Yuval, Tobias Engl, Yongyue Lu, Daifeng Cheng
Summary: Protein feeding is crucial for successful reproduction in male insects, but its effect on reproduction is not well understood. This study used Bactrocera dorsalis as a model to investigate how protein feeding regulates sex pheromone synthesis. The results show that protein ingestion is necessary for sex pheromone synthesis in males. Although protein feeding did not affect Bacillus abundance, transcriptome analysis revealed that sarcosine dehydrogenase (Sardh) regulates sex pheromone biosynthesis by increasing glycine and threonine levels. Disrupting Sardh function decreased glycine, threonine, and sex pheromone contents, leading to reduced mating ability in males. This study establishes a connection between male feeding behavior, gene expression, and sex pheromone synthesis, which ultimately influences male copulatory behavior.
Article
Ecology
Julian Simon Thilo Kiefer, Eugen Bauer, Genta Okude, Takema Fukatsu, Martin Kaltenpoth, Tobias Engl
Summary: A dual co-obligate symbiosis has been characterized in a family of xylophagous beetles, involving two symbiotic bacteria that provide complementary metabolic functions. These bacteria, Shikimatogenerans bostrichidophilus and Bostrichicola ureolyticus, assist the beetles in cuticle biosynthesis, sclerotisation, melanisation, and nitrogen recycling by producing tyrosine precursors and lysine. This study highlights the importance of symbiotic relationships in herbivorous beetles.
Article
Ecology
Anna Michalik, Eugen Bauer, Teresa Szklarzewicz, Martin Kaltenpoth
Summary: In this study, the symbionts of scale insects from the Eriococcidae family were functionally characterized using microscopic and genomic approaches. These symbionts, Burkholderia bacteria, were found to have highly reduced genomes and a low GC content. They retained biosynthetic pathways for essential amino acids and multiple cofactors. The results suggest that the symbiosis between Burkholderia and eriococcids is relatively young but functionally convergent.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Chantal Selina Ingham, Tobias Engl, Bernal Matarrita-Carranza, Paul Vogler, Bruno Huettel, Natalie Wielsch, Ales Svatos, Martin Kaltenpoth
Summary: Symbiosis with microbes is important for the evolutionary success of insects, and a study on beewolves shows that the host provides a protective barrier against nitric oxide to ensure the survival of symbiotic bacteria during transmission.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Andre Rodrigues, Andrew J. Johnson, Ross A. Joseph, You Li, Nemat O. Keyhani, Edward L. Stanley, Benjamin Weiss, Martin Kaltenpoth, Matthew E. Smith, Jiri Hulcr
Summary: Platypodinae ambrosia beetles rely on mutualistic fungi for food and cooperate in colonizing dead trees. The study discovered that Euplatypus parallelus may lack mycangia, unlike other Platypodinae species. However, both Euplatypus species contain yeast related to the fungi.
Article
Microbiology
Sthandiwe Nomthandazo Kanyile, Tobias Engl, Abdelaziz Heddi, Martin Kaltenpoth
Summary: Insects often have symbiotic relationships with internal microbial symbionts (endosymbionts) that enhance their ability to survive in challenging environments. This study investigated the ecological relevance of endosymbiotic relationships with cuticle-enhancing microbes in the rice-weevil, Sitophilus oryzae, in dry environments. The presence of the endosymbionts enabled the beetles to increase their population size significantly under dry conditions compared to aposymbiotic beetles. This advantage is likely due to the thicker cuticle provided by the symbionts, which reduces water loss through cuticular transpiration.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biology
Ramya Ganesan, Rebekka S. Janke, Martin Kaltenpoth, Laura V. Florez
Summary: This study investigates the colonization dynamics of a defensive bacterial symbiont on the external surfaces of Lagria villosa beetles. The symbiont remains on the egg surface before hatching, providing protection, and then colonizes the larvae after hatching. The host's passive or active translocation likely supports colonization of the larval symbiotic organs.
Article
Biology
Chantal Selina Ingham, Tobias Engl, Martin Kaltenpoth
Summary: Hydrocarbons (HCs) play important roles in insects, including protection against desiccation and chemical communication. Beewolf digger wasps use HCs to form a protective barrier around their bacterial symbiont, protecting it against nitric oxide. Different combinations of HCs can achieve protection against nitric oxide.
Article
Biology
Erika Machtinger, Karen C. Poh, Risa Pesapane, Danielle M. Tufts
Summary: Vector-borne diseases, transmitted by insects, are a significant threat to global human and animal health. Their emergence is influenced by factors such as environmental changes, host characteristics, and human behavior. The One Health approach is necessary to comprehensively investigate tick-borne diseases and understand the complex interactions between environmental, animal, and human health.
CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE
(2024)
Article
Biology
Pablo Urbaneja-Bernat, Alejandro Tena, Joel Gonzalez-Cabrera, Cesar Rodriguez-Saona
Summary: This article reviews the potential role of plant guttation as a food source for natural enemies, discussing its nutritional value, effects on insect communities, and potential use in conservation biological control.
CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE
(2024)
Article
Biology
Alina A. Mikhailova, Sarah Rinke, Mark C. Harrison
Summary: The genomes of eusocial insects allow the production and regulation of highly distinct phenotypes, largely independent of genotype. Eusociality has evolved convergently in at least three insect orders, but eusocial phenotypes show remarkable similarity. Increased regulatory complexity and the adaptive evolution of chemical communication are common genomic signatures of eusociality. Colony life itself can shape genomes of divergent taxa in a similar manner.
CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE
(2024)
Article
Biology
Dequn Teng, Wei Zhang
Summary: Butterfly wings, with their rich phenotypic diversity and complex biological functions, serve as a crucial system for studying the genetic basis and evolution of phenotypic diversification. Recent studies have revealed the complex functions and genetic and environmental factors involved in determining wing patterns. These factors lead to inter-specific divergence, genetic polymorphism, and phenotypic plasticity, often controlled by key genes. Gene co-option has also been identified as an important mechanism for functional complexity and evolutionary novelty. However, further research is needed for a systematic and comprehensive understanding.
CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE
(2024)
