Symbiosis and horizontal gene transfer promote herbivory in the megadiverse leaf beetles

Current Biology, Год журнала: 2025, Номер 35(3), С. 640 - 654.e7

Опубликована: Янв. 18, 2025

Beetles that feed on the nutritionally depauperate and recalcitrant tissues provided by leaves, stems, roots of living plants comprise one-quarter herbivorous insect species. Among key adaptations for herbivory are plant cell wall-degrading enzymes (PCWDEs) break down fastidious polymers in wall grant access to nutritious content. While largely absent from non-herbivorous ancestors beetles, such PCWDEs were occasionally acquired via horizontal gene transfer (HGT) or uptake digestive symbionts. However, macroevolutionary dynamics their impact evolutionary transitions insects remained poorly understood. Through genomic transcriptomic analyses 74 leaf beetle species 50 symbionts, we show multiple independent events microbe-to-beetle HGT specialized symbioses drove convergent innovations approximately 21,000 13,500 species, respectively. Enzymatic assays indicate these significantly expanded beetles' repertoires thereby contributed adaptation diversification. Our results exemplify how recurring symbiont acquisition catalyzed nutritional success a megadiverse taxon.

Язык: Английский

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Fitness trade-offs and the origins of endosymbiosis

PLoS Biology, Год журнала: 2024, Номер 22(4), С. e3002580 - e3002580

Опубликована: Апрель 12, 2024

Endosymbiosis drives evolutionary innovation and underpins the function of diverse ecosystems. The mechanistic origins symbioses, however, remain unclear, in part because early events are obscured by subsequent evolution genetic drift. This Essay highlights how experimental studies facultative, host-switched, synthetic symbioses revealing important role fitness trade-offs between within-host free-living niches during early-stage new symbiotic associations. mutational targets underpinning such commonly regulatory genes, that single mutations have major phenotypic effects on multiple traits, thus enabling reinforcing transition to a lifestyle.

Язык: Английский

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Extracellular symbiont colonizes insect during embryo development

ISME Communications, Год журнала: 2024, Номер 4(1)

Опубликована: Янв. 1, 2024

Abstract Insects typically acquire their beneficial microbes early in development. Endosymbionts housed intracellularly are commonly integrated during oogenesis or embryogenesis, whereas extracellular only known to be acquired after hatching by immature instars such as larvae nymphs. Here, however, we report on an symbiont that colonizes its host embryo Tortoise beetles (Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae) digestive bacterial Stammera extracellularly within foregut symbiotic organs and ovary-associated glands ensure vertical transmission. We outline the initial stages of colonization observe although develop 3 days prior larval emergence, they remain empty until final 24 h Infection occurs timeframe hatching. By experimentally manipulating availability embryos egg, describe a 12-h developmental window governing Stammera. Symbiotic form normally aposymbiotic larvae, demonstrating these Stammera-bearing structures autonomously. In adults, already colonized following metamorphosis stable population facilitate folivory. The glands, initially lack Symbiont abundance subsequently increases transmission organs, thereby ensuring sufficient titers at onset oviposition ~29 metamorphosis. Collectively, our findings reveal precedes where proliferation is eventually decoupled adult match nutritional reproductive requirements host.

Язык: Английский

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Intracellularity, extracellularity, and squeezing in the symbiotic organ underpin nurturing and functioning of bacterial symbiont in leaf beetles

iScience, Год журнала: 2024, Номер 27(5), С. 109731 - 109731

Опубликована: Апрель 16, 2024

Cassidine leaf beetles are associated with genome-reduced symbiotic bacteria

Язык: Английский

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Microbial bases of herbivory in beetles

Trends in Microbiology, Год журнала: 2024, Номер unknown

Опубликована: Сен. 1, 2024

Язык: Английский

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Symbiosis: Did bacteria bias the beetle big bang?

Current Biology, Год журнала: 2024, Номер 34(8), С. R323 - R325

Опубликована: Апрель 1, 2024

Язык: Английский

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