Effects of cardenolides of milkweed plants on immunity of the monarch butterfly

Adams, Kandis L.; Aljohani, Ahmed; Chavez, Joselyne; Roode, Jacobus C. de

doi:10.1007/s11829-021-09812-w

Cited by 7 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…In our field trials, we did note that a small percentage of monarchs were indeed attacked and, apparently, consumed by jor ō spiders (n = 7, or 20%). However, it is possible that this rate is atypical, or higher than normal, because the monarchs we used had been reared on a milkweed that is naturally low in cardenolide concentrations [28]. There are over 100 species of milkweeds in North America, and each differs in their cardenolide levels [18].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Do Invasive Jorō Spiders (Trichonephila clavata) from Asia Avoid Eating Unpalatable Monarch Butterflies (Danaus plexippus) in North America?

Davis,

Morris,

Hobbs

et al. 2024

Insects

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An invasive spider from East Asia has established in the U.S. southeast (the “jorō spider,” Trichonephila clavata) and is rapidly expanding its range. Studies assessing the impact of this species are needed, including how expansive its diet is. An open question is whether monarch butterflies, Danaus plexippus, are a potential prey item for this spider, given that jorō spiders do not coexist with monarchs in their native range. Since monarch larvae feed on milkweed, they sequester cardiac glycosides into their adult tissues, rendering them unpalatable to many predators. At sites within northeast Georgia, we staged a series of trials (n = 61) where we tossed monarchs into jorō spider webs and, for comparison, performed similar trials with another aposematic species, gulf fritillary (Agraulis vanilla), and a palatable species, tiger swallowtail (Papilio glaucus). We recorded the outcome of the trials, which included whether the spider attacked or did not attack the prey. We also conducted a visual survey during the same fall season to look for evidence of jorō spiders consuming monarchs naturally. Our findings revealed that jorō spiders avoided eating monarchs; spiders only attacked monarchs 20% of the time, which was significantly less than the attack rates of similarly sized or larger butterflies: 86% for gulf fritillaries and 58% for tiger swallowtails. Some jorō spiders even removed monarchs from their webs. From our visual surveys of the surrounding area, we found no evidence of natural monarch consumption and, in general, butterflies made up only a fraction of the jorō spider diet. We conclude that jorō spiders appear to recognize monarch butterflies as being unpalatable, even without having a prior history with the species. This invokes questions about how these spiders can immediately recognize their unpalatability without touching the butterflies.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Do Invasive Jorō Spiders (Trichonephila clavata) from Asia Avoid Eating Unpalatable Monarch Butterflies (Danaus plexippus) in North America?

Davis,

Morris,

Hobbs

et al. 2024

Insects

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“…Contrary to these findings, in Grammia incorrupta , the concentration of IGs did not affect immune responses, when caterpillars were fed IG-containing plants ( Smilanich et al, 2011 ). Similarly, the amount of cardenolides present in different host plants did not affect the immune response of cardenolide-sequestering monarch butterflies Danaus plexippus ( Adams et al, 2021 ). Furthermore, gene expression analysis demonstrated that monarch butterflies did not show differential immune responses in monarch butterflies to the common protozoan parasite Ophryocystis elektroscirrha infection ( Tan et al, 2019 ).…”

Section: Physiological Costsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A cell-mediated immune response can be tested by melanisation [using dextran beads and nylon filament ( Laurentz et al, 2012 ; Smilanich et al, 2009 )] and haemocyte attributes [such as enlargement, agglutination, denucleation, shape distortion, and abnormal staining of the cells ( Muchoney et al, 2022 ; Perveen and Ahmad, 2017 )]. Similarly, a humoral immune response can be estimated using biochemical assays [phenoloxidase activity ( Barthel et al, 2016 ), relative protein concentration ( Rahman et al, 2004 ), lysozyme-like activity ( Charles and Killian, 2015 )] and zone of inhibition assays [using lipopolysaccharide (a cell wall component of bacteria) in the form of antimicrobial growth ( Adams et al, 2021 )]. Therefore, for assessing the immune response, the best would be to combine the methods such as bioassays, genetic analyses, microscopy, and molecular techniques.…”

