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Diet breadth and exploitation of exotic plants shift the core microbiome of Cephaloleia, a group of tropical herbivorous beetles.

ABSTRACT: The beetle genus Cephaloleia has evolved in association with tropical ginger plants and for many species their specific host plant associations are known. Here we show that the core microbiome of six closely related Costa Rican Cephaloleia species comprises only eight bacterial groups, including members of the Acinetobacter, Enterobacteriacea, Pseudomonas, Lactococcus, and Comamonas. The Acinetobacter and Enterobacteriacea together accounted for 35% of the total average 16S rRNA ribotypes recovered from all specimens. Further, microbiome diversity and community structure was significantly linked to beetle diet breadth, between those foraging on less than two plant types (specialists) versus over nine plant types (generalists). Moraxellaceae, Enterobacteriaceae, and Pseudomonadaceae were highly prevalent in specialist species, and also present in eggs, while Rickettsiaceae associated exclusively with generalist beetles. Bacteria isolated from Cephaloleia digestive systems had distinct capabilities and suggested a possible beneficial role in both digestion of plant-based compounds, including xylose, mannitol, and pectin, and possible detoxification, via lipases. Cephaloleia species are currently expanding their diets to include exotic invasive plants, yet it is unknown whether their microbial community plays a role in this transition. In this study, colonization of invasive plants was correlated with a dysbiosis of the microbiome, suggesting a possible relationship between gut bacteria and niche adaptation.

SUBMITTER: Blankenchip CL

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5960584 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Diet breadth and exploitation of exotic plants shift the core microbiome of Cephaloleia, a group of tropical herbivorous beetles.

Blankenchip Chelsea L CL Michels Dana E DE Braker H Elizabeth HE Goffredi Shana K SK

PeerJ 20180517

The beetle genus Cephaloleia has evolved in association with tropical ginger plants and for many species their specific host plant associations are known. Here we show that the core microbiome of six closely related Costa Rican Cephaloleia species comprises only eight bacterial groups, including members of the Acinetobacter, Enterobacteriacea, Pseudomonas, Lactococcus, and Comamonas. The Acinetobacter and Enterobacteriacea together accounted for 3 ...[more]

PMID: 29785353

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Project description:BackgroundPlants respond to herbivore damage with the release of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). This indirect defense can cause ecological costs when herbivores themselves use VOCs as cues to localize suitable host plants. Can VOCs reliably indicate food plant quality to herbivores?MethodologyWe determined the choice behavior of herbivorous beetles (Chrysomelidae: Gynandrobrotica guerreroensis and Cerotoma ruficornis) when facing lima bean plants (Fabaceae: Phaseolus lunatus) with different cyanogenic potential, which is an important constitutive direct defense. Expression of inducible indirect defenses was experimentally manipulated by jasmonic acid treatment at different concentrations. The long-distance responses of male and female beetles to the resulting induced plant volatiles were investigated in olfactometer and free-flight experiments and compared to the short-distance decisions of the same beetles in feeding trials.ConclusionFemale beetles of both species were repelled by VOCs released from all induced plants independent of the level of induction. In contrast, male beetles were repelled by strongly induced plants, showed no significant differences in choice behavior towards moderately induced plants, but responded positively to VOCs released from little induced plants. Thus, beetle sex and plant VOCs had a significant effect on host searching behavior. By contrast, feeding behavior of both sexes was strongly determined by the cyanogenic potential of leaves, although females again responded more sensitively than males. Apparently, VOCs mainly provide information to these beetles that are not directly related to food quality. Being induced by herbivory and involved in indirect plant defense, such VOCs might indicate the presence of competitors and predators to herbivores. We conclude that plant quality as a food source and finding a potentially enemy-free space is more important for female than for male insect herbivores, whereas the presence of a slightly damaged plant can help males to localize putative mating partners.

Dataset Information

Diet breadth and exploitation of exotic plants shift the core microbiome of Cephaloleia, a group of tropical herbivorous beetles.

Publications

Diet breadth and exploitation of exotic plants shift the core microbiome of <i>Cephaloleia</i>, a group of tropical herbivorous beetles.

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