Dataset Information

Genomic Signals of Adaptation towards Mutualism and Sociality in Two Ambrosia Beetle Complexes.

ABSTRACT: Mutualistic symbiosis and eusociality have developed through gradual evolutionary processes at different times in specific lineages. Like some species of termites and ants, ambrosia beetles have independently evolved a mutualistic nutritional symbiosis with fungi, which has been associated with the evolution of complex social behaviors in some members of this group. We sequenced the transcriptomes of two ambrosia complexes (Euwallacea sp. near fornicatus?Fusarium euwallaceae and Xyleborus glabratus?Raffaelea lauricola) to find evolutionary signatures associated with mutualism and behavior evolution. We identified signatures of positive selection in genes related to nutrient homeostasis; regulation of gene expression; development and function of the nervous system, which may be involved in diet specialization; behavioral changes; and social evolution in this lineage. Finally, we found convergent changes in evolutionary rates of proteins across lineages with phylogenetically independent origins of sociality and mutualism, suggesting a constrained evolution of conserved genes in social species, and an evolutionary rate acceleration related to changes in selective pressures in mutualistic lineages.

SUBMITTER: Blaz J

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6463014 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Genomic Signals of Adaptation towards Mutualism and Sociality in Two Ambrosia Beetle Complexes.

Blaz Jazmín J Barrera-Redondo Josué J Vázquez-Rosas-Landa Mirna M Canedo-Téxon Anahí A Aguirre von Wobeser Eneas E Carrillo Daniel D Stouthamer Richard R Eskalen Akif A Villafán Emanuel E Alonso-Sánchez Alexandro A Lamelas Araceli A Ibarra-Juarez Luis Arturo LA Pérez-Torres Claudia Anahí CA Ibarra-Laclette Enrique E

Life (Basel, Switzerland) 20181222 1

Mutualistic symbiosis and eusociality have developed through gradual evolutionary processes at different times in specific lineages. Like some species of termites and ants, ambrosia beetles have independently evolved a mutualistic nutritional symbiosis with fungi, which has been associated with the evolution of complex social behaviors in some members of this group. We sequenced the transcriptomes of two ambrosia complexes (Euwallacea sp. near fornicatus⁻Fusarium euwallaceae ...[more]

PMID: 30583535

Similar Datasets

Project description:The bacterial and fungal community involved in ambrosia beetle fungiculture remains poorly studied compared to the famous fungus-farming ants and termites. Here we studied microbial community dynamics of laboratory nests, adults, and brood during the life cycle of the sugarcane shot hole borer, Xyleborus affinis We identified a total of 40 fungal and 428 bacterial operational taxonomic units (OTUs), from which only five fungi (a Raffaelea fungus and four ascomycete yeasts) and four bacterial genera (Stenotrophomonas, Enterobacter, Burkholderia, and Ochrobactrum) can be considered the core community playing the most relevant symbiotic role. Both the fungal and bacterial populations varied significantly during the beetle's life cycle. While the ascomycete yeasts were the main colonizers of the gallery early on, the Raffaelea and other filamentous fungi appeared after day 10, at the time when larval hatching happened. Regarding bacteria, Stenotrophomonas and Enterobacter dominated overall but decreased in foundresses and brood with age. Finally, inferred analyses of the putative metabolic capabilities of the bacterial microbiome revealed that they are involved in (i) degradation of fungal and plant polymers, (ii) fixation of atmospheric nitrogen, and (iii) essential amino acid, cofactor, and vitamin provisioning. Overall, our results suggest that yeasts and bacteria are more strongly involved in supporting the beetle-fungus farming symbiosis than previously thought.IMPORTANCE Ambrosia beetles farm their own food fungi within tunnel systems in wood and are among the three insect lineages performing agriculture (the others are fungus-farming ants and termites). In ambrosia beetles, primary ambrosia fungus cultivars have been regarded essential, whereas other microbes have been more or less ignored. Our KEGG analyses suggest so far unknown roles of yeasts and bacterial symbionts, by preparing the tunnel walls for the primary ambrosia fungi. This preparation includes enzymatic degradation of wood, essential amino acid production, and nitrogen fixation. The latter is especially exciting because if it turns out to be present in vivo in ambrosia beetles, all farming animals (including humans) are dependent on atmospheric nitrogen fertilization of their crops. As previous internal transcribed spacer (ITS) metabarcoding approaches failed on covering the primary ambrosia fungi, our 18S metabarcoding approach can also serve as a template for future studies on the ambrosia beetle-fungus symbiosis.

Dataset Information

Genomic Signals of Adaptation towards Mutualism and Sociality in Two Ambrosia Beetle Complexes.

Publications

Genomic Signals of Adaptation towards Mutualism and Sociality in Two Ambrosia Beetle Complexes.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets