With a little help from my friends: the roles of microbial symbionts in insect populations and communities

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, Год журнала: 2024, Номер 379(1904)

Опубликована: Май 5, 2024

To understand insect abundance, distribution and dynamics, we need to the relevant drivers of their populations communities. While microbial symbionts are known strongly affect many aspects biology, lack data on effects or community processes, insects' evolutionary responses at different timescales. How these change as anthropogenic ecosystems intensify is an area intense research. Recent developments in sequencing bioinformatics permit cost-effective diversity surveys, tracking symbiont transmission, identification functions across multi-species In this review, explore how functional categories can influence life-history traits, could interactions with other species, they may processes patterns level entire We argue that insect-associated microbes should be considered important response adaptation environmental challenges opportunities. also outline emerging approaches for surveying characterizing microbiota population scales. This article part theme issue ‘Towards a toolkit global biodiversity monitoring’.

Язык: Английский

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Variations on a protective theme: Hamiltonella defensa infections in aphids variably impact parasitoid success

Current Opinion in Insect Science, Год журнала: 2018, Номер 32, С. 1 - 7

Опубликована: Авг. 30, 2018

Язык: Английский

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Does getting defensive get you anywhere?—Seasonal balancing selection, temperature, and parasitoids shape real‐world, protective endosymbiont dynamics in the pea aphid

Molecular Ecology, Год журнала: 2021, Номер 30(10), С. 2449 - 2472

Опубликована: Апрель 20, 2021

Abstract Facultative, heritable endosymbionts are found at intermediate prevalence within most insect species, playing frequent roles in their hosts’ defence against environmental pressures. Focusing on Hamiltonella defensa , a common bacterial endosymbiont of aphids, we tested the hypothesis that such pressures impose seasonal balancing selection, shaping widespread infection polymorphism. In our studied pea aphid ( Acyrthosiphon pisum ) population, frequencies ranged from 23.2% to 68.1% across six‐month longitudinal survey. Rapid spikes and declines were often consistent fields, estimated selection coefficients for ‐infected aphids changed sign this field season. Prior laboratory research suggested antiparasitoid as major benefit, costs under parasitoid absence. While prior study these forces can sometimes act counter‐weights regime present survey showed no significant relationship between wasps prevalence. Field cage experiments provided some explanation: parasitoids drove modest ~10% boosts would be hard detect less controlled conditions. They also was not always costly exclusion, contradicting another prediction. Instead, – two overwintering studies temperature strongest predictor Matching lab discoveries, thermally sensitive benefits, unrelated parasitism, shape dynamics. These results add growing body evidence rapid, adaptation multivoltine organisms, suggesting mediated through diverse impacts endosymbionts.

Язык: Английский

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Consequences of symbiont co‐infections for insect host phenotypes

Journal of Animal Ecology, Год журнала: 2017, Номер 87(2), С. 478 - 488

Опубликована: Май 25, 2017

Most animals host communities of symbiotic bacteria. In insects, these symbionts may have particularly intimate interactions with their hosts: many are intracellular and can play important roles in ecology evolution, including protection against natural enemies. We investigated how between different species or strains endosymbiotic bacteria within an aphid influence the outcome symbiosis for both symbiont host. first asked whether combinations facultative exist stable co-infections. then benefits that confer on hosts (protection enemies) enhanced, reduced unaltered by presence a co-infecting symbiont. this phenotypes fungal pathogens vs. parasitoid wasps) overlapping functions. Finally, we additional survival costs to aphids carrying multiple infections strains, compared titres double single infections. found co-infections were possible all (Regiella insecticola + Hamiltonella defensa, Regiella Rickettsiella sp., Spiroplasma sp.) (Hamiltonella) studied. Where provided enemies, no alteration was observed same enemy, level corresponded higher two present. some instances, suffered when hosting case Hamiltonella, however, infection led lower than infections, actually improved survival. conclude long-term maintenance is likely be determined primarily instances redundancy benefits.

