Dataset Information

Green lacewings (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) are commonly associated with a diversity of rickettsial endosymbionts.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Bacterial symbionts transmitted from mothers to offspring are found in the majority of arthropods. Numerous studies have illustrated their wide impact on host biology, such as reproduction, behavior, and physiology One of the most common inherited symbionts is Rickettsia spp. (Alphaproteobacteria, Rickettsiales), which are found in about one-quarter of terrestrial arthropods, as well as in other invertebrates. In insect populations, Rickettsia spp. have been reported to cause reproductive modifications and fecundity-enhancing effects. Here, we investigated the incidence and genetic diversity of Rickettsia symbionts in green lacewings (Neuroptera, Chrysopidae), which are best known for their use as biological control agents against crop pests. RESULTS:We screened 18 species of green lacewings and allies for Rickettsia and found the symbiont in 10 species, infecting 20-100% of sampled individuals. Strain characterization based on multiple bacterial loci revealed an unprecedented diversity of Rickettsia associated with lacewings, suggesting multiple independent acquisitions. Further, the detected Rickettsia lineages are restricted to a specific lineage (i.e., species or genus) of investigated lacewings, and these associations are stable across multiple sampled locations and points in time. CONCLUSIONS:We conclude that Rickettsia-lacewing symbioses are common and evolutionarily stable. The role of these symbionts remains to be identified, but is potentially important to optimizing their use in biological pest control.

SUBMITTER: Gerth M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5557424 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Green lacewings (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) are commonly associated with a diversity of rickettsial endosymbionts.

Gerth Michael M Wolf Ronny R Bleidorn Christoph C Richter Julia J Sontowski Rebekka R Unrein Jasmin J Schlegel Martin M Gruppe Axel A

Zoological letters 20170814

<h4>Background</h4>Bacterial symbionts transmitted from mothers to offspring are found in the majority of arthropods. Numerous studies have illustrated their wide impact on host biology, such as reproduction, behavior, and physiology One of the most common inherited symbionts is <i>Rickettsia</i> spp. (Alphaproteobacteria, Rickettsiales), which are found in about one-quarter of terrestrial arthropods, as well as in other invertebrates. In insect populations, <i>Rickettsia</i> spp. have been repo ...[more]

PMID: 28815055

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Project description:Green lacewings (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) are voracious predators of aphids and other small, soft-bodied insects and mites. Earlier, we identified (1R,2S,5R,8R)-iridodial from wild males of the goldeneyed lacewing, Chrysopa oculata Say, which is released from thousands of microscopic dermal glands on the abdominal sterna. Iridodial-baited traps attract C. oculata and other Chrysopa spp. males into traps, while females come to the vicinity of, but do not usually enter traps. Despite their healthy appearance and normal fertility, laboratory-reared C. oculata males do not produce iridodial. Surprisingly, goldeneyed lacewing males caught alive in iridodial-baited traps attempt to eat the lure and, in Asia, males of other Chrysopa species reportedly eat the native plant, Actinidia polygama (Siebold & Zucc.) Maxim. (Actinidiaceae) to obtain the monoterpenoid, neomatatabiol. These observations suggest that Chrysopa males must sequester exogenous natural iridoids in order to produce iridodial; we investigated this phenomenon in laboratory feeding studies. Lacewing adult males fed various monoterpenes reduced carbonyls to alcohols and saturated double bonds, but did not convert these compounds to iridodial. Only males fed the common aphid sex pheromone component, (1R,4aS,7S,7aR)-nepetalactol, produced (1R,2S,5R,8R)-iridodial. Furthermore, although C. oculata males fed the second common aphid sex pheromone component, (4aS,7S,7aR)-nepetalactone, did not produce iridodial, they did convert ∼75% of this compound to the corresponding dihydronepetalactone, and wild C. oculata males collected in early spring contained traces of this dihydronepetalactone. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that Chrysopa males feed on oviparae (the late-season pheromone producing stage of aphids) to obtain nepetalactol as a precursor to iridodial. In the spring, however, wild C. oculata males produce less iridodial than do males collected later in the season. Therefore, we further hypothesize that Asian Chrysopa eat A. polygama to obtain iridoid precursors in order to make their pheromone, and that other iridoid-producing plants elsewhere in the world must be similarly usurped by male Chrysopa species to sequester pheromone precursors.

