Evolution of Ascomycota-Arthropoda Symbioses

Spatafora, Joseph W.

doi:10.1007/0-306-48173-1_37

Cited by 3 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 96 publications

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“…It is also where they lay eggs; the larvae feed and develop in the same substrate ( Kirkendall et al, 2015 ). These coleopteran bionts have symbiotic interaction with a variety of filamentous fungi and yeasts, mostly Ascomycetes of the genera; Ophthalmoma, Ceratocystiopsis, Grosmannia , and Ceratocystis that are capable of degrading the xylem, which is then eaten by beetles ( Breznak, 1982 ; Spatafora, 2001 ; Six and Wingfield, 2011 ). It has been discovered that essential nutrients for the development of beetles are available thanks to the action of these fungi associates ( Ayres et al, 2000 ).…”

Section: Terrestrial Arthropods As a Case Of Ecosystem Holobiontsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Arthropod-Microbiota Integration: Its Importance for Ecosystem Conservation

2021

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Recent reports indicate that the health of our planet is getting worse and that genuine transformative changes are pressing. So far, efforts to ameliorate Earth’s ecosystem crises have been insufficient, as these often depart from current knowledge of the underlying ecological processes. Nowadays, biodiversity loss and the alterations in biogeochemical cycles are reaching thresholds that put the survival of our species at risk. Biological interactions are fundamental for achieving biological conservation and restoration of ecological processes, especially those that contribute to nutrient cycles. Microorganism are recognized as key players in ecological interactions and nutrient cycling, both free-living and in symbiotic associations with multicellular organisms. This latter assemblage work as a functional ecological unit called “holobiont.” Here, we review the emergent ecosystem properties derived from holobionts, with special emphasis on detritivorous terrestrial arthropods and their symbiotic microorganisms. We revisit their relevance in the cycling of recalcitrant organic compounds (e.g., lignin and cellulose). Finally, based on the interconnection between biodiversity and nutrient cycling, we propose that a multicellular organism and its associates constitute an Ecosystem Holobiont (EH). This EH is the functional unit characterized by carrying out key ecosystem processes. We emphasize that in order to meet the challenge to restore the health of our planet it is critical to reduce anthropic pressures that may threaten not only individual entities (known as “bionts”) but also the stability of the associations that give rise to EH and their ecological functions.

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Section: Terrestrial Arthropods As a Case Of Ecosystem Holobiontsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Arthropod-Microbiota Integration: Its Importance for Ecosystem Conservation

2021

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“…They are attached to the exoskeleton of a variety of hosts, of which the most studied were insects and arachnids. They are host and attachment‐site specific (Spatafora 2002). The interaction of Laboulbeniales with their arthropod hosts is considered to be fairly benign (Spatafora 2002).…”

Section: Laboulbeniales On Mites – Aiding Mating?mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…They are host and attachment‐site specific (Spatafora 2002). The interaction of Laboulbeniales with their arthropod hosts is considered to be fairly benign (Spatafora 2002). A peculiar trait of the fungus is its specific location on hosts; there, thalli grow on specific areas of the host tegument, restricted to certain parts of the body, for example front legs, posterior region of the abdomen, ventral, etc.…”

Section: Laboulbeniales On Mites – Aiding Mating?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Eukaryotic ectosymbionts of Acari

Perotti

Braig

2011

Journal of Applied Entomology

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The Acari is the most numerous and diverse group of the subphylum Chelicerata. With approximately 55 000 described species (and estimates of up to 1 million extant species), their adaptations for parasitism, phytophagy, mycophagy, saprophagy and predation rival other arthropods and challenge us with a wide variety of biological interactions. While a few studies have unravelled the nature of some endosymbiotic associations between mites or ticks and prokaryotes, almost nothing has been done yet regarding acarine eukaryotic ectosymbionts. Microbial ectosymbionts can benefit their hosts by providing nutrients, by aiding digestion, by enhancing communication, by assisting in mating and/or fertilization, by protecting their host against pathogenic microorganisms, against predation and so on. In this sketch, we introduce a number of described cases of fungal and protist ectosymbionts and discuss the role they might play in the life of their acarine hosts.

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“…A wide variety of ascomycetes are also associated with modern arthropods (Spatafora 2002) and the demonstration of ascomycetes in the cherts suggests another interaction that may also exist in the Rhynie chert. We have already commented on the value of examining certain animals that have been described from the chert for fungal/arthropod symbiosis similar to those found in Trichomycetes today.…”

Section: Future Research Directionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We have already commented on the value of examining certain animals that have been described from the chert for fungal/arthropod symbiosis similar to those found in Trichomycetes today. A wide variety of ascomycetes are also associated with modern arthropods (Spatafora 2002) and the demonstration of ascomycetes in the cherts suggests another interaction that may also exist in the Rhynie chert.…”

Section: Future Research Directionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fungi from the Rhynie chert: a view from the dark side

Taylor

Klavins

Krings

et al. 2003

Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh: Earth Sciences

148

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The exquisite preservation of organisms in the Early Devonian Rhynie chert ecosystem has permitted the documentation of the morphology and life history biology of fungi belonging to several major taxonomic groups (e.g., Chytridiomycota, Ascomycota, Glomeromycota). The Rhynie chert also provides the first unequivocal evidence in the fossil record of fungal interactions that can in turn be compared with those in modern ecosystems. These interactions in the Rhynie chert involve both green algae and macroplants, with examples of saprophytism, parasitism, and mutualism, including the earliest mycorrhizal associations and lichen symbiosis known to date in the fossil record. Especially significant are several types of specific host responses to fungal infection that indicate that these plants had already evolved methods of defence similar and perhaps analogous to those of extant plants. This suggests that mechanisms underlying the establishment and sustenance of associations of fungi with land plants were well in place prior to the Early Devonian. In addition, a more complete understanding of the microbial organisms involved in this complex ecosystem can also provide calibration points for phylogenies based on molecular data analysis. The richness of the microbial community in the Rhynie chert holds tremendous potential for documenting additional fungal groups, which permits speculation about further interactions with abiotic and biotic components of the environment.

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Evolution of Ascomycota-Arthropoda Symbioses

Cited by 3 publications

References 96 publications

Arthropod-Microbiota Integration: Its Importance for Ecosystem Conservation

Arthropod-Microbiota Integration: Its Importance for Ecosystem Conservation

Eukaryotic ectosymbionts of Acari

Fungi from the Rhynie chert: a view from the dark side

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