Dataset Information

Correlations between adult mimicry and larval host plants in ithomiine butterflies.

ABSTRACT: The apparent paradox of multiple coexisting wing pattern mimicry 'rings' in tropical butterflies has been explained as a result of microhabitat partitioning in adults. However, very few studies have tested this hypothesis. In neotropical forests, ithomiine butterflies dominate and display the richest diversity of mimicry rings. We show that co-mimetic species occupy the same larval host-plant species significantly more often than expected in two out of five communities that we surveyed; in one of these, the effect remains significant after phylogenetic correction. This relationship is most probably a result of a third correlated variable, such as microhabitat. Host-plant microhabitat may constrain adult movement, or host-plant choice may depend on butterfly microhabitat preferences and mimicry associations. This link between mimicry and host plant could help explain some host-plant and mimicry shifts, which have been important in the radiation of this speciose tropical group.

SUBMITTER: Willmott KR

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1810062 | biostudies-literature | 2004 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Correlations between adult mimicry and larval host plants in ithomiine butterflies.

Willmott Keith R KR Mallet James J

Proceedings. Biological sciences 20040801

The apparent paradox of multiple coexisting wing pattern mimicry 'rings' in tropical butterflies has been explained as a result of microhabitat partitioning in adults. However, very few studies have tested this hypothesis. In neotropical forests, ithomiine butterflies dominate and display the richest diversity of mimicry rings. We show that co-mimetic species occupy the same larval host-plant species significantly more often than expected in two out of five communities that we surveyed; in one o ...[more]

PMID: 15503990

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Project description:An active segment of the research community designing small molecules ("minimalist mimics" of peptide fragments) to interfere with protein-protein interactions have based their studies on an implicit hypothesis. Here we refer to this as the Secondary Structure Hypothesis, that might be defined as, "If a small molecule can orient amino acid side-chains in directions that resemble side-chains of the parent secondary structure at the interface, then that small molecule is a candidate to perturb the protein-protein interaction". Rigorous tests of this hypothesis require co-crystallization of minimalist mimics with protein receptors, and comparison of the bound conformations with the interface secondary structures they were designed to resemble. Unfortunately, to the best of our knowledge, there is no such analysis in the literature, and it is unlikely that enough examples will emerge in the near future to test the hypothesis. Research described here was designed to challenge this hypothesis from a different perspective. In a previous study, preferred conformations of a series of novel minimalist mimics were simulated then systematically overlaid on >240 000 crystallographically characterized protein-protein interfaces. Select data from that overlay procedure revealed chemotypes that overlay side chains on various PPI interfaces with a relatively high frequency of occurrence. The first aim of this work was to determine if good secondary structure mimics overlay frequently on PPI interfaces. The second aim of this work was to determine if overlays of preferred conformers at interface regions involve secondary structures. Thus situations where these conformations overlaid extremely well on PPI interfaces were analyzed to determine if secondary structures featured the PPI regions where these molecules overlaid in the previous study. Combining conclusions from these two studies enabled us to formulate a hypothesis that is complementary to the Secondary Structure Hypothesis, but, unlike this, is supported by abundant data. We call this the Interface Mimicry Hypothesis.

Project description:Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) are diverse and ecologically important, yet we know little about how they interact with microbes as adults. Due to metamorphosis, the form and function of their adult-stage microbiomes might be very different from those of microbiomes in the larval stage (caterpillars). We studied adult-stage microbiomes of Heliconius and closely related passion-vine butterflies (Heliconiini), which are an important model system in evolutionary biology. To characterize the structure and dynamics of heliconiine microbiomes, we used field collections of wild butterflies, 16S rRNA gene sequencing, quantitative PCR, and shotgun metagenomics. We found that Heliconius butterflies harbor simple and abundant bacterial communities that are moderately consistent among conspecific individuals and over time. Heliconiine microbiomes also exhibited a strong signal of the host phylogeny, with a major distinction between Heliconius and other butterflies. These patterns were largely driven by differing relative abundances of bacterial phylotypes shared among host species and genera, as opposed to the presence or absence of host-specific phylotypes. We suggest that the phylogenetic structure in heliconiine microbiomes arises from conserved host traits that differentially filter microbes from the environment. While the relative importance of different traits remains unclear, our data indicate that pollen feeding (unique to Heliconius) is not a primary driver. Using shotgun metagenomics, we also discovered trypanosomatids and microsporidia to be prevalent in butterfly guts, raising the possibility of antagonistic interactions between eukaryotic parasites and colocalized gut bacteria. Our discovery of characteristic and phylogenetically structured microbiomes provides a foundation for tests of adult-stage microbiome function, a poorly understood aspect of lepidopteran biology.IMPORTANCE Many insects host microbiomes with important ecological functions. However, the prevalence of this phenomenon is unclear because in many insect taxa, microbiomes have been studied in only part of the life cycle, if at all. A prominent example is butterflies and moths, in which the composition and functional role of adult-stage microbiomes are largely unknown. We comprehensively characterized microbiomes in adult passion-vine butterflies. Butterfly-associated bacterial communities are generally abundant in guts, consistent within populations, and composed of taxa widely shared among hosts. More closely related butterflies harbor more similar microbiomes, with the most dramatic shift in microbiome composition occurring in tandem with a suite of ecological and life history traits unique to the genus Heliconius Butterflies are also frequently infected with previously undescribed eukaryotic parasites, which may interact with bacteria in important ways. These findings advance our understanding of butterfly biology and insect-microbe interactions generally.

Dataset Information

Correlations between adult mimicry and larval host plants in ithomiine butterflies.

Publications

Correlations between adult mimicry and larval host plants in ithomiine butterflies.

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