Project description:BackgroundThe order Rickettsiales comprises gram-negative obligate intracellular bacteria (also called rickettsias) that are mainly associated with arthropod hosts. This group is medically important because it contains human-pathogenic species that cause dangerous diseases. Until now, there has been no report of non-phagotrophic photosynthetic eukaryotes, such as green plants, harboring rickettsias.Methodology/principal findingsWe examined the bacterial endosymbionts of two freshwater volvocalean green algae: unicellular Carteria cerasiformis and colonial Pleodorina japonica. Epifluorescence microscopy using 4'-6-deamidino-2-phenylindole staining revealed the presence of endosymbionts in all C. cerasiformis NIES-425 cells, and demonstrated a positive correlation between host cell size and the number of endosymbionts. Strains both containing and lacking endosymbionts of C. cerasiformis (NIES-425 and NIES-424) showed a >10-fold increase in cell number and typical sigmoid growth curves over 192 h. A phylogenetic analysis of 16 S ribosomal (r)RNA gene sequences from the endosymbionts of C. cerasiformis and P. japonica demonstrated that they formed a robust clade (hydra group) with endosymbionts of various non-arthropod hosts within the family Rickettsiaceae. There were significantly fewer differences in the 16 S rRNA sequences of the rickettsiacean endosymbionts between C. cerasiformis and P. japonica than in the chloroplast 16 S rRNA or 18 S rRNA of the host volvocalean cells. Fluorescence in situ hybridization demonstrated the existence of the rickettsiacean endosymbionts in the cytoplasm of two volvocalean species.Conclusions/significanceThe rickettsiacean endosymbionts are likely not harmful to their volvocalean hosts and may have been recently transmitted from other non-arthropod organisms. Because rickettsias are the closest relatives of mitochondria, incipient stages of mitochondrial endosymbiosis may be deduced using both strains with and without C. cerasiformis endosymbionts.

Project description:Mallada basalis (Walker) has the potential to be a valuable biological control agent because of its predatory abilities, strong reproductive capacity, and broad prey range. This study aimed to improve on a previously used artificial diet for M. basalis, to achieve a longer oviposition period and greater survival rate and fecundity. We analyzed the development, survival, longevity, and reproduction of M. basalis (F1 and F2 generations) fed two artificial diets (AD1 and AD2). Both diets contained chicken egg yolk, beer yeast powder, honey, trehalose, seawater spirulina, and potassium sorbate. AD1 also contained sucrose and vitamin C. The duration of F1 1st larvae, F1 2nd larvae, F1 pupae, F2 egg, and F2 2nd larvae reared on AD1 were significantly shorter than those reared on AD2. F1 adult longevity and F2 oviposition period for AD1 (45.40 d and 31.00 d) were significantly longer than for AD2 (30.74 d and 20.80 d). All the following were significantly greater for AD1 compared with AD2: F1 female proportion, F1 daily oviposition, F1 female oviposition, F2 daily oviposition, F2 female oviposition, F1 emergence rate, F2 pupation rate, and F3 egg hatching rate. Moreover, for M. basalis fed AD2, the duration of F2 2nd and 3rd larvae (9.00 d and 8.64 d) were significantly longer than for F1 (4.70 d and 4.92 d). The F1 oviposition period (31.57 d) was significantly longer than F2 (20.80 d). The F2 female oviposition (189.20 egg/female) was significantly less than F1 (307.14 egg/female). We found that the oviposition period and female longevity of F1 reared on AD1 was longer than that reared on the artificial diet in a previous study. The daily oviposition and female oviposition of F1 from AD1 was larger, while the F2 egg hatching rate was greater compared with that from the previous diet. However, the offspring of M. basalis fed AD2 were less thrifty. We found diet AD1 supported development and reproduction better than AD2 and the diets in our previous study. These findings may contribute to the mass rearing of this economically important predatory green lacewing.

Dataset Information

Green lacewings (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) are commonly associated with a diversity of rickettsial endosymbionts.

Publications

Green lacewings (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) are commonly associated with a diversity of rickettsial endosymbionts.

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