Section: Physiological Costsmentioning

confidence: 99%

No-cost meals might not exist for insects feeding on toxic plants

Pokharel

2023

Biology Open

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Plants produce chemicals (or plant specialised/secondary metabolites, PSM) to protect themselves against various biological antagonists. Herbivorous insects use plants in two ways: as a food source and as a defence source. Insects can detoxify and sequester PSMs in their bodies as a defence mechanism against predators and pathogens. Here, I review the literature on the cost of PSM detoxification and sequestration in insects. I argue that no-cost meals might not exist for insects feeding on toxic plants and suggest that potential costs could be detected in an ecophysiological framework.

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“…For instance, AtMYC2, AtMYC3, and AtMYC4 act to decrease the feeding of Spodoptera littoralis by regulating glucosinolate biosynthesis ( Schweizer et al, 2013 ). Moreover, AtMYC2 can directly bind to the promoters of terpenoid synthesis genes ( TPS10 , TPS11 , and TPS21 ) and activate their expression to promote terpenoid synthesis, thereby enhancing terpenoid-mediated direct and indirect plant resistance to pests ( Fernandez-Calvo et al, 2011 ; Adams et al, 2021 ). In Oryza sativa , the OsMYC2 -RNAi lines showed enhanced resistance against bacterial pathogen Xanthomonas oryzae pv.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genome-wide analysis of basic helix–loop–helix genes in Dendrobium catenatum and functional characterization of DcMYC2 in jasmonate-mediated immunity to Sclerotium delphinii

Liu

Cai²,

Shen³

et al. 2022

Front. Plant Sci.

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Dendrobium catenatum, belonging to the Orchidaceae, is a precious Chinese herbal medicine. Sclerotium delphinii (P1) is a broad-spectrum fungal disease, which causes widespread loss in the near-wild cultivation of D. catenatum. Thus, resistance breeding of D. catenatum has become the key to solve this problem. The basic helix–loop–helix (bHLH) gene family is closely related to plant resistance to external stresses, but the related research in D. catenatum is not deep enough yet. Phylogenetic analysis showed that 108 DcbHLH genes could be divided into 23 subgroups. Promoter cis-acting elements revealed that DcbHLHs contain a large number of stress-related cis-acting elements. Transcriptome analysis of MeJA and P1 treatment manifested that exogenous MeJA can change the expression pattern of most bHLH genes, especially the IIIe subgroup, including inhibiting the expression of DcbHLH026 (MYC2a) and promoting the expression of DcbHLH027 (MYC2b). Subcellular localization indicated that they were located in the nucleus. Furthermore, exogenous MeJA treatment significantly delayed disease time and reduced lesion size after infection with P1. DcMYC2b-overexpression Arabidopsis lines showed significantly smaller lesions after being infected with P1 than the wild type, indicating that DcMYC2b functions as an important positive regulator in D. catenatum defense against P1. Our findings shed more insights into the critical role of the DcbHLH family in plants and the resistance breeding of D. catenatum.

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Effects of cardenolides of milkweed plants on immunity of the monarch butterfly

Cited by 7 publications

References 13 publications

Do Invasive Jorō Spiders (Trichonephila clavata) from Asia Avoid Eating Unpalatable Monarch Butterflies (Danaus plexippus) in North America?

Do Invasive Jorō Spiders (Trichonephila clavata) from Asia Avoid Eating Unpalatable Monarch Butterflies (Danaus plexippus) in North America?

No-cost meals might not exist for insects feeding on toxic plants

Genome-wide analysis of basic helix–loop–helix genes in Dendrobium catenatum and functional characterization of DcMYC2 in jasmonate-mediated immunity to Sclerotium delphinii

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