Dissecting cricket genomes for the advancement of entomology and entomophagy

Kataoka, Kosuke; Togawa, Yuki; Sanno, Ryuto; Asahi, Toru; Yura, Kei

doi:10.1007/s12551-021-00924-4

Cited by 14 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 139 publications

(169 reference statements)

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“…A quick comparison of the length of the BUSCO reference gene sequences estimated that the A. domesticus genes were on average 80% longer than those in T castaneum. We also noticed that, in most cases, the longer genes were due to longer introns that may be due to TEs as has been observed in other Orthoptera [ 53 , 54 ]. Therefore, we compared repetitive elements in the A. domesticus genome assembly with those available for other orthopterans and found that the A. domesticus genome assembly contains the highest content of TEs (almost half of the assembly) compared to other cricket genomes.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 70%

“…Because repetitive elements, in particular transposable elements (TEs), are well-known contributors to genome size expansion in a wide range of insect species [ 53 , 54 ], we further examined the relative contribution of repetitive elements to the genome sizes of the orthopteran species. There was a significant correlation between total contents of repetitive elements and genome sizes in Orthoptera species ( p = 0.024 and R2 = 0.61) ( Figure S6a ).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Genome and Genetic Engineering of the House Cricket (Acheta domesticus): A Resource for Sustainable Agriculture

et al. 2023

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Background: The house cricket, Acheta domesticus, is one of the most farmed insects worldwide and the foundation of an emerging industry using insects as a sustainable food source. Edible insects present a promising alternative for protein production amid a plethora of reports on climate change and biodiversity loss largely driven by agriculture. As with other crops, genetic resources are needed to improve crickets for food and other applications. Methods: We present the first high quality annotated genome assembly of A. domesticus from long read data and scaffolded to chromosome level, providing information needed for genetic manipulation. Results: Gene groups related to immunity were annotated and will be useful for improving value to insect farmers. Metagenome scaffolds in the A. domesticus assembly, including Invertebrate Iridescent Virus 6 (IIV6), were submitted as host-associated sequences. We demonstrate both CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knock-in and knock-out of A. domesticus and discuss implications for the food, pharmaceutical, and other industries. RNAi was demonstrated to disrupt the function of the vermilion eye-color gene producing a useful white-eye biomarker phenotype. Conclusions: We are utilizing these data to develop technologies for downstream commercial applications, including more nutritious and disease-resistant crickets, as well as lines producing valuable bioproducts, such as vaccines and antibiotics.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 70%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genome and Genetic Engineering of the House Cricket (Acheta domesticus): A Resource for Sustainable Agriculture

et al. 2023

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…A quick comparison of the length of the BUSCO reference gene sequences estimated that the A. domesticus genes were on average 80% longer than those in T castaneum. We also noticed that, in most cases, the longer genes were due to longer introns that may be due to TEs as has been observed in Orthoptera [72–73]. Therefore, we compared repetitive elements in the A. domesticus genome assembly with those available for other orthopterans and found that the A. domesticus genome assembly contains the highest content of TEs (almost half of the assembly) compared to other cricket genomes.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 87%

“…For example, in the cricket genomes, L. kohalensis LINE had the highest abundance at 13.4%, while G. bimaculatus and T. oceanicus had only 3.34% and 4.04% LINE, respectively. Because repetitive elements, in particular transposable elements (TEs), are well-known contributors to genome size expansion in a wide range of insect species [72][73], we further examined the relative contribution of repetitive elements to the genome sizes of the orthopteran species. There was a significant correlation between total contents of repetitive elements and genome sizes in Orthoptera species (P=0.024 and R 2 = 0.61) (Figure S6a).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Genomementioning

confidence: 90%

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Genome and Genetic Engineering of the House Cricket (Acheta domesticus): Applications for Sustainable Agriculture

Dossey

Oppert

Chu

et al. 2022

Preprint

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The house cricket, Acheta domesticus, is one of the most farmed insects worldwide and the foundation of an emerging industry for the use of insects as a sustainable food source. Edible insects present a promising alternative for protein production amid a plethora of recent reports on climate change and biodiversity loss largely driven by agriculture. As with other agricultural crops, genetic resources are needed to improve crickets for food and other applications. We present the first high quality annotated genome assembly of A. domesticus which was assembled from long read data and scaffolded to chromosome level from long range data, providing information on promoters and genes needed for genetic manipulation. Gene groups that may be useful for improving the value of these insects to farmers were manually annotated, mainly genes related to immunity. Metagenome scaffolds in the A. domesticus assembly, including those from bacteria, other microbes and viruses such as Invertebrate Iridescent Virus 6 (IIV6), were submitted in a separate accession as host-associated sequences. We demonstrate both CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knock-in and knock-out of selected genes and discuss implications for the food, pharmaceutical and other industries. RNAi was demonstrated to disrupt the function of the vermilion eye-color gene to produce a useful white-eye biomarker phenotype. We are utilizing these data to develop base technologies and methodologies for downstream commercial applications, including the generation of more nutritious and disease resistant crickets as well as lines producing valuable bioproducts such as vaccines and antibiotics. We also discuss how this foundational research can play a critical role in utilizing the largest, most diverse yet almost entirely untapped biological resource on Earth: Class Insecta.

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Spatial and Sexual Divergence of Gut Bacterial Communities in Field Cricket Teleogryllus occipitalis (Orthoptera: Gryllidae)

2023

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The insect gut is colonized by microbes that confer a myriad of beneficial services to the host, including nutritional support, immune enhancement, and even influence behavior. Insect gut microbes show dynamic changes due to the gut compartments, sex, and seasonal and geographic influences. Crickets are omnivorous hemimetabolous insects that have sex-specific roles, such as males producing chirping sounds for communication and exhibiting fighting behavior. However, limited information is available on their gut bacterial communities, hampering studies on functional compartmentalization of the gut and sex-specific roles of the gut microbiota in omnivorous insects. Here, we report a metagenomic analysis of the gut bacteriome of the field cricket Teleogryllus occipitalis using 16S rRNA V3-V4 amplicon sequencing to identify sex- and compartment-dependent influences on its diversity and function. The structure of the gut microbiota is strongly influenced by their gut compartments rather than sex. The species richness and diversity analyses revealed large difference in the bacterial communities between the gut compartments while minor differences were observed between the sexes. Analysis of relative abundance and predicted functions revealed that nitrogen- and oxygen-dependent metabolism and amino acid turnover were subjected to functional compartmentalization in the gut. Comparisons between the sexes revealed differences in the gut microbiota, reflecting efficiency in energy use, including glycolytic and carbohydrate metabolism, suggesting a possible involvement in egg production in females. This study provides insights into the gut compartment dependent and sex-specific roles of host-gut symbiont interactions in crickets and the industrial production of crickets.

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Dissecting cricket genomes for the advancement of entomology and entomophagy

Cited by 14 publications

References 139 publications

Genome and Genetic Engineering of the House Cricket (Acheta domesticus): A Resource for Sustainable Agriculture

Genome and Genetic Engineering of the House Cricket (Acheta domesticus): A Resource for Sustainable Agriculture

Genome and Genetic Engineering of the House Cricket (Acheta domesticus): Applications for Sustainable Agriculture

Spatial and Sexual Divergence of Gut Bacterial Communities in Field Cricket Teleogryllus occipitalis (Orthoptera: Gryllidae)

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