Host plant diet affects growth and induces altered gene expression and microbiome composition in the wood white (<i>Leptidea sinapis</i>) butterfly

Näsvall, Karin; Wiklund, Christer; Mrazek, Veronika; Künstner, Axel; Talla, Venkat; Busch, Hauke; Vila, Roger; Backström, Niclas

doi:10.1111/mec.15745

Cited by 24 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 106 publications

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“…Data on gene expression in generalist herbivores supports the trade-off idea, finding that generalist herbivores have less fine-tuned gene regulation responding to different host plant diets, and broader patterns of gene regulation occur in generalists compared to specialists [8]. In general, herbivorous insect generalists are thought to rely on transcriptional plasticity to respond to dietary variation [9,10].…”

Section: Invasiveness and Diet Breadthmentioning

confidence: 99%

Host-specific gene expression as a tool for introduction success in Naupactus parthenogenetic weevils

et al. 2021

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Food resource access can mediate establishment success in invasive species, and generalist herbivorous insects are thought to rely on mechanisms of transcriptional plasticity to respond to dietary variation. While asexually reproducing invasives typically have low genetic variation, the twofold reproductive capacity of asexual organisms is a marked advantage for colonization. We studied host-related transcriptional acclimation in parthenogenetic, invasive, and polyphagous weevils: Naupactus cervinus and N. leucoloma. We analyzed patterns of gene expression in three gene categories that can mediate weevil-host plant interactions through identification of suitable host plants, short-term acclimation to host plant defenses, and long-term adaptation to host plant defenses and their pathogens. This approach employed comparative transcriptomic methods to investigate differentially expressed host detection, detoxification, immune defense genes, and pathway-level gene set enrichment. Our results show that weevil gene expression responses can be host plant-specific, and that elements of that response can be maintained in the offspring. Some host plant groups, such as legumes, appear to be more taxing as they elicit a complex gene expression response which is both strong in intensity and specific in identity. However, the weevil response to taxing host plants shares many differentially expressed genes with other stressful situations, such as host plant cultivation conditions and transition to novel host, suggesting that there is an evolutionarily favorable shared gene expression regime for responding to different types of stressful situations. Modulating gene expression in the absence of other avenues for phenotypic adaptation may be an important mechanism of successful colonization for these introduced insects.

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Section: Invasiveness and Diet Breadthmentioning

confidence: 99%

Host-specific gene expression as a tool for introduction success in Naupactus parthenogenetic weevils

et al. 2021

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“…These detoxification mechanisms can be inherent adaptations of the insect that allow them to degrade and/or sequester toxic chemistry encountered when feeding on a novel host plant. Furthermore, studies of the transcriptional responses by insects feeding on different host plants have revealed a diversity of differentially expressed detoxification genes, suggesting a role for plasticity in host plant adaptation (e.g., Koenig et al, 2015; Näsvall et al, 2021; Orsucci et al, 2018; Simon et al, 2015; Vogel et al, 2014; Wybouw et al, 2015; Yu et al, 2016; Zhu et al, 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Parallel metatranscriptome analysis reveals degradation of plant secondary metabolites by beetles and their gut symbionts

et al. 2022

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Switching to a new host plant is a driving force for divergence and speciation in herbivorous insects. This process of incorporating a novel host plant into the diet may require a number of adaptations in the insect herbivores that allow them to consume host plant tissue that may contain toxic secondary chemicals. As a result, herbivorous insects are predicted to have evolved efficient ways to detoxify major plant defences and increase fitness by either relying on their own genomes or by recruiting other organisms such as microbial gut symbionts. In the present study we used parallel metatranscriptomic analyses of Altica flea beetles and their gut symbionts to explore the contributions of beetle detoxification mechanisms versus detoxification by their gut consortium. We compared the gut meta‐transcriptomes of two sympatric Altica species that feed exclusively on different host plant species as well as their F1 hybrids that were fed one of the two host plant species. These comparisons revealed that gene expression patterns of Altica are dependent on both beetle species identity and diet. The community structure of gut symbionts was also dependent on the identity of the beetle species, and the gene expression patterns of the gut symbionts were significantly correlated with beetle species and plant diet. Some of the enriched genes identified in the beetles and gut symbionts are involved in the degradation of secondary metabolites produced by plants, suggesting that Altica flea beetles may use their gut microbiota to help them feed on and adapt to their host plants.

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“…Data on gene expression in generalist herbivores supports the trade-off idea, finding that generalist herbivores have less fine-tuned gene regulation responding to different host plant diets, and broader patterns of gene regulation occur in generalists compared to specialists (8). In general, herbivorous insect generalists are thought to rely on transcriptional plasticity to respond to dietary variation (9, 10).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Host-specific gene expression as a tool for introduction success inNaupactusparthenogenetic weevils

Mackay-Smith

Dornon

Lucier

et al. 2021

Preprint

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Food resource access can mediate establishment success in invasive species, and generalist herbivorous insects are thought to rely on mechanisms of transcriptional plasticity to respond to dietary variation. While asexually reproducing invasives typically have low genetic variation, the twofold reproductive capacity of asexual organisms is a marked advantage for colonization. We studied host-related transcriptional acclimation in parthenogenetic, invasive, and polyphagous weevils: Naupactus cervinus and N. leucoloma. We analyzed patterns of gene expression in three gene categories that can mediate weevil-host plant interactions through identification of suitable host plants, short-term acclimation to host plant defenses, and long-term adaptation to host plant defenses and their pathogens. This approach employed comparative transcriptomic methods to investigate differentially expressed host detection, detoxification, immune defense genes, and pathway-level gene set enrichment. Our results show that weevil gene expression responses can be host plant-specific, and that elements of that response can be transgenerational. Some host plant groups, such as legumes, appear to be more taxing as they elicit a complex gene expression response which is both strong in intensity and specific in identity. However, the weevil response to taxing host plants shares many differentially expressed genes with other stressful situations, such as host plant cultivation conditions and transition to novel host, suggesting that there is an evolutionarily favorable shared gene expression regime for responding to different types of stressful situations. Modulating gene expression in the absence of other avenues for phenotypic adaptation may be an important mechanism of successful colonization for these introduced insects.

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Host plant diet affects growth and induces altered gene expression and microbiome composition in the wood white (Leptidea sinapis) butterfly

Abstract: This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.

Cited by 24 publications

References 106 publications

Host-specific gene expression as a tool for introduction success in Naupactus parthenogenetic weevils

Host-specific gene expression as a tool for introduction success in Naupactus parthenogenetic weevils

Parallel metatranscriptome analysis reveals degradation of plant secondary metabolites by beetles and their gut symbionts

Host-specific gene expression as a tool for introduction success inNaupactusparthenogenetic weevils

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