Язык: Английский

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Insect–microbe interactions and their influence on organisms and ecosystems

Ecology and Evolution, Год журнала: 2024, Номер 14(7)

Опубликована: Июль 1, 2024

Abstract Microorganisms are important associates of insect and arthropod species. Insect‐associated microbes, including bacteria, fungi, viruses, can drastically impact host physiology, ecology, fitness, while many microbes still have no known role. Over the past decade, we increased our knowledge taxonomic composition functional roles insect‐associated microbiomes viromes. There has been a more recent shift toward examining complexity microbial communities, how they vary in response to different factors (e.g., genome, strain, environment, time), consequences this variation for wider ecological community. We provide an overview insect–microbe interactions, variety associated functions, evolutionary ecology these relationships. explore influence environment interactive effects insects their across trophic levels. Additionally, discuss potential subsequent synergistic reciprocal impacts on microbiomes, communities. Lastly, some avenues future insect‐microbe interactions that include modification existing symbionts as well construction synthetic

Язык: Английский

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Toxin-mediated protection against natural enemies by insect defensive symbionts

Advances in insect physiology, Год журнала: 2020, Номер unknown, С. 277 - 316

Опубликована: Янв. 1, 2020

Язык: Английский

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Local adaptation to hosts and parasitoids shapeHamiltonella defensagenotypes across aphid species

Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, Год журнала: 2022, Номер 289(1985)

Опубликована: Окт. 26, 2022

Facultative symbionts are common in insects and can provide their hosts with significant adaptations. Yet we still have a limited understanding of what shapes distributions, such as why particular symbiont strains some host species yet absent others. To address this question, genotyped the defensive Hamiltonella defensa 26 aphid that commonly carry microbe. We found were strongly associated specific one rarely occurred explain these associations, reciprocally transferred three species, Acyrthosiphon pisum , Macrosiphoniella artemisiae Macrosiphum euphorbiae assessed impact strain on: stability symbiosis, fecundity parasitoid resistance. demonstrate nature locally adapted to hosts, ecology: aphids tend efficiently transmitted offspring, non-lethal, strong protection against dominant species. Our results suggest facultative distributions shaped by selection from natural enemies, itself, resulting symbioses benefits prevailing enemies.

Язык: Английский

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An aphid symbiont confers protection against a specialized RNA virus, another increases vulnerability to the same pathogen

Molecular Ecology, Год журнала: 2022, Номер 32(4), С. 936 - 950

Опубликована: Дек. 2, 2022

Abstract Insects often harbour heritable symbionts that provide defence against specialized natural enemies, yet little is known about symbiont protection when hosts face simultaneous threats. In pea aphids ( Acyrthosiphon pisum ), the facultative endosymbiont Hamiltonella defensa confers parasitoid, Aphidius ervi , and Regiella insecticola protects aphid‐specific fungal pathogens, including Pandora neoaphidis . Here, we investigated whether these two common aphid protect a virus A (APV), their antifungal antiparasitoid services are impacted by APV infection. We found imposed large fitness costs on symbiont‐free were elevated in also housing H contrast, titres significantly reduced to infection largely eliminated with R To our knowledge, first shown viral pathogen, only second arthropod reported do so. did not impact protective of either or better understand biology, produced five genomes examined transmission routes. moderate rates vertical transmission, combined horizontal transfer through food plants, major route spread, although lateral parasitoids occurred. Transmission was unaffected symbionts. summary, presence species identity resulted highly divergent outcomes for infected APV, while impacting defensive target other enemies. These findings add diverse phenotypes conferred symbionts, growing body work highlighting extensive variation symbiont‐mediated interactions.

Язык: Английский

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Defensive Symbiont Genotype Distributions Are Linked to Parasitoid Attack Networks

Ecology Letters, Год журнала: 2025, Номер 28(2)

Опубликована: Фев. 1, 2025

ABSTRACT Facultative symbionts are widespread in arthropods and can provide important services such as protection from natural enemies. Yet what shapes associations with defensive nature remains unclear. Two hypotheses suggest that interactions either antagonists or host plants explain the prevalence of through shared selective pressures vectors symbiont transmission. Here we investigate factors determining similarities Hamiltonella defensa symbiosis amongst field‐collected aphid species. After accounting for species relatedness, find Hamiltonella's genotype distribution aligns sharing same parasitoids, rather than plants, highlighting parasitoids hosts key agents shaping across Our data indicates parasitoid specificity drives specific aphid‐ associations, suggesting symbioses maintained by pressure imposed dominant their hosts. These findings underscore importance enemies explaining patterns nature.

Язык: Английский

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Origin and function of beneficial bacterial symbioses in insects

Nature Reviews Microbiology, Год журнала: 2025, Номер unknown

Опубликована: Март 27, 2025

Язык: Английский

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